Carry On

By: Teenlaunch

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing if I owned it.

a/n: Honestly, I lost track this time. I don't remember when this one was due. Anyway, I'm going on a trip for a week and won't be able to post this myself. It'll be my beta. So, if anything weird happens, it's all her fault! (Hehe, just kidding.) Please be kind if she forgets something. It's easy to do. Alright, so, here's chapter 13. Read and review!

b/n: So… yeah. Don't shoot me if I screw something up. I've never done this before!! Read, review, and enjoy! -- Jellyhead

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"Finally! Hogsmeade again," Sirius sighed, looking around at the store windows in interest.

James put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "You can practically smell the mischief just waiting to be dug up!" He took a long whiff and coughed. "Ugh, something around here reeks."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Where are we going?"

"Zonko's first," Sirius said.

"Then Honeyduke's," Peter piped quickly.

"Then the bookstore: Aroman's A-Z. They carry everything from newspapers to muggle books, videos, and cassettes, not counting every book in the wizarding world! They're wonderful!" Remus sighed, eyes glazed.

"Warning: walking billboard," Sirius snickered. Remus shoved him playfully.

"After we tear ourselves from the riveting pages of whatever book we may find," James said, rolling his eyes, "we're going to the Three Broomsticks to warm up a bit."

"Right. Let's go!" Sirius grabbed Remus's arm and dragged him down the road.

Zonko's was packed. Harry was continuously bumped and had to physically stop a few displays from toppling over on top of him. Miraculously, the Marauders were in and out in less than five minutes. Apparently, the shop owner thought getting them out first would alleviate some worry. Harry was then dragged into the even more crowded Honeyduke's where the Marauders tried to buy out the entire store. Harry watched in amusement as Remus took an armload of chocolate to the counter. Seemed like werewolves were immune to the chocolate poisoning superstition. Harry joined him and bought five pounds of chocolate to give Lupin later.

Remus whooped when they reached the bookstore. As the others branched out inside, especially focusing on Charms and other various "pranking" books, Harry ventured to the back of the shop. Someone had once told him that was the place to go if you wanted to find the best books, though he couldn't remember who. He glanced at the titles without really taking anything in. Something suddenly fell on his head. He looked around for what had hit him, cursing loudly, causing someone a few rows over to yell, "Shush up!"

"Why don't you?" Harry yelled back, irritated. He bent down and picked up a thick book. It was old and dusty with rust-colored pages and a peeling black cover. As soon as he picked it up, the book repaired itself and a cloud of dust sprouted from its pages. Harry just blinked and brushed the remaining dust off its front and searched for a title. It had none. Harry frowned.

A sudden noise behind him made Harry start. An old wizard was standing there, watching him. He was slightly shorter than Harry and had a neatly trimmed beard. Behind his thin wire glasses, his eyes seemed to protrude from his face. His small mouth was set in a firm line. "You!" His voice was crisp for such a frail-looking man. "Don't touch that! We're saving it!" The man reached out to take it from Harry, but Harry retreated slightly and pressed the book to his chest, unsure why he was protecting it.

"Why? Who's it for? What's it about?"

"Never you mind! This book is off limits! It's been here for generations, bestowed upon my family by Godric Gryffindor until he comes. We must keep it safe from the Dark Lord."

"Why would Voldemort want this book?" He ignored the little man's flinch. "It doesn't have a title or an author."

"It is updated regularly." The little man was getting flustered now. "A complex web of spells by the Founders themselves, that keep it current." Harry opened the book, curious. The wizard laughed, his eyes crinkling in satisfaction. "Don't bother. The pages are blank. No one can read it."

Harry looked up at him in confusion. "Then why can I?"

The man's eyes grew even bigger. "You can read it, young sir?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, perfectly. Should I not be able to?"

The man giggled faintly, staring at Harry in a new light. "So, you've come at last. You were searching for it, and it came to you."

Harry closed the book with a snap. "I was not looking for it! It fell on my head! All I want are some books on werewolves, animagi, and-"

"Wandless magic?"

Harry gaped. "How did you know that?"

"Because you are the Chosen One, the one Gryffindor saw in his dreams! To my forefather, many centuries ago, he said: 'Pass this among your generations until the one with fire in his eyes and lightning on his brow is thrown into his past seeking the answers to his future. He will yearn to resolve the mystery of wandless magic. You will impart this book to him. No one may read it but he, the Chosen One of the dark times which lie ahead. Take caution, for if you betray him, great misfortune shall befall you from his hands.'

"My ancestor answered thus: 'How shall I know him but by the fire in his eyes and the lightning on his brow?'

"Lord Gryffindor responded simply: 'Have him read this passage from the first page.'"

Harry waited for it but the wizard just stared at him. "Well? What was it?"

The wizard smiled. "Read, Chosen One. Read it for me."

Harry opened to the first page, ignoring the hated name, and read. "Wandless magic is rare in the trained witch or wizard. It relies on physical strength, power of mind, emotions, and magical reserves. If the wizard does not possess each of these, he will surely fail in his search for wandless magic. There is one man who will become one of the greatest wizards of all time. He will be strong, but not invincible. He will be wise and intelligent, cunning and sly, loyal and kind, brave and noble. For this he is made the heir to the Founders, four in one. He will grow in his knowledge of wandless magic, and will eventually have no need for a wand if he so wishes. When you read this book, Chosen One, you will learn what it means to be the Founders' heir.

"The Chosen One has arrived."

The odd little wizard smiled broadly at Harry's stunned face. "The book is yours. No price. What else did you seek?"

Harry stared at him in shock. "This is the kind of information I've been scrounging Hogwarts for! And you've had it here all along?" The little man nodded. Harry grumbled. "Alright, fine, fine. I need a book on werewolves and animagi."

"Breaking some rules?" The little man asked as he summoned a ladder, still smiling.

Harry smirked. "More like bending. Not breaking." Harry glanced around. "I need the best you've got. I don't care if I have to order it from Antarctica! I need them fast."

The old man smiled. "A noble reason?" Harry bit his lip. The man already knew too much. "For a friend?" Harry nodded, a smile tugging at his mouth. The man's grin grew. He started up the ladder and came down again with two books under his arm. He handed them to Harry. "I gave that exact same book to a boy who looks much like you. He also said he was helping a friend. I have kept his secret, and I shall keep yours. We should not document these purchases where the Ministry might reference them." He held out his hand. "I require 30 galleons, for those two."

Harry drew the money out of his pocket where he kept his moneybag (the one that drew directly from his vault back home), and passed it to him. He carefully shrank the books and slipped them into his pocket. He turned to go but stopped. "Sir?" Harry turned back to the old man. "How old was the boy when you gave him that book on animagi?"

"Fourteen, I believe."

"Thank you." Harry made his way out of the shop. He spotted Sirius on his way. "I'm done. I'll be outside." Sirius nodded. He was engrossed in Pranking a Prankster.

Harry sat down on the bench outside. He groaned. What other surprises now lurked in this book? How many headaches would he endure? And what about the animagus book? If it was true this book had been purchased by his father at fourteen, then he should be able to become an animagus in less than a month, or so he hoped. "My life is so messed up," Harry groaned.

"So it would seem."

Harry froze. He stood and turned slowly. A small black snake was coiled just behind the bench. It slowly inched forward. Harry tried not to alarm it with any sudden movements. It reared carefully until it reached Harry's knees. "Who are you? And how is it you understood me?" Harry asked.

"Man-child speaks the noble language!" It hissed in pleasure. "We are not nearly so dumb as to not understand some of your language." It looked him up and down then seemed to sigh. "I have no name, snake-child. I am a harmless garden snake." It paused. "Well, do fangs count as harmless?"

"Probably not. Why are you here?"

"I have always lived here. I was surprised when you understood me."

"Isn't everyone?"

The snake gave an odd laugh. "Yes."

Harry paused. "You wouldn't happen to know if there's a really big, black snake named Nagini around, would you?"

The snake cocked his head. "Nagini? That name sounds familiar. But I cannot say. I am sorry, snake-speaker."

"No need to be."

The snake froze and sank to the ground, coiling at Harry's feet."Someone is coming."

Harry turned around. The Marauders were standing behind him. "Oh, hi." Peter smiled and took a step forward. They hadn't seen the snake. It launched at him and Harry cried out. "No, you mustn't hurt him!"

The snake swerved and looked up at him. It seemed to glare at him. "You fight your instincts. You wanted me to bite him."

Harry growled. "Go. We are through here for now." The snake slithered away without another word. Harry looked up at the Marauders, all of whom were staring at him looking stunned. Harry smiled, trying to divert their attention. "So, who's ready to go?"

Sirius gaped then snapped his mouth shut. "I…sure, let's go."

Harry had only taken a few steps when he thought better of it, noticing the poorly hidden repugnance on their faces. "Hey, you guys go on. I'm going up to school. I have some work to do. See you."

They parted and the Marauders walked to the Three Broomsticks in silence. They ordered their drinks and sat at a table near the back where they shared a confused look. Peter whimpered, terror etched on his face. "Is no one else scared for their life, or at least completely freaked out?"

Sirius giggled softly. "No, just really, really, really, really, really, really weirded out."

James nodded. "Right with you, Padfoot."

"Same thing," Peter muttered.

"Well," Remus gulped down some butterbeer, drawing their attention, "now we know why he was staring so intently at it as we came out."

"Yeah." Sirius laughed again. "I never would have guessed he was a Parselmouth." Sirius shivered. "That's like the freakiest ability in the world!"

Peter gulped. "He's a dark wizard! He has to be! Besides, he's really secretive."

"And he's been doing a lot of research as well as snooping," James murmured as a small group of Ravenclaws walked past.

"Really obscure things, too." Sirius held up his hand and started ticking them off on his fingers, his favorite thing to do when proving a point. "Werewolves, animagi, wandless magic, and now he's a Parselmouth!" Sirius grumbled under his breath, rubbing his eyes.

"Are you saying," Remus interjected quietly, "that Harry is responsible for his ability to speak Parseltongue? I believe you all know someone with a similar situation."

The others gave him a bewildered look, but comprehension dawned slowly over each face. "Moony, no, we didn't mean…" James reached to put a hand on his friend's shoulder but Remus leaned back, out of his reach.

"No, Prongs! It's the same concept. He's even less responsible! He was born with it. I was bitten." Remus took another swig of butterbeer, his face darkening. "Think about what you're saying! If that's the case, then you should think I'm evil. It's only logical."

Sirius slammed his fist on the table making Peter jump. "Shut up, Moony! And screw logic while you're at it! Don't accuse us of jumping to conclusions! You've done it too! I've seen the looks you give him!" Sirius snarled, his hand tightening on his mug. "You know something's up and you haven't told us anything. Are you trying to protect him?"

"No! I'm just saying-"

"Every Parselmouth in history has turned out evil. Why should he be any different?"

"Ever wonder if the reason they were evil was because they were ridiculed?" Remus snapped.

"That is irrelevant to this conversation!" Sirius barked, sounding very much like an enraged dog.

"It isn't irrelevant! It's the whole point!"

"Just wake up already! We are talking about the darkest ability in the history of wizarding kind, and still you have the nerve to say we are being judgmental!"

"You're being close-minded! If you would just think for a second-"

"You're both being stupid! Now shut up before I make you!" James hissed, glancing around. The entire pub had gone silent. Remus and Sirius sat back, both seething but becoming quiet. They glared at each other in a silent battle of wills for a few minutes. James sighed. "You both have very valid points. We can't decide if he's a dark wizard yet. We need more information. Remus?"

"What?" he snapped.

"Could you do some investigating? He's less likely to catch on if it's you."

Remus ran a hand over his face, relenting. "I guess it's the best choice we have. Besides that, I can make a list of the things we know about him, and those we don't. You'll know when I'm done."

"How?"

"When Moony starts digging…"

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Harry avoided Lupin as best he could after telling him the slip-up. Lupin kept sending him worried glances. Harry knew why. Remus had been unnaturally quiet with him. The snake incident had been enough to set him wondering. The other Marauders acted no different. But Lupin was obviously extremely worried that his younger self would find something of interest. To get his mind off the Marauders, Harry had given Lupin his chocolate. It had been quite funny, but unfortunately Remus had been present. It only made Remus frown and scribble something on a piece of paper. Something was going to happen between himself and the Marauders, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be good. They had been slowing distancing themselves from him, but not to the extent that it was noticeable to anyone but Harry or Lupin.

Harry didn't mind too much though. He had been making superb progress on the animagus transformations. Other than the book he had bought, it turned out that the Marauders had kept perfect track of their own progress. He had found the book when it had appeared in front of him in the Room of Requirement. They had written everything down. What didn't work and what did, what everything should look like at a certain stage. Inside the front cover they had written that the book was 'to help speed young troublemakers on their way without making the many mistakes we have in this endeavor.' With their help he could get nothing wrong. They had even included diagrams of potions ingredients and how to prepare them.

Harry also found the book from Gryffindor to be very up-to-date, just as the old wizard had said. He would find himself thinking of passages in the book while in lessons, often accidentally writing something he had been thinking about. Harry's new knowledge of wandless magic drove him to practice in the halls, during class, while studying in the common room, and when he was supposed to be asleep.

He was lazily making Peter's book turn to random pages when the bell rang and Lupin called him into his office.

Harry yawned and sat down on Lupin's desk. "What is it?"

"You!" Lupin snapped. It was close to the full moon and the stress was starting to get to him. "What are you doing? Why are you researching all this stuff? You aren't going to get into trouble, are you?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, not commenting on his unusual behavior. "Why would you think that?"

Lupin put his face inches from Harry's, so that Harry had to lean back and grab onto the desk to keep from falling off. "Might I remind you of your name, Harry, or perhaps your heritage? Maybe your story? What about all the times you've gotten into trouble? You are the son of a Marauder. That's enough reason to think you're going to do something rash. Now, let me ask again. Why have you been researching such questionable topics? I signed that note to the restricted section with every ounce of trust I possess for you in the ink."

"So, technically, I'm not going against any rules."

"Yet!" Lupin exclaimed. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Not really," Harry muttered, shuffling his feet.

Lupin's eyes softened. "Harry, you can trust me. You know that. Why is it you're scared to talk to me? Am I that terrifying?"

"No! I mean…I just…I'm not sure…I know how you work, that's all."

Lupin sighed. "Harry, I can help. Please…"

Harry bit his lip and mumbled a response. "I doubt you could."

Lupin raised an eyebrow, now extremely curious. "Why is that?"

"Only Sirius, James, or Peter could help."

Lupin frowned and knelt down so Harry had to look at him. "Why?"

"Just trust me. I can do it. And I bet I'll have it done in two months."

"Harry, what-"

Harry stood up, cutting him off. "I'll see you later. I have things to do."

Harry sprinted out of the room, ignoring Lupin's calls. He had a feeling Lupin had a good idea what he was planning. He just didn't want to get him involved, for a couple reasons. If Harry was caught, he didn't need Lupin dragged into it. What he was doing was illegal after all. He also didn't want Lupin to worry too much, though he knew that was a bit much to ask. The man was always worrying over something.

Harry couldn't say the same about Lupin's young counterpart. Remus didn't seem to have a care in the world, unless it pertained to four areas: homework, pranks, Sirius and James, or Harry.

Harry sat down in the common room, glad to have escaped Lupin, and pulled his potions essay to him. He was only at it a few minutes before Remus plopped down beside him. Harry looked up and murmured a quick, "Hey," before focusing again.

"Hey, Harry. Sorry to bother you, but I haven't really asked you how you've been doing since you started here. Is the workload anything like you're used to? You know, you've never said where you went to school."

Harry didn't look up. "The workload's about the same. I went to a school up in Canada. It was just outside Rosetown."

"Really? Did your parents send you there?"

"No. I told you, my parents are dead and my guardians are less than friendly toward magic, so, I was drafted, sort of."

"Oh." Remus paused, processing the information. "What were your parents' names?"

Harry froze, his mind going into overdrive. "I…don't remember." He scrambled to put names together. "I think it was Arthur Granger and Marie Dursley Granger. I don't remember them much. Why?"

"No reason." Remus gave him a small smile. "I'm going on up to bed. I haven't been sleeping well." Remus started up the stairs, stopping briefly to talk to Frank.

"Good night," Harry called.

Remus nodded back and walked calmly up the stairs. He closed the dormitory door and was immediately bombarded by the others. James whistled to get their attention. "Alright, let him talk. So, Moony, have you got that list yet?"

Remus nodded and drew out a notebook. "I have a whole lot of information on him, and most of it doesn't add up."

"Read it to us." Peter yawned.

"Yeah! Story time, Moony!" Sirius laughed, bouncing on his bed like an excited toddler.

"Well, let's see," Remus sat down on his bed. "Name: Harry James Times, and he was reluctant to tell us his middle name. Parents: Arthur Granger and Marie Dursley Granger."

There was knock on the door. Frank poked his head inside. "I checked the entire globe, Remus. No record of any Grangers or Dursleys, not even squibs."

"Thanks, Frank." As Frank left, Remus scribbled on his paper. "And he says he's a half-blood, but I think he's full. And there's no record of his 'parents'. He just appeared." He turned the page. "I also think it's funny that he can't seem to get it straight where he's lived, went to school, and whether his parents are alive or not. He told Lily that he was home schooled because his parents traveled. But he told us that his parents died, but, I think he worded it so he fooled the ring and the charm. I think he considers them dead, because he was disowned or something. Or maybe he's trying to get us to stop looking into his heritage, that way we won't find out if his parents are Death Eaters or something like that."

"Good point, Moony." James muttered, "So, you think his parents being dead is a cover story so no one finds out his parents are dark?"

"Yes. See, he told me he went to school in Canada. There is only one wizarding school in Canada, over near Alaska. There's another lie. He was definitely home schooled, which means he somehow tricked my charm on that answer, maybe on all the questions. I never said that charm was foolproof."

"And we were the fools."

Sirius nodded. "Don't forget, he knew my birthday, the room, the Place!" Sirius lay on his side. "I mean, that's a bit scary. He knows too much for a transfer student."

"I didn't tell you that he knows about the passageway to Honeyduke's, did I?" Remus asked.

James's head shot up. "What?"

"Yeah. We literally bumped into each other. He was trying to run from me when he fell down the stairs and got that helmet stuck on his head."

"So, he ran from you?" James asked, eyes narrowing.

"Yes."

"You don't run unless you have something to hide."

"I know. And, technically, he ran from us after the snake episode too."

"True. Well, that settles it." James sat up. "We're going to investigate for a couple more days then make our final decision."

"Good! The sooner the better," Sirius said adamantly.

"Here we go," Peter sighed.

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Ecclesiastes 10:11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.