Chapter Four: McGonagall's Déjà vu
"Hey, Uncle Remus, what was Uncle James like?" Charlotte asked, sitting beside him on the couch on her last morning at home.
"He was a lot like you, Charli. Adventurous, intelligent, charming, and he was the leader of our little group in Hogwarts called the Marauders. I was Moony, Peter was Wormtail, Sirius was Padfoot, and James was Prongs. They were my best friends, other than Lily and Marlene, your mother." Remus paused. "James, however, got into a lot of mischief during Hogwarts and made a few people, like Snape and Lily, not like him."
Charlotte frowned. "So, if Aunt Lily didn't like Uncle James, why'd they get married?"
"He grew up, became Head Boy, and, for the most part, stopped pranking people." The werewolf smiled at his goddaughter. "Samuel, on the other hand, was more studious and serious about his schoolwork. He, did, however, help the Marauders with becoming Animagi, with the map we made, and a few harmless pranks."
"That sound like fun. I wish I could remember him."
"James loved you, Charli. After your mom died, he and Sirius took care of you while your dad grieved. When Sam went to get you back, James told him, 'Hey, Sammy, I've got a daughter now. She'll be an old bookworm if I give her back to you.'"
Charlotte giggled. "I know you guys always sat in the middle compartment, so my friends and I sit there now. Your initials are still in the windowsill." She hopped up. "I guess I'm gonna go finish packing."
She ran back to her room, threw everything in her trunk, packed Merlin in his cage, and then pulled it down to the living room. "Dad! I'm ready! Bye, Uncle Remus."
"Okay, I'm coming. Give me a minute!"
Then, they Apparated directly onto the Platform. Charlotte, with the help of her father, hoisted her trunk into the middle compartment and placed Merlin's cage on top of the trunk. She hugged him briefly. "Bye Dad!"
"Charli, if I get another owl from anyone saying you've been in trouble again for fighting, I'll be up there to talk to you, okay?" She nodded. "Okay. I love you."
"Love you too, Dad."
The four Pirates took their seats in the middle compartment after saying goodbye to their families. As soon as they sat down, Charlotte spoke up, her hand stroking her kitten's soft fur. "How does the Griffin-claw Marauders sound?"
"So much cooler than pirates." Dean said, laughing as Merlin once again bounded to Seamus's lap.
Charlotte beamed. "So, what to do with Professor Quirrell?"
"Something simple, like sticking all his books to his desk and turning that bloody turban of his pink." Seamus offered.
"Sounds good. Who'll do the actual pranking?" Isobel asked. "We can't all do it."
"Well, Spike's the best at Charms, so maybe he could figure out the color change spell." Dean said. "And, I know Fang's used the sticking charm for her amusement on Smith."
Charlotte grinned. "How'd you know it was me?"
"I saw you cast the charm on his books."
"It's settled then." Isobel looked satisfied. "Then Rex and I'll do the next one."
"Speaking of Charms, Spike, think you could help a girl out?" Charlotte asked off-handedly.
"Sure thing, Fang. Anything to help a pretty lass like yah." He grinned. "As long as yah return the favor for Transfiguration."
By the time they got to Hogwarts, the four had become the best of friends, reluctantly separating to go to their dormitories.
The rest of the day passed by quickly and soon, she and Seamus snuck into the Defense classroom. It was about one in the morning, and Charlotte went to work with the sticking charm, making sure his books were not coming off the desk; Seamus changed his turban to a hot pink. "I think our work is done." She said, high-fiving him as they left the classroom.
"What, exactly, are you two dunderheads doing out at night?" Snape hissed behind them, causing Charlotte to freeze in her tracks.
"We were just working on my Charms." She said, daring him to contradict her.
"Highly unlikely. Ten points from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Back to your dormitories."
The next morning, she and Isobel walked down to the Great Hall, their messenger bags slung over their shoulders. Almost everyone was laughing hysterically at Professor Quirrell's new, hot pink turban; even Dumbledore was trying to hide a smile. Isobel let out a snort of laughter and Seamus was trying hard not to look pleased with himself. Snape, however, caught Charlotte's eye, and she knew he knew what they were doing the previous night.
During Potions, they were making a Forgetfulness Potion, and Smith's potion didn't look at all right. Charlotte's was the perfect deep red color, and Isobel's was close to hers. "You're cheating." Smith muttered, looking disdainfully at his own pink potion.
"You'd be doing a lot better if you were cheating." Isobel retorted, stirring her potion carefully.
"I can't help it if I'm better than you at, um, everything." Charlotte added. "Have you considered the fact that you just suck?"
Isobel snickered. "Potter, leave him alone." Brocklehurst snapped from across Smith.
"Did you hear anything, Talon?"
"Why, no, Fang. I did not." Isobel replied as Snape started to check their potions.
"Ten points to Ravenclaw, Potter. Five for you, MacDougal. It's just a hair off. Do better next time." Snape said quietly.
After they set their vials on his desk, Isobel and Charlotte scampered off to Defense Against the Dark Arts, and sat behind Seamus and Dean. Quirrell had reversed the color changing charm and turned his turban back to purple. Seamus sighed. "It was some of me best work and he didn't like it."
"Well, I thought it was awesome." Charlotte grinned at Seamus as Harry and Weasley sat down behind them. "Hey, Harry. Have a good Christmas?"
He nodded, his eyes sparkling. "I did for once. You?"
"Oh definitely."
"G-Good morning c-class." Professor Quirrell said. "T-Take out y-y-your books and turn to p-page 124." He tried to pick his book up and couldn't. Then, he tried to open his book and nothing happened.
"What's going on with his book?" Weasley asked, amusement in his voice.
The four Marauders snickered, watching with interest as he finally gave up. "C-Class dismissed." He said, staring at the books with a frown.
As soon as they were out of the professor's earshot, Isobel and Dean burst out laughing. "That was good." Dean said, clapping Charlotte on the back.
"Very impressive." Professor Snape said, his voice even. "Potter, detention at seven with me. And I will be telling your father about this. I believe he's filled your head with too many stories about his dear brother."
Charlotte sighed. "Yes, sir."
When the two girls sat down in the middle of the classroom, Blaise and Draco sat down behind them, and they began to talk animatedly. They didn't realize McGonagall had walked in until she gave an audible gasp, looking at the four students. But, she shook her head, and continued with their notes. However, Charlotte and Isobel couldn't stop snickering about that Quirrell's reaction to the prank. "MacDougal! Potter! What is so funny?"
"Nothing, Professor, except Ta-Isobel's Spell Check quill is running out of power." She answered innocently.
Other teachers, teachers that had not had both her uncle and father in class and knew that innocent but not really look, would have been fooled. However, McGonagall said nothing, no matter how much she was reminded of James before he and Sirius pulled a prank or of the Marauders sitting in those exact seats during her classes, save the rare times they were fighting amongst themselves. "Pay attention to your own notes, Potter."
"Yes ma'am."
During lunch, Charlotte realized that everyone already knew about the prank on Quirrell, and was wondering who had done it. Mandy was still not talking to her, but that was fine. Terry and Michael, who'd figured out the perpetrator was Charlotte, were laughing about it. "We should try to plan a really cool prank for the end of the year." Isobel suggested.
"Oh! Good idea. We'll talk to Spike and Rex later, though." She said, draining the last of her pumpkin juice and standing up. "C'mon, Charms is next."
Charms class and dinner passed quickly, and Charlotte found herself in the Defense classroom, undoing her hard work with Snape watching. "Who else helped you with this?"
"Nobody, Professor. Seamus was just with me as a watch."
He nodded curtly. "You may go."
She sighed and went back to her room to finish her homework. It wouldn't be long before exams were here and she needed to study, if only for Charms. "How'd your detention go, Fang?"
"He wanted to know who else helped and I told him it was just me and then he made me reverse the sticking charm." She plopped down on her bed.
"Speaking of Charms, aren't you supposed to study with Spike in the Transfiguration room this weekend?"
Charlotte nodded, her mood lightening. "Dad can say whatever he wants about my pranking, but I vow to never let it interfere with my grades."
Isobel giggled, throwing a pillow at her. "Go to sleep."
That weekend found a Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw in the empty Transfiguration room, both bent over their notes from Transfiguration class. Seamus's were messily and hard to read, but Charlotte's were neat and legible. Charlotte was patiently explaining the spell to turn a match into a needle to Seamus and neither one heard the door open. "So, try it. You've got to think you can do it or else, you'll just not be able to." She said, leaning back.
He nodded, his face screwed up in concentration and said the incantation. For a minute, it looked like nothing happened, but then, the match turned a silver color. Seamus grinned. "It turned colors!"
"Try again! And concentrate harder, Shay."
After a few tense moments, Seamus's match completely transformed into a needle. "Ha!" He yelled triumphantly, accidentally poking his finger with the point of the needle. "Want until McGonagall sees that, Char."
"I am impressed." Professor McGonagall's voice startled them. "Well done, Mr. Finnigan."
"Thank yah, Professor." He smiled happily.
"Should we leave?" Charlotte asked, not wanting another detention.
"Absolutely not. I was just going to grade some essays I'd left yesterday. You may continue." She sat down at her desk, watching out of the corner of her eye.
Charlotte nodded as they both shoved the Transfiguration notes aside and replaced them with Charms notes, and listened intently as Seamus explained, in his Irish brogue how to properly perform the levitating spell. "So, actually make the feather fly or set it on fire?" She teased.
Seamus frowned, poking her in the side. "Pay attention, Fang."
"Sorry, Spike."
McGonagall pursed her lips at the nicknames, but said nothing. "Now, go on, Try it." Seamus commanded. "If yah don't I'll tell Isobel the Griffin-claw Marauders have broken up."
Charlotte sighed. "Fine." She held her wand steady and flicked it as she said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
To her astonishment, the feather rose gracefully in the air. "Yah did it, Char!"
She beamed. "Thanks, Shay." McGonagall smiled, even though knowing that there were at least three Marauders running around in the first year left her feeling worried, she relaxed. She'd figured Charlotte had pranked Quirrell, but Severus had taken care of it. "Now, let's go eat. I'm starving."