Disclaimer : Obviously, I do not own any of these characters sigh but I do own the freak characters ... (Marpessa, Rose, Gwen, three Graces)
Please read and review !
Note : Now the chapters one and two are together
The Challenge
1. First Day of the Last Year & 2. When Godric meets Salazar
It was their first day of their last year at Hogwarts. James "Prongs" Potter, Remus "Moony" Lupin and Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew and Sirius "Padfoot" Black were sitting at the back of the class. They - including Sirius - were forming the coolest quartet Hogwarts had ever known : the Marauders. Already bored, Sirius was gazing absent-mindly at his fellow student.
The other Gryffindors, to Sirius mind, weren't as interesting as he or James or Remus could be, but they sometimes also deserved a closer look. Just in front of him was Marpessa Cauldwell, the only Hogwarts Quidditch player to ever have a feir of heights on her broomstick. But the Marauders never quite took advantage of this fact, because Cauldwell knew too much stuff about them ... After Marpessa, was Rose (a freak, even for the wizard world's standards) and Gwen, a witch who had a weird interest in Muggle life-style. Next to them, was Lily Evans, James' only love, who, as a brand new Head Girl, would never forget to remind Potter how big his head was or how incredible was the fact that his broom could still carry him ...
"D'you think she'll want to go out with me this year ?", muttered James to Sirius, as Professor MacGonagall was telling the class they were about to start the Conjuring Spell.
"Dunno ... Maybe she had an accident this summer and had lost all memories of you. If so, I think she might say 'yes'", Sirius replied, smirking.
"Very funny, Padfoot" groaned James.
Sirius started gazing around again, looking at all of his classmates. James was always so likely when it came to Lily. Then Sirius black eyes fell upon the only official couple of the class : Alice Quirke and Frank Longbottom. The two of them might look inoffensive at first sight, Alice with her round and gentle face and Frank with his broad smile and his timidity. But Sirius knew too well that they were able to handle themselves, for he had tasted some of their jinxes many times ... Near them, at the front of the class, sat the three Graces. Even if Euphrosyna Smith, the red-haired one, had always fancied James, the two other Graces were active members of what Sirius called the Sirius Black Regular Dating Girls Fondation. He didn't even have to go and ask, as the girls were now coming by themselves.
As Sirius was addresing one of his irresistible smiles to Aglaia Perkins, the blonde Grace, the cold voice of Professor MacGonagall brought him back to earth.
"Mr Black, you are flirting with girls far enough out of my classes, so could you restrain yourself while I'm teaching !"
"But, Professor, it was just an innocent smile" Sirius pleaded, making his special-puppy-eyes-look.
"Enough ! Or it well be detention !"
Some girls giggled and Sirius had to listen the rest of the lesson, ignoring the big smiles that appeared on James, Remus and Peter faces.
"I was so sure she was gonna shout at me, Padfoot ! I mean, after what I did in the Hogwarts Express ..." said James, his face relieved.
He and Sirius were walking back to the Gryffindor Common Room, as dinner had just finished.
"Incredible, Prongs. Or I might say Captain James Potter !" said Sirius, grinning.
" She just said 'Sit down Potter, you've been made Captain of the Quidditch Team' as if it was usual business ..."
"And did MacGonagall say something about the trunk accident ?"
"Just said it doesn't concern her because it happened before the start of school ... Also said she cannot stop me from being so silly during holidays"
When James had been told that Professor MacGonagall, Head of the Gryffindor House, was waiting for him in her office, he was sure that it had something to do with what Sirius called the "trunk accident". During the journey in the Hogwarts Express, James had thought that some entertaining was missing. And when he saw Severus "Snivellus" Snape passing in front of his cabin, he simply couldn't resist the temptation, even if it meant trouble. He cast a spell on Snivellus trunk and it started pursuing its owner throughout the train until Snape finally shut himself in the toilets. Even Lily Evans couldn't help smiling ...
"Some physical exercise couldn't hurt him", said Sirius who was still laughing at the memory of the furious trunk.
"Yeah, that was definitely a good start, don't you think, Padfoot ?"
"Oh I still regret that I didn't think of vanishing his robes ... This might haunt me all my life, you know !", said Sirius, very seriously.
"I took Flying Fears, just in case ... It might look foolish but as we found nothing in Get a Hold on your Phobias ..." Marpessa was telling to Frank Longbottom.
The two Gryffindors shared something that had lead them to a lot of research in the library since the past few years : they suffered from vertigo.
"I can't wait to find the good spell. It's starting to be embarrassing ... In every Astronomy lesson, I start sweating and I can't have any control on my actions. Alice's always wondering why I miss so many Astronomy classes !"
"I can understand, Frank, that Astronomy Tower is so high. At least, you don't have to fly in front of hundreds of people ... Quidditch matches would be so fun if only I could look at the ground without having to yell" sighed Marpessa.
"But how on earth did you get the idea of becoming a Chaser ?" asked Frank who had never really understand why his friend was persisting in playing Quidditch.
"I love to fly ! And I love it when we beat those damn Slytherins !"
She gestured some indecent sign with her arms and smiled at the idea of winning the Quidditch Cup for the forth year in a row. They had always won since James was Seeker except in third year when James had that weird accident she was not supposed to tell anyone about and had spent two weeks in the Hospital Wing.
"Oh no, look who's coming ..."muttered quickly Frank to Marpessa.
In front of them were coming four familiar faces. Some of their favourite (!) Slytherins were walking in their direction, smirking at the sight of the two Gryffindors : Severus Snape, the greasy-hair one, Rodolphus and Rastaban Lestrange, two big and dumb blocks, and Bellatrix Black, Sirius' cousin.
"Having some love meetings, Cauldwell, Longbottom ?" said Bellatrix, giggling. Her dark eyes were looking at Marpessa with great disgust.
"Thought you'd had a better taste, Longbottom ... At least Quirke's not a Mudblood !" said Snape, his silky voice full of disdain.
"Who're you calling Mudblood, Snivellus ?" said furiously Marpessa.
Frank had took his wand out, just in case.
"You pass silently or I shall jinx you so badly your mother won't even recognise you, Snape".
"Oh look, cute little Longbottom is angry !", said Bellatrix in a mocking tone.
The two Lestrange brothers laughed, apparently unable to speak for themselves.
"Shut up, you hag !" said Marpessa, her wand out too.
The four Slytherins had their wands out, preparing for an unfair battle. But Salazar's pupils were not of those who believe in fairness when it comes to fights.
"I see that you got rid of that mad trunk, Snivellus" said a loud voice, suddenly.
James and Sirius had joined Frank and Marpessa ranks, happy to have an excuse to hex their life-time enemy.
Snape's face fell as his eyes were looking at James and Sirius with pure hate. But, after taking a deep breath, a small smile appeared on his thin lips.
"Four Slytherins and four Gryffindors ... I propose four duels", he said, his voice so cold that it could have turned water to ice.
"It's ok with me, Snivellus. I finally have the opportunity to Vanish your robes ! You know, I really did miss my chance back in the train and I wouldn't want to let you think that I might neglect you", said Sirius, with a wide grin, giving him the look of a dog ready to attack.
"Sorry Black, but I want to fight you're little Potty friend. Rodolphus will be in charge of you. Rastaban, you'll have Longbottom. And Bella ... we'll let you handle the Mudblood, if you don't mind doing the dirty work."
Frank had to get a firm grip on Marpessa's arm to stop her to rush on Snape. But James had been the quickest to react, he murmured "Scourgify" and shot one of his most efficient spell on Snape. It was a simple little piece of magic, filing a mouth's one with soap and bubbles.
"We're waiting for you apologizes, Snivelly" said James.
The three others Syltherins didn't dare moving. Rodolphus and Rastaban weren't good enough at magic to attack the two Marauders, but Bellatrix said the counter-curse to relieve Snape from the spell.
"I say duelling is not the good thing to do", she said. "Maybe, something else ..."
"Are you having an idea, Bella ? Please, someone, take a photo, it's as rare as the Giant Squid dancing tango !" laughed Sirius.
But Bellatrix ignored a cousin (well, neither of them were considering each other family) and went on "A challenge. The four Gryffindors against the four Slytherins."