Entry for "Charms" at "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)"

Current Assignment: Although most of my students enjoy and appreciate Charms, some spend the lessons messing around and, while this is infuriating and not ideal, it cannot be helped. Write about a Marauder in a Charms lesson.

You get 5 house points for each of the extras you include:

•(word count) 1,250 words

•(word) sparks

•(speech) "What's so fascinating about toads?"

•(emotion) guilt

Please specify in an Author's Note which extra(s) you include.

I hope you like it, it is my first try on a Marauder era fic :)

"Sirius, stop poking me," Remus Lupin hissed aggressively at his best friend Sirius Black who was sitting next to him in the Charms lesson. Sirius only grinned at his friend and continued with his annoying procedure, unimpressed of the growl Remus released.

"Sirius! What is the matter with you?!"

"I am bored," Sirius answered and wanted to poke him again, but Remus was faster, hitting Sirius' fingers before he could reach out. "Ouch! I need something to do..."

Remus put down his quill and turned to Sirius, glaring at him accusingly even though he knew that this was wasted time.

"Well, Sirius, how about you try to surprise me – pay attention to the lesson!"

"Mister Lupin, Mister Black, I hope you are only discussing a scholastic problem back there," they suddenly heard Professor Flitwick squeak and they both smiled innocently, eagerly nodding at their teacher. "Good, well now we will proceed to our practical work: everyone will get a toad to practise the spell on!"

Sirius somehow rolled his eyes as Flitwick waved his wand and said animals appeared in front of the students – he simply wanted this lesson to be over so he could hang around somewhere and do nothing, but this would not be happening for another half hour. He watched how Remus tried the spell, small sparks emitting from the tip of his wand every time he mumbled the words, but nothing happened with the toad.

"What's so fascinating about toads?" Sirius suddenly asked after he had continued to watch Remus, sometimes half-heartedly trying to use the spell himself, but his success was non-existent.

"What?"

"Toads are used in Charms, in Transfigurations... why toads? I mean, isn't that animal cruelty?"

Remus stared at him, getting more annoyed with every word escaping Sirius mouth – he really tried to concentrate here!

"Padfoot, I see your lips moving but I cannot understand what is leaving your mouth! I am trying to learn something here! Try to do the same! Or does that hurt in your head?"

Sirius sighed, hating the fact that he knew exactly that Remus was right and he looked down on his book – a tickling charm? His face lit up as a idea popped up in his mind as he remembered learning this spell in his 2nd Year and now they were supposed to create it even more powerfully. He faced his toad which shot him a bored look, obviously not suspecting what was happening to its conspecifics, reread the spell and pointed his wand at the toad, mumbling:"Rictusempra. Rictusempra."

He needed some time until he felt confident again, grinning at Remus whose toad was rolling over the table in some sort of a toad-laugther.
"Look, Moony. My brain is still functioning."

"Wow, I definitely see some hope for you," Remus grinned, not suspecting what his mischievous friend was having in mind. Suddenly James, who was sitting in front of them, leaned backwards, whispering to them:"Hey, Evans is totally falling for me – her glares are getting warmer."

"Moony... sometimes I feel so tired of his languishing behaviour...," Sirius sighed, casting a Muffliato spell on Professor Flitwick so he would not register the boys talking in the back of his classroom.

"She will be the mother of my children...," James smiled, dreamily looking at the pretty redhead in the row in front of him.

"Prongs, I will have to throw up if you continue this!" growled Sirius, poking his still "laughing" toad with the tip of his wand. For him, girls were for fun, for a quick flirt and therefore he could not understand why James, one of the most popular and adored guy in Gryffindor besides himself was chasing after Lily Evans, the only girl that was not falling for him, obviously annoyed from his constant attempts to gain her love.

"Oh, you are jealous because you have not found the right girl yet," James rolled his eyes, leaning in even closer, grabbing Sirius hand. "Imagine a girl making your heart jump every time she walks past you, looks at you and then when she..."

"... touches your..."

Remus slammed his hand over Sirius mouth to stop him from saying some obscenity, clearing his throat a little bit too loud.

"Gosh, you are such a pervert, Padfoot."

Sirius snickered, winking at his friends to show them that he had not meant this serious, but still he said:"Seriously, Prongs: could you at least try to lower the level of worshipping Evans?"

"But she will be the mo..."

"Rictusempra," Sirius snarled, pointing his wand and shooting a silvery flash of light at James whose body immediately tensed up before he started to shake uncontrollably, falling off his chair in roaring laughter, rolling on the floor.

"You, Padfoot, are sick!", Remus protested, hurrying to search the Charms book for a reverse spell while Sirius watched James giggling, smirking to himself until the second in which Remus was able to end the spell, leaving James panting harshly for some moments before he sat up.

"You!"

"I knew Charms would somehow be useful – I may not have reached the class goal in the way I was supposed to, but I reached it!" Sirius grinned, but as he realised that his friends glared at him like they wanted to kill him he felt guilt rushing through his veins, regretting that he had let his boredom take control over him. His abashed, mumbled apology came a few minutes later and James grinned at him, waving his wand at him.

"Revenge is sweet, Padfoot: Rictusempra!"