Might and Magic:Tales of Ranma Saotome, Boy Wizard
A Ranma ½ and Harry Potter Crossover
Book 1: The Map, The Stone, and The Boy Who Lived
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (see J.K. Rowling and Rumiko Takahashi), I'm just making up a new story with them. Please don't sue me (especially for any OOC).
Author's Notes: I changed the title of this chapter because I thought it made a bit more sense. Please note that this chapter contains and is inspired by portions of Chapter 13 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's Stone for you Brits).
Chapter 11: The Marauders' Challenge
"So, are you going to tell them, Harry?"
"Tell us what?" asked Hermione. She, Ranma, Ron, and Harry were all in the common room, along with most of Gryffindor house, finishing their last bits of homework before term started the next day. Most of the school had returned that evening on the Hogwarts Express.
"Harry got an invisibility cloak for Christmas!" replied Ron, his voice low but excited. Hermione and Ranma both looked at Harry with wide-eyed surprise.
"Thanks, Ron, I think I can tell them." Harry said airily. It seemed that Ranma was not the only one who'd had an eventful vacation. "So, yes, I got an invisibility cloak-"
"Who was it from?" asked Hermione.
"Dunno, there wasn't a name on it, just a note that said it used to be my dad's." said Harry with a shrug. "Anyway, I thought I'd put it to good use, so I went to the library that night to look at books in the Restricted Section-"
"You didn't!" said Hermione, looking horrified. "Harry, if Filch had caught you-"
"He didn't." Harry assured her quickly.
"Came close though, didn't he?" Ron added with a grin. Harry shot a withering glare at him. "Anyway, tell them about that dodgy mirror."
"It's not dodgy!" Harry said, sounding unnecessarily defensive.
"That's not what Dumbledore said-"
"Okay, hold on, are either of you two going to explain what you're talking about, or do you plan to argue all night?" Ranma asked with a bemused smile.
"Yeah, all right." said Ron. "Go ahead, Harry."
Harry sighed as if he were recalling a pleasant memory. "Well, I almost got caught by Filch, and I was running away so fast that I didn't see where I was headed. I just sort of found this old classroom, and inside was this big mirror, the Mirror of Erised."
"Erised?" said Hermione. "That's an odd name."
"Yeah, I know. That's not all that's odd about the mirror though. It-" Harry paused. He opened his mouth to speak but seemed to have difficulty producing any words.
"It shows you your deepest desire." Ron quickly volunteered. "At least, that's what Dumbledore said. When I looked in it, it showed me as Quidditch captain and prefect and head boy, plus I was holding the House cup."
To her credit, Hermione managed to keep any sarcastic comments to herself, though the look on her face was enough to provoke a reaction from Ron. "Oh right, and I suppose yours would be better? It'd probably involve a magic bookbag and Madame Pince lifting the limit on the number of books you can check out."
Hermione blushed slightly and opened her mouth to retort, but Ranma headed off the argument. "So Harry, what did you see in the mirror?"
"I saw...my family." Harry said, sounding rather wistful. This quieted Ron and Hermione and the four sat in awkward silence for several moments before Harry spoke again. "Anyway, Dumbledore said it's really dangerous and that people have wasted away in front of it. He's had it moved. He told me to forget about it."
"He's quite right." said Hermione approvingly. "As interesting as it sounds, I don't think it's safe to just have laying around for anyone to come across."
The other three nodded absently. Ranma could imagine what he would see in the mirror: a counter to his Jusenkyo curse. They were silent a while longer before Harry spoke again, this time on a less touchy subject.
"So, have you three thought about what to do about Snape and the Stone?"
From the looks on their faces, Ranma could tell that, like him, the other three had been thinking very keenly about it. Ryouko had delivered the letters far more swiftly than Ranma thought she could and, the next day, three return letters had been waiting. During the last days of the holiday, the four of them had owled each other almost non-stop but, despite all their communication, they had yet to come up with a satisfactory answer to that particular question.
"Harry, I don't think there's anything we can do." Hermione said.
"Sure there is." Ron replied matter-of-factly. "We can go to McGonagall, or even Dumbledore."
"Yeah, but what would we say? We don't exactly have a lot of proof." said Harry.
"But we saw him going to the third floor corridor on Halloween, and we saw him hexing your broom." Ron insisted.
"That's not good enough, Ron. He could just say that he was making sure the troll wasn't a diversion. Besides, Hermione's probably the only one of us that they'd listen to." Ranma said, shaking his head. "I think the only thing we can do is keep an eye on Snape for now."
"Ranma's right." agreed Hermione. "We know Snape can't get around Fluffy, so while he's trying to figure that out, we can try to find out what other things are protecting the Stone."
"Other things?" Both Harry and Ron said with alarm.
Hermione looked exasperatedly at them. "Of course there are other things. You don't just think Hagrid's dog is the only thing guarding something that valuable, do you?"
Ranma nodded in agreement. He had been thinking along those lines as well. "Harry, I think you should try pumping Hagrid for more information, since he always seems to slip up around you. He's bound to know what's after Fluffy, or at least who put the other protections on."
Harry agreed, though Ron did not seem entirely convinced. "What's the point? As long as Dumbledore's here, Snape won't be stupid enough to try anything."
"Yeah, that's just the thing." Ranma replied, before Hermione could throw in a, no doubt, scathing remark. "He might not always be here."
On Tuesday, Ranma went through his morning routine feeling that he was forgetting something important. He tried to push this feeling from his mind as he sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, where he joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Just as he arrived, the post owls began flying through the Great Hall, and he was surprised to see several swoop down and drop three letters and a package on his plate.
"Your mum sent you something already?" asked Ron.
"Looks like it." Ranma replied, holding up a thick envelope with his mother's handwriting. Before he opened it, though, he looked at the other two, both of which were rolled and sealed. One caught his eye immediately because it was addressed, in neat kanji, to Ranko Kutaragi. His eyes grew wide with disbelief as he realized who had sent the letter. How had she possibly sent him, or rather, Ranko, a letter...unless she knew the truth. Ranma swallowed hard, feeling apprehensive. Deciding his mother's letter could wait, he unsealed the letter with a decidedly shaky hand, unrolled it, and proceeded to read.
Dear Ranko,
I hope you don't mind me writing, I forgot to ask if it was okay before I left. I know you were worried about what the Kunos would do after what happened, but I think Kasumi convinced them to forget about it, so don't worry.
I had fun walking around Diagon Alley with you. I know this sounds weird, but you remind me of someone I used to know. You're much nicer though - I hope it wasn't too boring showing me around. Next time you're in Japan, I'll show you around Pai Yar Square.
Take care and write back soon!
Ukyo
Ranma set the letter aside, breathing a sigh of relief. Ukyo still thought she was talking to a girl named Ranko, so his real identity was safe for the moment. Still, he wondered how the letter managed to find its way to him. Deciding to think on that and send a response later, Ranma opened the other letter and read it as well.
Dear Mr. Saotome,
I trust the term has started well for you. I must first apologize for my seeming lack of interest in the information you have so diligently provided Professor McGonagall. Let me assure you that I have not forgotten our conversation and that I have been thinking on these developments. I have no answers for you now, merely the thinnest of speculation, but I encourage you to continue informing Professor McGonagall of your progress. And, though I'm sure you are doing this already, I must impress upon you the importance of continuing to work on extending and controlling your magical ki, as we discussed in October. Perhaps you think the progress you've made is too minimal, but I should like to hear of it nonetheless. I wish you the best of luck in these things and your studies.
Professor Dumbledore
Ranma folded the letter, feeling a pang of guilt. In his excitement over discovering ki interruption, he had completely forgotten about learning to use his magical energy. Something in the way Dumbledore had worded the letter made him suspect that the headmaster knew this to be the case. Ranma immediately resolved to put ki interruption aside, for the moment, and concentrate on magic. His control over his ki and progress with ki interruption would probably be sufficient and, besides, he really did want to start using his wand for something other than decoration.
Finally, Ranma turned to Ryouko, who was waiting patiently, nibbling on a kipper that had fallen off a platter. With a faint idea of what this all meant, Ranma removed the letter from her leg and opened it. Inside was a note, which read:
Dear Ranma,
I hope you're enjoying the new term, but not so much you forget your special day! Since it's so close to Christmas, I hope you don't mind if I put off buying your gift until the end of term, and by then you will have thought of something you'd really like. Enjoy the card and share the birthday cake with your friends.
Love,
Mum
Ranma's smiled and opened the, card which started singing "Happy Birthday" and dancing around the table. His fellow Gryffindors laughed and sang along as it made it's way up from one end to the other. He quickly wrote a reply, strapped it to Ryouko, and sent her back off.
"You didn't tell us it was your birthday! I'd have gotten you something otherwise." said Harry, after the card finally seemed to tire.
"Don't worry about it." Ranma said with a lopsided grin. "I usually don't celebrate it, thanks to my dad. To be honest, I nearly forgot."
"How on earth do you forget your own birthday?" asked Hermione disbelievingly.
"With my dad, it's easier than you think." he replied with a shrug.
Ranma stowed the box in the dormitory until later that evening, when he shared his birthday cake with the other first years and anyone else who wanted a slice. As he, Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat near the fire, eating cake and doing Charms homework, they were accosted by the Weasley twins.
"Look here, Fred, our ickle firsties are taking a night off from reading the entire library." quipped George as he helped himself to the cake.
"We weren't trying to read the library." Ron said, sounding annoyed. "And, anyway, we've stopped doing that."
"I'm sure Pince would do a back flip if she heard you say that." Fred chuckled. He turned to Ranma. "This cake is excellent, but if you'd told us about your birthday, George and I'd have made one for you too."
"Right, and how many jinxes would it have had on it?" Ranma asked skeptically. Fred and George looked greatly offended.
"Do you really think we'd be so under-handed as to-"
"Yes!" Ranma, Hermione, Harry, and Ron said in unison. The twins laughed.
"Brother, I think they may be getting wise to us." said George with mock concern. "Anyway, excuse us while we borrow Ranma. It'll only be a moment."
Ranma shrugged at his friends, looking as surprised as them. He allowed himself to be dragged away to a quiet corner of the common room. "What's up?" he asked curiously.
"A couple things. First, seeing as it's your birthday and all, we got you a little something." said George.
"It's not much-" Fred said, tossing a tiny box at Ranma, who caught it easily.
"-but we think you'll like it." finished George. "We'll thank you to open it after we've gone, you'll just embarrass us with your profuse gratitude."
Ranma rolled his eyes at them. "And what's the second thing?"
"Ah, yes. We wanted to give you a bit of warning." said Fred, his voice turning serious.
"There's been talk around the castle of a betting pool on you." George said.
"A betting pool? On me?" Ranma asked, sounding surprised. "Why would anyone bet on me?"
"Not on you, against you. Apparently there's a load of galleons in store for anyone who can hex you."
"But people are already trying to hex me."
"Yeah, but it didn't involve money." Fred replied. "If you ask us, we think someone-"
"-or some house-" added George darkly.
"-is gunning for you. Whoever it is is trying to make a big incentive to attack you."
"And how long has this been going on?" asked Ranma.
"Since December at least." said George.
Ranma still looked confused. "But there haven't been more people trying to hex me. In fact, there've been less."
"Well, after that whole thing at Halloween, not many people are mad enough to attack you openly."
"Which is why the pool has gotten so large. Eventually it'll be large enough for someone to be mad not to attack you." explained Fred.
"I see." Ranma said thoughtfully. "Well, thanks for the gift and the warning."
"You're not worried, are you?" George asked.
"Not one bit." Ranma said casually.
"I told you he wouldn't be, Fred." George said triumphantly. "Well, there's Lee, so if you'll excuse us..."
He made his way back over to his seat. "What'd Fred and George want?" asked Ron when Ranma had sat down again.
"They gave me this for my birthday." He showed them the little box. He decided to keep the news of the betting pool to himself.
"What's that?" asked Harry.
"Probably something dodgy." Ron said with a snort before helping himself to more cake.
Thinking that Ron was probably right, Ranma took the lid off the box carefully. Inside he found a small glass bottle of cloudy yellow liquid and a small slip of paper folded several times.
Happy birthday, mate! You might be wondering what's in that little bottle. It's a little potion we invented that we like to call "Bird Droppings". Swallow three drops and you'll get a big surprise...but we'd save these for others you'd like to prank or embarrass.
Cheers,
Fred and George
PS. Friday, 9 pm, at the Humpbacked One-eyed Witch, we'll finish our story.
"Well?" asked Hermione, looking skeptically at the little bottle.
"A joke product, apparently. No clue what it does though." he replied half-truthfully.
Ranma pocketed the bottle and the note. While he was curious as to the effects of the potion, he did not feel quite foolish enough to try it on himself. If it really was embarrassing, he did not want to be the one to personally find out; better to save it for people he did not like. More intriguing was their meeting invitation. Finally, almost two months after saving the twins from giant spiders intent on flaying them alive, he would find out the entire truth about what they were up to. After all this build-up and being forced to wait until after the holidays, Ranma hoped it would be worthwhile.
The next two days passed without much note. Ranma used his after-dinner training sessions to start at the lowest level of harnessing life energy: meditation. He felt optimistic about learning to use his magical energy, especially since it seemed to behave like ki. Meditation, however, was no where near as interesting to watch as ki interruption, a point which Freya was quick to note. She was rather vociferous in expressing her disappointment, to the point of being distracting, before Ranma assured her that his new training would eventually let him use his wand more often. Her attitude changed immediately because, as she had mentioned frequently, she was looking forward to showing him a few tricks with a wand. Secretly, he was sure she only wanted to have a wands-only rematch.
Now that they were freed from the burden of looking for Flamel, the "fab four" (as Fred and George had taken to calling them) found more time kick back and relax, at least when Hermione let them. She was quite the "swot-aholic" and thought that they should be as well. This seemed to bother Harry and Ron more than Ranma, mostly because he had already become rather swotty by necessity and, by and large, he usually finished his work to Hermione's satisfaction with time to spare. On the evenings when Harry and Ron were weighed down by their work, he and Hermione would help Neville with his work or discuss their lessons. When they all had free time, they amused themselves with talk of Quidditch, speculating on what else was guarding the Stone, and playing wizarding games like exploding snap and gobstones (a game very much like marbles, except the stones squirted nasty liquids in your face when struck). Ron, who was very good at wizard chess (which was exactly like Muggle chess, but with animated game pieces), would take turns at teaching both Ranma and Hermione to play and annihilating Harry. In return, Ranma was teaching them all how to play shogi, a Japanese game similar to chess that was an obsession of his father's.
Of course, the tensions with the Slytherins never failed to stir up a bit of trouble. It was especially difficult before Potions lesson, when the Slytherins knew they were at an advantage, thanks to Snape's favoritism. Malfoy, backed up by the dim-witted Crabbe and Goyle, was almost certain to have a snarky comment for them, particularly Harry, and Ranma could not help but respond. As usual, Malfoy did not waste an opportunity to belittle them that Friday morning.
"Well if it isn't Potty, the Weasel, and the Muggle." Malfoy said loudly as they approached the Potions classroom. "Oh, and the Squib as well, can't forget him. Imagine, someone more pathetic a wizard than Longbottom."
"Ranma, don't." Hermione warned, grabbing his arm. He gently disengaged himself and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, it takes more than stupid comments from Slytherins to get a rise out of me." Ranma said, making 'Slytherin' seem like a rude word. He raised his voice so that everyone in the corridor could hear him. "Speaking of pathetic, though, maybe you can tell me how Slytherins eat, Malfoy, seeing as none of you have any guts."
All the Gryffindors, save Hermione, smirked at their classmates, who were shooting murderous glares at Ranma. Instead of Malfoy however, it was Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott who spoke up. This was somewhat surprising; while Zabini had never hidden the fact that he despised Gryffindors (and Ranma in particular, after he had called Slytherins cowards to their faces), he had kept a wary silence since Halloween. Nott was much more guarded and cautious and, quite frankly, Ranma had never heard him utter so much as a single word. They turned to face the Gryffindors, their eyes trained on Ranma.
"Shut your mouth, Saotome," Zabini said coldly, his eyes glittering dangerously, "before it runs a tab you can't pay."
"Unless you'd like someone to shut it for you." added Nott.
Ranma could not help it; he burst out laughing with genuine mirth. "And I suppose you two are going to do that? You're a hundred years too early to take me on."
"You think you're so tough, chink." Malfoy said haughtily. "You won't-"
But what he would not do, no one heard. Before he could finish his sentence, before it even registered to anyone that he had moved, Ranma was behind Malfoy, almost hovering over him. Ranma made sure not to touch the boy, but doing so was unnecessary to make his point. "Malfoy, if you're going to be racist, at least get it right." he said in the boy's ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's 'jap', not 'chink', you stupid git."
Snape chose that moment to enter the corridor, but he did not fool Ranma, who had felt the man's presence just around the corner for several minutes. "What is going on here?" he demanded.
"Just a friendly conversation, professor." Ranma said louder and more quickly than anyone else.
"I don't recall asking you, Saotome." Snape replied dismissively.
"You asked everyone-"
"Hold your tongue, boy!" Snape snapped. "Malfoy, explain."
Ranma sauntered back to the Gryffindors, rolling his eyes as Malfoy told his sob story to Snape. "Trying to instigate a fight, eh, Saotome?" Snape said silkily. "Twenty points from Gryffindor."
Ranma rolled his eyes and threw an infuriating smirk at the man, but did not argue. "I'll have those back before lunch." he said to Hermione as the class filed into the classroom, not bothering to keep his voice down.
"Saotome! Come here!" Snape hissed. Ranma stalked back to the classroom entrance where Snape was holding the door open, looking furious. He slammed the door closed after Ranma. "I've had just about enough of your cheek, boy!"
Ranma was unphased by the man's outburst. "That wasn't cheek, professor, just a statement of fact. I will have those points back, since they were taken unfairly." he said coolly, sounding almost bored.
"You dare-"
"As long as you play favorites and penalize us for not being Slytherins, I'll keep 'running to McGonagall', as you said." Ranma stated defiantly.
Snape switched tactics. "How ironic that you so openly admit to that. Where's the vaunted Gryffindor bravery you all go on about?" he sneered.
Ranma smirked again, satisfied that he had gotten under the man's skin. "Where it's always been. Only I'm not stupid enough to play this game on just your terms."
Snape opened his mouth to reply but stopped abruptly. He gave Ranma a shrewd, penetrating look, as if he were seeing him properly for the first time. Ranma remained calm under the scrutiny, but the man's sudden change in demeanor disappointed and, in a way, unnerved him. Snape stiffly opened the door and gestured roughly inside. "Take your seat, now!" he ordered coldly.
Everyone's eyes were on him as he strode to where Hermione was sitting, but Ranma hardly noticed. He took his seat next to Hermione, trying to fathom the sudden change in the potions master. "What happened?" Hermione mouthed silently after Snape had swept past.
"Nothing." Ranma whispered, but he could not help feeling that this was not entirely true.
Ranma spent the rest of the day wondering about Snape, remembering the penetrating glare the man had affixed him with before class. He had a lingering suspicion that it could mean nothing good, especially after his talk with Professor McGonagall. Snape had informed her that he was restoring the twenty points, but he had not explained why. Though she praised him for standing up for himself, Ranma could not be happy with the turn of events. It was all too suspiciously convenient for his taste. People like Snape did not change their stripes overnight, much less in several hours
Fortunately, Ranma had his meeting with Fred and George to take his mind off Snape's odd behavior. At five minutes to nine, he slipped quietly out of the portrait hole and into the corridor, keeping his ears sharp for approaching footsteps. His feet followed a well memorized route that he had planned the day prior. It was rather convoluted and long but, if anyone heard him, they would be hard pressed to follow him exactly, and with his speed he could cover the distance with a minute to spare. Behind tapestries, down dark corridors, down several flights of stairs (remembering to jump the trick step), and through a hidden door, Ranma emerged in a classroom right across from the statue. He was most surprised to see that he was not the only person in the room. At the door, looking out into the hall, stood the Weasley twins. They had not heard him yet, so he quietly closed the hidden door and walked up behind them.
"Who are we waiting for?" he asked quietly.
The twins nearly jumped three feet straight up, and the looks on their faces were priceless. "Blimey, Ranma, are you trying to give us coronaries?" Fred hissed, but he looked slightly amused.
"I'm impressed." added George. "We didn't find the secret door into this room until last term."
"Quiet, someone's coming." said Fred, closing the door so that only a sliver of the corridor could be seen. Ranma concentrated and, shortly, could feel a magical aura approaching, but it's size told him that it was neither the caretaker nor any of the teachers. "It's Lee. LEE! In here!"
Fred opened the door and waved the boy in. Lee closed the door behind him. He seemed slightly out of breath, his face shining with barely contained anticipation. "Sorry I'm late, had to take a detour around Ms. Norris." he said.
"Quite all right, mate." George said cheerfully. "Let's get down to it, eh?"
Both Lee and Ranma made to pull up a chair, but Fred waved them off. "Not here. We need a bit more privacy. Follow us."
Fred and George led the way out into the corridor and behind the statue of the Humpbacked Witch. George pulled out his wand, tapped the statue, and whispered "Dissendium!" Lee and Ranma gasped as a hole opened in the statue's base, wide enough for a full grown man to slide through with ease, with a ladder that descended into the inky darkness. Fred lit his wand and led the way down the hole, followed by Ranma, Lee, and George, who tapped the edge of the hole with his wand to close it. At the bottom, they lit their wands and followed Fred through the narrow passageway. Said passageway was roughly hewn from stone and the floor was smooth cobblestone. Ranma saw sconces for torches, but they were empty.
After several minutes of walking, Fred called a halt. Finding two loose rocks on the floor, he and his brother transfigured them into wooden torches and lit them with their wands before setting them in two sconces. The brothers sat on the floor and invited their companions to do the same. "All right, now that we can speak a bit more freely-" said George.
"-we think it's time we show you our little secret-" said Fred.
"-and explain what it had to do with our little incident in November, among other things." finished George.
"About bloody time." Lee muttered.
Fred pretended not to hear him. Instead, he reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of parchment that was folded very much like a Muggle street map. It looked old and mangy, the creases well worn and the edges tattered. Fred spread it out in front of them with loving care, as if it were the finest silk. Ranma and Lee could not hide their skepticism. "Okay, so what's the ratty parchment for?" Ranma asked point blank.
"Ratty parchment?" George said, sounding very affronted, as if Ranma had insulted his mother. "That 'ratty parchment', I'll have you know, is the greatest aid imaginable to mischief-makers. It is directly related to our success, thank you very much."
Ranma could not imagine how such an old piece of parchment could be so important and the expression on his face clearly said as much. "Brother, please enlighten these poor souls." said George.
"With pleasure." Fred nodded, raising his wand and tapping the parchment once. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
For a second, nothing happened, and Ranma wondered if this was Fred and George's idea of a joke. Then, magical energy seemed to burst from nowhere, washing over the parchment. Thin lines of ink began running across the surface, as if a dozen invisible quills were drawing a complex picture. The lines intersected and ran parallel; they dotted and dashed and spiraled, and eventually Ranma could make out a very large, very detailed map. At the top, great, curly green letters filled in, proclaiming:
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers
Are Proud to Present:
The Marauders' Map
Indeed it was a map, the most wonderful map Ranma had ever seen. The entirety of Hogwarts was laid out in fine detail, but even more amazing were the hundreds of little dots that moved about the map, each labeled with a name in tiny writing. It took only a few seconds for the implications of this map to dawn on him. "This map...it can show anyone in the castle?" he asked, not looking away from the map.
"Oh yeah, that's easy." Fred said proudly. "Of course, if you were looking for someone in particular..."
"Snape." Ranma said automatically. The map seemed to have heard him, for the image scrolled a bit and zoomed in until the dot labeled "Severus Snape" was dead center on the parchment. From the looks of things, the potions master was in his personal quarters in the dungeons. "Whoa."
"We're glad you like it." George said with a chuckle. "Of course, that's not all it does. It's dead useful for finding quick routes or hidden passages."
"All I want to know is where you two got your hands on something this brilliant." Lee said, finally speaking. "This is better than when you found out how to get into the kitchens!"
"Oh that, the map told us." Fred said sheepishly.
"The map told you..." Lee said, his face darkening. "That was two bloody years ago! You're telling me you had the sodding map all this time and didn't tell me?"
"Well, we were going to tell you-" said George awkwardly.
"-eventually. We sort of put it off." said Fred.
"Sort of put it off?" growled Lee, his voice rising. "You-"
"Lee, can't you tell them off later? You know, when we're not out of bounds?" Ranma said, interrupting the boy. This seemed to calm him down a bit. "Okay, so where did you get this map? You can't have bought it anywhere, not something this dangerous."
"Well of course we didn't buy it." George replied. "We nicked it-"
Lee rolled his eyes. "Figures."
"-from Filch's office." George finished, ignoring Lee's comment. "This was back in first year, mind you, when we were young and innocent-"
Both Lee and Ranma snorted derisively. "Well, more innocent than now." Fred said.
"Anyway, Filch ran us in for setting off dungbombs in the corridors-"
"Why he was so twisted up over that is beyond me." Fred added with an evil grin.
"While we were in there, we noticed a drawer he had in his filing cabinet marked 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous', so, of course, there was only one thing to do..."
The same thought went through Ranma's head that he was sure went through their's: ransack that drawer. By the mischievous grin on Lee's face, he was thinking the exact same thing. Fred and George smiled approvingly before continuing. "I smartly diverted Filch's attention with a well tossed dungbomb and, in those precious few moments I'd bought, Fred retrieved this." He pointed at the parchment fondly.
"But why hasn't Filch taken it back?" asked Ranma. "That's the first thing I'd do if I were him."
"Yeah, well, I doubt he knows it's missing." Fred said with a shrug. "Besides, we don't think he ever learned how to work it. If he had tried to confiscate it, we could've plead ignorance and claimed it was a piece of scrap parchment."
Lee and Ranma watched the map in fascination for several more minutes, the twins leaving them to their own thoughts. Soon, though, the novelty began to wear off, and Ranma was keen to get back on the main topic. "Right, so what exactly does this have to do with tramping about the Forbidden Forest, stealing acromantula eggs?"
"That wasn't the real reason we were out, it was just a little detour. We've actually been making trips into the forest since September, looking for something." said George.
"Specifically, a magic beacon." Fred added.
"But why-" said Lee, but George cut him off.
"I think it will make more sense if we explain everything, which is where the map comes in." He raised his wand and tapped the map, saying, "Show me where to find the Marauders."
There was another pause as the map wiped itself clean, then more words began appearing on the map.
Mr. Padfoot wonders how stupid one would have to be to have forgotten the directions after asking so many times before.
Mr. Prongs recommends a potion for brain rot and a memory charm, so that Mr. Weasley can stop asking the same, boring question.
The four of them snickered as the writing continued.
Mr. Wormtail recommends that Mr. And Mr. Weasley give up, being too dimwitted to write the directions down the hundred other times they've asked.
And finally:
Mr. Moony consents to give the directions, yet again, provided Mr. Saotome and Mr. Jordan aren't as great prats as Mr. and Mr. Weasley.
"No problem there, we can't possibly match you two on that score." Ranma remarked.
"Ha ha, we've got a comedian in our midst, George." Fred deadpanned. He pointed at the map. "You'll fit right in with that lot."
The map cleared itself again, then more writing appeared.
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers
Are Proud to Present:
The Marauders' Challenge
It cleared again, and this time the words were smaller.
We, the Marauders, being of sound minds and bodies, having set forth all our knowledge in this living document, and being concerned for the future generations of mischief makers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, do hereby issue the following challenge, to be embarked upon by those deemed worthy, so that they might take up their rightful mantle as inheritors of the Marauders' Legacy, and be recognized, in spirit and in name, as Marauders, to carry on the spirit of mischief making, and to pass on their knowledge when the time comes, as was done by those who came before.
Those wishing to take on the challenge, present yourself to the map.
"You two wanted to know what we were up to. This," said George, looking very serious. "is what we were up to."
"We've known about the challenge for more than two years and we've been cracking at it, despite what the good gentlemen thought of our prospects." Fred said. "They said that the challenge was designed with at least four people in mind, but we thought we'd be clever enough to do them with just two. As much as we hate to admit it, though, they're right; this is too much for us to do ourselves."
Ranma thought he could see where they were headed. "But why us? Or, really, why me?" he asked. "I'm just a first year, I barely know any magic, and even then what I cast is weak."
Fred shrugged. "Yeah, maybe, but you've got other redeeming qualities. You're fast, strong, and you've got a good head on your shoulders. Not to mention shaping up to be the best potions student in your year, despite Snape. Besides, anything you need to know, we can teach you."
"As for Lee, we know his strengths inside and out after all these years. Just like you, he's got skills where we're lacking. Even better, he's in good with most teachers and, if we play it right, we can set him up to be prefect in a couple years, which will be perfect for when we become Marauders." said George, nodding at Lee, who was unsuccessfully trying not to look too proud of himself. "Really, it's perfect if you think about it."
"So are you boys in?" Fred said finally. "We've got hard work ahead, but we know you two will make the difference, and, to be honest, we need you."
"Don't know why you bothered to ask." Lee scoffed, shaking his head. "Like I'd let you gits have all the fun around here without me!"
"Good man." George said, clapping Lee on the shoulder. "Ranma?"
Ranma looked at the three older boys, thinking of all the rule breaking to which he would be agreeing. When he thought of it, though, he realized that breaking rules had become part and parcel of his existence at Hogwarts. He was doing it so often and casually that he hardly blinked an eye at the prospect of making a hobby of it. It was almost becoming second nature. Besides, the twins had done the right thing to insure his cooperation; they had piqued his curiosity and his sense of honor with this mysterious challenge. Saotomes never backed away from challenges.
"Yeah, all right." Ranma nodded solemnly. "I'm in."
"Excellent!" said Fred, grinning widely. "Now then, let me see both of your right thumbs."
With a surprisingly fast move, he pricked both thumbs with a small pin. "Sorry, the map requires it. Just stick your thumb on it." Reluctantly, the two boys pressed their now bleeding thumbs to the map.
The moment his thumb touched the parchment, Ranma could feel tendrils of magical energy hold it down while four others flowed into his body through the pinprick. Trying not to panic, he warily monitored the tendrils as they snaked up his arm, through his neck, and into his head. Whatever they were doing, it was not unpleasant, though he was curious what the tickling sensation he felt in his mind signified. Soon, the tendrils retracted and returned to the parchment, and Ranma felt his thumb loosen from the parchment. He was surprised to see that no blood was on the map, nor did a pinprick remain on his thumb.
As he and Lee rubbed their slightly sore thumbs, Ranma could sense the map's magic churning, and he had the vague notion that it was actually thinking. It glowed momentarily before more writing appeared.
The Marauders accept the bids of Mr. Saotome and Mr. Jordan, having proved their dedication to mischief making, and having joined in fellowship with Mr. and Mr. Weasley for the purpose of mischief and attempting the Marauders' Challenge.
The map cleared yet again. "This is where it gets good." Fred murmured as more words appeared.
The Marauders' Challenge consists of four tasks, to be completed in any order, the results of which must be confirmed by the Marauders' Map. Challengers are forbidden from sharing these details with those not participating in the Challenge. Failure to comply disqualifies the challenger and their team automatically, among other things.
"'Among other things'?" remarked Lee. "What do you suppose that means?"
"I don't think we want to find out." George said seriously as more writing appeared.
Mr. Moony's Task
The Marauders' Map knows many secrets, but it is by no means comprehensive. Hogwarts is large and old and has much to reveal. Your challenge, then, is to extend the work of the Marauders by finding a secret of Hogwarts that the Marauders did not.
Mr Wormtail's Task
The Marauders' Map never lies, but neither does it share all of its secrets. Your task is to find the hidden meeting place of the Marauders, the only place on the grounds not on the map.
Mr. Padfoot's Task
The Marauders Map can track anyone on the Hogwarts grounds. It is your task to discover the means by which it was created and to find the source of it's power.
Mr. Prongs' Task
Last, but not least, to prove yourselves worthy of being called Marauders, you must surpass your predecessors. Using all you've learned, you must create the replacement for this map, one which is superior in every way and bears your unique touch.
Good luck, Marauders-in-training, and may you prove yourselves worthy of the Marauders' Legacy.
The map went blank again before black ink lines snaked across the surface, revealing the map and it's labeled dots. Ranma was not sure how he should respond and, from the look on Lee's face, he was not alone. He was expecting something more...well, challenging. Fred tapped the map again with his wand and said "Mischief managed.", causing the map to go completely blank.
"A bit to take in there, eh?" said George knowingly.
"I suppose." replied Lee with a shrug. "Sounds dead simple to me."
Fred smirked. "That's what we thought too, and look where we are now."
"Yeah, but, no offense Ranma, you were first years. You hardly knew anything." Lee countered.
"I think I agree with Lee. It didn't sound too complicated-"
"Of course it didn't, that's part of the map's way." George insisted. "Trust me, we haven't been sitting on our hands these last two years."
"So," Ranma said carefully, realizing his flippant remark was nettling the twins. "So what have you learned about the tasks so far?"
George sighed. "Almost nothing on the first two. The Marauders were really thorough, down to the the last broom cupboard. We've been checking every room we can, but there's hundreds in the castle."
"What about outside the castle?" asked Lee thoughtfully.
"We've thought of it, but we've barely scratched the surface inside." said Fred. "Now, on the other two tasks, we're making some good headway. We think we've found some of the spells, though we're not nearly ready to do them ourselves. We still haven't found the source of power-"
"And the source is what you two were looking for out in the forest." Ranma added as this realization dawned on him.
"Got it in one." George said approvingly.
"Okay, so we're not totally behind on everything." Lee mused. "What I want to know is what exactly is the 'Marauders' Legacy' anyway?"
The twins looked rather embarrassed. "We, err, haven't quite sorted that out." George admitted.
"So you're doing this without even knowing why?" Ranma asked incredulously.
"Not really, no." replied Fred. "I mean, it's not all about the reward."
"Exactly. We get to prove ourselves as mischief makers, and we'll probably learn loads of useful stuff in the process. If that's all there is to it, it'd be worth the trouble." added George. "Of course, it wouldn't hurt if the Legacy were a load of Galleons..."
The four did not return to the common room until after midnight. They had continued discussing the map and had begun formulating plans for tackling the challenges. The allure of a late night romp with the most useful rule breaking tool available was too great, however, and before long they had abandoned the secret passageway in favor of wandering the deserted corridors. Along the way, the twins pointed out various hidden passages of which no one, save Filch, was aware. The twins even insisted on going for a jaunt into the forest, but Ranma and Lee managed to convince their friends to postpone it for another evening. As tempting as such a trip sounded, venturing into the Forbidden Forest unprepared was not the brightest idea; their close call in November had proved that. Besides, Ranma did not relish the idea of carrying three people out of the forest while being chased by an angry mob of dangerous magical creatures.
After that night, Ranma found himself in an entirely different circle of friends. While it was true that the twins had apparently made a pragmatic decision when asking him to join in, the fact remained that Lee, Fred, and George were fun to hang around. Where Hermione was almost always very straight-laced and studious, the twins were not afraid to play around and skive off homework in favor of a bit of mischief. They were also far more confident and rebellious than Harry and Ron. Not to mention that their good-natured pranking, affable personalities, and connection with the Quidditch team made them fairly popular in the house.
Still, Ranma enjoyed the friendship of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, especially after the troll, Fluffy, and Flamel. He felt pulled in both directions, by one group where he was the loudest and most flagrant rule-breaker and another where the opposite was true. He did his best to divide time evenly between the "fab four" and the "new Marauders" (as they had taken to calling themselves). This usually meant that he was out late and up early on the weekends with Fred, George, and Lee but spent most of his evenings with Ron, Hermione, and Harry.
Meanwhile, Quidditch practice had ramped up significantly since start of term. Wood was pushing them harder than ever in preparation for their February match with Hufflepuff and, for the first time, Ranma was glad he was only a reserve player. Gryffindor stood to overtake Slytherin in the house championship with a win, the first time in seven years. Ranma had never gotten the impression that Hufflepuff was a serious threat and, like the twins, he wondered why Wood was so worried. This was before Wood gave the team some very bad news: Snape was refereeing the next match.
"Snape's refereeing? When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match?" spluttered George. The news had caused him to fall face first off his broom. "He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin!"
Ranma thought this might be the understatement of the year. The rest of the team were quite as vocal as George in their protests. "Look, it's not my fault. We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape doesn't have a reason to pick on us." said Wood.
"Are you serious?" Ranma spoke up, sounding incredulous. "You all could sit on your brooms and twiddle your thumbs and he'd make up penalties against you."
"Exactly." Fred agreed. "Oliver, we're going to be penalized whatever we do, so we have to take Snape out of the picture. We can't just beat Hufflepuff, we've got to annihilate them so they have no chance, even if they get the snitch."
"Either that, or I've got to catch the snitch quickly." said Harry.
It was a moment before Wood came to a decision. "We'll do both. Chasers, you're going to hardly practice defense; leave that to me and the twins. Harry, I want you in the mix catching the snitch as many times as you can, the faster the better."
After a bit more practice, the Gryffindor team stopped for the evening. Ranma usually waited for the twins but, seeing the worried look on Harry's face, he decided to accompany him back to the common room. After quickly changing out of their practice robes, he and Harry rushed back down to the common room, where they found Ron beating Hermione at chess.
"Don't talk to me just now." said Ron as they sat down. "I need to concen- what's with you two?"
Hermione looked up and immediately became concerned, as both Harry and Ranma looked worried. "You tell them, Harry."
"Snape's refereeing our next match." Harry said evenly. "Wood just told us."
Both Ron and Hermione's eyes widened. "Don't play." Hermione said at once.
"Say you're ill." Ron offered.
"Pretend to break your leg." Hermione suggested.
"Really break your leg." said Ron.
"Will you two get a grip." Ranma snapped. "Harry's got to play, we haven't got a reserve seeker."
Harry nodded in agreement. "I can't not play, this game is too important."
"So's your life!" Hermione countered. "Remember, he tried to kill you."
Harry was about to respond but stopped abruptly because, at that moment, Neville toppled into the common room. He looked sweaty and uncomfortable, and it was soon apparent why; he had been forced to hop back to Gryffindor Tower because someone had hit him with the Leg-locker curse. Everyone laughed except Hermione, who quickly performed the counter-curse and helped the boy to his feet.
"What happened?" she asked as she led him over to sit next to Ranma.
"M-malfoy." Neville said shakily. "I-I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."
Ranma's face darkened at the mention of Malfoy. He was beginning to think that, like Snape, Malfoy needed to learn a lesson about bullying.
"Report him to Professor McGonagall!" said Hermione.
"I don't want any more trouble." Neville said, shaking his head sadly.
"Come on, Neville, what kind of talk is that?" Ranma demanded. "That's what Malfoy wants you to think, that you've got no choice but to put up with it."
"T-that's easy for you to say." Neville said, his voice wavering. "No one bothers you because you're strong-"
Ranma's voice softened a bit. "Are you joking? What about Hermione, or Ron, or Harry?" Neville did not seem to know how to respond to this.
"He's right, Neville. You've got to stand up for yourself." said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier!"
"There's no need to tell me that I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that." Neville choked. He looked like he was about to cry.
Ranma was about to chastise his friend again, but Harry pulled out a chocolate frog and handed it to Neville. "You're worth twelve of Malfoy." Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it, and where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."
"Th-thanks Harry." the boy said, a weak smile forming on his face as he unwrapped the frog. "I think I'll go to bed. Do you want the card? You collect them, don't you?"
As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the famous wizard card. "Dumbledore again. He was the first one I ever-" He gasped and stared at the back of the card. Harry looked up, a bemused grin on his face. "You won't believe who I just found."
"Harry, what're you on about?" Ron said, eying the chess board.
"Flamel! We spent all that time looking and he was right under our noses. I knew I'd read his name before. Here, look." He passed the card to Ron, who read the back of Dumbledore's card.
"Blimey, he's right, look." Ron said, handing it to Ranma.
"Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and for his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel..." Ranma read aloud. He, too, wore a bemused smile. "Well, this would've been more useful if we'd read it before Christmas."
"Hear hear!" Harry and Ron agreed. Apparently they, too, were thinking of the piles of books they had skimmed through.
"Well, we'd have found him eventually." Hermione said airily. "But at least we're not just finding out."
They all nodded, thinking to themselves. "I'm going to play." Harry told them suddenly. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them. It'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."
"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the pitch." said Hermione.
"We just have to be ready for him to try something." Ranma said reassuringly. "Don't worry about Snape, Harry, we'll take care of him if he tries anything funny. Just concentrate on catching that snitch!"
Harry impressed Ranma very much over the next few weeks, considering the pressure that he was under. Expectations and hopes were high, as this was the first time anyone had a chance of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship in nearly seven years, but everyone knew it would be an uphill battle with Snape calling the game. Everyone on the team was looking to Harry for the win. Of course, that was not the only reason Harry had to be concerned about Snape, but he assured Ranma, Hermione, and Ron that he would be fine.
Of course, saying that was easy, while dealing with the potions master was not. Snape seemed to find a way to be wherever Harry was, so Ranma, Hermione, and Ron made sure at least one of them was with Harry at all times. They could not avoid his class, however, and Snape took full advantage of this. It seemed that the man devoted as much time to belittling and harassing Harry as he did to teaching. Ranma tried to distract Snape away from Harry but, since their confrontation, Snape had generally ignored him.
The day of the match, the four friends walked down to the changing room. Harry looked slightly green, but they knew it was not from nervousness. "You concentrate on catching that snitch." Ranma advised. "We'll worry about Snape, all right?"
"You'll be brilliant Harry." Ron said. Hermione nodded, but she could not seem to bring herself to say anything. Harry nodded, flashed a weak smile, and headed inside.
They walked around the pitch to the Gryffindor side, which was slowly filling with chattering students. Both Hermione and Ron looked very worried. "Come on, you two, everything'll be fine." Ranma said bracingly. "We've just got to follow the plan."
Hermione and Ron had been practicing the Leg-locker curse in case Snape tried to hurt Harry. For his part, Ranma was to stay at ground level, beneath the stands, ready to rush onto the pitch to lend a hand or, if necessary, try to catch a falling Harry. Meanwhile, Hermione would sit in the Gryffindor side and Ron would sit in the Ravenclaw side. Between them, they had devised signals to quickly alert and call each other over. As Ron and Hermione headed up to their posts, Ranma could not help but feel as apprehensive, especially considering the meager defenses at their disposal.
He had walked back around the pitch just as the Gryffindor Quidditch team emerged from the changing room. Ranma nodded encouragingly at them, especially at Harry, but was surprised to see that Harry was beaming. "What's up, Harry?"
Harry gestured into the stands. "Dumbledore's at the match! Snape won't be stupid enough to try anything!"
Ranma's face broke into a grin, and he felt his worries about the match fade away. Harry was right; Snape would have to be mad to try anything. Ranma suspected that Dumbledore was not just attending the match because he suddenly fancied watching some Quidditch.
"Come on, Harry, let's win this." Wood said, clapping Harry on the shoulder.
Ranma walked slowly beneath the stands back towards the Gryffindor side. It would probably be a while before the match ended, he reasoned, so there was no reason to hurry. He was just passing beneath the Ravenclaw side when someone stepped out from behind a support column. Ranma immediately recognized the splayed teeth and beady eyes of Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch captain. Ranma smirked and made to walk around the boy, but Flint stepped into his path.
"Not so fast, Saotome." he said, flashing an evil smile. "We've got a bit of business with you."
"We?" asked Ranma. Flint gave a sharp whistle, and Ranma then realized what "we" meant. As Flint took several steps back, several more people emerged from behind support columns, and he could hear at least six more people behind him. Looking over his shoulder at these new arrivals, Ranma could clearly see the green serpent of Slytherin house on their robes. They were all at least fourth years, by their looks, they were all grinning evilly, and they all had their wands out, pointed at him. The twins' warning came back to Ranma and he gave a rather annoyed sigh. "You're all going to gang up on me, is that it? How surprising."
"That's right, Saotome. Consider this a lesson. No one challenges our house and gets away with it." Flint said arrogantly, pointing his wand at Ranma's heart.
Ranma yawned widely. "Is that so? You should wait until after the match to get a hundred more Snivellins, make this a little more fair." Ranma said even more arrogantly than Flint.
"You talk big, Saotome." said one of the other boys. "But we all know you're useless with a wand and you can't fight us with your hands."
Ranma laughed, partly to mock the boys arrayed against him, but also because he had just had a great idea. "You think I need my hands to beat cowards like you? I'm about to make you all feel really stupid." He reached into his robes and pulled out a small bottle, which he uncorked. Ripping off part of his robes, he doused it with the cloudy yellow liquid so that it was nearly dripping. Ranma tied one end of the soaked cloth around his wand, then grasped the other end of his wand with his mouth. Finally, he folded his arms across his chest, casting a look of supreme disdain at Flint. "Well, come on then." he said through tightly closed teeth.
Later, Ranma would realize how just useful it was to be able to sense magic. Before any of the spells had really started, he could feel the energy build up and made his first move. Skipping to the side, he whipped his head around, sending drops of moisture from the soaked rag straight into the open mouth of a tall black boy who was halfway through an incantation. The boy spluttered and stumbled backwards onto the ground. Ranma barely registered this, instead ducking as several spells collided and ricocheted overhead. He rolled, keeping the rag off the ground, then nudged another boy's wand hand with his forehead, causing the spell to hit another boy in the circle. Ranma whipped the rag and, like before, sent drops of the liquid into the boys mouth. He Hooked his right foot behind the boy's knee and sent him sprawling.
Three boys were now out and the others had quickly realized they had missed their mark. Ranma charged Flint, whose face paled as Ranma narrowly avoided a curse at point-blank range. He, too, tasted a few drops from the rag before Ranma pushed him over with a slight nudge of his shoulder. He spun around, avoiding several more curses and causing moisture from the rag to fly. Two of the boys coughed violently before dropping their wands. Ranma turned from them and did a handless cartwheel, feeling his hair stand on end as he, again, narrowly avoided spells. With a great leap, Ranma landed on the shoulders of the tallest boy remaining and, hooking his foot on the boy's wand arm, forced the boy to shoot his comrade with a spell intended for him. He flipped forward and whipped the rag, the droplets somehow finding the boy's mouth on the way down.
Ranma was now down to just two opponents, both of which looked terrified and were backing away. Ranma suddenly ducked just in time to avoid a jet of red light that hit one of the boys square in the face. He scrambled as more bolts of magic chased after him. The last boy fell to an errant spell as well as Ranma flipped over his head. Turning, he saw one more attacker, a girl who looked to be in seventh year, and she was throwing curses at him furiously. Ranma walked up to her, avoiding the magic effortlessly, and within five paces he was looking up into her face, her wand arm forced away by his left foot.
"Are you stupid, or do you just want to end up like them?" Ranma said after casually removing his wand from his mouth. She looked stricken, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "You're lucky I don't fight girls. Now go away."
He turned his back on the girl, surveying the damage. Feeling magic energy growing behind him, Ranma sighed and, with a strong backwards toss, sent the still soaking rag over his shoulder. He smirked, hearing a gagging sound followed by a sharp "squawk!".
"You can come out now, Ron." Ranma said as he stretched his arms. The young Weasley emerged from behind a column wearing a look of awe not quite unlike the one he'd had after the fight with the Troll. "You all right?"
Ron nodded. "That," he said breathlessly, "was the most brilliant thing I've ever seen! What did you do to them?"
"I made them hurt themselves."
"Not that, that." Ron pointed at Flint, who seemed to be wearing the most realistic chicken costume in existence. The feathers on his belly were unmistakably yellow.
"Oh, that. I used the present your brothers gave me. I had an idea of what it did but I had never tried it, so I thought now was as good a time as any to test it out." Ranma explained. "I didn't think it would be that dramatic though."
"I'll say. Ten on one, you with your hands in your pockets, and managing to take out half and force the other half to take a potion that turns them into yellow bellied chickens." Ron said, barely getting the words out due to his laughter. "Not to mention the bird you just took out by turning her into a bird. Oh man, wait until everyone hears about this!"
Ranma could not help but laugh as well. Ranma made sure to step on Flint as they walked back to the Gryffindor side. "Say, Ranma, how'd you know I was there?" asked Ron suddenly.
"I saw that girl holding your arm right before the fight started. I was about to come help you out when she started trying to hex me."
"I sure hope she likes being a chicken." Ron said angrily. "Then again, I guess Slytherins are used to being chickens..."
A mad, roaring cheer went up. "I guess we scored." Ranma said.
Ron cocked his head to the side, listening closely, before shaking his head. "That doesn't sound like a goal...it sounds like we've won!"
They rushed up the stairs and into a scene of chaos. The Gryffindors were going wild, cheering and clapping one another on the shoulder. Out on the pitch, Ranma could make out the Gryffindor team, which had hoisted Harry onto their shoulders. The sun caught a glint of gold in his outstretched hand. Ron gave a great whoop before they began fighting against the wave of Gryffindors rushing to get on the pitch. Finally, they found Hermione, who seemed to be trying to wake Neville, while Dean and Seamus looked on. Dean's lip was cut and his nose was bleeding, and Seamus had the start of an ugly black eye, but they both looked fit to burst with pride.
"What happened?" Ranma asked.
"Beat the snot out of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, that's what!" said Seamus gleefully. "You two should've seen it, Neville was amazing!"
"Yeah, he shouldn't've tried taking on all three at once though. But we cleaned 'em up all right." Dean added with a grin.
Ron and Ranma looked at each other and burst out laughing. Seamus, Dean, and Neville had won their fight with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Harry had won the match despite Snape. And Ranma had won against ten older and determined Slytherins. The day could not get any been better for Gryffindor. "Come on, let's get Neville to the hospital wing." Ranma said cheerfully, hoisting the unconscious boy on his back.
An hour later, it seemed the entire house was waiting in the common room for the team to return. When Wood finally did lead the triumphant team in, they were greeted with as thunderous applause as they had received on the pitch. Fred and George made a big show of being embarrassed, though everyone knew they reveled in the attention, before they promised to return with food. Harry, however, was not among them. It would be twenty more minutes before he arrived, but he was not wearing a jubilant expression as they had expected.
"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.
"Never mind that." Harry cut across before Ron could say a word. "Let's find a room, you wait 'til you hear this..."
They found a deserted classroom and shut the door. Harry turned to face them, looking worried. "I just saw Snape and Quirrell talking in the woods."
"So wh-" began Ron, but Harry cut him off.
"He mentioned the Philosopher's Stone and he asked Quirrell about getting past Fluffy. Snape was threatening him, he said that Quirrell didn't want him as an enemy." said Harry. "So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus'-"
"We were right to think there are other protections on the Stone. Quirrell probably put some anti-Dark Arts spell on it that Snape needs to break." Ranma said. He was thinking of the implications of this news, and none of them were any good.
"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Hermione said in alarm.
"It'll be gone by Tuesday." Ron said.
To Be Continued...in Chapter 12: Cat and Dragon
There are only 4 chapters remaining in Book 1...
Author's Notes:
Another chapter down. That phrase always amazes me, considering my track record for actually finishing stories. With four chapters remaining, I see no reason why this one won't be completed. Whether it's done "on time" is another thing entirely. After missing my deadline the last four chapters, I'm wondering if two weeks is a reasonable time frame for me. I'm going to keep it as my goal for each chapter, but pardon me if I miss it by three or four days. I hope you enjoyed this chapter (not hating it will work as well). The next one will be fun, and I'm sure some astute readers will have an idea of the non-canon content will involve.
I'm going to rant, so feel free to skip this part. I normally like reviews with negative feedback, it's good to see what you, as a writer, could do better. I wasn't so happy with a few that I got on the last chapter. I won't quote them, but the gist is "don't put things in the story that I don't approve of." It's fine to not be happy with the direction of a story, but it's also very annoying, as a writer, to have people second guess me so early in a long series. At this point, I'm the only one who knows where things are going and why they are they way they are. I can't see how any reader could possibly know when or if I'm making a mistake (outside of Harry Potter canon). To that end, there's a reason why the Tendos, Ukyo, and the Kunos are magical, it will be revealed eventually, and you'll have to trust me that it will work out correctly. Otherwise, you're welcome to read another story that will "do it right" or, even better, write your own Ranma-Harry Potter crossover. As far as I'm concerned, this is the story that I want to tell, and that's all that really matters.
The usual thanks are in order; to Kim for reading over this and making some great suggestions; to the reviewers for taking time to say something; to those who have this story on favorites and C2s that are helping spread the word; and to the readers who drive up my hit count! A special thanks to reviewers and people who have me on favorites for directing me (through your profiles) to some really nice fics.
Sorry for making you read this long A.N. section!
