The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

The Muppet Show

Of course there were no hard feelings for any of the dunks into the Lake, neither the Marauders nor the DWO were really upset at one another and James was eager to train with Oliver still, promising to come back again for the Gryffindor team's next match, which was to be against Slytherin. The Gryffindors rushed off to the common room upstairs in the tower to celebrate their victory and James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Lily went with Minerva McGonagall for the walk from the castle to Hogsmeade.

"Och yer mum will be right glad to see you," Professor McGonagall told James and Sirius as they walked along the path, cutting around the edge of the forest to the gates that marked the edge of the grounds of Hogwarts. "She's done nothin' but talk of your visiting us today, been countin' down as excited as could be. I know Elphie is right pleased, too. It'll be a night, for sure!" 

Sirius said, "And what about you, Minnie? Are you excited we're visiting?"

Minerva's lips twitched.

"Oi, guys, Min's excited we're here!" Sirius announced, walking backwards in front of her, grinning, his eyes bright.

"We're excited to be visiting you, too, Minnie," James said and he chucked his arm about her shoulders - Sirius quickly scrambling to follow suit on the other side.

"Aye well, you both best be on your GOOD behavior - and that means you, Mr. Black, above all!"

"When am I ever not on my goodest behavior, Min?" Sirius drawled. "Honestly, woman, I don't know what you're alluding to!"

"Umm-hm," Minnie grunted in a distinctly Scottish way.

Minerva McGonagall and Elphinstone Urquart had made dinner - a roast and mash with peas - and Dora Potter had made cookies that were still warm by the time they ate them. Sirius reckoned that his stomach was about as full as it could be expected to get, given the size of him, and raved for an hour on the good taste of his dinner.

When dinner was over, Peter, Sirius, and James volunteered to do the dishes while Elphinstone and Remus sank into a rather deep discussion about lengths of essays and how lengths variations could affect a student's work. It seemed Elphinstone, who had once been the head of the Department of Education at the Ministry, had been just waiting for someone to talk nerdy about teaching administration topics with him, and Remus's enthusiasm sparred him on for well over an hour while McGonagall and Lily discussed other elements of teaching. Lily was surprised to learn that McGonagall had gotten into teaching quite by accident, and she eagerly listened as Minnie recounted the story of how it had happened.

James and Sirius meanwhile caught up with Dora Potter as they worked together to wash the dishes and Peter used magic to dry and put them away. Dora sat in the kitchen, chatting with the boys as they worked, feeling so proud and perfectly happy to sit back and watch as the boys were gentlemen who did the proper and polite task of cleaning things up after being invited for a meal. She couldn't help but think to herself that she'd raised her boys right.

It was evening before they knew it and when Elphinstone looked at the clock, he jump started, "Oh dear!" he cried, "Nearly about to miss the Muppets, we are! Dora! Min! The show's 'bout to start!"

"The Muppets?" Remus asked, confused. "What is that?" 

"Haven't you heard of the Muppets?!" Elphinstone exclaimed in surprise, "Why I thought everyone watched the Muppets these days!" 

"What are they?" Remus asked.

"They're monster puppets," Dora explained very patiently. "Muppets."

"That's very clever," James laughed.

Elphinstone had leaped up from his place at the dining table where he and Remus had been sitting and gone into the living room, followed by Minnie, who waved her wand and a small telly appeared on a table before a collection of chairs and couches. James recognized it as the telly his father used to watch muggle news on and that they'd caught many an episode of Doctor Who together with as a family.