Hallo good readers,

Here's my new chapter (even though the characters don't belong to me, unfortunately. Then The Marauders would all be alive) I'm so happy for all reviews, alerts, favourites and all those who've read it! Thanks, Merci, Arigato, Graci, Danke, Kitos, spasiba, obrigada, Tack, Takk!

Chapter Two - Umbridge in Distress

"Sirius, I'm sorry. I just have a lot going around in my head right now," Harry muttered. Sirius gave a bark of laughter, somehow Harry knew him so well, but on the other hand, he actually didn't know this teenage version of Sirius.

He had the same way of laughing, the same eyes, but… he wasn't damaged for life in Azkaban yet. "I didn't even know you could think! I thought that Remus and was the thinking one and the two of us the people doing the stuff". Harry laughed.

"And Peter the cheering one," he grinned at Sirius. "Quite right there, mate," they walked upwards. "I'm still bored," Sirius said, and Harry knew he referred to what he'd said earlier that day. (A/N: See Snape's worst memory, p.550 in the English version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Exact page is 568)

"Pity Snivellus is not around anymore," Sirius sighed looking charmingly bored, as Harry had seen him before. Harry didn't say anything, just stared down. How come that Sirius and James, nice and popular boys had to bully Snape?

"Have you still got that snitch? I want to chase something!" Harry looked over at his godfather to his great surprise had dogs ears and a waving black tail. Harry felt in his pockets, to his surprise it was actually there. He didn't remember having changed robes with James.

He had the golden Snitch. "Yeah, it's still here." Really quickly Sirius got out the marauders map. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," he whispered eagerly. "No one near…" he told Harry and gave him the map.

He let go of the snitch and Sirius ran after it like a dog. Harry laughed as he saw the dog jump and catch it. He had so many good memories with Sirius from his own time. "Padfoot, someone's coming." He told the dog, as he watched the map.

Sirius turned back to himself, with the Snitch between his teeth. He quickly spat it out in his hands "Sorry 'bout that," he muttered and cleaned it with his wand. "The tail," Harry whispered. "Oh, yes," Sirius grinned. "Who's coming, anyway?" he asked and walked over to Harry again.

"Snape, Avery and Mulciber," he muttered. And noticed there was a girl along with them. "And Erica Llewellyn," Sirius looked up.

"Please! I'm just being me, Hermione wasn't it? And I'm tired of being called Harry!" he looked around and noticed that all of Dumbledore's Army were staring.

"I just…" he began but Hermione luckily cut in "We're just rehearsing on an argument in case we needed to have one in front of Umbridge," she smiled weakly.

"So where were we?" James asked, trying to act along. 'Am I supposed to know everyone's names?' he thought. "We're just finishing off with the stunning spell and you'll give us a new spell to practice for those who've fully mastered the stunning technique," said a boy that someone had called Neville Longbottom.

James was impressed, in the room there were even third and fourth years. Harry was obviously a good teacher and great with defensive spells. "Right," he said and looked around. "We need a new spell, then".

He thought for a moment and the Longbottom boy spoke again. It was funny; James had begun to understand that he was in the future. In the past, we would have recognised parents from his time. And, Snape was probably the Snape he knew in his own time. Based on how he was not exactly pleased to see him.

James had then found a copy of the Daily Prophet, which told him the date. This boy, Neville, had to be the son of Frank, a good friend of his on the Quidditch team, a sixth year.

"Why don't you teach us the spell you were thinking about in class today?" he asked. James grinned. "Sure, it's just a piece of fun, really, but might get useful against Voldemort's death eaters," a shiver through the room didn't stop James.

"Levicorpus makes your opponent dangle upside-down by the ankle in mid-air, quite funny, but at the same time effective"' James was thinking of Snape. 'Good ol' Snivellus probably misses me.'

He showed them the spell. One of the small boys, obviously a fan of Harry, let James hang him upside-down in mid-air. The boy laughed as the ground disappeared while James grinned and let the boy as carefully down as he could manage.

"Be prepared to fall down, people," James told them and at once, mattresses appeared on the floor. They all started, someone tried this new spell while others struggled with the stunning spell.

It was a pleasant feeling being teacher for so interesting objects. 'Poor McGonagall' he thought as he came to think of how he and Sirius behaved in lessons. He missed Sirius so dearly, but he had to be here in the future somewhere, right!? And surely so would he himself.

T

The Slytherins rounded the corner, teasing the girl that tried to get away from them. Throwing spells and taunting. "Pick on someone your own size, grease ball," Sirius had lifted his wand. "Sirius, wait!" Harry shouted.

His godfather turned but Harry stepped forwards. "I don't want a fight right now, we all know how it ends," and Sirius laughed. "Just leave the girl and go," Harry told them fiddling with his wand down in his right pocket.

"I don't think so, Potter," Snape's voice was cold as ice. The pore girl had been stunned and lay unable to move on the ground. "Locomotor Mortis!" Sirius pointed at Avery and Mulciber, and was faster than both of them.

Harry had already used his favourite spell: 'Expelliarmus' and was now standing with three wands in his left hand. "Great teamwork," grinned Sirius as both his and Sirius's wand were pointed directly at Snape.

"So, we're back to where it always ends," Sirius sighed cheerfully. "But I promise you Snivellus if you one day should turn up with your hair less greasy I'll give you a try," Sirius said viciously. "Prongs, do you want the pleasure?" he continued arrogantly.

"Petrificus Totalus," Harry pointed at Snape, who immediately froze and fell to the ground. "Nice," Sirius grinned, "even though I was thinking about more evil spells. Like making his teeth."

They crossed the floor in three steps and bent down to the girl Sirius released her from the spell and helped her up. "Thanks for helping me out, they took my wand," she smiled sweetly and fluttered her eyelids to Sirius who handed over her wand and ignored her flirting completely.

He'd already started to walk, "Coming Prongsie?" he shouted and Harry followed with mixed feelings. It was wrong to bully Snape, but wasn't it worse to let them bully a defenceless girl?

The DA meeting was finally over and James had gotten to know a lot of people. He was the last one left except for the Weasley twins, Hermione, Ron and a girl that obviously fancied him, or actually Harry.

There was like a sad cloud over her. She looked so much cuddled up in her own sorrow. She'd been the girlfriend of that Hufflepuff boy who died that Ron had mentioned in the meeting. And she was no Lily Evans. James decided not to walk over to her but to the twins and she quietly left.

"Hey Harry," said one of the red-haired boys. "We've decided to let out toads in the hall where Umbridge's office lies." The other boy said. James looked at them "that's it?" he asked. And the twins exchanged looks.

"You need at least to change it into another world, full of stinksap and, yeah, you need a lot of toads and frogs, fireworks, beats and whatever you can find that explodes. Make a marsh maybe? Or rabbits and mice, they breed so quickly," He thought for a moment.

"Something that follows her around, all the food turns to something awful, cats chasing her..." the twins looked delighted over these new ideas. "Slytherins hanging upside-down everywhere, rain clouds over everyone you don't like... just don't get caught and you can do all you want."

James grinned. Remus always told them this and he and Sirius would laugh. "Those were the obvious parts. You also need to spread sickness, fill her office with slugs and get rid of all that pink!" The last words really came from the heart.

"Blimey, Harry," Fred or George said gaping. "You're nearly as good as the Marauders!" the other one said. "Do you know about the Marauders?" James exclaimed eagerly. 'Was he famous even here?'

"They made the marauders map and has the longest prank record Hogwarts have ever seen!" they both said in unison. "Cool! Wait until I tell Sirius!" he'd all forgotten that he wasn't back home in his own time.

"Wait, how do you know about the map?" he asked suspiciously. "We gave it to you, two years ago," they laughed. "Gave it to me…? But it's Sirius who's got…"

"Harry!" Hermione called for him. "For the last time don't call me Harry! Call me Prongs at least, if you find James so hard to pronounce," he'd done something stupid. He knew it right after he'd spoken the words.

Everyone looked at him. "Erm... I meant Harry, and I got Prongs from the name on the Marauders' map," he muttered unsurely. He opened it, whispered his own code and looked at it. He just couldn't be stuck in the future! It had to be some joke from Sirius's side but Sirius wasn't there.

Hermione muttered something about the library and Ron some excuse to follow her, so James was left alone with the twins.

Suddenly they grasped one of his arms each and pushed him into a classroom. "Hey, guys!" he protested and they let go. "What's happened to your eyes, Harry?" asked one of them, and circled around him.

"And your attitude's changed," the other one grinned joining his brother. "Where's your scar, Harry?" they asked as they kept turning around him. He ruffled his hair unsure of the situation, he shouldn't have done that. "And what about your new bad habits?"

"Your sudden outbursts," the twins pierced him with their eyes. "Your nose is bigger," they grinned as they looked from the side. "And you've become a prankster," they laughed, "and more arrogant, too." James set up an offended look.

"And your name," they both said as one of them snapped the map out of his pocket. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," he muttered pointing his wand at it.

"James Potter, isn't that your father?" he asked as he -could it be Fred?- found James' spot. "Hey! Give it back!" He tried to snap it out of the Weasly's hands but didn't make it.

"What's the matter Harry?" he asked and the other one over his shoulder grinned. "Or should we say, James?"

Harry and Sirius were heading towards the Gryffindor tower again. To Harry's great surprise, Sirius was lost in his thoughts. Harry decided not to ask anything about it, because he had a lot to reflect on himself.

How could this have happened? How could he get back to his own time? Then Harry stopped dead. Wasn't it much better to be James Potter? He didn't have to worry about Voldemort or the fame that came along with his scar. He could have Sirius, Remus and Peter as his best friends. He'd have parents who were alive. No evil journalists were after him. Here he wouldn't be hated by all the ministry and the whole magical community.

He didn't have to be the chosen one, or the boy who lived. He could be Harry, just Harry, or James, in this time.

But if the real James didn't return, Harry himself would never be born. And Voldemort would probably not be defeated. The wizarding world and muggle worlds would be in danger. He felt a surge of guilt for wanting to stay.

Potion class was as boring as ever, James in the back of the class was just mixing together the ingredients without paying much attention. He'd made it before, just weeks ago without any problems.

Snape, who had noticed his casual arrogance too well, was glancing over at him every minute. "Prongs!" whispered the professor, perfectly shocked. Even though it was a whisper, every student in the class were looking up from their potions. First at Snape and then over at James that was the cause of the professor's surprise.

A pair of horns had just appeared on his head, and he hadn't noticed even though he was leaning his right arm against it. "What?" he asked the class.

Slytherins were laughing, Gryffindors were staring and Snape was acting.

"Made a mistake in your potion, Potter?" he said coldly. ''Course not! I'm a genius. Why do you ask?' James was a little confused but his ego was on the top and his potion looked alright.

"Because, Mr Potter," said Snape patiently, "you've got horns. Stags antlers, if I'm not mistaken?" James was feeling with his hand on top of his broomstick-messy hair.

"I'll take you out of the classroom, Mr Potter. The rest of you, keep on working!" Snape commanded and everyone did as he said. James found himself pushed out of the room by Snivellus and out in the hall.

"Don't touch me," James protested as the door slammed behind them. He didn't want to come closer to that greasy hair than he had to.

"James Potter what are you doing here?" he asked angrily. "In any case, I'll give you a detention tonight Mr Potter." James looked shocked and upset.

"I could say the same, you know. What exactly am I doing here?" James felt frustration and anger float around in his blood. "And why are you giving me detention? I didn't even do anything wrong yet!"

Snape met his eyes. "Mr Potter, I'm the teacher and you're the student," he stated and James interrupted. "Yeah, but not in my time, where you're the grease-ball, and I'm popular."

Snape had gotten out his wand, pointing it between James's eyes. "One more word, Potter and you'll never get back." James froze but didn't avert his gaze.

"If I was the one who brought you here, I might be able to get you back again. In the meantime, I suggest that you pretend to be Harry Potter." James looked like he could kill Snape, but nodded.

"My office at eight, Potter, and don't be late. You're dismissed from this class." James turned but wasn't five steps away when Snape spoke again, "I strongly recommend you to get rid of those horns, Potter."

They had just gotten upstairs and were now sitting on their beds. To his great and pleasant surprise, James was sleeping on the same spot Harry did. Sirius had dropped into his own bed. "You're looking pale Moony," he said smirking.

"No, I'm not Sirius, it's two weeks until the next full moon," Sirius rolled around on his bed. "Alright, alright. We ought to have some fun. What say you about a trip to the kitchen?" he asked.

To Harry's great surprise he was hungry and agreed happily to Sirius suggestion. "Got the cloak?" Sirius asked and pulled out the Marauders map. Harry checked his pockets. No cloak. He went over to James' trunk and opened it.

It was a total mess, fireworks, empty ink bottles, clothes, some books (that looked very new and unused except for the ink that had spilt over some of them) a lot of stuff from zonkos and everything else in the world it seemed. He dug deeper and was about to give up when he suddenly felt the familiar fabric against his skin.

"Moony, Wormtail," Sirius ordered and Peter jumped up from his bed like Sirius was some sort of General in the army. "Yes, Sir!" he said holding his left hand to his head. "Mission: Down-to-the-kitchen-without-being-noticed has started," Sirius ordered cheerfully.

They began their way down; Peter was a rat so that the cloak nearly hid all of them. In the common room, a pretty girl with fiery red hair was reading a book. Sirius sent Harry a concerned looked.

Harry understood at once that James would on instinct walk over to her and ask her out and (as Peter might find funny) blow their position. It seemed like a thing his father would do. There was so much Harry didn't know about his father or had expected of him.

Harry had to admit he also wanted to go over to the girl. There, in the chair, his mother was sitting. The mother he'd never had.

Suddenly Sirius dragged him along. Harry hadn't even noticed that he'd stopped.

The corridor was empty and everything went smoothly. They used tons of short-cuts and secret passageways (some that Harry had never tried before). Finally, they reached the kitchen.

Remus tickled the pear and they went inside. To their great surprise, they were not alone.

"This is great, just great!" James muttered angrily. He'd gotten detention just for being recognised by Snape, the Weasleys had recognized him too, and he had no idea how to get back.

He had gotten here through Snape's office so that might be the way out as well. Snape might even send him back that evening. "Prongs, our idol!" a pair of voices shouted after him. The twins again. "Our new best mate, you look so down." One of them said.

"Hey guys," he muttered "I just want to get home, but I don't know how," he groaned and stretched his arms. They hung themselves over one of his shoulders each as they begged, "Tell us about The Marauders! Who are they?" they asked.

"Well…" he sighed. "There's me, Sirius, Peter and Remus," and then everything was started. By lunch, they'd become good pals and filled a little of the gap after Sirius. They didn't think the way he and Sirius did, or finish his sentences for him (They finished each other instead), but it was enough for now.

"Where's Sirius?" he asked them the same evening. "I just figured that if Harry's my son then Sirius and I must be here to," the twins looked at each other.

"But I don't want to see me. I don't want to know what'll happen. I just… wondered if I could see Sirius by flu powder?" he asked. The twins breathed out in relief and grinned, "Why not?"

"Regulus! What are you doing here this late?" Sirius asked. In the kitchen were six Slytherins. Why hadn't Sirius seen them on the map? He looked over at his godfather, who didn't have the map out. 'Well, that explains it all,' Harry thought to himself. It also explained why Sirius hadn't noticed the blob named Harry Potter next to him.

"I could ask the same, you know," said the younger Black stubbornly. Harry noticed that he was much like Sirius. A little less handsome, not as tall or charming, but still he looked like a miniature of Sirius. The same hair, the same eyes, Regulus was just less. He was smaller and didn't stroll or lift his chin like Sirius. He didn't look very carefree either. From their two meetings Harry found him a little nervous, if anything.

"We were hungry, it's not illegal," Peter said backing Sirius up. "No, but it sounds so pathetic when you say it like that," a younger version of Lucius said. He must be the seventh year. Next to him was Narcissa Malfoy, or maybe not Malfoy just yet.

There were two boys (Crab and Goyle?) too, and there were Regulus and his two friends. "Shut up, Malfoy. You think you're the one to speak?" Sirius asked defending his friend. "As brave and foolish as ever, Black," Lucius stretched the word brave while rolling his eyes.

James would probably have commented on this but Harry remained silent.

"How are we going to speak to him?" James asked. "Simple, Jamesie."

The twins grinned. "Since we do know everything. We know Umbridge almost got him last time you spoke, but if we can get you into her office and fireplace…" they said.

"but… In her office?" he asked, and they grinned. "Meanwhile, we can test your ideas!"

"See you, James…" they said. "We mean Harry," they winked at him and disappeared.

He was happy, more than he'd been since he came. Imagine that he was famous and had found someone with some of the same interests as Sirius and him. He walked up towards the tower, he had to get ready!

But was he mainly famous for being a great prankster? Was he an international quidditch star perhaps? Or a brilliant auror? He knew he shouldn't ask. Time travel was always difficult, but he couldn't help but be curious.

Everyone had their wands out. Everyone except Harry. His head was aching so much he thought he might faint. He felt the world spin. Somewhere faint out there he could hear voices.

Voices belonging to The Marauders and the Slytherins, but as they echoed true the darkness, they faded away. New voices spoke familiar voices.

"Ready, James?" asked Fred or George and as he nodded he let go of the flu powder and said "Number Twelve Grimmauld Place," James felt a spread of both joy and hate. Sirius had always hated that 'grim old place' as he always called it, but he longed to see Padfoot, his best mate.

As you might notice I'm trying to do this as much according to book five as possible, I hope I don't let you down! I'm looking up words and facts when I'm just a little unsure, so I hope you won't kill me if there are some mistakes. Please review! And yes, I know Lucius would have finished school by now, but I like using characters we know, so I'm taking the liberty of using him in my story.

Until next time,

The Artful Fox