"The next chapter of our delightful little tale is called," Dumbledore rifled through the book until he found the page Professor McGonagall had marked, "ah, here it is, Chapter 13. How fitting that I should be chosen to read it."
"Chosen, nothing," mumbled Sirius. "We went in order, for Merlin's sake."
Dumbledore went on, acting as though he had not heard the animagus.
…
The Marauders shared another look. This one clearly said, Well, at least the old coot did something right.
…
"While I can't thank you enough for not going near that wretched thing ever again, there was no reason to abandon the poor Cloak, pup."
"Could've given it to us," Fred wheedled. "We would've given it a nice home."
"And shown it a picture of you every year at Christmas," added George.
Harry rolled his eyes.
…
The room paled. "He's just a boy," Molly gasped, as though pleading with The Fates, "…shouldn't have to remember…so young…"
"Why, Mr. Potter, did you not go to Madam Pomfrey, and ask her to give you a dose of Dreamless Sleep Potion?"
"Because I didn't know there was any such thing at the time, Professor."
McGonagall nodded in acceptance.
…
"Nice, real nice, Ron," huffed Ginny.
…
"You know," said Tonks, giving a weak laugh. "There's a Muggle saying my dad used in these kinds of situations: "You can't have your cake and eat it too. Meaning," she added, seeing Sirius lick his lips in anticipation, "that a situation can't go both ways."
Sirius pouted. "Where is this cake I've been promised, anyway, or didn't Lulu manage to wrestle any from Moony?"
"Shut up," said Remus playfully, "For your information, there is some waiting for you in the kitchen, and just for that comment, I'm stealing icing."
"You wouldn't!"
"Watch me."
The trio watched this scene unfold with amusement. "If your dad was anything like these two, then I guess we know where your sweet tooth came from," Hermione teased.
…
"That doesn't sound like enough time to get much headway," mused Arthur.
Harry nodded. "It wasn't, and I had even less time than they did because of Quidditch practice."
…
"Oh dear," fretted Arabella. "I hope no one got sick."
…
"He was already a fanatic," they chorused.
…
"You traitor, Harrykins!"
"Not a traitor," Hermione corrected the twins. "Just Quidditch-crazy."
…
"Winning the Cup would be nice," Remus conceded, "but I don't want anyone to get sick either, especially you, Harry."
…
"In that case, I guess there's some merit to training that hard," Hermione admitted. She was all for Harry forgetting his nightmares.
…
"Strange," pondered Ron, "usually he lets you guys do trick flying after practice."
…
"Oh, it's that game," groaned Fred. "Yeah, I can see why Ollie may have a stick up his bum."
"Why would someone who doesn't know which end of the bloody broomstick is up, referee a Quidditch match?" Sirius snorted.
"He is merely doing so because I requested it of him," Dumbledore replied, not leaving any room for comment as he continued.
…
"Mud's not tasty, in case anyone was wondering," he reported, making a face.
…
"He won't look for excuses, he'll just do it, the biased git!" snarled Tonks.
…
"You thought Snape was going to have another go at you," Remus deduced. Harry nodded.
"I'm still not convinced he isn't," Sirius growled under his breath.
"End of the book," replied his godson, shrugging.
…
Ginny laughed, "Don't feel bad, Hermione, you can't be any worse than Percy. Bill and Ron used to beat him at chess all the time."
…
"I, for one, don't believe it's sinister. Suspicious maybe, but not sinister."
"You don't know Snape like we do, Ella," Sirius replied
"Lucky her" mouthed Ron to Harry and Hermione.
…
Harry winced slightly as a wadded up piece of parchment grazed his cheek. He unfolded it, and bent his head:
We think we can help you skive off next time. Talk to us tonight.
-Gred and Forge
He cocked his head in question, but the twins just winked.
"Tonight," Fred mouthed.
…
"Madam Pomfrey wouldn't be fooled," McGonagall informed them, "and she'd give Mr. Potter detention for attempting to trick her."
…
"Well, that's just stupid," declared Tonks, "a team should always have reserve players. Your captain is trying to put way too much pressure on a first-year."
…
"Did I mention Malfoy's a git?" Harry growled. "
"Not surprising," Sirius replied, his gray eyes like steel. He was not ready to tell Harry that he and James had once done the same curse to Snivellus and avoided looking at Remus, who was clearly prompting him to do so.
…
"That great insufferable bully!" Arabella shrieked, looking as if she wanted to throttle the Malfoy boy.
…
"He really should have made a report," said Minerva.
…
"He seems to have a problem with being assertive," mused Dumbledore sadly.
…
"We'd be glad to pummel him, Neville," Fred promised, cracking his knuckles uncharacteristically.
…
Several gazed at the book sympathetically
…
"Hear, hear!" cheered Sirius wholeheartedly as Harry comforted Neville. Quieting down, he squeezed his godson's shoulder, "You really are a good friend, Harry."
…
"I sense an epiphany coming," said Remus, his eyes gleaming. "And that, friends, is why you should always eat chocolate."
…
"Tell me about it," groaned Ginny "All those books they were combing, and his name was on the back of a damn Chocolate Frog card the whole time."
"Don't curse!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.
…
"Oh, ha, ha!" Hermione said good-naturedly.
…
"You consider an 'enormous' book light?" George laughed, "I have to agree with my brother on that one."
…
Sirius gave the witch an amused smile. " You knew it, brilliant, do you mind telling us?"
"But that would ruin the surprise," replied Hermione, smirking back.
…
"I don't read unless forced," Ron admitted sheepishly.
…
The adults, minus Dumbledore, gasped, a few of them cursed.
…
"Awesome!" the twins breathed.
"I can assure you, you wouldn't be the first people to think so about the Stone," their father replied.
…
"Sweet Merlin!" remarked Tonks giving a low whistle. "Wizards live longer than ordinary Muggles, but still!"
…
Arthur held up his hand and Dumbledore stopped. "What can I do for you?"
"Let me get this straight," whispered Arthur in a deadly calm voice. "You have the choice of keeping something as valuable as the Sorcerer's Stone in either a vault in Gringotts with all the security the goblins can provide, or keeping it in a school where it can endanger innocent students and you choose the latter?"
"And now the three most curious students are on the trail," his wife groaned.
The Trio waved sheepishly.
…
"No, not exactly," Sirius agreed, chuckling.
…
Remus sighed, as Ginny raised her eyebrows in question. "Potioneers and Healers have been trying for years, and the closest they've come to a tangible cure is the Wolfsbane Potion. Most likely, the boys were studying ways to slow the penetration of the wolf's saliva."
…
"Wouldn't be hard to buy," Ginny giggled, "what are the Cannons worth now: five Knuts?"
…
"Thanks, Hermione," said Harry, smiling wryly, "Really helpful vote of confidence, that."
"Not to mention, a fantastic way to get two men very, very nervous." Remus squeezed Harry's hand as if to make sure he was still there.
…
"We gathered that mate, well, I knew you were nervous. Mostly because these two—" Ron pointed to the twins. "—were acting the same way."
…
"I sincerely doubted it," Minerva confessed, "and would've vetoed the decision to have Severus referee if I had that power."
….
Harry turned to his godfather. "Could Snape have been using that Legal-mansee thing that Dumbledore talked about on me?" he wanted to know.
Sirius's stormy countenance lightened as he chuckled at the mispronunciation. Remus told Harry it was a question worth looking into
….
"That makes us sound so horrible," Hermione pouted.
…
"And what is it you two have up your sleeve," asked Tonks, eyeing Ron and Hermione with a mixture of suspicion and excitement.
…
"Look at that, the prat is actually good for something," Fred exclaimed.
"It's extremely dangerous to aim that curse at someone who is flying," Molly scolded
…
"No pressure at all, Harry," Remus laughed.
…
"I am known to enjoy a Quidditch game every now and then," said Dumbledore chuckling merrily, "although it is rare that I find the time."
….
"What's so different about that?" inquired Sirius, "I'm surprised his face hasn't stuck that way by now."
….
"Then perhaps you should get an eye exam," Arabella growled.
…
Tonks smirked triumphantly. "I'm not sure that was the best idea, but thanks for the points, Georgie Boy."
…
"Don't particularly care to know, thanks," Fred replied, scowling.
…
McGonagall gave an angry hiss. If Draco Malfoy had been placed in her care, this behavior would not be tolerated no matter how much gold his father showered on the damn Ministry.
…
The Weasley children growled while Arthur gazed at the ground in shame.
…
"OI!" shouted the Trio in defense of their friend and dorm mate Neville
…
"Nice to know he's working on the confidence," Remus smiled.
"Yeah, but the stammer part wasn't so convincing," said Ginny wincing.
…
"That's low," Harry bellowed. "When we get back to the castle I'm going to—"
Dumbledore held a hand. "I assure you, now that I am aware of the incidents, that Mr. Malfoy will be dealt with appropriately."
"You mean you didn't know about the vile things he'd been saying?" Arabella seemed to find this hard to believe, but Dumbledore went back to reading acting as though he hadn't heard her.
…
"That's got to be even better than the dive that got you on the team in the first place," remarked George.
…
"Yes, I will definitely be having a chat with Cissa," Sirius frowned.
…
"Or that works too," said the dog animagus, shrugging.
"Don't encourage them to fight," Molly cried.
…
"You didn't see me black the git's eye," pouted Ron disappointedly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I was watching the game, Ronald."
…
"YES!" cheered the room.
…
"That's got to be some sort of record catch," Tonks whistled.
…
"Until you just mentioned the stupid mirror," Remus groaned, shaking his head at Dumbledore.
…
"Sour Grapes Snape again," Tonks muttered
…
Ginny rolled her eyes at the ceiling. Stupid boy, of course, he was a famous name. No matter what Harry did, it was unlikely he would ever outrun the fame brought to him the night he got his scar. Surely he knew that.
"You were never just a famous name to me," Sirius promised, grinning at his godson.
"Or me," chorused Remus, Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione.
…
"Which Madam Pomfrey fixed in about a second!" Ron added to appease (or was it ward off) his mother,
…
"You showed Snape all right," agreed Sirius hugging the teen
…
"The question is 'why'?" asked Arthur shrewdly. "Why doesn't Snape want to be seen?
…
"That's what we all want to know," said Remus.
…
"You followed, Mr. Potter?" McGonagall scolded.
…
"Because he doesn't want anyone to find out," said Tonks as though talking to a five-year-old.
…
"What the hell is he up to?"
"We know as much as you do," Remus reminded Sirius.
…
"Because keeping it secret worked so well," Minerva scoffed.
"Dumb as he is, he probably did find a way," grumbled Harry to Ron, who nodded
….
Tonks swore.
"Quirrell was stammering so bad they didn't hear the leaves rustle," Harry assured her.
"Thank goodness for that," breathed Arabella crossing her chest repeatedly.
….
"Oh, just in the Forest, that's all," answered George casually.
"Not helping the nerves here, kid."
"Sorry, Mr. Padfoot, sir."
"'Sir.'" Sirius mouthed incredulously. "Moony, do I look like a 'sir' to you?"
"Not at all, old friend, not at all," the werewolf replied, to many snorts.
…
"Certainly one way to do it," conceded Arthur dryly.
…
"Merlin, you tell each other everything!" Ginny observed.
…
Tonks hid a giggle rather unconvincingly behind her hand. "As an Auror, I can tell you right now, there are so such thing as anti-Dark Arts spells."
"I was eleven," Ron protested.
…