Chapter 7

It was to the Junior Marauders a momentous occasion when all the previous Marauders met – rather more cosily than comfortably – in the secret room.

"Better than anything we had – the Marauders get better and better!" grinned Sirius. "I vote we drink a toast in butterbeer – I brought some along – to the continuation of Marauding!"

"We used the Room of Requirements to hide large numbers of people in when I had to be head and supposedly under the orders of Voldemort; but this would be excellent for the odd person we need to give succour to" said Severus "Because they can either be apparated here by a house elf sworn to serve the Marauders – like Dobby – or brought under blindfold. We have a long way to go in changing unfair laws. Sorting out the oppressive laws against werewolves for example has been helpful, but there are still prejudices" he nodded at Remus Lupin, who looked quite well now, and almost sleek.

"Yes, it has helped a lot" said Remus "But I confess I get a lot of sheltering from both Tonks and her parents; and I worry about our little Teddy, whether he's going to develop the disease and if so what effect it'll have on his life. By the way, I didn't bring Tonks; because she never has been a Marauder any more than Lily was; Krait's a special case, she opened communications between the generations and is kind of a linking Marauder."

"And Sirius is going to marry an existing Marauder anyway" said Willow complacently.

Sirius opened his mouth to mention that the betrothal was only for convenience, looked at Willow and shut it again, a slightly hunted look on his face.

"Now you know how I felt, Padfoot" said Severus with grim amusement. "My little cousin is every bit as determined as my Krait."

"Severus, you're Severin Prince, aren't you?" said Lynx, suddenly "Cousin to a Prince….and a Malfoy wife…..and a mask to cover scars….and you talk like you know about the laws being made."

Severus looked her in the eyes.

"That doesn't go out of this room" he said "There are those who know – Lucius Malfoy for example – but I don't want it bandied about. I like my privacy thank you very much."

"Of course!" said Lynx "But I DO like to know things!"

"Pestiferous brat!" said Severus, amicably.

The Marauders had the opportunity to do some more general good in the school as well as helping out one of the juniors.

Abraxus found Ralph Davenport sobbing his heart out to his brother Francis in Myrtle's loo – a good place for privacy since few people cared for Myrtle's habit of sticking her head through the stall doors while they were busy – and went in to find out what was wrong.

Francis was wary of the Marauders, but Ralph willingly told Abraxus what was wrong.

"I had a collision in quidditch practice and I broke some rotten Ravenclaw kid's broom; and Madam Hooch says she's going to tell my parents and demand that they pay. I TOLD her it was an accident, but she wouldn't believe me!"

"And that's my fault" said Francis "Because Emil had us barging other people with our brooms. Only I'm not sure if mum and dad can pay, Ralph says it was a firebolt…. One of the new ones too, so I guess that means I shan't be able to come back to school next year…" he was close to tears too.

"Look, I'll have a word with Madam Hooch" said Abraxus "I guess she might listen to someone from another house standing up for a young'un; and if she won't, well my friends and me'll chip in and lend you what it takes, 'cos you can always pay it back when you have a job after you leave. I can't let you have it as a gift 'cos we're not as rich as Uncle Lucius and we've twin toddlers at home who keep growing out of clothes every time you turn round; and I wouldn't accept so much as a gift from anyone anyway so I guess you're too proud to do so as well, Francis, because you hide the fact that your parents aren't well off."

"I wouldn't accept it" said Francis "And I'm not even sure of accepting a loan."

"Well if I can talk to Red-card Rolanda maybe you won't have to" said Abraxus "That Emil Porteous is the world's prizest creep! Him and his bitch of a sister, she DESERVED to be doxified by the junior Marauders!"

"Yeah, I wasn't along with them, and I was well glad!" said Francis "I'm trying to dissociate myself from Emil, he's nothing but trouble and he's been getting at Ralph here for having the wrong sort of friends!"

"I'll be friends with who I like" said Ralph trenchantly.

"I wish I'd stuck with Romulus and Hawke when they switched to your gang" said Francis wistfully.

"Well, look, there's nothing to stop you being more friends with us than Porteous" said Abrax "And joining the MSHG; it's fun and you learn self defence, spell and physical. You can't be a Marauder now; too much water under the bridge and all that, but you can be a friend, like Tigonia is, Romulus' second cousin. She'll be glad of someone else to help her ignore Porteous and Derwent, not to mention the Mourne-Parnassus sulk club. Anyway, back soon!"

Abrax whirled off, and almost bumped into David.

"David!" he said "JUST the person! Red-card Rolanda likes you because you take Quidditch seriously and never ride your broom like a skateboard…."

"You don't have to irritate her by shouting 'surf's up' and standing on the ruddy broom" said David mildly "What have you done to annoy her particularly THIS time?"

"Not me….." Abrax quickly explained.

David nodded.

"I'll see her for you" he said "She might just remember that you marauders sabotaged the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff match last year by releasing fourteen folded paper golden snitches."

"Oh yeah, there is that" said Abraxus grinning at the memory.

David spoke seriously to Madam Hooch.

"Professor Hooch, I understand you thought young Ralph Davenport deliberately barged a child and broke their broom" he said.

"The Davenports! His brother runs with a gang that does that sort of thing for fun, I don't doubt but that he put his brother up to it!" said Madam Hooch.

"I do doubt it, Ma'am" said David "Young Ralph is a lot different to his brother, though I believe even Francis Davenport is regretting getting in with so rough a gang…. But the little brother is a harmless child, he's on good terms with young Alice Trumball, you know I've been looking out for her…I watched him quite carefully, because of his brother, but I'd say if he said it was an accident, he was probably telling the truth. Have you asked his classmates?"

"No David, I have not; and I would not wish to be unfair. Would you ask a selection of second year Gryffindors to come and tell me what they saw? Being from an entirely different house they should have no bias."

David nodded.

"I'll go and see who saw it" he said.

As it happened both Garjala and Gabrielle had noticed and had just assumed Ralph had been ticked off for carelessness; they were happy to go and tell Madam Hooch that in their opinion Ralph had been over-excited and a bit careless but they were certain he had not even seen the other boy.

"And how like a Ravenclaw to take offence when there was no harm intended too" said Garjala scornfully.

"Thank you, when I want your opinion on other houses Miss Gan Golgo I shall ask you" said Madam Hooch repressively.

The matter was duly sorted out, and the threatened letter never sent, the school standing the damage for the new broom; and both Davenports were exceedingly grateful! Francis started joining his brother at MSHG meetings and wondered why he had let himself miss out on the fun all these years! He might be nervous at first of finding his stern House Master there; but what a difference an informal situation made! Professor Snape actually smiled at him and said

"Welcome to the MSHG Francis; I hope you enjoy yourself."

He had never been addressed by his first name by the grim-visaged professor before; let alone seen him smile at him!

"Don't assume he'll be any different in class" Romulus warned "He's just as starchy with all of us, even more so, because we have to maintain discipline….especially in a potentially dangerous class like potions. It's one of the rules of the MSHG, that we can relax with professors and use their first names providing we're perfectly correct in class and in school."

"Oh…Right" said Francis; who had only the haziest of ideas concerning the very concept of professors even HAVING first names.

The Quidditch mad were excited by a visit from Viktor Krumm, seeker for the World Cup holders, Bulgaria. Viktor had in fact come to see David Fraser, since Bulgaria had already notched up enough points that they would certainly be one of the finalists; and he had tickets to give away and wanted David to have one. Hermione and Ron were to have two others!

"I've had Lucius Malfoy doing the paperwork for me to get my hands on a flying boat to enchant" said David "So I shall be able to take a lot of passengers; Lucius is funding the project and arranging muggle flying lessons for those who want them and Arthur Weasley is helping me enchant it" he went on "It's in Hungary this year isn't it? Any chance of a big lake nearby? With magic I don't need water to land on, but it helps."

"But yes, the pitch is near an isolated reservoir" said Viktor "It sounds a most exciting project."

"Well, Arthur's fascinated by muggle flying, and something that's supposed to fly upsets muggles less than brooms or flying horses" said David "We shan't have to disillusion it unless I have to do something unnatural like pause in mid air! It seemed like a good idea if there's to be an increase in the number of quidditch and duelling matches against the European schools, not to mention future Triwizard competitions; Professor Dumbledore's all for it, he's also listening to my idea that Hogwarts could be hidden more effectively if concealed by obviousness, as a very select private school. Prevents us having to just head off hill walkers, we can put up 'trespassers will be reported as paedophiles' notices. And as muggles have more and more controls over them by THEIR government, it means no-one is going to report the parents of muggleborn pupils of having done away with them or anything, because they'll have nice forged documentation for their kids at this posh school…we'll have inspectors coming from time to time, but they can be easily confunded to give favourable reports. And enough of our people play muggle sports to put together scratch elevens to play other private schools if we get challenged I guess…." David was almost as excited by all the new developments as he was by the chance to go to the World Cup.

Viktor was eager to hear all about Hogwarts – he thought it a better school than Durmstrang – and to watch the youngsters at quidditch practice.

The surfbrooming of the marauders caused him some little surprise.

"If they have so much control, great players will they make!" he declared. David laughed.

"Tell that to our Sport Professor; she declares they give her more grey hairs every time she sees them!"

Viktor laughed too.

"It is unconventional; but so was the Wronski feint the first time Wronski performed it!" he said.

He was a good natured young man, and willingly signed his autograph for people and let them take photographs of him standing beside them; and was talked into playing seeker in a scratch match of staff against a rapidly assembled school team under Ginny Weasley!

"Always I enjoy my times staying in England" he said to David "Where now you have everything in perfect freedom. I envy you."

"Well, Odessa doesn't like us so I expect those of us in the know will go up against them sooner or later" said David, laconically.

Viktor shuddered.

"They are vile…and becoming more so, and more confident in Germany and Eastern Europe" he said "Are you truly prepared to oppose them?"

David met his eyes, quickly checking allegiance with the little legilimensy he had so far learned.

"We are" he said, reading Viktor's loathing of the racist organisation.

"Good; then I will see all that I can hear and pass to you. You and I have already written; I shall write to you of mundane things like how my team does, and you shall heat it before a fire; there are muggle disappearing inks that most wizards have not heard of, I remember Hermo-ninny telling me about them. And in that I shall write all I find. I shall not have things to write every time; but I shall write anyway to establish the habit. Is that good?"

"Excellent practice" approved David "You're a born secret agent if you thought that up on your own! I'm impressed!"

"People think that because I am quite big and clumsy looking off a broom, and good at sports that I must also be a potato head; but I am quite clever" said Viktor. "And coaching too at Durmstrang, I can watch. People like Professor Hesse who is I think not nice."

"We know he belongs to Odessa" said David "Be careful."

Viktor nodded.

"I shall" he assured David.

Abraxus had meanwhile spoken to Krait about Myrtle; and Krait had used her transfiguration skills to make Abrax a pair of gloves that crackled with pure energy with which he could effectively touch Myrtle in order to dance with her.

He was grateful; he and Hawke were already under determined siege from girls of their own age and in the third year hoping to be taken to the ball. Hawke was delighted for his brother and promptly asked Hayley Betts.

"I'd have loved to, but no-one's invited Em" she said "And as my mum and her dad are getting married, we're sisters like you and Abrax are brothers so…you know."

"Emerald won't mind dancing with Kinat will she? He's fleeing from Garjala at the moment, and he'd rather take someone sensible you know" said Hawke.

"Whassat? Yeah" said Kinat, emerging briefly from a book on practical arithmancy he had borrowed from Krait.

"And you'd better ask her civil like too, Kinat old buddy" said Hawke.

Kinat grinned.

"Where is she? Oh over there…Emerald, fancy going to the ball? If I don't dance well enough you can always put the tarantallegra curse on me."

Emerald grinned.

"Like you're going to be doing much dancing when there are eats to be had? Well, if Hayley's going with Hawke, we might as well make a foursome of it; I'll try not to stand on you."

"Cheeky third year brat" said Kinat lazily "If you don't stand on my feet I'll even work out the most propitious arithmantic date for your parents to get wed."

"I'd like that" said Emerald "It's nice to see dad so happy! And to have a mum too!"

Grace and Erich had decided to go together; and as Willow could not really go with her Padfoot she decided to ask Francis Davenport, as much to make a point to the Porteous crowd as because she felt sorry for him. Francis accepted gratefully! When Willow also demanded to see his gown he flushed.

"It was my dad's" he said in a small voice "And I bet it was secondhand then. My brother – the older one – he had to wear it too. It's dire."

"So get it and I'll jolly it up, dunderhead" said Willow.

Somehow being called a dunderhead in such a tone by a marauder was almost better than being praised by Porteous. Francis meekly brought his gown, threadbare in places and quite antiquated.

"MMMmmm" said Willow.

"Told you it was bad" said Francis.

"K, but I can do stuff" said Willow "Glad I asked you now, if it'd been the night before the ball I'd've been truly bolloxed over it. I'll turn it completely, the fabric on the inside's not too bad; and at least it isn't velvet or I couldn't have done that. Never mind the lining; it's dead as Voldemort anyway, I'll line it with some curtain stuff from the boxrooms HALLELUJAH!" she said "I have an idea!"

She galloped coltishly off and grabbed Hawke.

"What are you doing about the stuff from Cosmo's trunk?" she asked.

"Dunno; Abrax and me thought we'd wear the cloaks, they're so period they're cool; and we liked the way they swirled. Why?"

"D'you think Cosmo'd like to help another downtrodden Slytherin?"

Hawke thought a moment.

"Yes; yes I think he would….let me ask the twin…." He concentrated; the twins had forged mental bonds beyond the usual bloodbond to have a telepathic link at will. "He says, go for it" he said "You mean to dress Francis, I take it?"

Willow nodded; and made all haste to the boxroom.

Krait had made contrasting sleeves fashionable the year before, by being seen in public with a gown with sleeves and trim in a contrasting fabric, in order to make it easier for poorer pupils to make over gowns. Francis' gown had been a good quality wool/linen mix when it was new, but years of wear had made it very sad. There were moth holes too. The one advantage was that it was a fairly inoffensive blue, woven in a self-coloured damask weave of interwoven leaves.

"Dammit, Cosmo, what can I do with this to make it a makeover not a new gown that he's too proud to accept?" Willow muttered to herself. "Besides, you wore short gowns and were short too…. I know!"

Willow found a gown of soft blue velvet; those Malfoys who did not wear black exclusively soon found out that their pale looks were emphasised by blues or violets or slate greys according to their eye colour; presumable Cosmo had periwinkle blue eyes. In the dry, airtight chest, enchanted to keep out moth and resist damage, the cloth was like new. She took it up to show Francis.

His eyes were wide.

"Where did that come from?" he demanded.

"Boxroom; long dead teacher" she said "I asked a descendant if I could use stuff as fabric; he said yes, so long as I left the cloaks for him. Nice, isn't it? Bit on the short side – he was, and fashions then were calf length anyhow, so I thought I'd cut it about and use your gown in trim 'cos that decorated fabric is all the rage for trims this season. These sleeves are too full anyway for the modern era; reckon if I take them out, they'll lengthen it enough with a piping of damask where they join and as a trim at the bottom…it's fine from the frayed bit to ankle height to the shiny bit where you sit on it. The elbows are gone, so I'll only put them in from there, and reset the velvet sleeve head; at least it ain't too full at the top."

"Why are you going to this trouble?"

"'Swhat friends are for, ain't it?" said Willow "We put the past behind us; you're a friend now." She grinned "I wonder what you'd think of the previous owner…."

"Who was it?"

"A part goblin Malfoy of all things, who taught astronomy until he was murdered…"

"Is that why you lot have been going about looking solemn and Porteous' sister reckoned Abraxus was crying?" he asked "And why Mr Malfoy came?"

"Yes… we found Cosmo's body and started digging for facts" said Willow. "Reckon he'd like someone who was bullied to have some of his finery…..stylish little sod he was for his time."

"Perhaps you'll tell me more about him…. I'm surprised he was let in!"

"Oh nobody knew he was part goblin; it was only about an eighth, and he never let on. A fellow called Tom Avery guessed – or found out" said Willow; and told him the story.

"He had guts I reckon" said Francis.

"Yeah" said Willow. "I need to go and skank the use of Krait's – uh, Madam Malfoy's sewing machine."

Willow's own gown had been made by her muggle grandmother to a design from 'Which Witch' but she had learned how to sew from the old lady and felt quite competent at altering Francis' gown – especially with some advice on the difficulties of dealing with velvet from Krait!

Francis stroked the finished article with wonder.

"Thanks Willow" he said in deep gratitude "You really are one of the best!"

"Meh" said Willow, dismissively; but he knew she was pleased.

It would do his brother now as well once he had left, though he'd need one of his own for a couple of years; perhaps Willow might be kind enough to help make over whatever secondhand gown Ralph ended up with! His own older brother having left the year before Harry Potter his old gown had been available; but this was the first time Francis had not wished his brother had been closer to him in age so he had to have a new gown of his own that had to be better!

There was one small piece of excitement before the ball.

Sirius Black asked for volunteers to help him deal with some boggarts who had infested a couple of classrooms.

He had plenty of volunteers from the MSHG to deal with them, ready to drive them into properly prepared boxes to be taken away.

There were a profusion of can-canning spiders, Voldemorts and dementors in pink bloomers, Professor Snapes doing cartwheels and one giant vampire squirrel dancing a jig.

There were also three unhappy little squirming black hominids cowering in the toilet under the implacable wand of Jade Snape.

"What in tarnation did you do to them Jadie?" asked Sirius.

"Showed them their own worst nightmare" said Jade calmly.

"Er…right" said Sirius. "Right you three, into the box; you don't impress me any."

"Shift or I'll come with you" said Jade.

They shifted.

As Sirius later said to Severus,

"Your daughter appears to have as little concept of conventional as your wife."

Severus grinned.

"We Snapes live but to please?" he said.

He and Krait had themselves rounded up a number of boggarts in the Ravenclaw lower school dormitories by dint of picking them up by the scruff of the neck and dropping them in boxes.

They had already overcome their greatest terror; and could see boggarts as they truly were, a feat they shared with Sirius, Draco and Harry.

And apparently Jade.

Severus asked her about it.

"I don't have any fears really" said Jade "Because life is as it is; and I can defend myself against nasty muggles if I have to, and I've bounced the killing curse like the rest of you and I guess fighting Voldemort put a nawful lot of things into perspective. So I peer through their attempts to be tickling and touching men and see what they are and let loose legilimensy on them and do it back. 'seasy."

Krait and Severus exchanged rueful looks.

"And now I see why you got all uptight about me doing things that should be beyond me" said Krait. "Legilimency? Oh well, so long as you study occlumency too…."

"I think that's one way of resisting their attempts to 'fluence what I see" said Jade seriously. "You KNOW I can do more than most fourth years anyway."

"True enough" said Severus "Perhaps we should have let you start a year early as you knock around with the first years; but you'll stand a marauder to help next year's first years and we can always jump you up a year later."

"Oh I don't mind" said Jade "I can spend all my time up to OWLs just having fun because the work will be a gas. 'Cept new studies like comparative magic that I don't know about." She beamed at them. "Can I go now? It's my turn to sweep the secret room."

"Run along" said Krait, looking at Severus and laughing helplessly. "Kids! Who'd have 'em?"

The day of the ball came, a welcome relief after end of term exams, and the rivalry between some of the fifth – notably Ravenclaws – to be top of the class. David was studying for ten OWLs, one more than usual, as he was fitting in astronomy tutorials on top of everything else and studying out of books. He would have liked to have studied comparative magic, but it was too new a subject to have covered in the year; and besides, no exam was yet formulated. David considered taking it to OWL alongside his NEWTs; if he could fit it in, which was really quite unlikely. He was glad to be able to take Geomancy as taught by Sirius, whilst Professor Lupin taught DADA. He was a good teacher too; and David felt himself lucky to have had such good teachers in the subject, each one with a different approach. He did not count the few weeks in which Dolores Umbridge had failed to teach; but had fond memories of Krait's approach as she took the junior classes until Sirius had been cleared and vindicated. Best however had been Padfoot, Scales and Moonie; it took a marauder to really teach how to defend against Dark Arts. Not that Professor Moody was not a good teacher; but ….just but.

David was of course taking Ellie to the Ball again; and she went in her own right this year. There would be comment about that; to take the same person two years running was tantamount to admitting to courtship. Not that David minded admitting it; he just hoped Ellie would not get any ill natured comments.

The only real comments were the gasps of horror when Abraxus led in Myrtle.

Myrtle's one real regret was that she was stuck in everyday attire and could not change into a ghostly gown; but she was smirking as Abraxus held her hand with his special spectral glove.

It quite stole the show; and even startled Professor Dumbledore into saying,

"Well, bless my soul!"

It had taken some nifty magic on Krait's part to stretch the boundaries of Myrtle's confinement; Myrtle being allowed free range in the school only in the case of a declared emergency, in order to help the other ghosts. Krait had been busy tracing all the drains that led under the Great Hall and checking how far from pipes Myrtle was allowed to be; and laying a piece of superfluous plumbing specifically to meet the requirements. Even so, Myrtle had only a limited range and could not approach the far corner; but it was enough that Abrax could take her at all.

Abraxus and Myrtle drifted into a dance as though quite oblivious of the stir they were causing. Myrtle was actually exultant. Enough of the children had been uncaring and even downright rude to her that she was enjoying them wondering if she could now escape her toilet to haunt them. Even more she was enjoying Abraxus' caring touch through the special gloves. He could not wear them all the time but had to take them off between dances; but that didn't matter.

"Next year we'll come to the ball properly" whispered Myrtle.

"And then I can kiss you properly" said Abrax "Instead of just blowing kisses to you."

Dumbledore spoke to Krait.

"That boy is going to get hurt; half a loaf is NOT better than no bread where love is concerned I'd say."

Krait looked at him thoughtfully.

"That's why we're building her a new body" she said.

"But my dear girl! Is that possible?"

"It worked for my repellent parent" said Krait "We have the ritual; Abrax will make a willing sacrifice. Her parents live still. We dug up her skeleton to build the rest on. Unicorn blood; Ffawkes donated some tears; my blood and the bloodgroup. It might not work but I'd say we had every chance of success of tying her soul back into a rebuilt body. Because she's a child. Wouldn't work with an adult I don't think. Want to come, Albus?"

"I most assuredly do, Krait my child. Well if you and Severus have worked out a ritual I have every hope it may work…. You must be prepared for it not pleasing the other ghosts though."

"I guess that's irrelevant; Abrax doesn't want to snog any of them" said Krait.

"Nevertheless, if I were you, I'd confide in Sir Edward and appeal to him over supporting Abrax as his descendant" suggested Dumbledore.

"Y'know, Albus, I reckon that's a really wise idea. Thank you" said Krait. She slid off to find the Bloody Baron – who avoided jollity as a general rule – to tell him about it.

She also laid on thick her duty to redress wrongs done by the pet of her ancestor Slytherin. Sir Edward was a stickler for duty.

Sir Edward was actually enthusiastic.

"Didn't ought to be child ghosts" he said "Poor little things! You do what you can; I'll come along and watch and do what I can. And if it doesn't work, well I'll see if I can't get through the veil with her, give her some company. Got nothing against Myrtle Carmichael; she isn't a fatuous fool like some of them."

By which he meant Nearly-Headless Nick of course.

Krait was pleased; if anyone could terrorise the other ghosts to stay out of it, it was Sir Edward!

Teague, who was holidaying in the castle over the holiday, received a visit from a solicitor from Ireland, who regretted to inform him that his uncle had been defrauding the estate.

"Sure, and couldn't I have told yu that ef yu'd only been ready tu listen tu me when the creep sent me off ter school" said Teague. "And isn't it lucky I am that this is a foine school and me happy here?"

"Er quite" said the solicitor "And isn't meself your only guardian now, Me Lord, and wishful tu know ef it's stayin' at school you're wishful t'du, and what ye'll be doin' ef so about the holidays."

"Sure and will ye not find me a good adult student that's needin' money fer old rope ter be there fer the long holidays, and him able ter study and me and any friends I bring home able ter get intu throuble without him needing to help?" said Teague.

"That.. er that might work" said the solicitor. "Very well; I shall see your headmaster about continuing to pay the fees and such extra as is required for the short holidays."

Teague was happy enough; he might be homesick for Ballyconny at times but he could learn far more with those who were residents of the castle to make up for having only barely enough magic to qualify to be here. And here too he might learn more about the fey for real not just in stories!