LEGEND REWRITTEN by JKReviewer

Chapter three – Shopping for trouble

'Diagon Alley is looking as crowded and busy as the first time I saw it' Lily thought as she and James walked through the entrance hand in hand. Long golden rays, warming her floo-tired body - cheering her up a bit, marked the setting of the late summer sun. It was a beautiful day really – birds singing and everything, yet Lily had trouble enjoying it. She stopped unconsciously, looking around at the people who passed her. She sighed miserably. Everywhere she would look, young boys or girls would pass her – always in groups of two or more. Friends, Brothers, Sisters – it didn't matter. At least there were two of them, they had each other.

She felt James squeeze her hand gentle, and she turned to him slowly. He looked a bit worried. 'No wonder with the sour face I'm wearing. Stupid Lily – this was supposed to be a happy day!'

"Something on your mind or did someone force you to eat a 'Washi Lemon'?" James joked, probably hoping to cheer her up a bit. She laughed softly. She looked down with an unreadable expression on her pretty face. She sighed.

"James… Do you think we should have had more than one child?" she suddenly said, almost whispered. It wasn't at all what she had thought she would say but there was no taking it back now.

At first her husband looked shocked but then it changed into a softer, more thoughtful frown. He ran a hand through his hair, something he always did when things were awkward or when he was nervous.

"Why'd you say that?" he began, pausing only for a second before continuing. "I mean I was an only child and there is nothing wrong with me right..?" He laughed nervously, fearing Lily was about to make some sort of comment. He seized the moment. "And I mean look at your own sister – she's… she is evil! What if Harry had an evil brother or sister?"

Flawed as it was, Lily couldn't help but smile at James' insane logic. She decided to drop it – for now. Shaking her head lightly, like she always did, she grabbed the hand of her husband – and together they walked to the Quidditch store. Harry had run ahead alongside Sirius to check out the Quidditch Store and the new gear.

They walked in blissful silence, the redhead and the marauder – down a crowded street, just like regular people. It wasn't a first for them, but it had indeed been a long time since they had done it last. Deatheater's did not take vacations for hunting as far as she knew.

Just walking, James' hand in hers was secretly one of Lily's favorite things. Had anyone told her that sixteen years ago she would either have laughed in their faces or worn a sour expression for the rest of day.

Out of the corner of her eye she observed the love of her life, James Potter, looking deep in thought. Sometimes, even if she tried hard, she wondered why she didn't like James until their last years back at Hogwarts.

All the girls in her dorm used to almost faint even he or Sirius just said hallo, but not her. At a point she had actually convinced herself she hated it – although that wasn't really true. A small, thoughtful smile formed on her lips.

"Well he did use to be a great prat…" an inner voice of reason said. Lily nodded subtly, agreeing. Yeah, him and Sirius used to 'shower' in the attention they got, enjoying and exploiting it to the fullest.

But then, after the summer after their fifth year, they changed. Or at least James did. Sirius just grew a bit taller.

She frowned at her thoughts. But it wasn't that she didn't like thinking about the past. In fact she liked to think of her and James' growing to love each other like a good story. A great story actually. She smiled stupidly. Maybe someone would one day write a story about it…

She laughed inwardly. "Silly Lily…"

"A knut for your thoughts flower…" James suddenly said breaking her stream of thoughts. She looked up, locking her eyes with his and smiled at the expression on his face. She squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Just thinking…" she started, sighing. "About Harry going to Hogwarts and all…" She trailed of. It wasn't that she didn't know what to say – she just had to make sure that she got the meaning out right. James looked at her with a questioning frown and a look that clearly said "And…?"

"And… Well, we will of course miss him and all – but don't you think he will miss us even more?" she rambled on. This wasn't what she wanted to say. Damn it. James still wore that strange frown – he must think I'm going crazy.

Lily sighed deeply before continuing. "My point is James… Harry has never had any real friends? What if he doesn't get any at Hogwarts either? You know how lonely he can get."

Surprisingly, a tiny smile formed on her husbands lips. She would have expected him to at least look worried or sad – but no.

"Lils… You worry too much!" he started, but seeing that this did nothing to ease her mood he continued. "When I was eleven, the only kids I knew were snobby purebloods and other non-likeable children who all happened to have wealthy parents."

He stopped for a second, scratching the back of his head. "I remember sitting in the Hogwarts express in a compartment all by myself, not a friend in the world and then what happened…?" He eyed her, obviously thinking she would answer the question for him. But of course, as she hadn't even met James at that time, she didn't know and shook her head lightly.

James sighed. "I met Sirius and Remus of course… Right there, on the very first day, and look now 21 years later we're still friends!"

He looked very proud and pleased with himself, as if it was his doing alone that they were still friends.

"Fantastic James…" Lily sighed jokingly, but his little story had managed to cheer up – even if it was only for the time being. She grabbed her husbands hand and gave him a reassuring smile, as they started walking again.

"We should have let him talk with that girl at the World Cup…" she said more to herself than anyone else, as James gave her an agreeing sigh. But he was right, maybe she did worry a bit too much at times. But how could you worry too much about your own child...?

"Who knows…" James said, making a mock philosophical expression. "Maybe Harry has already found a friend as we speak…?"

* * * * *

Harry turned sharply avoiding two red-haired teenage boys only seconds before a complete crash would have occurred. No time to look back. From behind him he heard an old lady yelp in surprise, followed by a man muttered a quick apology. Harry smiled triumphantly. Out of nowhere a mother and her son suddenly appeared before him. He ducked under a shopping caldron, only a fraction of a second to late and he lost his balance.

Cursing his bad luck, he jumped to his feet and started running again. There – finally he could see it. Avoiding a large man with a strange hat, he sidestepped and tiptoed through a group of girls until finally he was close enough.

Time stopped for a moment as he, out of the corner of his eye, saw a man forward roll under the linked arms of a couple. A second, two at the most was what he had at most until he reached Harry. But indeed the smile was still on the young boy's lips.

Harry turned his gaze back, only to find his view blocked by an old wizard with a large red book in his arms. "Jinxed luck…" he muttered to himself, but he was not one to panic.

Without a second thought he grabbed the book and used it to swing around the man, where he hit the ground running.

He only had a second now and in a mad attempt to reach the door first he jumped forward, arms outstretched and rolled to safety inside the shop.

Split-seconds later a man of about thirty years entered the shop in full speed, stopping only because he collided with display of brooms.

Harry turned, and gave his godfather a big winner's smile. "Looks like you owe me a Galleon Padfoot… I won the race!" His godfather only scowled in return.

* * *

Sirius kept a watchful eye on his one and only god son, as he sneaked around at the far back of Flourish and Blott's Bookstore. "Like father, like son…" he whispered to himself. He snorted silently, as Harry kept looking behind him to see if Sirius would know where he went. Like father like son indeed.

Something in the male Potter gene obviously made them think they were experts in sneaking – and maybe they were – but for some reason, Sirius could almost feel their bad conscience when they tried to fool him. He laughed merrily at a funny memory in which that particular 'gift' had saved him from detention. This one included James, a wild raccoon and Lily trying to study for O.W.L's. He shook his head lightly and turned his gaze back towards his godson.

"Magical Fun & Pranks A-Z" he read at the sign above the archway made of books, which Harry had just passed under. No doubt he didn't wander in there by accident. Some fathers, or in his case uncles, might have feared whatever their piers brought out from a place like that – but not this Black. He was actually proud.

"The first era of the Marauder's have passed…" he suddenly yelled, eyes wide like a madman – scaring a chubby redheaded lady and her two children. "The new Marauder's will take up our legacy and Hogwarts will be the palace of Pranks ones again!" He whipped a mock tear away, as he pretended to cry out of happiness.

Suddenly noticing everyone was staring at him, and that there was a least ten feet between him and the nearest costumer he cleared his throat and returned to reality.

"Better find Harry…" he mumbled to himself.

* * *

" 'Magic Jokes R us', '101 Wizardry Pranks including stuffed bears', 'How to prank your teacher, third edition…" Harry read from the covers as he passed down the rank of prank books. He sighed. None really appealed to his taste, especially after he learned of the most legendary prank book of them all: The Marauder's manual.

His dad and Sirius had revealed to him last night that it was hidden still at Hogwarts, even here fourteen years after they left.

By what he heard of if, even from uncle Moony who rarely spoke of their pranks, over the years – it should be the single source of every prank and trick pulled by the biggest pranksters in Hogwarts' history. But Harry had decided long ago that he wouldn't use it. No, he would carve his own name in Hogwarts history and in the minds of those present. Even dad and Sirius would be surprised. Yeah, that was his goal.

Suddenly everything began to get darker before his eyes – but only in spots at a time. Like someone pulled a carpet full of holes over his head. Odd.

It was a few seconds more before Harry actually realized that it was in fact his own hair, and not an unknown assailant that were upon him.

With great difficulty he removed the hair from his eyes, and turned his head to see where Sirius was trying to hide – doubling over with laughter, no doubt.

But to his great surprise he found his godfather talking, in a peculiar way that involved a lot of smiles it seems, with the young woman working here today.

But if it wasn't him then who? Something liquid hit the back of his neck, and he shivered as he felt, his hair de-grew back to its normal length and thickness. He turned around; ready to throw a death glare in 'whoever that was behind him's way. He was pacified quickly though – by a grinning girl?

Before him stood a dark haired girl, laughing merrily at her own 'joke'. In her hand she held a small vial, now empty for obvious reasons. Somehow it felt oddly like looking in a mirror, when he observed the still laughing girl. She was just as tall as him, had very dark brown - almost black hair, just like him and that mischievous twinkle in her eye. Strange.

Reason soon overcame the instant fascination and Harry mustered his best scowl. The girl was still laughing, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed a mirror and took a quick look at himself. Green? His hair was neon green?     

Although he found it quite funny, he did everything he could to contain his laughter and grin. He would not give this stranger the satisfaction of having pulled a trick on him, which made even the victim laugh. Harry let his eyes wander back to the girl. She had seized laughing but was still smiling. 

"It looks good on you – I think you should keep it that way! Better than that fur thing from before eh?" she suddenly said, very fast – sounding like she was having the time of her life.

"I have been brewing these potions for ages, you know…" she continued, obviously completely uncaring that she didn't know Harry, and that he didn't know her.

"I made tons of them actually, for when I go to Hogwarts!" She giggled in a very girlish way, completely opposite her way of acting. "They will never know what hit them…"

She turned her eyes to the ceiling, looking deep in thought. Actually very deep in thought Harry concluded over a minute later. He was just about to say something when:

"I'm Andi by the way – real name is Andromeda but could you see me wearing that – honestly! Mom must have been mad when she named me." Andi sighed loudly, and rolled her eyes at her non-present mother. "She used to say it was because my dad wanted it that way!" She shook her head disapprovingly.

"And you are?" she suddenly prompted after a brief silence. Her bluntness surprised Harry a bit. He wasn't used to being around other kids that much, and especially not direct, straight-forward prank pulling girls.

"I'm Harry…" he began, and realized that he didn't know what to say next. What did you say to a stranger? The girl lifted her eyebrow, obviously expecting more information. Harry ransacked his brain for exciting knowledge he could share, but for some reason it was as empty as a jar of cookies left where the kids could get them.

"Your prank was ok!" he suddenly blurted out. Where had that come from? The girl looked shocked at first, then a little angry – but then to Harry's surprise she smiled.

"Yeah I guess it was only 'ok'. You think you can do it better?" she teased, as Harry's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

An hour later, Andi and Harry were still talking. The first ten minutes had consisted of various prank ideas being thrown at each other, but they soon found out that they had a lot more in common.

Andi too would be going to Hogwarts, and since she didn't know anyone and Harry didn't know anyone – they had decided they would sit together and discuss pranks. Andi seemed to like Quidditch too, Harry noted, but not in the extreme like he did.

She also told him a bit about how it had been living in Ireland, and how their house garden had been infested with leprechauns. "Worst creatures ever…" Andi had stated. All too soon, she heard her mother enter the store and she had to go home.

"See you soon Harry – and don't forget the… ehhh… thing!" she had called over her shoulder, obviously not wanting to let her mother know, that Harry had promised to bring the prank set Remus and Sirius got him last Christmas.

When she was finally out of eyesight – Harry sighed. Maybe he had just made his first friend ever. He smiled at the thought, but then he became curious about something. What had Sirius been during all this time? And where were his mother and father?

But, as if his question had been a wandless accio spell, they all rounded the corner a second later. They looked really happy for some reason.

"Hey sweetie… Did you find any good books?" his mother asked with a sparkle in her eyes and a curve on her lips.

"Ehh… No not really – I have just been…" he began nervously, eyeing Sirius who looked like he was about to burst out laughing. "…browsing!"

* * *

Ten minutes later Sirius was still complaining to James about how he had the craziest wife ever. After Harry had said the word "browsing" Sirius had thrown a laughing fit, and when he was finally done he had pranced around in a very non-adult way, singing "Harry has a girlfriend… Harry has a girlfriend!"

Not even Lily's threat of hexing him made him stop, so she made her threat real and Sirius still hadn't been able to remove the effects of the spell.

That actually made James a bit proud, Sirius was one of the best at spell breaking he knew – but Lily had always bested all the Marauder's in that field. "Which really came in handy in our seventh year Halloween prank…" he though to himself.

And then he looked at is son. Him and Lily had watched him from afar, not wanting to break him and a possible friend up. His son had seemed so happy, and James only hoped that he would find even more friends at Hogwarts.

*********

That's it for chapter three – sorry for taking two weeks but school has been killing me. Glad to see my many reviews I will comment on them later this day but now I have to go to work!

This chapters is dedicated to Cyberdogz for having reviewed all my chapters in both stories so far.

I hoped you liked it, and don't worry: Action will come, but I need to introduce everything u know?

I hope to get two more chapters out during Christmas holidays to make up for the slow one here! Please review – any ideas will be considered and might appear in the story!

I love you all!