The Next Great Adventure (A Marauders Fan Fic)

Chapter Thirty Four

The summer passed faster than they had expected and, before long, all of the new seventh years had been to Diagon Alley and picked up the supplies that they needed for each subject. James and Sirius had been forced by Mrs Potter to add in another stop at Madam Malkin's to replace their robes.

"Honestly Mum, they're fine! What are you complaining about?" James had moaned as she ushered them inside.

"Did you see the state of them; you are not going back to school like that! Holes in the sleeves, fraying hems, burn marks – it's a wonder they're still in one piece and Sirius' are hardly any better. Honestly I don't know what you boys get up to! These things are supposed to last for years, or at least until you grow out of them. I feel like all I'm ever doing is replacing your school robes," she had said as she had manhandled both boys onto the stools and settled her beady eyes on them. "You're not to move an inch while Madam Malkin measures you or you'll have me to answer to."

"Mum-" James groaned again.

"Don't you 'Mum' me James Potter, you need to look smart, especially since you're the Head Boy now. You have to set a good example this year and that means you have to look neat and tidy. It won't take long, just don't fiddle or cause any mayhem and I'll let you off some of the rest of the errands."

"You mean we can go and look at the new Comet?" James cried as Sirius threw his arms in the air and cheered. "I heard it's the fastest broom ever made!" Sirius cried excitedly.

"It must outstrip their others by a mile," James added. "Personally my heart will always belong to the Nimbus One Thousand Five Hundred which you got me for my birthday a few years ago but I always like to see what's new in the world. I don't think that Comet will ever catch up to Whitehorn's Nimbuses though."

"James I swear your love of Quidditch will be your downfall one day," Dorea sighed as her two boys launched into a discussion of the benefits of birch tail twigs against hazel tails.

"But the birch gives you such tight cornering," Sirius continued to say as Madam Malkin flitted around him, "and you can't argue that that's not useful, especially in professional Quidditch."

"I agree that tight cornering is useful but I think that the added speed which hazel brings is better in general," he argued.

"But you can make brooms faster by other means," Sirius rebutted. "Surely you could have a rowan or an ash handle and slim everything down, plus the player could make themselves as streamlined as possible... I think a lot of speed is in the technique of the player."

"So's the cornering though, isn't it," James replied. "Besides it doesn't matter how well you can corner if both Seekers are diving for the Snitch – the one that's going faster will win."

"It's not just about the Snitch though, is it Prongs?"

"I'd say the Snitch is fairly important. Don't waste your time chasing the Quaffle if you've got the chance to get the Snitch; it is worth more points after all. The game is founded on the Quaffle but the Snitch brings the flair," he shrugged. Madam Malkin hissed in displeasure and Dorea glared at him.

"And the excitement," Sirius laughed.

Eventually Madam Malkin had finished with them and packed them off with a new set of robes – "James has gone up a size in length since last year because he's grown but that's it Mrs Potter," she had said – and Dorea let them wander away to drool over broomsticks and Quidditch supplies.

Not long after this all of the witches and wizards who attended Hogwarts congregated in King's Cross, strolling through as they tried, and failed, to look inconspicuous.