HOGWARTS, MEET THE MARAUDERS
The sequel to HARRY'S OUR WHAT???
By Kelsid
Professor Dumbledore looked out of his window, surveying the scene below. A teenager with messy, dark hair stood beside two other students, laughing. In his green eyes there was an eager look, as if the pace of the conversation was unfolding much too slowly. Like the eyes of a child who had Christmas come early.
He could understand why. The two people with Harry were his parents. Come from the past in their 6th year, they had finally met Harry. The spell to bring them back into the past had still not been found, but eventually, it would be. Anyhow, Harry needed the joy in his life. Surely leaving the two here a little longer couldn't hurt.
-
The sun was setting, and James, Lily and Harry were entering the castle again. Everything seemed beautifully picturesque but not for long. Because what no one knew, save Moaning Myrtle, was that the Marauders had followed James and Lily. They were simply hiding away in the bathroom, waiting for an opportunity to corner James and Lily alone. And they surely would, if they didn't kill each other first.
"Sirius, you've got to stop singing," Remus muttered through gritted teeth. They had, in a smart move, switched their hideout to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The only downside was that Sirius was free to sing to his heart's content, since he had the illusion he was a pop singer in the future. Remus had tried to convince him several times that not only was he probably not a singer, but why would he be, since he wasn't very good at it? But Sirius did not take this into consideration as he belted out "I Love You (Love Me)." Even worse, he'd only sing The Warlocks' songs, which was the most famous wizarding band… in their time, at least.
"Please?" Peter asked timidly, crouched against a bathroom sink. He was playing with his wand and rolling it in the crevices of the tiles, very bored.
Giving them both the death glare, Sirius went on to sing even louder. "LOOOOVE ME… LOVE ME… I LOVE YOU… TOO…."
"We need to get out of here," Remus whispered to Peter, who nodded in agreement. Moaning Myrtle, however, clapped her hands at Sirius's performance. She, apparently, was enjoying it.
"See if anyone's out in the hallway," instructed Remus, ushering Peter toward the door. "If there isn't, we can hide out in a spare classroom."
Nodding, Peter peeked outside the door. There was nobody in sight. Peter breathed a sigh of relief, when suddenly; a gaggle of girls turned the corner. Shutting the door quickly, Peter shook his head.
Remus sighed. Now they were going to be stuck in here for a long, long time. Jesus, wasn't there someway to get out? "Peter," he said tiredly, "just keep trying."
James strolled in the castle halls, watching the candlelight flicker on the wall. Everything seemed to be a dream… Harry… Lily actually liking him… Remus old… Lucius Malfoy had a son…
Finally, James realized he had reached the door to Lupin's classroom. He should probably be in bed at the boy's dormitory, not wandering around the castle, but…
Entering quietly, he found Lupin writing on a piece of paper, frowning slightly. He looked busy. James was about to exit as silently as he entered, when Lupin looked up and gave a smile.
"Sit down. I was almost finished with this anyway."
James did as he was told, seating himself across from Lupin. Finally, the older man put down his pen and smiled kindly.
"So, you had a long talk with Harry, I hope?"
"Yeah." James sighed, eyes going dreamy again. "He's really… well… It's weird. You know, he's my kid. And I'm technically just a kid. But it's just that I feel... like…" He moved his arms in large gestures, trying to explain. "Well, you know. You've got to have kids."
Giving another small smile (he did that a lot, James noticed,) Lupin shook his head. "No. No kids."
"Wife?" James prompted, waggling eyebrows suggestively.
"No."
"Engaged?"
"Not that I know of."
"In love?"
"If I was, I certainly wouldn't tell you."
"Fine," James admonished, and crossed his arms. "You're very boring, do you know that?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. Well, then, there's nothing I can do. Moony- what's Harry been doing?"
Lupin's head shot up. "I beg your pardon," he said evenly.
"Doing… as in, like, we're dead. So who did Harry end up living with? I'm probably guessing Sirius, Peter or you… or maybe mum and dad," James clarified, waiting.
At first, Lupin pondered for a moment. Then finally, he said, "I think… I think I shouldn't tell you that. You'll figure out on your own, if you're here long enough."
James nodded. "Sure. I can understand you don't want to tell me. After all, you think it would hurt my feelings if I found out that you were his foster dad. Bet he likes you more than he likes me."
"You know, James," Lupin said, putting the paper down on the table, "I've almost forgotten what you were like."
"Oh, no! Forgotten what I was like? How on earth did you live?" James cried, putting hand on forehead in a very Draco Malfoy-ish way.
Lupin had a hint of a smile on his face. "It wasn't that hard, actually. You see-"
At that moment, the door burst open. Lupin and James nearly jumped out of their chairs, turning to see who it was. Or rather, who the people were.
Two red-head men walked in, laughing. "Hey, Professor Moony!" called George, smiling widely, "You were right! Madam Pince really DID kick Sirius! You should have seen her face- she was completely paranoid when we asked her the question…"
"I don't remember Madam Pince kicking Sirius," said James, frowning slightly.
"Err… That's because you're here," Lupin explained, wincing.
"Who's here?"
"Harry's here? Hey Harry! Sirius was pretty cool."
"I'm not Harry," James replied automatically.
"You're not Harry?"
"No, he's Harry," Lupin cut in desperately. "He's just..." He frantically racked his brain for something, anything. "Playing… opposite day…" he finished weakly.
Fred and George exchanged knowing smiles. "I loved when we had opposite day," Fred sighed, placing a hand over his heart. "We could call McGonagall a hot mama, and then, of course, after she got really pissed, we'd tell her that it's opposite day. Well, she'd still get mad because of the insinuation..."
"Best detention I ever got," George remembered, sighing loudly.
"Oh, yeah," James said, trying to cover up for his mistake. "It IS opposite day, that's why I said I wasn't Harry."
Lupin added some not-so-heartfelt laughter to make it seem more believable. "Ha, ha, ha… Oh, Harry… you're such a joker."
Fred frowned deeply. "Hold on a second… if Harry just said he is Harry, then he's not Harry."
"Yes, but before, didn't he say he wasn't Harry?" Lupin desperately said, trying to salvage James's true identity.
"Really, I'm not Harry," James said nervously.
"Ah! You said you weren't, so you are," George crowed in triumph.
"No, no! I mean, I am Harry! I am! I just forgot…" James cried, realizing what a mess he had made.
"You forgot? Well, then you mean you didn't forget. You're hiding something," Fred accused, pointing a finger at the two tense Marauders.
"We're not, honestly, Fred, George," Lupin said, attempting to calm the situation down.
"So you are hiding something! We've got them now, George," Fred said, suddenly giving a rather evil impression.
"Fine!" James cried, cracking. "I'm not Harry! I'm James… his father… I came to future. Just stop confusing me!"
Fred and George exchanged looks. Finally, Fred spoke up. "Very good one, Harry. Trying to fool us into thinking you were your dad? As if we'd slip up and forget it was opposite day!"
The two twins then left the room, leaving Lupin and James open-mouthed and very, very confused.
-
Sirius Black was getting tired of running. Slowing down, he took a breath at the bench, and sat down obligingly. He must have run… Oh, God… fifty miles? Maybe he was exaggerating.
Lying down, he let his body relax completely. Finally, he could get some rest…
And for a moment, Sirius slipped into a peaceful sleep. Every worried thought escaped into the expansive sky above, out of his head.
The Marauders were lying in the grass, young and happy again. Sirius played with the dirt underneath his feet, while James had a piece of grass in his mouth, lounging on the ground. Peter was resting, and Remus staring at the blue sky above.
It was just the way Sirius wanted everything to be again- just the Marauders and him. Pure bliss. The present was dark, grim and just so unpredictable… except for Harry. Harry. The only reason he'd found his way out of that veil, the only way he managed to overcome the strange, shadowy world he'd been inhibiting. His love gave him the reason to live.
-
He needed to find Harry. He needed to get back to Hogwarts.
Peter scrabbled down the hallway, desperately looking for James and Lily. They couldn't really be here, could they? If they were, he didn't want to report back to Voldemort…
Rubbing his whiskers, he took a pause by Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He should probably go by the dorm now; it's likely that's where they were in there…
A loud creaking noise startled Peter, and he scurried into the shadow, cowering. A few moments later, his heart race relaxed. Just someone coming out of the bathroom. Nothing else.
But as the rat looked up, he saw something that almost made his tiny heart stop. Because what he saw was himself. He decided that Voldemort giving him a job to spy at Hogwarts may have been a bit more interesting than he thought.