Marauding in Scotland

Disclaimer: Hey, I don't own any of the characters within my story, nor the story Harry Potter. The copyright to these goes to JK Rowling, and her publishers. Baisically, it wasn't my idea. Blah blah, yes.

"Moony, why don't you wear goggles like the more sensible wizards among us?"

Remus Lupin turned his head slightly to the left to peer at his annoying friend, who, as it happened, was wearing the most absurd pair of goggles ever created. They were surrounded by a mass of green foam, and the lenses appeared to be a light shade of purple. The wearer, Sirius Black, straddled across his fast moving broom, grinned and waved, flashing a row of unbrushed teeth. They'd all been in a hurry that morning. Lupin hastily brought a fluffy-mittened hand to his own mouth and rubbed his teeth frantically.

    That morning, now a grey afternoon, had been a very special morning.

    For, this was the morning of 'The Class Trip.'

    Remus had never been on holiday before, and was slightly excited. The prospect at being without parents didn't excite him, as hey, he went to boarding school anyway. No, it was just the holiday part of it that gave him a happy shiver.

"Moony's crying, Moony's crying..."

            He jerked his head irritably to the left, where his other friend sat upon his broom. James Potter was also grinning at him, goggleless.

"I am not crying! It's this stupid wind! My eyes…" He trailed off as he couldn't really see much anyway, and had decided he should probably concentrate on flying. His eyes were streaming as the wind blew into them.

            They'd been planning this for ages. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were all students at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The notice had come out a few months ago, explaining that the school were considering taking the third years on a school trip, the first of its kind in years.

            Sirius had stumbled blindly into the hall, muttering angrily about late nights and Slytherins.

"Bad night Padfoot?" James cooed.

"Shut it, tubby."

James had looked panicked. "Am I fat?" He'd stared down at his skinny form worriedly. "I haven't had nearly as many Bertie Bott's beans as Moony…it must have been the chocolate frogs. But don't they have less calories?" The group had burst out laughing as James bit his lip anxiously, even Sirius smiled.

"You're not fat, James," Peter had said smiling a little sadly. "I haven't eaten any sweets for a month while you've been gorging, and I haven't lost any weight." He sighed. "You're still a rake."

"A mop, I think Peter! Look at the hair!" Remus joked. Now it was James's turn to scowl while the rest sniggered.

"I don't th-" James began. "Oh! Post guys!"

They each looked up instinctively. A flock of owls swooped over head, one narrowly missing Peter's head with a large parcel. The flock was strangely large this time though…

"Hey! Is it just me, or has every third year just got a letter?" Remus observed as a letter was dropped in front of him with a Hogwarts emblem on the front. The same happened to all of the other third years around them.

An angry groan came from opposite him as an owl dropped Sirius's letter on his freshly buttered toast.

            " 'We're pleased to inform all third years that they have been invited to attend a class trip, a holiday if you will, to Scotland in the summer. The trip has been in question for some years now, and has been approved by Albus Dumbledore. If you wish to attend, please…..etc.'"

            Then they each talked excitedly about how much fun they would have, which pranks to pull, and do you think the Slytherins would come? It had taken them a while to realise Lupin was silent, but eventually Peter saw the light.

"Moony?"

"Mhm?"

"It's on at the full moon isn't it."

"Mhm."

            But they'd arranged around it. At the full moon Lupin was to be transported to the nearest village, where he'd remain for that one night. Now he was as cheerful and excited as the rest.

            A clear Scottish accent cut through his thoughts.

"We're going to land now! Everyone down to your right now, you'll see a small empty spot? Achiltiebuie." Professor McGonagall snapped.

There was a pause as the band of pupils began to slow and veer left, then drop slowly.  

"Oh!" Sirius exclaimed after a while. "That's the place name. I thought she was clearing her throat," He muttered, dismounting form Hogwarts` own broom, a Cleansweep 7. He looked at it in disgust, before kicking it away. James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin did likewise.

"Right. What first? What do we do?" Peter questioned eagerly.

"Peter," James began calmly, but Sirius interrupted.

"Sleep, Peter, for Christ's sake. It's getting dark, and I dunno about anybody else, but after a days flying I'm in major pain."

Peter would've argued, but it seemed that McGonagall thought the same as Sirius.

"Right, you can all STOP right there," The Professor yelled, as countless numbers of pupils attempted to sneak off in different directions. "We're getting the camp set up tonight. The activites tomorrow, if you PLEASE Mr Black." She barked, as Sirius started mounting his broom again.

There was much mutinous grumblings and dark scowls at this, but she stood firm.

"Come on now, the lot of you!" Her eyes gleamed. "I want you all as a group effort, to transmorgify the nearest rock into your tents. It will be like homework."

The last set of scowls was nothing compared to this one. James didn't bother to groan quietly, he let out a long moan of anguish.

"I thought this was a holiday!" He raged.

"Come on guys," Remus said trying to be helpful. "We've just got to find the nearest rock…" This statement, as they soon discovered, was not as simplistic as they'd hoped.

            The landscape was pretty. They were on high ground, very near some cliffs that led down to the waters edge. There were very few trees. Moss, heather, sheep, grass and mountains just about summed it up. And where there were sheep there was always-

"Argh! Sheep sh-"

"Sirius!"

"Sh-"

"Sirius...I'm warning you, if Prof-"

"Damned sheep sh-"

Remus raised his voice above Sirius's cursing. "There aren't any rocks. We'll have to try something else."

            The rest of the pupils were now divided into their houses. They didn't have to, they just did. The Slytherins went and separated from everyone else, standing alone in a huddle. The Hufflepuffs had sat down and were silent, each looking glumly around. The Ravenclaws were scavenging around for rocks, while the Gryffindors were talking animatedly. James shrugged.

"Grass?"

"No."

"Heather?"

"No."

"A sheep?"

"We haven't done animal transformations yet Peter." Remus said patiently.

"Sheep sh-"

"Maybe you want a tent made of that stuff Siruis, but I beg to differ."

The group lapsed into thoughtful silence. All that could be heard was the scuffling of curious Ravenclaws and the roar of the wind and sea. Eventually-

"Sheep?"

"Uh huh. Best bet I think Prongs. Moony?"

"Sheep sounds best to me, after all you guys are experts at animal transformations." Remus grinned mischievously as the others glanced to make sure no-one was listening.

"But how are we going to catch a sheep?" Peter asked evenly.

Siruis stepped up. "Simple Wormtail, why a summoning charm of course. Observe."

"Accio, sheep!"

The biggest mistake Sirius did was to close his eyes as he muttered the incantation. The second biggest was that sheep, can be plural or singular, and Sirius did not specify. About a dozen sheep came hurtling towards the marauders out of the darkening summer night.

"DUCK!"

"I said sheep James. I'd- WHOAH!"

It was an instant catastrophe. Or sheepastrophe, as it would be better described. The four friends were soon enveloped within a pile of angry sheep, who did not like hurtling through the air.

"Argh! It bit me!!"

Peter managed to scramble out of the mass of bodies. The sight that met his eyes when he got up would've been extremely funny had it not been a little serious.

            Lupin's legs were visible, waving madly in the air, giving the illusion that his legs were omitting from a sheep's behind. He saw a hand holding some glasses aloft protruding from the pile-up, and assumed that was James. Sirius's head was sticking out, his mouth open in a loud yell as a sheep bit his ear.

"PETER!!!"

Thinking hurriedly, Peter muttered the first spell that came into his head.

"Lumos!"

Remus said something indistinguishable from his position, though it sounded very rude. James gave a muffled yell. The sheep now glowed an attractive pink, but were still trampling his friends.

"Er…Wingardium Leviosa!"

The glowing pink sheep rose slowly into the air, bleating furiously. Three very battered bodies emerged from underneath. Peter jumped and grabbed hold of the leg of one sheep, who bleated even more furiously and aimed a savage kick at his head. Remus's head was bruised, James had a black eye forming and Sirus's ear was bleeding nastily. Despite this, they latched hold of the sheep as well, and transmorgified it into a large tent.

"Guys?" They looked up in time to see the pink blobs disappearing into the darkening night.

"Now that's the stuff nightmares are made of." Remus muttered distractedly as one of the sheep did an impressive barrel roll.           

 "Blankets, now. Any other bright ideas Prongs?" Sirius asked scathingly.

"Fresh out, sorry." James sighed. He wasn't in the mood for bickering with his best friend right now.

"Er…GUYS." Peter coughed loudly. They turned to him.

"Being a muggle born, I…er…"

"You brought blankets, didn't you Peter?" Remus asked kindly. Peter nodded, blushing furiously. James slapped him on the back.

"Well done Wormtail! We can have a dry night after all!" This made Peter blush even more, but he rummaged in his huge rucksack and produced four blankets. Sirius stared.

"Four?"

"Spares, you know…I thought you guys might forget…" He mumbled. Sirius continued to stare until he was nudged hard in the ribs by James. The four of them climbed into the tent, and settled down to sleep.

"Er…Moony?"

"Yes, Sirius?" Remus replied throught gritted teeth.

"Erm…you know, this tent has a woollen lining, Was that intentional?"

"No, Sirius." Remus ground his teeth hard.

Silence.

"Ahem. Moony?"

"Yes, Sirius?" Remus was having difficulty not blowing up. Even Sirius could've seen in the dark, he would have noticed Remus's vein throbbing against his head.

"Well…this tent…it glows…"

"Pink, Sirius."

"Yeah…intentional?"

"No, Sirius." Remus's jaw was going to drop off if he ground it any harder.

Silence.

"Moo-"

"WHAT Sirius?"

"Nothing."

Slowly but surely, the marauders fell asleep. Although, as Sirius was going to say if he hadn't been worried for his won health, the tent smelled quite strongly of sheep sh-

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Hullo! S'my first fic, so PLEASE R&R!!!!!!!!