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Rating: PG-13 for now, although that may change later. Will be slash later in the story. HP/?, JP/LP
Spoilers: Books 1-5. Do not read unless you have FINISHED The Order of the Phoenix.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. All Harry Potter™ characters and settings are the sole intellectual property of JK Rowling, Warner Bros. and various others who all aren't connected to me in any way. No money is being made with this fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 7: Pranks and Truths
"Peter? You've got all afternoon free, right?" James asked as he moved towards the end of his bed.
"Y-Yes" was the stuttered reply.
"Great then" James declared in a satisfied tone. "Make sure you're outside the Flitwick's classroom at four then. The rest of us have Charms so it makes more sense if you met us there."
"So are we hiding the dungbombs in Binn's classroom or in the Entrance Hall just before dinner?" Peter asked, looking towards James.
"I think in the History of Magic classroom," James said after a moments thought. "The smell should stop anyone falling asleep from boredom!"
"Merlin! I'm glad that I had History of Magic yesterday afternoon!" exclaimed Peter with a small giggle.
"Whatever" Sirius muttered. "You'll have to plant the dungbombs though, so you better make sure you don't accidentally set them off Peter."
"What! Why?" Peter asked with great alarm. He wrung his hands together and bit his lip before asking, "Surely you'd be better at that. I mean, you're less likely to be seen, unlike me. I'm sure I'd be caught and get detention."
Sirius waved at Peter in a dismissive manner. "It has to be you," he said. "The rest of us don't do History and it'll be really suspicious if we're caught in there. You on the other hand, can make up some sort of excuse if you're caught. I don't know, pretend that you want Binn's to explain one of the Goblin wars or something like that."
"Make it sound really boring and I bet whoever is asking will leave you well alone and if Binns catches you … well, just remember it's for the Marauders!" added James from where he was arms deep in his trunk.
Peter flushed with embarrassment and ducked his head. "Sure" he muttered, but he was not heard since at that moment, Sirius noticed that Harry had woken up.
"Harry!" he shouted in greeting, a large grin forming on his handsome face.
Harry rubbed his eyes, put his glasses on and blinked before smiling at Sirius. "Hello," he replied. "What are you lot upto?" he asked casually as he sat down next to Sirius. "Where's Remus?"
"Us? Upto something?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrow in question. He quirked his lips into a smirk. "How well you know us, and it's only been two weeks! James, I think we may be becoming predictable!""
"Us, predictable? Never" James replied as he triumphantly held up a glass vial filled with a yellow potion.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"This? Just a little surprise for the Ravenclaws," James said as he walked back to the other three boys. "If you ingest it, you won't be able to answer a direct question for the next 8 hours or so."
"Can you imagine the looks on the Professors' faces when they start talking utter nonsense" Peter asked Harry, straightening his back
"I'm sure they'll be properly confused" Harry replied, not wanting to be drawn into a conversation with Pettigrew. "What's all this in favour of?" he asked.
James peered over the top of his glasses and raised an eyebrow at the bemused teenager. "You don't know what today is?" he questioned.
"Why would I be asking otherwise?"
James' hazel eyes brightened with mischief and with a evil grin he said, "Harry, today is September, Friday the 13th!"
"Bad luck" Harry stated with realisation.
Peter bounced in his seat and replied to Harry's unasked question. "Yes. We'll be the ones who'll be handing out the bad luck this year."
"You managed to turn it into a lifetime's work" Harry muttered under his breath.
"Pardon?" Sirius asked, frowning at Harry. "I didn't quite catch that."
Harry blushed. "I was just wondering what you've done to poor Remus. Usually he's up well before you are Sirius."
Sirius' blue eyes narrowed slightly before he replied. "Remus? He's still a bit tired from a few days ago so we're letting him sleep in. It'll do him some good."
"I'll wake him up in a moment then" Harry said. "After all, I'm sure he won't want to miss out on whatever you're planning for today."
**********
Harry and the Marauders were sitting at the Gryffindor table, eating their breakfast. Harry sensed that someone was watching them and searched the Great Hall for that person. His eyes fell onto the Slytherin table and he scanned it before finally stopping on Severus Snape.
Snape was glaring at the Marauders, yet Harry thought he could see a small amount of worry in those black eyes. Harry shifted uncomfortably before returning his attention to the conversation around him.
"James? You've added the potion to the Ravenclaws' food?" Remus asked.
"Lunchtime. All sorted out"
"Gryffindors?"
"Hair colouring potion. Red and gold"
"And the Hufflepuffs?"
"Ah, now we changed the plan there"
"Huh?"
"Awfully articulate this morning aren't you?"
Remus growled. "Give me some more damn tea!" he snapped back. "Changed the plan? Who made it and have you checked it to make sure you haven't slipped up somewhere?"
"That's your job" Peter stated.
Remus snorted derisively. "Yes"
"So why are you asking?"
"I was asleep"
"Oh"
"It's perfect. No-one will know it was us!" Sirius exclaimed.
"In what way is it perfect. You know McGonagall is going to suspect us straight away" Remus argued. "Not that it's likely to be anyone else is going to be daft enough to prank people on Friday the thirteenth."
"Well, lets put it this way … it's not our usual style" James said cryptically.
"What the bloody hell are you on about" Remus snapped.
Harry grimaced and quickly filled a cup with tea and handed it to the irate werewolf, who took it with a grateful smile. "Umm, actually Remus. I think it's kind of my fault for this one"
"How so?"
"It's fantastic. Whoever created this stuff sure beats Zonkos" Sirius exclaimed with a grin.
James laughed in agreement. "You should have seen the look on Peter's face."
Harry thought back to the expression on Peter's face when he had realised that he had been pranked. Harry did not feel the slightest bit guilty about what he had done. After all, it was just a harmless prank.
Remus shook his head at the two black-haired teens and sent a sympathetic look towards Peter. Remus turned to face Harry. "What is this great and wonderful thing?" he asked.
"Canary Creams"
"Excuse me?" Remus asked.
"Canary Creams" Harry repeated, his green eyes bright with mischief. "A couple of friends of mine invented them and I won't spoil it for you, but I think you'll be impressed with the result."
"Anyway, Harry showed it to us just before you came out of the shower so we haven't had time to plant them. We'll stick them in their lunch or dinner" James added.
"The Slytherins?" Harry asked nervously.
"Ah, now. That is the coup de resistance"
"Peter? What was that?" Sirius asked, quirking a dark defined eyebrow.
"I just thought it sounded good" he stuttered, whilst looking between Remus and Sirius with worried pale eyes.
"Right" Sirius drawled.
James, whose eyes had wondered towards the direction of Lily Evans, returned his attentions back to his friends. "Guys, be nice" he chastised. "What are you talking about?"
"Slytherins"
He stabbed at the scrambled eggs on his plate. "What about them?" James asked with a small amount of disgust.
"The unfortunate bad luck is about to befall upon them"
"Ah, that"
Harry was ready to scream with frustration at the roundabout conversation that the Marauders were participating in. Suddenly, the series of pops filled the Great Hall. Harry jerked his head up and searched the room for the source of the noise. Harry's heart sank yet at the same time he was filled with a burning curiosity … the noise had come from the Slytherin table.
Several of the students had fallen victim to the Marauders' prank. One of the Fifth years looked particularly badly hit. The Slytherin table had fallen silent with the exception of the ones who had been pranked by the Marauders. The small commotion had been noticed by the Hufflepuffs, followed by the Gryffindors then the Ravenclaws. At the Professors' table, the Heads of both Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses had also noticed the Slytherin's plight.
McGonagall glanced at the unfortunate Slytherins before making her way towards the Marauders. The silence of the room had been broken and the Great Hall was filled with laughter and the amused conversations of students from the other Houses. The Slytherins on the other hand, were quietly muttering amongst themselves, trying to remove the effects of the prank, while others still were glaring at the Marauders.
In all honesty, Harry felt that the prank on the Slytherins was rather tame and good-natured. It looked to be similar to what was planned for the Ravenclaws, but instead of babbling when attempting to talk, the afflicted students let out pink coloured bubbles. The side affect was that every time the afflicted student let out a pink bubble, they would also rise a few centimetres into the air.
Unfortunately for the Marauders, most of the Slytherins had stopped talking as soon as they got over the shock of producing bright pink bubbles and so they were only levitating a few inches above their seats. The unfortunate Fifth year however, had not realised this fact, and was currently floating about half a meter above the Slytherin table. Of course, as soon as she had realised this small fact, she had started to scream silently, releasing sausage shaped pink bubbles.
Harry and the rest of the students in the Great Hall could not help but laugh at the unfortunate girl. Steelfield had not noticed the Fifth year's plight since she was busy with another group of afflicted students. Someone else, however, did notice the plight of the distressed girl.
"Hold on Rose!" the blonde-haired teenager shouted, attracting the attention of the amused students.
Harry's groan was drowned out by the loud snorts from the four boys sitting next to him.
"That idiot!" Sirius snorted. "What does he think he can do?"
James smirked at his best friend before glancing at the Slytherin. "Want to bet that he screws it up?" he asked. James turned to look at Harry with a suspiciously innocent expression. "Care to take the bet?"
Remus placed his hand on Harry's arm, causing him to jump in his seat. "I wouldn't take that bet," he said, sending a disapproving look towards James. "That there" he stated, gesturing towards the Slytherin who was still talking to the floating girl. "Is Gilderoy Lockhart. Let's just say that he's more bark than bite."
Harry had not needed this piece of advice since he had instantly recognised the teenager. The wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes were accompanied by the familiar and annoying toothy smile. It was one that he had come to hate the sight of during his second year at Hogwarts. 'Mind you, I'm not in the slightest bit surprised that Lockhart was a Slytherin' he thought to himself while shaking his head at James. 'I mean, he has to have had some amount of cunning to get away with all that stuff and dupe everyone into believing that he was a qualified Dark Arts Professor'
Harry's attention was drawn to the fifteen year old Lockhart, who had his wand out and was pointing it at the floating, pink bubble emitting Rose. He wondered if the Slytherins … if Rose, realised how magically inept Lockhart truly was.
"I'm sure a weight charm will work wonders until the potion in your drink wears off" he shouted.
"At least the daft git realised it was a potion!" Remus muttered dryly, sharing a wry grin with James and Sirius.
"How long will the potions' effects last?" Harry asked.
Sirius glanced at him before returning to look at Rose. "About 15-20 minutes I should guess."
"You know what's strange though?" Peter mentioned.
Sirius rolled his eyes and asked, "What?"
"McGonagall should have given us detention by now," he said.
Harry looked around the large room for their Head of House. He finally spotted her making her way towards Lockhart and the still floating Rose.
"Looks like she's a bit busy trying to save what's-her-name from Lockhart," James commented.
"Scorpius" stated Sirius. "She's part of the Scorpius family"
Suddenly the amused atmosphere in the Great Hall was breached with the screams from Rose Scorpius. All heads turned towards the source of the commotion, where the floating Slytherin girl was rising even higher. Lockhart, who looked to be trying to reassure those near to him, had managed to restore her voice, but in the process of doing so, had also cast a levitation charm on the unfortunate girl.
Sirius smirked at Harry and his friends. "Oh dear"
Remus looked amused and muttered, "Looks like Lockhart has struck again! I wonder, is there anything he's good at?"
'Unfortunately yes' Harry mentally answered as he watched McGonagall rescue the floating fifth year Slytherin.
"Trying to make himself look all pretty?" James ventured.
"Brushing his teeth until they're so bright, he can blind you?" Sirius asked.
"Charming the ladies?" Peter hazarded.
"You know, I think I saw him trying to impress Evans the other day" Remus recalled. Faint frown lines formed on his forehead as he tried to remember, while James tapped out a tattoo on the table as he waited impatiently for the particulars. "I was in the library…"
Sirius interrupted with his bark-like laugh. "As usual"
"Some of us happen to need to do the background research. We can't all be naturally gifted like you two sods!" Remus replied with a small smile.
"No I suppose you can't," Sirius replied in a smug tone.
"Sirius!" Harry scolded. Sirius looked faintly abashed, but there was a twinkle in his sapphire eyes.
"Anyway, before I was rudely interrupted by the smug git there" Remus said. "Lily was in the Charms section and Lockhart was there too."
"Probably looking for a charm to do something completely ridiculous to his hair" James interrupted in a scathing tone, moving his eyes to glare at the oblivious Slytherin. "I swear, he takes better care of his hair than his wand!"
A large smirk formed on Sirius' face and he asked, "Jealous James?"
"Of bloody what? That ponce?"
"And that he can manage his hair better than you" Sirius clarified.
"No!" James exclaimed. He smacked Sirius on the arm before asking Remus to finish.
Remus went on to explain that Lockhart had been trying to persuade Lily to go out on a date with him. Peter and James listened attentively, while Harry felt slightly ill at the thought of having Lockhart for a father. 'Thank God my mother had some sense' he thought, but he could not repress the shiver than ran down his spine. As Remus spoke, Sirius leant into his side and turned his head so that he could whisper directly into Harry's ear.
"Looks like James is in alpha mode" he said in a soft voice. "Lockhart had better watch out. James in jealous mode is incredibly fun to see. Pity he can't get Evans to go out with him though. Looks like he'll have to keep on pining after her."
Harry felt the blood rush into his cheeks as he listened to Sirius' soft, rich, velvet-like tone. He pushed aside the feeling of sadness as he realised that Azkaban had left its mark in the way that Sirius had spoken. Harry had never before heard Sirius talk to anyone in such a way before and he dearly wished to hear it more often.
**********
Harry, Sirius, and Lily were attending their second Healing lesson of the new school year. The class was quite small. In fact, they were the only three Gryffindors in the class that interestingly also included no Slytherin students. Harry privately mused that the high requirements for the class had meant that very few Sixth years were actually eligible for the course, but that had not explained the lack of Slytherins.
Harry leant to his left slightly. "Lily?" he whispered to the red headed witch. "Why do you think it is that there are no Slytherins in the class?"
Lily frowned as she checked the House badges of the students in the Hospital Wing. "I didn't realise" she replied. "I don't know Harry. Sorry"
Sirius, who had been sitting on Harry's other side, and had been eavesdropping on the conversation, piped up with the answer. "It's because the course is supposed to teach muggle methods of Healing as well as magical and those Snakes think it's beneath them to learn such ways!"
"Five points from Gryffindor" Pomfrey called out. "Now if you could pay attention to what I'm saying Mr Black. Now, when considering sleeping potions, you have to take into account the situation of your patient. The biggest problem with sleeping potions, such as the Dreamless Sleep Potion, is that if taken over prolonged periods, it can lead to blood and tissue poisoning, so you have to be careful when handing it out," she lectured. "Now, you've all made the potion, so can someone tell me what ingredients in the Dreamless Sleep potion are dangerous in large amounts or over prolonged exposure? Miss Golding?"
Harry put down his quill and sent an apologetic look towards Sirius. Out of the corner of his mouth, he hissed, "Sorry Sirius. I didn't mean to get you into detention or anything."
"Don't worry about it" replied Sirius, gracing Harry with a gentle smile.
**********
Lunch had been interesting to say the least. Harry was now sporting red and gold highlights in his normally unruly black hair along with various other members of Gryffindor House. Harry was caught between amusement and being appalled at the antics of the Marauders. It seemed that the latest prank had reminded Professor McGonagall about the incident at breakfast. James and Sirius now had two detentions to their name. Harry noted with a small amount of disgust that Pettigrew had somehow managed to evade any sort of punishment
Harry had sat between Lily and Remus during the Charms lesson that afternoon, leaving Sirius and James to sit in the seats behind. It was obvious that the two dark-haired teenagers had other things on their minds. Harry also had the opportunity to witness the effect of the babbling potion on the Ravenclaw students in the class. It had only been about 20 minutes into the lesson before Flitwick had asked a Ravenclaw a question about the language charms they were currently studying.
The unfortunate girl had tried to answer but all that came out was a meaningless assortment of words. The other students in the class sniggered at the Ravenclaw. Several questions were posed to the afflicted student that caused the other doped students to babble in return. The next few minutes were filled with confusion and amusement. Eventually Flitwick sent all the affected students to the Hospital Wing, much to the amusement of James, Sirius and several of the Slytherin students who were also in the class.
Harry had wondered how long the potion would last, but Remus told him that there was an antidote to counter the effects. Harry suppressed a grin at the thought of the majority of Ravenclaw House bearing down on Pomfrey for the antidote. Instead, he returned his attention to the lesson at hand, in which he was attempting to learn the spells required to speak and understand German.
Eventually Harry's last lesson of the week ended and the weekend lay in front of him. His only obligation, apart from the small mountain of homework, was the Gryffindor Quidditch practice that was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. As Harry walked out of the classroom with Lily and Remus, he glanced over his shoulder. Slightly behind the sallow faced Snape, Harry saw James and Sirius walking slowly, heads bent over a small box of some sort, uncontrolled black hair blending with silky ebony locks.
"Hey Remus!" greeted the only member of the Marauders who did not have Charms. Pettigrew had been standing by the door of the Charms classroom. "Has James already left?" he asked in a worried tone.
Remus smiled at the shorter boy. "No I don't think so. He and Sirius should be just behind us"
"Okay then" Pettigrew answered, the relief showing in his face. "I guess we'll meet up with you in a minute then"
Remus raised an eyebrow in enquiry before shaking his head. He smiled at Peter before gesturing towards Lily and Harry to start walking again.
"I was wondering" Harry started to say. "Do all foreign wizards know how to speak English?" he asked, his mind going back to the Triwizard competition in his Fourth year. "Or do they make use of language spells?"
"I don't know" Lily replied thoughtfully. "Personally, I know a small amount of French and a enough German and Italian to get by with, but that's from family holidays and primary school. I suppose I could get by, but I would rely on the charms a fair bit I would imagine"
"You'll find that most high ranking or important wizards, especially those who deal with us are more than likely to know English" Remus offered. "The British are one of the most prominent magical communities. I think only a few others, such as the Egyptians, have a older magical history"
"Does that mean British wizards are more likely to expect foreign wizards to speak English then?" asked Harry, the whole concept having piqued his curiosity.
Remus snorted. "More than likely I would say"
"But what about spells? How does that work with other languages?" Harry asked.
"It doesn't matter. All spells are based on Latin. Root words and derivatives. Most western languages are also based on Latin so it doesn't matter" Lily answered.
"Not all the spells are based on Latin. The Point Me spell is well, in English" Harry argued.
"You've got a point there" Remus replied.
"I think I need to look it up in the Library" Lily said. "This is just based on conjecture but the Point Me spell is a somewhat new spell. I guess that this kind of spell could be adapted to different languages, so you could say the spell in a different language and it would do the same thing as if you had said it in English"
An unexpected voice spoke up from behind the three Gryffindors. The sneering tone immediately identified the person as being Snape. "It was such a pity that only the Ravenclaws were babbling mindlessly, courtesy of Potter and Black I'm sure" he spat out. "It's a pity that it wasn't given to all the Mudbloods," he said, eyeing Harry and Lily with great dislike. "Considering that Mudbloods haven't got anything to say that is worth listening to, or even worth saying in fact. It wouldn't be as if anyone would notice anything was missing"
Harry who, along with Remus and Lily, had turned around as Snape started to talk, felt the blood drain from his face. He could not understand the hate that Snape obviously had against Muggleborn students. Not now with Snape, nor back in his own time with Malfoy. He knew that Voldemort had a great deal to do with it, but the whole point of the prejudices and debates eluded him.
Harry was not sure what he would do, nevertheless he went to take a step forward. However, he was stopped by Remus' hand on his right arm. From the corner of his mouth, the amber-eyed teenager hissed "Don't. You'll only get into trouble. Lily's more than capable of looking after herself. It's something to do with that red hair!"
However, before Lily could retort to Snape's derogatory remarks or Harry could reply to the advice, James closely followed by Sirius and Pettigrew, spoke up. "Haven't you learnt your lesson from the last time Snivellus?"
"Perhaps he needs a small reminder" Sirius suggested, his blue eyes narrowing into tiny slits as he surveyed the scene. Beside him, much to Harry's disgust, Pettigrew looked between James and Snape with a gleam in his normally watery eyes. A small smirk played at the corner of his mouth, as though he was about to witness something amusing.
An unpleasant feeling started to form in Harry's stomach. From the air of anticipation that surrounded Pettigrew to the obvious tension that flowed between his father and Snape. The scene was far too familiar and it sickened Harry that these people, with the obvious exception of Snape and Wormtail, who he had admired for so long, would be party to what was about to happen.
Remus was looking between Snape and his friends and Harry could see that the younger version of his friend was torn. He obviously did not agree with what James and Sirius were proposing, but he worried that by disagreeing, he would lose their friendship. Harry knew from his conversations with the older Remus that the werewolf had been in awe that James and Sirius had accepted him with no hesitation upon discovering his condition.
Harry turned his attention to Lily, whose green eyes were flashing with disappointment and a small amount of anger. "Potter, Black, Snape. Stop this insanity or I'll get a Professor. There's no point in arguing about this since I don't have the energy to give a damn about what he said and frankly, I don't care!" she snapped, her prefect's badge gleaming.
The others continued to glare at each other, obviously not heeding Lily's words. The uneasy feeling in Harry's stomach grew as James started to speak. "Apologise Snivellus" he threatened. "Or I'll hex you!"
"Bring it on" Snape challenged, watching with wary eyes as Black growled. "You won't find it quite so easy this time" he sneered.
"Or what! You going to curse me with a dark arts spell that Daddy taught you?" Sirius taunted.
Harry watched in horror as Snape's usually sallow face turned red. He could only imagine what was going through the Slytherin's mind. Harry was caught between his usual animosity towards Snape and his disgust at Snape's behaviour towards Lily and sympathy regarding what had happened to the Slytherin last summer and his obviously unhappy childhood. Another part of him was also embarrassed as he witnessed James' and Sirius' bullying.
"At least I have some dignity for my status. I don't sully myself by consorting with Mudbloods and blood-traitors!" Snape retorted in a silky tone.
"You greasy bastard!" James shouted, whipping his wand back in preparation to attack.
From the corner of his eye, Harry saw that Snape had also adopted a duelling stance. He knew he had to stop this somehow. With no plan in his mind, Harry took several steps forwards until he was standing in the line of fire. "Stop it" he shouted, startling the Marauders and Lily with his actions.
Snape on the other hand, was glaring at Harry. It reminded him of the looks he would often receive during his lessons with the Potions Master. Harry was well used to such glares and so ignored it. 'Then again, this glare doesn't feel as though it would strip the flesh of my body yet. He must have worked on it over the next twenty years or so I guess' Harry mused.
"Stop it!" he shouted, his hands outstretched, as though he could stop any spells with them. "You're all being ridiculous and idiotic! A Professor could come by any moment now and you'll all get into trouble. Lily doesn't care so just forget about it!"
Before James, Sirius or Snape could respond to Harry's demands, Flitwick approached them. He looked up at the taller students and asked in his usual squeaky voice. "Boys, everything's alright here?"
Snape threw another glare at Harry and the three Marauders who were standing behind him, before stalking away in the direction of the dungeons. James and Sirius looked at each other and then at Harry before replying. "Everything's fine Professor. Just having a lively discussion" assured James.
"Very good boys" Flitwick replied before continuing down the corridor. "I suggest you return to your common room though. No point wandering in the corridors"
James and Sirius waited until Flitwick disappeared from view before herding the others into an empty classroom.
"What in the name of Merlin did you think you were doing out there! That was Snivellus you were protecting!" Sirius exclaimed.
Harry looked at the others who were standing in the unused classroom. Lily was looking at him with a small smile of approval, while a combination of wariness and admiration was evident in Remus' amber eyes. Pettigrew looked to be disgruntled, as though a favourite toy had been taken from him. James and Sirius, however, were obviously confused at what had happened and their annoyance was directed at Harry.
"This is the same greasy git who has been harassing you these past week or two. Why did you stop us? He was insulting you and Lily!" James continued.
Harry shrugged. He felt slightly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of his parents, godfather, and close friend. The realisation that he barely knew James and Lily was, again, brought home to him. "Lily said she wasn't bothered by what Snape said and well, for me … it doesn't really matter since I'm not a Muggleborn anyway. What's the point?"
"Wh-what's the point!" Peter stuttered, finally entering the conversation. "It's Snape! This was his payback. Besides, he's a greasy git and he knows loads of dark arts!"
Harry frowned. "So what! You can't curse him just because he's a greasy git!"
"You wouldn't curse him if you had the opportunity?" Sirius asked incredulously.
Harry shook his head. "I would love to hex him to hell and back, but not without reason. Doing so just because you don't like someone is wrong. If he challenged you to a duel, then yes, that's fine. Do you like humiliating people?" he retorted.
"Why does it matter. It-it's only Snape!" Pettigrew continued to insist, stuttering over his words. "He's probably only going to become a D-De-Death E-Eater, that is if he's not already one"
Harry glared at the shorter boy before sweeping his eyes over James, Sirius, and Remus. "If you carry on like this, hexing people for no other reason than because it amuses you, like last summer after your written Defence exam, then you'll be no better than the Death Eaters themselves" Harry stated in a sad tone.
James and Sirius looked outraged at Harry's comment while Pettigrew stood, silently shaking, at their side. Harry turned his head slightly to see shocked expressions on the faces of Lily and Remus.
Sirius managed to break out of the collective stupor first. "What the bloody hell!" he shouted. "What right do you have to say that we're anything like those … those homicidal pure-blooded bastards!"
Harry winced as he remembered how sensitive Sirius was regarding his family and their pure-blooded values. Still, he knew he had a valid point and he opened his mouth, ready to tell the Marauders why.
"Death Eaters, when they're not out killing muggles and wizards, love nothing better than to torture and humiliate their victims … anyone they consider to be below them. Pranks are fun, I don't disagree with that, but what you were proposing … it's no better than what or whom you claim to despise. It doesn't matter if the victim is a future Death Eater or a muggle. If you think you're right and carry on as you are, then you're not the friends I thought you are"
With that, Harry left the five Gryffindors to ponder on his words. Lily sent a disgusted look at James, Sirius, and Peter before following Harry. Remus looked sadly at his friends. He opened his mouth, as though to say something but no words came out of his mouth. He shook his head once before following his fellow Gryffindors out of the door, leaving his three friends to gape stupidly after him.
**********
A short while later, Sirius, James and a slightly irritated Peter walked into the sixth year dorms, intending to apologise to Harry, but instead they found a frantic looking Remus.
"What wrong?" Sirius asked.
"What's wrong!" Remus exclaimed. "After your little display and confrontation with Harry, he must have ran back here. I entered the room just as he jumped out of the window…"
"Hold on Moony!" James shouted as Sirius paled. "Did you just say he jumped out of the window? From this height? What the hell was he thinking? Hell, was he even thinking at all?"
"It all happened incredibly fast, I didn't even have time to draw my wand" Remus continued, ignoring James' rant. "I ran to the window and saw him free-falling before he pulled his broom up and flew off towards the Quidditch pitch. I swear, I'm going to wring his neck for scaring me like that!" Remus said in agitation.
A slightly pale Sirius nodded his head in agreement while James pondered over Harry's flying skills. They were brought back by Remus' mutterings.
"I hope you all thought about what Harry said. He had a very good point about your behaviour, especially regarding Snape" he said.
"You know something?" Peter asked, wringing his hands. "How did he know about what happened with Snivellus last summer, down by the lake?"
"Someone probably told him about it" Sirius replied. "There were plenty of people who saw what happened to Snape" he said, a small hint of shame in his voice as he recalled the confrontation.
Remus nodded his head. "I admit I should have done something to stop you and I didn't since I didn't want to lose your friendship but Harry's made me see things in a different light"
James had a humble look on his face. "We were going to apologise to Harry about what we almost did again. We know he's right, but even so … it's going to be difficult for us to change something like that so quickly, but we will. We know what we did wasn't fair, but that won't mean we'll let Snape walk all over us either. We'll just have to make sure we get revenge in a more Gryffindor way"
Remus raised his eyebrow in question. "Gryffindor way?"
"Okay" James conceded. "In a more dignified way. You know, as in, not a Death Eater in training kind of way!"
Remus shook his head at James, fighting to keep the smile off his face. He sobered up before speaking again. "It's probably a good idea that Harry's out flying. It'll give him some time to calm down. He seemed really angry, kind of similar to Lily when she's shouting at you James!"
**********
The next morning, Harry woke up in his bed as dawn was breaking. He had returned to Gryffindor Tower quite late the previous evening, having missed another dinner with the confrontation preying on his mind. Harry lay on his bed for a while, his mind filled with doubts and apprehension. 'Is my father really just a bully?' he continued to ask himself. Harry was still in shock at his own behaviour; at the way he had shouted at James and Sirius, how in a way he had actually stood up for Snape. He had expected Voldemort to join the circus and the Hagrid to adopt a harmless little animal before he defended Snape.
Not wanting to remain in the dorm lest he accidentally woke up one of the Marauders, nor wanting to sit in the quiet and empty common room, Harry decided to go down to the Great Hall and see if he could grab an early breakfast. He made his way through the torch-lit corridors until he reached the magnificent Hall.
There were only a handful of students and Professors at that time in the morning. Kettleburn was sitting at the head table and there were three Ravenclaws sat at their House table. Harry vaguely remembered being told that they were in the fifth year. Harry moved his gaze to that of his own House table, where the remaining student was sitting, eating his breakfast.
It had been several days after his arrival in 1976 when Harry noticed the other students who were also attending Hogwarts at this time. He had put it down to the shock and disbelief he had been feeling at actually meeting his teenage parents and seeing Sirius and Remus, alive and healthy.
Harry had finally noticed a particular Gryffindor First Year but had not yet had a chance to introduce himself to the young wizard. Without other people to distract him or obstruct his view, Harry could clearly see the family resemblance. From the thin body to his fiery red hair … Weasley hair.
Bill Weasley at 11 was a far cry from the suave, good-looking ladies man that Harry remembered. Even so, Harry could clearly see the older Bill he knew in this younger boy. His hair was shorter, something that Mrs Weasley obviously preferred and he did not have the fang earring that Harry was accustomed to seeing, but his bright inquisitive eyes remained the same.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Harry asked, looking at the eldest Weasley boy.
The young wizard, who in twenty years' time would grow up into the confidant Curse-Breaker for Gringotts Bank, looked up at Harry in surprise. "Go ahead," he replied.
Harry sat down at the table, facing Bill. He searched his mind for an appropriate conversation starter that would not arouse any suspicions. After all, it would not do to reveal how well he really knew the Weasley family, especially considering Ron, Ginny and most likely Fred and George had not even been born yet.
Harry decided to introduce himself. "I'm Harry Granger" he said.
Bill met his eyes. "I know. I'm Bill" he replied. "Bill Weasley"
"Hello Bill" Harry said with a warm smile. "How are you liking it at Hogwarts so far?"
"It's great" Bill exclaimed. "I've always wanted to be able to do magic since I saw little. Of course, we've hardly done anything significant so far, but it's been great. Dad told me all these stories about when he was at Hogwarts as well"
"Dad?" Harry asked.
"Arthur Weasley, my Dad" Bill explained. "He works for the Ministry, in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. Though what with You-Know-Who and all, he's been more busy tidying up after Dark Marks and muggle attacks than doing his job. he loves tinkering with muggle things"
Harry felt a pang at what was happening in the outside world. It was completely new to him yet at the same time, it was a part of his history … his past. Harry had wondered once or twice about the absence of any kind of pain from his scar. It seemed that he was completely unaware of what Voldemort was feeling or doing. He wished that he could ask someone, Hermione or Dumbledore for example, however Hermione was years away in the future and Harry did not trust Dumbledore enough to tell him of the connection between himself and Voldemort.
"So it's just you, your dad and mom?" Harry asked, suppressing a smile since he already knew the answer.
"No" Bill replied. "There's Charlie, he's going to be starting Hogwarts next year. Then last week, my Mum had another baby. My parents named him Percival, but we're calling him Percy. Charlie sent me some pictures by owl post, they're in the Tower, if you're interested that is"
Harry was slightly surprised at the news. He wasn't sure about Percy, especially since he had disowned his family in Harry's own time, but nevertheless, he was pleased for the younger boy. "I don't mind" Harry replied. "Bet you can't wait to meet him"
"No, I can't. Still, I'll be glad to miss the late night feeding sessions and the wailing at all the hours of the day"
"That bad?"
"Don't know yet. Charlie said that Percy's being awfully quiet so far but you never know with babies" Bill remarked. "He could turn out to be a right pain in the arse!"
Harry could not help but chuckle at the irony. "Have you started the flying lessons yet?"
Bill frowned. "No. It's a real pity that we can't bring our own brooms or join the House team in the first year. I doubt that I'm anything special, but I do make a fair chaser," he said. "Charlie on the other hand is a fantastic seeker. A natural!"
"Really" Harry replied, schooling his features into an expression of surprise. "I can't wait to meet him and fly against him"
"You're the Seeker for the team this year aren't you? James Potter's the captain too?"
"Yes on both accounts" Harry confirmed. "I'll let you in on a secret, but you can't tell anyone." Harry waited for Bill to nod before continuing, "I managed to get on the Quidditch team in my first year at my old school"
"Wow!" Bill said in a whisper. "You must be really good!"
"Not really," Harry said with a slight amount of embarrassment. "Besides, I've only played one match during the last two years though, so I'm a tad bit rusty. Hey! Why don't you come down to one of the practices and watch? I'll try and sneak a broom out and you can have a fly-about at the same time"
"Really? That would be great!"
"I'm sure James and the rest of the team wouldn't mind" Harry said.
"You know, you and James look kind of similar" Bill mentioned, taking in Harry's face.
Harry did not meet the younger boy's eyes. "Yes, I've been getting that a fair bit. It's just co-incidence" he lied.
"I can't believe you're friends with James Potter and Sirius Black! I've heard so much about those two. Apparently, they're the ones who prank the other Houses and even the Professors!" Bill said with a huge grin.
Harry smiled in response to the younger boy's enthusiasm. "Really, they've mentioned a few things they've done, but I've not heard about what everyone else says about them. So what have you heard?"
**********
The next couple of weeks passed by, in which everyone fell back into their usual pattern of attending classes, doing homework and relaxing. Along the way would come Quidditch practices and the occasional detention. Sirius and James had held back from carrying out any large-scale pranks, still stinging from Harry's lecture. All in all, life in Hogwarts and the Gryffindor Tower in particular, was reasonably calm and normal. That is for everyone except Harry and those who spent time with him.
Sirius shifted on his broom and felt the cushioning charm adjust to his movement. Sirius was becoming more and more intrigued by the mystery that was Harry Granger. He would catch himself staring at the slender green-eyed teenager, but would look away before anyone noticed. Sirius suspected that James had caught him looking once or twice but thankfully his best friend had not interrogated him on the matter … yet.
The more he learnt about the newest sixth year, the more he realised that he knew almost nothing about him. There was the fact that he hardly ever talked about his family - his adopted family - nor really mentioned his friends from back home … at least not to him. Sirius knew from talking to Remus that Harry had told him about his two best friends; Ron and Hermione. He had noticed that Harry seemed interested in Lily and James' family, perhaps too interested. Nor could he disregard the fact that Harry and James were similar in looks. He had also noticed that Harry would occasionally be rather unsurprised upon learning certain facts about himself or Remus. He could not shake the feeling that Harry knew him somehow. Of course, there were no facts to confirm his suspicions, just his instinct.
Sirius saw a bludger fly towards one of the chasers and flew to her position, readying his bat to hit it to the other side of the pitch.
Whack!
He watched in satisfaction as the black leather ball moved away, ignoring the annoyed look that James threw him. He knew his best friend and Quidditch Captain was annoyed because he was distracted during the team practice. There had already been a close shave earlier that evening but Sirius could not focus his mind.
Sirius had also observed that Harry had managed to learn his way around the many passages and corridors of Hogwarts quite quickly. In fact, Harry had found a confused Bill Weasley the other day and had walked the first year to his History of Magic lesson. A class that Harry didn't even take! Sirius had also noticed that the Headmaster and McGonagall seemed to look over at Harry quite often and would often check up on him during mealtimes, at least in these first few weeks of term. Then there was that incident when Harry was meditating. The raw power … the wild magic that surrounded Harry. It was something that Sirius had never experienced before. It had been like a magnet, drawing him in, fascinating him. This talent … ability of Harry's was something that he had not shared with any of the others.
Sirius hovered by the Ravenclaw stand, watching as Harry flew lazily between the various balls and players, looking for the Golden Snitch. He smiled softly as Harry flew past the small group of Gryffindor students who had come out to watch them practice, waving at Remus, Lily and that Weasley kid.
Sirius felt strangely protective of Harry. Sure he looked out for his friends, Peter perhaps the most, but also Remus due to his status as a werewolf. It wasn't the same though … Harry's wellbeing was foremost in his mind. Frankly, Sirius suspected that he had a crush on Harry and he didn't know what to do about it. Actually, Sirius knew perfectly well what to do to get a date, but this was Harry. Instinctively, he knew it was different in this case.
Sirius was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice one of the bludgers was heading towards Harry. There was a crack and a loud shout full of pain. Sirius focussed his eyes and saw that Harry had fallen to the ground. His heart pounded in his ears and his mouth went dry as he flew towards the fallen Seeker. Harry was unnaturally still as he lay on the ground, his intact broom only a few metres away. Guilt flowed through Sirius' veins and he realised that he should have been paying more attention to the practice and not thinking about Harry.
He reached the ground just after Lily and Remus had reached Harry. James had thrown a glare at Sirius, hinting that he would be chastised later that evening before he levitated Harry towards the castle and thus the Hospital Wing. Remus had sent a sympathetic look at him before following the unconscious boy. Sirius could not completely squash the slight feeling of jealousy he felt towards one of his closest friends, someone who seemed to be closer to Harry than he was.
An angry looking redhead stopped Sirius from following the unconscious wizard. He glanced at the fiery-tempered witch, intending on side-stepping her, but Evans placed her slim body in front of him and prevented him from moving past her.
"Where the hell were you Black!" she spat, " and what were you doing when that bludger hit Harry?"
Sirius' eyes grew wider as Evans' face turned red from anger. "I … I…"
"I swear Black," Evans continued, ignoring Sirius' stuttering, "If Harry is badly hurt, you'll regret it twice as much for every day he's stuck in the Hospital Wing!" she snapped before stalking towards the castle.
Later that evening, once Pomfrey had forced the worried Gryffindors out of the Wing after explaining that Harry was fine and in a natural sleep, Sirius snuck back into the Hospital Wing. He quickly located the bed that Harry was sleeping in and closed the curtain behind him. He looked at the sleeping face and wondered how Harry looked so innocent in his sleep. Sirius recalled the serious and pensive expressions that sometimes found itself on Harry's face. The tension and worry that vanished while the messy-haired teenager slept.
"Harry" Sirius whispered. "I'm sorry you got hurt because I wasn't doing my job as a Beater properly. Ironically, it was because I was thinking about you that I became distracted … not that it's your fault. I didn't mean or want you to get hurt. Lily's ready to rip my balls off if you don't wake up soon and James keeps on glaring at me. Then I have this strange feeling that Moony is going to make me pay for this during the next full moon. Not that you have any idea what I'm blabbering on about or that you can hear me either.
"Anyway. I just wanted to apologise without everyone glaring at me. That and I really didn't want to do this with the others watching me. They're rather taken with you … like me I guess. And they're just slightly protective of you as well so it's just as well they won't be seeing this"
With that, Sirius smoothed the messy black hair away and pressed his lips to Harry's forehead. He straightened and smiled softly at the sleeping Harry before quietly leaving the Hospital Wing and returning to the Gryffindor Tower.
**********
Author's Note:
Sweet Merlin! What can I say? It's been an age since I last updated this story and for that I sincerely apologise. There are many, many reasons but the biggest one is the job applications and assessment centres I've been doing. That and the major case of writers' block I suffered with. I struggled with one of the character for a couple of weeks and just today (or last night really), I just opened the file and started writing and the whole lot just wrote itself. I hope that it's up to the usual standards!
Next chapter is a crucial one in terms of plot. I'm toying with the idea of writing a story for Valentines but also getting the main bits of the next chapter of Happily Ever After? down.
Firstly, I would like to include the thanks for those of you who read and reviewed Expelled.
Many thanks to Vicious Lily, Witchy-Althea, BipolarGirl, ping*pong5, gaul1, Firesword, sil, Penny, Lord of Light311 and Spica P.I.
ping*pong5 - I think that all of the HP books are pretty unique in that happiness is very effectively disguised. It's not so much that happiness is lacking, but at this point in the storyline, the scales of justice are somewhat skewed. I will think about a sequel to this after I have finished Happily Ever After?, which will be very soon. Only a chapter or two to go!
Penny - I've never been expelled from school but I agree. Expulsion after the Dementor incident would have been the nest thing really, especially considering the whole idiotic trial/ expulsion could have been revoked at the end of Harry's fifth year!
Spica P.I. - *SStar blushes* Thank you. I'd love to get more reviews but I'm satisfied knowing that people enjoyed reading my (short) version of OotP. You consider me to possess the same imagination as JK Rowling? Oh Wow! That is such a lovely compliment! Thank you again!
Now the many replies to the reviews for the last chapter of Turn Back Time. [Hint: There are spoilers and hints for the story in my replies]
HUGE thanks to everyone who took time out to read and review the last chapter of this story, you have my gratitude! Including fixedinsanity, Lanfear1, Elfy19, DaBear, oracle, Lady Psyche, Ajake, Lady Phoenix Slytherin, Siri Kat, Kenny7, Avade Kedavra, Avvy Kavvy, SilverKnight7, Larissa, Necromant, Anilia Hawkeye, lilybbee, qq, and Aurora
Vicious Lily - *blushes* In love with moi? *looks around* Love you too hun!
Gaul1 - Definitely last two, but am still working out the details regarding the Dark Mark. The magical sense is becoming quite fascinating and may become more important later in the story, but I promise no uber-powerful Harry here though.
Romm - As we all well know, Harry is by no means perfect. I'm trying to keep the plot as real as possible so far (well as much as can be when magic and time-travel are involved!)
Avada Kedavra - One is correct! The slash will be slow to build up I admit, but you have to remember they are only two weeks into the new school year. There are several issues to sort out first, besides, I dislike it when they just fall into bed without proper explanation. Hopefully, you'll like it when it eventually gets there.
ping*pong5 - I do like to confuse people but there is a reason to my madness. Really there is - all will eventually be explained.
kel6 - I suppose, but I use the word elective and I'm British. I suppose it depends on the person but I picked it up while at University. Thanks, I was concerned regarding the characterisations, but I'm glad everyone seems to like it.
SilverKnight7 - Definitely before Christmas (Maybe sooner, maybe later!) *evil laughter*
moonlight-madness - *SStar bows* Thank you, thank you. Firstly I would like to thank my … Anyway, correct guess (I'm a sucker for puppies). Glow of magic - what Harry perceives is in various degrees or even shades of white I suppose. The brightness of the colour implies the strength of the magic imbued in it. Remember, this is a really new thing for Harry and he's only scratched the surface of his ability so there will be some surprises to come.
divad relffehs - Thanks for pointing that out. I know I'm not perfect and can't remember everything so pointing it out helps. It should be different in the edit I'll be doing in the future. My point I would like to make is that not all wizards pop when apperating. There are several others (Forge come to mind) who also crack. I have an opinion on this but I don't want to reveal it right not. I believe all house elves crack though.
Regarding Dumbledore. I don't think so. A strange boy who looks like James appears out of nowhere? He needs an explanation. Otherwise he would have closely kept an eye on Harry and noticed that Harry is very curious regarding his parents etc and would pry. If not through Legilimency then by another means. He's not a crafty, manipulative old sod (in the nicest way) for nothing! Harry had to appease him somehow. I spent a while working out what Harry should tell Dumbledore and anyone who finds out his secret. I personally believe I'm not revealing too much. Not anything Harry has said has the ability to significantly change the timeline.
It's not stupid, if anything, I like to defend my writing and choices. It means those reading are thinking about what they read and in turn gives me ideas for the plit. I hope you keep on enjoying it!
Witchy-Althea - Thank you. When will you be updating?
Necromant - James has other people to be jealous of regarding Lily. From what I've read, it seems quite contrived and common for James to be jealous of Harry or for Lily to fall for Harry. That isn't to say it won't happen! I am rather mean to Snape but it's because I know what Snape's got up his sleeve. I promise to finish, honest!
HarryGriffinGirl - you're spot on! But Harry is only discovering this.
zorro x - Don't fret. I think you'll like how it turns out.
Dumbledore - I like powerful!Harry provided it's grounded in reality. I hate how in canon, how inept Harry comes across as. When he puts his mind to it, Harry is great at Magic. My opinion is that Hermione intimidates him and Ron distracts him. Harry doesn't read since Hermione knows it all and he doesn't try as hard since Ron will get all jealous. Just my opinions though. In 1976 though, he's free from all those constraints and the whole Boy-Who-Lived guise and media interest. He's just another student in the same year as some exceptionally bright students, including James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily. Harry can do nothing but improve! I feel so bad, I forgot about Lily in my notes, but she's becoming a great character. Expect to see more. There will be duelling and lots of it! Thanks for the comment, they're not dumb!
Lady Pyra - First of all: THANK YOU. I was online as your reviews came in and feel very flattered and impressed. If you don't mind, but how long did it take you to read the whole lot? I'm worried about your ship concern since that's my aim. Although it sounds strange, I am trying to write it tastefully. It's important to the plot though, for both characters. I hope it won't put you off the story though.
letandletlive - Oops. Thanks re: spelling. Not my strong point. Will be changed in the edit. Hooked? How long did it take to read? Am very curious.
Calen - interesting point. Pity Tonks is about 4 or 6 in 1976. Thanks for the comments. Regarding your questions. Very soon. Much later. Not telling (hint hint!)
annon - Thanks and yes it is,
Vasquez1987 - Thanks. I appreciate it. It make me feel great knowing people enjoy my work.
Larissa - Wow! I've read loads that are good/ better, but then I am my own worst critic.
Patricia Black - I liked Harry yelling at Snape, especially since he can get away with it. It's also important since it helps Harry grow as a person. I think Harry's new ability will become significant later, glad you like it too.
Serpent of Light - Thanks for the lovely comments. I was worried about Peter (and the lack of him) but I'm glad you liked it. I think what is important for me here is that the characters stay real, especially in face of the chaos I've got planned for them.
BlueGryphon - Yes. Quite soon, definitely before Christmas.
falling ice star - I admit it is slow paced, but there are many issues to cover, especially for Harry. Later chapters will cover longer lengths of time. Excitement? Depends on what you define by excitement. Trust me, there will be action and excitement, but it's only two weeks into term.
As for Snape. He went through a very humiliating and embarrassing experience. I doubt he would be like anything we've encountered so far in canon. It's a bit of a transition for him, hence why Snape acts as he does. At the moment, Snape is my shakiest characterisation and your opinions on how you think he should be will be appreciated and considered. I thought Peter was creepy too!
Locolisa - Thanks. I think it's important. A story can't just be characters or plot, but a mix of both with some magic dust to make it special!
ping*pong5 - It's someone close to Harry and had already been mentioned in the story. I can't wait for the character to appear!
Hilel - Thank you. I tried to keep the timetravel original but here's a tidbit for anyone reading my replies. The WWW sweet had a significant effect on those who tested it on the train.
Aussie-Girl3 - Thanks. It's lovely to see my name on other people's lists.
girlknight - *blushes* I read through the first few chapter and realised I need t edit them. Chapter 3 remains my favourite so far.
Larissa - My point was that I've written over 60k words and I'm less than halfway through and only in the second week of term! I like long stories so long as they have a point, plot and humour.
Acadia Jules - *cheers* You're back! I was slightly concerned. Your pairing wish - you got it! Something is going to happen re: Peter but in my opinion, MPPL are more inclined to believe Harry (if and when they realise his true identity). As for Potions, I was trying to work out why Snape is so mean to the students and I think it's because of his own schooling and teacher. Snape annoys Harry but he's fairly low on Harry's list so there won't be any accidental magic yet. How's your HP story going?
I apologise in advance for any mistakes, spelling, grammatical or otherwise. It is all my fault since this is unbeta'd. Please review and send any helpful comments, all will be appreciated. Any flames, however, will be, in all honesty, disregarded. Thank you for reading!
SStar