Heirs of the Marauders

Remus led Harry, Ron, and Hermione down the cold tunnels below London. The door would have gone unnoticed by the teens had they not had Remus as a guide but they wondered if this trip was worth it. Rats skittered in the shadows, watching them with a human-like intelligence. Water dripped dully somewhere in the distance and the sounds of the outside world were magically quieted. Their shoes clacked noisily on the stones and made them all very jumpy.

"Almost there, just a little further," Remus encouraged.

As if in response, a glowing arch appeared before them. It reached from ceiling to floor and was glowing dimly in the half-light of the tunnel. Runes twirled around the frame and Hermione gulped quietly.

"What is it?" Harry asked her.

"Those are runes of protection. They won’t reveal the door and let us through unless we can remove them," she replied.

"Or you could speak the password," Remus interjected quietly.

The careworn man approached the arch, which changed from glowing dimly to burning a flaring red. He placed his fingertips gingerly on eight runes of four kinds and began to speak each rune in turn.

"Family"

"Trust"

"Sacrifice"

"Friendship"

The runes faded and became simple carvings in the stonewall. A round, engraved, silver, doorknob had emerged from the wall inside the arch and Remus took it without flinching. It turned noisily and opened to reveal a busy room full of light, life, and sound. The sudden assault on their sense made Harry, Hermione, and Ron cringe but they followed Remus into this hidden place. Everyone wore suits and hats that seemed to belong to another age with the men in pants and the women in skirts. Their uniforms were similar to the legendary Mob families of America. They were greeted by a young woman carrying a clipboard and an air of busy importance.

"Hello, Remus, the Boss will see you shortly," she grinned before slipping past them and out the door to the tunnel.

She had said "Boss" with a capital "B" which made Harry extremely curious. What kind of power did Remus’ old friend wield? He obviously had quite an operation down here…whatever it was they were actually doing. It almost appeared to be a smuggling group but there were also offices and cubicles like a normal office. Magic carpets and strange magical creatures were carted from one area to another. Harry even spotted someone carrying a folder that had "Quidditch World Cup Ledger" stamped across the front. If the Ministry ever found out about this place, Harry guessed, they would find a myriad of illegal magic and probably gambling galore.

"Are these…gangsters?" Ron asked as he looked all around.

Remus was silent for a moment but answered slowly, "Sort of. More like folks who believe the Ministry is a joke so they run things their own way. They have quite an influence too."

Harry opened his mouth to ask more questions but at that point the strangest woman he had ever seen came through the door they themselves had entered by. She didn’t wear a skirt like the other ladies but pants like the men and she had to be at least as old as Remus. Her ears were the first things Harry noticed though. They were long and pointed, more elf-like than human. Her eyes darted around the room as if accessing even the smallest detail until, satisfied, they rested on her visitors.

"Ah, Remus. How are you, ya old dog," the woman greeted with a grin that revealed sharp canines.

Harry realized the jest was aimed at Remus’ werewolfism and was shocked she knew since Remus usually chose to keep that fact quiet. Remus was obviously not surprised by her knowledge though because he shook her hand and smiled back.

"It’s been too long, Emily," he responded.

"I would like you to meet Frederick; he’s a new recruit from Bulgaria and one of my more trusted associates. And you already know Shawndee," Emily indicated two people who had followed her in.

The woman from earlier nodded her head and a man about the same age as Emily nodded after her. The man was tall with dark hair and sharp eyes and wearing a strange belt. It was then Harry realized that these people were wearing their wands in holsters. Both Shawndee and Frederick had hip holsters but Emily wore a shoulder holster of sorts that could be seen only because she wore her coat open.

"Come to my office, we can talk," Emily led them to the back of the room and through another door.

Inside was a comfortable and pleasant office with soft chairs and lovely paintings. File cabinets loomed against one wall, magically locked probably, and light filtered in through a window that looked out to nowhere at all. Emily waved at the seats to offer them all a seat which everyone but Shawndee and Frederick took. Those two took up practiced positions on either side of a large oaken desk, which Emily sat behind herself.

"So what brings you around these parts, Moony? Hopefully not to reminisce about the old days. I don’t have much time for the past these days," Emily reclined slightly in her chair and placed her fingers together end to end.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you for your help. You need to tell us how you prevented the Death Eaters from infiltrating your people," Remus became suddenly serious.

Emily grinned.

"So the ministry is finally wising up. They were too proud all that time ago to ask for my advice but now they are listening!" She leaned forward with a smirk on her face, "Question is, am I willing to talk now? They might have missed their window of opportunity,"

"You’ll help. The Order is going to use the information. Lily, James, and Siruis were all Phoenix’s and I still am, had they lived, those two would have been too."

"Had they lived…that’s a big assumption. No one could ever predict the wild one and the other would have probably worked in the ministry. But you're right, if you guys are the one’s getting this information then I’ll help," Emily seemed to grow old before their eyes.

“Um sorry to interrupt but who are those two?” Harry asked.

A look of sadness immediately leapt into Remus, Emily, and Shawndee’s eyes. Harry could tell he had made a mistake in asking that question.

“Harry when we say “those two” we are referring to Raven Towsley and Kelly Reineke. They were your parent’s, Sirius, Emily, Shawndee, and my best friends back at Hogwarts.”
Remus started.

“Until those bastards got in and killed them.” Emily hissed baring her fangs.

Harry still didn’t understand. So Remus continued to explain.

“Raven’s family were Death Eaters and so was she but not a willing one. A classmate turned Death Eater when she turned him down for me.” Harry understood now why it seemed to pain Remus so much. “He let Death Eaters into Hogwarts and before any of the teacher could do anything both Kelly and Raven were killed. Kelly by another of our classmates and Raven by her own father.

At this the gang gasped.

“If it wasn’t for Kelly, Harry you wouldn’t be here. She died saving your father and Raven died saving Sirius. If you ever go out by the Whomping Willow you will see a gravestone. That’s Raven’s. Nether of the students that help get the Death Eaters in ever returned or were caught. Their deaths are the reason we started fighting against the Death Eaters.”

Harry now understood why they didn’t say their names. It pained them too much. Suddenly all their attentions were brought to the door of Emily’s office as there was loud shouting.

“LET GO OF ME! I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!”

The door opened and a man with short blonde hair and blue eyes walked in holding on to the shirt of a girl around Harry, Ron, and Hermonie’s age.

“Andrew!” Remus said in surprise.

“Well Remus. How are you?”

“I said let go of me!” the girl shouted again.

The girl had shoulder length dark brown hair pulled into a high ponytail like Emily’s. Then she had hazel-green eyes that right now were glowing red from anger.

“What’s going on?” Emily asked.

“Kali here was terrorizing the bookies. She was messing up the papers on them.” Andrew said.

“I was not terrorizing them. I was merely entertaining them.” Kali said grinning showing she had sharp canines as well.

“Kali you know better than that. And everyone this is my daughter, Kali.” Emily said.

Remus grinned. “I can see that. She’s just like you when you were young. Well without the demonic ears.”

“Yes she is. Those were much better times, running the Gryffindor House Mafia.”

“Gryffindor Mafia!” Harry, Ron, and Hermonie said together.

“Yeah! She’s told me all about it!” Kali said excitedly.

“Yes, Kali why don’t you take these three and show them around.” Emily said motioning to Harry, Ron, and Hermonie.

“Sure! Anything to get myself out of punishment.” She said pulling away from Andrew.

“You’re not getting out of punishment. You’re just getting it later.” Emily said.

“Man. Come on mom it was just a bit of fun! I was going to put them all back in order.”

Emily smiled. “I know angel but you put everyone behind doing it. Now you four go on while I finish talking with Remus here.”

Kali smiled back at her mom knowing that she wasn’t in any real trouble. She never did get punished. Not badly anyway her mom knew what it was like to be young and to be a troublemaker. Harry, Ron, and Hermonie got up and started to follow her out when Emily’s voice stopped them.

“Harry.”

Harry tuned back to her.

“Your mom and dad would be proud of you.” She said smiling at him.

He smiled back and turned and followed the others out.
“Just follow me.” Kali said with a smile.

Harry, Ron, and Hermonie followed her back through the office like areas. Kali was getting a lot of dirty looks from several people. She didn’t seem to mind though she just smiled at them sweetly.

“You’re not very popular around here are you?” Harry asked.

“Yes I am.” She said with a laugh, “I’m popular as a troublemaker!”

Harry and Ron started laughing, but Hermonie gave a humph that went unnoticed. As they continued Kali waved to several people some waved back and others gave her glairs.

“So where are we going?” Ron asked.

“My special room. I’m going to get Andrew back for snitching on me.”

A demonic smirk appeared on Kali’s face making the trio a bit scared. Kali now lead them throw some doors into a part they hadn’t seen before. Harry wished he had more eyes to take everything in. The room was huge and full of desks and file cabinets. People were running every which way sorting papers and files. They walked farther in and a few of them turned toward them. They gave Kali death glairs, which Kali returned with a sweet smile of innocents. She threw her hands up in the air.

“Hey I’m not here to cause trouble. At least not this time.” She mumbled the last part.

She motioned to Harry, Ron and Hermonie. “I’m showing them around.”

The bookies gave her a suspicious look and then turned back to their work.

“As you can see these are the bookies.” said Kali motioning for them to continue following her.

They began making their way through all the bookies, the trio trying to take everything in.

“This stuff can’t be legal.” Hermonie said under her breath as they went through a room with potions in it

Kali gave a small laugh. “The Ministry has outlawed some of the stuff we have here, but we find the stuff useful.”

Hermonie seem completely upset about this comment. Kali finally stopped in front of a door, which the trio would have walked right by because it blended into the wall. It also had no doorknob! All you could see was the outline of the door and a handprint in the wall. Kali reached out and touched the door, which gave a shudder but didn’t open.

“Uh how do you get in?”

“Just watch.” was the answer Ron received.

She placed her hand into the handprint that was already there. It fit perfectly.

“Padfoot, Prongs, Moony, Princess, Gryffindor Demon, Kelly!”

Harry smiled to himself. She had used the names of the Marauders for her password. Well except that murdering traitor Wormtail. She pushed her hand in and the door opened. She quickly ushered them inside and followed herself closing the door. Harry’s jaw dropped at what he saw when he stepped inside Kali’s special room as she called it. The room was huge! It was jamb packed with prank stuff, candy, soda, and pretty much anything a kid could want. Ron and Hermonie seemed just as astonished as he was. Kali stepped up beside him.

“Cool huh?”

“Cool, more like amazing!” Ron exclaimed, “Where did you get it all!”

She smirked. “The food and stuff is just from around here. The joke stuff is partly from Zonko’s and the rest is from this great new joke shop called Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.”

“What! My brothers give you some of this stuff!”

“Brothers?” she said, “Oh you must be Ronald their younger brother right? I see the resemblance now.”

Ron nodded. “Yeah.”

“Ya know I don’t know your names either,” she said to Harry and Hermonie.

“I’m Hermonie Granger.”

“And I’m Harry Potter.”

Kali stared at him. “Your Prongs’ son!”

Harry was about to answer when something came swooping down over their heads and started attacking Ron. Whatever it was had wings, was brown and had long pointed ears. Ron was running around in circles trying his best to fight the thing off. He wasn’t having any luck though.

“GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!”

Kali was laughing her head off as she watched Harry and Hermonie try and help Ron. They couldn’t even get close to her little guard. Finally she got over her fit of laughter and gave a whistle and the strange creature let go of Ron and flew over to her. It landed on her shoulder. Ron, Hermonie and Harry turned to her as she pet her little friend.

“Bloody hell! What is that thing?” Ron said.

She giggled. “I’d like you all to meet my best friend, pet, and guard Devi.”

“Yeah but what is!” Hermonie asked eyeing Devi wearily.

Devi had the face of a rat, the body of a bat, but he didn’t exactly look like either with his long lightning bolt looking ears, evil eyes, and devil like tail.

“Devi here is half rat, half bat, and half demon. I’ve had him since I was like three-years-old.”

“You’re bloody mental! That thing is dangerous!” said Ron who stood behind Harry.

Devi made a hiss-like sound and glared at Ron. Ron quickly hid fully behind Harry.

“You just made an enemy Ron. Devi is very protective of me and doesn’t like to be called names.”

“Great. Can I just tell him sorry?”

Kali laughed. “That is up to Devi. You can try.”

Ron looked around Harry. “Sorry”

Devi looked at Kali who nodded.

“He forgives you.” Kali said.

Ron let out a sigh.

“Now to get back to business.” She said looking around.

Devi flew up and sat in the rafters. Harry started looking around now too. His eyes rested on some dung bombs that lay not too far from him. He smiled.

“Hey why not drop dung bombs on him?” Harry said out loud.

Kali and the others turned to him. Kali had that demonic smirk on her face again.

“Great idea Harry!”

She walked over to him and picked up a couple of dung bombs.

“Andrew’s going to love this. Hey Devi you ready for some action!” she said and then whistled.

Devi came flying down and right into her arms this time. She hugged him. Ron and Hermonie stepped up to them now. Ron looked like Christmas had come early and Hermonie looked like she wanted to start yelling at them. Kali lead them out the door and through a few different places until they found Andrew sitting in an office like area. Kali and Harry both smiled. Kali held out the dung bomb.

“Devi drop this just over Andrew’s office okay buddy.”

Devi seemed to nod his head and then took the dung bomb from Kali. He flew up and got right over Andrew’s office. He then dropped the dung bomb. It hit with a splat. Kali, Harry, and Ron had to cover their mouths to keep from laughing at the look on Andrew’s face. He and his office were completely covered. He looked up and saw Devi.

“YOU BLOODY MENACE! AND KALI YOU’RE GOING TO GET IT FOR THIS ONE!”

“Run!”

The four of them took off running. They didn’t get too far before Andrew appeared in front of them with an angry look on his face. He grabbed Kali’s shirt and started to pull her down the hall.

“You three come on.” He hollered over his shoulder.

They obeyed.

“I can’t believe you three would pull something like this. Especially you Hermonie.” said Remus sternly, “I’m sorry Andrew.”

“I don’t think it’s entirely their fault.” He said glaring at Kali whose head was hung.

“I think we best be going anyways. It was nice seeing you again Emily, Shawndee, Andrew.” Remus said.

Emily nodded and started to lead them toward the tunnel entrance they had entered from that morning. Kali followed behind her mother. When they reached the entrance Remus stopped and was saying good-bye to Emily when Kali walked up to the trio.

“I’m sorry I got you guys in trouble.”

“It’s ok.” Harry said.

“Speak for yourself.” Hermonie said angrily.

“Ignore her.” said Ron smiling.

“Come on you three.” Remus called

“Well this is good-bye.” Harry said.

“Only for now. We’ll see each other again.”

Harry gave her a quizzical look.

“Go before you get in more trouble.” She said giving him a shove.

The trio walked out into the tunnel waving good-bye to their new friends. Harry couldn’t help but wonder what Kali had meant by “we’ll see each other again”. He guessed he would have to find out later.