Chapter Nine: The Storm
Rain poured down on the castle thrashing against the windows and rattling the doors. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter sat in the Gryffindor common room sulking. It was the first weekend of October and they were cooped up inside because of the rain. Not only were they confined to the castle but also they had been forced to return to Gryffindor tower.
Sirius and James had convinced Remus to explore the castle with them, so Peter went along as well. Sirius thought it would be a good idea to check out the dungeons, as that was where the Slytherins were. James knew he just wanted a go at Severus but didn't bring it up.
"I don't think we should be down here…" Peter whined.
"Shut up Pettigrew. You can go back, I don't care!" Sirius hissed as they snuck around a pillar and peered down the corridor. Peter sighed anxiously. "Coast is clear." Sirius stepped out from behind the pillar and headed down the corridor slowly.
"It's so creepy down here." James said. Sirius laughed.
"Imagine having to sleep down here! No wonder they're all so pale, there's no sunlight!" Sirius clapped his hand to his head and pretended to faint. The boys laughed, as Sirius continued to roll around the floor. "We should set off a dungbomb down here!" He cackled.
"It would be awesome if we could set it off in their common room!" James grinned. Sirius clapped his hands together, jumping up from the floor.
"That would be awesome! Then they'd really have a reason to look sour about," He grinned wickedly. "They're always walking around like they have a dirty sock under their nose!" He roared with laughter.
"Sirius!" Sirius froze, his face contorting in anger. He spun around. A tall thin girl with long blonde hair, a thin pointed nose and silver and green robes stood before them her shiny silver prefect badge glimmering from the light of the torches.
"What do you want Narcissa?" Sirius spat, growling at her name. She pursed her lips and stepped closer.
"What are you doing down here you're a Gryffindor." She snarled. Her voice was dull and drawn out as if she had to search for every word.
"What do you care? For you're information I'm glad I'm not in Slytherin!" He barked.
"Really? Did your mother feel that way?" She looked at him a small smile slowly inching across her lips.
"No, and you're not going to tell her!" He snapped. She pulled herself up to her full height, towering over him. She gave him a look that said, try and stop me.
"I suggest you go back to Gryffindor tower. I'll head you in the right direction, if you're afraid you'll…get…lost…." She snarled. The boys glared at her. James grabbed Sirius and pulled him down the corridor and up the steps. Once back at Gryffindor tower they flung themselves down into the armchairs in front of the fire.
"How do you know that awful girl?" James asked incredulously.
"She's my cousin!" Sirius snarled staring up at the ceiling. His breaths were sharp, as if he were trying to keep control. James dropped the subject and stared at the fire.
The four sat their quietly for a while, listening to the rain and the trivial conversations around them.
"This…is…boring…"James said after a while, his head slipping off his hand as he spoke. Sirius was glaring at the ceiling mumbling to his self angrily. Remus yawned and looked into the fire, it was dancing as if in tune with thundering of the rain and the cracking of lightening.
"We could do our potions homework?" Remus suggested halfheartedly. Sirius snorted, causing his hair to fall in front of his hair. He blew at it in an attempt to push it out of the way.
"Yeah right," He replied dryly. Remus smiled, he knew Sirius would reply that way. He only suggested it in an attempt to get Sirius' mind of his cousin.
"We could play a game?" Peter suggested he smiled hopefully up at them. James laughed as though his suggestion was a ridiculous idea.
"No," Sirius snarled. Peter looked down at floor. Sirius let out a howl, and flew himself off the chair. "I hate her!" He growled. Everyone in the common room looked at him.
"She's your family—" Remus began. Sirius glared at him.
"No she's not! She is not my family!" He crossed his arms and turned away. "She's a stuck-up-prissy-prude who just happens to be related to me!" He yelled jumping on the chair, and continuing to bounce up and down on it. "Stuck-up-prissy-prude!" He sung with every bounce. Everyone giggled at Sirius' ridiculous antics. James knew he had was no longer angry, but rather doing it for attention.
"Let me guess…you've finally realized you're related to monkeys?" someone said. Sirius stopped mid verse and jumped off the chair. He spotted the person who said it instantly. Lily Evans had just walked in Olivia Octavius at her side.
"No! But I wouldn't be surprised if I was related to you!" He smiled coyly as he said this. She looked at him like he was mad.
"What do you mean?" She asked slowly. Lily looked at him suspiciously, waiting for his response. He smiled evilly at her, securing her doubts.
"You're a stuck-up-prissy-prude just like my cousin!" He said smiling. James burst out laughing, as did Sirius. Lily's face turned as red as her hair. She looked as if she had suddenly caught a violent fever.
"You're both rotten!" Lily cried.
"Boo hoo! Ickle Lillikans is going to run and cry to ickle Snivellus! That's okay you'll make an adorable couple." He mocked in a baby voice.
"I'm not going to cry! You might when I curse you!" She screamed. Olivia held her arm to hold her back. James jumped to his feet whipping his wand out. He clicked his teeth, tut tut tut.
"I wouldn't say that if I were you! I'm not afraid to hex a girl!" He said pointing his wand at her. Her face reddened in anger and harsh whispers began to spread through the common room. Remus stood up and walked over to James.
"Put your wand away James," He said calmly.
"Put your wand away James!" Lily mocked. She crossed her arms in a huff. "You boys think you're so great. Well, you're not! You're all mean and for your information it's not something to be proud of." She snarled. James growled in anger, she infuriated him. He didn't understand why he cared what she said so much. Every thing she said about him got to him and he hated it and her for it, and yet he didn't.
"You think you're so great! You think I've forgotten how you got me in trouble with Madam Lolley! You're not so innocent!" He cried. He tried to focus on that day, how she had tipped his broom back and called him a git. With each passing second his anger grew.
"That was your own fault! You shouldn't have been acting like an arrogant-know-it-all—"
"Aguamenti" James screamed. Water shot out from the tip of his wand spraying her in the face. Remus' mouth dropped open in shock.
"We don't learn that till sixth ye—" But he was cut off as a loud bang erupted and James fell to the floor his legs wobbling. James looked up to see Olivia had cast the spell. James tried to get up bet fell down with every attempt.
"Slugulus," Sirius boomed. Olivia bent over her hand covering her mouth. There was a loud retching noise as a long trail of slime projected from her mouth. Once on the floor the slime began to crawl away.
"Scalpula" Lily cried. Sirius grabbed his head as the hair began to fly off, until all he felt was his scalp. He screamed as he saw his hair lying limply on the floor. He raised his wand and aimed at Lily.
"Protego," A bang erupted in the middle shooting Olivia, Lily and Sirius backwards off their feet and gliding James a little, as he was already on the floor. "What in the name of Merlin's beard do you think you're doing?" shrieked a tall girl in the archway. It was Ursula Underwood, one of their house prefects. "Up all of you!" She shrieked. A soaking wet Lily, vomiting Olivia, and a bald Sirius scrambled to their feet. Sirius reached down and pulled James to his feet and held him there.
"This way, now!" She pointed to the door and waited for them to head out before following them down the steps and out of the portrait. "Follow me!" She headed down the corridor, the four of them trailing behind Lily and Sirius each supporting their friend. They followed Ursula down corridor after corridor in silence.
"Well, well, well." Drawled a boy about Ursula's height. "What do we have here?"
"Out of the way Lucius!" Ursula growled. Lucius shook his head, his platinum blonde hair falling in front of his face as he did.
"Is that any way to speak to a prefect?" He asked feigning surprise. She flashed her badge, as if to say she was one as well. "What do you have here? Four…troublemakers?"
"They're in my house Lucius. I will deal with them!" She was getting impatient and none of them liked having to wait any longer for their punishment.
"You should know better," He pulled out his wand and waved it at each of the first years. James was able to stand up straight, Sirius' hair grew back, Lily was dried off, and with a final spew of slugs Olivia stood up looking pale but no longer sick. "You didn't even reverse the curses." He tsked at her trying to hide the smirk that was etched across his face. She growled but looked at the first years nervously.
"Well…thanks. Now goodbye!" She said sharply. He stepped aside and allowed her to pass. She walked past him her cloak swishing behind her. The four young Gryffindors walked past cautiously and proceeded to follow Ursula. She took them down one last corridor before stopping in front of Professor McGonagall's office. They could hear she was speaking to someone but the moment Ursula knocked the conversation stopped. The door flew open.
"Yes? What is it?" She snapped. She looked at Ursula and then scanned the young kids.
"They were dueling in the common room." Ursula reported. "Jelly Leg Jinx, Slug Vomiting Charm, Water spells, Scalping Jinxes. Above first year level." Ursula stopped looking at the shock on Professor McGonagall's face.
"They were…they were what! Dueling! Jinxes!" She hissed. "In!" She shrieked. Ursula stepped aside and James, Sirius, Olivia and Lily ran into her office. With a short nod to Ursula Professor McGonagall closed the door.
Once inside they noticed that Professor Dumbledore was there as well. They sat down quietly in the chairs in front of her desk.
"Dueling!" She said shrilly. "First years! You could be expelled! Jinxes! Where on earth did you learn that stuff!" She glanced at Sirius through narrowed eyes. "And you Ms. Evans. Quite frankly I'm shocked and appalled."
"Now, now professor." He turned to the young students, a sly smile on his face and his bright blue eyes twinkling. "Now. I do not care why you were fighting. You are young, which is enough explanation. But dueling is dangerous and you could get seriously injured. First years. So young. Do not let this rift grow between you, or I can predict with out being a seer that you will be back in this office." He looked at them and then waved his hand to dismiss them. McGonagall looked at him in shock.
"But of course. You shall all be serving detention, which is at Professor McGonagall's digression." He smiled. James looked at Dumbledore in shock; he couldn't believe he was going to let them off that easy. He looked at Sirius who look just as surprised as he did.
"Go on. You'll receive your notices later." She snapped. The four jumped up and raced out of the office. James and Sirius ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower. By the time they got there they were clutching their sides, doubled over laughing. They didn't even pay attention to the throbbing pains in their chests from lack of air.
A/N: Alrighty! I hope you all liked that chapter I know I had so much fun writing it! Now let me say something because I'm sure I'll get comments about this.
Yes I know the spells are not first year stuff but aside from Lily they all come from wizarding families so it is not impossible for them to know them. And as Remus points out that they shouldn't know it as does McGonagall and Ursula. So there's that.
The second thing is I looked it up and the actual incantation for the scalping and jelly leg and slug spells are unknown so I made them up but they are real spells...well spell JKR made up anyway.
Okay so hopefully that clears that up and as always I'll answer any questions asked. I hope you all liked it and I will update as soon as possible. Happy Holidays!
