Nineteen Years Later

"OW! Geroff me, Sebastian!" James cried, shoving his friend off towards his respective bed.

"Well, if you could turn a light on in here, Potter, I wouldn't have fallen onto you in the first place," Sebastian retorted angrily.

"Lumos," Daemian, the only sensible one, muttered and instantly, light vanquished the darkness out of the room.

"Thanks," James muttered, unfolding the map and spreading it on his bed. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Come here you lot, come see!" he cried excitedly.

Daemian and Sebastian clamored onto the bed and peered at it wondrously, eyes wide with amazement. Little dots bearing the names of teachers they all knew were moving around on the map, heading to beds, offices and one lone dot was pacing in a circle in the Headmistress's Office bearing the name Longbottom. The boys, in their excitement, overlooked the oddity that was a Professor in that particular office while the Headmistress was out. "Look, we can't get Nat and Abby. Uncle Ron told me that if a boy tries to go up the stairs to the girls' dormitory, the stairs kick him out or something," James muttered the end, having forgotten it. "So it's us three, mates."

"Who are these people?" Daemian asked, pointing to the heading proudly bearing the names Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.

"They were the original Marauders. Look, my granddad was that one," James announced, positively beaming, pointing to where Prongs was emblazoned on the parchment. "Padfoot was Sirius Black and Moony was Remus Lupin."

Daemian and Sebastian listened, jaws dropped. "What about Wormtail? Who was he?" Sebastian piped up.

James shrugged nonchalantly. "Dad doesn't talk about him much. I never asked. I think he mentioned him once or twice. Peter something or another. So are we going on with this or...?" James stopped midsentence, having remembered an important item they were missing. "Hold on, I have to get something from my trunk. Here, Daemian, hold this," James instructed, thrusting the map at his friend and going over to the trunk where he rummaged for a bit before he produced the Invisibility Cloak from the bottom of his trunk. "Nicked it from Al. Dad thought we should both have something of us but what good's the map without the Cloak?"

"Well, at least give it back. He'll think he lost it and imagine if he writes to Harry Potter that he lost the Cloak when you have it the whole time," Daemian reasoned with a tone of awe.

"Right then," James interjected, "We ready?"

Sebastian and Daemian nodded eagerly, they had heard of the Marauders in the context of: The Marauders were the biggest troublemakers, save for Fred and George Weasley, Hogwarts has ever seen and were keen on adding their name to that infamous list.

James threw the Cloak over all three and pulled the map out. "Daemian, do that charm again."

"Lumos," Daemian muttered.

"Second thought, you look over the map and I'll lead the way. Tell me which way to turn."

"Where are we going exactly?" Sebastian interrupted rudely.

"No where exactly. We're going to have a look around is all," James said innocently. Daemian snickered.

The answer proved satisfactory seeing as how no one said a word until the trio was safely out of Gryffindor Tower and making their way down a corridor James could never remember walking through.

"Chord, what does the map say? Where are we?" James demanded in a harsh whisper.

"I don't know how we got here. We're... er... on the fifth floor."

A crash somewhere down the hall drew the boys' attention. Daemian checked the map hurriedly. "It's Professor Finnigan," he mouthed to James and Sebastian. The boys looked positively horrified.

"Don't move," James breathed, standing perfectly still. Footsteps drew closer.

"Oi! I don't know who else you have under that coat with you, Potter but you seem to have your dad's knack for landing yourself in trouble."

James scowled horribly. He hated the fact that the professors who had been his father's friends knew about the Cloak and assumed he would have given it to one of his sons. It sort of took the whole element of surprise away. 'Unexpected crash? Probably James Potter under the Invisibility Cloak,' James thought sourly. He could always run and pretend he had been warmly in bed the entire time but he wasn't sure he'd get anywhere fast, since they were lost.

As the lone figure that was Professor Finnigan approached, James motioned for his friends to tiptoe after him down the hall.... it was always worth a try. They creeped down the hall, keeping as silent as was possible, trying not to breath, seeing as how Professor Finnigan was now on their heels.

James could sense the panic beginning to emanate from his friends but he continued forward. There was a cool sensation and he felt fabric brush against his face. He braced himself before turning around, prepared for the worst. He was face to face with Professor Finnigan, who had reached out and pulled up the Cloak while he had been turned around. James' first reaction was to glance at Daemian's hands and hope that his friend had put away the map before they had been caught. He had.

Seamus looked a bit surprised to see the three in front of him. "Chord, Smith and Potter," he stated in an amused tone, "I suppose that you know that what you're doin' is wrong. "

All three boys nodded seriously.

"I should take points away from Gryffindor.... but McGonagall wouldn't always do it and she's Headmistress now so I reckon there's no harm in letting you three off with a very severe warning!"

"Seamus?" echoed a different voice from somewhere down the corridor. There was a scurry of footsteps and sooner than any would have expected, Professor McGonagall stood next to Seamus, surveying the scene. "What is this?" she demanded shrilly.

"Potter, Chord and Smith were wandering the halls with Potter's old Invisibility Cloak," Seamus explained guiltily.

"Potter gave you the Cloak?" she asked unbelievingly. "Well.... I suppose it doesn't carry quite the same stigma now that the wand is gone..." she muttered and James was sure she hadn't intended for him to here that. "Now did you boys manage to cause any mayhem tonight?" she demanded again, this time looking down at the cowering second years.

"No ma'am," Daemian answered quickly.

"Not yet, anyway," James added innocently, blinking up at the professors.

"Talks just like George, that one," McGonagall observed, this time a bit of softness in her voice.

"And Fred," James interjected loyally.

"Yes," McGonagall agreed after an awkward silence. "And Fred. Now, five points from Gryffindor and off to bed you three." No one moved. "Now!"

***********************

Harry had lain down on the bed almost as soon as he had gotten home. He had heard Ginny come in but was on his side, pretending to be asleep. The truth was, there was too much rage and indignation swirling in his head like a corrosive whirlpool for him to be able to sleep properly. What had Malfoy meant by that dinner? It was obviously not to apologize.... if it was, he had to practice a few more times before he finally nailed down that art. It seemed as though Malfoy had no remorse. 'He didn't exactly do anything to you or anyone, Harry,' a little, insistent and annoying voice spoke from somewhere in the whirlpool. Harry ignored it grumpily. 'And you know he's not going to apologize for everything the Death Eaters did. He doesn't want to talk about it, his side lost,' the voice continued.

The fact of the matter was that Harry wanted Malfoy to feel remorse for what he did. Malfoy, though on the losing side of the war, had come out with fewer losses than Harry had. Both of Malfoy's parents were in Azkaban but that paled in comparison to the people Harry had lost. It wasn't a fact he was proud of or anything.... it would just make him feel loads better of Malfoy could just express at least the tiniest hint of sadness for everything that had happened.

Again, Harry breathed angrily. He knew he was being irrational. The only thing that would do him any good would be to go to sleep and allow his emotions time to settle. He let his body relax and he tried to clear his mind of all emotion but he was having just a hard time with it now as he had back when Snape had tried to teach him Occlumency.

Snape. Harry had hated Snape for as long as Snape had been living. He had been wrong about what kind of man he had been. But the persistent voice in Harry's head told him that if he showed any inkling of tolerance towards his former Potions professor, things wouldn't have gone according to the plan Dumbledore had put forth. Still.... that didn't stop the feeling of guilt from overwhelming him every now and then. 'He didn't do it for you, you know,' the voice interrupted rudely.

No, Harry thought back. But he had done it for love. He frowned. So much for clearing his mind.

"Harry, I know you're awake," Ginny whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. He didn't move. "I've forgiven him, you know. That doesn't mean I can stand the git but I have.... you know..."

"Why?" Harry near screamed, rolling over to face her. Even in the darkness, he could see her face begin to flush red. "What sort of potion or charm did you slip you when I had gone?"

Ginny scowled at him. "None. But he did offer something resembling an apology and he isn't the entire Death Eater league, Harry. He wasn't the one who killed all those people."

"But he helped. If he had things his way, he would've been the one to kill!"

"The way things turned out was that he didn't have the chance. Do you think if both his parents hadn't been the way they were..."

"My parents are dead and you don't see me following suit," he said rudely.

"Harry James Potter, if you're not going to listen, I won't bother to explain it to you."

"Fine," Harry countered stubbornly, turning back around. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to force sleep to come.

"You'll be sane in the morning," he could have sworn he heard Ginny whisper but soon, he was asleep.

***********************

"AL! AL! AL! WAKE UP!" Rose screeched, hitting Al repeatedly with some sort of cloth.

"Wha'?" Al blinked before burrowing himself under his covers.

"No! AL!" Rose continued to shout, causing angry murmurs from the other people in the dorm.

"What?" he finally got up, glaring angrily at his cousin.

"Look what was sitting on the foot of your bed," she announced proudly, now having resumed a normal tone of voice.

Al instantly recognized it. "First off, what were you doing in here?"

"Well, I just thought you'd want to use your Saturday to its fullest so I was going to come wake you up," Rose explained sensibly.

"For the record, don't wake me up on the weekends," he advised, his face flushing with happiness at having found the Cloak.

"Want to go wandering this weekend?"

Rose scrunched her pretty face up. "I don't know. I don't want to get in trouble."

"Rose, come on! Trouble's in your family's genes!" Al urged.

"Maybe," Rose finally responded.

By now, the noise of the discovery of the Cloak had woken up most of the children who were now slipping into robes and casting Rose nasty looks.

"What was all the yelling about?" Dalton asked curiously, wandering over to Al's bed where the Cloak sat splayed in his lap. "Whoa! You really do have an Invisibility Cloak!"

Al fought the I-told-you-so look that seemed to want to commandeer his face.

"Wonder how it made it to the foot of your bed?" Rose questioned thoughtfully.

Her cousin rolled his eyes. Now that the Cloak had mysteriously re-entered his room, he had little doubt that James had taken it upon himself to call first dibs on the Cloak. But he decided not to let himself grow sore over it. After all, he did have the Cloak now and he was sure that eventually, he would find reason to go and nick the Marauder's Map from his brother.

"This is wicked awesome! Imagine of all the things we can do now! We should pay some of the third years to buy us things from Weasley's Wiz..." Dalton, who had obviously had time to mull things over, looked at Rose and Albus, his face alit with a new idea. "Or better yet, do you think your Uncle George would mail you things if you asked?" The boy nearly screamed with excitement.

"Yeah," Rose, who had not looked up at Dalton, retorted matter-of-factly.

It looked as if Dalton was doing his best not to wet himself.

"Calm down, mate," Al laughed, patting his friend on the back. "C'mon, let's go get ready for breakfast."

Once fully dressed, Rose, Al and Dalton trooped out of the Portrait Hole along with a flock of other Gryffindors.

"Did you hear, James Potter got busted last night for wandering the school along with Sebastian Smith and Daemian Chord," a third-year whispered to his friend secretively.

Al stopped dead in his tracks. James had taken the Cloak to go wandering and now if all the teachers knew about it... instead of a look of worry, happiness crossed his face. Now if all the teachers knew about it, they would think it James Potter who was creating problems all over the school. Al had never been one for glory so he figured, if James wanted to the credit for what Al planned to do, it would be a perfect arrangement that James wouldn't have to know about.

"Why'd you stop?" Rose asked, backtracking a few steps so that she could be next to her cousin.

"Nothing," Al said hurriedly, taking large steps to catch up with Dalton and trying his best to act nonchalant.

"Come on, Al, we're cousins. I can tell when you're lying and now would be one of those times," she badgered.

"Fine. I just heard that James had gone out with some of his friends exploring and had gotten caught," he shrugged.

Rose raised her eyebrows pointedly and pursed her lips. "Well, he needs to be more careful next time."

"You are Aunt Hermione's daughter," he laughed, mimicking a phrase he had heard his parents use loads of times.

Rose huffed and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "So what if I am? That makes me sensible."

Dalton and James exchanged looks before starting to snigger. Rose glared at them and the trio continued walking in that fashion until they had finally arrived at the Great Hall.

They pushed their way through a large crowd and found seats near the center of the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see James pleading with Victoire.

"You have Herbology Monday, don't you Vic?" he asked as politely as he could.

"I do but I already told you, I will not ask Professor Longbottom as to where he was last night," she shot back impatiently.

"But come on. Daemian pointed it out to me. He was in Professor McGonagall's office all night," James pressed.

"Well, what he does is his business and his alone," Victoire answered with so much conviction, James took the cue and went back to his seat moodily. He looked up and saw Al watching.

Al threw a curious look in his brother's general direction and then turned his full attention to the array of splendid food in front of him.