The Cold Room

Part 2 – 17

The Saturday afternoon saw the Marauder's underneath their most favorite meeting spot, the huge oak tree beside the Hogwarts lake; Mr. Moony had his History of Magic book laying open on his lap but he was paying no attention too it. Mr. Prongs was playing about with a Snitch (the being the other position he would want if he wasn't Chaser all ready). Mr. Padfoot was just laying still (which was a wondrous feat worth recording going down in history) and Mr. Wormtail was finding all of the very gross flavors in his Every Flavor beans.

"I can't believe he almost caught us," Mr. Padfoot lamented from his position in the heavy grass.

"It was a close call, one that I would not want to repeat any time soon," Mr. Moony agreed; he didn't bother going back to his book.

"They're all getting too close, the Slytherins and the Professor's," Mr. Prongs pointed out.

"Maybe we should stop,' Mr. Wormtail suggested.

"Mr. Wormtail, do you ever stop to think, and then forget to start again?' Mr. Padfoot glared at the youngest member of the group.

"Be nice, Mr. Padfoot," Mr. Moony gave a glare.

"Fine, however, I don't think we should give up pranking, they're just making it harder for us," Mr. Padfoot replied with a sigh.

"We've always loved a challenge; this just gives us more of an incentive to pull the best prank ever!" Mr. Prongs said as he caught the snitch.

"This deffinantly wasn't one of my three wishes,"

"Moron's the lot of them, they should know that they can't keep a good Marauder down," Mr. Padfoot agreed with Mr. Moony.

"This means war! We have to do what we do best and not give them any clues to our real identities," Mr. Prongs looked grave.

"Indeed, they must learn that we will always win," Mr. Moony smiled.

"Does anyone have an idea?" Mr. Wormtail asked.

"Well, the clown scene is way over done, how many times have we done that?" Mr. Padfoot asked.

"At least four, counting the last time," Mr. Moony replied.

"Hem, maybe we should only play the prank on the Professor's, that'll give them a reason to try harder to find us out," Mr. Prongs said.

"Maybe…no, I'm out of ideas," Mr. Padfoot sighed.

"We can slime them," Mr. Wormtail suggested.

"That one is WAY over done as well," Mr. Moony rolled his eyes.

"Maybe our pranking career is over!" Mr. Prongs looked white with death at this thought.

"No we are not; it takes time to think of brilliant plans," Mr. Moony said.

"Indeed, we don't have to play a prank everyday, besides, maybe a bit of reconnaissance will help us out," Mr. Padfoot said.

"Indeed," Mr. Moony agreed.

"All right, we do a bit of spying on the teachers and Slytherins and yet give the impression that we Marauder's shall not give up," Mr. Prongs agreed.

"What do you mean?"

"We send the whole school a howler, we tell them that we aren't giving up on pranking and that they should watch out – we let them think that we're planning something horrid! We put a potion in the drinks to prove our point, everyone gets a babbling potion but it's worse then before, and then we let things die down till our most brilliant plan is perfected," Mr. Prongs explained.

"Mr. Prongs, did you loose all of you're brain cells? Or is this going to happen again?" Mr. Padfoot asked.

"Shut up," Mr. Prongs glared at his best friend.

"Sarcasm, justone moreservice I offer," Mr. Padfoot grinned.

"So we play an obvious prank, wouldn't the House Elves be on to us?" Mr. Wormtail asked.

"Mr. Padfoot can charm them, he is the lady's man after all," Mr. Moony replied.

"Oh, that is sick and twisted!" Mr. Padfoot howled in mock-pain, "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you don't have any more brains than Mr. Prongs?" Mr. Moony asked in apparent confusion.

"Hey! Why do you make fun of my loss of brain cells?"

"Because you forget," Mr. Moony replied. The group broke up into a laughing fit.

"Professor?" Harry approached Professor Lupin after class that day; he had questions to ask, and he couldn't bear to ask Professor McGonagall. In his opinion, Professor Lupin was much…softer when it came to personal talk.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I was wondering – I mean…"

"Did you run into Sirius yet?"

"You know?"

"Of course I do, he sent me a letter – said he met you on the third floor corridor,"

"I didn't mean to put myself in danger, just…"

"Do not worry about it, I am glad that Sirius was there, he probably saved you from being kidnapped," Lupin smiled.

"I was reading up on wizarding law's; is it true that Black can do what he wants with me?"

"Partially, it really depends on what the situation is," Lupin replied.

"What about my family inheritance? Can he do things with it?"

"No, you see – you're inheritance is locked up till you turn seventeen; besides, Sirius is not a selfish man. He wouldn't bother to take that money, he would leave it because he really doesn't need it," Lupin replied.

"But, Professor, even if he is still a wanted criminal (not that I am saying he did anything) why does the law say that he can dictate my life?"

"Because, he is you're guardian, by wizarding standards, in fact, he even put a bit of money into you're vault before he went after Pettigrew, he said that he wanted you to be taken care of if anything happened to you; you were at you're Aunt's house and he was planning on picking you up after he finished whatever it was he knew he had to do at that time. I didn't know that he and James switched Secret Keepers then – and in the end, he didn't have time to dictate where you would go, so you stayed at the Dursley's – he didn't know you were staying with the Muggles he thought that you were with me,"

"Why couldn't you come for me, then?"

"I'm a Werewolf; technically I can't have children, or take care of children or anything," Lupin shrugged.

"But if Black said that he wanted you too, you could be a temporary guardian right?"

"Yes, he hasn't mind you, but I've been able to talk Albus into you staying, possibly, during the summer, no matter what happens during the holidays," Lupin smiled.

"Will Black be coming too? I'd like to talk to him again," Harry said.

"Maybe," was all Lupin would give him before sending the young wizard off to dinner.

"Is everything ready?" Mr. Padfoot asked Mr. Prongs who had just come from the kitchens. He was out of breath and scowling.

"Almost got caught, by Filch and that bloody cat of his!"

"Aw, Cat, the other white meat!"

"Shut up!"

"All right you two, is everything ready? I want to put the charms up as soon as possible," Mr. Moony interjected before the two could go into a full blown argument.

"Yeah, it's ready," Mr. Prongs replied.

"All right, may I have the Invisibility cloak then?"

Mr. Prongs gave Mr. Moony the cloak and map; "Be careful,"

"Don't worry, I only do what the voices in my head tell me to do," Mr. Moony grinned wolfishly.

"Bloody prat," Mr. Padfoot muttered and Mr. Moony disappeared underneath the cloak.

Padfoot groaned as he sniffed about the forest; he was sure that the rat was someplace around here, he could smell the scent and everything but he couldn't; find the bloody rat! It was hard, annoying as heck, and he hated this! He wanted to be a man again, but he couldn't risk to be found out.

His thoughts went back to Harry; he was surprised at how much like James the kid really looked like (beside the green eyes); for a moment, Sirius had thought that it was James who stood before him, but Harry was not James and acted nothing like Prongs at all. It was quite disconcerting, but Sirius had been happy to see the boy.

At least he had all of his plans cemented with Remus if he didn't catch Wormtail anytime soon; Harry would live with Moony till he would be able to live the free life. Now, all he had to do was find that bloody rat!

If only he had less brains now than he had in school! Padfoot thought to himself as he went about sniffing for his prey.

Minister Fudge did not look happy, no, not happy at all! He had it all planned out as well; once Sirius Black was caught, he would be given the Dementor's kiss, then, he would be able to get custody of the Bloody-Boy-Who-Lived and brainwash the child to believe in whatever the Ministry did.

However, the sickly look man who had the gall to call himself Professor was standing in his way. With a smile on his face and parchment in his hands. He looked pleased, as did Dumbledore!

"You do understand that you can't take care of this child? It's against the Werewolf law of 1785," Fudge said.

"I do, but the guardian law of 1997 loopholes that – if the official Guardian can not take care of the child, than another must be found, the official guardian can appoint anyone they want, in this case, Minster, it's me," Professor Lupin replied evenly and handed over the parchment.

"I've had that ever since he was arrested," Lupin explained.

"W-what does this have to do with anything?" Fudge almost yelled.

"What do you think? The jokes on you Minister," Lupin replied with a wave of his hand.

"Minister, I believe that it is in Harry's best interest to experience the wizarding world as it is, living with Professor Lupin will give him more experience," Dumbledore interjected.

Fudge looked as if he was about to have a temper tantrum; but he reigned in his temper and tried to reply as evenly as he could, thought his voice did shake with anger as he did so.

"Of course, can't have our savior corrupted by muggle," he glared.

"I'm glad you see our way of thinking, now, I believe that the good Professor has some marking that has to be done," Dumbledore raised and eyebrow at Lupin.

"I know a dismissal when I hear one, I'll see you late Albus," Lupin said and left the office to Fudge and Dumbledore. He was glad that he didn't have to bother with the ugly Minister more than he had too!

No one noticed the HUGE red envelope being delivered to the great hall that Sunday morning – well, that was a bit of an understatement, EVERYONE noticed! Still, more noticed it one it blew up and filled the hall with a voice that everyone had heard at one point in time, but could not place where.

"GOOD MORNING STUDENT'S AND FACUTLY! MR. MOONY WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE PROFESSOR-HEADS AND ONE SNIVELLUS SNAPE ON THE FACT THAT THEY WERE VERY CLOSE TO FINDING OUT WHO THE MARAUDER'S ACTUALLY ARE.

MR. PADFOOT WOULD LIKE TO INTERJECT HERE THAT NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY TRIED, THEY STILL FAILED! THE MARAUDER'S ARE SAFE AND SOUND!

MR. PRONGS WOULD LIKE TO INFORM THE SCHOOL FACULTY THAT NOTHING CAN STOP THE MARAUDER'S! SO DON'T EVEN TRY!

MR. WORMTAIL AGREE'S WITH MESSRS. MOONY, PADFOOT AND PRONGS!

MR. MOONY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ALERT THE GREAT HALL THAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO BE PRANKED!"

"COURTESY OF THE MARAUDER'S!" Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs said that last part in unison and then the red envelope blew up in a fiery ball.

The Great Hall was silent; just then, a Ravenclaw girl stood up, she was going to say "What do they mean by that?" but what really came out of her mouth was; "Mr. Prongs is sexy!"

That was the day that the Marauder's went down in history as the best prankster's to ever enter the halls of Hogwarts.

A/N – I thought that you all would want me to finish that prank; I like to put in flash backs, a lot as you can see, and I thought that this one was one of the best. I hope you enjoy it!

Ta,

Poppy