Chapter 3: The Scamps

I do not own Harry Potter

"We're not going to get away with this James, there are prefects all around", Fred said, looking around the corner, only to spot someone coming their way and flipping back.

"Don't worry, I got this…", he got out a blank parchment out or his pocket and smirked.

"And how is this suppose to help us?!", he exclaimed.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, why are you not in class?", Professor Brown, the new Muggle Studies teacher asked them, looking sternly down. She was a small woman, a bit chubby, with small brown eyes and hair and a toothy smile, which she used when embarrassing kids in a joking matter, at that moment though the boys noticed that she had her lips pursed.

"It's our free period Professor", James said innocently.

"Well go along then, no need to stand in the middle of the hallway", she said, shooing them away.

They walked away retreating to the black lake.

Once they were seated down Fred looked at James.

"Last year we did many successfully pranks but all the teachers know our reputation now, they are always watching us", Fred said helplessly.

"This is not just any parchment Fred", James rolled his eyes.

"Oh no?"

James shook his head, his smirk widening.

"Took it from my dad's desk during the holidays, didn't know what the bloody hell it did, so obviously I went to the only adult that wouldn't get me in trouble before getting on the train… your dad, now look", he said it all in a whisper.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good", he said, touching the parchment with his wand. Fred stared in awe as words appeared.

"Messrs Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauders Map!", he exclaimed, "These are our idols! Your Grandad and his friends remember! Dad and Uncle Harry told us about them!"

James grinned.

"It's a map, of the whole school, it shows the secret passages, where everyone is! We will never get caught with this beauty!"

"Wicked!", Fred looked at the map.

"What's wicked, I know it doesn't take much to impress Fred here"

The boys turned around to find Alice Longbottom and Kim Finnigan, who they and befriended the year prior, behind them.

"Real funny, for a Hufflepuff you aren't very nice sometimes", he said, a smile on his lips.

Alice rolled her eyes amused and whacked him upside the head.

"Reckon I deserved that"

"What's that?", Kim asked, looking at the map in James' hand.

"A map that shows everyone in the schools and where they are, it's perfect for all our pranks!", James said happily.

"I guess that is pretty cool, when are you gonna use it?", Alice asked, looking at the map.

"Today"

That of course had been two years ago, when they were just second years, James remembered fondly, now as fourth years they had had so much help form that map. When his dad figured out James had it he had let him keep it after taking it away from him for two months as punishment, but Al had gotten the cloak. He was alright with this, Al would let him borrow it whenever as long as he wasn't using it and that too had helped with their schemes.

"Are you sure this isn't going too far?", Alice asked worriedly, looking at the map.

"Nah, it's for that git Goyle, he's humiliated almost everyone…he deserves it", Fred said.

Goyle, the guy who had made Lucy's pudding smash into her face. The guy who had made Rose's books smack her repeatedly. The guy so had made Sam, Kim's younger brother soar into the air. Come to think of it the only spell that Goyle seemed to be good at was Wingardium Leviosa and he was in his sixth year.

"So do we have everything?", James asked looking back at Kim who had just arrived.

"Just came, James did you change the pants?", She asked.

James nodded remembering clearly how he had written Goyle's name on on the inflatable pants from WWW, stuck on some harmless microscopic pressure activated pyrotechnics and told one of the house elves that he had accidentally been given Goyle's. The house elf had taken it to the Slytherin's room and he would be putting them on today.

"Yup", he smirked. Kim smiled and handed James the little piece of parchment where the indication to make the pants inflate was written.

"I guess we can go eat now", Fred smirked leading them to the Gryffindor table.

Just as they sat down Goyle and his friends strutted into the hall, and laughing at a first year they had just "accidentally" knocked a glass of water on, sat down at their table.

James gave Alice the parchment, causing her to look at his surprised.

"You're the best at spells", he said.

She nodded and took it pointing her wand at Goyle under the table she uttered the spell.

Abruptly Goyle stopped laughing and looked down at his pants, which had started to grow in size like a balloon. Every student in the Great Hall started laughing or giggling at his friends who were trying to make the pants deflate by hitting then with forks and different spells. Kim was looking down laughing. Fred was grinning, laugh marks evident on his face, Alice was laughing, a hand on her mouth, while James was looking amused at them trying to hold back his laughter. Soon enough Goyle was levitated from the ground and floating around the hall. Bouncing off walls and almost crashing into Mcgonagall who looked stern, a tiny hint of laughter in her eyes. The rest of the professors were trying to get him down, some trying to hold back laughter. When it looked like the pants were about to blow, colorful sparks started shooting out, followed by small fireworks and making Goyle fly to the other side of the hall because of a powerful shot of sparks that emitted from his legs. The hall was bursting with laughter at the bully who had made a lot of lives miserable. One last firework shot out, making his pants explode for good and causing him to fall, pants-less to the ground. He looked down at his underwear, which had little hypogriffs on them and his eyes went wide, he covered up with a nearby plate and ran out the hall. By then the four friends were shaking with laughter, the piece of parchment turned into ashes next to them by a spark that had landed on it. Someone cleared their throat behind them causing their laughter to stop and them to turn around cautiously. Mcgonagall was staring down at them. Her mouth in a thin line.

"Follow me please", she instructed. The four of them stood up guiltily and walked behind Mcgonagall. They got to her office and sat down on the four chairs that had been conjured up.

"Did you four enchant Mr. Goyle's pants?", she asked them.

"No professor", Fred responded.

She gave him a stern look.

"We changes his pants for a joke product", he confessed.

"I meant to ask if you were the ones responsible for what happened to him Mr. Weasley", she said making Fred nod apologetically and look down.

"I am not meaning to say Mr. Goyle didn't deserve it", she said making James look up at her and give her a small smile.

"But what you did was very immature, therefor I am forced to take thirty points from your houses", she said. The four of them gaped at her.

"But professor…", Kim was about to start but Mcgonagall interrupted her.

"From each of you", she said sternly. "Professor!", James exclaimed.

"And you will each serve detention for three days. I will let you know what you will be doing later this week", the four of them looked at her, hopeless looks on their faces.

"Professor you can't do this", Alice retorted.

"I will do what I think you deserve Miss Longbottom. Now stop acting like scamps and go to your next class before I am forced to take more points"

The four of them stood up and left the room, their heads now held a bit higher.

"Herbology then", Kim's said and together they headed to the greenhouses.

At the end of the day they sat by the lake. The sun was bright orange and the breeze form the lake helped them cool off. Kim was braiding Alice's hair while she took out her tiny keyboard and enlarged it to its original size, playing a few notes peacefully. James and Fred were throwing stones at the lake, seeing who could throw it the farthest.

"One, two, three, throw!", Fred flicked his wrist and threw the stone, he looked at James who still had his in hand and was looking far off.

"James!"

"What? Sorry", he said and Fred gave him a look.

"Come here", he pulled Fred by the robes and took him to where the girls were sitting.

"I've had an idea", he stated.

"We already got in trouble today James", Alice reminded him.

"No it's not that… I was thinking of what Minnie said, 'now stop acting like scamps'", he said.

"Your not thinking about stopping pranking are you", Fred asked him panicked.

"Merlin no!… Scamps", he said.

The three looked at him confused. Kim was mid braid, Alice stopped playing and Fred stopped pulling out grass.

"What?", Kim asked.

"The Scamps! That's us! We're the new marauders! But how original would that be! So let's call ourselves the Scamps! I mean we can even have code names!"

They stared at him.

He sigh.

"Look we know our patronus don't we, dad taught us this summer, it might not be all that powerful yet but we know what they are right?"

"Dolphin", Fred said.

"Monkey", Alice stated.

"Bear", Kim smiled.

"And wolf!", James exclaimed happily.

"So?", Fred asked again.

James huffed.

"We'll come up with names like padfoot and moony and wormtail and of course prongs!"

"Alright… so we're called the Scamps but we'd still need to come up with names", Alice said.

"It can't be that hard, think of something that is well known of the animal", Kim thought.

They sat down each looking far off thinking.

"Oh! I know! I've got the perfect one for Alice!", Fred exclaimed after moments.

Alice looked at him expectantly.

"Bananas!", he exclaimed again.

Kim and James laughed while Alice have him a look.

"I am not being called bananas, bottlenose", she said.

"Wait!", James stopped laughing.

"What was that you called him?"

"Bottlenose? It's a type of dolphin one of the most common species, they are known for…", Alice started ranting.

"Yeah it doesn't matter", James cut across making Alice raise an eyebrow, "but that's a good name! Bottlenose, how'd you like it Freddie?", he asked

Fred nodded slowly.

"Yeah ok", he smiled.

"Think more Alice! You're the smart one here!", James shot at her.

"Well, ok, er…", she started thinking again.

"Well I think I got one for you… wolves travel in packs, the leader or the one with the most ideas is the Alpha, you usually come up with our plans so…", she looked at him to see he was nodding enthusiastically.

"Alpha! Perfect!", Kim exclaimed, "so we only need one for us now."

"How about tails? I mean monkeys are known for their tails right? And remember what Professor Brown said, 'look at Miss Longbottom she had the world by the tail', I remembered now that you said she was the smart one", Fred said, shrugging when they looked at him surprised.

"Okay…tails is good", Alice said smiling.

"And Kim could be cub", James said, "a small bear, she still acts pretty young for her age", James laughed, making Kim laugh and swat his arm.

"So we've got it, Alpha, Bottlenose, Tails and Cub", Fred grinned.

The others split their faces into identical smiles.

"We're the Scamps", Kim said. They started laughing happily when a letter was dropped in front of them.

Alice picked it up and opened it, frowning slightly.

Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Finnigan and Miss Longbottoom,

Professor Longbottom has said that the four of you may serve detention with him for a week. Starting Monday you will go to the greenhouses after lessons and help him clean up and organize.

Minerva Mcgonagall

Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

She read it out loud.

"Well at least it's with Professor Longbottom", Kim said, shrugging.

"Speak for yourself! Mum probably sent him a letter telling him to make me do the worst so I learn my lesson!", Alice exclaimed.

The other three laughed.

"Hey! Your mums may also know you know", Alice told Fred and James, who stopped laughing and looked wide eyed at eachother. Suddenly they started laughing again, this time Alice joining them so that students passing by shot weird looks at the four teenagers.