First off, I am so, so, so, so sorry I haven't updated in such a long time- I was aiming for a week but somehow it turned into almost three months :S It was literally one thing after another for a while: Exams, mountians of homework, gymnastics displays... ahem MCR concerts... But I promise I wont let it drag on that long again. I am actually really angry with myself over this .
Secondly, big thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favourited and put onto watch lists. It makes me feel so great reading them and seeing the emails. Cookies to everyone with an option of flavour!
So here at last is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it. Please take the two minutes to review- it really does help to know you are doing something right or if there is something that can be improved on: put it this way, it leads to you enjoying the story so much more when I can fix things up!
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling
They had charms first thing after breakfast the next day and by this point Remus had just about given up trying to convince his friends to avoid the danger of becoming Animagi. It really was very unlikely they would ever get anywhere near transforming, and Remus couldn't help but think they were taking pointless risks just for him. He'd feel terrible if anything bad happened. Why did they have to be such loyal daredevils? The two traits didn't go together very well.
The Hufflepuff and Gryffindor second years walked into the classroom and sat down, but there was no teacher waiting for them, and there was no sign of one coming. The room quickly turned into a war zone. Parchment was flying through the air and spells shooting back and forward like fireflies. Sirius and James were doing a strange sort of tango together on the desks and randomly firing hexes here and there.
Peter stood protectively in front of Remus, who sat at his desk trying to look disappointed, but when nobody was looking he shot curses at people trying to get one back on James and Sirius. No doubt they deserved to be hit, he thought, but they were his friends after all.
For about ten minutes Lily Evans did her best to keep control over the chaos, but it was no use. Muttering under her breath she slunk low in her chair and started reading ahead in her textbook, while two of her friends hid under the desk as though it were a bomb shelter. She shook her head violently. It was impossible to concentrate with all the noise and flashes and sparks- in fact, she had read the same line about five times and it still hadn't made any sense. Suddenly the poor book she had been glaring at whizzed out of her hands and into those belonging to a certain James Potter.
"Give it back now," she said as calmly as she could from behind clenched teeth.
"No. You have to be a bit more polite than that. Although I may consider your request for approval if you went out with me."
Lily was rescued from answering by a sharp bang. At first everyone looked at Callum, expecting him to have caused some sort of backfired explosion, who looked rather offended by their reasoning. Their attention was averted by books flying back to shelves. Danni had stopped sneezing bubbles, Hannah's robes turned from lime green with orange spots back to black, and James and Sirius shared looks of confusion when sound refused to leave their mouths no matter how hard they shouted and cleared their throats. A calm voice broke through the pandemonium
"Would everyone kindly return to their seats and open their books at page 52?"
"Umm... Professor Dumbledore, Sir... where's Professor Flitwick?" Piped up Peter in place of his voiceless friends.
"I am afraid he has had to return home for personal reasons. He should be back by the end of the week. Now, page 52. Stunning Charms. I'm not entirely sure it's safe to teach your class this, but there you have it." He didn't give any pointed looks, but everyone else turned to the four Gryffindor mischief makers. "Mr. Potter, I assume you could tell us something about stunning charms?"
James just scowled and angrily opened and closed his mouth, before resorting to banging his head on the desk when he received a very confused look from Dumbledore.
"Sorry, Professor, but you still haven't lifted the silencing charm on James or Sirius yet." Lily received a 'thank you' look from James and she rolled her eyes.
"Ah of course." Dumbledore waved his wand absentmindedly. "Now then... where were we...?"
Sirius decided to take the opportunity. Flitwick could give them information when he got back, but how often would they get a chance to talk to Dumbledore without it being about needing a punishment? "Excuse me Sir," he smiled politely before continuing, "I was wondering how much you could tell us about Animagus spells?" His confidence slipped slightly when a glint appeared in the headmaster's eyes. One he had seen quite a lot in the one and a half years he'd been at Hogwarts.
"Perhaps later. For now we shall stick to our books, yes? So... umm... Ah, page 52."
When the lesson was finally underway, Remus leant over to Sirius. "You idiot. McGonagall probably talked to him about yesterday. He'll be onto us now."
"Well sorry for trying." Sirius sighed dramatically.
"You should be... and you will be," came Remus' sarcastic reply, with a hint of a dangerous look in his eye.
Sirius tipped back his chair until he was balancing on the back two legs, an old habit which annoyed Remus, much to the amusement to the others. "Oooh, Remus is handing out threats now! You have no idea how proud I am of you!"
Remus' scowl turned quickly into a wicked grin as he whispered a spell and the chair topped over, leaving a confused Sirius in an ungraceful heap on the floor.
"Do please be more careful Mr. Black. Chairs were designed with four legs for a reason, not a spur of the moment thing." The glittering amusement in the headmaster's eye as he winked at Remus resulted in Sirius giving the entire class his best glower as if daring them to mention this to the Slytherins. James fought to hold back his laughter as he and Peter helped Sirius up.
"If I could have everyone's attention once more, please? Now as I was saying... what was I saying? Oh bother..." Snickers bounced round the room. This was possibly the best lesson they had ever had.
"Professor, are you alright?" asked a concerned Lily.
"Oh yes, quite alright. I am afraid Professor Slughorn was using me to test the fourth years' forgetful potions yesterday and the effects don't quite seem to have worn off yet..."
"Headmaster, as you said before, I already know about stunning charms. Can't you teach us something most challenging. For example... I don't know... Non-verbal spells?" James flashed his best 'you know you want to' smile.
"Oh no, much too advanced for your year." He noted the disappointed looks on James, Sirius and Peter's faces and wondered what they were up to now. "I am sure there are some books in the Library which give a background for such things, which you can look at in your own time. For now however... ah, the strengths of different stunning charms. Now..."
He carried on, happily oblivious to the looks the Gryffindors shared.
In a quick, whispered conversation- well, more of a long, whispered argument really- it was decided they would have a quick look around the library during lunch to find prospective candidates to examine further over the weekend.
"What if we can't find anything and need to use the restricted section?" For all his faults, Peter always saw potential errors in their plans, which had saved their skins a couple of times.
"Then we need to become a teacher's best friend for a day," mumbled James. "Any volunteers?" Remus appeared to ignore them all as he pulled out a sheet of parchment and was scribbling intently.
The four of them looked up as people started packing things away. The lesson was over.
They were about to leave when Remus stopped in his tracks and told them to wait outside for him. The others frowned but did as they were told.
"Professor, I was wondering if you could sign this for me to give to Professor Slughorn?" In his hand was the note he had been scribbling on seconds before.
"Certainly... what is it Remus?"
"Can't you remember, Sir? Must be those potions again. It's the permission form to allow him to make me that potion to help me with my... erm, problem."
"Ah." He looked unconvinced but quickly read it over and signed the bottom of the page."
"Thank you Sir. I hope your memory comes back soon."
"Thank you Remus. I should be perfectly fine within a few hours. Now off you scoot to your next lesson."
"What was that about? You never told us anything about needing a potion for your-" Severus and Lily walked past. "- your um... furry little problem..."
"What? Do you have a badly behaved rabbit or something? What's the potion going to do to help?" Callum was standing behind them, trying to fix his broken bag. Remus sighed heavily in exasperation.
"Yes, Callum, He's called Marauder and is always up to something." He paused to glare at James. "Let me help you with that. The potion should calm him down a bit."
When they were certain they were alone Remus stopped them once more. "I don't need any potion James. Well, technically I do, but there isn't anything that would be useful right now. Look." He pulled out the page again and pulled off an extra sheet which had previously been stuck to the main page with the made up potion excuse. Dumbledore's name was clearly written on the front, with a statement of allowing them access to the restricted section on the other side. "I hope that'll be enough to satisfy Madam Pince anyway."
The others stared at him as if he had just sprouted a tail, and Remus turned round to make sure he hadn't. "What?"
"Well, not only did you lie to Dumbledore, you used his confusion to gain access to the restricted section, which I'm pretty sure is against the rules some way or another, and you did this all so that we could do the one thing you don't want us doing... are you feeling alright?"
Remus just rolled his eyes and carried on walking. "Forget it... but you guys owe me one."
"You should know to specify one what by now Remus. It's like you don't know me at all."
"Shut up, Marauder." grinned Sirius.
"Are you comparing me to a badly behaved rabbit, Sirius, you Marauder?"
"Remus started it, Marauder."
"I want be a marauder too!" wailed Peter.
"Will the three of you quit it you... you... Marauders!"
"You're just jealous, Remus. You want to be a Marauder too!"
"Ah, now we're really a gang. 'The Marauders'. Sounds... piratey!"
Sirius laughed at James' observation before running up behind some first years. "Arr, ye scally wags! Ye'd better move yer yellow bellies out the way before we pillage an plunder yer dorms!"
He received some very frightened looks and they darted down a side corridor, while he carried on walking as if nothing had happened. "Yup, that was fun!"
"Not quite what I had in mind, Marauder number two."
"Why am I number two? I suppose your number one are ye, ye Maraudin' dog?"
"Of course I'm number one. Remus called me a Marauder first." James poked out his tongue. Remus shook his head.
"Can't we all be equal Marauders?"
"Of course not! I'm Pirate Captain Marauder, i.e. number one, Sirius is Pirate First Mate Marauder, i.e. number two, and you two can have the delight of fighting over positions three and four... ummm... Boatswain and Cabin Boy!"
"Delightful." Replied Remus as they walked into Herbology.