Disclaimer: You know, I know. She owns, I don't.
Author's Note: A lot of people asked, so I thought I'd explain this: James is not evil, and he is not meant to be evil. He is suspicious of Harry because Voldemort is taking over everywhere and you can't trust strange wizards.
storm101: Thanks for the support!
LittleEar BigEar's sis: Thanks a lot. I'm glad you like it.
PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: Yes, James is a good guy.
Vicous Pixie: The next lesson will be the next chapter, full moon after that.
Epiphanys-Curse: Thanks for the review and for the suggestions.
good story: Thanks, it's nice to know you like it.
LUCYLU4701: That's something I've not quite decided yet, but on the whole I think they will.
petites sorcieres: Thanks for the review. Go ahead and review entirely in French if you like; I might do better on the exam.
ping*pong5: James and Sirius will be nicer eventually - right now they're suspicious, and who can blame them?
Trinity Day: I'm glad that was better. And thanks for reviewing every chapter so far.
Indiangurl: Yeah, that is a good idea. Thanks a lot!
penny: Here's your answer. Thanks for taking the trouble to review.
Anora: You're right, I do like them, but criticism is helpful too. Thanks.
dolphingirl79: You're adding this to your favourites? I hope I can live up to that!
On with the story...
CHAPTER 4: CONFISCATED AND HIGHLY DANGEROUS
Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. He looked up as Harry entered.
"May I help you?"
Harry thought he sounded a trifle cool, but he dismissed the idea quickly. It was more likely that he was unused to students bursting into his office without knocking.
"Professor," he panted, "They'll know - you have to do something! They'll find out!"
"Sit down, Harry, and tell me slowly and coherently. Who is 'they'? What will they find out?"
Harry sank into one of the chairs in front of the desk.
"You see, Professor," he said, "my dad, Sirius, Remus and Peter have this... this... object... that tells them exactly who is in the castle and where they are. There's no way to fool it - at least, I don't know any."
"I see," Dumbledore said, thankfully not asking where the Marauders had got the object. "I suppose they use it to steal food. And you believe that they will learn your real name and ask uncomfortable questions."
"Yes. I think... I think they'll definitely use the... object... tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow is the full moon. I don't know if you are aware..."
"About Remus? I know."
"Then you'll understand, Harry, why it is highly unlikely that your four friends will do anything... shall we say, inconvenient... tomorrow night."
"No, Professor... I can't tell you why, it might change the future - but there is every possibility that they will use it tomorrow night."
"Is that so?" He sounded faintly suspicious. "Well... describe the object to me, Harry."
"It's a piece of parchment. A blank piece. It'll look like rubbish, but it's not."
"Very well. I shall ask Mr. Filch - oh, you know him-" as Harry winced "- to confiscate this object. Go on to dinner now. You don't want to arouse any suspicions."
*~*
Harry left Dumbledore's office feeling immensely relieved. He met Lily as he was going down to the Great Hall.
"Did you enjoy your first day?" she asked him.
"Oh, yes, I did, thanks."
"Hmm. But I saw James and Sirius picking on you a little."
"Oh, no, they... that is..."
"Don't bother. I know what they're like. I just wanted to tell you not to let them get to you. They're like that with everyone who's not one of their gang. It's not about you personally."
"Yeah... I guessed."
"Did you like Defense?"
"Yeah!"
"Now you sound enthusiastic. You like Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"I love it! It's my favourite subject. I..." suddenly realizing whom he was talking to, Harry fell silent.
"Yes," Lily said encouragingly. "Do you want to be an Auror or something like that?"
"I thought of that."
"Good luck," she said, as they reached the Great Hall. She smiled at him and went to join her friends.
*~*
James and Sirius were the last to leave the Gryffindor table after dinner. They went up the marble staircase and were about to take a detour in the direction of the kitchens when Filch stopped in front of them.
"And where are you going?" he asked unpleasantly.
"Back to the dormitory," Sirius said. "Or is that against the rules, too? Walking on your nice clean floors?"
"Nah," James said. "If it were he'd be trying to stop Snape from dripping grease all over them."
"You laugh," Filch said. "Oh, you laugh. Professor Dumbledore likes you, but my orders come from him this time."
"Orders?" James said. "From Professor Dumbledore? He's forgotten. We don't have detention today."
"First night in almost three weeks that we don't," Sirius supplied. "No thanks to you, Filch."
Filch sniffed.
"I have been told that you have an extremely dangerous object with you - one that ought to be confiscated at once. If you could turn out your pockets?"
James pulled a quill out of his pocket.
"This?" he enquired. "It's only dangerous if you poke someone with it."
Sirius produced a scrap of parchment with 'I hate Snivellus Snape' scrawled on it.
"No!" Filch snapped. "I know you have it. Turn out your pockets, boys. NOW!"
Sighing, they did so. Filch peered at the pile of rubbish and pounced gleefully on a rectangle of parchment.
"Aha!"
"Give that here!" Sirius said. "You can't take my spare parchment."
"Spare parchment, is it? Well, I'm sure you can get another piece. This, boys, is mine... and do not imagine that you will ever have it back."
"No!"
"You can't claim that parchment is dangerous."
"There's no proof..."
"You can't have my parchment!"
With a manic grin, Filch ignored their protests and vanished into a tapestry.
Sirius scowled.
"Snape. It must have been Snape who told him. Just wait till I get hold of him."
Author's Note: A lot of people asked, so I thought I'd explain this: James is not evil, and he is not meant to be evil. He is suspicious of Harry because Voldemort is taking over everywhere and you can't trust strange wizards.
storm101: Thanks for the support!
LittleEar BigEar's sis: Thanks a lot. I'm glad you like it.
PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: Yes, James is a good guy.
Vicous Pixie: The next lesson will be the next chapter, full moon after that.
Epiphanys-Curse: Thanks for the review and for the suggestions.
good story: Thanks, it's nice to know you like it.
LUCYLU4701: That's something I've not quite decided yet, but on the whole I think they will.
petites sorcieres: Thanks for the review. Go ahead and review entirely in French if you like; I might do better on the exam.
ping*pong5: James and Sirius will be nicer eventually - right now they're suspicious, and who can blame them?
Trinity Day: I'm glad that was better. And thanks for reviewing every chapter so far.
Indiangurl: Yeah, that is a good idea. Thanks a lot!
penny: Here's your answer. Thanks for taking the trouble to review.
Anora: You're right, I do like them, but criticism is helpful too. Thanks.
dolphingirl79: You're adding this to your favourites? I hope I can live up to that!
On with the story...
CHAPTER 4: CONFISCATED AND HIGHLY DANGEROUS
Dumbledore was sitting at his desk. He looked up as Harry entered.
"May I help you?"
Harry thought he sounded a trifle cool, but he dismissed the idea quickly. It was more likely that he was unused to students bursting into his office without knocking.
"Professor," he panted, "They'll know - you have to do something! They'll find out!"
"Sit down, Harry, and tell me slowly and coherently. Who is 'they'? What will they find out?"
Harry sank into one of the chairs in front of the desk.
"You see, Professor," he said, "my dad, Sirius, Remus and Peter have this... this... object... that tells them exactly who is in the castle and where they are. There's no way to fool it - at least, I don't know any."
"I see," Dumbledore said, thankfully not asking where the Marauders had got the object. "I suppose they use it to steal food. And you believe that they will learn your real name and ask uncomfortable questions."
"Yes. I think... I think they'll definitely use the... object... tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow is the full moon. I don't know if you are aware..."
"About Remus? I know."
"Then you'll understand, Harry, why it is highly unlikely that your four friends will do anything... shall we say, inconvenient... tomorrow night."
"No, Professor... I can't tell you why, it might change the future - but there is every possibility that they will use it tomorrow night."
"Is that so?" He sounded faintly suspicious. "Well... describe the object to me, Harry."
"It's a piece of parchment. A blank piece. It'll look like rubbish, but it's not."
"Very well. I shall ask Mr. Filch - oh, you know him-" as Harry winced "- to confiscate this object. Go on to dinner now. You don't want to arouse any suspicions."
*~*
Harry left Dumbledore's office feeling immensely relieved. He met Lily as he was going down to the Great Hall.
"Did you enjoy your first day?" she asked him.
"Oh, yes, I did, thanks."
"Hmm. But I saw James and Sirius picking on you a little."
"Oh, no, they... that is..."
"Don't bother. I know what they're like. I just wanted to tell you not to let them get to you. They're like that with everyone who's not one of their gang. It's not about you personally."
"Yeah... I guessed."
"Did you like Defense?"
"Yeah!"
"Now you sound enthusiastic. You like Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"I love it! It's my favourite subject. I..." suddenly realizing whom he was talking to, Harry fell silent.
"Yes," Lily said encouragingly. "Do you want to be an Auror or something like that?"
"I thought of that."
"Good luck," she said, as they reached the Great Hall. She smiled at him and went to join her friends.
*~*
James and Sirius were the last to leave the Gryffindor table after dinner. They went up the marble staircase and were about to take a detour in the direction of the kitchens when Filch stopped in front of them.
"And where are you going?" he asked unpleasantly.
"Back to the dormitory," Sirius said. "Or is that against the rules, too? Walking on your nice clean floors?"
"Nah," James said. "If it were he'd be trying to stop Snape from dripping grease all over them."
"You laugh," Filch said. "Oh, you laugh. Professor Dumbledore likes you, but my orders come from him this time."
"Orders?" James said. "From Professor Dumbledore? He's forgotten. We don't have detention today."
"First night in almost three weeks that we don't," Sirius supplied. "No thanks to you, Filch."
Filch sniffed.
"I have been told that you have an extremely dangerous object with you - one that ought to be confiscated at once. If you could turn out your pockets?"
James pulled a quill out of his pocket.
"This?" he enquired. "It's only dangerous if you poke someone with it."
Sirius produced a scrap of parchment with 'I hate Snivellus Snape' scrawled on it.
"No!" Filch snapped. "I know you have it. Turn out your pockets, boys. NOW!"
Sighing, they did so. Filch peered at the pile of rubbish and pounced gleefully on a rectangle of parchment.
"Aha!"
"Give that here!" Sirius said. "You can't take my spare parchment."
"Spare parchment, is it? Well, I'm sure you can get another piece. This, boys, is mine... and do not imagine that you will ever have it back."
"No!"
"You can't claim that parchment is dangerous."
"There's no proof..."
"You can't have my parchment!"
With a manic grin, Filch ignored their protests and vanished into a tapestry.
Sirius scowled.
"Snape. It must have been Snape who told him. Just wait till I get hold of him."