Thanks to y'all! Pablo5280, LittleEar BigEar's sis, Marauder chick, Athenia McGonagall, Tropic, delciousweasley (which one? Personally, I thought Bill was cool), shdurrani (cool name), Unhealthily-Obsessed (I know what you mean), Stating-the-obvious, Gwenyvere, Joots, alicia6 (glad to hear I've addicted someone! Er, that didn't sound right), Shinigami-chan, kimmerz, Enna seawave (thanks for checking out His mother's eyes), LadySiri (everyone has such cool names!? pouts at screen name Nitte iz), wanderingwolf (hmm, that's a fascinating idea), I-love-sirus73, Melissa, LunaMoon7, sweet775, Kurbanit, Keitorin (-blushes at compliments-), loonyluna1 (well the shorter the chapters, the faster the update), Doneril, jaycee, and Sesaru.
Facade1, I know what you mean about the getting new powers. Rowling takes such pains to emphasis that Harry isn't this super wizard, just one with a good heart, courage, resourcefulness, and loyal friends.
To Duchessa, I just did my homework! (of course I should probably do it before I write) Peter had balding, 'colorless' hair according to PoA and his hair is described in the Pensieve chapter of OotP as mousy - so I'll take that to mean brown. Now Harry doesn't seem very 'marauderish' but then again he's never really had the chance - nor any Marauders to teach him. -hint, hint- Um, I guarantee that Lily will not fall for Harry, though he will help her figure out what she feels for a certain other Potter. Fics I like? I'm not very picky, I just gave up on J/L fics because there were already like 50 pages when I first looked and then 52 when I checked the next day. I'm mostly a romance, action/adventure, angst kind of girl. Figures I would write an angst humor fic. I'll have to reserve time to read your recommendations also. I do have a taste for dark alternate dimension crossings, but I binged when I found them and man, it can freak you out after reading one too many.
Thank you for rambling!! (And The Rules Have Changed is one of my fav B/Vs, thus of course why it's on my fav story list. Okay, I'll shut up now.)
Hmm, anything else? Oh, this chapter should be better than the last. I was so surprised by the response! To tell the truth, I didn't even like the last one that much.
Disclaimer: see all those reviewers above? They're commenting on my FANfiction. Get the picture?
Hold Me While I'm Here-
Never follow a dog's directions
"Welcome to Hogwarts Harry!" James exclaimed gustily, beaming as he heavily threw his arm around Harry. The slighter boy tried to not cringe at the squishy sound James' robes made against his relatively clean ones. He had been able to avoid the worst of the food fight. He'd never realized just how useful all those defense spells could be, not to mention the practice he'd had last year during the chaotic months after the twins' departure.
Peter had also escaped rather unscathed, probably due to either animagus powers or cowering underneath a table. Harry wasn't happy with the association and the back of Peter's robes still bore signs of the salvaged lemon custard that Harry had 'accidentally' catapulted at him.
Remus was not really clean or really dirty, coated with a fine powdered sugar and honey glaze, portraying perfectly the attitude that made him both bookworm and Marauder.
James and Sirius on the other hand, looked like they had just stepped off a desert war field, which was actually pretty close to the truth. Absolutely dripping with creams, pastry scraps, various berry fillings, and unidentified fluids, the boys could not be more ecstatic. Well, actually James was slightly happier: he hadn't gotten the treacle tart, but then again - neither had Sirius.
"I think that's gotta be the record for stirring up trouble," Sirius grinned with maniacal glee. "One hour!" Despite his canine sorrow for the waste of so much food, he couldn't help but glow with the accomplishment - even if he was not necessarily the cause of it.
"I should've known it would be you guys." Harry abruptly stopped breathing at the sight of indignant dark red haired girl who stormed over, and was presently alternating her glare between Sirius and James. "Really, how could you Potter!"
James gave a lopsided grin. "Awww Evans, it was just a bit of fun. And in all honesty, we weren't the ones who called the fight." Innocent grins pasted themselves on each face, except of course the frozen Harry. Lily frowned, but to her knowledge the quartet had never denied to any mischief they had done. Instead they took the blame quite proudly. She shook her head and turned to the boy under James' arm.
"I'm Lily Evans," she said forcefully, too riled to be very nice and stuck out her hand. "You must be the new Gryffindor," her tone gentled a little, registering Harry's wide eyes. He gulped and nodded stiffly, forcing himself to take her hand.
His mother's hand - she had died for him. Lily Evans, Petunia's sister. Sister of his awful aunt whom he was supposed to be with right then. Not at Hogwarts - where he saw her in the Erised mirror in first year and Dumbledore told him that if he lived in the past, he would waste the future. But he was living in the past...
His thoughts became disjointed and he barely had the presence of mind to stop shaking hands.
"I'm Harry Patterson." He wasn't quite sure how that managed to get out of his extremely dry mouth. She nodded.
"Well, I hope you have a good year. I should warn you though - don't get involved with these miscreants!" She finished her speech with one last glare at James and turned on her heel.
His mother... she was alive and - here.
Sirius snorted. "Doesn't look like the Lily flower has softened up much over the summer Prongs." James stiffened slightly, his arm tightening on Harry's shoulder.
"Don't know what you mean, -Sirius-." Harry stiffened internally. He couldn't tell them, they couldn't trust him... at least not yet.
"I find it rather interesting she remarked on our hygiene." Everyone looked blankly at the official nerd. "Miscreants used to refer to unwashed - oh never mind." Remus huffed, upon realization that the guys were staring at him in incredulity not curiosity.
"Talking about unwashed..." James caught sight of a Slytherin who, despite his usual greasiness, looked entirely too clean in his opinion and slid his arm off of Harry. Sirius caught sight of Snape at the same time and smirked, both boys beginning to stalk their unsuspecting prey, fingering their wands. After only a few steps, James looked back out of habit to see if the others were following, only to meet Harry's green eyes. He halted, his arm shooting out to stop Sirius as well. "Sirius, could you distract Harry for us?" he whispered, carefully noting where Snape was heading.
"What?" Sirius hissed in consternation. "Why can't Remus?" James blinked, a plan forming in his mind.
"No, I'm going to need him." He took a step away and smiled charmingly back at the other boys. "Hey Remus could you come here? I need you."
"What am I supposed to do with him?" His black haired best friend whispered in a last ditch attempt to salvage his chance to prank Snivellus.
James shrugged. "Take him on a school tour, whatever. Just make sure he doesn't follow us." He smiled at Remus who was looking at James with a 'dare I ask?' look. They walked off, James muttering into Remus' ear with a wide grin.
Scowling, Sirius turned around to confront Harry who was looking curiously after the other two Marauders. Wait! There were three . . . Where was that rat when you needed him? Sirius quickly scanned around for the last member of the infamous quartet, only to find him slinking after James and Remus and disappearing around the corner.
Damn.
He smiled fakely at the now insanely curious Harry. "Um, so let's go on a school tour!" He bounded up to Harry and all but hauled him off in the opposite direction. Or at least tried.
"But shouldn't we go to Gryffindor tower? I thought there was a curfew or something," Harry protested. Sirius laughed recklessly.
"We're sixth years. Come on, live a little!"
Harry would've continued to resist if it hadn't clicked. Snape, duh! He let Sirius drag him onward. He wasn't sure he could stomach the sight of his father tormenting Snape yet.
If anybody had asked Harry if getting a school tour from a Marauder would be fun a few days ago, he would've enthusiastically shouted 'Yes!' But now...
Hogwarts had never seemed so dull.
Sirius had never seemed so dull.
Of course, Harry reflected, he had always imagined Sirius personally showing him all the secret passages, hidden doorways, and places that held so many memories of the Marauders.
Icy fingers curled around his heart. But that would've been his Sirius, and that was no longer possible.
He sighed and glanced at this Sirius. Already he was mentally separating the two, springing up a barrier to distinguish between the two. Yes, this was merely a younger version, but he was different. Being alive obviously the first big difference, but this one had never been guilty of trusting the wrong friend, spent years in Azkaban, escaped there, or been trapped in his family's horrid house. He wasn't Harry's godfather, not really.
The same division was happening between the future James and Remus and their past counterparts. If he kept thinking of them as the same, he'd go insane.
Dead, yet alive. Alone, and yet with friends.
And Peter... he was Peter, not Wormtail, but beyond that Harry will himself not to consider.
Traitor, yet loyal.
So he couldn't really blame Sirius for his simply awful tour. The boy didn't realize he would love to see all the hidden passages nor trusted him enough to show them, and frankly was too aggravated that he was missing a chance to prank Snivellus to give even a half-decent tour. Tromping aimlessly along their fifth hallway while Sirius still brooded in silence, Harry decided it would be a good time for a bathroom break. But he couldn't act like he knew where it was...
"Um, Sirius?" The boy in question jumped, obviously surprised that the new boy finally had something to say.
"What?"
"Could you point me to a bathroom?" Sirius smirked slightly.
"Sure, go down the next hallway and take the fourth doorway to the right." Harry raised an eyebrow at these instructions, but obediently proceeded down the hallway alone. As soon as he turned the corner, Sirius' smirk turned into a full-blown mischievous grin. Whistling now, he turned around and barely got around the corner when he stumbled upon the rest of his gang.
James was leaning on Remus for support; both boys laughing so hard tears were coming out of their eyes. Peter was actually on the floor in a fit of hysterics. Blinking owlishly, James recognized his best friend's frowning face and lurched over to him.
"Blue! Dancing purple pastries!" he sputtered and burst out laughing again, the halls echoing with his raucous laughter. After a moment, he calmed down enough for a full sentence. "Oh Padfoot, you should've been there!" He wiped his eyes.
"Well I would've been there if you hadn't sent me off to baby sit the new kid," Sirius growled back, crossing his arms. James paused at this, suddenly realizing that Sirius was alone - and he wasn't supposed to be.
"Speaking of Harry, where is he?" A roguish grin slowly crept unto Sirius' face.
"Oh, I sent him off to get to know the school better." Remus immediately came to attention.
"What? You know how complex this school is, he's going to get lost!" Worry began to fill his eyes.
Sirius waved his hand dismissively. "You're such a worrywart Moony. I know where he is. Or at least, in theory." There was something in his confident tone, relaxed manner . . . James looked at his best friend suspiciously.
"That means you sent him off to somewhere specific," he said slowly. "Sirius what did you do?"
"Oh, he asked for the bathroom so I sent him two corridors down, fourth door to the right," Sirius answered casually. Each Marauder processed this, Peter's face scrunching in hard thought as he picked himself off the floor.
James figured it out first. "The disappearing cupboard?!" He looked torn between disapproval and amusement. Remus' face whitened.
"Are you insane?!" he hissed. "He could be missing for months, not to mention we have no idea where he might pop up!" Sirius shrugged.
"He's a dull prat. I mean, he actually wanted to go back to the tower because he thought there was a curfew!" Remus gritted his teeth and advanced on the other boy.
"This is so like you Sirius, to play your sick jokes without considering the potentially dangerous consequences!" he lashed out angrily.
There was dead silence as both boys glared at each other, eye to eye. Any amusement vanished from James' face and Peter shifted uncomfortably. Then without another word, Remus brushed by his friend and stalked off in the direction of the cupboard.
The remembrance of Sirius' last failed prank on Snape still lent a bitter taste to the air.
Avoiding Sirius' defensive glare, James followed. Sirius scowled darkly and then turned to Peter. "Well, let's go, you bloody rat," he rumbled roughly, before reluctantly trailing behind his friends.
They walked in a tense silence until they finally arrived at the cupboard. Yes, at the cupboard. They stared at the wooden door in abject mystification. Remus blinked in confusion and exchanged a puzzled look with James. The cupboard always disappeared once one entered it - thus its name obviously. He glanced back at Sirius whose dark look had faded into bewilderment.
"Why's the door still here?" Peter finally squeaked. James frowned.
"Maybe it didn't work... but that could still mean that Harry's stuck in there." They pondered this for a second before both Remus and James turned their gaze on Sirius. He blinked before understanding their attention.
"Oh no! I am not going in there!" Remus' eyes narrowed slightly.
"You are the one who told him where to find it," he said deceptively calm. Sirius scowled, but found no help in James' unsympathetic face. He turned to Peter who at once backed away.
"I can't go in there," he pleaded in a miserable voice, his forehead beginning to shine with sweat. He wrung his hands nervously - and not without reason. The unfortunate choice of the which cupboard the Slytherins wanted to stuff him into, Peter's weeklong vanishing had first alerted the Marauders to the cupboard's true abilities. He did not fancy going back into it.
Sirius scowled deeper, muttering coward under his breath. Dramatically straightening, he strode to the door and with only the slightest pause, opened it.
When nothing happened, the other three quickly circled around with Peter keeping a respectful distance. The cupboard was empty. Remus scratched his head.
"What-"
"Sirius?"
Sirius spun around so fast that he lost his balance. Flailing wildly, he began to fall into the cupboard in slow motion.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
Instantaneously both Remus and James grabbed a thrashing arm and saved him. Precariously hanging from the grip of his two best friends, Sirius looked straight across the hall into Harry's startled eyes.
"Harry," squeaked Peter, surprisingly the only one able to speak. It was one of his few talents: the ability to talk under pressure, a talent that had actually saved the Marauders from quite a few tight predicaments. "What-what are you doing here?" He licked his dry lips.
Harry had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at their wide eyes. He almost felt a tinge of guilt for scaring Sirius, but honestly, the boy had tried to make him disappear! If he hadn't already known about the cupboard, he could've ended up stuck in a toilet a month later like Montague. It wasn't a pleasant thought. He shrugged off the eerie flashback of Sirius falling, with no friends to stop him...
"Well I followed the corridor and came to the fourth door," he thumbed the room behind him and paused for dramatic effect. "on the left, but it's not a bathroom." Their stares were blanker than a thrice washed chalkboard. He innocently cocked his head at them. "Why, what's wrong?" Oh yes, he was evil.
Realizing how ridiculous they must look gaping at him after their dramatic 'rescue' of Sirius, Remus finally regained himself and smiled benignly. "Nothing. About the bathroom," he dug an elbow into Sirius. "Sirius mixed up this floor with another." Abruptly dropping Sirius unto the ground, he inadvertently caused James to collapse unto to him, being unprepared to hold up all of Sirius' bulk. Harry winced, but Remus ignored the commotion. "How about we go to the Gryffindor tower? You can go to the bathroom there." He quickly led Harry away, calling after his friends to hurry up or they'd be locked out of the tower all night.
Sirius groaned and shoved James off of him. He heard left instead of right? No way. There was something fishy going on...
"There's something up with that new guy," he muttered. "Mistaking left for right, my arse." James laughed.
"Ever the suspicious one Padfoot. One day it'll land you in major trouble, just 'cuz you suspected the wrong person." Sirius raised an eyebrow, his face darkening.
"And your lack of suspicion will get you killed one day Prongs. By a 'friend' nonetheless."
Peter tittered nervously, catching both boys' attention. "Let's just go back to the tower," he pleaded, clearly perturbed by their subject of conversation.
And so they did.
Your reviews inspired me sooo much! It is amazing to have your number of reviews double in like one day though!
Next time: Remus' notebook and an interlude where the Marauders debate over Harry: Sirius' got a theory about the new kid. Also you'll find out what exactly James did to Snape.
And advertisements for today:
-Meetings of Marauders- by Whiskey. This has been recommended twice now! Fred's gone back to the days of the Marauders only knowing half the truth. Then Harry drops in and well - now people are starting to piece together the future and it might not be pretty. I just finished reading the update!! This fic is a must read!! -In Progress-
(Actually this fic inspired me with the whole human hierarchy versus pack hierarchy. The clash between Sirius and Remus above is an example of such.)
-CAUTION: Marauders Traveling- by aroar11. This is a starting fic, but it's absolutely adorable and looks very promising! Marauders come forward. -In Progress-
And for HP/LL lovers, cheers (we've got to stick together, so many H/Gers out there! And Luna would've been so cute with Harry!) and these two fics:
-Luna's Year, Part I- by michelle-31a. Fascinating action adventure take of sixth year, with much participation of Luna. I'm not usually a fan of such, but her writing just drew me in! -In Progress-
-Time after Time- by ComplexSimplicitY. THIS IS WONDERFUL! It's cute and adorable and sweet and so Luna! All the lovely HPLL goodness that we missed during the fifth book, insertion scenes that fit wonderfully in OotP. -Incomplete-
And that's all folks!
Nitte iz