Title: What Do You Think?
Summary in the first chapter.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. Also, the italicized words are directly from the book.
Sorry for the long wait, I was… not really doing anything. I have no excuses. So anyway… how have you been?
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"And in the next moment, he was out in the dark, quiet street, heaving his heavy trunk behind him, Hedwig's cage under his arm."
"Well, that's the end of chapter two," Lily announced, putting down the book.
"Wow! Harry just blew up his aunt! That's an amazing way to get back at someone. Sirius, we've got to try that trick on…" James began, but seeing disapproving looks from Lily and Remus finished, "…nobody. We shouldn't try that on anybody. Sirius, I can't believe you would suggest such a horrible thing."
"What can I say? Ideas just pop into my head and I decide to share them," Sirius replied sarcastically.
"We've noticed," Remus said.
Sensing a possibility of an argument, Lily intervened, "I'm a little concerned for Harry, though. He's done magic while he's still underage and he's already received a warning. Plus, he ran away and doesn't know where to go."
"Well, it was a good thing that he ran away. If he hadn't, he might have blown up the rest of the Dursley's," Remus pointed out.
"Oh, I wish he had stayed. That would have been fun. Also, I don't think they'll punish him for accidental magic," James stated with confidence.
"Alright fine," Lily conceded, "But where's he going to go?"
"Leaky Cauldron?" Sirius suggested. "That's where I would go when I felt I needed some time away from my parents."
"How is he going to get there?"
"Knight Bus, of course," James said as if it were obvious.
"He doesn't know about the Knight Bus."
"Well then he'll have a pretty interesting night, won't he?"
"Yes, and how about we find out about it?" Remus asked trying to get back to the book.
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"Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus."
"Ha," James bragged to Lily. Then, wanting to get back to the story, fell silent, which rarely ever happened.
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"There was a big black thing," said Harry, pointing uncertainly into the gap. "Like a dog… but massive…"
"Sirius is that you?" James asked.
"Are you calling me massive?" Sirius asked, offended.
"Yeah, I am. And that's not just in your dog form."
Before he replied, Sirius took a look at himself and, reassured, said, "I'm not massive, maybe muscular, but that's completely different."
"Sure you're not, Sirius. Sure you're not."
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"… the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron."
"Told you he would go there," Sirius said.
"You got lucky, Black," Lily replied, shocked that both James and Sirius knew the answers that she didn't.
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(After reading the description of the Firebolt in the Quality Quidditch Supplies' store.)
"I want that broom," James said immediately. "I want it now. I don't care if I have to empty my vault for it. Mine is nothing like that. 150 miles an hour in ten seconds. I could really use that for quidditch."
"You might actually have to empty your vault…Price on request," Remus pointed out.
"I don't care. I want one now."
"You do realize you can't have one, even if you were stupid enough to spend all your gold on it. It's made in the future," Sirius explained.
"We'll just have to build something to bring us to the future long enough to buy one. Sirius, you can test it when it's built."
"Thank you so much for volunteering me to put my life in danger for your obsessions."
"No problem," James said, rereading the description of the Firebolt and imagining he were flying on one, even though he had no idea what it looked like.
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(Mrs. Weasley talking to Fred and George)
"I notice they haven't made you prefects."
"I like Fred and George more and more by the second," James said.
"I can't imagine why," Remus replied sarcastically.
"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."
"My point exactly," Sirius agreed.
Ginny giggled.
"You want to set a better example for you sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.
"No he doesn't," James corrected.
"Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy loftily.
"I hope he's talking about someone else," Sirius interrupted.
"I'm going up to change for dinner…"
He disappeared and George heaved a sigh.
"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But Mum spotted us."
After at least five minutes of laughter by Sirius and James, Lily finally said, "Well, that's not very nice."
"Yeah, but it's the best prank I've ever heard of," James commented.
"But what if they had succeeded?"
"Well they would have gotten him out…eventually."
"They wouldn't have let him stay in there longer than a few days," Sirius agreed. "Now that would be mean."
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(Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking privately in the Leaky Cauldron)
"I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!"
"Why does Harry need to be on his guard?" James asked, alarmed.
"You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves- they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice!
"What's his point?" Sirius asked, confused. "We've done that loads of times."
But Harry mustn't do that this year!
"Why not?"
When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."
"Well, let's hope that doesn't happen," Remus said, shocked at how the conversation was turning out.
"Who's trying to kill my son?" Lily asked, panicking.
"But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point-"
"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad,
"Wait, why are they talking about me?" Sirius asked.
"I guess because you're in the news for the murders," Remus suggested.
"I'm not denying that I'm worthy of being talked about. That much is sure. But what do I have to do with Harry?"
"How about we stop talking and find out?"
"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry-"
"I'm not after Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, surprised that anybody would think that. "Why would I want Harry?"
"Black is deranged,
"That's for sure," Remus agreed.
Molly, and he wants Harry dead."
"No I don't! I want him very much alive. Breathing and everything."
"Well, breathing is pretty important," Remus remarked.
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The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray.
"That sounds a lot like Moony," Sirius observed. "Especially after one of his monthly outings."
"What 'monthly outings'?" Lily asked.
"Nothing," Remus replied quickly.
"I wonder who it is," James said.
"Professor R. J. Lupin."
"It is Remus," Sirius exclaimed. "Wait, you're a professor?"
"Wouldn't you know if I was sneaking off during classes to go teach a different subject?"
"But then why does it say that you're a professor?"
"I guess I am when Harry is in school."
"But I thought you were the one who told me that this doesn't exist and Harry can't be my son," James said. "Now you think it's real just because your name is mentioned?"
"I could've been wrong," Remus admitted, defeated.
"Wonder what he teaches?"
"So do we, Ron." Sirius agreed.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Wow. I can't imagine Moony teaching a bunch of students the ways to defend against the dark arts. I always assumed he would be minister of magic or something," Sirius remarked.
"Why? Just because I'm smarter than you?"
"No. Just because you study."
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He hardly heard what Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals).
"Harry, you should learn about Animagi," James said to the book.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"… Because they're important," James lied, trying to fix his mistake.
"Yeah, maybe he'll need to know about them in the future," Sirius helped.
"Why would he need to know about Animagi?"
"Why are you so against Harry learning?" James countered. "I thought you'd be happy I want our son to listen in class."
"I am happy. I'm just surprised."
"So am I," Sirius agreed, looking like James had betrayed him for wanting Harry to learn, especially in McGonagall's class.
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(Ron angry after Potions)
"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right!"
"It's all right, Ron," James said, "We lose all kinds of points for Gryffindor."
"Yeah, we lost fifty just yesterday," Sirius added.
"Really, that much?" Lily asked. She had known they lost a lot of points, but had never imagined it was fifty every day.
"And that was a good day," Remus commented.
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(Professor Lupin's first class)
"Today's will be a practical lesson."
"At least Lupin's a good teacher," James said, relieved. "Most teachers just make you write endless papers on useless information. Maybe Moony will actually teach something."
"Yeah, I wish our Defense teacher was that good," Sirius agreed.
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(Lupin facing a boggart)
"Then they saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin…"
"Remus, why is a silvery-white orb your worst fear?" Lily asked.
"It's a crystal ball," James lied. "Lupin's dreadfully afraid of Divination. He could barely stand it. He cried himself to sleep for weeks after the first lesson."
"Thanks a lot, Prongs, you're a huge help," Remus sarcastically replied.
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"Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts to summarize it for me…to be handed in on Monday."
"I guess I spoke too soon about Moony being a great teacher," James admitted.
"I can't just not give them homework, James."
"Couldn't you at least not give it to Harry, Ron, and Hermione?"
"With what excuse?"
"Harry being your friend's son."
"I don't think that would work, Prongs. Sorry."
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(Ron guessing what Hermione's fear is)
"What would it have been for you?" said Ron, sniggering. "A piece of homework that you only got nine out of ten?"
Everyone laughed.
"He may be joking," James said, "but it's probably true."
"That's not nice, Potter," Lily scolded. "Just because she's smart doesn't mean that's all she fears."
"Yes, it does."
"So, anyway," said Remus loudly, interrupting their argument, "that was the end of the seventh chapter. I think we should take a break and get some lunch in the Great Hall. We've almost missed it."
"Yeah, I'm starving," agreed Sirius, rubbing his stomach. "I thought I'd die of hunger."
"But Padfoot, you had a really big breakfast," James pointed out.
"So?"
"Nothing. Let's just go."
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A/N: That, of course, was only part of the third book. The rest will be in different chapters.