The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Muggle-Wizard Relations

Muggle-Wizard Relations

September came to a close with cold rain storms as October blew in and the leaves began falling from the trees, creating piles of orange and yellow and red across the grounds. Hagrid could be seen watering his pumpkin patch, whistling and looking about, holding a pink umbrella as he worked, while Fluffy ran about barking merrily, all three heads yapping and tugging the body about in jagged little twists and turns behind him. Nobody had ever seen pumpkins as large as the ones that Hagrid was cultivating that year.

On Monday, 4 October, Minerva McGonagall's birthday, she walked into the corridor outside of her office to a burst of confetti that rained from the ceiling and a chorus of the suits of armor bellowing out the Birthday Song in unison and on the floor a box that contained a brand new tartan shawl and brooch shaped like a cat with a sparkling ruby eye. She'd had to choke back tears as she ran her fingers across the lovely brooch.

A note within the box read simply To Minnie, with Love, Your Marauders.

James and Sirius high-fived each other from where they were spying beneath the invisibility cloak, grinning.

A notice went up that day, announcing the first Hogsmeade Weekend would be on the 9th, which were the days after the full moon. "Well, we'll already be in Hogsmeade, won't we?" Sirius said, "We can beat the crowds to the Three Broomsticks and get Moony a proper breakfast when he wakes up after the transformation."

Remus worried he'd be too sore to properly enjoy the time in the village, but James said that if he was having a hard time getting about because of his muscles and bones then he, James, would carry Remus about on his back. Sirius had looked a bit jealous when Remus looked excited at the idea and he made a point of trying to tug Remus onto his own back several times during the day, showing off, only to trip and fall face first into the carpet.

On Tuesday, James and Sirius earned themselves a detention after they were caught setting a spell on the floor in the entrance hall that made each stone play a different musical note whenever somebody stepped on them so that there was a great cacophony of musical noise that assaulted the ear drums of everyone in the castle as the students walked to and from their meals or any of the Slytherins tried to get in or out of the dungeon corridors.

"Really!" said McGonagall that night in her office as she set them to writing lines, "Sixth year and I'm still dealing with this sort of nonsense." But she said it lovingly and they snickered to themselves because even as she set them to writing I Will Not Cause Ruckuses across the parchment she set before them at the table, she was wearing that gold brooch on her chest and her shawl hung over her desk chair, recently used. James's grin trembled over his lips as he peeked at Sirius from under the fringe that fell across his forehead.

Remus sat next to Peter in their Muggle Studies class on Thursday, uncomfortable at the desk, leaning forward, his head resting upon his arm as he took his notes. They had spent September in review, catching up the students who had newly joined the Muggle Studies classes, and now, today, moving into their second month of classes, Professor Gaunt was preparing to begin a new segment on the History of Wizard-Muggle Relations.

"Who remembers the Tales of Beedle the Bard?" Gaunt asked as he walked across the front of the room, his hands in his trouser pockets. Peter's hand shot up. Several others did, too. Most of the students didn't bother - Remus among them - for it was such a silly question. Of course they all remembered Beedle the Bard! Professor Gaunt nodded, "Mr. Pettigrew," he said, looking directly at Peter, "Do you mind telling me a brief summary of The Hopping Pot?"