Harry Potter Life's a Prophecy

Chapter 10

The Rat and The Cat

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his universe belong to J.K Rowling.

Chapter Beta'd by: RPMcMurphy, from 'perfectimagination' Beta readers.

A/N: The Idea of the Marauders song was taken from the witches Song: (Shakespeare, Macbeth Act 4, Scene 1) and the Team Rocket song (pokemon)

Midday Thursday, #the corridor leading to the headmaster's office.

Harry was on his way to the headmaster's office and he didn't know why.

Not that there was anything wrong with him visiting the headmaster's office, not at all, he used to do that a lot in the past, or rather future, or whatever it was called now, but a student had come to his morning Herbology class brandishing a formal letter of excuse, saying that is was extremely urgent and simply couldn't wait.

Had he still been simple carefree (well... more than he was now) Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, he wouldn't really have cared, but this time it was different. This time he wasn't the famous Potter, Gryffindor Golden child, but Harry Granger, a fake and highly dangerous Ministry-Test-Subject.

So what was the reason he had asked: No real reason.

According to the letter Dumbledore had just asked Professor Sprout to allow him, Harry Granger, to leave the classroom for an important discussion… whatever that meant.

Nothing to be worried about… right?

For some reason Harry wasn't too sure about that. He had a bad feeling about this upcoming discussion. He didn't know why… he just did.

So it was that Harry Granger, Hogwarts student extraordinaire, of great power and magnificence, was now standing in front of that all so familiar gargoyle, wondering what the old headmaster wanted.

The gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office moved aside and Harry used the familiar escalator up to the top of the staircase. The closer he got to the office, the colder the atmosphere seemed to get. Definitely not a good sign.

Standing beside the door, outside of the same office, he shivered slightly while he took a moment to put his already formidable Occlumency shields to full. Then and only then did he reach out to open the door. He did not bother knocking, as he was quite certain Dumbledore's voice was sure to ring out anyway, before he had a chance.

Sure enough, just before Harry's hands reached the door to push it open, the headmaster's voice did indeed ring out.

"Come in, Mr. Granger."

Strange, even his voice sounds somewhat colder this morning…why is everything so cold? Harry wondered, becoming increasingly uneasy.

Opening the door, he immediately realised that the headmaster was not alone. Far from it. Standing in the room with the headmaster were a small army of Aurors, and with the Aurors were…

Oh…shit … Harry thought as he saw the telltale uniform of a Ministry Mind Breaker.

He hated Mind Breakers. Ever since he had learned about them in Heaven he had learned to fear and avoid them at all costs.

Mind Breakers were just what the word said they were… Aurors, and not just any Aurors, but highly trained Aurors which specialised in the mind arts, particularly in two particular mind arts, Legilimency and Occlumency alike.

These feared individuals, who just incidentally happened to live in the Department of Mysteries, were only used in the most brutal, long and tiresome interrogations, which also tended to involve the most well-trained Occlumens.

An Occlumens just like me, Harry thought as he stood at the door warily, fear in his normally calm green eyes.

These Aurors were so well trained in Occlumency, Legilimency and other mind arts that Memory Charms had no affect on them, so you couldn't alter their minds and they were wildly feared for their mind breaking abilities. They were the bane and utmost fear of even the strongest of Occlumens.

Harry cursed inwardly as he realised he would have to play this interrogation out the long and difficult way. This time he would not be able to charm himself to freedom… and since he needed these people alive…

Oh damn…I'm so screwed, he thought fretfully as he looked at his headmaster, searching frantically for any signs of friendliness in his normally warm, twinkling eyes. What he found was not good. Nil ,zilch, zippo, nope, no hope ... not good at all... they were cold, stone cold without the smallest spark of their usual friendly warmth for which the headmaster was so well known.

"Sir… er... I … I don't know what I've done to deserve this… I… I can only presume they are here for me… so...," Harry began to stutter.

"Relax… Harry," said Dumbledore coldly, but not totally devoid of all kindness.

"Relax?" asked Harry incredulously. How could he relax? Here were some of the best of the best when it came to interrogations, and it was obvious that they were all here for him.

"Yes, Harry, relax," said Dumbledore, his voice slightly kinder now, though still scornful.

He hated to lose a good student… and Harry was excellent in all of his subjects. He was the pinnacle of a good student…no, a great student, fantastic in fact. But this was official Ministry business…and the safety of the school was at stake here… maybe even the future.

"These nice fellows are only here to… check up on a few details which concern the Ministry and its Department of Mysteries."

"Few details?" asked Harry, now really very scared, but still hiding it well considering the circumstances.

"Yes… it's really rather strange, Harry, but none of these fine gentlemen here have ever heard of any details, in fact they have never even heard about you or any joined test projects they have running with their colleagues in America… it's strange, but you don't even appear in either of the Ministries' official birth files or in the last wizarding world population census. In fact, you don't seem to even exist. Would you care to guess, or better still, explain why that may be?" Dumbledore asked, once again no pity in his eyes.

Harry was now thinking very fast… he was only minutes… no seconds, away from being caught and sentenced to life in Azkaban if not the dementor's kiss, under the section of fraud, espionage, time travel violations, and overall danger to the general existence of wizarding kind. He had to think of something fast.

Help me, God… please, he pleaded wildly in thought as his mind was nearly panicking.

The only reason why he was able to keep his Occlumency shields up at that moment was because of his two year, very intense training with master Occlumens like the Devil and Merlin. Even so, it had probably decreased to that of a level three at that moment, which was saying something.

Just when he was about to give up, fight for his life, break out of Hogwarts and become a hunted criminal, like Sirius had once been, his mind suddenly went blank… completely blank, not a shred of memory or former thought was left. Then, just as suddenly, new words started to form in his mind… words and images of a different life… of a powerful life… a life before the Ministry, as he knew it.

"Ok," he said quietly… suddenly confident, totally calm, and without fear. "Feel free to test my mind… but beware, the results may not be pleasing."

"What?" said an Auror nearby, fully taken by surprise.

"You know the procedure… you or I lower my Occlumency shields… your MB's get to study it… if you find anything which you don't like, you Obliviate me, then you sentence me… it's the way it is, it's the way it has always been," said Harry emotionlessly as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Somehow, he now knew the whole procedure.

The Aurors and Dumbledore gasped and stared at him with big wide-open eyes.

"Is he for real?" asked one of the Mind Breakers, slightly in awe.

"How does he know our procedures?" asked another Ministry official nearby, who seemed to look slightly intimidated.

"Answer!" an angry old wizard said in a demanding voice.

Looking at the last speaker, Harry smiled.

"Of course... Magistrate," he said, which received another round of gasps from the crowd. He wasn't supposed to have known that that rank even existed. "I know this because I am authorised to know this, by whom, I'm not at liberty to say, as I'm not allowed to under the Department of Mysteries act of 230."

Hearing this, Dumbledore's big bulbous eyes went even wider; it was now he who had great fear in his eyes, not the strange boy beside him.

"However, what I can say is, the experiment you seek is not widely known in your Ministry, nor is it known in the American Ministry.

"Only a few select members of both departments know about it, and they have all been sworn to secrecy under the supreme code of secrecy act number seven. In fact it's true that I don't exist in any census files, that is because as you already have correctly guessed I do not officially exist. You could even go as far as to say that I was never born."

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed the Magistrate.

"Why's that?" asked Harry smugly, laughing to himself in his mind. He seemed to be hearing the word serious an awful lot lately, he mused.

"That... that's … one of the oldest codes still in existence… a prime code of the old law… only heads of state, and the highest of Ministry officials are even allowed to look at information guarded under that code… and then only sparingly, with permission from the whole Wizengamot, and even then it can take up to a full year to gain the relevant permission. There is a reason why the number seven is the most magical number, you know."

"That's true," said Harry…he didn't know how he knew, he just did…and that would be all the time he would need.

"So…having established that fact and now that you realise who, or rather what, you're dealing with I'd expect that it's in your own best interests if you left this room and Obliviated what you heard here today from your minds, before an unfortunate accident occurs," said Harry evilly, his fear now totally gone again.

"Are you threatening me?" asked the Magistrate sternly.

"Nooo! Of course I am not… threatening you…you stupid fool," said Harry mockingly.

He was beginning to enjoy himself so much that he was beginning to become foolhardy and careless.

"Watch it, Granger," said an Auror. "Your immunity can only get you so far," he added.

Harry ignored him; however, he did apologise.

"Oh I'm sorry, Magistrate… forgive me…," he said, then slowly continued.

"The reason why I suggested this, is for your own protection… after all, bad things have happened to individuals who have snooped around in areas which didn't concern them… I don't suppose you want to join those unfortunates… do you?" Harry asked sweetly, raising an eyebrow as he asked, interested in everybody's responses and expressions.

"No… no, of course not, come on lads, we're finished here," said the Magistrate as he gave Harry a scared look. This boy was way out of his league.

A few seconds later, after a hurried, 'tactical' retreat, they were all gone. No reminder of their presence remained.

As soon as they were all gone Harry turned and looked at Dumbledore. Raising his other eyebrow, he gave him a questioning look.

"What…oh…er…yes you may go?" said Dumbledore wearily; he was still coming to terms with what had just happened.

Harry didn't go. Instead he cleared his throat. "Ahem!"

"What?…Oh!…yes…of course," said Dumbledore as he realised what Harry wanted.

Taking out his wand Dumbledore pointed it at himself and said, "Obviliate."

Looking back at Harry he raised his right hand and said: As under the rules of forced Obliviation of the Statue of Department Secrecies, my memories of most and overall relevant parts of what has been said here today have been erased. However, I still know indirectly about what has just occurred. Rest assured I will not question you on this matter again without relevant and overwhelming proof. You may go now."

Saying this, a small flash of light appeared all around Dumbledore, notifying that he had indeed done as requested.

Smiling sweetly, Harry left the room without another word, leaving behind a slightly dazed and confused Headmaster.

A minute later, Harry nearly collapsed and let himself lean on a nearby wall warily; he was absolutely exhausted. His former memories had returned to join the new ones which he had just gained. He had never felt so afraid before as he had been back in the office at that moment when he first saw the Mind Breakers.

Harry knew that he was only still alive because of who he was, or rather who he was working for, and because of the over all goal.

For the first time in ages, Harry realised that he wasn't omnipotent, oh no, far from it. Sure he was dangerous, nearly untouchable even, but that's where the fault lay…'nearly'. Indeed, Harry realised with a pang that he could still be caught, defeated and punished, if not killed, like anybody else. It was an important lesson well learned. Silently he thanked everybody above for his close escape.

From that day onwards, Harry could basically do whatever he wanted… within reason. As long as he didn't overly break any school rules he was fine.

His teachers, while they did keep an eye on him whenever they saw him, could only do so much to keep him under control based on normal school rules and as long as they didn't see him knowingly break any school rules or as long as he didn't kill someone, their hands were practically tied.

Harry knew this and was going to use it to his full advantage, but even so, with his Ministry immunity, he could only go so far, so he always stayed within school rules for as long as possible. This didn't, however, stop a certain professor called Thornton from threatening him at every moment, or giving him a detention whenever she legally could.

Harry had slowly become a living terror for the staff and certain Slytherins. For most of the student population, however, especially the Dragons, Harry was a living hero, deity even.

Rumours (not facts) about his legendary confrontation with the Ministry officials swept though the school, like a bonfire through a hay barn. Nobody ever knew how the rumours started.

In fact, already by the next hour, everybody seemed to know about what had happened, and by the end of the day, everybody was looking at Harry with total and complete awe.

The Slytherins looked at him in fear, while Thornton settled for royal disgust and continued to cause trouble for Harry whenever she could.

Harry took it casually at first, but when a certain rumour came up that he had single handedly fought and squashed about twenty Ministry officials and the headmaster himself with a magical hand and had then danced around them naked, singing the national anthem at the same time, he quickly put his foot down on the matter.

The consequences were such that on the next day the two unfortunate individuals who had spread the rumour found themselves hanging from the ceiling of the Great Hall during breakfast, doing just what they had rumoured… namely singing the national anthem, naked.

For once, Dumbledore, while horrified (like the rest of the staff), turned a blind eye… not that he was happy with it, oh no, on the contrary, he was furious…the fact that he didn't even know what had really happened only made everything worse, but at least the rumours of the disastrous meeting in his office had all but ceased after the occasion and for that alone he was thankful.

It had been a costly mistake indeed. Life couldn't have been any better for Harry… right? Well, his life may have been very easy from that day onwards. Granted, respect was high, most of his peers loved him, some even worshiped him, but he still wasn't satisfied.

Harry knew his time was running out. The fact remained that slowly, but surely, his time was running out and he needed to dispose of some vermin before it did.

Two days later, # Room of Requirement.

Four days since his initiation into the Marauder sect, Harry was once again sitting in his fancily cushioned armchair watching his, now, fellow Marauders, brewing a few potions and practicing a few spells which they would need for their pranks in a few days' time.

James may still have been the leader, but nothing could hide the fact that it wasn't he, but Harry whom everybody was taking orders from.

Everyone wanted everything to be perfect, so they had all agreed to put in as much practice into the spell work and to put as much perfection into their potions as possible. (Harry didn't have to, as it was clear he was already perfect anyway and so he spent his time helping his fellow members instead.)

In fact over the past two days it had become so bad, that the general motto of the group had changed from: 'Prank and let them be pranked,' to 'Prank them…Fail and don't bother coming back as we will kill you if you do,' until it finally just said: 'Prank 'em silly! If you fail, go to Hell.'

Its meaning was all too clear… failure was NOT an option. (Nobody needed to know that that could indeed literally happen (go to Hell) if Harry wished it so.)

As a result, nerves were very high and the Marauders didn't even want to dream that they could somehow mess up this, 'once in a lifetime opportunity.'

The thought of failure was just too unbearable for some, like James and Sirius, to accept, and Harry was fairly sure that they would indeed go as far as to drown themselves if it went wrong.

This went above Quidditch (which was saying something)… the honour of the Marauders was at stake.

Flashback

Two nights before, Harry had quickly learned what it really meant to be a Marauder. The Marauders all thought of themselves as one big happy family and they took their jobs in the family very serious indeed. Maybe even too seriously at times.

Each would stand up or cover for the other, help the other out when in need or even take the other person's blame if all else failed (If that were to lessen the punishment).

"We stand together, we run together, we hide together, we take the other's blame, hell, we even hold each other's parts if we have to…but… I'll tell you now…If you or any of us, betrays the other… I can guarantee you, you will never be the same again after we have finished with you."

Those were James exact words on their first official meeting with Harry as a Marauder on Harry's initiation feast, and Harry had never felt more accepted before then at that moment in his entire life, though he had to admit, some of the things they said they would do for each other had somewhat disturbed him.

Here were people whom he felt he could trust, no matter what the problem was. Here were people whom he would be willing to die for…well…expect one perhaps.

He felt saddened that he was fated to break their trust soon, but it was all in the name of the greater good. Besides, according to the rules, it was only right to punish the offender…If the accused did it now or later it wasn't going to make much of a difference, not according to Harry at least. Well…it would make a difference for him.

He had seen what had happened, he had seen and felt the pain and despair in his godfather as one of their kind had betrayed them. He had a job to do and he would do it, no matter the cost. If he had to break the most sacred rule to do it, then so be it.

It is all for the greater good, he had reminded himself, not realising or caring just how similar to Dumbledore he sounded at that moment and that's why he had called them into the next meeting.

Harry's greatest moment that night had been when he was allowed to see the Marauder's Map… with a small addition:

It now said: Messers. Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail, Doom, and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map (Mark 2).

Harry wondered what Fred and George would say to that. He wondered if after the big prank whether he would be like a god to them. Hell, he probably would be that anyway. He smiled at the thought.

After his successful integration into this famous gang of mischievous pranksters and notorious troublemakers, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and now also Harry had all made the Room of Requirement into their official headquarters.

Since Harry and now the rest of the gang were the only ones who knew about the room, its secrets and, over all, what was most important, how to summon it, Harry and the others had no fear of being disturbed, caught, or otherwise found out while in a meeting… so far at least.

Even so, while the meeting was in progress, Harry had planned to lock the door and just to be sure he had also placed a Fidelius Charm around the room too, with himself as the Marauders' Secret Keeper.

He wasn't going to trust anybody.

Harry was a little surprised when none of the original Marauders had complained that he, the new guy, was to have the honour of such an important position, though now after he had had some time to think about it, that was probably because only he could do or knew how to do the charm in the first place.

End of Flashback

Today was the Marauders' second, but first official meeting in their new room.

Harry, after hiding his portrait, had called together an official Marauders meeting for that evening, as he was anxious to get started on his mission to kill off certain students.

To do that he first needed to re-enforce the Marauder trust… and the best way to do that was do help them in what they did best…a prank…not just any prank…the best prank….the prank of all pranks…the prank which would make history... the prank which would bring Hogwarts to its knees (if only it had some).

Slowly Harry walked over to a line of potions which were happily bubbling in their respective cauldrons.

James was busy adding a few contents into a Befuddlement Potion which he was planning to use on Snape during the prank and he looked up when Harry approached him.

"Everything OK, Harry?" asked James

"Oh yes…everything's fine. Just checking up on my …special weapon," Harry answered merrily.

James just nodded in understanding. When it came to potions, he knew better than to interfere. Either way, it looked sadistically difficult to brew.

The special weapon was one of the potions which Harry had learned directly from the devil himself. It was the one potion which he thought had been humorous at the time. Satan called it the 'Rabidimemoria' potion. Harry, however, liked to call it the 'Bing, You're Stupid' potion. And for a good reason.

However, when questioned by the other Marauders, he had always strictly refused to give any hints on the matter.

"So Harry, are you going to tell us what this potion is or not?" asked James as he once again peered into the merrily bubbling cauldron of pure blood-red liquid. (It was Satan's favourite colour right before black.)

James really didn't like the look of that colour…it looked strange. It looked… forbidden… and dangerous... unholy in fact.

Harry, recognising the look on James's face, smiled.

"Don't worry, James…I promise it …er... won't poison or rather kill anybody… if that's what you're worried about," said Harry sweetly.

"At least not unless they do something extremely stu…er...suicidal," Harry added.

James didn't know whether to be reassured by that statement or not.

"Suicidal?"

"Well, you wouldn't jump off the castle walls, would you?" Harry asked.

Seeing the look of shock and horror on James's face, Harry quickly added: "Don't worry, I'm sure they won't be in any state to do something like that."

At least they shouldn't be, he thought.

For a fleeting second Harry had second thoughts about what he was going to do, but quickly squashed the idea. Besides, he didn't have time to change his plans anymore…not now, the potion really wasn't that dangerous anyway…was it? In fact it seemed quite harmless…

Yes it's harmless, Harry reassured himself.

"Come let us sing the Marauders' song," said Harry loudly, trying his best to lighten the atmosphere again.

Only yesterday he had created a remodeled version of the old famous witches' song while he had been simultaneously brewing about 6 different types of potions and the other Marauders had really loved it (after they had gotten over their awe). They had loved it so much in fact that they had immediately made it into their Marauders anthem.

"Oh yes… let's sing it again," cried James and Sirius happily. (James had immediately forgotten the prior conversation.)

It had been he and Sirius who had made up most of the 'interesting changes,' bar some of the names, which had been Harry's.

"Oh no, not again!" cried Remus with a groan, "…we only just sang it yesterday."

"It's getting so old," said Peter, but nevertheless they all joined in:

[Doom Bubble, bubble prepare for trouble;
[Padfoot Fire burn, and the leaky cauldron bubble. Woof woof
[Prongs We'll be the greatest pranksters of all time.
[Moony Creators of our grand design.

[Prongs I'll be the King,
[Doom I'll be the mind,
[Sirius I'll be his lapdog …
[Moony The Joker.
[Wormtail And helper in crime.

[Doom Prepare for trouble,
[Prongs And make it Quintrouble.

[Sirius To prepare old Hogwarts for Devastation,
[Moony To unite all pranksters within our nation,
[Wormtail To announce the joys of chaos and dust,
[All To claim our seats in the stars above.

[Prongs All hail Prongs,
[Moony All hail Moony,
[Padfoot All hail Padfoot ,
[Doom(cheekily) Who's quite the loony.
[Padfoot Hey!
[Wormtail (laughing) All hail Wormtail,
[Doom And all Hail Doom.
[All All hail the Marauders… Beware the boom and gloom of doom.

[All Marauders blast Hogwarts into the night,
[All Surrender now, or prepare for your flight.

[Prongs One Eye from Snape,
[Wormtail Two toes from Thorn,
[Prongs Three hairs from Mini,
[Moony Fours a c...h…arm!!!, (Remus yawed.)

[Doom Five fillets from old Sally's snake in the cauldron to foul and leak.
[Padfoot Six tongues from Blake, Seven teeth from hate, woof! woof!
[Moony Eights drops of drool from Bella, and nine songs from Fate. Stop barking, Paddy!
[Prongs Ten devil forks supreme, and eleven blind mans strings. Yes, stop it, Padfoot, you're ruining the song!
[Wormtail Dumby's leg, and his phoenix's wing.

Now louder)
[Doom For a charm of powerful trouble,
[Padfoot Let hells-broth boil and bubble. ))Whine((
[Moony (he groans and roles his eyes)A Potion, the form of almighty trouble,
[Prongs Hell hath no Fury as a Hogwarts... with five times the trouble.

[Doom and Prongs Oh Hogwarts, your world will tremble and grin,
[Moony and Wormtail Oh Hogwarts, the Marauders are all ready to begin.
[All We're the Marauders, the prankster of all time. We're walking trouble, trouble sublime.

[Prongs We're the Marauders so brilliant, it's frighteningly true,
[Padfoot Big trouble follows us whatever we go.

[Doom and Padfoot Bubble, bubble toil and trouble;
[All Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

[Padfoot Innocence's a sin, your future looks quite dim,
[All Enjoy your last free moments for the Marauders shall win.

"And damn right too," finished Sirius, who was still glaring at Harry for calling him loony, while the rest laughed and cheered.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Moony, who walked up beside Harry.

"It better!" said Sirius

"It will," said Harry, and with that everybody went back to work.

Night time (5 minutes before 12, midnight) before the Big Prank# Dragon Common room

"Are you ready, lads?" whispered Harry who was the last to appear into the Dragon common room.

He was speaking quietly so as not to wake up the rest of the dormitory.

"We have been waiting here for nearly thirty minutes, mate," said Sirius, who had been the first one down and seemed both annoyed and very impatient that he had had to wait for the past hour for his fellow pranksters to get ready.

For tonight was the big night before the big day. Tonight the Marauders were going to prepare the school for magnificent Marauder mayhem, manipulations, murders and misery.

Harry had given everybody a special potion which would keep everybody awake and fully energised for the full night and next day. He knew they were going to need it as none of them would be getting much sleep, if any, that night.

"Ok….everybody…you all know what to do… I dare say we have gone over this enough times to last, at least me, for a lifetime if not two, and I won't be answering any more questions…

"SO!…any questions?" asked Harry.

Everybody smiled but nobody answered.

"No...seriously, lads…we want to do this right…any questions?" asked Harry again.

"One, Harry," said Remus, who was always the careful one and the most worried of the group when they were about to prank or otherwise break school rules.

Harry nodded, giving Remus his full attention.

"What do we do if we are caught… as unlikely as it may be… but there is always the chance," said Remus, who still wasn't completely satisfied with their safety precautions.

"I concede that there is always a chance that that might happen, even with all of our precautions," said Harry.

The night before Harry had made numerous deals with certain individuals and set up numerous diversions throughout the whole school (should they be needed) as well as charming everybody in the group to be invisible. (He would activate the charm when they left the common room).

He also put Silencing Charms on their feet so that they couldn't be heard. The Marauders even agreed to only speak using their telepathy if they needed to talk. They all knew that they would be out for the whole night and would probably meet a lot of professors doing their night shift patrols of the corridors, at least for the first few hours. Later on it would become a little easier as even professors needed to sleep.

Even so, there would always be at least one or two professors looking for late night sleep walkers or other lost students and of course there was always Mr. Filch, who seemed to need less sleep than everybody else and preferred to sleep during the day for a few hours when the students were all in class (and less likely to cause trouble).

Well, he wouldn't be getting much sleep the next day.

"If it happens …well, it really shouldn't, but if it does, we will just have to find a way to deal with it when it does…" he said, hoping that it wouldn't.

"Remember, lads…if anything should happen…you're most likely going to be on your own… take the blame like a true innocent Marauder…if there is such a thing… don't jeopardise the mission… if we figure out a way to help you, we'll do it… but don't count on it."

"Understood?" Harry asked.

Everybody nodded.

Nodding to James, who still had the last word and overall command, Harry started to walk towards the dorm exit.

"OK everybody, you heard the Count of Doom… let's do our jobs… I know this is a huge thing to do all in one night but if we stick to it we can surely make it."

"We have practiced long enough for this… Sirius you take the east wing, I'll take care of the west. Remus, you're doing the library and dungeons…" said James.

"Why me?...Why do I get to do the library?" asked Remus, horrified.

It was common knowledge that he loved the library and was known as the Marauder bookworm.

"You're the one who knows it the best, Moony… heavens forbid… most of us don't really know how it looks like from the inside," joked James, which received a deep growl from Remus and a laugh from the others.

He clearly wasn't happy about this, but kept quiet from then on.

"Pete…You're doing the north tower... and courtyards," James said to Peter.

"Doom…you're the only one who can do this so… you're doing the Great Hall and you're going to watch our backs…just in case… Ok?" asked James.

"Sure thing, boss," said Harry.

It had been planned that he would help wherever he could and otherwise take over the Great Hall and watch everybody's backs in case something was to go wrong.

The Marauders also knew that the Great Hall was the meeting place for the night staff, so it would also be the most dangerous job to do.

Unknown to the rest, Harry was also planning to take care of the common rooms and the Headmaster's office. He was the only one whom he would trust to take care of such a dangerous task and to be truthful, he wasn't sure if even he could complete it himself.

"Oh, and Harry, if you think you can't do something…you don't have to," James added.

Harry just nodded and smiled. "Sure thing, boss," he lied.

"Ok everybody, let's go!" ...and a second later all had left.

James POV (point of view)

James was walking towards the west area of the castle and walked into a nearby classroom. It felt really weird to be out without his trusty Invisibility Cloak… he felt so naked without it, but he trusted Harry that he knew his charm work.

Harry… or rather Count Doom… had reassured him that nobody would be able to see him, except perhaps Dumbledore himself, who seemed to be able to see through such things.

James had been surprised when he had heard that, as he remembered running into him a few times when he was out a few times late at night. The headmaster, however, either had never seen him or had always chosen not to.

James always wondered whether Dumbledore supported all of their pranks and just chose to ignore them as long as their pranks weren't 'too' dangerous. He always did seem to enjoy the resulting action every morning. Either way, he was going to be extra careful this night… there was just too much at stake to be careless now.

Keeping his eyes open for a member of the night patrol, James cast another spell, this time on a huge portrait which was sleeping, snoring so loudly that it made a nearby armour stand rattle.

For a few minutes James let his mind drift and let himself think about their new…and highly valuable member. For a minute he recounted just what he knew of Harry. Harry Granger, the Lord of Dragonheart, Count Doom, had come as a great surprise, he thought to himself, in more than just one way.

Thinking back, James remembered the first time he had seen him back in Diagon Alley. At first he had thought he was looking at a direct copy of himself.

It could have been, for all he knew, if only there were not a few small differences, most prominent of which were his green eyes…they looked like Lily's eyes…oh how much he wished Lily would accept him…how he wished that Harry somehow were his son and Lily his wife…but that was not to be.

Somehow James had this icy feeling that Lily was never going to marry him… ever. That somebody would take her away…or that something might happen to her, before he could convince her. Just thinking about it… that she would never like him, that they would never be together, made his heart ache.

NO, he screamed to himself mentally, I will not let it happen, he vowed to himself.

There has to be a way to convince her, he thought as he cast another spell, this time on the corridor leading towards the Transfiguration classroom, prepping the floor for the big day tomorrow.

She seems to really like, maybe even adore Harry, maybe I can convince him to help me… he wondered… maybe he can help me win her over… after all he did seem interested and very supportive of the idea that the two of them got together.

Too bad that Lily was so stubborn.

What does he have which I don't have…what is he doing that I'm not? he asked himself. She always seems to be willing to speak with him and help him… what's different with me, everybody loves me, right?...well except Snivellus, perhaps, he pondered…Hell, he even looks the same as me… almost… except that big scar, and those green eyes…Lily's eyes.

James sighed again.

It was a deep sigh of immense longing

Yes…the next day he would ask him… Maybe, just maybe, I'm missing something, he thought as he started to walk to the next classroom to bewitch the blackboards to write swear words during class.

Sirius's POV

Meanwhile at the other end of the school, Sirius was similarly wondering about their new member.

I can't believe how much has changed since Harry joined us, he mused.Before him we would never have even thought of doing this prank, but now with him, everything seems to be possible.

Sirius still marveled at the fact that Harry had single-handedly defeated Dumbledore and a handful of Aurors, if the rumours were true. Sirius had of course questioned Harry on that issue, but Harry hadn't spoken much about it. What was so special about Harry? Why was he always so secretive?

Harry Granger… that boy had more secrets than the whole school combined and it annoyed Sirius greatly that he wasn't about to find out what they were. Sirius prided himself on being able to unravel secrets, but Harry had so far always defeated him at every turn.

Harry greatly mystified him. He had more guts and skill than anybody he knew and he had this rare ability to always find a way to solve a problem and to command total obedience from everybody... well except Professor Thornton perhaps, who seemed to hate him, but then whom didn't she hate, besides the slimy Slytherins.

Hell, Sirius had noticed that the Slytherins all seemed to fear him. He had noticed a few of them become chalk white when he approached them in a corridor.

What did he do to them? he wondered.

Sirius had been in the nearby carriage on the trip to Hogwarts. He had heard the commotion which had come from compartment five, where the Slytherins had been. Whatever he did to them must have been very effective, as Sirius had never seen the Slytherins so frightened before.

Even in class, with Thornton of all people, they didn't do anything to annoy him, and that was saying something. Normally they wouldn't loose out on a chance to 'pick on' a Gryffindor…but with him there…Sirius left the rest unthought-of.

Shaking his head, Sirius continued to wipe a special potion on to a door nearby and watched, mesmerised, as it disappear into the wood. For the umpteenth time he wondered what that stuff was and what it would do.

Well, he would find out tomorrow as Harry had never told him what it would do. Again he let his mind drift to that other potion Harry had been brewing in the Room of Requirement. What did he call that potion again… the 'Bing, you're stupid potion'?

I wonder if it has anything to do with that potion which he said he knew which would have made most of the spells in the prank book he had read in Flourish and Blotts look like child's play.

What had he called him again, an amateur? Even now the words sounded horrible.

That potion really must be something if what he said is true.

Sirius was so happy that he never had the bright idea to prank the boy.

The results would have been…overwhelming, at the least.

Sirius was so caught up in his thoughts and in his excitement that he never noticed Filch walk his way.

He seemed to have that same frown on his face which always suggested that he sensed someone nearby… someone who really shouldn't be nearby.

Oh no, not him, thought Sirius, suddenly alarmed, but remembered that he was invisible.

Still, this was not what he needed.

Damn, got to move, he thought.

Opening up his connection to the other Marauders, he started to speak to them.

Red alert, everybody, he said. He was very annoyed.

James heard him and quickly spoke back:

What's wrong, did someone see you… are you caught? he asked, even though that wasn't really possible unless it was Dumbledore.

Filch just joined the party, and no, I think everything's still OK.

I see ….James said then decided to speak to everybody:

Heads up, everybody, Sirius has just encountered Filch, be prepared for some company, he warned.

Do you need help, Sirius? Harry asked from his place in the Great Hall.

Negative…no…wait…yes…I… maybe, said Sirius suddenly.

Sirius? asked James calmly.

But Sirius didn't answer: he was occupied.

None other than Thornton had just come around the corner and was hurrying towards him.

Sirius? asked James again, still calmly.

Quickly Sirius pressed himself into a gap in a wall nearby and sucked in his breath.

It was going to be a tight fit.

"Ah, Anna," said Filch as he saw her.

He was using the last part of her first name.

"Mr. Filch, how nice to see you," she said pleasantly as they stopped right beside where Sirius had pressed himself into the wall. Adrianna Thornton preferred to use Filch's surname.

"I was j…what's wrong…is someone out?" she asked, noticing the way Filch looked whenever he was hunting some prey, or in his case, students who were out after curfew.

"I…just sensed…"

"Yes?" asked Thornton eagerly.

Sirius's heart beat rose significantly as he heard this.

Sirius? came James voice again.

It was still calm, though it was beginning to show signs of strain.

"Kitty?...hang on …I'm coming," Filch said suddenly.

"Come Anna, I think someone is… Kitty just informed me that she thinks one of those brats is out on another night stroll. Would you be so kind as to help me find them?" he asked.

"It would be a pleasure," Thornton answered, a vicious grin appearing all over her face.

"Perhaps it's Potter and his pesky little friends...or better still Granger," she added as both began to walk past Sirius's location.

As soon as they had passed, Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. That was too close for comfort, he thought.

Sirius! came James's voice, and this time Sirius answered:

It's ok… they just left. Everything's alright…I think, he said to the other Marauders, using his mind link again.

Ah good… came James's relieved voice from the other end of the link

Not good, said Sirius. He knows we are out for the night, our jobs have just become a tad more difficult, Sirius answered.

Acknowledged, James answered…You hear that everybody? he said.

Hear what? asked Harry.

We might be about to get some company… Filch knows we are out…

Ah, so that's why everybody left the Great Hall a few minutes ago… thanks… I needed that, said Harry. It just made my job a hell of a lot easier, he added.

Oh no! came Peter's voice suddenly through the connection.

Everything OK, Pete? asked Remus, who took this moment to speak, having just pranked another book to fly away from anybody who wished to read it.

No…well…yes it's ok, F and T have just entered my area, but they walked right past, said Peter, who sounded relieved.

Calm down, Peter, said James, remember you're inv…

Oh damn… came Peters' voice. Here they come back…and now they have M with them too…

I…I can't get past them… they are taking up too much room… they'll bump in to me, he said suddenly, panic in his voice.

It's alright, Peter…stay calm, just find a dent in a wall somewhere…step into a classroom, Remus said from his side of the link.

A few tense moments later, Peter's voice came back through the link…It's ok… I transformed into my rat form… they passed me.

What!…you fool…I told you not to…that cancels the Invisibility Charm, you idiot, Harry nearly screamed.

Oh shit… sorry, I forgot, said Peter, who was suddenly panicking.

Peter…listen to me…get to the common room…I'm coming, Harry answered coldly.

Right, said Peter.

Harry sighed… Carry on, lads, we'll be back once I put the charm back on that dunderhead, he said, using Snape's favourite word.

HELP!

What now? Harry asked, annoyed. It was Peter again.

K...K…K...K…Ki…

Peter…calm down…wh..

IT'S KITTY, came Peter's frightened voice.

Oh!

Kitty was Filch's cat, and like all of Mr. Filch's cats, she was the bane of every student.

The Marauders hated her. (As did most of the students in the school, especially those whose greatest ambition was to give her a kick, if only they could get away with it.) She always seemed to be around when they were out of their dorm in the middle of the night and would nearly always run off to report to her master. Sometimes she didn't even have to, he just knew.

Do you…er… need help? Harry asked.

YES!!! came Peter's terrified voice.

Stay calm, Peter, came James voice…Just transform back into your…

YOU TRY TO STAY CA… Damn…here comes Filch again…HELP!

Peter, RUN!! shouted Remus from his place in the library.

I...I…ca…ca...can't, Peter stuttered.

Peter…get moving, don't be such as wimp…just …

HELP!

PETER! Come on, get a…

IT'S KITTY…SHE'S AFTER ME!!!…came Peter's terrified voice.

Oh!...SHIT!…hang on…I'm coming…, said Harry.

Hang on, Pete, I'm coming too, James said through the link.

Harry groaned… No, James…it's too dangerous, you'll all get caught, Harry nearly screamed out, but James didn't answer.

Shit, Harry swore again as he teleported away. It only took a second for Harry to arrive into the middle of a battlefield.

Peter, in his rat form and screaming in his high pitched squeaky rat voice was scurrying along the ground at an amazing pace, Kitty hot after his tail. Without thinking, Harry gave Kitty a kick and sent her flying.

Unfortunately he managed to kick Peter too, making him release a loud squeal as his shoe grazed him.

Just a few seconds later Filch came around the corner. A second earlier and he would have seen his cat hit and knock her head off a nearby wall. As it was he didn't. Seeing that his cat was hurt, he rushed over to her.

"What happened, who did this to you… I'll skin them alive," he roared furiously, looking around the corridor for the guilty person.

That guilty person, however, was nowhere in sight anymore. Harry had taken the sudden lapse of concentration from Filch and had grabbed Peter (the rat) and had teleported away with him. Immediately Peter changed into his human form.

"What just happened?... how did you?...it's not possible to Appa…" Peter began to ask, still gasping in pain from Harry's brief kick.

"Stupefy, obliviate!" Harry said, Stunning Peter and wiping his knowledge of the fact that he had just teleported into the common room.

Harry sighed with relief… then he remembered that James was still out there looking for Peter. He quickly opened his mind connection to reassure him when…he paused….and got a terrible grin on his face. His eyes turned red then death black and he let out a sudden mad giggle.

This was the moment he had been waiting for…of course…he could kill Peter right now…and no one would know…he could blame it on the cat instead.

Wondering why he hadn't thought of this before, he grabbed Peter and using a spell, he turned him back into his rat form.

With another flash they were gone.

Meanwhile with James

James was hurrying down the corridor, with sweat all over his face. He had to get to Peter…he had to get there now. He was just about to enter the Charms corridor when he saw Filch running past him. He looked extremely angry and was red in the face.

Not taking a moment to wonder what had happened, James continued to run along the corridor in the opposite direction…ran around a corner and bumped right into none other than Professor McGonagall, knocking her over.

"Ouch," she said as she fell to the ground heavily as did he.

McGonagall had managed to grab him as they fell.

Horrified, James froze… he didn't know what to do.

McGonagall, who had immediately realised what had just happened, pulled her wand out and a second later James appeared right in front of her, Invisibility Charm removed.

"James …I knew it would be one of you," she said. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE…ANSWER QUICKLY," she screamed. She was absolutely furious.

James was shocked; he wasn't even able to open his mouth. He had never seen McGonagall so furious before.

"IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME NOW…OH HELP ME… I .…I …You're Head Boy…JAMES…how could you," she ranted, red in the face.

I'm dead, James thought miserably. All he could do was stare at the ground. He didn't know what to do. He had never seen his Head of House so mad before.

"MY OFFICE, NOW!!!" McGonagall screamed.

"No… please… I'll explain," James pleaded... he was in so much trouble.

James was so horrified that he just stood there. Seeing that he wasn't about to move, McGonagall grabbed him and started to pull him around the hall.

"Please, Professor…I…"

"Spare it," she said fiercely as they neared her room.

A quick password later and they entered it. McGonagall practically hurled James along with her and James fell to the ground.

"Right… What were you doing out of the dorms… at three AM I may add … five hours after curfew…JAMES… you're Head Boy… you know better than to… explain yourself," she said coldly.

"I…I…" James couldn't bring himself to say anything…he didn't know what to say.

James, tell her directly what I'm about to say, came Harry's voice suddenly from the other side of their link.

At that moment he was standing in that very room watching the conversation, having left Peter, the rat, binded by a strong body lock spell, inside Filch's office in Kitty's food bowl.

It would be a nice present for her when she came back later that night. He was sure of it.

What… I'm…oh…right… ok! James said…he was too shocked to argue anyway.

Tell her that you were out because you were looking for a few students which you heard were out after curfew.

But!

DO IT!

"I…I... was out looking for a few students which I heard were out …." James said, giving himself up to fate, and Harry's ability to get him out of trouble.

I hope you know what you're doing, Harry, he said back though the link.

Hearing this, McGonagall's expression softened slightly but she was still angry.

"At three in the morning?…who are they?" she asked.

Tell her you heard a rumour that a few first years were planning a midnight duel… but you don't know who.

"Er...Well…. (James shrugged mentally) I heard a rumour that a few first years were out for a late night duel…and I wanted to catch them," he said, hoping that it might at least lessen his punishment.

He didn't have to fake a guilty or sad expression; he was both anyway.

"Mr. Potter, as Head Boy you should have come to me about this and not gone looking for them yourself," McGonagall cut in

Apologise quickly, said Harry.

"I'm sorry…yes…I …should have…." James started to say.

"Yes, you should have…but you didn't," said McGonagall briskly; however, her expression seemed to be nearly back to normal.

Seeing James's downtrodden expression she sighed…She always did have a soft spot for the boy.

"Alright…since you were only trying to do your job… I'll let you off with a simple detention…Friday night…seven…don't be late.

"Now get straight into bed and get some sleep, I will not accept you being tired in class tomorrow," she said, finally smiling slightly yet still firmly as she saw the evident expression of relief on his shocked face.

It was much better than he could have hoped for.

Really relieved, James said, "Thank you, Professor," and left the room.

James spent the next hour looking worriedly for Peter but never found him. He tried calling him through their link, but that didn't work either and none of the others had seen him.

Harry of course denied that he had and told James that he was also still looking for him, when in fact at that same moment he was watching Mrs. Kitty eat him instead.

One gone, two to go. My parents should now be safe, he mused happily.

Two hours before morning, the whole Marauder gang minus Peter, who had 'somehow' disappeared, found themselves once again back in the common room. James had a worried look on his face as he had spent the rest of the night worrying about Peter while he took care of the rest of his pranks.

They had only just finished their last respective tasks and were looking forward to the morning when Harry, with a serious, solemn face, called them together to tell them the sad news.

A minute later all had downtrodden miserable expressions on their faces…and all were crying heavily (though for Harry it was more of an act).

Harry was the only one who wasn't crying like the rest, but the others hadn't really expected him to. After all, Harry hadn't known Peter as long as they had. Harry had broken the sad news of his death to them, saying that Kitty had killed him, a few minutes after James had come back.

As evidence he placed Peter's gruesome remains (complete with bite marks) on the table and watched emotionlessly as the rest of the Marauders threw up and broke down. The rest of the Marauders were so horrified that they just sat at the table and …bawled.

Harry, in his wisdom, had put up a Silencing Charm the moment they had entered the room, so he was sure none of the other dorm residents would notice. For the next few minutes he waited quietly for his father, godfather, and godwolf to recover.

A short while later they were still sitting around the table looking at each other blankly. There was nothing they could do. They couldn't tell what had happened. They didn't know how to.

James suddenly started shaking again… he was beginning to go into complete shock.

Seeing this, Harry quickly Stunned him.

"Sorry, lads…it's...better this way," he said weakly to them.

He too didn't know what to do to comfort them at this moment in time. Then he mentally slapped himself. ICEY, he called out mentally. With a flash the phoenix appeared and realising the situation, she began to sing.

Immediately everybody began to calm down. As proven many times before, the song of a phoenix had the power to calm and heal souls… it was no different this time.

After another few minutes, Sirius, who had recovered enough to speak, opened his mouth:

"So… er… what now?" he asked.

Remus shrugged; he was still too upset to talk.

Once again it was Harry who came up with an answer:

"As much as I hate to say this… well… there isn't anything we can do… we…"

"DAMN IT, HARRY…PETER…HE…HE DIED… HE'S DEAD…" Sirius roared. His voice broke and he started to cry again.

Icey continued to sing.

Harry waited for another few minutes then, when Sirius seemed to have calmed down, he tried again:

"I realise that that's the case… and… I'm very sorry… but… there isn't anything we can do," he said with a sad voice.

He hated to see his godfather crying like this.

It was Remus who spoke next.

"Someone will have to tell the Headmaster… someone will have to tell… OH BLOODY HELL… the pranks…. what are we going to do… they are going to go off in around two hours," Remus said as he realised it.

Oh… yes… the pranks, thought Harry. Oh … That IS a problem, he thought.

This was definitely not the right time for pranks… not anymore.

Remus had thrown his hands up into the air in disgust.

"This is not the time for pranks," he said, mirroring Harry's thoughts.

Harry grimaced.

"There is nothing we can do about it… they are going to go off in exactly one hour and 50 minutes," he said, for the first time not happy with the night's events.

It's for the greater good… it can't be helped…, he reminded himself… even he was disgusted with this turn of events.

Harry sighed again… there was nothing for it… he would have to Obliviate them all and act as if nothing had happened until after the pranks… then he would tell them all again.

Oh, he would hate it… but it had to be done, Harry reminded himself.

He would alter their minds so that they would believe that Peter had gone home on sudden family business for the day and that he would miss the fun… he would make them believe that he had left during the night.

He hated what he had to do, but there was nothing else for it.

With a heavy heart and another sigh, he wandlessly Stunned the remaining two Marauders and with another flick he Obviliated their minds, altering their experiences as planned.

He never even bothered to take out his wand.

Then, shaking his head, he levitated them into the dorms where he put them to bed.

With a heavy feeling, not really looking forward to the day's pranks at that moment, he went back to the common room, sat down in his favourite chair, and began to wait.

Icey, who had been waiting, kept him company, reassuring him that it had to be done…that it was all part of the plan, for another hour then she too left him in peace.

It was a night to forget.