Chương 77: Chapter - 78 : Aerial Duels and Family Feuds part - 2

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Harry kept one eye on the race - Ron was currently in the lead - but otherwise focused on puzzling over the clear division between the Weasley boys. Obviously not all of the family agreed with Gideon and the rest of the Prewitts disowning their werewolf relative. The broom was a gift - or maybe even a bribe - from the professional Quidditch player, and the twins were angry that Ron had accepted it. Harry knew from Sirius that the Prewitts had been vocal in their demands for harsher anti-werewolf legislation, but he hadn't heard much at all about the Weasley family. Added to the fact that the Weasleys seemed just as poor and Arthur Weasley just as unappreciated in his job at the Ministry as Harry remembered, this made him suspect that the family as a whole didn't support their wealthy Prewitt relatives.

Ron, however, was apparently prepared to side with his rich relations in return for a top of the line racing broom. Harry wasn't happy to believe he was so shallow, but reminded himself that the boy was only eleven years old. The Ron Harry used to know hadn't reacted well to discovering Lupin's lycanthropy, but with some cajoling had overcome that particular prejudice. With some luck the Ron here in this world would similarly mature at some point.

Harry surfaced from his thoughts in time to cheer as Draco finally overtook Ron on the fourth lap, before his attention was caught by the snippets of conversation he overheard between the twins.

"- no, that won't work -"

"- but if we use -"

"- Footswitch would notice -"

"Are you two planning a prank on Footswitch?" he interrupted their discussion to ask.

George looked up suspiciously. "Now why would a baby Slytherin like you be asking us that?"

"I'd like to help, if you'll let me," Harry said. Not only did he want a chance at getting the Marauder's Map, but he also really didn't like the Defence Professor.

"You'd only get us caught," Fred said, "and I doubt you know many spells."

"I know enough," Harry said. "And the teachers would never expect you to work with a first year - and certainly not a Slytherin one - so they'd be much less likely to think you're the culprits if I helped set up the prank."

Fred looked thoughtful. "The boy has a point, George."

"He does seem to have the sneaky mind of a true prankster, Fred."

"Well pranking is sort of in my blood," Harry said with an overly casual shrug. "I'm the son of a marauder after all."

The twins stared at him, their faces suddenly taking on entirely different expressions.

"Say that again?"

"The son of a what?"

Harry airily waved his comment away while inwardly laughing to himself. "Oh sorry, inside joke. It's the name my dad and his group of friends called themselves when they were younger. You wouldn't get it."

"You might be wrong there. Please, young marauder, do tell?"

Fred and George were now giving Harry their full attention and listened raptly as Harry gave them a brief history of the Marauders. He changed some bits of course, so that he was Padfoot's son instead of Prongs', and Moony was an animagus who turned into a wolf rather than a werewolf. Harry didn't feel it was his place to tell the twins about Remus' lycanthropy, even though according to Lupin it was already common knowledge in this world.

The twins were absolutely thrilled and ended up begging Harry to allow them to owl his dad and his new godfather. They also revealed that they were in possession of the Map. Harry had expected to have to work a bit harder to get them to admit it, but was ready to use it to his advantage. He gasped excitedly and exclaimed that his dad had always lamented the fact that it was confiscated by Filch and so couldn't be passed on to his son upon Harry starting Hogwarts.

Harry hadn't been certain whether this strategy would work, but the twins shared a long silent look before turning back to Harry and offering the Map to him on the condition that they might occasionally be allowed to borrow it.

Harry agreed with a wide smile and sincere thanks. He was so busy congratulating himself on his successful plan that he almost missed Draco winning the race. The twins could be heard taunting Ron about his narrow loss all the way up to castle, while Draco remained so wrapped up in his triumph that he didn't even notice that Harry wasn't paying any attention to his victory speech. Harry was glad Draco had won - the blond would've been utterly insufferable to share a dorm with if he'd lost - but remained distracted. He'd got the Map, now all he had to do was try to work out a way of getting his hands on the Invisiblity Cloak. James Potter may have left it with Dumbledore, but Harry felt he himself had more of a claim on it as well as more important plans for its use.

Once he had both the Map and the Cloak he could retrieve Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem from the Room of Requirement and safely smuggle it out of the castle. Harry had promised Sirius he wouldn't do anything rash, so until then he'd simply have to wait no matter how little he liked doing so. Harry had to agree with Sirius though - there was no way he wanted to risk Dumbledore or anyone else finding him in possession of a part of Voldemort's soul.

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