Harry is the last to step out from his Transfiguration class, the students all ravenously eager to get to lunch as quickly as possible. The last two days had been aggravating, to say the least, learning the Cruciatus charm was harder than anticipated, which prompted Quirrel to cast it on him again.
The man supposedly had a reason for it, magic required intent, and especially dark magic like the torture curse required one to desire to hurt the target. Harry honestly couldn't muster the effort to do so, he didn't hate Quirrel particularly despite the pain the man brought.
Even after being inflicted with the torture curse multiple times he couldn't hate him, he just wasn't worth the mental capacity. After every session it felt like his nerves were burning, prickling, trying to burrow out of his skin.
He knew he could cast the curse if he tapped into the well of resentment in his mindscape, but he was pretty sure it'd instantly render Quirrel insane. The hatred tens of thousands of sacrificed victims held for the living wasn't something a single mind could comprehend.
Thankfully, he'd found a way to skirt around the problem. While Harry didn't hate Quirrel, he hated something about him, abstract concepts like humanity, wizards, etcetera. It was amusing to think about, and when questioned Quirrel admitted he knew a witch who could only cast the curse when someone was wearing particularly ugly clothing.
The curse itself was one of the more impressive ones wizards had access to, one proceeded by demonic magic he suspected with how it tried to strike at the soul. It used the body as a conduit to stress the spirit, and if applied long enough by a powerful enough magic user it could very well damage the soul.
Harry was so deep in his thoughts that he ended up headbutting the chest of a certain ginger...
"Oh, it's Harrykins! We've been looking for you!" the twin grins as his brother steps beside him.
"Did you need something?" he quietly asks, wondering what they could want from him.
"Just wanted to congratulate you on a prank well done!-"
"Really, never seen anything like it! Doubt the snakes were happy about it?-"
"Might wanna look out for some retaliation, those pomped up 'nobles' never could take a joke-"
""If it was a joke..." both intone, "Looked more like an attack to me, like something the old Marauders would do."
"Marauders...?" Harry parrots, he'd never heard of them but if they were held in such high regard he should've come across them in his studies...
They both grin widely, "The masterful masters of pranksters and pranking!-"
"Kings-nay, gods at the art!-"
"Can you just get to the point?" Harry interjects.
...
"Fine. We heard about them from our dad, 'prolific pranksters who seemed to particularly like targeting Snape'. Apparently, their pranks went between harmless and borderline illegal."
"Something you'd know about, Harry. Not that we're saying anything, we just wanted you to know that we'd be willing to help if you needed to pull another.-"
"Everything's better with friends-"
"Especially if you need a grave dug."
"So... You want to recreate the Marauders..." Harry wonders aloud, "Should I consider this an invitation?" he inquires, intending to refuse if it was.
The twins crook a brow at one another, "I never thought of it like that, Gred!"
"Me neither, Forge!" he turns to Harry, "So how about-"
Only to get interrupted as the Transfiguration classroom's door opens, revealing a sour-faced McGonagall, "There'll be no more 'Marauding' in this school. I've had quite enough of it the last time."
"Professor, were you spying on us?-"
"Ear to the door like an old-timey agent?-"
"No, you just speak loud enough that it was apparent in the class." she sighs tiredly, "I do not mind your proclivity for pranks, but I will not have you disrupt other students in their learning. Anything that may harm their academic performance is strictly forbidden, do you understand?"
...
"Yes, but we have a request first!" one of the twins states, drawing a frown from the woman.
"I'm listening..."
""Tell us about the Marauders!""
...
"Hmph," she folds her arms, "Only if you keep all of your grades above an E, accomplish that and I may teach you some of their tricks... Do you understand?"
The twins look at one another and nod, "You keep your word!-"
"We're off to study!-"
"Keep in mind what we said Harry!" they both say before rushing off to the library.
Harry glances at Mcgonagall who held an amused expression, "You played them..."
She shrugs, "I gave them what they want, in return they'll give me what I want. Merely a transaction. As for you, perhaps I heard wrong but they were talking about 'borderline illegal' pranks? Perhaps something to do with the Slytherins...?"
He shakes his head, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Hm, is that so? Well, nothing to be done about it. Hurry along, lunch will be over if you dawdle any longer." she waves him off.
-------------------------
Harry returns to his room at the end of the day, he greets Nanthisk and drops onto his bed just as Blitzy pops into the room, a familiar bag in his grasp. "You found it?"
"We's did mastah! Finds it on a's tower of broken tables we did!" he gently hands it off.
Harry nods, looking through it and confirming that everyone was present, from Grindelwald's Skull, to the Necronomicon, to the Philosopher's stone. "Good. But I'll give you a reminder of what happens if you defy me again. Crucio." he intones, jabbing a finger at the Imp.
It screams in agony, writhing on the floor under the spell. He quickly ends it however as he hears someone nearing the door. "Leave." he commands, prompting the sobbing Imp to pop away.
The door opens, revealing his dormmate Nick, jaw wired shut and face covered in bloodied bandages, a look of pure hatred in his eyes.
Well, isn't that interesting?