Author's Note: After thinking it over, I figured out that, for as long as I don't click on any FFN profiles while logged in, it's safe to post new chapters here so I'm still posting here. However, until I'm convinced that the site is completely safe to navigate while logged, I'll take a leaf from other FFN users and post review replies here instead of sending them as PMs to the reviewers.
noreenklose: I was warned against clicking on FFN user profiles while logged in.
lord Martiya: As I said, until the "underway" security review is announced as complete, I won't feel completely safe. I'm not even sure if I'll post later stories here.
KarisTasogare: Fanfics are one of the kinds of art deviantart is for.
syed: Good hints. And I really should address the map. If Harry ends up using Voldemort's wand as a backup and/or the brother wand effect happens earlier, it's your credit. Not sure if the twins will notice Pettigrew or care enough about Ron to check on his dorm.
Guest: You're probably right.
Chapter 15: Quidditch
Harry and Acquila were at the library with some fellow first year Ravenclaws. Because they're Ravenclaws, nobody found it odd by itself but people couldn't help wonder how the Boy-Who-Lived could be friends with Sirius Black's daughter. They would have interrupted them over the matter but they were afraid of the Hogwarts librarian.
"Potter. Black. Thanks for all those hints." Terry Boot whispered so Madam Pince wouldn't hear. "I wonder why Professor Snape discontinued that book requirement."
"Probably because he wanted to favor Slytherins by making sure nobody else would be taught that." Acquila suggested. "Father says it does sound like something he would do."
The others agreed.
After that library session, they went to the Quidditch field until they were interrupted by Fred and George Weasley. "May we help you?" Harry asked.
"Yes, Harry Potter." Fred answered. "You and Acquila may…"
"…tell us how you know about the Marauders." George finished.
"Can it wait?" Acquila asked. "We don't want to be late for our first flying lesson."
"Whatever." The Weasley twins said.
Harry and Acquila then joined the other first year Ravenclaws and the first year Hufflepuffs for their first flying lesson. Hogwarts Flying Instructor Rolanda Hooch lined the students up. "Attention, students. I don't know what you've heard from when the Gryffindors and the Slytherins had their first lesson, but you'd better not try to repeat Ronald Weasley's stunt." She warned them. "I don't know what Professor McGonagall did to punish him but I'll be surprised if he's not expelled by the end of the week."
If the students already heard of Ron's punishment, neither of them was saying anything.
She then explained how flying broomsticks worked and ordered each student to command the ones next to them to fly to their hands. "Good work." She said upon seeing how they fared. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Black, I see you are natural flyers just like your respective fathers."
"Does that mean she'll become a murderer like her father?" Zacharias Smith teasingly asked.
"You take that back." Both Harry and Acquila demanded. The Hufflepuffs other than Smith were surprised that Harry Potter would have joined her in defending Sirius Black.
"I'll handle this." Madam Hooch told Sirius' daughter and godson. "Mr. Smith, your comment is uncalled for. For all I know, Sirius Black is innocent and, even if he isn't, comments like yours might make Miss Black assume she has no choice but to embrace the dark side of her heritage."
Afterwards, the flying lesson went normally.
After the flying lesson, Harry and Acquila were once again met by the Weasley twins. "So, do you…" Fred started asking.
"…remember what we want?" And George finished.
"How did you know of the Marauders?" Acquila asked.
"Let's say we might have found something of them." Fred replied.
"The map?" Harry asked.
"How do you know about the map?" Both twins asked together.
"Why did you decide to talk to us about anything related to the Marauders?" Acquila asked.
"Well, let's just say we might have heard your father mention one or two things back at King's Cross Station." Fred answered.
"At least until Mum told us to stop eavesdropping." George completed the answer. "Now it's your turn."
"We know about the Marauder's Map because Dad was Prongs and her father is Padfoot." Harry explained.
"Are you serious?" The twins asked and Harry and Acquila were doing a great job hiding how unnerved they felt by their twinspeak.
"No, Padfoot is." Harry answered.
"And who are the other Marauders?" Fred and George asked.
"Moony is Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew was Wormtail." Acquila answered.
"Was?" Fred asked. "Does that mean he's really…"
"A traitor who no longer deserves to be called a Marauder." Harry clarified. He figured out Fred was taking the use of past time as a sign the Pettigrew was really dead.
Unable to tell if Harry and Acquila really believed in Sirius Black's innocence or not, the twins decided not to antagonize them over the matter. "We never heard of Remus Lupin." They commented.
"We don't know much about him either." Acquila explained. "He and father failed to rekindle their friendship because Remus Lupin failed to see through Pettigrew's lies."
"You could ask your parents about him." Harry suggested. "My Godfather told me they knew him from their Order of the Phoenix days. Now, how did you two find the Map?"
"Let's just say…" Fred started.
"We've had too many detentions with Filch." George finished.
"That explains it all." Acquila commented. Having heard from her father about how the Marauders lost their Map, she didn't need to hear anything else from the Weasley twins on that regard.
"So, Black, do you think your Dad would give some pranking hits?" Fred eagerly asked.
'Unfortunately yes.' She thought. She loved her father but couldn't stand his love for pranks. "I don't know about it but father and my Godfather loved to call their year mate Severus Snape 'Snivellus'." She hated her father's love for pranks but she hated Snape even more. "Father said it used to make Professor Snape particularly furious."
"Thank you." The twins replied with a malicious smile that made it clear they couldn't wait to test Acquila's theory and then left.
"Do you know what you did?" Harry asked Acquila.
"I might have given Professor Snape a real reason to hate Gryffindors." Acquila explained.
Lunch time was interrupted by a broom-shaped package being delivered to Ron Weasley. He also received a note telling him not to open the package in public but he did it anyway and was delighted at the sight of a Nimbus 2000. Eager to get Ron in trouble, Draco Malfoy tried to call the Professors' attention to the fact the no broomsticks for first years rule was being broken but Professor McGonagall explained that an exception was opened in that case. Some students could swear they heard Malfoy mumbling something like 'My father will hear about this'.
A new interruption arrived in the shape of the Board of Governors. Lord Arcturus Black was among them and Malfoy saw it as an opportunity to get Ron Weasley in trouble. "Lord Black, I'm glad you are here." Malfoy said. "The Hogwarts staff allowed Weasley to break the rule against first years having their own broomsticks."
"The Board has more important things to discuss but that might be addressed later." Arcturus replied and then addressed Dumbledore. "Headmaster, we received word that something at the third floor is so dangerous you instructed students to stay away from it to avoid painful deaths. What do you say about that?"
"Governors, I assure you all precautions were taken." Dumbledore replied.
"We need to discuss it in private." Arcturus said. "Especially about what's worth all that trouble."
End chapter.