A.N. Okay I know I didn't put this chapter in yesterday like I
planned but it doesn't matter because apparently no one is reading this.
Goody. Where is everyone? Did everyone sign an "ignore Tirzah" petition and
forget to tell me? I'm tempted to start reviewing my own story so I'll at
least have some reviews. I repeat, where is everyone? Sniffle. Well if
anyone is out there at all, thank you and here's chapter four. Oh, one more
thing. CONTEST: The title is a pun. The first person who figures out how it
is a play on words gets a prize. I don't know what the prize is yet but you
can recommend that as well.
Chapter Four
"Are you hungry, Harry?" the Professor asked after a while. Harry was a bit startled as it had been fairly quiet but realized he was indeed getting hungry. The professor closed her eyes and after concentrating managed to transfigure a plate of sandwiches and some pumpkin juice. This reminded him eerily of second year when Professor McGonagall had done the same for Ron and him when they arrived to school late and in a flying car. Then he thought of something.
"Professor? How come you know my name?" She looked at him startled and then smiled.
"No you wouldn't remember." She said softly to herself. Then to him, "Who else could you be? Though I admit I almost called you James."
"You knew my father?"
"Everyone knew who your father was. From their second year on, the four of them were known by everyone who had been in school for over a week. By forth year, some of the first years came to school knowing who they were." Harry was slightly disappointed. It would have been nice to find someone who knew his parents and was willing to tell about them.
"So you didn't know my father. You just knew about him?" He tried to clarify.
"Did I say that?"
"Well, not exactly..."
"Then don't assume. As it turns out, I did know the Marauders personally. Lily was my best friend in school."
"You were Mum's best friend?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"No I said she was mine. I don't think she considered me hers. Though by third year we had become rather close. Maybe she did. I guess I'll never know." She had a sad smile on her face. "That's why it's so strange to hear you call me 'Professor'. I remember when you were born, and I was trying to get you to say 'Auntie Clyna'. It's strange the way things turn out." She was smiling sadly again.
"How come I never heard of you?" Harry asked then realized that could be considered rude. "I mean..."
"Due to circumstance beyond my control (I'll explain on the first day of class) I disappeared about a year before Voldemort's fall. After that, I came to Dumbledore to explain, found out that your parents had died, and left, likely not altogether sane. No one but Dumbledore knew I had survived until I came back here to teach. But that's a long story and I'd rather not talk about it. However I'll tell you anything you want to know about the Marauders or your parents."
Harry grinned. "Did you ever date any of the Marauders? If that isn't too personal."
"No, that's fine. And surprisingly enough no I didn't date any of them. Which is rather surprising considering that between James and Sirius, they dated almost the entire school within three years of us. I asked Lily about it once. She told me that anyone who tried to 'play fast and loose with my heart' as she put it was going to pay for it. They considered themselves Big brothers almost. Protectors in a way." She was smiling dreamily remembering a happier time.
"I remember in particular in fifth year. The most popular guy in school at the time, who was pretty good looking too, we'll call him Brad for now, asked me out. This was unusual because there wasn't a whole lot of reason for him to do so. I wasn't pretty, I wasn't an outcast but I wasn't popular, I wasn't even strikingly smart. Well I said yes. We went to a school dance and I learned he had asked me out on a dare." Her eyes hardened. "The dare was how quickly could he get me into the astronomy tower for a little more than snogging.. if you understand what I mean. I was furious and hurt." She gave a half laugh. "Heck, I think I decked him and stormed out in tears. Lily found my crying an hour later and swore that he would pay. Now you couldn't possibly know but Lily had a temper to match her hair. And she was almost overprotective. She also was already dating James at the time so the two of us were semi-honorary-marauders. And the trick with marauders was, you mess with one, you mess with them all! I never found out exactly what happened, but two days later when Brad got out of the Hospital wing, still with purple hair, bunny ears, and tail, he came down to the great hall, and in front of the entire school knelt down and begged my pardon for not being a gentleman and even attempting (for that's all it was) to compromise my virtue."
The two laughed. She thought for a while. "Oh! Then in sixth year was the Yule Ball. I didn't want to go because I remembered last year. That and I'm not very good with parties. Plus something had happened and some people were spreading some vicious rumors about me and I was pretty much an outcast. They stuck with me though, Lily and the Marauders. They convinced me to go and made sure that if I sat out a single, dance that it was by my choice not because of lack of a partner. James of course danced nearly every dance with Lily, but he did dance once or twice with me. Sirius, Remus, and Peter took turns dancing with me so I didn't have to sit out a single dance. I practically had to threaten Sirius with grievous bodily harm if he wouldn't let me sit down a little. Remus and Peter understood I didn't have the stamina to dance all night long." A pause. "Actually since they were willing to stick with me, a few others finally asked me to dance. Considering they were the causes of the rumors in the first place, I turned them down. Even Brad tried to ask me to dance. It felt good to tell him no."
She smiled once more thinking of happy memories again. Then grew more serious. "I know you don't know much about them, so feel free to come up sometimes, and I'll tell you more. Well we better get back to work."
After some time of silence, Harry shelving books and Professor Syran working on papers, she spoke up. "I realize that Crouch couldn't have taken care of these papers, but it's still annoying to have to go through them all." Harry looked at her. So far she hadn't seemed one to talk for no reason, and she seemed to be getting at something but he couldn't tell what. Then he saw it.
"Um Professor? Could I have this please?" Harry said indicating a piece of blank-looking parchment. 'Please don't say no! Please don't say no!'
She looked at the parchment and at him. "This? I suppose it wouldn't be a problem." She said slowly.
Hardly daring to breathe Harry put the Marauders' Map carefully in his pocket. "Oh, that reminds me of another story. The Marauders wanted to make a map of Hogwarts. As these were intelligent boys who didn't apply themselves, they drafted Lily and me to do a good sized share of the work. However they wouldn't put our names on it because the clamed we weren't marauders. We got back at them though. We made it so that we didn't show up on the map. I believe it got confiscated the year after we left. Ah, if that map could talk, what stories it would tell."
Harry had no doubt about it. She knew it was the map and was letting him have it while at the same time warning him that it wasn't complete protection. "I suppose you should go now. It's getting late. Come by anytime. But you should know that the only reason you got in so easily was because I chose to let you in. Next time it will be a little different. Oh one more thing. Did you come up here on a dare?"
Startled, Harry admitted he had. "Be careful, a dare nearly cost me my life once. Everyone acts as if you can't turn down a dare. Words have only as much power over you as you let them. Be careful of that."
Still a little dazed. Harry left.
A.N. Well, now you know more. Please review. Next time is the first day of classes. Please review. And we find out why she disappeared. Please review. And what kinds of strange books she assigned and why. Please review. That's about it. And before I forget PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!
Chapter Four
"Are you hungry, Harry?" the Professor asked after a while. Harry was a bit startled as it had been fairly quiet but realized he was indeed getting hungry. The professor closed her eyes and after concentrating managed to transfigure a plate of sandwiches and some pumpkin juice. This reminded him eerily of second year when Professor McGonagall had done the same for Ron and him when they arrived to school late and in a flying car. Then he thought of something.
"Professor? How come you know my name?" She looked at him startled and then smiled.
"No you wouldn't remember." She said softly to herself. Then to him, "Who else could you be? Though I admit I almost called you James."
"You knew my father?"
"Everyone knew who your father was. From their second year on, the four of them were known by everyone who had been in school for over a week. By forth year, some of the first years came to school knowing who they were." Harry was slightly disappointed. It would have been nice to find someone who knew his parents and was willing to tell about them.
"So you didn't know my father. You just knew about him?" He tried to clarify.
"Did I say that?"
"Well, not exactly..."
"Then don't assume. As it turns out, I did know the Marauders personally. Lily was my best friend in school."
"You were Mum's best friend?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"No I said she was mine. I don't think she considered me hers. Though by third year we had become rather close. Maybe she did. I guess I'll never know." She had a sad smile on her face. "That's why it's so strange to hear you call me 'Professor'. I remember when you were born, and I was trying to get you to say 'Auntie Clyna'. It's strange the way things turn out." She was smiling sadly again.
"How come I never heard of you?" Harry asked then realized that could be considered rude. "I mean..."
"Due to circumstance beyond my control (I'll explain on the first day of class) I disappeared about a year before Voldemort's fall. After that, I came to Dumbledore to explain, found out that your parents had died, and left, likely not altogether sane. No one but Dumbledore knew I had survived until I came back here to teach. But that's a long story and I'd rather not talk about it. However I'll tell you anything you want to know about the Marauders or your parents."
Harry grinned. "Did you ever date any of the Marauders? If that isn't too personal."
"No, that's fine. And surprisingly enough no I didn't date any of them. Which is rather surprising considering that between James and Sirius, they dated almost the entire school within three years of us. I asked Lily about it once. She told me that anyone who tried to 'play fast and loose with my heart' as she put it was going to pay for it. They considered themselves Big brothers almost. Protectors in a way." She was smiling dreamily remembering a happier time.
"I remember in particular in fifth year. The most popular guy in school at the time, who was pretty good looking too, we'll call him Brad for now, asked me out. This was unusual because there wasn't a whole lot of reason for him to do so. I wasn't pretty, I wasn't an outcast but I wasn't popular, I wasn't even strikingly smart. Well I said yes. We went to a school dance and I learned he had asked me out on a dare." Her eyes hardened. "The dare was how quickly could he get me into the astronomy tower for a little more than snogging.. if you understand what I mean. I was furious and hurt." She gave a half laugh. "Heck, I think I decked him and stormed out in tears. Lily found my crying an hour later and swore that he would pay. Now you couldn't possibly know but Lily had a temper to match her hair. And she was almost overprotective. She also was already dating James at the time so the two of us were semi-honorary-marauders. And the trick with marauders was, you mess with one, you mess with them all! I never found out exactly what happened, but two days later when Brad got out of the Hospital wing, still with purple hair, bunny ears, and tail, he came down to the great hall, and in front of the entire school knelt down and begged my pardon for not being a gentleman and even attempting (for that's all it was) to compromise my virtue."
The two laughed. She thought for a while. "Oh! Then in sixth year was the Yule Ball. I didn't want to go because I remembered last year. That and I'm not very good with parties. Plus something had happened and some people were spreading some vicious rumors about me and I was pretty much an outcast. They stuck with me though, Lily and the Marauders. They convinced me to go and made sure that if I sat out a single, dance that it was by my choice not because of lack of a partner. James of course danced nearly every dance with Lily, but he did dance once or twice with me. Sirius, Remus, and Peter took turns dancing with me so I didn't have to sit out a single dance. I practically had to threaten Sirius with grievous bodily harm if he wouldn't let me sit down a little. Remus and Peter understood I didn't have the stamina to dance all night long." A pause. "Actually since they were willing to stick with me, a few others finally asked me to dance. Considering they were the causes of the rumors in the first place, I turned them down. Even Brad tried to ask me to dance. It felt good to tell him no."
She smiled once more thinking of happy memories again. Then grew more serious. "I know you don't know much about them, so feel free to come up sometimes, and I'll tell you more. Well we better get back to work."
After some time of silence, Harry shelving books and Professor Syran working on papers, she spoke up. "I realize that Crouch couldn't have taken care of these papers, but it's still annoying to have to go through them all." Harry looked at her. So far she hadn't seemed one to talk for no reason, and she seemed to be getting at something but he couldn't tell what. Then he saw it.
"Um Professor? Could I have this please?" Harry said indicating a piece of blank-looking parchment. 'Please don't say no! Please don't say no!'
She looked at the parchment and at him. "This? I suppose it wouldn't be a problem." She said slowly.
Hardly daring to breathe Harry put the Marauders' Map carefully in his pocket. "Oh, that reminds me of another story. The Marauders wanted to make a map of Hogwarts. As these were intelligent boys who didn't apply themselves, they drafted Lily and me to do a good sized share of the work. However they wouldn't put our names on it because the clamed we weren't marauders. We got back at them though. We made it so that we didn't show up on the map. I believe it got confiscated the year after we left. Ah, if that map could talk, what stories it would tell."
Harry had no doubt about it. She knew it was the map and was letting him have it while at the same time warning him that it wasn't complete protection. "I suppose you should go now. It's getting late. Come by anytime. But you should know that the only reason you got in so easily was because I chose to let you in. Next time it will be a little different. Oh one more thing. Did you come up here on a dare?"
Startled, Harry admitted he had. "Be careful, a dare nearly cost me my life once. Everyone acts as if you can't turn down a dare. Words have only as much power over you as you let them. Be careful of that."
Still a little dazed. Harry left.
A.N. Well, now you know more. Please review. Next time is the first day of classes. Please review. And we find out why she disappeared. Please review. And what kinds of strange books she assigned and why. Please review. That's about it. And before I forget PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!