Just like fire, burning out the way
If I can light the world up for just one day
Watch this madness, colourful charade
No one can be just like me any way
-P!nk
Hogwarts January 1973 2nd year Marauder's era
The younger years turned their heads in awe as a group of four second years entered the great hall, whilst many older than them only rolled their eyes or smiled at them endearingly; for the Marauders had made a name for themselves, after successfully sticking every table and chair to the ceilings of the used classrooms, and only receiving a night of detention each for it.
Of course, the group were now known for playing pranks frequently, the Slytherins usually the target of their tricks, which further deepened the hatred between the second year Gryffindors and Slytherins.
"Good morning Evans," sung James as he plopped himself down on the bench beside her.
The redhead sighed, and didn't respond to him. Beside her, her strawberry blonde best friend smirked at her irritation, knowing the Potter boy greatly annoyed her.
"I'm great, thanks for asking," he said, just as brightly as before. "Alright McLaughlin?"
"Dandy," she drawled, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.
The Marauders then ignored the two redheads, talking quietly amongst themselves and occasionally laughing at one another.
Alice and Marlene finally entered the great hall at last, both girls plonking themselves down on the bench opposite their dorm mates.
"Uhh, what do we have this morning?" Marlene groaned, swatting her brunette locks out of her face. Alice rested her chin on her palm and attempted to keep her honey brown eyes open.
"Potions then charms," Lily replied promptly, perking up slightly as she spotted a certain greasy haired young boy leaving the Slytherin table. "There's Severus, are you coming Lynn?"
Trying not to look too irritated, the Irish girl nodded and got up to follow her emerald eyed friend.
"Severus," Lynn smiled rather tightly, trying her best to be polite.
"McLaughlin," the Slytherin nodded, before turning to Lily and discussing the potion they were meant to brew today.
Snape and Lynn had a rather strained relationship, both having different interests and Lynn's wariness in his interest in the dark arts. He's just knowledgeable, that's all, Lily would remind her constantly.
As they entered the potions room, Snape sat himself at the front, and Lily shot Lynn an apologetic look before sitting beside Snape, leaving the strawberry blonde to grumpily sit opposite them beside an equally irritated Avery.
However, it was shortly Lily and Severus' turn for their moods to turn sour; for the Marauders had come in, noticed by theirboisterous laughter and the arrogance flowing off the group in waves. Of course Remus and Peter were not arrogant at all,however, the same could not be said for their friends.
"Now, now hurry in boys," chuckled Slughorn, waving the second years into the classroom.
They sat themselves around a table closer to the back, only two tables away from Lynn, Lily and Snape.
"Did we have any homework Sev?" Lily asked quietly, pulling her potions book from her bag. Snape opened his mouth to reply, only to be cut off by an unknown projectile hitting him squarely on the head.
Lynn's eyebrows rose in surprise, the Irish girl attempting to keep in her laughter as Snape spluttered and turned towards the snickering group of boys.
Another projectile (it was now clear to Lynn that they were using a type of bean) came soaring through the air towards Snape and hit his shoulder. Slughorn had his back turned and was writing on the chalkboard.
"Stop it," Lily hissed, emerald eyes brightening in anger. "You imbecilic toer-"
She was cut off by another bean shooting towards her. However it went straight past her shoulder and nailed Lynn right on the forehead.
"Ouch," she muttered, rubbing where the bean made contact. Aquamarine eyes sought out the offender; Sirius Black, who only smirked in victory.
Slughorn turned around and told them to prepare their cauldrons and brew the potion written on the board, unaware of what had occurred, and how important that stray bean hitting Lynn McLaughlin was to the future of Hogwarts.
"Oh you'll regret ever messing with the Irish, Black," she muttered to herself. "They always regret messing with the Irish."
Sirius and James were partnered for potions as always, which always led to an argument of who had to go fetch the ingredients from the cupboard.
"I did it last time," frowned James, folding his arms at his best friend.
"No you didn't," Sirius argued back. "I got them last time."
"No remember, last time we made the confusing concoction, and i had to get those flobberworms."
Sirius frowned, before nodding in defeat. "You may have been the last to get the ingredients in potions, which means that I have to get them this lesson."
James threw his arms up, "finally, thank you!"
"You do all realise everyone else has already started," came a calm, slightly sarcastic voice across the table. Remus was grabbing ingredients from Peter's arms, who nearly dropped a few bottles, and was adding the first thing to his potion.
Sirius swore and went to the cupboard, leaving James to adjust the fire under their cauldron.
"Hey Potter," came an accented voice on his left.
"Alright McLaughlin?" he asked, turning to face the Irish girl.
She nodded and gave him an innocent smile. "Just wondering if you could spare some eel eyes. I ran out."
James nodded and turned to his potions kit, not even questioning why the girl would go to a different table for ingredients when there where three other students at her own table.
"Here," he handed three to her, and placed them onto the dish she held out to him. "Thanks Potter, owe you one!" She went back to her own table, were an irritated Avery was waiting for her.
Sirius came back to their table letting their extra ingredients spill out on the table. "What did McLaughlin want?"
Couple of eel eyes," James shrugged, starting to chop some roots.
The potions classroom slowly filled with fumes from the potions, some rather nasty smells coming from students who didn't brew it quite right. Marlene and Alice were coughing and waving in front of their faces as dark grey smoke came from their cauldron.
James frowned at their potion, stirring a dark purple liquid that was meant to be pale pink. "Hey mate, I don't think we did this right."
Sirius raised an eyebrow at him and turned to read the instructions on the board again. "We did everything right, it should be okay."
James with drew his ladle from the cauldrons, which he found had melted. "Yeah mate this is definitely wrong."
Sirius looked into the potion to see for himself and noticed something floating on the surface. "Why are there sopophorous beans in our potion?"
James's reply was cut off by the cauldron, which started to shake violently with dark purple smoke streaming from it.
"Oh crap," Sirius muttered before ducking as the cauldron's contents flew out everywhere. A couple of Slytherin girls close to them screamed and ducked as the potion flew near them.
Sirius rose back up to his feet and brushed himself off. "Well that could have went better."
"BOYS!" came Slughorn's outraged cry. "How on earth did that happen?" His hungry gaze sorted through the glump over the floor and spotted the purple covered sopophorous beans. "Adding unknown ingredients to a potion is dangerous! This will have to be a detention!"
"But-" came James protest, only to be cut off by a wave of Slughorn's hand. The pot-bellied man waved his wand to vanish the mess they made and went to check everyone else's potions.
"How did those beans get into our potion?!" asked James exasperated. Sirius caught a smug looking Lynn stirring her almost perfect concoction. She raised her aquamarine eyes to meet Sirius' stormy grey ones and sent him a wink.
"Lynn McLaughlin," he muttered. James swerved his head to look at the now innocent looking Irish girl in confusion. "It was Lynn bloody McLaughlin."
