The Exploits of Moony, Wormtail, Prongs & Padfoot

Chapter 3 - With a Little Help From My Friends

I read, dear friend, in your dear face

Your life's tale told with perfect grace;

The river of your life, I trace

Up the sun-chequered, devious bed

To the far-distant fountain-head.

Not one quick beat of your warm heart,

Nor thought that came to you apart,

Pleasure nor pity, love nor pain

Nor sorrow, has gone by in vain;

But as some lone, wood-wandering child

Brings home with him at evening mild

The thorns and flowers of all the wild,

From your whole life, O fair and true

Your flowers and thorns you bring with you!

Robert Louis Stevenson
A Child's Garden of Verses & Underwoods

"So, Prongs after such a filling breakfast, how do you ever manage to move from this house and do something?" Sirius asked, walking lazily into the front garden, through the lingering morning mist that was now beginning to be broken up by the sun.

"Mum doesn't do that even for me, apparently you're more special than I realized," James said giving Sirius a crooked smile.

"Well, it means more coming from her than it does my mother. Especially considering she even found it a chore to order Kreacher around to make anything special for me," Sirius said forlornly.

"Don't think about that place or her anymore mate. You're here now and you're one of the family," James said grabbing Sirius into a sideways hug.

"I'll race you," Sirius said breaking away form James and looking as though he was ready to sprint down the hill.

"What? We just ate a full English breakfast, are you mad?" asked James.

"Yep, I'm a mad dog, didn't you know? Last one to reach the church yard is a rotten Dungbomb!" Sirius shouted as he took off down the hill.

"NO FAIR! YOU GOT A HEAD START!" shouted James, running after Sirius in an effort to catch up.

Sirius was running down the hill at full speed and James was no where near catching up with him, until he decided to morph into his stag form. James then galloped down the hill and passed Sirius and reached the church yard gate and began to gallop back up the hill to where Sirius had stopped.

"That's not fair you cheated! Who said you could turn into your animgus form?" Sirius said panting while James turned back into his human form.

"You got a jump start, I had to beat you some how," James said as both boys strolled down into the church yard and took a seat on an old stone bench.

They both sat there for a few minutes catching their breath and watching the peaceful scene at hand. The church yard was very old and had many ancient looking tombstones, covered with moss, in various states of disrepair. The mature trees that towered over them were hundreds of years old and provided an eerie shade on this now sunny morning.

Sirius stared off in a far corner near some nettle bushes and something shiny caught his eye, "What's that over there?"

"I don't see anything," responded James.

"By the nettles, it looks silver," Sirius said pointing, as he got up from the bench and strode over to the bushes.

"You're going to get all scratched up!" James shouted.

Sirius peered into the bushes and couldn't believe his eyes, was it what he thought? Why would someone just leave it here to rust? Clearly it was abandoned, so if he took it, it wouldn't be stealing, not unless someone was hiding it. Then again, finder's keepers loser's weepers.

"Prongs can you help me?" Sirius asked after admiring it for a few moments.

"No I can't, I'm busy right now carving something in this tree," said James as he dug into the tree with a pocket knife.

Sirius walked over to the tree and looked at his friend's handy work and started to laugh.

"I don't see what's so funny about it," James said putting the finishing touches on his artwork.

"No? Prongs you never went on a date with the girl and you're carving initials into a tree with a heart, honestly have you gone completely mental?" Sirius asked.

"No I haven't. One day we'll be together and we'll get married right here," James stated, pointing to the ground and stamping his foot on the grassy knoll.

"All right mate whatever you say...but right now I need your help with my newest plaything," Sirius said with a glimmer in his eyes.

James helped Sirius lug the object out of the nettle bushes with much cursing as the nettles did sting them both, but Sirius felt it was for the best cause imaginable.

"Padfoot, you do know what this is right?" James said looking at the object.

"Yes I do, it's a Muggle motorbike," Sirius said smiling admiringly at it, as if it were a brand new racing broom.

"What on earth are you going to do with it?" James asked.

"Well, first we're going to get it up to your house and then we're going to figure out how to fix it," Sirius responded.

"We? I don't think so, more like you. I've got enough problems, I don't need to be brought up on Ministry charges for the improper use of a Muggle artifact, especially since my father's head of that department," James said, trying to get out of helping Sirius with his project.

"No certainly misuse of Muggle artifacts is much more serious than being an unregistered animgus," Sirius said sarcastically.

James eyed his friend and then eyed the bike and said, "All right Padfoot, we'll keep it the old gardening shed and work on it together."

The two friends were able to push the motorbike up the hill, all the way to the Potter's gardening shed. Sirius then questioned James if he knew any way to get his hands on Muggle information regarding the repairing of a motorbike. James came up with the idea of going to the library in the village. Sirius wasn't overly keen on the idea since he wasn't familiar with anything Muggle, but agreed.

Upon arrival in the library, Sirius moaned about how none of the books had moving photographs or diagrams, like the books back at Hogwarts.

"This is boring Prongs, how do Muggles do it?" Sirius said flipping through yet another non-magical book.

"They manage, it's actually not that bad. This book here seems pretty useful, plus my father keeps lots of Muggle tools, so this shouldn't be as difficult as I thought," James said thoughtfully.

"Look at this," Sirius said, handing James a magazine he found on the chair next to him.

Sirius handed over a fashion magazine to James, who eyed it curiously and shrugged.

"You've never seen one of those before? Merlin, you need to get out more," James said with a sigh at his friend's ignorance.

"No wonder you like Evans so much, Muggle girls certainly are a striking bunch," Sirius said as he flipped through the pages admiring the fashion models.

"Anyway, let's get a couple of these books and get back home so we can get to work. You do still want to fix this bike don't you Sirius?" James asked.

"Oh, yes, of course. Sorry, this magazine is distracting. Can I borrow this too?" Sirius asked.

"No, I don't think they allow that. However you can buy one of those at the newsagent," James said gathering a few books together.

"Mate, I don't have money to waste now that I'm on my own," Sirius said grabbing the books away from James.

The boys left the library and headed back home in hopes to have lunch since they were starving from all their morning exertions. Sirius was walking and reading at the same time while James looked at his friend curiously wondering why he seemed so excited about a Muggle motorbike.

As they reached the front gate they heard a familiar voice great them, "Finally, I've been waiting here over an hour."

"Moony!" James and Sirius shouted in unison.

"I didn't think you would get here so soon," James said giving his tired looking friend a hug.

"I had to get here sooner rather than later, since next Friday is a full moon," Remus said as he embraced Sirius.

"This summer is looking better all the time Moony," Sirius said smiling.

"Yes, I just hope things don't get too out of control, with the pair of you together all summer. Anyway what's this business about you running away from home? I received an owl from James about it and was shocked that your mother actually let you go so easily," Remus said, as he looked over at the books Sirius was holding.

"She has apparently disowned me and I am my own man now. I'm a free bird Moony," responded Sirius happily.

"You sound awfully happy about this, I just hope this doesn't backfire on you," Remus said.

"Nah, can't backfire on me mate, they are out of my life for good, those pureblood nutters. Anyway where's Wormtail? I thought he'd come with you since you two don't live far apart," Sirius said, looking around for their other friend.

"He's in Italy on holiday with his parents. His father had some sudden Ministry work to take care of in Florence, so it's just us three for the time being," Remus said as all of them entered the Potter cottage to have lunch.

"Some mates have all the luck. Why can't my father ever take a trip on the Ministry?" whined James.

"I suppose because your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department, which isn't exactly travel worthy, I suppose," Sirius stated.

"Not unless there's an illegal flying carpet about," Remus added, as Sirius chuckled.

"No, I guess not, maybe Dad should work with the International Cooperation Department, like Peter's father and we'd get to travel more," James said forlornly.

"Personally there's nothing I'd want to see anywhere else, but that's just me," Sirius said.

"That's surprising, since you're such a rebel. I always assumed you'd want to see the world," Remus said, as the boys made their way through the sitting room towards the kitchen.

"Rebel? You sound like bloody Regulus already. He was just talking about that to me. Do I really seem the rebel to you lot?" Sirius asked, as they all assembled around the oval kitchen table.

"If you didn't before, with that motorbike you certainly will," James said, as his mother came in from the garden with some roses.

She surveyed the scene and smiled. She was so happy to see so much life in this house again. Mrs. Potter always missed her only child while he was away at school. She made it her mission to dote upon him as much as possible while he was home. It made the void he left more bearable when she had memories like that to hold on to and see her through to his next holiday.

Mrs. Potter was also happy that James managed to have such nice friends. Sirius might come from a very questionable background, but he was different than any Black she had ever known. Sure, he was a little mischief maker like James, but all their little escapades were harmless jokes. After all, she thought, boys will be boys and as long as no one gets hurt, what's the harm?

She sighed and thought of poor Remus Lupin. He was such a dear boy. Very bright, amazingly polite and sensitive for someone his age, but certainly something was amiss. He always looked a bit sickly and James had always mentioned he spent a lot of time under the weather. The poor dear, she thought, I'll just have to fuss over him all the more while he stays over.

"Boys, what would you like for lunch?" Mrs. Potter interrupted, as a vase floated over to the drain board, where she magically de-thorned the roses.

"Sandwiches would be fine mum. No need for anything fancy," James replied as the two other boys nodded in agreement.

"All right then, lunch will be ready in a few minutes," she said as she went to work waving her wand around the kitchen, causing a mild ruckus.

"A motorbike? Where did you get the gold to buy one of those?" Remus asked curiously, as he poured some pumpkin juice, that had just appeared on the table.

"I found it. And what does my motorbike have to do with this so-called rebel status anyway?" Sirius asked.

"American blokes always wear leather jackets, smoke ciggies, and ride motorbikes. I saw a movie in the village like that once, it was called 'Rebel Cause', with this Dean James," James said as his mother brought over a small platter of sandwiches and laughed.

"No, dear, the movie was called 'Rebel Without a Cause' and the actor was named James Dean," Mrs. Potter corrected.

"Oh, right, thanks mum. You don't mind Sirius having the motorbike here, do you?" James asked.

Sirius looked over at her with imploring sad eyes.

"I have no problem with it, but you should ask your father when he gets home. And stop looking at me that way Sirius, honestly you look like a dog begging for something," she said.

The three boys laughed at her comment (as only they knew the secret to why that was so funny) and Mrs. Potter shook her head and mumbled something about them being silly boys.

After lunch the boys went down to the old garden shed and began to take a look at the motorbike. Remus was impressed, but hoped that Sirius would be careful when he repaired the bike and wouldn't go and do anything risky or illegal with it.

"Is owning a muggle object like this one not legal?" Sirius asked.

"No, it's what you do to them, that's when you start to have problems. For instance, Dad once had to take care of some drapes that would wrap anyone up who tried to take them down. Almost killed this Muggle woman. Apparently she bought them in a second-hand shop. Never did find out who enchanted them though," James said.

"Nice story, Prongs, now I'll be afraid of drapes," Sirius said making a face.

"I wonder if Mr. Potter would be able to help you with this? Didn't he fix-up a small Muggle airplane once?" Remus asked.

"He did indeed, hmm..." James said.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sirius asked with an impish grin.

"A flying motorbike, how wicked would that be?" James asked.

"Wait a minute! You two can't be serious, a flying motorbike! If there's a ban on flying carpets, what makes you think it'll be all right to fly a big loud motorbike in the sky?" Remus asked.

"You worry too much, Moony. And who knows, we may never be able to figure out how to enchant an object that complicated anyway. Relax," Sirius said reassuringly, as he patted Remus on the shoulder.

The boys wiled away their afternoon looking through the books they found in the library and tinkering with the motorbike. As dinnertime approached and the sun began to set over the Hollow, two large barn owls began to swoop above them. They finally came to a landing right on the seat of the motorbike.

"Someone's got themselves some mail," James said walking over to the owls.

"Who's Mister Popularity?" Sirius asked, as he marked a page and put his book down.

"You apparently, one is from Prudence. I wrote her yesterday too, she's still in Ireland with her family. The other one has a fancy wax seal. Hopefully it's not your mum already," James said handing over both letters.

Sirius looked at them both and recognized Prudence's neat script on the one, as for the other, it looked like his Uncle Alphard's regal handwriting.

"I think it's from Uncle Alphard, it's definitely not my mum's handwriting," Sirius said as James and Remus breathed a sigh of relief.

Sirius first opened the letter from Prudence. She was a fellow Gryffindor and played Quidditch with him and James. Not to mention the fact that her and James have known each other since birth. There's even some photos to prove it. One Christmas, Mrs. Potter showed the other Marauders a darling photo of James and Prudence, at the tender age of two, playing naked in a paddling pool. Needless to say, that photo garnered many laughs and lots of embarrassment on James's part. To this day the whereabouts of said photo are unknown.

Sirius opened the letter and began to read,

Dear Padfoot,
Heard about your sudden flight from the third circle of hell. Hope that you have finally escaped the grips of that awful mother of yours and will now be able to enjoy a wonderful summer with Prongs. I'm also duly impressed that you actually ran away from home, very ballsy on your part, good for you mate! I'm so proud of you.

I should be back tomorrow. Dad's really had it with the Ministry officials in Ireland (and I've had my fair share of this place too). See you soon and don't get into any trouble until I get back!

Hugs,
Buttercup

Sirius couldn't help but smile at her last comment. For a girl, she was a lot of fun to be around. She was one of those rare breeds that enjoyed a good prank (and was even known to help play one), played Quidditch without complaining about the mud or the weather and was a really nice friend to have around. Plus, her father was Minister of Magic, which meant she had connections up the floo!

"She's coming back from Ireland tomorrow," Sirius told the others.

"Brilliant, she can join our little party too!" James said rubbing his hands together, with a look of planning in his eyes.

"It'll be great to see her again. I have a few potions questions to ask her," Remus said.

Sirius went back to break the wax crest on his next letter and scanned to the bottom and confirmed that it was his kooky Uncle Alphard.

My Dear Nephew,

I discovered that you have had the distinct pleasure of being blasted off the family tree. Congratulations on being disowned from the Noble House of Black.

If you are wondering how I found out, I have the same tapestry in my home and when someone is removed, they disappear from mine as well (your mother has the master family tree).

Now, on to my reason for writing to you. If you should ever need anything at all; gold, a place to stay or any other type of assistance do not hesitate to send me an owl. You are always welcome in my home.

Keep in mind that your father left you a sum of gold when he died. I want to make sure you make use of the gold, should you need it. I'll be in Diagon Alley tomorrow, taking care of some business. If you can meet me at Florien Fortesque's at noon, I'd be more than happy to set everything straight at Gringotts for you.

Send my owl back with your response.

Hope to see you soon,

Uncle Alphard

"Blimey, Uncle Alphard wants to meet me tomorrow in Diagon Alley. He says my dad left me some gold. Give me a scrap of parchment. I want to write back right," Sirius said looking around for parchment.

"Here you go," Remus said handing him some parchment.

"Can we go too? I've always liked your Uncle Alphard. It's neat that he lived like a Muggle for a year," James said looking over at the letter.

"I've actually never met him and I'd like to thank him for the help he gave us when we needed that special recipe for the ink on the Marauders' Map," Remus added.

"Sure, we could make a day of it. It'll be great fun," Sirius said as he wrote back to his uncle.

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