DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, AMONGST OTHER THINGS.
A/N: My take on the classic 'Harry is stranded someplace interesting and is forced to actually apply himself' fic. Um… like and subscribe? I mean Rate and Review! Please! I appreciate your positive feedback! I pay attention to your constructive criticism (key word: constrictive. It doesn't help if you don't tell me what I'm doing wrong.)! So please, please, please R&R!
PixelKind Entertainment presents...
THE LOST MARAUDER
featuring Harry Potter as Harry Potter
Hermione Granger as Hermione Granger
and A Piece of Parchment as The Marauders Map
PROLOGUE [CHAPTER 1]: One Hell of a Party
Harry Potter was worried about his friend. Not the whole 'Sirius Black wants to kill you' thing, or the Dementors, at least those gave you something to actually fight against. Friends, however…
He admitted that he had a severe disadvantage in that area, since Dudley had never let him have friends, but Harry knew that something was wrong with Hermione.
Over the course of the year, she had been looking more and more tired and stressed out, going to bed at midnight, getting up at four in the morning, studying, doing homework, and helping Hagrid prepare for Buckbeak's trial. Somehow finding a way to be at two classes at once. And she looked like she was about to break under the pressure.
Harry looked between the proffered chessboard and Ron's face and made a decision. "One moment," he said as he got up. "I've got to take care of something." He went up to his dorm and pulled out the Marauder's Map. Of course. Hermione was in the Library.
Harry stuffed the Map into his pocket and went back down to the common room.
"Where are you going, mate?" asked Ron as Harry walked by.
"I've got to do something in the Library real quick."
Ron shook his head. "Mental, that one," he muttered to Dean.
Harry's determination to do something only grew during his trek to the Library. When he finally made it there, he saw Hermione lying face down on her Muggle Studies book, amidst a pile of other books. He sighed and began putting everything in her bag.
Harry poked Hermione in the side to get her off the Muggle Studies Textbook. "Wha…" she muttered groggily as she straightened up. She saw Harry packing her bag and weakly muttered, "No, I need those…"
Harry looked at her. "No. You are overworking yourself, Hermione. You are going to go back to the common room and either sleep or play chess with Ron. No studying, no reading, no writing, just sleep or relax. I'm keeping a hold of this," he hefted her book bag, "for the rest of the day. Come get it back from me by the end of today. It is a weekend, woman! Get up, we're going now."
Hermione weakly protested, but got up anyway. She slowly revived as they made their way out of the Library. But when they passed the Magical Creatures section, disaster struck. A firstie had gotten their hands on a Monster Book of Monsters, and had tried to open it when it leapt out of their hands towards them. It felt like time slowed as Hermione leapt back and Harry dived for the book. A small hourglass on a golden chain swung out from under Hermione's robes. The Book latched on to the mysterious necklace. Harry touched the Book. A loud 'snap' rang out through the silent library, everyone turning to look just in time for the Monster Book and Harry, book bag and all, disappear with a loud crunch.
Hermione looked between the broken chain and the spot Harry had just disappeared from.
"Oh, Bugger."
oOoOoOoOo
Harry came to in a forest. A dark, magical, dangerous looking forest.
'Is this… the Forbidden Forest? I haven't been to this part yet. I'll need to find my way back. But wasn't the first step to 'wilderness survival' to take inventory of what I have?'
Harry realized he still had Hermione's book bag. He shrugged and counted what was in there too.
'so I have:
Wand (1x)
Marauder's Map (1x)
Book Bag (1x)
Parchment (Assorted length, totals about 6 feet)
Ink Bottle (2x)
Quills (3x)
'Monster Book of Monsters' (1x)
'Ancient Runes, A Beginner's Guide' (1x)
'Magical Mathematics: The Basics of Arithmancy' (1x)
'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3' (1x)
'1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi' (1x)
'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' (1x)
'A History of Magic' (1x)
'Hogwarts, A History' (1x)
Crushed Hourglass-looking thing (1x)'
Harry looked closely at the broken hourglass. The sand that had been in it was nowhere to be found. He shrugged and cast 'Tempus' absentmindedly. He checked it, stopped, then checked it again.
'Wha… 4,892 BC? Do I even want to know how that happened? What was even happening here then? Hogwarts is in Scotland, isn't it? I mean, was-will be? What will the Marauder's Map even show at this point?'
With minor trepidation, He pulled out the Map, and spoke the passphrase. The words 'The Marauder's Map, courtesy of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs' showed up, but nothing else did. Suddenly, even that disappeared, and new words began writing across the page.
Mister Moony would like to enquire as to what exactly was done to the map, to make the castle not show up.
Mister Padfoot would like to comment that if someone stole Hogwarts Castle, there is no way any of the Marauders could ever top that.
Mister Prongs finds himself asking why he never thought of that before, despite Mister Padfoot's implied slander against the Noble Order of the Marauders.
Mister Wormtail feels the need to reiterate Mister Moony's question before the discussion got too sidetracked.
Harry stared at the page in shock. The Map had the Marauders in it? He tapped the Map with his wand and spoke.
"Well, I have no idea what actually happened, but I woke up in 4,982 BC."
Mister Padfoot would like to say that that must have been one hell of a party.
Mister Wormtail commiserates with the troublemaker, having finally found someone with his bad luck.
Mister Prongs wonders how that even happens.
Mister Moony is curious as to whether a particular small golden hourglass played a part in the mysterious mischief-maker's current plight.
"As a matter of fact, there was. It was on a chain around my friend's neck, it got crushed by a book."
Messrs. Padfoot and Wormtail will now cede the floor to Mister Moony, as he seems to know something about the current problems.
Mister Prongs will follow suit, but felt the need to ask how precisely a necklace is crushed by a book.
Mister Moony would like to explain that the hourglass is probably a device known as a 'Time-Turner', which allows the user to travel back in time small amounts. Usually 6.8 thousand years is beyond the range of a normal Time-Turner, but powerful magical objects have a tendency to react spectacularly when broken.
"Well, to answer Mister Prongs' question, it was a Monster Book of Monsters. It is basically a biting textbook. And is there any way to get back to my normal Time?"
Mister Moony is sad to say that as far as he knows, there is not.
"Then, what do I do?"
Mister Moony would like to amend his previous statement and say that there is no way to get back, yet.
"Yet?"
Mister Padfoot would like to clarify that Mister Moony is suggesting that the mysterious mischief-maker build his own time machine.
Harry stared at the map for a minute.
Mister Prongs would like to say that manipulating the space-time continuum to get out of prehistoric Scotland would be the best prank ever, and as such wants in.
"But… I'm a third year…"
Mister Wormtail would like to side with the mischief-maker in that the construction of a time machine is beyond the abilities of the Marauders and the mischief maker.
Mister Moony feels the need to ask what items the third-year troublemaker has on him.
Harry relayed his list of stuff.
Mister Moony feels that it is, in fact, a hopeless endeavor.
Mister Prongs must ask when that had ever stopped the Marauders.
Mister Moony cedes to Mister Prongs' point, and also feels the need to mention that if it isn't done, the Map will be stuck in Prehistoric Scotland and not in the hands of other aspiring pranksters.
Mister Padfoot would like to call for a formal vote.
Mister Moony votes yes.
Mister Prongs votes yes.
Mister Wormtail would like to abstain, for the sake of being able to say 'I told you so' when we get torn apart and scattered across the universe.
Mister Padfoot votes yes, and declares the motion passed.
"So, I don't get a vote?"
Mister Moony would like to point out that not only would the motion have been passed anyways, but also that the troublemaker doesn't really have any other options.
"Fair enough. So, where do we start?"