The Bet
The Great Hall was full of students. Professor McGonagall kept glancing at James who was happily talking to Remus, Sirius and Peter and winking at random girls. The Sorting had just finished.
Dumbledore got to his feet and the blabber in the hall died right away, "Another year. To new students, Welcome! To old students, Welcome back! Now I don't want to deprive you of our mouth-watering feast any longer so I have only 4 words to say: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Now let us begin our feast!"
Lily smiled at all the confused faces at the 4 words. She knew their meaning perfectly well... as usual.
1. Nitwit: As the rule, Rowena's children called the other houses Nitwits. It means Dunderheads (As Snape puts it), Dummies or Fools.
2. Blubber: Gryffindor sees the other houses as less physically bold or courageous, for which condition, an 11-year-old would find Blubber as a handy signifier. It means fats or calories. But in this case, fat seems more fitting.
3. Oddment: Slytherin's are lovers of Pure-Blood, Wholeness or Integrity. The others to a Slytherin are insufficiently impure. That means they are odd, the meaning of Oddment.
4. Tweak: The Hufflepuffs look at others and see excess or imbalance, not their excellence or virtue. This means that there are a few Tweaks or adjustments need to be made for the others.
Dumbledore clapped his hands and, suddenly, the once empty plates and dishes were filled with delicious food.
"FOOD!" Sirius shouted while the others near him laughed. Sirius saw Hestia looking at him and winked at her while Hestia blushed and Lily rolled her eyes. She looked around at the 1st year Muggle-Borns' shocked expressions as to how the food got their while their friends were laughing. Lily remembered herself as one of those students and how Hestia laughed at her expression./p
The memory still brought a smile to her face.
"What are you smiling at!" Marlene asked, bringing Lily out of her thoughts.
"Nothing!"
"Well, then eat!"
Lily started eating and found herself more hungry than she thought. After eating dinner, Professor Dumbledore stood up for the second time and, like the first time, the blabber died away, "Now, I have a few announcements to make:
Firstly, for Quidditch tryouts, put your name with your heads of house, as usual, 1st years aren't allowed to play.
Secondly, Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that magic is not permitted in corridors.
Thirdly, 1st years, make sure to remember that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to everyone, and a few of our older years should know that by now, as well." His eyes twinkled in the direction of the Marauders and then, as he saw the confused faces of the 1st years, he explained,"It was known as the Dark Forest before 3 Animagi and 1 Werewolf had a tea-party with an Acromantula and... let's just say, things didn't go as they had planned.
Now, as you all know, the wizard named Lord Voldemort is recruiting followers, human or not, by the second. Every minute of every day, Death Eaters attempt to penetrate the walls of this castle, but in the end, their only weapon is you! Now of to bed. Pip, Pip!"
And with that, everyone made to leave, except the 6th years, who were to get their new timetables. James and Lily were about to leave when they were stopped by Professor McGonagall, "Come with me, Move along there Black and Jones!"
She turned walked out of the Great Hall, with James and Lily on her heel. She stopped in front of a huge portrait and said, "Amortentia." and walked in the portrait as it opened to reveal another huge room.
It had a red wallpaper with the Gryffindor Lion, red couch with yellow stripes, 2 study desks, and 2 doors, one with Lily's signature and the other with James'. In short, it was just like the Gryffindor common room, only a deserted
They were finally aware of Professor McGonagall's absence; she must have thought that they needed time to observe their room more carefully.
They sat down on the couch and started talking and, suddenly, the doors burst open and the 2 marauders, bar Peter, came in, looking at the room in awe.
"So," James started slowly,"watcha doin' here?"
"What do you mean?" Remus asked, winking at Lily.
"Simply what I said!"
"Aren't we allowed to see our best mate?" Sirius answered, ruffling James' hair.
"But... How did you get the password?!" James said, looking perplexed but seemed to be enjoying his friends' company, all the same.
"Simple-" Sirius started.
"- we just followed you and Lily here -" Remus continued, grinning.
"- and heard the password -"
"- waited for McGonagall to come out -"
"- and simply walked in!"
Even Lily seemed bewildered but quickly rid her face of the expression as Sirius turned to look at her.
"And speaking of Lily-Flower, how could you? I thought I knew you!"
"What do you mean?" She asked, turning to James, who looked at Sirius with annoyance.
"We... erm... we had a bet saying that if you became my friend in the 1st week, then Sirius would give 20 Galleons or if you didn't, vice-versa!" He quickly replied, before turning to Sirius with a cheeky grin, "Now where's my money?"
Sirius reluctantly handed the 20 galleons over.
They talked for the rest of the night before they all went to sleep on the couch, too lazy to move.