1. A fight, a theft and a riddle
Lily Evans and James Potter having an argument weren't all that unusual. They'd often be spotted in hallways involved in seemingly friendly and quick-witted banter. However, today their argument wasn't all that friendly. This, too, wasn't unusual per se, but those kinds of arguments had become less and less frequent over the past year. So it's fair to say people was worried when they heard the raised voice of their Head Boy and the venom in the retorts from the Head Girl.
"You think you're so clever–!"
"I am clever!" Lily snapped back harshly. "A lot cleverer than you, I recon! Those pranks you do. Please, a child could come up with better ideas!"
"Hah! You wouldn't be able to make up a good prank even if your life depended on it! And even if you did come up with a plan than you wouldn't have the nerve to do it!" James was breathing heavily, trying not to loose it completely.
"If you that then you don't know me at all."
"I know more about you than you think, Evans."
"Well, I know you better than you know me!"
"No, you don't!"
"Yes, I do!" Lily said almost indignantly. You see, this was their problem. Neither of them would ever back down, nor ever admit that the other was right. So arguments like this could go on for quite some time.
"You're not as mysterious as you like to think, Potter!"
"Like you're such a puzzle to figure out?" James crossed his arms defensively across his chest.
Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she continued, calmer than before but still with that fire in her eyes. "I am cleverer than you. I can do pranks. I know you better than you realise, and I urge you not to underestimate me."
"I never underestimate you," said James.
Lily laughed. "Really? What do you think this fight is all about?" James opened his mouth but paused for a moment. Lily rolled her eyes. "It's not that hard to figure out. It's not a riddle!"
"I know that," James said, shrugging. "Riddles are easy. Oh, maybe you don't think so. Not everyone can be as clever as I am."
"I'm more clever! I'm better at riddles! I know more about you! I can do pranks–!" Lily listed off, getting increasingly more frustrated.
"Prove it!" James interrupted.
"What?" Lily said slightly baffled at being interrupted in her rant.
"Prove it," James repeated. "I'd love to see the Great Lily Evans pull off a prank." He grinned as if the thought itself was ridicules. "Maybe something with a riddle!" He added in a mock-excited tone in his voice.
Lily eyed him silently for a long moment while she was thinking. "I know thinks about you. I am cleverer than you. And I'll prove it. As you wish."
And with that she turned round and walked away.
"What are you going to do?" James called after her, but she didn't even turn round as she answered: "You'll see."
Later that day James and his friends, Remus, Peter and Sirius, were walking up to their dorm in Gryffindor Tower after dinner. James had told them about his little argument with Lily and they'd been spending the day laughing at the idea of Lily doing a prank. Sirius had suggested with a snigger that James watch his back, as he was clearly the intended target.
"Oh yes, I'm so scared!" James said sarcastically, causing his friends to laugh loudly.
He laughed too, but it quickly faded as he entered the dormitory and saw a perfectly folded note and a flower neatly placed on top of his bed. A lily.
James smirked. So she was actually going through with it then.
He picked up the note and read aloud:
"You wanted a riddle and a riddle you'll get
In fact you'll get a bunch so don't be upset"
"Oh it rhymes!" Sirius said grinning. "How fun!"
"Let's start with something easy, oh yes there's more to come
Something's missing from your trunk. Something you've kept me from
"Wait what?" James looked around at his friends before getting on the floor, pulling out his trunk from under his bed.
As he did so, Remus, who had been reading over James' shoulder, took the note and continued:
"I can't blame you; I might have done that too
But I've had my suspicions, turns out they were true
It helps you hide and get away unseen
When professors and students arrive at the scene"
The last part was overlapped by James' yelling. "She took my invisibility cloak!" He had emptied the trunk's entire content onto the floor and was now staring utterly stunned at it. "How did she know I have an invisibility cloak?" He looked accusingly around the room.
"Don't look at me, mate." Sirius said trying to sound unaffected by the whole thing.
"The note says she had suspicions," Remus reasoned, "so I bet she didn't really know for sure until, well, today."
"She can't just steal my stuff!" James said sounding more worried than angry. He didn't know what Lily would do to the cloak or whether or not she would tell a teacher about it.
"There's more to the note," Remus said before continuing:
"To get it back you'll have to follow my clues
A few games and tasks to wear out those shoes
You'll find the next riddle the place where we eat
Breakfast and lunch and the occasional feast
There doesn't seem to be a ceiling at all
Look for a friend training birds so small"
"Well that's easy," James said standing up. "The Great Hall. Let's go!" And they left, going back down to where they had been only 15 minutes earlier.
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A/n: More chapters to come. Like it? Tell me! Don't like it? Tell me what I can do better! Favorite and follow maybe?
