Somehow, all of them managed to get through the rest of the meal without further references to the number of things that might have surprised the marauders about future events— even the subject of Snape was miraculously avoided. The seven of them— somehow the knowledge of who the others were had made them a group— or at least turned Harry, Ron, and Hermione into the three the Marauders would go to when there was something about the future they didn't understand at all— headed out into the hall.
"Well, what are you four doing?" Hermione asked them.
"Dumbledore said to meet him here," Remus answered, shaking his head. "I dunno what he's got in mind for us to end up doing, though."
They nodded, all waiting for Dumbledore. Peter, still not used to the other three, was by the wall, placing the other three Marauders firmly between him and them. Sirius seemed half-tempted to begin yet another rant. Remus shook his head at them both— neither relaxed.
James had pulled the snitch out of his pocket. He'd taken it along with the bludgers, but hadn't mentioned it at first because after a few minutes it annoyed Sirius to no end. He started playing with it, and Ron and Peter both watched interestedly. Sirius noticed and rolled his eyes. Harry, remembering what had happened in Snape's pensive, wasn't sure what to think. Neither Hermione nor Remus noticed it.
"Hello," Dumbledore's voice announced. "I see you three have noticed. Not that I can say I expected otherwise from you."
All seven of them whirled around, James shoving the snitch back in his pocket. Dumbledore seemed to have come to the conclusion that he could work everything out eventually, and he was fairly amused with the entire situation. "You three haven't told them much?" he added.
"No," Hermione answered, throwing Harry and Ron looks of absolute murder.
"That's good." The headmaster turned back to the Marauders. "I'm afraid it might take me a few weeks to figure everything out and get you back where you belong. Until then, I'd suggest you just follow the Gryffindor schedule as you would if you were in your own time—"
"We're twenty years in the future and we still have homework?" Sirius muttered. Remus shushed him.
"—but I'm not so sure about other arrangements," Dumbledore continued, as if he hadn't heard. "Well, goodness knows the seven of you know this school fairly well, so if you have anything in mind. . . ?"
Sirius, James and Remus exchanged glances. "What about the Gryffindor tower?"
"I'm afraid your usual room is currently occupied," Dumbledore reminded them. "We'll have to think of something else."
"The Room of Requirement?" Hermione suggested softly. "It won't be used for anything else . . . will it? And it's fairly a simple solution."
The Marauders all exchanged looks. This was one of the few places they'd never heard of before. "Where's that?"
"Well, it's certainly not any place where you're likely to be disturbed," Dumbledore admitted. "And the easiest place to arrange for."
"And it makes sense," Harry added.
"Goodness knows," Dumbledore agreed. He turned and started down the hall, shaking his head. "I assume you three can help them find it well enough?"
"I think he knows we'd like to get a better idea about each other," Hermione commented to the boys. "But we can help you find it. C'mon."
She led them upstairs to the seventh floor, past the tapestry of Barnabas the Blarney. She seemed to lead them in a circle, because they passed it again a few minutes later. "Where are we going?" Sirius demanded as she appeared to lead them the exact same way again.
Hermione didn't answer, nor did Harry and Ron. They just kept going. James and Sirius kept exchanging increasingly irate looks. Peter had fallen behind and was jogging to catch up, and apparently not getting very far along it at all. Remus, who was well aware that if they hadn't found it, it was one of the better kept secrets of the school, was looking interestedly around.
Finally, their three guides paused at a door across from the tapestry. "That door's not usually there!" James exclaimed, staring at it.
"No. It only appears when you need it," Hermione explained.
"Then how did you find it in the first place?" Sirius wanted to know. "Or at least figure it out? You can't be on this floor too often."
Harry shrugged. "A house-elf named Dobby told me about it," he explained.
James nodded, opening the door. He started, as it seemed he was looking in on a dormitory instead of an empty classroom as he had expected. "Huh?"
"It fits itself to the need," Hermione explained easily. "In your case, it would be a dormitory."
James nodded. "This is incredible," he muttered. "How did we never figure this one out?"
"Because we spent more time mapping every inch of the Forbidden Forest," Remus informed him sensibly, glancing around. "For obvious reasons. Hermione, how would we get here without you doing the work for us?"
While Hermione explained it to Remus, James pulled out the snitch again and started playing with it. "Which snitch is that?" Ron asked him interestedly.
"The one from twenty-some years ago," James admitted, not glancing at him so the snitch didn't start getting away from him. He obviously wasn't bored, as usual when he did that, so much as he was trying to find something more normal for him to do.
"Probably another 'sign we'll eventually get back' if you ask Remus about it," Sirius said with a grin. "Two Hogwarts snitches. Also assurance you won't loose it."
"Shut up," James suggested again.
Sirius rolled his eyes and seized it, apparently trying to get him to stop messing around with it. "One day, we'll look back on this and laugh. Today I'm only more irritable than usual."
"That's possible?" Peter muttered.
"Well, not if your some people," Sirius admitted with a yawn. "Lucky your not one of them. Tough to imagine that today's lasted twenty years, isn't it?"
Author's note: I'm glad everyone's been enjoying the story, but I must say I would love constructive criticism on any part of this story right now. Also, I must ask you not to specifically request I review you in a review. This is in some ways a pet peeve of mine, and while I'll probably get back to someone who's already done this eventually, I can't make this promise for someone who just does it now. "plz review me" really does annoy me, because a courteous author returns this favor anyway. Thanks for tolerating my rant. Cheers!
"Well, what are you four doing?" Hermione asked them.
"Dumbledore said to meet him here," Remus answered, shaking his head. "I dunno what he's got in mind for us to end up doing, though."
They nodded, all waiting for Dumbledore. Peter, still not used to the other three, was by the wall, placing the other three Marauders firmly between him and them. Sirius seemed half-tempted to begin yet another rant. Remus shook his head at them both— neither relaxed.
James had pulled the snitch out of his pocket. He'd taken it along with the bludgers, but hadn't mentioned it at first because after a few minutes it annoyed Sirius to no end. He started playing with it, and Ron and Peter both watched interestedly. Sirius noticed and rolled his eyes. Harry, remembering what had happened in Snape's pensive, wasn't sure what to think. Neither Hermione nor Remus noticed it.
"Hello," Dumbledore's voice announced. "I see you three have noticed. Not that I can say I expected otherwise from you."
All seven of them whirled around, James shoving the snitch back in his pocket. Dumbledore seemed to have come to the conclusion that he could work everything out eventually, and he was fairly amused with the entire situation. "You three haven't told them much?" he added.
"No," Hermione answered, throwing Harry and Ron looks of absolute murder.
"That's good." The headmaster turned back to the Marauders. "I'm afraid it might take me a few weeks to figure everything out and get you back where you belong. Until then, I'd suggest you just follow the Gryffindor schedule as you would if you were in your own time—"
"We're twenty years in the future and we still have homework?" Sirius muttered. Remus shushed him.
"—but I'm not so sure about other arrangements," Dumbledore continued, as if he hadn't heard. "Well, goodness knows the seven of you know this school fairly well, so if you have anything in mind. . . ?"
Sirius, James and Remus exchanged glances. "What about the Gryffindor tower?"
"I'm afraid your usual room is currently occupied," Dumbledore reminded them. "We'll have to think of something else."
"The Room of Requirement?" Hermione suggested softly. "It won't be used for anything else . . . will it? And it's fairly a simple solution."
The Marauders all exchanged looks. This was one of the few places they'd never heard of before. "Where's that?"
"Well, it's certainly not any place where you're likely to be disturbed," Dumbledore admitted. "And the easiest place to arrange for."
"And it makes sense," Harry added.
"Goodness knows," Dumbledore agreed. He turned and started down the hall, shaking his head. "I assume you three can help them find it well enough?"
"I think he knows we'd like to get a better idea about each other," Hermione commented to the boys. "But we can help you find it. C'mon."
She led them upstairs to the seventh floor, past the tapestry of Barnabas the Blarney. She seemed to lead them in a circle, because they passed it again a few minutes later. "Where are we going?" Sirius demanded as she appeared to lead them the exact same way again.
Hermione didn't answer, nor did Harry and Ron. They just kept going. James and Sirius kept exchanging increasingly irate looks. Peter had fallen behind and was jogging to catch up, and apparently not getting very far along it at all. Remus, who was well aware that if they hadn't found it, it was one of the better kept secrets of the school, was looking interestedly around.
Finally, their three guides paused at a door across from the tapestry. "That door's not usually there!" James exclaimed, staring at it.
"No. It only appears when you need it," Hermione explained.
"Then how did you find it in the first place?" Sirius wanted to know. "Or at least figure it out? You can't be on this floor too often."
Harry shrugged. "A house-elf named Dobby told me about it," he explained.
James nodded, opening the door. He started, as it seemed he was looking in on a dormitory instead of an empty classroom as he had expected. "Huh?"
"It fits itself to the need," Hermione explained easily. "In your case, it would be a dormitory."
James nodded. "This is incredible," he muttered. "How did we never figure this one out?"
"Because we spent more time mapping every inch of the Forbidden Forest," Remus informed him sensibly, glancing around. "For obvious reasons. Hermione, how would we get here without you doing the work for us?"
While Hermione explained it to Remus, James pulled out the snitch again and started playing with it. "Which snitch is that?" Ron asked him interestedly.
"The one from twenty-some years ago," James admitted, not glancing at him so the snitch didn't start getting away from him. He obviously wasn't bored, as usual when he did that, so much as he was trying to find something more normal for him to do.
"Probably another 'sign we'll eventually get back' if you ask Remus about it," Sirius said with a grin. "Two Hogwarts snitches. Also assurance you won't loose it."
"Shut up," James suggested again.
Sirius rolled his eyes and seized it, apparently trying to get him to stop messing around with it. "One day, we'll look back on this and laugh. Today I'm only more irritable than usual."
"That's possible?" Peter muttered.
"Well, not if your some people," Sirius admitted with a yawn. "Lucky your not one of them. Tough to imagine that today's lasted twenty years, isn't it?"
Author's note: I'm glad everyone's been enjoying the story, but I must say I would love constructive criticism on any part of this story right now. Also, I must ask you not to specifically request I review you in a review. This is in some ways a pet peeve of mine, and while I'll probably get back to someone who's already done this eventually, I can't make this promise for someone who just does it now. "plz review me" really does annoy me, because a courteous author returns this favor anyway. Thanks for tolerating my rant. Cheers!