I am curled up in an oversized armchair in front on the Common Room fire, papers and book sprawled out in front of me. Outside, the sky is a gloomy grey, and the windows are speckled with droplets of rain. It had been three weeks since the night of the bonfire, and already the sweet freedoms of summer had altogether dwindled and our schoolwork was in full swing.
"So you haven't finished your Charms essay yet, young lady?" Sirius says in mock disproval, even adding a tut tut for good measure. He has just appeared from the top of the dormitory staircase.
"I ought to tell Lightfoot about this. And class starts in a mere forty-five minutes, at that."
"I know," I say sheepishly. "But I was up at the Astronomy Tower all night charting," I yawn audibly and stretch out. I am still in my pajamas, having had to skip breakfast and lunch to finish. Preparing for my Astronomy NEWTS was proving to be extremely time consuming, on top of my other lessons.
"You spend way too much time up there in that tower," Sirius chides, moving down the steps and over to sit next to me. He plops down on a large red cushiony chair.
"And I suppose you've finished it then?" I say with an expectant smirk, still not taking my eyes off my essay as I struggle to edit the last bits. My knuckles are smeared with ink and my hair, previously pulled in a tidy knot at the top of my head, has loosened and tendrils are falling over my cheeks.
"Of course!" he scoffs with a haughty smile, as he leans back and props his legs up. "Got it done ages ago."
"Naturally." I mutter.
"What are you doing still in the common room? Didn't want lunch?" "
Nah, overslept," Sirius answers with a yawn.
"Overslept? Sirius, you are aware its half past one, right?"
But he only shrugs with a smile. "I don't have morning lessons on Fridays,"
There is a sudden scraping noise as three boys came crawling through the opening portrait hole, chattering loudly. It's Remus, James and Peter, no doubt returning from the lunch I was missing. James has in his hands a large paper sack filled with Merlin-knows-what and is arguing with Peter about something. Remus is silently following, looking bored, and running a hand through his sandy blonde hair.
"No Peter, The Popping Whiz Cricket is the one that sends off the green and yellow sparks while emitting loud popping sound effects, not the Everlasting Pumpkin Blaster." James was saying. "Get your fireworks straight. If we're going to pull this right, you have to know these things…"
"Sorry, I'll remember next time," Peter mutters, his face slightly downcast.
"So we are doing it then?" Sirius asks excitedly, jumping up the meet his friends. "Tonight?"
James' hazel eyes seem to blaze with devious excitement. He nods and licks his bottom lip. He squeezes the bag in his hand and I have the funny feeling that I know what is stowed inside it.
"First prank of the year, then?" I crane my head over to attempt to see the contents of the bag, but James hugs it closer to himself territorially.
"You bet your button nose it is," he responds with a smirk.
Remus snorts as he sits down next to Sirius and I on a chair. He gazes over at me, and my ink splattered roll of hastily scrawled parchment.
"Oh Aurora, you misspelled a word there…." He mutters, pointing to the middle of my essay. I spot it and quickly take out my wand to remedy it.
"Thanks Remus," I say with a grateful look.
The four of them continue to talk about their grand scheme for several moments. I am only half-listening.
"James, you really should be cautious. You don't want to lose your Head Boy badge." I hear Remus warn, scratching his head and looking over the diagram James has whipped up. Peter nods in agreement.
"Yeah James, this might be the last straw for the staff…" Peter agrees hesitantly.
"Oh come now, you both are losing your touch," James says as he waves them off. "The staff finds our stunts just as funny as us, they just punish us for show."
Remus purses his lips. "I'm just saying, be careful this year."
"Careful is not what we're going for," James retorts. "It's our last chance to be irresponsible twats before the crushing weight of reality hits. We have to go out with a bang."
I laugh at this and add, "You lot have already made history, need you outdo yourself?"
"Of course," James answers, rising now. "We are the Marauders!"
I laugh again and rise myself, rolling up my parchment and stuffing it hastily into my bookbag. "You blokes take yourself way too seriously,"
"Well, we've got to. Who else would provide the school with such supreme entertainment?" Sirius points out with a wink as runs a hand through his mane of hair. I roll my eyes.
"Well in any case, we've got to go to the grounds for more…collecting," James says. And him and Peter begin to gather their things and head toward the portrait hole again. Sirius stays seated. "You go ahead mates, I'm gonna hang back. I've got Charms with Rora."
James narrows his eyes, "Well fine, but we've got to reconvene tonight before dinner!"
"Okay Prongs, we'll go to the usual place," Sirius answers exasperatedly. James seems satisfied with this answer, and I, used to this type of secrecy talk around this group, am unfazed.
They leave and I am left standing, holding my schoolwork as Sirius rises from his chair as well.
"Shall we?" he gestures towards the portrait hole.
"One minute, I've got to go change." I begin to walk up the staircase to my dormitory but suddenly, there is another loud sound as yet another student comes marching through the portrait hole. This time it's Marigold. She is obviously in a rush, her robes lazily opened to show her crisp white shirt and loose Gryffindor tie.
"Hey Aurora, ready to go to class?" Marigold asks. She looks up at me with her bright, blue, expectant eyes. Sirius is beside her but she barely notices for a moment. "I simply must get a good seat today. I want to be in the front!"
"What, why?" I ask in confusion. Though Marigold was no thickhead, she certainly would not be labeled the eager student type.
"There's a substitute! Lightfoot's out with some sort of pox and according to my Ravenclaw friend Clarice, he's new and young and completely gorgeous!" she explains excitedly, biting her lip in anticipation.
"That explains it," I mutter. It also explains why her robes are open and her skirt pulled ever so slightly up higher on her thighs.
Sirius rolls his eyes and says in high pitched voice dripping in sarcasm, "Oh goody!"
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" she pulls my hand, paying him no heed. "We're going to be late!"
"By Merlin, give me one minute to change!" I say, and dash back up the stairs before she has a chance to trap me further. Once I'm in my room I hastily grab my usual skirt, shirt, tie and robes and throw them on. I then run back downstairs, grab my essay and backpack.
"Ooh I'm so excited!" Marigold exclaims as she grabs Sirius and I and leads us out of the portrait hole. I turn back to Sirius apologetically, "Yay?"
He just laughs and winks after me as we rush down the corridor.
When we enter the classroom, there is indeed a new professor standing at the head of the room, surveying the class as they shuffle around taking their seats. I notice that he is indeed handsome, in a harsh jawline sort of way, with dark blonde hair and piercing eyes. He is gazing calmly and coolly at us as we walk down the center aisle.
I make eye contact with Sirius and he feigns an exaggerated swoon and I choke back a giggle. Marigold has her gaze fixated towards the professor as she eagerly takes a seat in the very front and center row. I groan to myself as I reluctantly follow her to sit down. I was more of a middle of the seats type of student, but anything for a friend, right?
Sirius plops down beside me, lounging back in his seat. I glance furtively behind me to see many of the younger girls gazing longingly in front of them.
"Quiet down, class, quiet down," The new professor has finally spoken and the chatter dies down. I look up at him skeptically. His bright gray eyes are surveying the class with a strange sort of keenness.
"Now, my name is Professor Eddard Lancaster, and I will be filling in for Professor Lightfoot until the end of winter term." He has a tone of unmistakable self-importance as he speaks. Before continuing on, he starts to slowly pace up and down the aisles, making eye contact with each and every one of us. My chest tightens a bit as he passes.
"Professor Lightfoot is a gifted wizard, and I am sure he has taught you well," he continues. "But fret not, I assure you that I too am well studied in the art of Charms and you will certainly all be in good hands for the time being."
After he turns back to his desk in front, Sirius turns to me and whispers, "I bet Marigold hopes she'll be all over his hands." I nearly choke myself to death to keep from laughing.
Professor Lancaster's head snaps straight towards me. "Something funny?" His voice has gone deeper and commanding.
"Oh no, sorry sir," I mutter pathetically. I am now the center of attention. This is precisely a place I detest being. I swallow nervously.
"Mockinglow, is it?" He is smirking at me now, but something in his expression is lacking warmth.
"Um, yes. Aurora Mockinglow."
"Interesting," He says simply, his eyes piercing in mine. But without further comment, he promptly moves his glance away from mine and continues on, instructing us to open our textbooks to chapter seven. As the clamoring of students to get their supplies out distracts everyone, I take a moment to look at Sirius next to me. He's staring at Lancaster with as perplexed an expression as my own face undoubtedly held.
"What in Merlin's name was that about?" I whisper to him. He just shakes his head.
"What a bloody strange bloke, he is," Sirius mutters back. I can't help but agree.
Once the class all opens to the appropriate page, Lancaster has strolled back to the head of the room standing directly in front of us.
"What was your name, lad?" Lancaster asks Sirius now.
"Black. Sirius Black." Sirius answers casually, leaning haughtily back in his seat. He stares at Lancaster with his signature bored expression, a trait I always was impressed by. Sirius was impossible to intimidate.
"Ah, a Black. I know of your family, quite well actually," Lancaster says, a slight smile on his face.
Sirius just nods slowly back at him without reply.
"I trained with your cousin, Alistair. I'm sure you will be a gifted a wizard as he," Lancaster then turned to go retrieve something from his desk.
"Well that settles it then, I don't like this bloke," Sirius mutters to me with an unpleasant look on his face. I mirror his expression.
"Oh shush, you two are being ridiculous," Marigold hisses at us out of the corner of her mouth.
Lancaster has turned back to face the class now. He is clutching a large glass jar.
"So. Today's lesson will focus on strategic charms. Who here can demonstrate the proper technique for an entrapment charm?" he asks. I now notice that the jar is full of lightly fluttering butterflies. Beside me, Marigold's hand shoots straight up. When Lancaster's gaze falls upon her, he offers a cool smile at the sight of her, practically bouncing up and down in eagerness.
"Yes…miss…?"
"Marigold Pine, professor," Marigold answers as she rises from her seat, wand at the ready. I see her faintly straighten her posture so her chest pops out ever so slightly.
"Excellent Miss Pine." He gestures for her to stand in front of the class. She enthusiastically joins him in front and raises her wand, eye fixated on him instead of the jar where they ought to be.
"I'm ready, Professor."
"Alright Miss Pine, on my count…." He starts to unscrew the jar. The butterflies, who mere seconds before were docile and daintily batting their wings, now zoom angrily from the lip of the jar and out above our heads. Marigold hastily shoots her wand towards them, shouting out the incantation, Captanda! She manages to snare one in a web of purple sparks emitting from the tip of her wand. Two of the others continue to zoom over us.
"Very well done, Miss Pine, for your first try!" Lancaster beams at Marigold. She smiles back as she guides the ensnared butterfly back into his jar.
"Now, as Miss Pine so perfectly demonstrated, this charm can be used for ensnaring a target, and is useful for a variety of reasons…."
As Lancaster continues lecturing about the finer points of entrapment charms, I can't help but let my mind wander. Something about Lancaster rubbed me the wrong way, and I couldn't quite articulate what.
When it's finally time for class to end, Lancaster dismisses us with a perky reminder to start the three roll-long essay he had taken the liberty of assigning ("Seriously? On his first day teaching after we just turned in an essay?" I hear a student behind me whisper to himself in complaint) and I am just about ready to get the bloody hell out of there.
Marigold, however, is chipper as a chipmunk.
"Did you see him?" she croons as we exit out into the corridor. "He was totally staring at me the entire lesson,"
"Oh gross!" I groan and shake my head. "He's like ten years older than us, at least-"
"Doesn't bother me," she says with a devilish grin.
"Somehow I'm not surprised," Sirius mutters with a reluctant laugh.
"Oh don't even act like you didn't act the same way two years ago when Miss Feathers was teaching Herbology," Marigold teases.
Sirius's face changes into a dreamy expression as he reminisces. "Oh, that's right. I'd forgotten about her…and her bum."
"Sirius!" I swat him on the shoulder. "Ugh, you two make me sick." But I'm laughing now too, recalling how very dorkishly enamored James and Sirius had been with the fresh-out-of-school professor.
We reach the Hall of Portraits and I make to head up the spiral staircase towards the common room. Sirius, however, turns towards the great wooden doors leading to the grounds.
"I've got to go meet up with James," he explains. "Lots of preparation, you see."
I nod with a sly smile. "Oh naturally,"
"See you at dinner, then! Can't wait to see it…whatever it is!" Marigold calls after him as he nearly skips off towards the doors.
"What do you think they're going to do this time?" she wonders aloud to me as we ascend the stairs.
"Who could tell," I answer vaguely.
"Pass me the chicken,"
We are all seated in the Great Hall at dinner that night. I am nibbling at some butternut squash soup and roast chicken, feeling quite spent from the day of school. Something about Lancaster and the charms lesson that afternoon had thrown me off, and I had found myself preoccupied in the rest of my lessons.
I casually pass over the large platter of chicken to Sirius, who is seated beside me. As I do, I lean in towards his ear and whisper, "Are you going to do it soon?"
He just grins and answers quietly, "Only a matter of minutes...just you wait."
I smile silently as I scan the table. Marigold is talking to Dorcas and Emmeline a few seats away and James and Peter have the Popping Whiz Cricket hidden under the dinner table next to us. I can see them hurriedly whispering to one another as they glance uncertainly around and back down to their laps. Remus is at their side, surveying the staff table nervously.
I look to the staff table. Dumbledore is there, chatting with McGonagall and all the other teachers seem preoccupied with their own goings-on. Professor Binns is idly surveying his sparse plate.
"Perfect timing." Sirius mutters to me, from the corner of his mouth.
I glance over to James and Peter. Peter is holding the firecracker as James uses his wand to ignite the fuse. There's a bright spark as it catches, but no one in the Hall seems to notice.
"Hold onto your bonnets, lads." James mutters as he throws it up into the air.
There is a slight pause as people at the table look up in wonder at the rising device.
Remus is watching with mild disproval but unmistakable excitement hidden behind his expression.
Sirius looks unperturbed and James has an insane smile plastered across his face, not letting his eyes so much as deviate a centimeter from the ascending firecracker.
I too meanwhile gaze up at the firecracker in anticipation of the loud bang that is sure to come.
But there is no bang. Instead, there is a loud popping whizz that nearly blasts out my eardrums. The whole school looks around in confusion just as it explodes into a million sparks and colors.
James laughs and clutches Sirius for support, who giggles madly.
The whole Great Hall is showered in what seem to be fiery, sparking crickets. They chirp and pop and explode into fantastic designs. The school erupts in a mixture of laughter, screaming and clapping. Many students dash under the table's benches in fear, others try to catch the speeding points of light with their hands.
I myself use my arms to shield my body from the sparks, but I too laugh as the tiny cricket creatures buzz past me in a cacophony of light, sound and color.
The staff immediately attempts to smother the firecrackers, pointing their wands up at the lights and casting extinguishing spells. All except Dumbledore. He is scanning the tables with the expression of someone who knows exactly what they are looking for. His eyes come to Sirius and James and he simply raises his hand and beckons it towards the door leading off into a chamber.
Sirius, Remus, Peter and James rise immediately, still laughing hysterically, and bow for all the Great Hall to see.
There is a loud cheering from the Gryffindor table as people clap for them and egg them on.
"Well done!" laughs one of our classmates. I spy even a giggling Lily Evans as James beams triumphantly at her, and her alone.
I, concealing my erupting laughter, yell at them over the commotion, "That was brilliant!"
Sirius winks at me again as they stride down the aisle towards the door through which I know Dumbledore will follow to give them a nice chat about Hogwarts firecracker policy and detention.
After dinner that night, the Gryffindor common room is a loud and chattering event. All the students are talking about the firecrackers and no one seems concerned with studies at all.
"Those idiots! How do they think they won't be caught?" Marlene McKinnon says to me as I sit down with Marigold and Emmeline on the sofa near the fireplace.
I just shrug and say, "I don't think they care about being caught. They're in it for the glory,"
"Right you are, Rora!" a voice says behind me.
I turn around to see that James, Peter, Remus and Sirius are making their way through the portrait hole. Everyone claps at their entrance.
"Well, that wasn't too bad. All we got was a lecture on 'Head Boy responsibility' and three nights of detention. Not bad at all," James says.
"You blokes are gits, truly James," Marlene says. Everyone laughs.
"Though I can't deny that you are clever gits." Marlene says.
James just smiles at her and says, "Well, I think it's well worth it. Did you see the staff's faces! Priceless!"
At this he plops down in a chair, closely followed by Sirius, who sits down between Marlene and I.
"I think that went well, wouldn't you say, Rora?"
"You ought to get an award for that one, I must say," I say smoothly, smirking at him. He grins at me and announces, "I say we all have a little celebration…Butterbeers for all!"
The common room erupts in cheers and clapping as Sirius conjures up some drinks and starts passing them out, smiling broadly.
I gladly take one for myself and pop it open, reveling in the sweet warm taste it gives.
Out of the corner, James has tapped the wireless with his wand and music now pours out into the room. People gather round, still cheering and laughing and begin to dance.
"You Marauders are truly legendary,"a fourth year girl gushes, squeezing herself through the crowd surrounding us.
"And we'll be even more legendary when we take our team to the Quidditch championships this spring! Am I right?" James shouts to everyone. They all give a stupendous roar of a cheer.
Just then, however, the portrait hole opens and in rushes Professor McGonagall.
"Alright, alright everyone!" she yells over the commotion. "I'm sure you're all delightfully amused by Mr. Potter and his friends' display at dinner, but it is a school evening and parties are strictly forbidden in the Common Room. Save your celebration until after the next Quidditch match! Please return to your rooms in quiet at once!"
There is an audible groan from the crowd as everyone slowly and reluctantly makes their way up their respective stairways, throwing out their barely spent bitterer bottles as they do. I stare over at the Marauders, who look unfazed, still buzzed with the pride of having succeeded in their prank.
"You too, boys," McGonagall warns crossly, staring at them expectedly with pursed lips.
They get up begrudgingly and make their way to the boys dormitory stairway. But Sirius lingers behind.
"See you at the match tomorrow?" He asks hopefully.
"Of course, where else?" I answer warmly. He smiles in return. There is a moment that we stare at each other in silence, but eyes locked. There is something in his eyes, what was it? Expectation?
I hear McGonagall audibly clear her throat from beside us and we break out from our moment.
"See you," Sirius says in farewell and he heads up the stairs.
"Goodnight," I call over dreamily as I turn around to do the same.
When I open the door, Emmeline is already laying out on her bed with a book, with only her small bedside light illuminating her corner. Marigold is busy brushing out her fair curls as she readies for bed.
I kick off my shoes and settle myself into my comfy duvet.
I am lost in thought, thinking about my day. Lanacster's strange behavior, the commotion at dinner, and finally Sirius. I had never really given much thought to him. But something abut the way he had looked at me then, at the bottom on the stairs…
"Rora? You okay?"
I look up to see that Emmeline and Marigold are both over staring at me, almost concerned.
"Oh yes!" I say too quickly, almost with a giggle, trying to compensate for my reverie. Blimey, I sound like a blathering schoolgirl. I immediately blush. "Erm, goodnight…"
I deliberately avoid their undoubtedly confused glares as I pull the covers up over me and switch out the lamp hastily.
I can hear their whispers as I doze off.