THE DELIGHTFUL SEVERUS SNAPE:
It had always been an 'illegal' holiday for Peter, Hallowe'en. As much as to say the word had been banned in his house as his parents didn't 'believe' in it. They hated the idea that children were knocking on stranger's doors and asking for sweets. It was dangerous, and it was rude. But it was exactly how muggles celebrated the occasion.
At Hogwarts, however, it was a completely different attitude. Hallowe'en was celebrated with a huge feast in the evening – with the Great Hall decorated in fantastic colours and a vast array of black bats. Professor Dumbledore had even promised a performance from a troupe of dancing skeletons.
Sirius and James were having a field day as they set upon planning as many pranks as they could for the feast that evening. It seemed Hallowe'en brought out the very worst in the two, and so, naturally, they were using that fact to their advantage. Severus-better-known-as-Snivellus Snape was at the forefront of most of their plans. Peter almost felt sorry for him, before remembering how nasty he had been in their double Potions lesson the day before.
It was a Wednesday afternoon and the four Gryffindors had just endured double Transfiguration and History of Magic that morning. Thus it was with very low spirits that they entered the dungeons classroom to begin a gruelling double period of potion-making. What better to brighten their moods, then, to have the lesson taught by the most sluggish and biased Hogwarts teacher they had known thus far; Professor Slughorn.
Head of Slytherin House, and didn't he let everyone know it, Professor Slughorn was known amongst the older students for his distinct favouritism over esteemed purebloods and talented students. The rest had to fend for themselves.
That included James, Peter, and absolutely Remus whom definitely lacked something of the skill and knack for potion-making. In fact, the book-worm of the four surprised them all by ending up the worst at the subject, although closely followed by a clumsy Peter. Peter, though, was not good at anything and so always ended up being the least favoured pupil of his classes.
It so happened that Remus and Peter had been paired to work on a fairly complicated Forgetfulness Potion, and it came as no surprise to anybody that they were failing the task, dismally. However, Snape seemed to enjoy the fact that the Gryffindor duo was so hapless at his best subject. He made the point of walking straight up to their smoking cauldron, which was supposed to be sweating slightly, and laughed horrendously. He then called Professor Slughorn over to ask him, very loudly and very sarcastically, if the potion was really meant to be the lurid green colour Remus and Peter had produced and not the sunny yellow that had been described on the board.
Slughorn simply chuckled jovially and shook his head, before giving Remus and Peter in turn a quick, patronising pat on the shoulder and following Snape over to his own cauldron, where he sang high praises to the smug, greasy haired boy. Snape actually had the cheek to call across the dungeon to Remus and Peter, who had both begun blushing madly, that they had forgotten to stew the beetle eyes for exactly sixteen minutes.
Although Remus and Peter were happy just to let it go, Sirius and James conspired to get revenge; spicy, delicious, dipped in apple sauce revenge.
The following afternoon found the four boys heading to the dormitories after lunch. As ever, James was telling Sirius in low tones about the latest shame-Snivellus-to-death-well-hopefully scheme. Remus had hung back slightly, going over his Charms notes and Peter had fallen into step with him, keen to know the plans but not so keen to be actively involved in them.
As he strained his ears to listen to Sirius' reply he caught the grimace that laced Remus' thin features for a second, and followed his friend's gaze. Snape was walking towards them, head down and long nose stuck in his Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook. He was muttering something to himself as he shuffled his long feet forwards. Peter grimaced, too, knowing what would happen once James or Sirius took notice of the dark form unwittingly walking straight into their path.
Sirius stopped walking suddenly and hit James excitedly in the arm. James looked at him, looked to where Sirius was motioning with his head and smirked.
"Oi, Snivellus, I hope that's not a library book or Madame Pince will have your liver for getting grease on the pages," James spat nastily. The boy looked at him and Peter noticed his face pale slightly. Instinctively, he reached into his robes for his wand but Sirius was faster.
"Densaugeo!" Sirius bellowed and immediately Snape's front teeth began to grow at an alarming rate.
"Expelliarmus!" James cried out as Snape fumbled desperately with his wand. The wand flew into James' left hand.
"Petrificus Totalus!" James added and Snape's arms snapped to his sides and he keeled over backwards, falling heavily on his back, his body rigid. Sirius and James grinned at each other then turned to meet approval from Peter, and an angry glare from Remus.
"Oh, come on, Remus. You know he deserved that!" Sirius tried. Remus' glare intensified.
"Reverse it, now. That wasn't fair; you caught him off guard," Remus used a stern, level voice, as if talking to a naughty child.
"Stop being so wet, Remus. It's just a laugh," James argued.
"It won't be a laugh when you get us all detention," Remus reasoned, frowning, "just reverse it and we won't get in trouble."
"I – I can't, I don't know how," Sirius looked down, red creeping up his neck in embarrassment.
"Typical!" Remus threw his hands up in exasperation. "Bloody typical, Sirius Black not doing your homework properly."
"Hey, I don't research more than I need to, and I hadn't planned on using the reversal spell!" Sirius exclaimed, outrage replacing shame as he towered above the smaller, lighter haired boy.
"Well then, I'm getting Professor McGonagall. She'll know how to fix this," Remus turned to leave but Sirius grabbed his arm tightly. He glared at Remus as he spoke.
"You can't do that, then we'll definitely get detention!" Sirius said angrily, his voice still holding its regal tone. Remus looked like he was cowering below the taller boys' height, and stare. He seemed unwilling to give up so easily, however.
"Oh, so now you think about detention! It's a bit late for remorse now, Sirius."
"I am not in the least bit remorseful. Snivellus deserved everything he got. I just don't see the point in turning ourselves in!"
"Because it's the right thing to do," Remus all but shouted.
"Remus, you can't turn us in, you're supposed to be our friend!" At that word Remus' stern look dissolved and a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.
"Fine, we'll just leave him to be found. I'm sure someone will stumble upon him eventually," Remus glanced at Snape, whose teeth had now reached his toes. He had a defeated look on his face, but oddly his eyes were shining.
"That's the spirit!" James clapped him on the back, grinning. Sirius grinned as well, so Peter followed suit, albeit timidly.
"Where'd you learn that hex, Sirius? It was brilliant!" Peter gushed.
"Got it out of a book I nicked from the library in Grimmauld Place last year, sometime," Sirius answered offhandedly, though his smile betrayed his modesty. Peter wondered why Sirius always referred to his home in that distant manner. He had never said anything about his home life in the two months they had been at Hogwarts, not since the Howler.
"Sirius, reading a book, well I never," Remus teased.
"Hey, I read when it's necessary, and this was definitely necessary."
"Right, but you just happened to miss the section on reversal spells?" Remus questioned lightly. He said it nonchalantly, but it looked as though he was suppressing the urge to nag.
"Well of course. I mean, I don't see the point in hexing someone, only to reverse it in order not to get in trouble. It pretty much defeats the whole point of the hex, itself," Sirius said.
"Yeah, you might as well not have bothered hexing them in the first place," James added, running his hand for the fourteenth time that day through his unruly hair.
"Now there's a thought," Remus said with a small smile.
The four of them were lounging around a large beech tree by the lake, waiting for the Hallowe'en Feast to begin. Remus had a book on his lap – the intention had been to read it but he had yet to get the chance – with Sirius and James sprawled out on the grass in front of him. Peter sat to the right of Remus, watching as Sirius and James flirted with a group of second year girls that were huddled by the lake.
Sirius had tied his school tie around his head and was stretched out over his school robes, hands laced together behind his head. He was leaning slightly to the side so he could still stare seductively at the girls. James had ruffled his hair so much that it had gone static, but he still managed to pull it off somehow. He had his top buttons undone on his shirt and had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows.
An icy wind picked up, causing both scantily clad boys to shiver. They tried to act as if they weren't cold but they were having a hard time in doing so, it being nearly winter and all. The giggling girls by the lake hadn't noticed, though, and, Peter noted with envy, were still flirting outrageously with them.
James glanced at his watch.
"Hmm, almost time for plan get-Snivellus-thrown-out-of-the-Halloween-Feast, methinks," he said, watching for Sirius' reaction.
"Quite right Mister Potter. I can almost smell the brilliance already," Sirius grinned manically, sitting up. Remus grimaced, closing his eyes but said nothing. Peter stood up, excited about the prank ahead. James and Sirius had kept uncharacteristically quiet about it, but Peter could guess that it would be something extravagant. They weren't exactly ones for subtlety.
Peter sat on the wooden bench, his stubby arms resting on the surprisingly bare tabletop. He looked excitedly over at James and Sirius, who were sitting opposite him, grinning madly. James kept adjusting his glasses, which he only did when he was excited or nervous about something, and Sirius was bobbing up and down in his place. Remus, on the other hand, was characteristically calm and quiet; his long, thin fingers rapping the table serenely.
Professor Dumbledore stood up from his centre position on the High Table, and as he peered at the students over his half-moon spectacles Peter saw James nudge Sirius in the arm then run a hand through his hair. Sirius' grin broadened.
Looking over the table to Remus, he raised his eyebrows suggestively at him, and in return received a bored sigh. Peter didn't understand why Remus was so uptight about breaking the rules. Pranking was brilliant fun. It's not like they got caught, that often. Peter noticed, however, that Remus hadn't done more than suggest his clear disapproval since the Snape incident earlier.
The Great Hall had been decorated with over two thousand live bats, and giant carved pumpkins housing flickering candles hovered over the tables. There were thick rolls of orange streamers adorning the ceiling, which, itself, mirrored the calm, dark night sky.
Dumbledore began by wishing everyone a happy Hallowe'en before raising his arms in an open gesture and crying, "Now, let's eat!"
As he spoke, the tables became littered with mountains of glorious foodstuffs, including cottage pie and gammon steak, jacket potatoes and sausages in gravy. Peter let out an audible gasp, his eyes wide at the sight. He didn't know what to go for first and so began piling his plate high with everything within reach.
He had just lifted his goblet of fresh pumpkin juice to his lips when he heard a shout of laughter behind him. He turned around to see where the cry had come from and saw, to his great amusement, a very angry Severus Snape cursing as he flailed swollen, red hands around in front of him, clearly in pain.
Peter turned back around to face James and Sirius, who grinned ecstatically."We put Bulbadox Powder on his cutlery," James answered to Peter's questioning smile. Peter looked behind him again and saw that, indeed, Snape's palms had acquired several nasty-looking boils.
"We were hoping he would begin eating before he realised, but this is just as good!"Sirius exclaimed as a harassed Professor Slughorn hurried down the aisle between Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
The four of them watched as Professor Slughorn escorted a humiliated Snape out of the Great Hall, clearly heading to the Hospital Wing.
"Let the games begin!" James cried, rubbing his palms together. Peter heard Remus groan quietly.
Every confectionary item you could want now cluttered the tables of the Great Hall, as Hogwarts began tucking into their pudding. Acid pops, chocolate frogs, choco balls, jelly slugs, ginger newts, pepper imps and sugar quills were but a few of the desired sweets supplied in copious amounts to the students.
"Now that Snape has been taken care of, we can have some real fun!" Sirius smirked, his mouth still full of ice cream.
James nodded swiftly and leaned forward slightly, as if hiding something. Peter saw him reach for something inside his robes: his wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa," James whispered, barely moving his lips, and flicked his wand lightly underneath the table.
The gigantic chocolate gateau in the centre of the Slytherin table rose a few feet into the air. James flicked his wand again. The gateau crashed back down, showering the surrounding Slytherins with icing and chocolate sponge.
James sat back innocently, replacing his wand into his robes. Sirius let out a bark-like laugh, which set James off. Peter began laughing nervously at first, and then downright howled with laughter. Even Remus began chuckling despite himself, which ruined the effect of his stern glare.
Quite suddenly, the Great Hall erupted into laughter and soon more food was being sent forth across the Hall. Sirius, now feeling bolder from the success of the last prank, even sent a bowl of rhubarb and custard flying towards Professor Slughorn, who ducked just at the right moment, causing it to land on the tomato-red face of one Professor McGonagall.
"Brilliant!" James exclaimed.
"Priceless!" Sirius mopped a tear from the corner of his eye.
Peter ducked as a plate of whipped cream just graced the top of his head. He looked around at the scene unfolding in the Hall. Everywhere he turned, pudding was being catapulted from tables, sweets were being flung at the backsides of various professors and cakes were being thrown unceremoniously at other students. Professor Flitwick was trying to call attention to the Hall, whilst Professor McGonagall was yelling angrily at a couple of other first years, who couldn't stop laughing at the altogether unthreatening sight of their Transfiguration teacher dripping custard from her long nose.
Peter looked down the High Table to where Professor Dumbledore still sat, calmly polishing off his plate of lemon meringue pie. Once he was quite done, he rose from his seat and cast his hands over the manic scene of the Hall.
"SILENCE!" he called, and opened his arms wider still. The food on the tables, and the floor, and the walls, and the ceiling, and the tapestries, vanished. The Great Hall fell silent immediately and the only evidence that a food fight had taken place was the remaining pudding covering several students' robes, and Professor McGonagall.
"If McGonagall glares any harder her lips will disappear!" Sirius noted happily. James smirked proudly.
"Would all students please make their way to your appropriate Common Rooms? The Hallowe'en Feast is now over. Goodnight, and sweet dreams." Professor Dumbledore might have been trying to sound stern, Peter didn't know, but no one could miss the smile playing at his lips.
The students filed out of the Hall quickly, keen to clean up but still laughing and joking about what had just happened.
"Best Hallowe'en Feast yet!" Peter heard a sixth year Ravenclaw declare happily to his friend, who was covered head to toe in chocolate pudding, and nodding furiously.
"Our work here is done, I think, Mister Potter," Sirius said.
"I believe so, Mister Black, and what a fine job we did," James said.
Peter grinned, Remus rolled his eyes, and the four of them headed up to Gryffindor Tower, where they would no doubt achieve anything but sleep.
