You like me! 5 of you really like me! It's pretty good I guess…although I've noticed each successive sequel gets less reviews. I'm not too worried about it though. I just like getting my flashes of creativity put somewhere where other people can read them.
The Next Generation: Marauders^3Chapter 3: A Few Things are Explained
Richard blinked as the flashes died away. There were six new apparitions floating over his bed. Two of them he could identify immediately: his uncle Ron and aunt Hermione. The other four were a mystery. They seemed to be older than his father, although one looked like him. The realization came slowly.
"You must be my grandfather James!" he exclaimed. James smiled.
"Call me Prongs. Everyone else here does." All the apparitions nodded, though Richard was confused.
"'Prongs'?"
Harry smiled. "Watch, son." The apparitions floated backwards, keeping clear of each other. Then, almost before Richard could blink, six animals and one of the men he didn't know surrounded him. He had to rub his eyes a few times before he was sure he wasn't hallucinating.
"I don't get it…what is this?"
"They're Animagi!" a new voice spoke up, making everyone jump. Eddie Weasley had woken up in the bed next to Richard, who turned to him in mild shock.
"You can see them too?" At this, the manticore and owl returned to their human forms.
"That's right, Richard" Hermione explained. "This charm only works for us and our descendants. You and Eddie are the only ones in the school who can see us…except for Professor Dumbledore, of course. We couldn't do this without his permission." Richard nodded slowly, feeling like he was trying to swallow an apple whole.
"So, if I may ask, who are these other people?" said Eddie.
All the animals returned to their human forms, and Harry and Ron made the introductions, including the explanation of Remus being a werewolf. There was a small silence until Harry clapped his hands.
"Well then! Let's go, boys!" Richard and Eddie looked at each other. "Where?"
"To play pranks, of course" Sirius chimed in. "That's the whole reason we're here. You two are going to learn EVERY hidden passage, room, and stash of tricks in this castle! That's the Marauders legacy to you."
"The...Marauders? Who are they?" The elder Marauder apparitions looked at the younger ones with none too encouraging looks on their faces. Harry, perhaps sensing their anger, spoke up quickly.
"Son, the Marauders are a group of pranksters. The group was created by your grandfather, Remus, Sirius, and someone who shall remain nameless." The other six apparitions all nodded with various looks of hate on their faces. Richard decided not to press it.
"When they graduated from Hogwarts, they left a little gift behind for their descendants. The three of us had so much fun with it…well, when we graduated, we decided that we should, shall I say, improve on the gift." Before Harry could continue speaking, Eddie spoke up.
"You made yourselves part of it! Right, Uncle Harry?" Ron rolled his eyes, looking at Hermione.
"Looks like our son's taking after his mother…" That was as far as he got before Hermione jumped at him.
"You will NOT call our son a know-it-all!" While the two of them wrestled, Harry and the others floated down around Richard and Eddie.
"Well boys, let's go. Up and at 'em! Wands too!"
Under normal circumstances, children raised in the magical world wouldn't have just listened to an apparition telling them what to do. However, both Richard and Eddie could tell that these weren't normal circumstances. They got up and grabbed their wands.
"We'll meet you downstairs, ok boys?" The elder Marauders floated down through the floor. Harry waited long enough to break Hermione and Ron up, then the three of them floated down. Richard and Eddie looked at each other.
"Should we?"
"Why not? We'd just be listening to our parents. First, though…" Eddie raised his wand and said, "Silentium!" Richard nodded and pointed his wand at the beds, saying "Effingo!"
Properly covered by the Obscurity Spell, and with sleeping duplicates of themselves in their beds, the boys walked down to the common room.
