Just in case you didn't get the warning in the title - still not the fabulous JKR! But I do love playing with her plot and characters. Sticking rather close at the moment (you should recognise quite a few direct quotes - SHE OWNS ALL!) and we are all suitably jealous. Anyway, it will begin to drift further as we go on. Wish me luck!
Dumbledore sat back down again and began talking to Professor Moody, as everyone fought their way to the common room. Harry found himself walking with the twins.
"They can't do that! We only miss out on the age limit by…
"…A few months, and the champions…"
"Will get to do all sorts of stuff you normally…"
"Aren't allowed. Not to mention a thousand galleons." The twins bounced.
"Yeah… a thousand Galleons…" Ron was practically drooling.
They then went on to discuss the judge, and debate the possibilities of getting past him or her, and the plausibility of using aging potion or disguises.
"Will you go for it Harry? When we figure out how to get past the judge." One of the twins asked.
"I would." Ron interrupted, "A thousand Galleons!"
"People have died!" Hermione tried again.
"I probably don't know enough." Sighed Neville, "I bet my Gran would want me to, I'm just glad – Oof!" Naville had sunk his foot through one of the trick stairs again. Harry and one of the twins stopped to pull him out.
"Will you give it a go though Harry? I bet the judge couldn't pass up on you." The twin tried again. Harry was pretty sure it was George.
"Bloody hell Neville, you need a map with alarms!" Harry grinned, whacking Neville on the back. Which reminded him of the Marauders.
"If you haven't noticed guys," Harry answered, "I spend most of my time trying to keep out of trouble, not getting into it." Ron rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, but it usually finds you. I bet if you put your name in you'll get it."
"Which would be typical. I don't want it." Harry glared back. The group went back into discussion again, but the more they talked about it, the more Harry got annoyed. As they made their way to the common room there was a bit of a line up to get through the portrait.
"Does this map have the passwords as well?" Neville grinned, sensing Harry's wish for a change of topic, "I've already forgotten it and I'm too afraid to write it down again after last year."
"Afraid not Neville. But that reminds me… Hey Fred! George! Wait up." Harry whacked Neville lightly on the back again before heading to find the twins.
The common room was rather loud and busy while every one tried to catch up with everyone else's holidays. Harry cornered the twins with Lee Jorden, pouring over a bit of parchment.
"Hey guys, already found a replacement?" Harry grinned, pointing to the bit of parchment. This gave them time to put it away before he could see it (although he was fairly sure he knew what it was anyway), but also allowed him to suss out how much Lee knew.
"Never that." Said a twin.
"We tried a few things." Said the other.
"Never so successful." Said the first. Lee Jordan was looking over curiously, which made up Harry's mind. The twins could share later if they wanted to.
"Can I borrow a minute of your time?" Harry asked the twins.
"Sure. Bugger off Lee." George said, but grinning with no mean streak. Lee muttered cruelties under his breath, but left to catch up with some of his year mates nonetheless.
"Actually, maybe somewhere a bit quieter?" Harry pushed.
"Oh come on then." They each grabbed an arm and frog marched him up the boys tower, not stopping when Ron called out from Harry's level.
"Oi! Where are you off to?" He demanded sticking his head out the door.
"I'll tell you later" Harry said, turning, and as a result tripping on the stair. Fred and George just kept dragging, eventually dumping him unceremoniously on an extra squishy bed.
"Wow, is it just the three of you in here?" Said Harry, distracted by the room. It was quite different to their dorm, with only three beds there was a lot more room, although the cupboards looked a bit more damaged.
"Yes well the war was at it's peak…"
"When mumsie and popsie were at it…"
"Most people were too worried about their current family…"
"Instead of adding to it." The twins bounced, then in unison, "Stop stalling."
"Right sorry. Can anyone hear us?" Harry asked, pointing to the open door. The twins just laughed.
"Privacy charms."
"One of the first things we learnt." They grinned.
"Excellent. Might have to get you to show me. Anyway, about the Marauders…" The twins looked on hopefully and all of a sudden Harry became rather shy. He hadn't thought this through, being Prong's son, and Padfoot's Godson – what it might mean to the twins. But just as the twins were getting impatient Harry remembered them marching him down the halls in second year, announcing the 'heir of Slytherin, coming through' at the top of their voices. Everybody else had been wary of him, even his two best friends, but to the twins it was a giant joke. They had never for a moment believed it could be him. Harry made up his mind.
"I know who they are. Actually, I'm related to them." He said calmly. The response was not calm.
"WHAT?!" George yelled. Fred fell off the opposite bed. Harry didn't know what to say, but all of a sudden Fred regained his voice.
"Of course you are, it all makes sense." He said, looking across at his twin, who seemed to gain the understanding.
"Ooooh. It does."
"Does it?" Harry said, now confused.
"Of course. Who does trouble always find?"
"Yeah, not to mention a large number of detentions…"
"I hear you've broken into the potions store room…"
"Not to mention running into those nasty spiders in the forest…"
"Flew a car to school…"
"Only one to make it past Fluffy…"
"Yeah, we tried for weeks…"
"Weren't the only ones…"
"Not to mention the other stuff down there…"
"There was that Bludger too…"
"And the house-elf that came with it…"
"We really should have seen this earlier, brother dearest."
"Yes, I'm feeling a bit silly…"
"Rather stumped…"
"Completely stupid…"
"Silly, stumped and stupid." They said in unison "Now spill."
Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Well that went over better than expected. Now for the next one… You remember Professor Lupin?" Harry asked, trying to keep a straight face. The twin's stared across at each other jaws dropped. In unison their palms hit their faces.
"No way."
"We've actually…"
"Met one!"
Than silence for a minute before, "MOONY!" They yelled in unison. Harry grinned, and began the tale of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.
It was almost an hour later that Harry made it back to the dorm finding only Neville awake. The twins had been in uproar, mostly because Harry knew first, but also because they now knew which of Filch's files to try and break into to get to information on the Marauders pranks. The explanation of their Animagus ability had drawn the most respect from the Twins, not only their complete support from their friend, but because it was impressed upon them how much the ability to change to an animal at will would help with pranks. They had there and then decided to make it one of their new projects. Harry had to admit he'd done a tiny bit of research over the holidays, but hadn't had access to many books. But if the twins were interested Harry was certainly in, and pointed out that it had certainly helped Padfoot escape from an unfair law, and he felt if there was anybody he knew who was likely to get unfairly involved in the law, it was the twins, with a prank gone wrong. This had the added bonus of the twins promising to help look out for Sirius. While they didn't completely understand Harry's need for a Godfather, they felt they more than owed it to their unknowing mentors. They did take Peter's betrayal rather hard, thought this, naturally, pleased Harry quite a lot.
Harry had found his pajamas neatly folded on his bed, a house-elf had no doubt put them there. Harry hadn't missed Hermione's glares at the common room fires, and mutters of 'slave labor'. Nonetheless, he was quite pleased to be able to leave the unpacking until a later time. He found Neville sitting on the window sill staring out at the raging storm.
"Penny for them?" Harry asked, receiving a blank look from Neville. "Right, sorry, Knut for them?" Both boys laughed, and Dean grunted and rolled over.
"You two still up?" He complained, drawing his blinds shut. After a few moments of quiet Neville turned back to the sky. Harry didn't think he was going to answer when Neville's quiet whisper came, "Gran's always going on about upholding the family honor. Even if I could enter I don't think I'd have any luck."
"I'd pick you." Said Harry. Neville snorted.
"You'd be an idiot. I don't have any skills." Harry considered him for a bit.
"I don't feel like I do either. But I've been rather… Lucky, and had a bit of practice."
"I wish I had." Neville groaned.
"No Neville, you don't." Said Harry suddenly harsh.
"Right. Sorry Harry." Neville back-pedaled fast.
"No, it's fine. Everyone goes on about my great adventures. Just like my scar. It's great… so long as you weren't there."
"Do you miss them?" Neville asked, suddenly looking across at Harry. The question caught him by surprise. Not many people thought about it. It took Harry a moment to think of his answer.
"Not as much as I should. I used to. Before Hogwarts, but now I'm not alone, so it doesn't come up much."
"What about your relatives? You weren't alone then either." Said Neville. Harry frowned. Normally he was quite good at keeping out of these conversations. He considered his answer very carefully.
"My life before Hogwarts… It wasn't what everybody thought." Said Harry, thinking of all the books that had been written - the spoilt little prince, living to be a hero. Definitely not what people thought.
"Oh." Was Neville's quiet response. Harry decided to run with what he had while he could.
"Night Neville." He said, lying down and turning away from the window.