Harry Potter and the Marauder's Era

Chapter Three - The Shrieking Shack

Chapter Three - The Shrieking Shack  

After breakfast, Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck back up to Gryffindor Tower, only coming down for lunch and dinner. They hid themselves from many students, having found and borrowed James' Invisibility Cloak. It was going to be Harry's in eighteen years anyway. When saw his father, he lifted the Cloak off of him.

   "What are you doing with my cloak?" James asked, stunned to see that someone had found it.

   "I'll explain it to you when we get to the shack," Harry replied to his father.

   They gathered up everybody, Lily included, and walked down to the Whomping Willow. In his pocket, Harry had the Marauder's Map that he chose not to reveal until later. James pulled out his newer looking map, saying, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

   When the eight third year students made it down to the Willow, Padfoot stepped out and prodded the tree. Together, they raised their wands and illuminated the dark passage down to the shack. After many twists and turns, Remus lifted a trap door, revealing a dark room that had a very creepy feel about it. This was the Shrieking Shack, as it had appeared in the seventies.

   They removed the Invisibility Cloak, and found themselves getting to know each other a little better. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down next to each other, while the four boys and Lily sat at the other end of the room. Harry was the first to speak.

   "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs; the reason we didn't reveal last names to you earlier is because we don't belong here.... or at least at this time. My full name is Harry James Potter...."

   "What?" James was in shock.

   "Let me finish please. I'm a third year just like all of you, but in 1993. Sirius, you went to Azkaban Prison for twelve years, for killing Peter Pettigrew, but you escaped. At this time in my year, you are after me."

   "WHY would I KILL WORMTAIL?!" Sirius was completely shell-shocked just like James.

   "That I don't know. But I do know that Remus Lupin becomes a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in my third year."

   Hermione interrupted Harry, "Sirius killed Peter because he betrayed James and Lily..."

   "Lily and James Potter," Harry explained.

   "Ewwww, why would I marry James Potter?" Lily joined James and Sirius in shock.

   "As I was saying, Lord Voldemort was trying to find Lily and James, and their one-year-old baby. Dumbledore helped keep the whereabouts secret, hiding them in Godric's Hollow. Sirius Black was offered the responsibility of being secret-keeper, but he turned down, saying the responsibility should go to Peter Pettigrew. He turned around and told You-Know-Who, finding Harry to become an orphaned child and sent to his aunt Petunia and Vernon Dursley," Hermione spilled everything to the seven other people in the room.

   "That means that I need to accept the responsibility as secret-keeper," Sirius replied logically.

   "Exactly."

   "Why would I want to get in with someone like You-Know-Who, and kill James and Lily?" Peter joined the others in aw.

   Harry continued with, "That's another thing we haven't figured out," and started to explain about the cloak. "I was wearing Prongs' cloak today because, yes, I am the son of Lily and James Potter, and it was given to me for Christmas at my first year of Hogwarts," Harry pulled out the old parchment to show everyone in the room and revealed the map.

   "How the hell did you get that.... I had it right here next to m-" James started and stopped. He picked up his version of the Marauder's Map and compared the differences to the one Harry had.

   "This was given to me by the pranksters of my day. Professor Lupin explained it to me. The four of you created this map. You are the Marauders."

   "I can't believe this map lasts that long," Moony stepped in.

   "It does, but it isn't flawless. Peter keeps showing up on it, and each time I follow it, it ends up being Scabbers," Harry explained.

   "Who's Scabbers?" Peter asked.

   "My rat," Ron replied.

   "Well, we have been planning to become Animagi so we can be out here when Remus goes on his monthly moon party," Sirius said.

   "Heeeey.... It's not my fault I'm a werewolf," Moony got the joke.

   Hermione piped in with some more valuable information, "That's another thing I can explain. At the exact moment Sirius cast the spell that killed thirteen Muggles, Peter formed into an Animagus, and only lost a finger. He went in hiding, and became the beloved pet of the Weasley family. Sirius spent twelve years in Azkaban Prison for murder, when it should have been Peter for the murders of Lily and James."

   "So you've completely broke the laws of time and told us our futures," Lily became the Hermione of the seventies.

   "Yes, we have, but at this time, the future isn't written. Only you can change your futures, and the futures of many lives acquainted with yours," Hermione answered, "If you make the correct decisions, the world in which we live won't have to be seven books long. It starts with Sirius. He has to accept the role as secret-keeper. If he keeps the Potters in hiding, they won't die, the Dursleys can live their lives in peace, and nobody has to go to prison for murder."

   "You're right," everybody replied in unison.

   Dislike was somewhat directed at Wormtail, because he was somewhat responsible for what Harry had to go through as a child. Wormtail could also not have joined Lord Voldemort, but that's unlikely. Hermione started rotating the Time Turner in the opposite direction to go to the future, Harry gave his farewells to his mother, father, godfather, Peter, and his present Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

   "Well, I guess this is it. Just remember to follow our instructions, and we can make the world a whole lot greater..... Oh, and don't get too rude to Severus Snape..."

   "But he's a Slytherin," James replied in disgust.

   "I understand that, but he becomes Potions instructor at Hogwarts, and he's a total skrewt to me because I am a constant reminder that Lily Evans married James Potter instead of him," Harry finished.

   When Hermione finished, she got Ron and Harry. All together, they said their last goodbyes to the Marauders, and touched the necklace.