AN: I'm going to try to get a little more into each chapter. Hope you like it!
Luckily the next day is Saturday, and it's the first Saturday the older students are going to Hogsmead, so that leaves the school mostly empty. The boys go back down to the dungeons. With school work piling up (and Remus insisting they get it all done) the boys haven't spent much time trying to open the passageway, but with Halloween a week away they have to find the way into the secret passage so they can find the Slytherin common room.
"It has to be obvious." James says, "If a bunch of Slytherins could find out how to open it I'm sure we can."
"Maybe it's one way, like the one in the classroom." Remus suggest. "Maybe they get into it from the other side."
James ponders that for a bit, but then shakes his head, "This side is too extravagant to not be an entrance into a secret passage."
"Oooo, extravagant. Big word for you, James." Sirius teases. James shoots him a glare but laughs.
They finally have to give up and go eat lunch. James and Sirius are very disappointed and James slumps down onto the bench and rest his chin on his hand. "I just want to figure it out. We said every word we could think of. We pulled and pushed everywhere. We did everything! I just don't get it."
Remus starts to talk, "We may have to call quits on the prank and just-"
"No!" James and Sirius shout at once.
"No." James said. "We aren't calling quits."
Sirius shakes his head. His hair, which is getting a little too long, flopping wildly. "No, no, no, no, no! We are going to do this." He crosses his arms like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Ok, ok." Remus raising his hands, surrendering. "We won't quit."
That Tuesday the boys have potions. They steal the seats of some Gryffindor girls so they can just make out the corner of the passageway from the window in the door. Ever so often they glance at it, seeing if anyone goes in or out. Remus raises his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Lupin?" Professor Slughorn asks.
"May I go to the restroom?" Remus asks. He just now spotted something, something he couldn't see before when he was standing right under the wall. Remus is excused and James and Sirius practically stand in their seats trying to lean and see what is happening. Slughorn threatens to take points from Gryffindor if they don't sit down. Remus walks over to the wall but stands back and looks up at the whole tree like crack. He grins to himself, he was so stupid before for not seeing it. It's so obvious, so easy! He does a little jump and fist pumps; proud of himself.
After class ends they don't have time to hang out in the dungeons and open the passageway, and Remus enjoys holding the secret from the other three. They all sit together in History of Magic, and because Professor Binns doesn't pay attention to what the students are doing, James and Sirius can nag Remus the full hour.
"Just tell us!" James says, leaning forward on the table to see around Sirius. Remus ignores them both, grinning to himself as he takes notes on the lecture.
"Urgh!" Sirius lets out a frustrated groan and leans back in his seat, his head back and his arms slumped down. "This is torture!"
"Why, why are you keeping this from us?" James asks.
Remus laughs a little to himself. Now James copies Sirius and flops back in his chair with a loud frustrated groan.
Lily, who is sitting in front of the boys, turns around. "Can you please be quiet?" She asks, "Some of us are trying to learn."
James instantly sits back up. "Oh hi Evans, didn't see you there." He smiles.
"Somehow I doubt that." Lily says, a very unimpressed expression on her face. "What's so frustrating anyways, you two sound like you were just told Gryffindor has been disqualified from playing Quidditch on Friday."
"You take that back!" James gasps, "Don't even put those awful words out there to possibly come true!" Lily grins to herself then turns around, leaving James with a dumbfounded look. "Did you hear what she just said?" He asks Sirius, his voice cracking with shock, "How could she say something like that?"
Sirius pats James on the shoulder, "It'll be alright, mate. No need to worry."
Once History of Magic is over Sirius drags Remus back down to the tree like cracks in the dungeon wall. "Open it!" He says. Remus, still gleaming because he's positive what he's discovered will work, pulls out his wand. He stands on his tip toes and holds his wand up to four very distinctive cracks at the top of the cracks.
The cracks line up to make a crude outline of the word "Open"
"Alohomora" Remus says, waving his wand over the word. He jumps back from shock, and Peter lets out a small yelp. The cracks start to fold inward onto themselves; giving off the illusions that the whole wall is a black hole, about to suck them in.
"Wicked!" James and Sirius say at the same time. It doesn't take long, and there is an arch for them to walk into.
"Whoever finds it gets to go first." James says, gesturing for Remus to go.
"I... I don't know." Remus says. It's oddly dark in the passage, no light what so ever spilling into there from the dim lanterns in the hall. "I mean, if either of you wanted to go first..." He says, looking at James and Sirius.
James steps forward, "If you're sure." He lights the tip of his wand, and the other boys do as well. James steps into the archway, his light barley working in the pitch black passageway. They creep along slowly, Peter hovering close to Remus for protection and extra light.
Luckily, to all the boys relief, the walk doesn't take long. James almost bumps into the black stone wall on the other end. "How do we get out without being seen?" He asks, "What if it opens like the other?"
"Everyone is at lunch. Just open it!" Sirius says, stepping up to the wall. "Alohomora!" The bricks clink out of the way. Remus grimaces at how loud they are being, sure someone will hear and come running. He's relieved when they step out into a corridor and sees they are alone.
"Where do you think the entrance into the common room is?" Sirius asks, looking around the empty corridor. "Wait, this has to be it." There is a large stone wall, that looks just slightly out of place from the rest of the wall when you look at it closely.
James hops on the balls of his feet, "This is going to be an amazing Halloween!
That Friday evening, after classes have ended, is the first Quidditch match of the season. It's a perfect Autumn day, with a slight breeze and temperatures just perfect for a long sleeve t-shirt. James passes out Gryffindor flags to his friends, then a few extras to those standing around the common room without any. "I don't understand why everyone is so unprepared. Where's your house spirit?" He asks as he passes out the flags. He spots Lily, with a Gryffindor scarf and plain black shirt on. He walks over to her. "Do you have a flag? I have plenty of extras if you need one." He holds one out for her. She takes it, smiling.
"Thanks." She says to him. "You know what Potter, you can actually be nice when you try to be."
James cocks an eyebrow, "Nice? Never! This is about crushing the enemy. The more people we have cheering and waving flags the better our team will do and theirs will feel intimidated."
Lily rolls her eyes but keeps the flag. James turns from her then jumps up on the coffee table, bringing all eyes to him. "Alright, everyone listen up ok, because this is my first Hogwarts Quidditch match and Gryffindor is playing. I really really need us to crush Ravenclaw today; so I better see some enthusiasm from all of you."
"Get off the table, Potter!" Someone shouts. James takes a large bow and earns himself some claps. He hops down off the table, then the crowd of Gryffindors head down toward the Quidditch pitch. James makes sure he and his friends have the best seats. Peter and Remus have never been to a Quidditch match before, but they know the rules of the game, and Sirius has only seen small matches at home between relatives, so he's more use to the violent side of Quidditch where people elbow each other in the nose and send bludgers with such force it could possibly kill someone. James however has been to Quidditch matches before, so he starts to lay out all the details for his friends before the match starts.
When Madam Hooch walks out onto the field all the students and teachers in the stadium start cheering, excited for the match to start. First Ravenclaw walks onto the pitch, causing a large uproar from a sea of blue in the crowd. Then the Gryffindors walk out onto the pitch. The Gryffindors go wild, out cheering the Ravenclaws. Slytherins boo and hiss, but they can't be heard.
"Take your positions!" Madam Hooch says, her voice magnified so it can be heard. Everyone mounts their brooms and kick off, forming a circle in the air above Madam Hooch while the Keepers go off to the goal post. Madam Hooch releases the Golden Snitch, which zooms away out of site quickly, then she releases the bludgers. They zip dangerously close to the players then fly away. Madam Hooch holds the Quaffle in her hand. She centers her whistle in her mouth, then in one swift motion she tosses the Quaffle high into the air and blows the whistle.
"Webb of Gryffindor takes the Quaffle!" Aaron, a Hufflepuff, commentates. The Gryffindors cheer loudly. "Webb passes to Ramsay, Ramsay to Casselman. Will he take the shot? Oh! Blocked by Sanders."
James boos, disappointed Gryffindor missed their first shot. The Ravenclaws pass the Quaffle back and forth, darting around the Gryffindor players, making their way to the goal post.
"Garcia passes to Betts, will he shoot, oh! Quick pass back to Garcia. Blocked by Ayley!" The Gryffindors cheer, their Keeper holding the Quaffle.
"Come on!" James shouts.
"Ayley tosses to Ramsay, a bludger comes his way, just skirts under it. Ramsay to Casselman. Ravenclaw has him blocked, can he get past?"
"Send a bludger their way!" Sirius shouts.
"Casselman to Webb. Ramsay flies low. Quaffle to him. He gets past the Ravenclaws! He shoots... 10 POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!" Gryffindor goes wild! James shouts so loud he's sure he won't have his voice in the morning. The game goes on, the Gryffindors scores twice more, then one of their beaters takes a bludger to the side, sending him to the ground. Ravenclaw, taking advantage of Gryffindor being one Beater sort, starts to send the bludgers in every direction.
"Gryffindor keeps the Quaffle! Oooo close call with the bludger there. Ravenclaw advancing. Ravenclaw takes the quaffle!"
"No!" James shouts.
"10 POINTS FOR RAVENCLAW!"
"No!" James shouts again as Ravenclaw makes their first goal. The game goes on for another five minutes, Gryffindor's Beater recovers and makes it back into the game. The score now 40-10, Gryffindor winning.
"How long does it last?" Peter asks James.
"Until a Seeker catches the Golden Snitch." James says. "Could be hours!"
"Hours?" Peter asks, not really wanting to spend that long watching a Quidditch match. Fifteen minutes later the score is up 60-20, and finally the Gryffindor's Seeker springs into action. He leans in on his broom and flies past the stands, leaving a gust of wind on the Gryffindors.
"Yes!" James shouts, jumping and cheering. The Ravenclaw Seeker moves forward to catch up.
Aaron sees the action and starts to commentate the action between the Seekers. "Gryffindor's Seeker sees something! Ravenclaw not far behind! They both swerve around a bludger! Around the bottom of the goal post! Back up level with the stands. Ravenclaw takes lead. No, wait! Gryffindor back in lead. It all comes down to this! They fly higher, both reaching out, Gryffindor slightly ahead! What's this? Plummeting back down! Oh! bludger almost hitting them both, good dodge for both of them!"
James almost can't watch, part of him too afraid to. Sirius shouts loudly. Remus and Peter cheer.
"GRYFFINDOR WINS!"The stands erupt. James is so happy he hugs Sirius, jumping up and down as he does so. He high fives Remus and Peter and anyone in arms reach. "We won! We won!"