The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Determination, Destination, Deliberation

Elphinstone Urquart clapped his hands to get the attention of the still chatting teenagers that filled the training center. Quiet slowly fell over them until all their eyes were turned to the wild-haired man at the front of the room.

"Well hello," Urquart said, pushing his glasses up his nose with his finger as he looked about at them all - his white hair as wildly untamed as ever, dressed in billowing blue robes that hung too big on his bony frame. He smiled about at them with his large teeth and said, "I know you're all here to learn how to disapparate, and you're all itching to get to it, but there's some rules to go over and important facts to cover before we begin..."

McGonagall stood to his side, nodding slightly, agreeing with very word Urquart had to say. Her eyes moved over all the students in the room, as though warning them to pay attention.

"Psst, Wormtail."

Peter looked over to see James, grinning. He was holding three rings - his own, Remus's, and Lily's - and he'd strung them together to form a chain, which he held up, tugged at the two ends to show they were connected, then did the whole act of a muggle illusionist at pushing them together and - voila - pulling them apart. Peter clapped softly and grinned as James pretended to take a bow.

At the front of the room McGonagall cleared her throat.

Peter and James turned to face forward as he handed the two extra hoops to Lily, who handed Remus his.

"Disapparation in and out of the auror training room is strictly prohibited and there is a charm over the facility that does not allow us to disapparate out of the building," Elphinstone Urquart was pacing at the front of the room as he spoke, and as he walked the frizz of his white hair that stuck out from the back bounced, making James smirk as he watched it. "So whatever you do, at any time during this program, do not try to disapparate out of the training room unless you are very clearly instructed to do so by myself or Ms. McGonagall."

"Ms. McGonagall?" James hissed.

"Well she is a Ms," Lily hissed back.

"It just sounds funny," James replied. "Professor, Minnie, Min-Min..."

"Only Sirius calls her Min-Min."

"Yes, but --"

McGonagall cleared her throat again and James's head snapped back about to look forward. He grinned at her wide so all his teeth showed and waved. She sniffed and continued looking about the room.

"I bloody love her," James whispered, smirking.

Lily whispered, "Pay attention, Potter."

"I am, Evans."

"No, you're not. You're talking to me."

"And you're talking to me, what's your point?"

Lily didn't reply, and James very resolutely straightened his shoulders and chin and watched Elphinstone Urquart exclusively.

"Now, you've got a silver ring already," he was saying, "Which we handed you as you came in.... If everyone could spread out, get at least two to three feet apart from one another..." he waved for them to shuffle out of their clusters and McGonagall started moving through them, parting them, positioning them, "And put your silver hoops on the floor. Stand in the middle..."

They all split up and tossed their hoops on the floor.

"James," Remus called.

James looked up to see Remus had his about his waist like a hula hoop and was rocking his hips. James laughed. "Now Sirius will really wish he'd been here. First it's Minnie he's missed, then its that awesome hip action from Moony."