Friday, September 5
Transfiguration
Well, I successfully took care of at least one of the problems in the twisted black hole called my life.
"Professor McGonagall?" I said tentatively. I had come running to this class just so I could speak to her before everybody else got there. She looked up from the Animagus essays she was grading.
"I got a chance to look over the sign-up sheet for Gryffindor Quidditch team try-outs," I explained, extracting said sign-up sheet from my rucksack. "and somebody made a mistake when they signed up. This second year named Duncan Prescott signed up for Seeker-"
"Yes, I know," Professor McGonagall interrupted. Wait. She knew? She wanted some second year to come in and possibly kick me off the team because he's Wronski Feint reincarnated in to a twelve-year-old boy and risk our chances of losing the Quidditch Cup? I doubt even Wronski Feint's Quidditch skills were completely developed at age twelve. Need I remind you of that rather large trophy sitting in your office at this very moment? I can't believe how much the Ravenclaws have corrupted you! All for the Quidditch Cup! Michael Davies (the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and an idiotic git) must be behind this! He got the whole Ravenclaw house in on it! Damn you Ravenclaw!
"I asked him about it and he told me he knew you were the Seeker and he just wanted to try out for Reserve Seeker," she explained. "In fact, another second year boy and a third year boy asked me this morning if it was too late to sign up for Reserve Seeker. Surely I explained to you about Mr. Prescott before?"
No.
No, you didn't Professor McGonagall. You just wanted to see if this was going to be the first time a Head Boy was going to be sent to detention for murdering small children. My hand was itching to hex the kid and you were just going to sit back, watch the show, and hand out detentions. Instead, I said, "I don't believe so, Professor. Thanks for clearing that up for me."
Then I sat in my desk, which is where I am now.
She knew. I was driving myself mad over that one second year boy and she bloody knew. I don't know whether I should feel insulted or I should…be some sort of positive emotion that I can't think of at this moment.
This is very confusing.
McGonagall should do more thinking when it comes to the students in her own house.
Later
Charms
With all this Head Boy business, worrying about Lily, worrying about my Charms grade, and racking my brains over how to kill Duncan Prescott (which I can officially cross of my list) I almost forgot that Sirius and I have a lot of girls that like us. Not counting Lily and her friends, of course. They've stated several times they dislike us.
Actually, it's always been Lily. I don't think her friends have as big of a problem with us.
We all left Transfiguration, deep in conversation. I relayed to them that I didn't have to kill Duncan Prescott. Sirius looked disappointed, Remus, disapproving, and Peter looked relieved. He needs to learn that I hardly ever mean it when I say I'm going to kill somebody, only in certain situations. As we were talking, I got the strange feeling that people were staring at me. There also seemed to be quite a bit of whispering. Sirius noticed it too and we started looking around to see who was whispering.
It didn't take long to find the source.
There was this group of second year girls that whipped their heads in different directions the moment. All except one, who seemed to be quite shocked that we were looking her way. She was so shocked, she didn't look where she was going. So she didn't see a classroom door fly open. Oh, yes. It hit the poor girl in the head, causing her to fall backwards on her bum and scattering the books and papers she had in her arms.
The third year girl who had caused the door to hit the other girl was shocked for a moment, than looked very guilty and immediately bent down to help her with her books. However, several people thought that it was funny and were laughing. I shot them all very dirty looks as I went over and helped her out. She froze at the sight of me when I knelt down to pick up her books.
"Here," I said holding them out to her. "Are you alright?" I asked. Quite suddenly, her eyes filled up with tears and she bolted in to the nearest girl's bathroom. Her friends all bolted after her calling her name while I was sitting there trying to figure out what the bloody hell I had done wrong. The third year girl, who in my opinion, had caused the whole thing to happen in the first place, grabbed the books she and I had picked up and rushed off in to the bathroom as well.
"What'd I do?" I asked confusedly. Sirius, Remus, and Peter all shrugged.
"She likes you," a voice answered to my right. I looked up. Lily.
"Oh," I muttered, standing back up. "That explains a bit," I added. Lily rolled her eyes (but in an amused fashion) and walked off. Well I'm amusing her instead of repulsing her now, that's a plus.
And it only took me six or seven years.
Later
Defense Against the Dark Arts
I'm in trouble.
I am in huge trouble.
That Prefect's meeting is tonight and I have no idea what the bloody hell I'm supposed to say.
You see, this is why I shouldn't have been Head Boy! The people who are Head Boy, already have it programmed in to their brains what they're supposed to do!
Then there's me.
I was waiting for Moony to tell me that he made Head Boy! But no, Dumbledore just had to lose it in the brief month I had last seen him. I was just innocently sitting at breakfast with Padfoot when one of the school owls comes in with our letters. Mine was considerably heavier. And what do I say when I open the envelope? The big, shiny, HEAD BOY badge. At first I thought: Oh, they accidentally sent me Remus' badge. Then I looked at the letter.
Along with the usual booklist was a letter addressed to me and congratulating me on becoming Head Boy. Sirius was laughing his head off when he saw the badge and letter, Mum was crying with tears of joy and blubbering, "My little Jamsie! Head Boy!"
I think Sirius was laughing because of the nickname and the fact that he knew I would never be able to pull off the Head Boy job since I know nothing about being Head Boy. And he was completely right. I know nothing and I'm definitely going to mess up at the meeting and all the Prefects will laugh. Lily will laugh, Annie will laugh, Remus-
Wait. Remus! He was at those meetings! He can tell me!
Later
Defense Against the Dark Arts, still
What am I supposed to say at the meeting?
What? Prongs?
Yes, this is Prongs. What do I say at the meeting?
The Prefects meeting?
No. The Goblin Impersonator Society meeting. I signed the two of us up last month for a full membership. We've got badges and everything. Of course the Prefects meeting, what other "meeting" would I be talking about?
Can we talk about this after class? I'm trying to take notes on the Patronus Charm.
Yeah, sure.
Later
Boys Dormitory, after dinner before meeting
Remus couldn't tell me a thing. That boy's bloody useless when it comes to anything that involves Prefects.
"So," I said to Remus when we left Defense Against the Dark Arts. "What do I say in the meeting?"
"The Prefects meeting?" he asked, tucking his Patronus Charm notes in to his rucksack. I raised an eyebrow at his question. Didn't we just go through this?
"Yes," I said, exasperated. "The Prefects meeting. The one tonight, the one very similar to the Prefect's meetings you've been going to since fifth year."
Remus thought for a minute before shrugging. "I don't know what you should say in the meeting. The last two Heads always had a different system for each meeting…"
I just stared at him as he rambled on and on. I didn't hear a word he said. All I knew was that Remus couldn't tell me a thing and the meeting was tonight. I couldn't believe he couldn't tell me a bloody thing.
"I can't believe you can't tell me a bloody thing!" I exclaimed suddenly, cutting him off mid rant. That was never supposed to come out of my mouth. That was supposed to stay comfortably tucked away in a corner of my brain forever. I don't think my brain functions too well when I really need it to. Remus just sighed.
"Look, you'll figure it out and you'll be fine at the meeting. And if you're still nervous, you can just ask Lily."
Yes, Remus. Perfect solution. I'll just have Lily think I'm even more unqualified for the job of Head Boy than before. You've certainly got a brilliant mind on you. OK, enough with the sarcasm. So I didn't ask Lily anything. I just sat there cutting up and measuring ingredients for the potion while Lily added them and stirred them in. She seemed perfectly content with this. I wasn't about to say anything about how I don't know what I'm supposed to do at the meeting. The Prefects at the meeting are never going to take me seriously. The only way I get my Quidditch team to listen to me and treat me with respect is with:
A) My Quidditch Captain voice and…
B) The first time they wouldn't listen during a practice I mounted a pumpkin on a pole and I showed them just how well I could aim a Bludger
But I doubt yelling at them and letting a Bludger loose through the school would make them listen to me. The yelling might, but then they'd dislike me. The Bludger would just make them think I'm a complete idiot while they laugh at McGonagall yelling at me. There's absolutely no way to get around the fact that I am completely and utterly terrible at this Head Boy business, and it's only the end of the first week.
I might be being too hard on myself. This could all be just nerves. All I have to do is get myself calm and convince myself it's just nerves.
It's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just nerves, it's just-
You know, this did not work before my first Quidditch game, it's not going to work now.
I'm a hopeless, nervous mess and I'm not going to change now.
Where's a Chocolate Frog when you need one? It helped to have one after we faced a boggart back in third year, it might help now.
Very Late
Boys Dormitory
Remus and I got to the meeting in plenty of time. Half an hour before the meeting started there were only a few people in the room they were all just chatting with each other casually until the meeting started. The first thing I noticed was perhaps the scariest thing you could ever imagine: Regulus Black was made Prefect.
I'm not joking either. He was sitting there chatting with his fellow Slytherins. He probably hasn't rubbed it in to Sirius yet. He's probably just waiting for the opportune moment to gloat to Sirius how proud their parents are of him while they've already burned every last memory of Sirius or something similar to that.
So following everybody else's example, I just talked with Remus to pass the next thirty minutes before my doom. In that time I learned that Annie, the fifth year Hufflepuff Prefect from the train, is actually a sixth year Ravenclaw. Yeah. She walked in to the room and came over to Remus and me.
"Hi Annie," I greeted with a smile. She smiled back.
"Hi James. So I hear you swept my little sister off her feet."
What? When was the last time I swept anybody off their feet?
"I think she's talking about the second year girl this morning, James," Remus answered to my confused look. Then it dawned on me. The second year girl that got hit with the door. She had dark hair like Annie's. In fact they do look very similar. The only difference really is their eyes. Annie has blue eyes, her sister has grey.
"Oh," I answered blankly. "Is she alright?" Annie nodded.
"She a little embarrassed, but her bruise is gone thanks to Pomfrey," Annie explained. I felt a great wave of relief wash over me. "Just don't worry if she never leaves her dormitory again. She should get over the embarrassment of it all in a few days. Maybe a few weeks. Then she might consider leaving her four poster." Now a new wave of guilt and panic came over me. This was just great. I had confined the girl to her dormitory.
"I'm joking," Annie said, cracking a grin. I couldn't help but semi-glare at her for making fun of the Head Boy so much. Annie obviously didn't grasp the type of mental torture she just put me through. She just laughed and walked over to a group of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuffs. Then Lily came in carrying two folders with several corners of colored parchment poking out at the edges.
"Hello Potter," she said to me. "I meant to give you this in Potions but it slipped my mind. It slipped McGonagall's mind too, which is why she gave it to me to give to you. Sorry I didn't get this to you earlier." Then she held out the folder to me. I grabbed it uncertainly.
"Don't you know what the folder is for?" she asked. "Hasn't Remus told you a single thing about these meetings?"
"No and no," I answered. Lily sighed and threw a look at Remus, who simply shrugged in response.
"In the folders are notices and announcements that the heads of the houses and other staff members want the Prefects to know. Like if there's an increase of student's hexing each other in the hallway and it's really getting out of control then there'll be something in here that says something similar to, 'Please inform the Prefects to watch out for students hexing each other in the hallways and tell them not to purposely dock more points for other houses in favor of their own'. Just things like that," she explained. I smiled. I finally understood. It would all be fine. Why couldn't Remus just tell me all of this in the first place? That bastard.
"Come on, let's get the meeting started," Lily said. "Oh and as a warning, McGonagall almost always come rushing in here with a last minute announcement just as we get the meeting started." With a wave of her wand, a loud crack broke out through the room and everybody stopped their chatting to sit down in a chair.
"Thank you," Lily said politely before sitting down in a desk facing the group. I sat next to her. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Lily Evans of Gryffindor, the new Head Girl and this is James Potter, also of Gryffindor, and he's the new Head Boy. First of…" Lily trailed off and everybody knew why. McGonagall had come rushing in to the room with a slip of parchment. There were nearly inaudible groans of "every bloody year" throughout the room.
"I'm sorry to interrupt the meeting but I only just got this notice," Professor McGonagall apologised. "We need somebody to go down to Hagrid's some time tomorrow afternoon and check how many pumpkins and live bats are to be expected at the Halloween feast next month."
"I'll go," I volunteered. I hadn't seen Hagrid since last term and I was eager to see him again. I tried not to show how eager I was when I volunteered, though. I failed.
"With how close you are with Hagrid, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Would you even get around to the pumpkins and bats?" McGonagall inquired.
"Yes," I protested.
"Would anybody else-?"
"I'll go with James to Hagrid's," Lily volunteered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Annie drop her half-raised hand back in her lap. McGonagall thought about this for a moment before giving in.
"Very well," McGonagall said. "The two of you are to go to Hagrid's tomorrow. Thank you, I will let you get on with the meeting." Then she left. Now, here comes the amazing part: I didn't mess up. Yes, I had the folder telling me basically everything I needed to say, but still.
Then before I knew it, we all signed up for rounds (I'm patrolling this month with Lily. I was going to sign up with Remus but he already picked somebody) and we were allowed to leave. Right when we were dismissed I realised that I had forgotten to tell Lily about Quidditch try-outs. But apparently she knew already.
"I know you have try-outs tomorrow, James," she said. "I'll be there the moment you're done with them. I can guarantee it."
"OK," I said nodding. "Well if that's all-"
"Hello, Lily. Did you have a good summer?" I turned my head towards the voice and instantly my blood boiled and my jaw stiffened. Michael Davies. Normally I don't have a problem with Ravenclaws. I talked pleasantly with Annie just now, didn't I? I helped her little sister when she dropped her books, didn't I? But Michael Davies and I dislike each other almost as much as Snape and I dislike each other.
"Michael!" Lily exclaimed with a wide smile. "It's good to see you. My summer was pretty dull. Not-er, nothing special."
I got even angrier at this point, even though I'm pretty sure I didn't show it. Lily stumbled over her words and there was a very faint pink tinge in her cheeks. She liked the prat. I kind of hazed out a bit for the rest of their short conversation. Until Davies said, "How's the Quidditch team, Potter?" I looked up and straight at Davies.
Most people would look at his face and think he was trying to be polite, but he wasn't. His small smile was rather fixed and his eyes weren't smiling. I know that sounds weird but his eyes weren't displaying happiness like his fake smile was. Told you.
"We haven't gotten started yet," I told him. "But I assure you it'll be top notch as always."
Translation: I'm going to kick your arse at Quidditch this year and keep your hands off of Lily.
"Well Craig will be looking for the best this year as well."
Translation: I hate you Potter and I will take my hands off of Lily when I want to.
Don't be fooled by the seemingly civil conversation we're having. If it's just his and my friends around, we do throw some pretty nasty insults and hexes around. And we've never called each other by our first names. It's always been Potter and Davies.
"Do you want me to walk back to your common room with you?" Davies offered Lily. Oh, hell no.
"Remus and I are going in the same direction, obviously," I said before Lily could answer. Remus, being a loyal friend, jumped in.
"It'll save you the trouble," he added. Davies thought of this for a moment and nodded.
"I'll see you later then," he said with a smile to Lily. Then he nodded to Remus and I before turning in the opposite direction and walking down the corridor to the Ravenclaw common room. I swear that I saw a scowl on his face when he turned away. See? He's a bad tempered, Lily-stealing git.
The three of us, Remus, Lily, and I, didn't talk at all on the way back to Gryffindor tower. Why is that? Lily was mad. She didn't have to say anything. I know that Lily was mad at me for several reasons. For one, her face was a little red with anger. She also never looked either one of us in the eye. I'm also almost completely sure that her hand was gripped on her wand residing in a pocket of her robes. When we reached the Fat Lady she spat out the password and bolted to the girls' dormitory.
"Well besides the bit with Davies, that went relatively well," Remus remarked. I merely sighed and went up to the dormitory which is where I am now, writing it all down in this completely manly journal.
So the upsides of tonight: I made it through the meeting alive and I'm going to get to visit Hagrid tomorrow, even though I probably would've visited him anyway. The downside: Lily's really mad at me.
Well I'll deal with that later while I try and think of anything more powerful than a Shield Charm. If Lily's this mad, I might need it. As for Michael Davies, it's painfully obvious he has his eyes on Lily and wants to take her from me. Yes, I am aware she's not technically mine, but still, I 've fancied her since third year and nearly everybody is aware of that. Davies knows as well and yet he's still trying to go after her. This. Means. WAR!
Davies is going down.
Saturday, September 6
Boys Dormitory
Oh, bloody hell.
Quidditch try-outs are today.
Let the whining, broom crashes, and me threatening to hex anybody who won't get off the Quidditch pitch begin!
Later
Boy's Dormitory
I can truthfully say that I have a bloody brilliant Quidditch team that'll kick the Ravenclaw team's arses. Along with the Slytherin team. I think that's just a tad bit pathetic that I'm more concerned over the Ravenclaw team considering I'm a Gryffindor and all.
I ate breakfast pretty quickly and went out to the Quidditch pitch to dress in to my Quidditch robes and grab my whistle, broom, and clipboard with all the names of people trying out on it (which turned out to be bloody useless because half the people didn't show but that didn't matter anyway since there was loads of last minute sign-ups) and sat down in the stands waiting for everybody, making sure my Quidditch Captain badge was visible. Believe it or not, we've had house in the past that impersonate the other Quidditch Captains (Slughorn should not leave vats of Polyjuice Potion about) and try and mess up the other teams.
It took them a bloody long time to finally eat their breakfast, grab their brooms and get their arses down to the pitch, but once a good number of people started mingling on the pitch below, I went down to the pitch as well and waited for the really slow people to get down to the pitch. After ten more minutes of this, I decided I wasn't going to wait one more minute and just get the try-outs started. So I blew the whistle and everybody stopped their mingling and lined up in front of me.
It's nice and slightly scary to know that such little things can hold such immense power.
"OK," I said. "First off, who here does not own a broom of their own?" One lone second year raised her hand. I went off in to the broom cupboard in the locker room and grabbed a broom at random and handed it to her.
"Divide in to groups of ten and I'm going to ask one group at a time to fly around the pitch," I instructed. It worked easily. I eliminated half of the people there so I was left with a smaller group of people trying out.
I had the Beaters try out first and I have an old member coming back (Terry Addams, fifth year, did extremely well) and a third year named Rachel Daniels. I was particularly impressed by her performance. She looks like a twig but she can smack a Bludger really far, fast, and with accurate aim.
I have three new additions with the Chasers: Michael Quincy, sixth year; Eric Manning, fifth year; and Katie Richardson, second year.
Then came the Keeper try-outs. I was really blown away by my new Keeper's performance. Most of the people trying out were only able to save three baskets at most. Then Dorcas Meadowes came up with her broom. I was a bit surprised with that because I had never seen her try-out before. Then I watched her save all five goals with such ease. It was amazing I was completely awestruck. When she touched back down and turned to me for my evaluation, I blurted out something that you would read in one of my mum's sappy romance novels (Dad made me read to her once when she was sick)
"Where have you been all my life?" I asked in a mystified voice. Dorcas laughed.
"So am I on the team?" she asked. I nodded and shook her hand.
"Welcome to the Gryffindor Qudditch team," I said. Dorcas was, almost literally, glowing with happiness.
"Thank you! Oh, I got to go tell Lily-" Then she took off to the stands. I looked up and finally saw that Lily had been at the try-outs the whole time. But I doubt she had been paying much attention until Dorcas went up because I could see a few books sitting next to her. Then all that was left was to find a reserve Seeker. Duncan Prescott, the very kid I wanted to kill, made reserve Seeker.
Oh, the irony.
Then I told my Quidditch team my rules for practice (Get detention the day of practice and die, don't show up late, and be down at the Quidditch pitch every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and let them leave so I could change out of my Quidditch robes. That was a weird part of today. I had spent the whole morning in my Quidditch robes, yet I didn't play one bit of Quidditch. Of course, weird turned to uncomfortable when I walked out of the locker rooms and there was Lily.
She may not have been as mad as she was last night, but she still seemed pretty mad.
"So," I said awkwardly after a few moments of just standing there. "To Hagrid's?" Lily nodded and started in the direction to Hagrid's. I followed closely.
"So when do you want our tutoring sessions to be?" I asked while we walked. "Now that you know when Quidditch practices are it should be easier for us to plan-" Lily stopped suddenly and whipped around to face me.
"Don't talk to me right now, Potter," she hissed. "You were being a complete arse last night to Michael and I'm still mad about that. Just…" Lily let out an angry sort of sound and continued towards Hagrid's. I, slightly fearing for my life, followed a distance behind her. Within a hundred yards of Hagrid's hut, I heard a very loud and low bark come from the direction of the woods. That made Lily stop suddenly. I stopped too and listen. There were more loud and low barks coming closer to us. I could tell it was more than one dog. Then I heard much higher pitched barks and it all clicked.
You see, after years of chasing Sirius and I from the Forbidden Forest, we finally started to grow on Hagrid and we always pay him visits. On our very last visit of last school year, Hagrid looked over at his board hound, Sam, and said, "Yeh know, I think Sam would like a lady dog. I'll find one fer him, over the summer."
And apparently, Hagrid did find a nice lady dog for Sam. Because out of the forest came Sam, who immediately bounded over to me and started licking my ears. Following him was another, slightly smaller, board hound and four puppies. I think Lily's heart melted on the spot because she immediately bent down and started petting all the puppies she could.
Even I have to admit that I never wanted to put any of them down.
Then I saw Hagrid come out of the forest as well. His face just lit up when he saw me.
"James!" he exclaimed. Well he ran over and hugged me. Except it felt more like a boa constrictor and I was lifted several feet off the ground.
"I see yeh've met the puppies," Hagrid said, gesturing to all of the puppies. Then his eyes fell on Lily. "Oh, sorry," he apologised. "I didn't see yeh there. Yeh're Lily, right?" Lily nodded and looked slightly puzzled at how Hagrid knew her name. I silently begged that he wouldn't say anything about the times I had talked about Lily to him. I'm sure that's the only way he knew who she was.
"Teachers brag about yeh all the time," Hagrid told her. He cast an amused glance at me before turning back to Lily. "Brilliant in classes, nice to everybody, and Head Girl. Slughorn 'specially. And yeh're Head Boy now, right?" he said turning back to me. I nodded. Hagrid chuckled.
Is the fact that I'm Head Boy that amusing?
So Hagrid let us in to his house and we talked for a while. We even got around to the pumpkins and bats (Hagrid has traps in the forest for the bats and he proudly showed us his pumpkins) and he sadly told us that he was going to sell most of the litter.
"I'm keeping one of them," he said. Then he pointed to a puppy by the fire, chewing on a bone. "I named him Fang." At the mention of his name, Fang bolted over to Hagrid and attempted to jump up to lick his hand. Hagrid chuckled and patted his head.
"It's getting a little late," Hagrid said, glancing at the clock. "Yeh should be headed up back up ter the school."
So we bid him good-bye and headed back up to the school with our pockets filled with rock cakes. Yes, rock cakes. A Muggle dentist's absolute worst nightmare.
I tried asking Lily again when she wanted to have another tutoring session, but by the death glare, I guessed it wasn't the time to ask her that yet. I'm very good at interpreting facial expressions. Especially the violent ones.