CHAPTER FOUR
Anything you recognize from Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling
"It sure is crowded," Sirius murmured as the Potters wandered over to the Hogwarts Express. Sirius sighed. "Time for school again."
"Oh, Padfoot. Think about how much fun we'll have," James said, smirking.
Sirius grinned and Dorea sighed. "Please do try to keep out of trouble. I'm getting tired of having the school owls flying in here, telling me about your mischief."
"Mrs. Potter!" Sirius exclaimed, pretending to be aghast. "Mischief is our life!"
"Yeah, besides, with all this dark stuff this Lord Voldie is stirring up, everyone could have a laugh once in a while," James agreed. He gave his mom a quick hug and moved off with Sirius, who had also hugged Mrs. Potter before leaving. The two Marauders headed over to the compartment at the end of the train, where they always sat.
James opened the door and entered. Remus was already sitting there, reading a book while Peter stared out the window, bored. James started up a conversation with Peter, while Sirius tugged the book out of Remus' hands. "Mooooooonyyyyyyy! No reading!" Sirius sang as he vanished the book to Remus' trunk. Remus shot him an annoyed look.
As the train started to move, the door to their compartment slid open and two nervous looking first years shuffled in. Remus smiled at them and said, "Hey. Do you want to sit here? There's plenty of room." He pushed Sirius to the ground before sitting down himself, offering the first years their seats, or rather, in Sirius' case, was forced to.
"Th-thank you," one of the boys mumbled. "Everywhere else was full."
"Yeah, plenty of students coming to Hogwarts, eh? It seems there's even more this year," James said cheerfully.
Sirius leaned forward. "Names?"
"Thomas Jackson," the boy who had thanked them said. He had blond hair and blue eyes, with freckles. He had a pointed nose and wore glasses.
"I'm Evan McJohnson," the other boy said quietly. He had short and curly reddish-brown hair and hazel-colored eyes. There was a silver streak in his hair that made James and Sirius both curious.
Sirius nodded. "Sirius Black." He pointed to himself. "James Potter." James grinned and waved. "Remus Lupin." Remus smiled at the two nervous boys welcomingly. "Peter Pettigrew." Peter waved half-heartedly at them before staring out the window again.
"Which house do you want to be sorted in?" James asked. "We're all in Gryffindor house."
Evan and Thomas exchanged looks. "Erm ... maybe Ravenclaw?" Thomas said tentatively.
"Gryffindor," Evan said promptly.
James grinned. "You wanna know how you get sorted?" he asked, a mischievous plan coming to his head. The two first years nodded. James leaned forward. "You have to place the scary Sorting Hat on your head. And when Professor McGonagall - head of Gryffindor house and deputy headmistress - places it on your head, you have to scream really loudly, or else it'll eat you up."
Thomas' blue eyes widened, while Evan bit his bottom lip.
"Last year a few first years failed to scare the Sorting Hat and they got eaten," Sirius added, smirking.
Remus scowled and shoved his two friends. "Don't worry. They're only lying," he told the two first years kindly. "All you have to do is place the hat on your head and you'll hear a voice. It'll talk to you and sort you."
Evan and Thomas both looked relieved. "Moony, how could you ruin our prank?" James said, dramatically falling to ground and pretending to faint.
Remus snorted. "Save your prank for the Beginning of the Feast. I have a pretty good idea of what we're going to do this time."
Sirius and James looked at each other, then exclaimed, "WE DID IT!"
Remus winced, slightly irritable. "Did what?" he demanded.
"We've finally made you a prankster!" James cheered.
Remus rolled his eyes. "I could always change my mind in telling you," he said pointedly.
"No!" James and Sirius both shouted, and Remus raised an eyebrow.
"You really want to know?" he asked.
"Yes!"
Remus leaned forward. "It has something to do with water balloons."
Remus glanced at his friends. "Ready?" he whispered. James, Peter, and Sirius nodded. As Dumbledore was speaking, Remus cast 'Sonorus' on himself. "STOP WITH THE BLOODY RULES ALREADY!" Remus said. He had modified his voice so that it sounded deeper. He nodded to James. Sirius and James quickly put out the candles. "THIS IS MY CASTLE, YOU HEAR ME? MINE! GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!" Remus said again.
A few frightened students began to scream. Peter let loose ten Fanged Frisbees and the students screamed even louder, terrified. "SHUT UP!" Remus roared. He nudged Sirius. James and Sirius whispered a spell. Remus, with his werewolf senses, saw that the water balloons were hovering over every student and teacher, including the Marauders. Remus flicked his wand and the balloons dropped, popping. People yelled in fright, thinking that it was blood that drenched them.
Chuckling, Remus swished his wand and the lights turned on again. He summoned the Fanged Frisbees to him and pocketed them. All the students were grumbling and glaring.
"MARAUDERS!"
The Marauders looked up. Professor Minerva McGonagall was storming down toward them. She was soaking wet and looked VERY unhappy. "Hello, Professor Minnie. Do you need something?" Sirius asked calmly as he dried himself off with his wand.
McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "Don't play innocent on me, Mr. Black," she warned. "I know it was you and your friends who did this. You always do at the beginning of the year. It was probably you and Mr. Potter who came up with this whole prank!"
"Actually, Professor, that's where you're wrong," James said, smirking.
"Oh? Do care to explain," McGonagall said, raising an eyebrow.
"You see, the guilty one of this prank, the one who brought all the supplies we needed and found out the spells, as well as coming up with this prank, was Remus John Lupin," James said, grinning. He pointed to Remus, who looked bored.
McGonagall stared at Remus for a moment. Remus frowned, and said, "You know, Professor Minnie, staring is very rude."
The other three Marauders stifled snickers. McGonagall's eyes flared at Remus. "Don't glare," Remus said. "You're not supposed to be unhappy on the first day of school."
"DETENTION, MR. LUPIN!" McGonagall turned and stormed off.
Remus chuckled as he dried his seat and sat down with his friends, who smirked at him. "Mr. Prongs praises Mr. Lupin for his excellency in pranking," James said.
"Mr. Moony thanks Mr. Prongs, and would like to add that Mr. Prongs is still dripping wet."
"Mr. Prongs dries himself off and thanks Mr. Moony."
Mr. Padfoot would like to say he is disappointed in Mr. Moony. Remus read. He frowned at the note.
Mr. Moony would like to express his confusion at Mr. Padfoot's statement.
Mr. Padfoot will explain to Mr. Moony.
Mr. Moony appreciates Mr. Padfoot's offer.
Mr. Padfoot is disappointed in Mr. Moony because he is taking notes.
Mr. Moony is feeling very confused at Mr. Padfoot's second statement.
Mr. Padfoot will explain to Mr. Moony.
Mr. Moony appreciates Mr. Padfoot's offer.
Mr. Padfoot thinks that Mr. Moony is returning back to perfect student mode.
Mr. Prongs would like to agree with Mr. Padfoot about Mr. Moony's behaviour.
Mr. Padfoot thinks that he liked the Mr. Moony yesterday at the beginning of feast.
Mr. Prongs orders Mr. Moony to stop taking notes.
Mr. Moony would like to express his annoyance at Mr. Prongs.
Mr. Prongs is confused at Mr. Moony's -
Mr. Wormtail would like to join the conversation.
Mr. Moony is confused why Mr. Prongs did not finish his sentence.
Mr. Prongs did not finish his sentence because Mr. Wormtail snatched the parchment out of Mr. Prongs' hands as he was writing.
Mr. Padfoot would like to express his concern for Mr. Prongs and Mr. Moony because Professor Minnie is coming toward Mr. Prongs and Mr. Moony with a maniac-like glare in her eyes.
Mr. Moony is feeling very worried.
Mr. Prongs agrees with-
"POTTER! LUPIN! PETTIGREW! BLACK!" McGonagall barked out. "No notes in my class!" She vanished the piece of parchment. "And why aren't you copying down those notes?"
"Professor, you told us no notes in your class," Sirius said, in a very polite tone. The class snickered at this.
McGonagall pinched the bridge of her nose. "Only one more year to go. Just one more."
END OF CHAPTER FOUR
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Next chapter: James and Sirius get into an 'argument' with 'Snivellus' Snape. Remus Lupin is furious at this, and the three get into something that even they could not imagine until now.