Chapter 6: Getting to Know You

The door opened. Lily and Harry both turned to see James looking quite pleased with himself as he twirled his wand.

"Let's just say that Padfoot decided to get a different hairdo." James told them.

"You do realize that you started a prank war in this house." Lily informed her husband.

"He's the one who started it." James argued.

"You might want Fred and George to help." Harry told him.

"What about…"

"…us?"

Fred and George were passing the bedroom and heard their names.

"Prank war between James Potter and Sirius Black." Harry told them.

"Wicked." They said.

"If you need any help.…"

"…see us."

"Oh no." Lily groaned.

NEVER offer help to James Potter.

"I don't need any help." James told them. "You wouldn't believe half the pranks I pulled back in school."

"I think they would." Harry told him. "Fred and George have pulled some interesting pranks in school. Fred. George. Tell Dad where you got your ideas."

"You know we don't reveal…"

"…our sources."

"You can trust him." Harry said with a smirk. "He is a fellow prankster."

"Really?" Fred asked.

James nodded.

"AND he went to school around the same time as your heroes." Harry added.

"You went to school with The Marauders?" Fred and George asked.

"The…Marauders?" James repeated in shock. "Yeah."

Lily groaned.

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs." Fred said.

"We owe them so much." George added.

"I'm not so sure about Wormtail." Harry whispered.

"So, you are Marauder fans?" James asked.

"We worship them." George corrected.

Lily buried her face in her hands. This was the LAST thing James needed.

"Let's see what you have." James challenged. "I want you two to pull a prank on Sirius Black. If you succeed, I will tell you about the Marauders."

"You knew the Marauders?" Fred asked.

"I went to school with them." James reminded them of what Harry said before adding, "They were in Gryffindor with me."

The twins were gone in a heartbeat

"They are going to have heart attacks." Harry laughed.

"And Molly is going to KILL you." Lily told her husband.

"Calm down." James told his wife.

He then sat down on the bed next to Harry.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

Harry nodded and looked into the hazel eyes of his father.

They were filled with joy, love, pride, and mischief. However, these emotions quickly turned to worry and confusion when James saw the dullness of Harry's eyes.

"You HAVE had a rough life." James pointed out.

"It's been going up and down." Harry shrugged.

"So." James said trying to strike up conversation. "Tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Favorite class."

"Lately it's been Defense. Before it had been Quidditch."

Lily groaned. That was Sirius' and James' answer when her father asked them.

"Quidditch isn't a class." She told him.

"You haven't played with Oliver Wood." Harry told her.

Sirius had told Mr. Evans that he hadn't played with James Potter.

"How about favorite teacher?" James asked.

"Professor Lupin. Hands down." Harry replied with a grin.

"Lupin?" James asked. "Remus Lupin? Moony Lupin? Sandy brown hair, amber eyes, werewolf, and has a really bad habit of making sense?"

"Do you know any other Lupins?" Lily asked.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Who is it?" Lily asked.

"Gred and Feorge."

"Come in." Harry called.

Fred and George walked in.

"We pranked him." They said in unison.

"I'll be right back." James said leaving the room.

Prongs had to see this for himself.

He came back a few minutes later laughing.

"Nice one. Using an unbreakable net to hoist Sirius in the air in front of the portrait of his mother. For that, you get the biggest secret. The identities of the Marauders."

Fred and George sat down on the bed and leaned in. This was the most attention Harry had ever seen Fred and George give ANYONE.

"Where's a camera?" Harry whispered. "This is going to be good."

"Wormtail's identity is Peter Pettigrew."

The twins' mouths dropped in shock. One of their heroes had turned Death Eater?

"Moony is really Remus Lupin."

They gasped. They had been taught by a Marauder.

"Padfoot is Sirius Black."

Their mouths dropped further. They had just pranked a Marauder.

"And last, but not least:"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Prongs is…."

He paused from dramatic emphasis. They leaned in.

"Yours truly."

George started hyperventilating and Fred fainted. They were in the presence of a Marauder.

"Nice going, Dad." Harry said sarcastically.

"Enervete." James said pointing his wand at the unconscious twin.

"YOU'RE Prongs?" they asked.

"Guilty as usual." James said almost modestly

"We are not worthy." They said getting on their knees and bowing.

"Relax." James said forcing the twins up. "That was QUITE a prank. If you can prank Padfoot, you are worthy."

"Did you know?" Fred asked Harry.

"Yes. I have you two to thank." Harry told them. "If you hadn't given me the map, then Professor Lupin never would have confiscated it…"

"WHAT?!" James interrupted

"…he never would have confiscated it," Harry repeated before he continued. "And have seen Wormtail and Padfoot on it. When he admitted that he knew it was a map, he told us that he helped to make it."

"Why didn't you tell us?" George asked.

"You never asked." Harry admitted.

"Breakfast." Molly announced sticking her head in the door.

"Let's go down to eat." James said.

"Before we go down," Harry said. "There is something Dad needs to know about Professor Snape."

"Professor?" James asked in horror. "That git teaches?"

Sirius had "conveniently" forgotten to tell the Potters that small detail

"This won't end well." Lily predicted.

0000

At breakfast a few seconds later,

"WHAT?!" Everyone heard a voice from upstairs. "HE SAVED YOUR LIFE?! ARE YOU CERTAIN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME SNAPE HERE?"

Sirius laughed at James' reaction. He remembered reacting quite the same way when he discovered that bit of information.

Flashback

"I can't believe Snivellus is in the Order." Sirius pouted after the first Order meeting since early October of 1981.

"Would you calm down." Remus said. "He's on our side."

"Prove it." Sirius challenged.

"Dumbledore told me that Snape saved Harry's life his first year." Remus accepted the challenge.

"WHAT?! YOU'RE KIDDING! SNAPE SAVED HARRY'S LIFE? I THOUGHT HE HATED HARRY! ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME SNAPE?! GREASY HAIR? HOOKED NOSE? SLYTHERIN?"

End Flashback

The twins and the Potters came down the stairs.

"Thanks for looking after Harry his first year." James reluctantly told Snape.

"Don't get used to it." Snape told him.

Suddenly, Charlie Weasley came running into the dinning room.

"Bad news." He said. "You know how last night was the Lunar Eclipse?"

"Yes." Everyone answered.

James and Sirius were especially worried. Lunar Eclipses had a weird effect on werewolves. They tend to get more wolf-like than a regular werewolf, except much more vicious. And werewolves who were werewolves longer were even more dangerous. However, the Wolfsbane potion decreased the chances of that happening.

Remus was one of the few werewolves with access to the potion.

And he was around those with limited to no access.

"Remus….We managed to find him….but, he's in critical condition."

Flashback

Charlie was working with Bill on Order business

"So, how are things going with Fleur?" Charlie teased.

"Here English is improving." Bill said.

Charlie looked out the window at the full moon.

"That's odd." Charlie said.

"What?" Bill asked

"the moon is red."

"Lunar eclipse."

Charlie's eyes widened.

"What's the matter?" Bill asked his younger brother.

"Did Remus take his Wolfsbane?"

"Yeah. Before he left. Why?"

"And he's out there with the other werewolves who don't have access?"

"Ye…"

Bill stopped talking as they realized where his brother was going.

Both redheads left the safety of Charlie's apartment.

0000

Around where the werewolves hung out.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Bill asked.

"If anything happened to Remus, Sirius Black will really go mad." Charlie said thinking how the ex-convict would react. "After all, Remus and Harry are all he has left."

"Look!" Bill said pointing his lit wand at a form on the street.

Charlie followed and saw a werewolf gasping for breath.

"He looks hurt." Bill observed.

"It's Remus." Charlie said. "Sirius told me how to recognize him."

"What now?" Bill asked.

They had two choices. One, they could get Moony out of the area (which was cold and wet), which meant being in close proximity with a werewolf. Two, they could leave Moony there until morning.

Suddenly, there was a werewolf howl in the distance. Apparently, whoever had defeated Moony was announcing it.

The two brothers looked at each other and nodded. Moony was in no condition to bite anyone. And helping a werewolf would be much safer than telling Sirius.

End Flashback

"Where is he?" James asked worriedly.

"We took him to Hogwarts. We knew Madame Pomfrey isn't as prejudice as some healers at Mungos. We stayed close until he transformed back. He remained unconscious all night. He still is."

"Good thinking, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore said getting up.

"Get dressed, Harry." James said. "We're going to Hogwarts."

Harry was looking extremely pale.

"Wait…You're…" Charlie realized when he got a good look at James and Charles.

"James Potter. At your service." James said. "And my father, Charles."

Charlie Weasley fainted

TBC