Ravon : I am SO sorry about the wait, family emergencies and starting school really took up my time. That and I had writers block for a month which didn't help Well, anyways, enjoy! =)

Many thanks to my beta for sticking by me even though I haven't updated in 8 months. *hugs* =D

Disclaimer - I do not own the Harry Potter characters! They all belong to JK Rowling!

This story is taking place in late April, 1976.

James – 16 (March 27th, 1960) 5th Year, Gryffindor

Sirius – 16 (September 15th, 1959) 5th Year, Gryffindor

Remus – 16 (March 10th, 1960) 5th Year, Gryffindor

Peter – 15 (August 23rd, 1960) 5th Year, Gryffindor

Severus – 16 (January 9th, 1960) 5th Year, Slytherin

Lily – 16 (January 30th, 1960) 5th Year, Gryffindor

Kristin – 33 (October 2nd, 1961) Younger Self currently in 3rd year - Time Traveled from July, 1995

Sophie – 33 (April 25th, 1962) Younger Self currently in 3rd year – Time Traveled from July, 1995

~~~~~~~~~James~~~Sirius~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~Remus~~~~~~~~Peter~~~~~~

~~~~~~Sophie~~~~~~~~~Lily~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~Kristin~~Severus~~~~~~~

Latest Voting Results

Who should Remus be with?

A.) Sophie - 6

B.) Tonks - 13

C.) Sirius – 6

Chapter 11: Dark Mark and Mysteries

There was silence in the room as everyone digested the bombshell that had just been dropped.

"You have a daughter?" Sirius exclaimed incredulously.

Lily smiled at the thought of a small child while the marauders stared at Kristin like she had grown a second head. Kristin watched their expressions, wondering why it was so surprising.

"Well I am a female so having children IS possible." She replied, amused.

"Not the point, here," James cut-in, still looking shocked. "You look too young to have children. What is she like?"

Sophie answered that. "She is very sweet, and spends most of her time reading potion books and practicing them with Kristin."

Severus was looking at Kristin with a piercing stare that made Kristin feel very nervous. He was aware that she knew his future-self, but the fact that her daughter had the same name as his mother's…

Peter was wondering what his master would think of this new information when Sophie suddenly turned to glare at him. He immediately put on a look of excitement as Remus picked the book for further reading.

"Well, let's continue, shall we?"

"Do we have to?" Severus muttered, still sour about the previous chapter.

Kristin smirked.

Chapter Eight: The Midnight Duel

Lily groaned. "Potter, I am going to kill you if he gets caught by Filch."

James and Sirius traded equal looks of nervousness.

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.

"Ouch, and I thought a Malfoy finally had competition."

Kristin rolled her eyes.

Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much.

"Good riddance."

"Please don't tell me you guys are going to say something every other sentence." Sophie pleaded. Severus sighed and prepared for a long chapter.

Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

"Since when do Potter's make fools of themselves?"

"I think you mean: "when don't they make fools of themselves?"

"That was mean, Kristin." Sophie said, laughing.

Kristin raised an eyebrow. "If I was mean for saying it, what does that make you since you're laughing at it?"

Lily and Remus started sniggering.

"All you people are mean," James pouted.

He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

"Who doesn't?"

"Sophie," Kristin said, instantly getting a glare from the other woman.

"I still blame you for that."

"And I keep telling you that had you been watching what you were doing, you wouldn't have fallen," Kristin retorted, starting to laugh.

Sophie was glaring at her. "You flew right past me, almost hitting me in the head, and you did it on purpose!"

As Kristin continued to laugh, James and Sirius exchanged grins. Remus glared at them.

"You too?" Sophie asked Remus, who nodded.

"May we continue?" Severus asked, shaking his head at them.

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

"No, it's not," Remus said, sighing softly.

"Indeed, Lucius can fly really well, and I have no doubt he would have taught his son how to fly at a very early age." Severus agreed.

Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.

"Malfoy doesn't even know what a helicopter is," Sophie said, snorting.

He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom.

Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly.

"Ha! Maybe that's why Slytherin didn't want muggle-borns here-because they weren't quidditch fans!"

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone stared incredulously at Sirius. A second later, an empty popcorn bowl hit him right in the face. James and Remus laughed as he fell off his bean bag from the contact.

Kristin was glaring at him. "I don't want to hear that kind of crap coming out of your mouth ever again," she said coldly.

"Please continue," Lily said, pleadingly.

Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly.

"Don't ask," Kristin growled, as James and Sirius opened their mouths. They shut them with a pout.

Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was.

James and Sirius both suddenly got evil grins on their faces.

"Uh-oh," Sophie muttered, staring at them.

"Oh, Merlin, I hope she makes a fool of herself!" Sirius exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.

"Sirius, that isn't very nice," Kristin said, frowning at him.

"1 Galleon on the prediction that she will try to learn how to fly from a book."

"No one is stupid enough to take that bet, Remus."

This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book — not that she hadn't tried.

Remus sulked as the others laughed.

"Could have made some easy galleons there…"

At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages.

"I think that was the only time she ever read a Quidditch book," Kristin said, sniggering.

Sophie smirked. "Not like there weren't others who tried to make her read more of them though."

Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.

"I'll bet."

Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.

"Typical Malfoy," Peter said while the others shook their heads.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"Oooh, nice, a Rememberall," Sophie said, approvingly. !

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things — this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red — oh…" His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "… you've forgotten something…"

"So does it turn red -?"

"- or does it turn scarlet?"

Lily threw popcorn at both James and Sirius, while Remus shook his head at them.

"Potter, Black, shut up." Severus growled.

Kristin was also about to comment, but Remus started reading again.

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

"Evil git."

"We know, Black."

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?"

"What do you think?"

"Be nice, James," Lily cut-in.

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

"My arse, he was just looking!"

"Must you reply at everything, Black?" Severus asked, looking annoyed.

"Don't," Kristin growled at Sirius, who pouted as he was about to make a retort.

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

"Boring!" James said, faking a yawn. Severus glared at him.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

James, Sirius, and even Kristin winced at this.

"I'm no Quidditch fanatic, but that is really bad, they need new brooms." Sophie said, looking surprised.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

Sophie looked at Kristin.

"Animagus?"

"Not sure…"

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say "Up!""

"UP" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did.

"Very nice!" Sirius exclaimed proudly.

"Were you expecting anything less?" James asked, grinning.

No one noticed Kristin wince slightly.

Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

Sophie looked at Kristin worriedly as she watched her hand clench her right arm tightly.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.

"HA!" James and Sirius broke out in laughter.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three — two —"

Kristin let out a strangled gasp, getting the attention of everyone as they all stared at her. Sophie paled, realizing what was happening.

"What's going on?" Remus asked, bewildered.

Severus and Peter were looking at Kristin with dawning realization. Lily ran towards her.

"Are you alright?" She asked, trying to figure out what was wrong, as Kristin was clutching her right arm so tight that her knuckles turned white.

"Sophie," she gasped, staring hard at the necklace encircling her arm. "The portal, Sophie…"

Sophie nodded, and was about to make her own portal with her necklace, when she noticed another portal already being formed from Kristin's.

Bewildered, six pair of eyes followed the growing shape coming out of Kristin's necklace. Sophie reached out to close the portal, but wasn't on time. Bearing the words Hogwarts Potions Classroom, it had already opened wide enough for an older McGonagall to come in. She looked around and spotted Kristin, who was now unsuccessfully trying to stand.

"My, Merlin Severus was right," they heard her mutter and she helped Kristin get into the portal. The Transfiguration Professor whispered a few words to Sophie, who nodded and closed the portal behind them.

There was a split second of silence before the marauders broke it.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Is she ok?"

"Why was her arm hurting like that?"

Sophie winced at all the questions.

"Ok, I'll explain, you guys… just PLEASE calm down."

They all nodded, and Lily looked relieved. Seeing Kristin in so much pain had scared her.

Sophie sighed, trying to remember the cover Kristin had told her to use. "Kristin's right arm was badly broken and shattered by Voldemort (Severus, Peter and Lily all winced) a few years ago. Madam Pomfrey was never able to heal it properly, so sometimes she can experience pain spasms in that arm, and there are times when the bones twist, simply by doing day to day activity."

The marauders looked shocked but Lily narrowed her eyes. Kristin's arm had not twitched at all when the pain had hit.

"Kristin was told not to use magic with her right arm, but she is just like Severus when being told what to do by the nurse." Sophie smiled, unable to help the one reference. Severus scowled while Lily laughed, and the tension eased slightly.

Sophie suddenly felt a tugging at her mind, and her eyes shot to Severus, but before she could do anything, she felt a memory of Kristin and Severus both being summoned at an earlier point in the year drifting to the front of her mind. Cursing, she shoved it back, but not before Severus saw both of them grab their right arms instead of their left ones. His eyes widened in realization of the fact that the whole story Sophie had told them was bull. It was an elaborate story used to cover up when she was summoned.

"Anyway, don't worry about her, she will be fine." Sophie reassured the others, trying not to look like her mind was just invaded.

As they tried to get comfortable again, Remus's mind was whirling. Kristin hadn't shown any signs of pain at all during the last few chapters in either of her arms. He was confused about Sophie's story, and how nervous she had seemed while relaying it to them. He wondered if her right arm was really the one that had been hurting. Deciding to figure it out later, he went back to the book.

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Oh, no…" Lily whispered.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle — twelve feet — twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and —

Severus winced.

James and Sirius looked at each other with concern. They both knew that falling was a possibility but to actually hear it…

WHAM — a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap.

"Ouch…"

"You aren't kidding…"

"Poor Neville."

His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

"A broomstick can be lazy? Go figure."

James laughed at that while Lily rolled her eyes. Severus snorted softly so no one would hear him, but Sophie smirked at him.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy — it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"I think I know what's coming now…"

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

"Lecture…knew it," James said.

Sophie glared at him, angry about his nonchalant attitude concerning the previous events that had taken place in the book.

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

"Let me guess…Malfoy," Sirius sighed.

"Who else?" James replied, looking sour.

"It seems that Draco is even more arrogant than Lucius," Severus said looking only mildly surprised.

"This is surprising?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrows.

"The next generation is always worse," Sophie chimed in, looking bitter.

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl.

"Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Really mature…"

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find — how about — up a tree?"

"This is what I have to deal with?" Severus muttered incredulously, rubbing his temple.

Sophie looked at him sympathetically.

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well.

"Looks like the Potter and Malfoy families have more in common than I thought," Sophie said, smirking.

James and Sirius looked utterly bewildered.

"How do they have anything in common?" Remus asked, incredulous.

"Well, both families seem to think that Quidditch is more important than schoolwork," Sophie continued, trying hard not to laugh.

Of course, she knew that Lucius had stressed the importance of his son passing in Severus' class, and probably the other classes as well, but she enjoyed making them think otherwise, considering Lucius had only showed that trait after Draco's 2nd year.

Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom.

Lily groaned loudly.

"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move — you'll get us all into trouble."

"Please listen to her," Lily begged her book- son.

James opened his mouth but Remus stopped him.

"Remember her threat, Prongs?" James paled and kept his mouth shut.

Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him — and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught — this was easy, this was wonderful.

James grinned as Lily rolled her eyes at the dramatics.

He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.

"Breaking the rules to see that look on Malfoy's face? So worth it." Sirius grinned while James laughed.

"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

"What is it with boys and their pride?" Sophie wondered aloud.

Remus snorted.

Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.

"Truer words have never been spoken."

Severus wanted to respond in kind to that, but a look from Sophie stopped him.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

"Coward!" James shouted, laughing.

"You are one to talk," Severus said before he could stop himself.

Sirius growled at him but the glares from the two females at the pair of them made him stop.

Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball — wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching — he stretched out his hand — a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

"Very good!" Remus said, looking impressed.

James grinned broadly at the thought of his son making seeker the next year.

"HARRY POTTER!"

His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them.

"Aww, man."

"Busted.

He got to his feet, trembling.

"Never — in all my time at Hogwarts —"

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "— how dare you — might have broken your neck —"

"Aww, she was worried."

Severus snorted.

"It wasn't his fault, Professor —"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil —"

"But Malfoy —"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

"She could at least give them a chance to talk," Lily said, frowning.

"That's McGonagall for you."

Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it.

"No you won't, detentions maybe, but not expulsion"

He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?

"I would love to see their reactions," Sirius said, laughing.

Lily and Severus shared a look before they smirked.

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him.

"The silent treatment…it's not that bad, then."

"The fact that you know that is sad."

"It's a gift, Lils."

"DON'T call me that!"

James grinned at her.

She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Hehe, poke…poke…poke."

Sophie threw a piece of fruit at Sirius out of a bowl she had the house elves conjure for her.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?

"WHAT?" Sirius exclaimed in shock.

James looked bewildered. "Why in the world would she cane him?"

"Calm down you two, let's see what really happens."

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.

"I still can't believe that he thought he was going to be caned."

"Is it that hard to believe, Remus?" Lily asked softly.

"Hence the reason why muggles should never raise witches and wizards," Severus said scowling.

Lily looked at him in shock while Sophie winced.

Severus sighed, "I don't mean all muggles, but those who will do anything to prove that magic doesn't exist."

Realization dawned on Lily and she nodded, but still looked uncomfortable with how easily Severus said that.

"In here."

Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

"HA! We should do that as a prank," Sirius exclaimed, grinning.

James agreed heartily and Remus rolled his eyes at the two. Sophie sighed, wondering how Kristin dealt with the kids at school.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood — I've found you a Seeker."

There was silence.

"WHAT?" James exclaimed in shock as Lily smiled.

"Awesome!" Sirius yelled excitedly, but Severus was looking incredibly sour. Sophie looked at him and knew exactly what he was thinking.

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.

"Are you serious, Professor?"

"No, I'm Sirius."

"In order for a joke to get old, it has to be funny in the first place, mate."

Sirius pouted and Sophie laughed.

"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"

Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.

"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive,"

"It was pretty damn impressive too."

Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.

"Slightly disturbing in a way…" Lily muttered.

Severus rolled his eyes at the Quidditch obsessed Gryffindor.

"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light —speedy — we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor — a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"Well at least he knows how to size up his team," James said approvingly.

"That's always a good quality."

"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"

Severus scowled even more.

"I don't like this," Lily said, frowning. "They are bending the rule for Harry alone, that's going to make Severus hate him more."

James and Sirius looked worried.

"We didn't think about that…"

Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.

"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."

Then she suddenly smiled.

"Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."

James beamed at the praise.

"You're joking."

Lily laughed at James' face.

It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never — you must be the youngest house player in about —"

" — a century," said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry.

"Don't rub it in," Severus muttered sourly. Lily looked at him, wondering how his future- self took the news. She then looked at Sophie.

Sophie sighed, "In one word Lily: he was furious."

Lily groaned.

"I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too — Beaters."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because it's the twins you are talking about?"

"Good point."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Oh joy," Lily groaned while the marauders laughed.

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Just what the Gryffindor table needs-further pollution," drawled Severus to the shock of the others.

Sophie burst out laughing.

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly.

"Go Harry!"

There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

Someone snorted.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only — no contact.

What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

"At least Ron is good for backup."

"Oh, is that all?"

Severus snorted.

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

"And how does he know that?"

"I don't even want to know."

When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.

"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually,

Lily looked shocked.

"Don't worry, they are only first years, they won't be able to do much," Sophie assured her.

Remus nodded, "Ron doesn't have much tact, though. He could have worded it differently."

getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.

"That's a good point, but the problem would be getting close enough to do it."

"Not to mention that they agreed on wands only."

"Excuse me."

They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

"Ron is such a nice guy, isn't he?"

"— and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"That's not true, Gryffindor is her house too. When your actions threaten the point system, it affects everyone."

"True."

"Good-bye," said Ron.

All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."

"Well, that helps," Lily laughed.

James and Sirius shook their heads, grinning.

Remus snorted in amusement.

There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness — this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it.

"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go."

"Yep, don't want to be late for your first duel."

"There shouldn't even BE a duel."

Severus rolled his eyes, "He's a Potter, finding a way to break rules is a specialty of theirs, and they don't care about the consequences."

James grinned while Sophie rolled her eyes.

They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."

"Don't tell me…"

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.

Sirius burst out laughing, causing everyone to jump.

"I'm sorry," he gasped in between laughs. "but she is lecturing them while wearing a pink bathrobe?" he continued to laugh.

Severus stared at him, "…idiot."

Lily rolled her eyes and Remus looked amused.

Sophie chucked a strawberry at Sirius.

"Shuddup."

"Yes ma'am."

"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"

"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy — he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

"What a tattletale, how old is she, six?"

"Don't ask."

Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.

"Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.

Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.

"So she's a goose that hisses?"

"I thought only snakes hissed."

"Apparently not."

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Go away."

"Yeah, go away," Sirius mimicked.

James snorted.

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so —"

But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.

The marauders burst out laughing. Lily shook her head while Sophie just smirked.

"Karma is a bitch, isn't it?"

"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.

"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

"Nice, isn't he?"

"That is a little cold-hearted," Sophie said, frowning slightly.

"They are polar opposites. I predict that this won't be the last argument between them in the books," Severus noted.

"Poor Harry," Remus snorted.

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"You are not."

"This should be fun."

"Sirius… shut up, please."

James laughed.

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."

"You've got some nerve —" said Ron loudly.

"Ron…" Sirius groaned.

"Now you know how we feel," Remus replied jokingly as James grinned at the outraged look on Sirius' face.

"I'm wounded, Moony."

"Sure you are, Paddy."

"You're right, I am wounded!"

"You just now figured that out?

"No, I…never mind," Sirius said scowling, as Lily, James and Remus laughed. Severus rolled his eyes at the exchange.

"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."

It was a sort of snuffling.

"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

"He says that he hears something and you whisper something?"

"Boys are a mystery I don't ever want to figure out," Lily groaned.

It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

"Big surprise."

"Be nice, Prongs," Remus laughed.

"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."

"How's your arm?" said Harry.

"Obviously better, or he would still be in the Hospital Wing," Severus said dryly.

Sophie snorted, trying not to laugh and Lily smiled slightly.

"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good — well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later —"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

"Yea, he has a good point, that would scare anyone half to death."

Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.

"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."

"Nice threat, but it would have worked better if you knew the curse."

Sophie laughed.

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky.

"Could really use the map now," Sirius whispered.

Remus agreed, hoping Harry didn't get caught.

They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.

Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet.

"First sign that something is up."

The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once.

"Wouldn't put it past him," Sophie muttered.

The minutes crept by.

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.

"No, Slytherins aren't cowards…" Severus said thinking quickly. "But…" he looked at Lily who realized in a second what Malfoy probably did.

"It's a trap, isn't it," she groaned.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak — and it wasn't Malfoy.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

"Good thing it's Filch, you can outrun him easily."

"Not helping, James," Sophie told him, seeing the look on Lily's face.

It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.

"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."

"Remind me to kill Malfoy."

"Get in line."

"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified,

they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor. The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.

"Neville…." Remus sighed.

"Uh-oh…" Sophie muttered.

"Time to run!" Sirius said, trying not to laugh.

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following — they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going — they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"Bloody hell, that's a long run."

"Fear can do that to you," Sophie replied, but she too looked impressed.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.

"I —told — you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I — told — you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."

"No shit."

"Language, James," Sophie scolded lightly.

Sirius sniggered at the look on James' face.

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you — Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Boys," Lily sighed, exasperated.

Sophie silently agreed while the boys looked slightly offended.

"Let's go."

It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

It was Peeves.

"Great, just what they need." Severus said, grimacing.

He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves — please — you'll get us thrown out."

"Since when does he care?"

"Black, shut it," Lily said, biting her nails.

Peeves cackled.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"That was a horrible rhyme," James snorted.

Sirius laughed while Lily and Severus rolled their eyes.

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.

"Bad move…" Sirius said, paling.

Severus shook his head at Ron's stupidity.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

"Run now, run now," Lily chanted, looking worried.

"Calm down, Lily," Sophie reassured her.

Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door — and it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"

"Dramatic much?" Peter asked while the others laughed.

They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled.

She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!"

"Figures she would know a spell you don't learn till the 3rd term."

"Don't complain, James." Lily said softly, hoping they would make it before Filch caught them.

Severus had a bad feeling about the trio hiding in that room. After all, there had to be a reason it was locked.

The lock clicked and the door swung open — they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please.'"

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

Sirius and James both grinned, knowing where this was going.

"All right —please."

"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!"

"For once, I'm glad he is being so literal."

And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay — get off, Neville!"

"Why is Neville hanging on Harry?"

"I have a bad feeling about this…"

Lily groaned when Remus said that.

For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. "What?"

Harry turned around — and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare — this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.

Lily groaned again, "What could possible happen now?"

They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.

"You HAD to ask, didn't you, Lily," Severus said, his mind reeling. He knew there was only one way to stop a Cerberus, and he doubt the trio would realize it in the span of the few seconds before the dog attacked.

"BLOODY HELL!" Sirius exclaimed, while James went white.

"Run now!" Remus said, worried.

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.

Harry groped for the doorknob — between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.

"Lesser of two evils…" Sirius muttered.

"Compared to that thing, Filch could be an angel," Peter said shakily.

They fell backward — Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared — all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

"Wow, thank Merlin for adrenaline," Remus said softly, looking impressed at the long run.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

"Never mind that — pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.

"That was quite a shock…"

"I still can't believe they left that thing in a school with children!" Lily said incredulously.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

Sirius burst out laughing while Lily groaned.

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

"Great, just what we need, another mystery for a Potter Jr. to try and fail to solve."

"Sev…" Lily said with a sigh, as Sophie rolled her eyes. She glared at James who shut his mouth, a few seconds away from retorting.

She stood up, glaring at them.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed — or worse, expelled.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Ron stared after her, his mouth open.

"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."

"You could have just stayed in the common room." Lily said with a scowl.

"Party pooper" Sirius teased.

But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something… What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide — except perhaps Hogwarts. It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

"Yes, and I wonder from whom he got that trait," Lily glared at James, who was looking wounded.

"Ok, ok, come on," Remus cut in before an argument could start. "Whose turn is it now?"

Sophie took the book from him. "It's mine."

There were a few minutes of adjusting as they got comfortable again, and Sophie turned to the next chapter.

Ravon : REVIEW! ^_^

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/

\/