Reading the books- Marauders era

Third Book

"Owl Post."

The voice announced.

Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways.

"I know." Hermione said in a deadpan tone. "I'm his sister, of course I know."

For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year.

"That's not unusual," Hermione interrupted. "I hate them too."

Harry smacked his forhead with his hand.

For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night.

"The betrayal, Harry Potter!" Ron exclaimed in fake shock. "How can you want to do homework?"

Harry pointed his thumb at Hermione. "I am damn sure she forced me to do it."

"I am damn sure I didn't." Hermione replied.

"I am damn sure I will punch you two if you start a fight right now." Ginny butted in, smiling sweetly at the twins.

Lily's wide-eyed gaze watched in awe as her two children bit back their arguments and closed their mouths obediently. She blinked, then shifted her eyes to Ginny.

The redhead from future had a smirk blooming on her face, filled with knowing pride. Ginny flipped her hair behind her shoulder and winked at Lily, catching the latter off guard.

It was nearly midnight, and he was lying on his stomach in bed, the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent, a flashlight in one hand and a large leather-bound book (A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot) propped open against the pillow. Harry moved the tip of his eagle-feather quill down the page, frowning as he looked for something that would help him write his essay, 'Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless - discuss.'

Or maybe he could ask for Hermione's help---

"No." Hermione protested at once, holding her nose high in the air. "Learn to do your work yourself, Harry Potter."

"For your kind information, my loving sister," Harry answered, his voice growing annoyed as he spoke the words more, "I had completed the whole homework myself, and have always been completing it myself."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but no argument came out. Harry was right. He had done his homework himself and has been doing it himself, since then, without her help. Though he had needed her guidance, but except that, everything had been done by Harry himself.

Not wanting to argue on the wrong thing and also not wanting to accept her mistake, Hermione finally bit out an annoyed "Whatever."

James chuckled at the interaction. Oh, so the girl has a big ego. He thought. Well, she is a lot intelligent, so maybe it got to her head. Of course, it wasn't inherited from him, and Lily-kins wasn't much egoistic, either. Maybe, it could be his mother's side of the family. The Black family does have ego issues, after all.

No. A bossy voice inside Harry's mind protested. The boy noted with discontempt that the voice was eerily similar to his sister's when he had asked earlier that day for a sample of her homework that she had done at the beginning of the Summer Holidays. Do it yourself.

The quill paused at the top of a likely looking paragraph. Harry pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, moved his flashlight closer to the book, and read: Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame-Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.