Seatplans

­Chapter Two

"Oh my." "Oh my g-"

"Mister Black. My office. Now." A very cold and foreboding voice spoke behind Sirius' back. He had always seen McGonagall disappointed, angry, mad, but never like this. It was as if a dementor just kissed her.

"Yes professor."

"Mister Potter, perhaps you would like to accompany Mister Black?" She said monotonously, turning to James. "And you too Mister Lupin and Mister Pettigrew. My office." McGonagall turned to two other boys. Remus Lupin, one of Sirius' and James' bestfriend, lanky and pale with ash-blonde hair, merely nodded and followed suit.

"But I haven't had my breakfast," retorted Peter Pettigrew. He was another Marauder, short, stout, plump, and there's really nothing much that could be said about him.

McGonagall merely looked him in the eye, emotionless.

Heaving a deep, forced sigh, Peter dragged along.

"Nonetheless, I am very disappointed in you." McGonagall declared, inspecting each of the boys sitting in front of her desk behind thick spectacles. "I would have expected better of you, Mister Lupin. A prefect! The Headmaster appointed such authority to exercise discipline among your peers."

"He had nothing to do with it professor." Grumbled Sirius. Apparently his shoes have suddenly become so interesting.

"What's done is done Mister Black. Do any of you have anything else to say?" McGonagall looked at them with burning shame. "Very well. Mister Lupin, you shall have detention tonight at seven p.m. sharp in the Trophy Room, and the three of you for a week. I expect you to do better after this incident, and I shall observe your behavior for three weeks. Otherwise, I can always hail the Knight Bus. Am I understood?"

They muttered something to the likes of "Yes professor."

"You may now go resume your breakfast. Good day to you all."

The four boys exited quietly, with the exception of sighing and shuffling of their steps.

Peter was the first to break the silence. "Can you bloody believe it? Detention and not even a day in Hogwarts. For a week! No pranking, no fun, no anything! Ugghh… She's so bloody unf-"

"Peter will you shut up!" Spoke Sirius crossly.

"I shouldn't have gotten into this mess, it's all your fault Sir-"

"MY FAULT! Just how thick are you? So it's my fault that you suggested pumpkin juice then?"

Peter rolled his eyes and strolled to the opposite direction of the three boys.

Remus, who had been awfully quiet, turned spoke up. "I find it odd that Jessica would cry like that."

"Hello, Earth to Remus?" Sirius blatantly asked. "Have you been paying one tiny attention to the girl? It's Jessica Stam here. Her hair is her life. She's too conceited."

James snorted at this remark. They were soon in the Great Hall, where but a few students were hastily eating their last-minute breakfast. James spotted four owls perched on the table, and quickly grabbed what he thought to be their class schedules.

They sat and quickly wolfed down their food, all the while skimming their new schedules.

"Free period right now." Stated Remus.

"Me too." Declared both James and Sirius.

"Let's find Snivelly." Suggested Sirius excitedly.

"We can't Padfoot. We're on probation."

"Oh bother. Hey, I sound like that muggle bear, Winnie the Pooh. Hehe… Pooh… poo-poo… Hehehe…"

"You've been watching too much cartoons Sirius.

"Poooooooooeey. Pooooh-em. Poooooh-etry. Pooooooh-tions. James Poooooh-ter. Proooo-fessor. No wait, that's Prooooo."

"Mental."

"Double Transfiguration at eight forty." James said finally.

"Me too." Said Sirius and Remus.

"Double Charms." Said Sirius.

"Me too." Said James and Remus.

"After lunch…"

"History of Magic. Damn." Swore Sirius. "Well, it's kind of good actually, I can sleep after lunch!"

"I know a nearby Asylum Sirius." Remus said "inoffensively".

"Good for you." Teased Sirius, whilst sticking out a tongue like a two-year old

"I've got Arithmancy next." Said James.

"Ancient Runes." Remus replied.

"Unfair. I've still got Care of Magical Creatures." Whined Sirius.

"I'm glad I dropped Divination though. I can't stand that woman. 'Use your inner eye young Mister Potter, your inner eye!'" mimed James, imitating their Divination teacher.

"Then Herbology. I know you two are gonna say 'me too' so don't bother. And that leaves us with…" announced Remus.

"Double Potions." The boys said simultaneously, all manifesting the same glum expressions on their faces.

Jessica Stam was leaning against her headboard, cradling her knees. She was sobbing terribly, her make-up ruined and her nose blotchy.

"Shh…" Clara tried to calm her down. "Jess, stop crying." She had managed to dry Jessica's hair, which now looked like she had a fight with a cat with really sharp claws. She was sitting at the side of Jessica's bed, casually stroking her back and telling her to calm down.

"Don't worry Jessica. The Marauders isn't going away with this. I am prefect after all." Lily was leaning at one of the bed's posts.

Jessica finally spoke, "Ugghh. And to think that I actually fancy Black."

"You fancy Black?" Lily asked unbelievably.

Jessica only nodded.

"But what about your boyfriend?" Clara inquired.

"He dumped me last week. He was with another girl." Jessica cried again.

"I'm so sorry." Lily apologized.

"I think it's okay, I mean, it's not as if I expected us to last forever. But it's so unfair you know? Then Sirius here plays like it's good to toy with someone's emotions. He ruined my hair for Merlin's sake!" Jessica was laughing.

"You're so weird…" Lily muttered

"I know. But Sirius. Oh Merlin. Sirius is so hot and cute… and extremely stupid." Jessica stated, wiping her eyes with some tissue.

Clara chuckled. "you just described a boy."

"Amen to that." Said Lily. Clara and Jessica were looking at her weirdly.

"What?" Lily asked "innocently". "Sheesh people. Go get your hair fixed Jess. We have Double Transfiguration next."

The sixth years arrived at the Transfiguration classroom thoroughly confused. There were at least seven or eight from each house who have passed their O.W.L.'s. Instead of finding the usual rows and columns of desks, they were now looking at some sort of inverted 'U'. If you were in the perspective of the teacher, you'd find eight desks against the left wall facing right, then seven desks in front of them in the same position. On the right wall was the exact opposite. And in the facing wall five desks against the wall, with four in front of them. The desks were touching side by side, and there was a wide open area in the middle.

The sixth years picked a seat according to the dictates of their own free will, with no one stopping them. The students ended up sitting with their own Houses, and Lily and her friends (Jessica with her new ruler-straight hair) selected seats at the left of the teacher's desk.

After minutes of chatting in came the Marauders. Everybody went silent and stared at them.

"Ooookaayy." James let out a long sigh and patted Sirius at the back.

"What are you lot looking at?" Sirius said threateningly, and once again everybody started talking. Lily and Jessica however, remained on throwing them icy glares at each passing second. Clara seemed to be giving them looks of pity.

McGonagall finally enetered the room. "Good morning class."

"Good morning professor," they chorused.

"Yes. Welcome back sixth years. I'm glad most of you managed to get an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L.'s. Although this year is no child's play. I expect each and every one of you to tighten your screws and keep them lubricated, because I do not need any lose and rusty bolts in my sixth year Transfiguration class. And as you may see, we have a new seating arrangement. Professor Flitwick and I have devised a wonderful idea to help each of you focus and concentrated on your studies. From now on until the rest of the year we shall be having seatplans."

A/N: Thanks to Pure 'n' White and Randomisation for reviewing. I hope you understood the formation of the chairs,if you didn't, it's basically two rows of chairs against the three walls of the classroom. Hope that's simple enough. )