The Fifth Marauder:
Chapter 3
By
Tim Cline
Tim Cline walked through the massive doors that led to the Hogwarts school library, supposedly the biggest collection of magical tomes in Europe. Soon after entering his
favorite place to spend his free time, he saw a sight that almost made him laugh out loud. Sitting about halfway through the massive library were four young men, three of
them standing around the fourth, who was sitting surrounded my books and hurriedly writing on several different sheets of parchment at once. The identities of the standing
gentlemen didn't surprise him. He had seen them all in the library before, one of them more often than the others. It was the identity of the sitting young man that truly
shocked him. He wheeled over to the group, a gigantic grin on his face. "Well, well, Sirius Black sitting in the library surrounded by books and taking notes like some form
of savant." "This means one of two things, either the good study habits of Mr. Lupin and myself have finally rubbed off on you, or we should contact St.Mungo's because
you have gone completely insane." "Hehehehe..." Giggled Sirius madly without even noticing Tim and writing something else in his notes.
"Ooook...would one of you three please explain Mr. Black's sudden change in study habits?" Tim said to the other three marauders who were now sitting at the table.
Both Remus and Peter looked as though they were going to say something but they both seemingly thought better of it and looked at James simultaneously. "Ok, since I
have apparently been elected to speak for the group..." James said glaring at his associates. "I guess you could say that he was staring at the book that you gave us and
suddenly he mumbled something about an "untapped goldmine". Then he ran across the common room and practically dove through the portrait hole. We practically had
to run to keep up with him." "Hmm...so Sirius is doing a bit of research?" Said Tim, grinning in a way that made him look like a certain Hufflepuff by the name of Gilderoy
Lockhart. "It seems that way." Remus said shrugging his shoulders in confusion. "Well, I guess I will leave you to your "noble" work Sirius, but remember this: "abeunt
studia in mores"." Tim Said grinning then turning and walking to do some reading of his own. "Huh?" Sirius said, finally looking up from his frantic note-taking. Remus
sighed and closed his eyes. "Practices zealously pursued pass into habits." He said in a sing-song voice, once again proving that the title of most well read marauder was,
and always would be, his. "Huh?" Sirius repeated, sounding even more confused this time.
"I meant that if you keep reading at this rate, I fear that we won't be able to tease you about being a twit for much longer." Said Tim, his face hidden by the huge armload
of books he was carrying while trying to wheel his chair with one hand. He grunted in exertion as he hefted the rather large books up and sat them on the table. "I swear
one of these days your wheelchair is going to tip backwards while you are doing that and you are going to be crushed to death." Said Remus, frowning slightly. "Yeah,
why don't you ask one of us for help?" Said James with a puzzled expression. "Frankly?" Said Tim, his expression suddenly becoming serious. "Yes." All four marauders
said nearly at the same time.
"Well..." Tim began, his voice slightly unsure. "I know that this doesn't apply to you four, but in the past I've learned that some people, here most of them are slythriens,
have certain opinions about people like me." "Such people tend to associate a person being disabled with weakness, and in there twisted world view, my asking for help
would affirm there perceptions of me as a weak person." "I have spent too much of my life being told that I am basically a weak, delicate little thing and that I should allow
others to do things for me instead of doing them myself." "James..." Tim said, looking at the leader of the little group. "You asked me a few weeks ago why I push myself
so hard at quiddich practice, well, my answer at the time is that we couldn't win until I caught the snitch." Well, that's true, but it isn't the whole reason." Tim looked into
the faces of the four young men sitting across the table from him, there faces were full of concern and support. Seeing this and feeling emboldened by it, he continued. "I
thought if I was better than anyone else at nearly everything, be it academics, quiddich, prank research or whatever, people would be forced, even if just for a few
moments, to forget the wheelchair and see the person sitting in it." "I know that probably sound kind of silly..."
"No it doesn't!" Said Remus quickly. "Trust me Tim, I used to feel the same way." "I Just knew in my deluded view of other people, that the naysayers would have to reconsider if I did everything right." "That maybe if I was talented enough they wouldn't be able to call me a monster once they discovered what I was. "After a while I discovered that the same people said and did the same things no matter how I acted." "Unfortunately, now most of my rather obsessive behaviors have become habits." "abeunt studia in mores..." Said Tim, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "Yes, so you had better quit it while you still can." Remus said, also beginning to grin. "Except when it comes to quiddich of course." Said James. The look on his face was fanatically serious.
