Return Of The Marauders

Disclaimers: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, the story belongs to me, everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner brothers

Chapter 29: Exploring Hogwarts, Cowardly Lions And Curfew Alarms

'Oh man, I forgot that part, Mad-eye has the tendency to shoot or hex you when your back is turned, training, not risk free as an auror.' I thought remembering and as I was saying it, something went flying passed me, and I quickly turned and said it mentally. And Mad-eye's staff went flying into my hand and he smiled proudly at that response.

"Good, really good, as I said constant vigilence, you need to be prepared and you just proved my point, nicely done." he said and I handed his staff back to him then. "Risk free training at times these things in training start getting nuts. But never let your guard down when around a dark wizard, or a slightly paranoid auror, case in point here."

"Just remembering it when with you, before you start training me, and I quickly answer the unspoken hex shot at me and did it mentally." I said and the auror department nodded smiling. "Yes that's exactly the point to your new training, what use is theory when out there as the fight won't be risk free and you got to be ready for the fight."

"So constant vigilence now, you're a skilled warrior, but though we're good, like you are, he's better, so we got to cheat at times by creating new spells to do it." Mad-eye said and I nodded to the tip. "Vernon, Petunia, you see me teaching him in the backyard, stay clear of the door, or the practice dummy could hit you." Remus said and they nodded.

"Either that or a practice dueling table in the basement, so I can expect to hear that repeatedly in the basement till you or Sirius come up, so we can have lunch." she said and he nodded. "I take it they all had a reason to look up to you at the time, but they don't know your inner demons?" Vernon asked and Dumbledore nodded to him then.

"Had to fix a few things that got them in trouble with the misuse of muggle artificats office, but they all feel like I can do no wrong. Though Harry looks up to me, he sees passed the all mighty, knowing persona I deliver and treats me like a normal person. So while anyone else can't get passed my accomplishments, he does at times, as do you."

"Your age group and your parents, I'm 133 and my life resulted in a case of pride that killed my baby sister when we were no older then Junior himself." he said and the Grangers and Dursleys nodded to the news. "So your age groups see passed the fact I'm not always right, but then you know I'm only human, but the cubs age group now."

"Of Harry's class, only four were raised as order members, of the old order, so getting recalled means that what happens in meetings at times is a closed session. That doesn't mean not spilling what a fellow order born member needs to know. To prepare them for whats coming when in school or at the ministry right now, the old orders knows that."

"But Harry himself, Neville, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott are order born and raised, while in Ginny's age group it was Luna herself." he said and Petunia checked the picture again. "Mum died last year, potions accident." Luna told me and I nodded as I hugged her and she buried her head into my shoulder and the new order gave a nod to that gently.

"Did you see it?" I asked and she nodded sadly and my eyes narrowed in anger at that. "You need me I'm right here baby, I promise baby sister." I told her and she nodded as she buried her head into my shoulder as I hugged her. "Great, the one who needs us are the ones that understand we're still traumatized by what happens in these situations."

"You saw the accident when her experimenting went one too far and blew up the lab, he sees me getting shot down by Riddle and Pettigrew. That the only ones who understand and seen death are you that you see what is pulling the carriages. You need him, like he needs you now." Cedric said sternly, in over hearing the conversation and we nodded.

"Key point there, she is my baby sister and Neville, practically my twin brother, we even look alike, our fathers are both aurors. Next is the fact that our parents are order members and we dodged and survived him 3 times in 13 years. So why not act like brothers, our families knew each other for years." I said and the old order nodded gently.

"There that is just the point, the old order stuck by each other all our lives, I would die, before I betrayed your parents and our friends." Sirius said at that remark. "And never mind doing what is easy, one of us goes down, we all go down now. And we will not be tried separately here, our family comes first." Luna said and Neville and I nodded softly.

"Yeah and the duo are starting to believe every word the prophet prints about us, thanks to the lies of Rita Skeeter, as they decide to just follow orders. And when for three years we do the right thing, do what is easy and our friendship suffers as a result." I said and Dumbledore nodded sternly as he explained the reason why for that remark at that.

"They do, but unlike them, Ronald or Hermione, his parents were well loved at the time and we all saw him at one time or another. Harry thought of us as extended family as a toddler, to him, we're grandparents, aunts, uncles and adoptive counsins in his eyes. So he sees this as a need to keep up with what goes on in the order and even better now."

"As, like Neville, he is a child of the old order, like Hannah, Susan and Dora, Marianne Mckinnon and Christopher Vance. So the one who deserves to get all his questions answered is him and Neville, as well as Hannah and Susan. He's the leader of the Junior Order Of The Phoenix, code name Dumbledore's Army." he said and the quintet nodded.

"Neville, if your grandmother and I told you not to tell him anything or contact him over the summer, would you follow orders. Or would you choose your friendship, doing the right thing, over doing what is easy and follow orders. Although I may not know what I'm talking about here?" he asked and Neville wasted no time in telling him the truth then.

"i would tell him what I know, from what I gathered in dinner conversations between you and the rest of the order." he said Dumbledore looked at Luna. "Luna, what about you?" he asked her and she nodded. "I would do the same, my brother needs me, and I would be there offering my friendship to him." he said and the duo and Ginny winced at that.

"A choice between doing what is right, said right is maintaining our friendship and giving him some information. Or doing what is easy, said easy following orders until he arrives and unloads every batch of resentment at us for abandoning him over the summer. So to hell with orders, we choose our friendship." Susan finished sternly and he smiled gently.

"A Child of the old order would go screw following orders, you're not always right, not all powerful, but just because you're the Great Albus Dumbledore. That doesn't always mean you're right, that you can't be wrong, as that is not true. You're only human, you can make mistakes like the rest of us, those of us who knew you all our lives now here."

"To the cubs who only knew you a few years here." Sirius said with a warning tone to the duo and he nodded in agreement. "Yes we agree with him, we see passed the facade of your titles, you are only human, you make mistakes. So defy orders and tell him the small bits of what we know." Hannah Abbott said gently, finishing his sentence at that.

"So you see this as a reason to stay loyal, nothing changes between you, say that after some new adventure, there was a split between your sextet. You stayed loyal, but the trio didn't as you never changed, you three grew up at the time after this adventure. And decided never mind orders, you do the right thing?" Severus asked and they nodded.

"Yes Sir, that's right we would, nothing changed, we grew up, made new friends, suffered several life changing decisions and during it, got hurt. We stay loyal, but them, where were they when we needed them most exactly in his 4th year?" Luna said and the trio swallowed hard at that remark as they realized that's what boiled down to, loyalty.

"All that says is, after things in the years before, they decided screw being friends of the chosen one. They want a year off from repeated dangers, and decide to take sides, knowing damn well how this is seen to the rest of us. As our family friendship comes first over the adult alpha, so to speak." Neville said, crossing his arms as they did the same.

"Our family bond, the duo are my siblings, but you're the daughter of my mother's best friend, muggle best friend, we see each other as brother and sister. So where is the loyalty, family came first, it always does, are you my sister or aren't you, Mione?" I asked and she swallowed hard at that as the duo stood next to me with their arms crossed.

"Good enough reason to keep in touch as instead of following orders as a simple student with the link to Riddle you can exploit that. By having all his attention focused on the junior order leaving the adult order open to planning things. As the junior leader talks and keeps in touch with the adult leader." Dan said and I smiled at his idea then sternly.

"There's the catch, a child of the old order would do the right thing and be telling him what we know. As our parents were heroes, or died creating a way to stop Riddle at the time, but a child of the new order would do what is easy. And take orders, knowing damn well this could wreck a friendship." Neville and Luna said together at that remark gently.

"A Child of the old order would tell him what we know based on what we got from your conversations in these meetings. And enough to keep him from getting caught off guard by what the hades was going on in the government ministry. Just after a student was murdered, and he was in stage two and ready to explode at the moment here."

"We choose our friendship over following your orders, like we always did before at the time, expulsion or loss of our friendship with him. I choose expulsion, he matters more to me, so screw orders I am telling him the truth and acting like Sirius was with his father." Dora, Cedric and Oliver all said together and the faculty smiled in approval at that news.

"There that is just what I'm talking about, though it may be in your nature never to question my decisions. And especially when all that could do is make things worse between you, putting a line between you and damaging a friendship. Consider the fact I am human, like you, I make mistakes, my decisions are not the end all and be all here."

"So say I tell you to hold her hostage, you think he wouldn't take offense to that, or never speak to him now that Tom is back on the loose. Your parents and I are testing you here, is your friendship more important then following our orders. That's what you got to ask yourselves now." Dumbledore said and the duo sighed at the real question then.

"There are dark times ahead for us, and soon we must all choose between what is right and what is easy. So what am I really saying to you exactly, you five: girls, Neville, Cedric are all children of the old order?" he asked and Cedric answered that question. "To keep a friendship, best to bend the restriction and tell him what we know here now."

"Before he finds out the hard way, if we never changed things, and the stab in the back is the ministry is doing what is easy and slandering both your names through the mud. So tell him first to prepare him for what's coming, before he can settle in. And be with the members of the orders he missed the most." he said and Dan nodded in agreement then.

"And again that possibllity is reason enough to ignore the orders of the headmaster and tell him what you know, just ignore our orders and tell him everything. Especially when you know he suffered a trauma and is grieving and having nightmares. Regarding the shootout in the graveyard here." Dan said sternly and Molly and Emma nodded firmly

"Bingo, that's it exactly, their mother, you, Emma and I may say they are still children, but they can create their own order and train as we're adult wizards and witches." Arthur said and Molly nodded in agreement to his thoughts. "As the junior order leader, I need to be kept updated on what is going on with my adult counterpart and their order."

"So that's a question for the room, what's wrong with telling me what the heck is going on, on their side of the situation when I'm in Surrey for 3/4's of the summer. And without a scrap of news, when I'm the one who saw him return, fight him. And then saw a friend get murdered by him and with that friend and situation, I saw the last murders done.

"And by his wand in reverse order, and the last two are my family at the time here now, emotionally traumatized, I was entering stage 2, anger. I needed my friends and finally, if you wanted me to teach you how to fight, what's wrong with passing information. Just so we can create new spells and prepare to fight, just answer that and while we're at it."

"So just where the bloody hell were you when I needed you most?" I asked sternly and the duo exchanged uneasy looks at that. "But doing what is right, or doing what is easy and that was a test of friendship. A test of trust, you barely know me, but you knew Harry for five years." Dumbledore added, his tone stern then as he went further at that.

"As I said my decisions are not always best and at times now, like the summer after Tom starts up again, though I say it's for Harry's safety that he be told nothing. Here's the question now, as certain people in the ministry will paint me as evil. And the order as a bunch of sheep now, am I right though, am I right?" he asked and Mione froze up then.

"Doubting authority is against your every principle Mione, but he's not, he's not perfect, you want to keep my friendship, just call me or send me a message by post." I said translating that message and she started to open her mouth. "But he said..." she started to say and they shook their heads as I answered that remark crossing my arms.

"You make that choice, or throw my choices in my face and it's over." I said and she paled at that. "What matters more our friendship, our parents are the best of friends, but do you think they want you turning your back on me. Just because he said it was for my own safety?" I asked and she looked from me to him and I nodded as I got it then.

As I felt my heart break. "So that's it then, some friend you are, back stabber, you just sold out and look at what your choices result in, look at your own father." I said and she swallowed hard, as she looked at her parents, who were staring at her. And with stern disappointment as Emma said it with one sentence to her at that remark firmly then.

"I'm beyond ashamed of you young lady, how could you, I will always love you, but right now I don't like the person. You're growing up to be right now with us trapped in these bodies." she said sternly at that and she paled at that. "Harry, mum, please, I wanted to contact you, but he said for us to not tell you anything." she said desperately to us then.

"He is a teacher young lady, but as teachers they are not always right, you sold out, like Pettigrew did, like Percy did." Dan said sternly and the tears started running down her face at that remark. "I don't care about rules and orders Hermione and when did you turn into this following rules principle when we both know we didn't for going on 3 years."

"But if following his orders is all that matters, we dissolve this friendship now, before the school year even starts. When I'm the one that saved the stone, I was the one that killed the basilisk, the diary, saved your hides from the dementors, I fought him. I saw Cedric getting murdered and just when I need you, you turn your back on me, if that's it then."

"You said it yourself, we're in this together, a trio, friends for life, what is the point of being friends when in the end they turn cowardly to save their own necks from expulsion. Aside from that we are Gryffindors, lions, you are a coward, cowardly lion, and I would rather be friends with a snake or with raven, even a badger at least I know they attack."

"When they feel threatened, but a lion, you never know when they turn cowardly to save their own skins, so you sold me out to save yourselves from expulsion. Coward, you are a couple of cowards." I snapped at her and they froze at the remark. "Thank you, that's my point exactly." Severus said sternly as Minerva nodded sternly at the example given.

"The wizard of Oz, courage, courageous lion, but you are a coward, cowardly lion young lady." Remus said and Sirius, Remus and Severus crossed their arms. "And we would die, die rather then betray our friends, so you should have realized it. That if Riddle never kill you, then we would have, together." Severus said sternly and she swallowed hard at that.

"Then you lost me anyway Mione, who matters more, what matters more, keeping your friendship with me. Or doing what the headmaster tells you to do, just answer that, and leave him out of this, it's your choice, no one's but you." I said and she sighed at that. "It's not about us at all, you got to choose between the boys and I'm strict, young lady."

"You're choosing what is easy every time by following orders, but the stone, the diary and cracking the mystery of the chamber. What was that young lady, is that doing what is right, or what is easy, Harry broke the rules by getting the map. Instead of doing what is easy and hiding it, he told us immediately that we had everything in reverse now."

"So tell me, you three spent three years doing what is right now, but just when he needs you most, you act like a coward and follow orders, so what is that exactly." Severus said sternly and she swallowed hard at that remark and the faculty all nodded in agreement. "That's the catch right now Mione, we broke the rules for going on three years now here."

"Always doing what is right, things change when I become a school champion undercover at the tournament and I lost my fellow champion. And just when I need you guys, in keeping in touch, you turn your backs on me." I said and the duo froze up at that. "There, that's exactly our point now, when he needed you, you shut him out."

"Now tell us, just what does that say about your character, instead of doing what is right, you do what was easy and never contact him. That was a test for you, I was testing you: be a friend and tell him small fragments or never contact him. And you damage your bonds of friendship." Minerva and Dumbledore said and she froze up and with her, Ron.

"Thank you Harry, that was our test as well young lady, you can do what is right and drop him a line or what is easy and he turns his hurt and anger on you." Remus, Tonks, Kingsley and Mad-eye said together at that. "Harry understands this, but how many times did he break the rules for you?" Fred asked and she swallowed hard at that remark.

"Answer me, just how many times did he break the rules and so the right thing, doing what is right over what is easy, the stone, the diary. Coming to me and Remus and telling us we had it in reverse all this time." George said and she sighed at that remark. "Screw the rules, we will do what is right over what is easy." Neville and Luna said together.

"Us too, we will do the right thing, do what is right over what is easy, he needs us, we are there for him." The twins, Lee, Cedric and my team said and I nodded. "A true friend if this was about a break up letter would contact the sender and learn the truth. Would ask why it would have to be sent, so tell us are you a true friend, when you do this."

"The trio chose to stay loyal and do the right now, they are true friends, you question whether or not he put his name in the tournament. You betray him, not once, but twice now, that's what we consider being a coward, you just believe the lie. And then stab him in the back, by this choice, you sold us out." George said sternly and they looked down.

"As this is why I'm turning to them, my team mates, on the quidditch team, we got three years preparing for a war, before my training is put to the test. That test is the Tri-wizard tournament, in that tournament, you need to know what's out there. You need to be prepared for the unexpected, as it's not risk free." I said firmly and the ministry nodded.

"There that's just the point, you need to be prepared for the unexpected attack." Kingsley said as he laid a hand on my shoulder gently at that as I heard a clinking laugh and turned at that. "Alright laugh it up, you old tin can." I said with a bemused smile at the one that was laughing and the faculty started laughing at the exchange then.

"I think he overheard the conversation if he started laughing at the practice run, which hallway are we in exactly?" Ron asked and I turned and saw the trophy case. "We're just outside the trophy room at the moment, but if we got our memories back. Well then so did he, we left the door open that night." Mione said and he gave a nod to confirm that.

As the helmet looked at us gently, I knew if it had a human face he would be looking at us with a smile then. "Yeah good to see you too, and yes I am James Potter's son, and I start next term." I added and the helmet lowered and I knew he was looking into my eyes. "Yeah I'll stay out of trouble." I said in response and they chuckled to that remark.

"These guys are possessed?" Dan asked and we nodded. "Yeah, but the gargoyles you see around the castle are stand by security in case of a raid." I said and they nodded. "How many times did he get blasted if he's got dents all over the chest armor?" Dudley asked. "Attempted practical jokes, he's the leader of the suits in this hallway."

"You ever seen beauty and the beast, these guys are like that." I said and they nodded smiling. "He's been like this since we started school, but when we're on this staircase, watch out for the trick stair here. Because they tend to over hear the conversation and I smacked that one for laughing at Neville that term." Ron said and they nodded, smiling.

"Here's a question, why not use lumos so you can see where we were going, before Neville tripped over his stand and ran into Ron?" I asked and Mione started laughing at that. "It never crossed my mind to use our wands like a flashlight that night. And I didn't want to give us away, but that would save us the trouble." she said and I nodded smiling.

"There's the old remark of, if it's not broke, don't fix it, but these act like the alarm going off passed curfew." I said and the Dursleys nodded with a chuckle to that. "True, but the noise was loud enough to wake up the entire castle as the five of us. We came to see what happened this time after we heard that at midnight, I was on night duty."

"As was Minerva, Severus, Sybil and Pomona." Flitwick said and the four of us nodded. "We got lost, Neville tripped, grabbed me and we slammed into him and he knocked over his friend next to him, before it was like group of dominos coming down." Ron explained pointing at the armor that was listening to the conversation with a slight chuckle.

"Uh huh, and he was the first domino to come down before knocking over his friends, but one of these would not be enough to alert us you were out of the dorms. But three or four that did it as we came to investigate who it was that did that. And nearly got caught while doing it, but that explains the look on Draco." Sprout said with a slight smile then.

"Issues with the set ups, but he sicced Filch on us, we got lost and ended up outside the corridor that was housing Fluffy. But this was too much that night on top of everything else." I said and the faculty nodded bemused. "You kids need to take it down several notches and before give us all a coronary." Severus said and we nodded to his request.