Chapter 8: The Plan

"So tell me, honestly, what's it like having parents again?" asked Ron. Harry, Ron and Hermione were laying in the backyard of Harry's new house. Harry smiled and looked up into the sky. His father and sister were racing around on their brooms with Ginny. How could he describe how he was feeling to Ron? Relief, happiness, love?

"It's knowing you can fall on your face and make an arse of yourself and still have someone who will love you," replied Harry. Ron and Hermione laughed and then each sighed.

"It's like you have a perfect family," said Hermione.

"I suppose, only of course if the Dursley's quit bugging my parents about how they have to live in this amazingly large mansion and have anything they want," replied Harry. Ron and Hermione laughed again.

"Do you think it's going to be hard knowing this is our last year at Hogwarts?" asked Hermione as she changed the subject.

"Last year of Quidditch," added Ron with a sigh.

"It's going to be a blast. My sister will be there, and my parents, plus you two. And new first years, that we can pull pranks on!" said Harry.

"Harry, you will do no such thing! You would lose your Head boy status," said Hermione surprised.

"Aghh! Hermione, Harry was just kidding. You sound more like my mum every day," said Ron. The three of them laughed and watched as James landed his broomstick and walked over to them.

"I hope you three aren't planning on ways to torture first years," said James.

"How did you know, James?" asked Ron surprised. Ron put a hand to his mouth and looked with a silly grin over at Harry. "We would never do anything of that sort!"

"Good, because as the last remaining of the Marauders, that responsibility lies upon me," said James.

"Oh, you wouldn't dare!" said Hermione. "You're going to be a teacher!"

"Nothing like scaring a bunch of students who have never met me before," said James in reply. "But, I enjoyed planning the tricks out with Remus more than actually carrying it out."

"That doesn't sound like you, James," said Harry.

"And why doesn't it sound like me?" asked James.

"Well, from what other people have told me, you carried out the tricks and Remus thought them out. Peter distracted who ever needed distractions and Sirius took the blame," replied Harry.

James starred at a spot in the grass for a moment. His eyes were full of sadness and Harry found himself also becoming sad. He felt so bad for his dad, who had lost two of his three best friends. Peter, Harry thought, still could be around. But Sirius was gone forever..

"It's weird how stories change," said James slowly. "Maybe you three would rather carry out the traditional Marauders' joke?"

"Yea," said Harry excitedly. "Then if we get in trouble we can say a teacher made us. The four friends laughed and James thought again how like there three were to his best friends.

"I will not be part of it," said Hermione. "What if we were caught, or even worse, expelled!"

"What are you planning, James?" asked Ron as he rolled his eyes at Hermione.

"Well, there was this trick that my friends and I had pulled on all of Hogwarts in my fourth year. But that trick involves at least three people," said James.

Ron glanced at Harry who glanced at Hermione who smiled. "What do we need to do?" asked Hermione as she sighed.

"It's a rather simple spell. You head straight down to the kitchens when we get there. On every pumpkin juice you simply say a small spell that makes everyone who drinks that pumpkin juice to yell anything they say for the rest of the night," said James with a silly grin.

"That would be horrible," said Hermione.

"Would it be though? It might result, I suppose in a very loud night," replied James.

"Dumbledore would hate us," said Ron.

"He would never guess it was us," said Harry. "And we can make sure we don't drink it. Or," said Harry as he stood up quickly and looked over at Ron and Hermione. "We could just do this spell on the Slytherin table, making them extremely loud."

"Now that's my son," said James as he walked inside.

"Hermione, you're going to need find a small spell that makes your vocal cords really, really loud," said Ron, grinning broadly.