The Trip
Charles
"So, here's what we've decided," Lily announced at dinner one night. "This time, instead of Sirius' annual trip with Harry and Jéricho, all of us will be going together, as a family."
"Where to, though?" Harry asked.
"That's for all of us to decide together. However, because this year it was supposed to be Charles' and Lyra's trip, they'll be picking the destination."
Charles and Lyra exchanged grins at this and shouted, "SYDNEY!"
Lily frowned, obviously a bit disappointed. "Really? Why not somewhere like-"
"It's great, actually." Harry put in. "Right, guys?"
The others nodded in agreement, and Charles smiled gratefully in Harry's direction. Lily sighed, outnumbered heavily. "Fine. Sydeny it is. Where will we be staying?"
"A wizarding hotel, please," James said. "No muggle places."
Charles sniggered, recalling the last time they'd stayed in a muggle inn. James, not being as good at handling muggles as Lily or Sirius, had messed up badly, resulting in them being kicked out. Sirius laughed, too, at the memory, and nodded. "I'll book us a place. Why don't we leave in two days?"
"Good idea, Pads." Lily nodded.
"Will Uncle Moony be there?" Effie asked hopefully. While Remus was Charles' godfather, he was the closest to Effie and even Monty.
James grimaced. "Uh, no. He's still in India."
Remus had been in India for months now, on some job. He hadn't said when he'd be back.
"Oh." Monty sighed in disappointment.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be back soon." Sirius placated.
Charles was still slightly upset that he wouldn't get to go on an annual trip with Lyra, Harry, Jéricho, and Sirius, but not much put out. They were going to Sydney, where he and Lyra had been wanting to visit for ages. They had picked the place out for their annual trip, originally.
They had been back for only three weeks, so he had visited the Burrow thrice with Effie and Monty, where Hermione had also been. Effie was very good friends with Ginny, even if a year younger. Lyra had instead opted to go to the Greengrass Manor, where her friends Zabini and Nott had also been. Harry had gone to the Diggory's place with Jéricho and his friends.
Charles suddenly frowned. "Will we celebrate my birthday there?"
"Yes, that's the plan." James nodded. "We'll be back in August."
"Cool." Charles grinned.
Lyra
So, two days later the Potters and the Blacks met up in the morning and surrounded the international portkey, which was a rack this time. While Lyra didn't have much trouble with magical transportation means, she didn't particularly like portkeys due to how queasy it made her. Not as much as Harry, though, who, even after so many travels, still threw up sometimes. Jéricho was fine with it, just like Sirius, Charles, Monty, and James. Lily and Effie hated it.
It was evening in Syndey, and after everyone had recovered, Sirius announced that he'd already booked a wizarding hotel. It turned out to be a very expensive one, though, which Lily glared at him for. He gave a cheeky grin in return before they all set off for the counter.
"Okay," Lily said after ten minutes. "Because only four rooms are there... James and I will, of course, be together. Lyra, you'll be with Effie. Monty and Charles together. And Harry, Jéricho, and Sirius together. Agreed?"
"Yes ma'am." Sirius mock-saluted and they checked into their rooms, with the house-elves carrying the luggage.
Lyra's room was quite big, perfect for two children. She was quite looking forward to tomorrow.
Harry
Harry was absolutely loving Sydney. They had spent the whole day shopping, and the girls had gone crazy on the dresses. Finally, they sat down in a small open cafe to have some lunch.
"Excuse me, but can you please pick up my money that has fallen down below your chair?"
Harry turned behind him and his breath caught. Standing there was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her skin was tanned, and her auburn hair was curly and coming out in strands from the messy bun on her head. Her eyes were a sky-blue, and she was quite slim.
On impulse, Harry grinned flirtatiously at her as he bent down and picked her money up, before handing it to her. "Here you go, Miss...?"
"Celeste Stacey." Her accent was a weird yet endearing mix of American and French.
"You don't sound Australian, Miss Stacey."
"Nor do you, Mr...?"
"Harry Potter." he extended a hand towards her, which she shook. "I'm here on a vacation with my family."
She seemed to just notice his family at the table with her. "Me too, actually. Rather with friends and French relatives, though."
She pointed to a nearby table where a few girls were sitting. "If you wanna join us..." she winked. "you're more than welcome."
Harry's smile widened as he stood up and bowed his head. He was a good two inches taller than her. "Who am I to decline an invitation from a lady as beautiful as yourself, Miss Stacey?"
There was a throat cleared behind him, and they both turned to look at Lily looking at the scene with a disapproving frown. James was fighting to hide a smile, and Sirius was unashamedly grinning. Jéricho and Lyra seemed amused, while Charles was simply annoyed. Effie and Monty, poor things, looked very confused as to what to feel.
"Mum, may I join my friend Miss Stacey for lunch at her table?" Harry questioned politely, the picture of innocence. Lily just sighed and shook her head at his antics, and he left for her table.
Celeste introduced her friends as Lizzy, Cora, and Mandy. Harry had a great time with the girls, though he found Celeste particularly interesting. Unlike her friends, she didn't giggle much and was much less silly. She seemed the most intelligent to converse with, and the most easy to get on with.
"I go to Beauxbatons," Celeste told him. "The others all go to Salem Witches' Institute, though."
"So, where are you staying?" Harry asked Celeste as he stood up to leave from a signal from his parents.
"At my cousin's house, nearby. In fact, all four of us are staying there together. With my relatives, of course." She grinned, her eyes twinkling. "Why, wanna visit?"
"Maybe." Harry shrugged nonchalantly.
"And where are you staying?"
"The Gorgon Hotel." It was one of the most expensive hotel branches of the Wizarding World. "Why don't I drop at yours sometime tomorrow?"
Celeste seemed pleased. "Sure."
Charles
Charles woke up refreshed on his birthday and saw that the room was already empty. For the first time ever, Effie and Monty seemed to have awoken before him, and that was strange.
He proceeded to knock at his parents' door, but there was no one inside. It was the same case as others' rooms, too. Charles' stomach suddenly dropped. Had everyone already left to visit some other place without him? Did they remember it was his twelfth birthday? Did they even care?
He went down to the breakfast area, fuming and hurt, but just as he opened the door, what greeted him were strange popping noises, followed by crashes and a chorus of 'Happy Birthday Charles!'
Charles stopped short at the sight of a beautifully decorated room, with exquisite breakfast lying on the table, and everyone standing there, all dressed up and readied. All the previous feelings of scorn melted as his face brightened and a grin broke out.
"Merlin, thank you!" he exclaimed as he was hugged and patted by everyone. "I'd thought-"
"-that we forgot?" Harry finished with a wink. "That was kinda what I was aiming for."
Charles just laughed and sat down, being served the largest breakfast ever by his mother. "What 'bout presents?"
James chuckled. "Slow down, kiddo. You'll get all your presents after you're finished with your plate, and then-"
"-you can meet Miss Stacey," Harry cut in. "who's going to Darling Harbour with her friends and cousins for the day-"
"-because that's where we're going-" Jéricho said.
"-Separately, of course, though we may cross paths there," Harry smirked.
Charles groaned. Whatever he may say, he was very annoyed by Harry's ability to pick up girls without any effort. He was like Sirius in that, while Jéricho never seemed much interested in dating.
"I thought you had your crush on Sera?"
He hadn't really meant to say this; it just came out. Still, it was amusing to see Harry lost for words for once, gaping like a fish, while the others snorted and laughed. Lily seemed excited. "Sera? Isn't that your friend, Miss Greengrass?"
"I've gotten over her," Harry said defensively as he found his voice. "It was a silly little crush, that's all."
Jéricho raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that, mate? You seemed pretty serious earlier."
"I'm sure." Harry folded his arms.
Sirius shrugged. "Suit yourself, pup. At least she isn't a redhead."
Harry brooded silently for the rest of breakfast, but then he perked up when they started to clear up. Charles excitedly tore into his presents.
From his Effie and Monty, he had gotten a new pair of glasses and a bottle of Sleekeezy. From Lyra and Jéricho, he had a muggle board game, and from his mother, he was given a pretty journal to write in. From Ron and the twins was a joke set, and Hermione gifted him a pack of muggle pens.
When it finally came to Harry, James, and Sirius, they grinned at him manically. "Be prepared to receive-"
"-the most awesome present ever-"
"-by James Potter,"
"Sirius Black,"
"Remus Lupin,"
"and Harry Potter."
Then, to Charles' amazement, Sirius pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket and unfolded it, while Harry tapped it with his wand and said, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
James handed it to a stunned Charles, and they watched as thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, crisscrossed, and fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP
It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing was the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Charles bent over it. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room.
"What the- I thought it got lost in your sixth year!" he glared accusingly at his father.
James held his hands up in surrender. "Thought so too, old chap. Thank your brother for retreating this wonder. Explain, Harry!"
"Well... when we were in our first year, Charles -- young, carefree, and innocent --"
Charles snorted. He doubted whether Harry had ever been innocent.
"Well, more innocent than we are now," Harry amended, "we - that is to say, me, Fred, and George - got into a spot of bother with Filch. We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason, so he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual... detention disembowelment... and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."
"Don't tell me-" said Charles, starting to grin.
"Well, what would you've done?" Harry grinned back. "George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, and Fred whipped the drawer open and grabbed - this. I recognized it immediately, 'course, but forgot to tell dad..."
"Forgot, my ass," James muttered.
"Yeah well," Harry shrugged. "We decided it was time to pass it after having it for three years. Done us good, it has. We know every corner, though, and with the cloak, we don't need the map anymore."
"We renewed it, a bit," Sirius added. "Remus helped. Gift from all of us, so."
"Thank you!" Charles hugged his dad, brother, and uncle, grinning so hard that he felt his face might split. He then stared at the map for a bit before sighing. "You left Wormtail in here."
James nodded. "It wouldn't be fair to remove him. We still miss him; the man he was earlier, not what he became later. We honored him as a marauder, still do, not as a death eater."
They shared a second of solemn silence before Harry scoffed. "C'mon, we have to leave!"
Charles
Charles experienced an unfortunate incident with a weird house-elf named Dobby on his birthday, who threatened to burn his bed if he didn't agree to not go to Hogwarts. Thankfully, James entered his room at the same moment and Dobby had to vanish.
Charles forgot the whole thing after a day...