Author's Note: Sorry Everyone – so I didn't actually post everything I wanted to say for Chapter 28. But I didn't want to skip a week of updates so here is the second part of the same chapter. There is chapter 29 which is actually Chapter28 part II and the epilogue. I don't own Harry Potter.
Chapter 28 ½: The Story Harry Heard, Part II
Harry's 7th Year, Malfoy Manor
Peter Pettigrew knew that he was dreaming. Real life was no longer filled with light and he was rarely peaceful and happy. So the peace he felt was bittersweet because he knew it wouldn't last.
Peter sat on the shore of the Great Lake of Hogwarts, the castle spires reaching for the sky behind him, and breathed in the scent of spring.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" said a soft voice. Peter froze.
"M…Maya?" He stammered. He turned around slowly. The young girl was standing near the tree - their tree - her Quidditch robes swaying in the wind. She looked at him for a long time, silent. Peter began to tremble.
"You would have done it too," he breathed.
"No, Wormtail," said another voice. Peter nearly fainted as he slowly turned back to face the shore. "We wouldn't have betrayed you." Padfoot and Prongs, standing side by side on the shore. Both sixteen - still boyish and young but with the serious look of the war in their eyes.
His friends.
But not anymore.
"You're a coward," Maya said matter-of-factly.
"Traitor," Sirius spat.
"Rat," said James, but a little sadly. "You were only ever a rat, weren't you?"
"Leave me alone!" Peter yelled, he plunged his hand into his robes and pointed his wand. The dream dissolved in a flash of green light and a high cruel voice that he recognized as his master's yelling "Avada Kedavra!" He woke up sweating and tangled in borrowed sheets in a guest room at Malfoy Manor, his enchanted silver hand gleaming in the dark.
"[Wormtail's] silver hand closed around Harry's throat… 'You're going to kill me?' Harry chocked, attempting to pry off the metal fingers. 'After I saved your life? You owe me, Wormtail!' The silver fingers slackened…wandless, helpless, Pettigrew's pupils dilated in terror. His eyes had slide from Harry's face to something else. His own silver fingers were moving inexorably toward his own throat…without pausing to think, Harry tried to drag back the hand, but there was no stopping it…" -without pausing to think, Harry tried to drag back the hand, but there was no stopping it…" –Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
And later, when this silver gift was wrapped around Harry Potter's throat, as Harry gasped out, "I saved your life!" Peter found he couldn't do it. Because Harry looked too much like Prongs...and he was standing on that shore with his friends in the dark, laughing as they talked on a night without a moon. And Peter hesitated, and the silver glove slipped off Harry's throat...
And tightened around his own. Harry's eyes were wide with shock as he tried to pry the enchanted silver fingers off Peter's throat. If he'd been able to breathe Peter would have laughed the hysterical laugh of someone who is losing their mind – the same laugh Sirius Black had laughed after Peter had blasted the street and left Sirius Black to take the blame for James Potter's death. Laughed, because, even after everything he had done, Harry still tried to help him.
As death closed in on the fourth Marauder to die, Peter found himself wondering why he hadn't suspected that Voldemort would curse that damned silver hand. Of course Voldemort would make sure that Peter Pettigrew, the most cowardly Gryffindor that ever lived, would die before he had a chance to redeem himself...
But some small part of him hoped...please, let me die a Marauder, not a Death Eater.
Harry's 7th Year, the Battle at Hogwarts
Remus had fallen asleep in his wolf form, curled on the rug in the living room floor, guarding the door. He hadn't wanted to transform with Teddy in the house – even with the Wolfsbane potion he could still accidently hurt a baby. But Nymphadora (she still hated to be called that, but it felt weird to call his wife "Tonks") had insisted that he stay inside the house. Even in his werewolf form, Death Eaters might try to kill him.
It was rare for werewolves to dream...but dream he did. He was in the Forbidden Forest, the full moon gleaming through the leaves of the trees. They illuminated a strange white patch through the trees and Mooney's heart jumped in his chest. His nocturnal eyes finished adjusting and his tail began to wag as the dim outline of a black cat took form. Her single white paw had given her away.
^^Hello Midnight,^^ he said in that strange way of talking they'd always had when in their animal forms. He bounded over to her and nuzzled her gently. Midnight arched her back against him, purring loudly.
^^Your son is adorable, Mooney,^^ she said. ^^You make a great dad.^^
^^I don't know about that,^^ said Mooney regretfully. ^^I put him in danger once a month. We're in hiding. Voldemort wants to have us killed... ^^
^^And you're constantly worried about him, would do anything to protect him, ^^ another voice interjected. ^^That means you're a good father. Trust me, mine was awful. ^^ Mooney's tail wagged even harder as he reached out and swatted Padfoot playfully on the nose. Padfoot jumped back and went into his playful pose - tail high in the air and front against the ground.
^^You mean, ^^ growled Mooney seriously, his tail ceasing to wag. ^^The way Harry saw you. ^^
Sirius instantly sank to the ground, tail still.
^^We can't change that we died, ^^ said a new voice. Mooney spun around; the dry leaves on the ground blew up in the sudden movement. A large stag with kind, brown eyes was standing in the clearing with him.
^^Prongs, ^^ Mooney breathed.
^^You've got a rough time ahead of you, Mooney, ^^ said the stag. ^^But remember that you are a Marauder - and we always do all right. ^^
^^Say hi to Teddy for me, ^^ meowed Midnight as the dream dissolved away and Remus woke up, still in wolf form, in his living room, feeling far calmer within his transformation than he had in years.
And when Bellatrix came for Nymphadora and Dolohov came for him, as the green light filled his vision and he collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, Remus found himself thinking, "Even with this. We did all right."
I'm sorry Teddy.
The last writer of the Marauder's Map died where he had most lived, within the walls of Hogwarts.
The Battle of Hogwarts, a Few Minutes Later
"There was a terrible scream. Harry saw Snape's face losing the little color it had left, it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake's fangs pierced his neck…When the flask was full to the rim, and Snape looked as though there was no blood left in him, his grip on Harry's robes slacked. 'Look…at…me' he whispered. Green eyes found the black, but after a second, something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish…" –Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
At least, thought Severus Snape, as darkness closed in on him and the last thing he saw was the green glow of Lily's eyes, at least I know that I did all I could. It's up to them now. All of us from before, are dead...
The Battle of Hogwarts; The Forbidden Forest
"[Harry] closed his eyes and turned the stone over in his hand three times. He knew it had happened, because he heard slight movements around him that suggested frail bodies shifting their footing on the earthy, twig-strewn ground that marked the outer edge of the forest…they were neither ghosts nor truly flesh…less substantial than living bodies, but much more than ghosts, they moved towards him. And on each face, there was the same loving smile. James…his hair was untidy and ruffled…Sirius was tall and handsome, and younger by far than Harry had seen him in life…Lupin was younger too…happy to be back in this familiar place, scene of so many adolescent wanderings. Lily's smile was the widest of all." – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry saw his parents as he walked slowly in the forest towards his death. He saw Sirius – his godfather; and he saw Remus – the first man he had actually known from his parent's story. But he didn't see who else was in that clearing. So many eyes were watching him on his slow march to death. So many people who had staked life in the war that Harry had come to symbolize. The struggle that he'd been born to see. And it hadn't been Harry Potter's fault.
So many people watching and waiting.
But only a few that had put enough stake in what was happening to actually be in that clearing.
And Harry didn't see them all. Those he could see and hear kept their own dark thoughts to themselves; even now there was a way they could protect him. They could not let their own frustration and anger that the boy they had all fought to protect was sacrificing himself.
But those who he couldn't hear...
Maya's green eyes were bright as she watched Harry Potter walk past her slowly. "He's possibly the bravest person I've ever met," she said quietly. "To simply accept it...many people would have run."
James shot her a grateful look and Lily fought to keep tears from falling down her face. She had to be strong for her son.
Regulus came slowly into view, his dark eyes troubled as he watched Harry walk past him. And Severus Snape, looking about nineteen years old as he leaned against an old tree, wondered if he should have done something different. But he knew…
"We did all we could," Sev whispered. "With what we knew...we did what we could."
Maya had slipped her fingers into Sirius's hands and he squeezed her hand tight as Harry dropped the resurrection stone to the ground...
"Harry saw [Voldemort's] mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone…"
"Tell me one last thing," said Harry. "Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?"
Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry's ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring the figure. "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"
He was lying facedown on the ground again. The smell of the forest filled his nostrils…
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
As Tom Riddle once told him, Harry Potter was very much alive.
And finally...finally...the cycle broke...
Well...not quite yet...
Epilogue: 19 Years Later – 1st of September, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
If the Sorting Hat could raise its old-hat-fold eyebrows any higher they would have been touching the ceiling. The boy with a pale, pointed face and blonde hair sitting on that rickety old stool squirmed a bit beneath him.
I'm different, aren't I? The boy wondered.
"Well...yes..." The Sorting Hat admitted in that small voice only the boy wearing the hat could hear. "But I have seen a mind like yours three times before...are you brave enough to face you fate?"
Scorpius Malfoy gritted his teeth and clutched the edge of the stools tightly. "I make my own fate," he whispered fiercely.
"Gryffindor!" Shouted the hat.
"What?!" Spluttered Rose Weasley from the group of nervous first years in the center of the room.
There was a rather surprised silence for a moment, and Scorpius almost began to panic but then…
James Sirius Potter let out a whoop of laughter and began to cheer and clap enthusiastically. The Gryffindor table began to cheer and clap as did the rest of the hall. About half of the Slytherin table sat there in shock but most of them clapped politely, although a few of those looked bemused.
Scorpius walked over to his new House table with shaky legs and a wide smile. He was dazed as he shook hands, to the point that he didn't realize that another boy has been sorted into Gryffindor until "Potter, Albus Severus" sat down next to him at the table amid an even louder roar of glee than before.
"You're Scorpius, Draco Malfoy's son," said Albus, his voice was full of wonder.
"Yeah, but I'm nothing like my father, and I'm definitely not like my grandfather," Scorpius said quickly and passionately. "And...uh..." Albus looked at him silently, green eyes peering at him intently. James had finally wriggled his way through the crowd and was now standing behind his younger brother and, picking up on the tension, stayed uncharacteristically silent.
"If you would like..." Scorpius said nervously, his heart pounding, "we could be friends." And he stuck out his hand for Albus to shake.
Albus grinned, and returned the handshake warmly. "My name's Albus Severus but my friends call me Al."
"And I'm James," James piped up, flashing his mischievous smile. "And I can't wait till your grandfather finds out that you got sorted into Gryffindor."
Scorpius groaned at the thought and let his head fall onto the table. James and Albus laughed, although Albus tried to hide it. Rose shot them a disapproving look from the group of first years still in the middle of the room, exactly like her mother at that age.
Later that night, around midnight, James snuck into the first year's room and gently shook Albus.
"Al, wake up," he whispered. Albus turned in his sleep and ignored him.
"Al," James hissed, shaking him a bit harder.
"He's a heavy sleeper," a soft voice said from the bed to James' left. "Nick over there was snoring like a muggle car and he fell right asleep." Scorpius sat up and was rubbing his eyes sleepily. His blonde hair messy from the pillows.
"Yeah," James said, "Luckily, I have plenty of practice." And he tore the covers off his younger brother. Albus sat up like a shot and threw his pillow at James without missing a beat. James ducked it easily, grinning.
"James…" Albus complained.
"Shhhh!" James covered Albus' mouth, "Come on little brother! It's your first night in Hogwarts! Don't tell me that you're going to spend it all sleeping."
Albus gave him an irritated look but then his gaze softened, and Albus gently pried James' hands away. "What did you have in mind?" Albus whispered. James grinned so widely that Scorpius actually felt jealous – why couldn't he have an older brother?
"Grab dad's cloak," James said, "And meet me in the common room in two minutes." James looked at Scorpius, who was trying not to look too forlorn and said, "Little Malfoy can come too."
Scorpius was so happy that his cheeks actually hurt from smiling as he hurried after Albus. Al took one look at his face and, despite being rather tired, couldn't help but smile and be excited, too. In a bundle in his arms, was a very old cloak.
In the light of the Common Room's fire, James was sitting on the ground with, what seemed to Scorpius, a rather ratty and old piece of parchment.
"What's that?" whispered Scorpius.
"This," said James fondly, tapping the parchment, "Is a little bit of history, little Malfoy."
Scorpius made a face at the nickname that unfortunately seemed to be sticking, and gave the parchment a better look. It looked rather ordinary and un-interesting to him. But Albus' excitement had just doubled.
"Want to do the honors, Al?" said James grandly.
Albus grinned and pulled out his wand; "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," Albus whispered, tapping the page. Scorpius nearly fell over in his haste to see what happened next. Black ink, like a spider's web, appeared all over the page, resolving itself into an amazing map with moving figures labeled with the names of everyone in the castle.
"A map!?" Scorpius gasped. Al and James both laughed.
"That shows everyone, what they're doing, all the time," said James proudly. "Created by…"
"Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs," finished Albus.
"This-this is amazing," Scorpius breathed. Albus and James both grinned at each other, thrilled that he was so excited by it. "Don't you two see?" Scorpius asked them excitedly, he leaned forward to gets better look, placing his hand over Albus' wand, pressing it against the corner of the map. "With this map, the castle is ours!"
Instantly, gold ink began to flow from the tip of the wand across the page. Scorpius grinned widely but James sat back abrudlty in surprise.
"Has that ever happened before?" Albus asked his older brother.
"Nope," said James. Scorpius looked back and forth between the two Potters and frowned. "You mean...I did a hidden spell?" The two of them nodded.
"Wicked," Scorpius breathed. James laughed again as Albus leaned down and studied the shining gold additions. Gold labels now shimmered below every name, so that it read things like, "Sir Nicholas de Pompey; Ghost" or "Argurus Filch; Squib." And the gold ink had gathered like pulsing smoke around parts of the castle, clinging to the walls and passageways that had been carefully replicated with black ink so many years before.
"Hey," said James, looking at one such area carefully. "This stuff marks the passageway to the Hog's Head, look..."
"And this is the Whomping Willow," said Albus, pointing to another such gold-covered area.
"And the passage to the kitchens," added James again. "Huh...I think this Gold stuff marks all the secret passages and stuff."
"But it's on the stairs here," said Scorpius, pointing to another part of the map.
"Well that's the bloody stairwell with the disappearing steps," said James. "You have to skip a bunch in the middle or you end up stuck in the stairs..."
"Midnight's Guide to the Castle," Albus read.
"Huh?"
"Look," Albus said, pointing. The same curly letters as the golden labels had formed an addition to the title, "Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs."
"There was a fifth Marauder," James whispered with reverence.
"Um...James?" Said Scorpius squinting at the map, "There isn't a trick staircase outside of our common room, is there?"
"No," said James. Scorpius' reply was only to point. The gold smoke was hugging the staircase, collecting tightly around a certain pictures right next to the landing. The three boys looked at each other and scrambled to their feet.
Soon, James was standing in front of the picture, examining it with avid interest. Albus unfolded the map and looked at it again, remembering their dad's story of the first time he had used the map. Sure enough, the little figure labeled James seemed to be pressing his hand against the frame.
Albus went over to his older brother ran his hand against the side of the frame. There was a strange half-sliding, half-crunching noise and the three young Gryffindor's jumped as the stairs flattened down into a slide. The three looked at each other and then, with all the glee and dexterity of eleven and twelve year old boys, jumped onto the slide.
"Yes!" James cheered as they zoomed down several flights and then landed in a heap on the ground two stories down, laughing breathlessly.
"Well, well," said an amused voice. The three looked up – Scorpius and Al scared but James grinning.
"Hi, Nick!" James said to the Gryffindor ghost.
"I haven't seen those used since Maya Night activated them the month before she died," Nearly Headless Nick said reminiscently.
"Maya Night?" Albus repeated exchanging a look with Scorpius.
"She didn't happen to go by Midnight, did she?" Scorpius asked.
"Why, she did," said Nick, sounding very surprised. "How did you know that?"
"Who was she?!" demanded James.
"Well…" Nick looked thoughtful. "She was friends with your grandfather…used to run around and get into trouble with them…but you three really shouldn't be out in the castle at night. I really shouldn't encourage this."
"Please, Sir Nicholas," James wheedled, using his title to get his attention. "We just want to know who she was."
"If you go with us to the Common Room," Albus suggested. "Will you tell us everything?"
"Everything?" the ghost repeated.
"Everything!" The three young Gryffindor's chorused. The invisibility cloak glistened from Albus' pocket and the Marauder's map was folded in James' hands. Scorpius' blonde hair gleamed in the light from the spluttering torches.
"All right," the ghost said with a smile. He began to lead the way to the Common Room, floating along the steps that had re-positioned themselves into their normal position. "Where should I start…?"
Author's Note: And finally, it is over. Wow, I never expected for this story to be so long. Thank you to everyone that fell in love with Maya and stuck with her until the end. The reason that I write is that I love to think about how characters would act if just one detail were different. In this case, I added a little werecat that grew up with the Marauders – but through her, I got to think more about Regulus Black, young Severus Snape and imagine how James Potter and Lily Evans could possibly end up together. And, along the way, my definition of what it means to be a Marauder changed. I wonder if you realized that. I'll give you a hint – there are three generations of Marauders. I'm glad that I got to know one of them. So, for now…
Mischief Managed.
Mooney, Midnight, Padfoot, Prongs, Lily, Reg, and Sev
