Disclaimer: I own nothing you may recognize in any of my fics. I simply borrow the odd character and play with them a little.
Golden Opportunities – A Bit of Light.
"So Harry, how are you feeling today?" Julianus asked as he looked up from the paper he was marking to see his colleague take the seat beside him. The two Professors were scheduled to supervise the Study Hall for a two hour slot. Of course, normally it would be one Professor alone to watch over the students whilst they work but with the Hall full to the brim, plus a total of two extra conjured tables that sat 6 students each, two Professors seemed all the more necessary.
"With a week till the majority of students vacate the grounds for Yule tide fun and frolicking, I'm feeling fan-bloody-tastic." Harry replied, not in the least bit sarcastic though if his tone of voice were to falter slightly one could almost say it were 'too' sarcastic.
Julianus raised an eyebrow but Harry was already into his pile of papers to-be-marked.
"What are you doing for the festive season my friend?" The Potions Master questioned, he too going back to marking. Harry thought for a moment before answering.
"To be perfectly honest with you my friend, I do not have the slightest idea." He grinned ruefully at his companion and continued with his work.
Half way through the two hour slot, a total of 10 students had left, leaving tha table nearest the Professor's desk completely clear and ready for use as well as four extra seats on the next table down. Since the students left, three more entered, taking the seats at the semi-occupied table instead of the one near the Professor's desk.
Harry had noticed this and shook his head with a wry smile gracing his lips.
Fifteen minutes after the half-way point of the session, the doors to the study hall opened once more and in stalked an uncharacteristically quiet Sirius Black. The teen walked towards the empty table and stopped. He cast the table a glance before taking his seat in the spare chair at the end of the table that had been almost full.
The three fifth year Ravenclaw girls and two sixth year Gryffindor's that were in attendance sent the new-comer flirtatious leers but were dutifully ignored as Sirius removed several books, a wad of parchment and some necessary writing tools before starting work.
Harry could hear the less than subtle whispers coming from the girls at Sirius' table from where he sat so he had no doubt in his mind that Sirius himself could hear them. The Defence Professor felt a pang of sympathy going out to his student. The comments the girls were making would normally give Sirius' ego a firm boost but at the moment, they were more likely to slowly kill him inside than up the scale on his ego-meter.
A bout of giggling erupted from said table and Harry frowned.
"Would you care to share with the rest of the hall, Miss Ainsworth, why you and your friends deem it necessary to interrupt students when they are studying?" He asked curtly, a slight snap to his tone that did not go un-notice by the girl or her friends.
The Gryffindor 6th year turned beat red and spluttered a non-existent reply.
"As I thought." He drawled. "May I remind you that there are students here who, believe it or not, want to pass their NEWT, OWL and end of year exams? You may not want to do so but I'll be damned to the feet of Morgana before I let you spoil things for them. Let Mr Black alone, he does not need you leering at him constantly. Now be quite!" he locked gazes with all the girls at the table. "That goes for all of you, not just Miss Ainsworth!" He snapped.
When the girls decided that he was serious, they threw themselves into their work. As Harry transferred his gaze from the group back down to the papers in front of him, he saw the unmistakable sight of Sirius' lips twitching ever-so-slightly.
Not ten minutes after Harry's words had been spoken, the five girls that had bore the brunt of the blow dealt by the Professor packed up their things and moved swiftly from the room. This time, Harry saw the full-blown smirk on Sirius' lips and couldn't help but smile slightly too.
Half an hour before the two-hour slot was to end, the door to the hall opened, revealing the head girl and boy. The pair walked silently down to Sirius' able and sat across from one another. They each took out their books and began to do their work.
This in itself didn't seem at all out of the ordinary and anyone else wouldn't look twice at the table that seated three of the schools advanced students. Harry, of course, knew better.
His eyes narrowed as he watched Sirius' quill stop moving. He was even more suspicious when the 6th year abruptly stood up, cleared away his things and made for the door.
Harry's eyes followed his movements carefully before he turned to his colleague.
"I'll be back in a minute, Shadow." He whispered. When his friend raised an eyebrow in question, Harry's eye flickered towards the opening door and the student walking through it. "Just checking on something." He slipped out of his seat and made for the door that Sirius had just disappeared behind.
When he was through it and in the corridor, he could see the Gryffindor walking away from him. With an amused grin, he held out his hand and said clear and loud enough for anyone in the corridor to hear. "Accio Cloak." He watched with growing glee as James Potter came into view and his invisibility cloak landing itself in Harry's out-stretched palm.
The pair spun around, wide-eyed and more than a little peeved at being discovered. James was just about to say something when he realised it had been Harry who'd taken his cloak.
The Professor strolled lazily towards the sixth years, cloak still in hand and donning an oh-so-amused expression on his face.
"Would yo like to tell me why you are sneaking around with a cloak such as this Mr Potter?" He raised an eyebrow and watched as the teen fidgeted.
"I… well, um…"
"He came to get me, didn't want to disturb the study hall…" Sirius answered for his friend before smirking at Harry. "You didn't seem to like that much." Harry inclined his head in acceptance and turned to go back to the hall.
"Um… sir?" He stopped and looked back at James.
"Yes, Mr Potter?"
"Well, can I have my cloak back… please?" The Professor glanced down at the cloak still in his hands then back to its owner.
"I shall give it back to you this evening when Sirius, Remus, Peter and yourself meet me in my classroom straight after dinner." With that, he left the gaping teenagers standing in the corridor.
##
At 7:15 in the evening later that day, the entire school was in the Great Hall sitting down to their dinner. The nights seating arrangements didn't go unnoticed by many and those who saw – practically the entire student and staff body – marked the day as a positive step closer to regaining their daily laughter fix at meal times.
Sirius, who, for the past few weeks had sat away from his three best friends, was seen sitting back beside James once more. The Marauders were back together and there was a collective thought running through all save the Gryffindor four and one DADA Professor's mind: 'Thank Merlin they made up.'
"I know their victims are more often than not, members of my own house…" Julianus said to Harry as he lifted his Goblet of wine from its perch on the table. "But by Merlin do I miss the laughs." There were a few murmurs of agreement coming from a few of the surrounding Staff members and a smug smile forming on Harry's lips. The Potions Professor eyes his friend warily and noticed that those green eyes were locked on said quartet. "You're planning something, aren't you?"
Harry turned his attention from the teenagers to his friend and put up a mock-affronted look on his face. That, however, backfired when it was met with a raised eyebrow and an expression that clearly stated 'I'm not one of your teenage fans.' He sighed dramatically and grinned at his companion.
"Planning, is such a strong word." said Harry in a tone that confirmed to the Slytherin that planning was precisely what he was doing.
"What would be the 'correct' word then?" Julianus drawled.
"Detention." With one last smirk to his friend, Harry rose from his seat, nodded his Goodnight to the Headmaster and the surrounding staff members before walking around the Head Table and heading towards the Gryffindor table; more precisely, the Marauders. When he reached them, he grinned down at their confused faces. "Half past Seven gentlemen, my Classroom." He saw Remus' eyebrows raise in silent question and Peter's worried expression. "I wouldn't fret. Do try not to be late." And then he left.
##
Harry heard a knock at his classroom door and allowed himself a brief grin before schooling his features and calling for whoever was outside the door to enter. When the door was open, four Gryffindor's strolled in, each with a different look about his face.
James, quite obviously, was anxious to get his cloak back – his face a mask of anxiety. Sirius wasn't sure why exactly he was here but he figured that it was better than homework on his bed – his face a mask of boredom with a pinch of confusion. Remus was eyeing his two friends dangerously, obviously thinking that they had something to do with the fact that he wasn't going to get any homework done this evening – his face a mask of smartly schooled anger. And Peter, well, Peter was terrified he'd done something wrong – his face a complete and utter mask of fear.
"Welcome welcome gentlemen of the Lion's den." Harry said in an uncharacteristic sing-song voice. He grinned at their half confused, half fearful looks. "I brought you here for a reason, obviously. Well, two reasons if I'm being perfectly and truly honest." He motioned for them to take the seats in the front row of desks. "First of all, I want to know if any of you can paint." He paused. "Paint, draw… whatever."
The four teenagers looked at each other in turn before turning back to the Professor.
"Well?"
"Sir, well…" Remus started to speak but trailed off, transferring his gaze from Harry to the table.
"Remus can do charcoal drawings really well sir." Sirius chirped with a grin: a grin that only widened with the glare that was sent in his direction from said werewolf.
"Well sir," Remus ground out. "Sirius is a multi-talented character." He smirked as the grin wiped itself from Sirius' face. "He can draw with ink, graphite, charcoal, pastels… you name it; he can draw with it. He's also quite a good painter." James snorted at Sirius' angered face, effectively drawing Harry's attention to him.
"So Mr Potter? Do you have an artistic talent?" Harry raised a questioning yet knowing eyebrow at the young version of his father. Said Gryffindor grinned triumphantly.
"Of course I do Professor." He exclaimed gleefully. "Why, give me a broom and a pitch I can write my name in the sky." At this, Remus, Sirius and Peter burst out laughing and Harry stood chuckling at his antics.
"An admirable talent, I'm sure, but not exactly what I'm looking for. Can either you or Peter draw?" He asked, looking at both sixth years in turn.
"Peter is good with a pencil." James says after a moment's silence. "He can draw surprisingly well and as for me. I paint when I'm at home and not playing Quidditch." Harry nodded at his new discoveries and thought. After a minute of that exercise, he grinned brightly, making the four in front of him extremely regard him fearfully. To this, his grin merely broadened.
"Well, ok. Now that that's out of the way I can tell you why you're here." They all nodded. "I have two tasks I thought would be perfect for the four of you. The first task I have will be to paint a mural on the wall in a room I stumbled over last week. I've spoken with the Headmaster and he has agreed to allow this. The room is circular, approximately 6.5 meters diameter and 4 meters high. The room will be yours to do as you wish after you finish but I wanted to get yo to do something special for it. You know… have a room only you four know of so you can pass what you know onto future generations. You get my meaning?" Again, they nod, completely dumbfounded by his revelation. Harry smiled.
"The second task is more… 'booky'." Sirius, James and Peter groaned out loud. "Now now, no need for that reaction. Look, let me be frank with you here." He was glad he had the foresight to erect a silencing ward around the room before he started speaking. "I know that you three-'' he pointed to Sirius, James and Peter. "Are animagus." They nod. "What I want you do to is write a book."
"You WHAT?" Sirius exclaimed.
"You can't be serious."
"Well, no, I would imagine I can't be…" Harry smirked at his meaning of the word. Sirius groaned at the joke.
"Bad timing." The Gryffindor muttered.
"But I am serious about you four writing the book. I want you to write it about the event that took place leading up to becoming what you are. Your incentives for becoming one, how you found out, what potions you used, what spells, the time it took you… like that. This book, I would like to keep when it is finished."
"Wait a minute." Remus said. "You want US to write a book so YOU can keep it yourself?"
"You make it sound like a bad thing. What I'm saying is, YES I want you to write the book so I can keep it myself but that isn't the only reason I want you to write it." The Professor sighed. "You are four of my best students, yes Peter, you too. I won't be here next year as I'm leaving. I only came here to rest for a year, so when the year is through, I'm off back home. I wanted something that I can look at and remind myself what a fantastic set of students I have."
Inside, Harry was hoping that his decision to divulge this information would grant him what he wanted. The words that flowed from his lips were not untrue; he did want to keep something to remember the four Marauders. He hadn't planned on telling the boys that. Motive being genuine enough, he also wanted it so he could make a copy of it and send it to the Remus from his own time as a Christmas gift. Time-delayed, of course.
The four teenagers looked at one another, silently conversing, deciding whether or not they should embark on such a task. After a long two minutes of eyeing, raised eyebrows and discrete nods, they all turned back to the Professor.
"We've decided," James began. "that making a book about it could be beneficial in the long run. I mean, we could make copies for ourselves-"
"No!" Harry blurted out, causing the marauders to jump slightly.
"Pardon?" Remus said.
"I mean, no. No copies. You see, I wanted the original one to be the only copy. You'll get it back one day, of this I promise you. But, I would like to be the proud owner of the singular copy in existence."
It took Harry another half an hour of convincing but he finally managed to get all four to agree to the tasks he'd set.
"Well. Now that that's settled. I want to split you into two groups. I want Sirius and Peter to do the Mural and I was Remus and James to do the book. Any questions?" James raised his hand. "James?"
"Can I have my cloak back now?"
Gods! I'm so sorry for making you wait. But lengthy has been my break and now I'm back. I am also sorry for the shortness of this here chapter. Not as long as previous but it's better than nothing I suppose.
I hope enjoyed it! Review!!
Thank you!