The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

The Bedtime Story

Bradley showed James loads of wonderful things in the suitcase. For James, that suitcase visit was positively everything he'd hoped it would be ever since he was a tiny child. It was like visiting a very beautiful zoo and seeing all of the exotic animals, but in their very own natural habitats with loads of space to wander and be free and happy, while also being safe and well cared for. The creatures were unique and each had its own story of rescue, a reason that Mr. Scamander had collected them, rather than setting them free again - for Mr. Scamander always tried to let them be if he could, only keeping the ones who could not be released for safety or care reasons. Bradley shared as much as he knew with James, which was quite a lot.

"You know so much about the creatures," James said, very impressed with his tiny tour guide.

Bradley smiled, "I want to be just like Mr. Scamander when I grow up. He's brilliant."

James smiled and he wondered if Newt was aware just how proud of him his werewolf pup was.

When they'd seen near to everything in the suitcase - steering well clear of the door marked with the warning of the dementors - they heard Lily calling for them through the mouth of the suitcase. "Boys," he said, "It's dinner."

They came up out of the case and James's face was flush with excitement for all the things he'd gotten to see. Dora smiled all throughout dinner, listening to her little boy brag on and on about all the creatures Bradley had showed him and spouting off facts memorized from years of her reading to him before he went to bed. His excitement was punctuated with excitement from Bradley, too, who was flushed with joy at being able to play the role of Newt Scamander by interjecting information here and there about the specific creatures in Newt's suitcase - repeating some of the stories he'd told James about how certain creatures were acquired.

"Newt never keeps a creature that would be better free on their own," Bradley said, "Like me, for example, he collected me because I wouldn't be able to survive by myself."

Lily reached out a hand and touched Bradley's arm gently, "He did not collect you, Bradley, you're not a creature or a beast. You are a little boy and they adopted you. It's very different."

Bradley nodded, "Oh I know that."

"It's a very important distinction," James said, "And one that's easy to forget sometimes. I know Remus forgets to note the difference sometimes."

Bradley said, "He isn't the wolf most of the time, how can it be hard to know the difference?"

"People can be very cruel and try to make him forget the difference," Lily explained. "You're very lucky you've grown with Newt and Tina to care for you. You're in the very best, most loving hands you could be." She smiled at Bradley.

Bradley smiled back, but something about the conversation stayed with him, and he thought about Remus's sad eyes and the words he'd said before - the night Marlene McKinnon had been over and Bradley had told her about being a werewolf. It wasn't safe, he'd said, and there were bad people who would do bad things if they knew, and Bradley felt sad for Remus Lupin.

When dinner was over, Bradley said goodnight to Mrs. Potter, who gave him a hug and a kiss on his head - he really, really liked Mrs. Potter, she smelled like the warmth of a fireplace and like all the good food in the world, and her hugs were like magic. She had the same loving air that Tina Scamander did and Tina Scamander was Bradley's most favorite person in all of the world. But he thought that Mrs. Potter might be a close third or fourth after Newt Scamander, of course, who was near to tied with Tina. Mrs. Potter might just be tied with Remus Lupin, Bradley reckoned, and at very least tied with Auntie Queenie and Mr. Kowalski, which was no small feat itself.