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Yeah! Here's the new chapter!
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-Still in the clearing in front of the frozen lake-
"Well where do you want to start?" I asked Harry, who stopped to think for a moment, and after some time thinking he sighed in defeat.
"Honestly, I have no idea," he said, "I wish I knew everything from the beginning, but there are questions and doubts that keep popping into my mind, and I really want the answers to them."
"Hmm…" I hummed thoughtfully, "And from your expression I can assume you're scared of the answers you're going to get, right?" I asked.
"...Yes" Harry said after a moment, and I sighed.
"I can understand that fear, but I also know that you're a Gryffindor, and if there's one thing I know about the Gryffindors, it's that courage and stupidity are two very strong traits in you," I said, getting an amused snort from Harry, " So how about now you use that courage of yours to ask me your question, huh?"
Listening to me, Harry smiled slightly, and he then looked up thoughtfully.
"Well... Even with you saying that, I still don't know what question to ask first... There are so many that I'm confused" he said, and hearing this I put a finger to my chin to think.
"Hmm... It really must be hard to think of a question in this situation" I said to Harry, "Well then while you're thinking of a question why don't I tell you about the group of pranksters your dad was a part of?"
"Was my father part of a group of pranksters?" Harry asked me in surprise.
"Yes, and that group was responsible for creating the map the twins gave you" I replied.
"The Marauder's Map? Was my father one of the Marauders?" he looked at me dumbfounded, but then he seemed to realize something, "Wait! How do you know the twins gave me the map?! And how do you know about it?!" he questioned me.
"Did you really think I didn't know about the twins' intention to give you the map?" I huffed, looking at him smugly, "And as for another question, the only other person besides them to know about the map is me because they showed it to me our first year"
"Oh... If you're the only other person besides us to know about the map then I guess it makes sense that you know they gave it to me" Harry said.
"Yes" I nodded, "And besides, the map is sticking out of your back pants pocket"
As soon as I said that Harry put his hand in his back pocket to feel the map, seeing that it really wasn't very well hidden.
"I suggest you don't leave it in such an easy place to steal or lose" I said in amusement, but Harry caught the warning tone in my sentence, and after that he nodded slowly, picking up the map and placing it carefully in the inside pocket of his coat.
And seeing this I nodded in satisfaction.
"Well, now that the questions are answered, let's get back to the Marauders" I said, and Harry immediately started paying attention to me, wanting to know everything about his father.
I then started talking about the things I knew about his father and his three friends, who after a while became part of the biggest and best group of pranksters at Hogwarts... Well, actually they were the best of that decade, as I'm sure the Three Musketeers are better.
Well, moving on... I talked about things that would be easy to find out if you asked the right people, portraits, and ghosts.
I knew a lot of things about James Potter and the Marauders, and many of you may think that I have this knowledge thanks to the fact that I am a reincarnated person who has already read the Harry Potter books, but the books didn't have much information about them, and what was already said about them in the books was just basic information.
And actually, all the information and knowledge I had about them was due to the fact that I had talked to the portraits and ghosts of the castle, and in addition in my conversations with Sirius he told me about his childhood and life at Hogwarts.
As it wouldn't be easy to explain how I knew about some things, I decided that I would only tell Harry small bits of information and stories about the Marauders.
Every story I told brought a small smile to Harry's face, and when I told him about the trouble his father had gotten himself into, he laughed happily.
Harry's emotions were one of happiness, amusement and longing, and the only time they changed was when I told him that Professor Lupin was one of his father's friends.
When I revealed this, I could feel the shock, sadness, and sense of disappointment coming from Harry, all of them directed at Professor Lupin, and in Harry's mind he could only think that Professor Lupin had abandoned him.
In a way Harry was right, as Professor Lupin never tried to look for Harry after James and Lily died, and even now that they are in the same castle he hides the fact that he was one of his father's best friends.
But these negative emotions were overcome by Harry's joy and amusement as I started talking about the pranks the Marauders played on the school and students at that time.
After some time I finally finished talking about "everything" I knew about Marauders, and Harry now looked at me in wonder.
"Wow, I didn't expect my dad to be like that or do those things," he commented, with a small gleam of surprise, longing and happiness in his eyes.
"Well, it's not that hard to believe when you remember that his son also does stupid things and gets into a lot of trouble, like fighting a troll in his first year" I shrugged, a slight amused smile on my lips, " In fact, you far surpass your father when it comes to getting into trouble."
"Well...that I can't deny I guess" he chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, and I rolled my eyes good-naturedly.
"So... now you know what you want to ask me?" I asked, "Or do you want me to tell you another story about your parents?" and when I asked this Harry looked at me for a moment in contemplation.
"No, I think I already know what I want to ask now." Harry said, and I nodded at him.
After that I saw Harry get thoughtful, looking straight ahead deep in thought.
For a moment Harry stared at the floor, but then he frowned and I could feel him tense up, and I looked at him a little worried.
"Harry?" I called, and he turned to me.
"Now that you've talked about my parents and the Marauders, I've started to think of something," Harry said, and I looked at him questioningly, "You said you don't believe Sirius Black betrayed my parents... Why do you think that? " he asked me.
When he asked that question I could feel some angry emotions starting to rise from him at the mention of Sirius.
That was a sensitive question, and I knew I couldn't give a full answer, as that would raise too many other questions I didn't want or be able to answer right now, at least not until Sirius was cleared.
"Well…" I started to say, having an idea of how to broach this subject, but just as I opened my mouth a voice interrupted me, catching my attention and Harry's.
"Harry?!" we heard a female voice call out loudly, and turning towards the sound we saw Hermione emerge through the trees.
Hermione was panting and had a worried look in her eyes. When she reached the clearing where we were standing she looked around until her eyes fell on us, or more accurately, on Harry.
"HARRY!" she screamed, and immediately started running towards us.
Seeing his hurried run towards Harry, I wisely walked away from him, not wanting to come between a boy and his worried best friend.
"Where have you been?! I've been looking all over Hogsmeade for you!" she exclaimed, hugging Harry tightly.
And Harry, who was hugged suddenly, looked at Hermione not knowing how to react. After a few seconds he finally lifted his arms to hug her too, and meanwhile I was looking away, not wanting to intrude on their moment.
"What happened for you to leave Three Broomsticks like that? You just ran away without even talking to us, we thought something bad had happened" Hermione started to speak with teary eyes, and Harry looked away in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, it's just that I heard something that made me very angry, and I just wanted to leave to clear my head" he said feeling guilty.
"Idiot, next time talk to us before you disappear like that, I was so worried" Hermione said, hugging him again.
"I know, I'm sorry" Harry said, hugging her, not noticing the small smile that crept onto her face.
'Ethan was right, there are people who still care about me' he thought.
And I, who was on the side, looked at the scene with an embarrassed look, feeling that I was disturbing their moment, realizing that among all the feelings of worry, relief, happiness, and guilt, there was also another feeling that came from both of them that I didn't expect to feel.
'I didn't know they were that close' I thought, 'But apparently they still haven't recognized those feelings... Sigh, young love' I shook my head with a slight wry smile.
"Hey Harry, I think we better finish our conversation some other time" I said to Harry, startling him, as he had forgotten that someone else was with them in the clearing, too lost in his moment with Hermione.
"Wait, but—" Harry started to say, but I cut him off.
"We can talk anytime at the castle, it's not like the answers you seek are going to disappear" I said, "And besides, I think you have a more important matter on your hands now" I gestured to Hermione who looked at us confused.
Harry then looked at me and then at Hermione, and after thinking for a moment he nodded.
"Yes, you're right," he said.
"I listen to this a lot," I said smugly with a slight teasing smile, eliciting a small chuckle from Harry.
I then turned around after saying that and started to walk away, but halfway through I turned back and called Harry.
"Oh, and Harry, I know you don't like to talk about this with others, but I think you should at least talk to your two best friends," I said, looking at Hermione for a moment before looking back at Harry, "From what I can see they're really worried about you, so don't push them away"
Saying that I didn't wait for a response from Harry, and turning around again I continued on my walk, walking out of the clearing and leaving Harry and Hermione alone, with him looking at my back lost in thought and she looking at him worried and confused.
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-Three Broomsticks-
"Finally you're here!" Terry exclaimed as soon as he saw me walk through the door of Three Broomsticks, "What took you so long?" he asked.
"Don't tell me you got lost in the parchment shop" Anthony said, and I rolled my eyes.
"I took so long because I had some business to attend to" I said, and then decided to change the subject, "But while I wasn't here what did you guys do?" I asked.
"Nothing much, we just talked and ate" Terry replied with a shrug.
"Serious?" I asked looking at him skeptically.
"Yes" he replied.
"Then why are these two like this?" I asked, nodding towards Michael and Stephen.
The two had been quiet since I arrived, but the reason for their silence was probably due to the fact that they were gagged and bound with ropes, glaring at Terry and Anthony with an irritated glare.
"Well, let's just say they should have known better than to place a bet with Anthony and me" Terry said dryly, but I could hear the amusement in his voice.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Well okay" I shrugged.
End.
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(End AN: My friends are planning a game night, and we've already chosen poker and monopoly as the games for that night.
If you could pick one game for game night, what game would you pick?)