Welcome back everyone, this chapter is a little short, and I'm sorry it has been so long since my last update!
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This chapter is a bit happier than the previous ones, no bullying at all.
DISCLAIMER yeah… I'm not JK Rowling and I haven't made the wizarding world of Harry Potter, I wasn´t even born when the first book came out… God bless Joana!
Last time: James, Sirius and Remus had detention and Remus taught James how to cast the body-binding charm.
A brief moment
"Please! Make a prank with me!"
"I don't know Remus…"
Remus had for an hour now tried to convince Peter to make a prank with him, without any luck so far.
"If you don't want to I´ll just have to do it alone…" Remus tried to make his best puppy-eyes, unfortunately those weren´t something werewolves had. He imagined them to look rather disturbing, though this could work too, he would only stop if Peter said yes.
"Good luck then"
It was Saturday morning, one week after the detention, the two friends had just gotten back from breakfast.
"Please! It´s no fun to do it alone" Remus insisted.
Remus was no longer behind with his homework, so he allowed himself to relax a little and have some fun. The other night he had been in the library and found a wonderful charm.
"Then find someone else to do it with! I don't want to use five hours cleaning a lavatory with a toothbrush!" Remus had told Peter about the detention he had gotten a week ago, it wasn´t pleasant to be locked up in there for five hours. Especially with a werewolf nose.
"But I want to do it with you." Remus insisted, "Please, I promise we won't get caught, and if we do then I´ll take all the blame" he promised. Remus could sense that Peter was about to give in, so he pressed on.
"Wouldn´t that make me look like a bad friend?" he asked nervously.
The spell that Remus had found was a sound-effect-charm. You put the charm for instance on a book, now every time you touch that book, the charm will be triggered, and the sound effect will be released.
"Maybe… but I don't care, I just need help to do it, or someone to keep watch or something…" Remus could see that Peter considered, he wouldn´t get detention, and he would do something as easy as keeping watch.
"I don't know…"
"Please" he tried one more time.
"Fine" Peter raised his hands in defeat.
The sound-effect-charm had different wand movements matters on what sound you would want.
Remus smiled, he felt much better when he was near Peter, he tried to ignore the guilt. When Black and Potter was around, he felt worse. After last Thursday they wasn´t so mean to him, of course they were still mean, but they didn´t attack him or Peter anymore.
He had really got respect from them, or they were just planning something really big. Remus made sure to be around Peter all the time, none of them wanted to be alone with Black and Potter out there.
Remus hadn´t told Peter why he never came to Astronomy last week. He didn´t know what to tell him, Peter had begged him to tell it, so at last Remus had lied about, he said that he had been sick and gone to the hospital wing. He had explained the detention with that he had been caught sneaking out. Then there came tons of questions why he was sneaking out, and why he hadn´t done it with Peter.
Way too many questions.
Remus hated when Peter started asking question, it was stupid, and he was probably just paranoid. He just felt like it might somehow lead to Peter finding out about Remus.
"You´re the best!" Remus exclaimed happily. He wanted to hug Peter, but wasn´t sure if they were on hug-level yet. "I´ve already practiced, it, look." Remus pointed his wand at a rock he had found outside to practice on and said the words; Canedum. It seemed as if there was no effect, but when Peter reached out to touch the stone, it made a fart noise.
Peter suppressed a laugh.
"Remus this is brilliant" he reached out to touch the stone again, instead of lifting the finger he kept it there, the result was a long fart. Some sixth-year girls gave them a disgusted look when the two boys couldn´t stop laughing.
Fart jokes, such a classic joke, yet fun every time.
Remus could sense that Peter´s laugh was real, he felt so grateful for having such a good friend as Peter. He felt lots of his worries about their friendship disappear, Peter liked him, actually liked him, of course only the parts he knew. If Peter knew the true he would hate Remus.
"What about we do it today? Right now?" Remus asked eager, he couldn´t wait to see the faces of people who would innocently touch different things and after that be accused for farting.
"Right now, sounds good"
Peter and Remus walked as quietly as they could out of the common-room, it wasn´t very quiet, no one bothered though, the Gryffindor common-room was always noisy. Such a big surprise.
"What are we going to hex first?" Remus asked and rubbed his hands.
"That tapestry? It looks good, who is it?" Peter looked closer at the tapestry he had found, "Barnabas the Barmy" he read. Remus looked at the tapestry, there was a man, probably Barnabas, who was… teaching trolls to dance ballet? This tapestry was definitely qualified for mischief.
"It´s perfect" Remus laughed, he cast the spell, Peter touched to make sure that it had worked, it did. Barnabas gave them as disgusted look, how dare they disgrace him. Remus and Peter just laughed and continued to find other things to use the spell on.
In total they enchanted, the tapestry, a couple of armors, some stairs, paintings, doors, windows, a pair of shoes they found and books from the library. Only books they wouldn´t read anyways. The only place that was left untouched was the dungeons, that place is Slytherin territory. It was an unspoken rule, but everyone knew it.
Not that neither of them wanted to go down there anyways, the dungeons were dark and cold. Remus was glad that he wasn´t a Slytherin, it probably wasn´t that bad, but… the dungeons. Plus, the Slytherins had a reputation that… wasn´t the best, it was where most pure-blood witches and wizards were sorted into, those kinds of people who could take one look at Remus and know he is a werewolf.
Remus had often considered which house he would be sorted into if he would go to Hogwarts. He had never even dared to dream about actually going there. Had probably read Hogwarts a History about a million times, it was his favorite book. He had often imagined himself in Ravenclaw, but the whole "creativity" thing wasn´t really his thing.
Slytherin had never really been an option, Remus couldn´t identify himself with any of the traits, plus the reputation was kind of scary. Neither had he felt like a Gryffindor, Remus didn´t see himself as brave, just look at him, avoiding the dungeons, doesn't want to walk around alone. How much "bravery" is there in that? Hufflepuff… a werewolf in Hufflepuff? No way.
After that he had just told himself that it didn´t matter, he would never go to Hogwarts anyways. But… here he was, at Hogwarts, learning magic, making friends, or just one friend actually. That's still one more friend that the rest of his life.
When Remus and Peter walked over to the great hall to eat lunch, they overheard a conversation between some fifth years, they were discussing who had farted. Both boys almost failed trying not to laugh.
The atmosphere during lunch was the same as it had been at breakfast. Sad and hesitant… it was like, no one dared to speak too loudly, as if it was dangerous somehow. It was impossible not to notice, even for normal humans. Remus felt his mood sink as soon as he entered the hall. What could possibly have happened?
It had started from the older students and then spread to the rest of the school. Especially the Hufflepuffs had been quiet, the other houses send them worried looks. Remus would bet most of the students didn´t even know what was going on, they just did as the rest.
Remus and Peter ate quickly, they wanted to escape the great hall as soon as possible.
"It feels like there's a dementor in there" Peter said as soon as they had left. The atmosphere changed completely, it was like everyone were only sad in the great hall. Remus hadn´t felt anything when they were in the common-room earlier.
"Yeah… I wonder what happened" Remus agreed thoughtful.
They made a quick visit by their dorm, then they walked to the library to study. Remus might not be behind now, but soon enough he would.
"There has been an attack" Sirius declared to James, he had been afraid to say it at breakfast, someone might have heard him. Right now, they were outside by the black lake, it was cold, so no one else were there. Perfect.
"I know Sirius, I was there" James answered irritated, he didn´t want to be outside in this cold if there weren´t any snow. Plus, he didn´t have a scarf or anything.
"On a mud-muggleborn persons family" he continued as if James hadn´t said anything.
"And…?"
"Why?" Sirius exclaimed confused, it didn´t make any sense at all to him, "You said that it isn´t like that anymore" it was easy to spot the hurt and confusion in his voice. James stopped.
"Sirius… it´s just…" James had no idea what to say, he groaned, "It´s complicated! Okay!" he yelled at last, his face screwed up in regret when he saw Sirius´s face.
"Then… explain it please, I want to understand!" Sirius begged. James started walking again, it might give him some time to think. What should he tell Sirius without hurting his feelings and without lying? Sirius waited for an answer, he looked pleadingly at James.
"Some sorcerers… believe that pureblood is better, we both know that they´re wrong…" he paused to look at Sirius, his friend nodded. "But, they don't know that they´re wrong… the persons who did this… they know, but refuse to believe it, so they…" James couldn´t finish the sentence, Sirius worked it all out in his head.
"So, they are so stuck up in their own belief that they refuse to see the truth?" he asked confused, James nodded. "But why? Can't they see that muggleborns is just as good?" Sirius´s face was one big question mark, he thought of his parents, would they do that kind of thing? Would the rest of his family?
"That's just it, they can't see it. As you said, they are so stuck up in their own belief that they refuse to see the truth." James was split up, on one hand he was sad that Sirius was so frustrated about it, his family is the kind of people who would do that kind of thing, on the other hand, Sirius had just said muggleborn without almost saying… the other thing and he had acknowledged that muggleborns is just as good as purebloods.
"You wouldn´t do that kind of thing? Would you?" James asked for a brief moment uncertain.
Sirius stared horrified at him. "Of course not!" he exclaimed hurt as if it was really wrong of James to even think such thing, "the things they did was horrible! I can't believe you doubt me" the last thing hit James right in his heart as if it was a knife.
"I am so sorry, Sirius! I didn´t mean it like that" he took hold of Sirius´s shoulder and looked him right in his eyes, so he knew that he was serious. "I'm serious" he teased.
"No! I´m Sirius" he laughed, James joined the laugh. He hated when Sirius felt bad, that is a friend thing right? Hating when your friend fells bad and you would do everything to make them happy again. Is that what's its like to be friends? It feels like that.
James aimed for a hug, at first Sirius froze, but then he returned it. The warmth felt nice. Too embarrassed to hug for longer, Sirius and James let go of each other after two seconds. Sirius had never imagined a hug to be so nice.
"There´s tryouts for the Gryffindor Quidditch team today, we can see the last bit before lunch" James suggested. He had wanted to join the team himself, but first years weren´t allowed. Apparently.
Sirius agreed. They headed to the Quidditch pitch, none of them had seen it close before. It was a big… stadium. The Quidditch Pitch was five hundred feet long and a hundred and eighty feet wide, at each side of the pitch there is a scoring area with three hooped goal posts of different heights.
Sirius had been to the world cup once, when he was four or six, something like that. It was the only Quidditch game he had ever seen. He had never been allowed to actually play Quidditch, it was the finest honor you could get at home if you were allowed. Neither him or Regulus had achieved that.
"Too bad you can't join this year" Sirius told James who send him a confused face.
"You say it like you aren´t going to join next year" James said and made a nervous laugh.
"I´m not" he said matter-of-factly. Sirius concentrated on the players, there was lots of both boys and girls, all Gryffindor of course. A sixth-year boy, Sirius guessed he was the captain, yelled instructions to the others.
"Oh please! It would be so much fun to do it with you" James insisted. The captain had already chosen one beater and the chasers. Sirius didn´t know their names, but there was three girls and one boy.
"I´m no Quidditch player ((he shook his head)) but you just go for it" Sirius smiled heartening.
The captain only needed to find a keeper, seeker and beater. Or, he would fill one of these positions, probably beater, there was still only one beater. He also has the right build for beater.
"You sure? You could always just try you know, the worst thing that can happen is that you get a no" he suggested.
Sirius simply just shook his head and smiled to James. It would be a lot of fun, but again, Sirius Black is no Quidditch player, James Potter is.
He still couldn´t believe that his parents were okay with him being friends with James, it was the thing he thought they would be mostly mad about.
"They aurors will stop the attacks wont they?" Sirius asked after a while, he didn´t look at James, but kept his eyes fixed on the new Gryffindor team, the captain was a beater. James hesitated before he answered.
"Yeah…" he said uncertain, James looked at Sirius, but Sirius just stared blankly at the sky.
"What will happen to them?"
"I don't know" James lied.
"Do you think they´ll go to Azkaban?"
James had tried to avoid talking about the attacks and Azkaban as much as possible. He wanted the attacks to stop, he wanted the criminals to be put into Azkaban. But… Sirius was his friend, and… it might be someone from his family who had been behind the attacks. James didn´t feel like he could speak freely about his with Sirius.
"I think so" he decided to say after a long pause.
"They deserve it, don't they?" Sirius asked quietly.
"Don't you think so?"
Sirius looked at James again. His face was sad, but there were no tears to be seen.
"I think they do" he smiled weakly.
None of them said anything for a long time, despite it still only being September it was freezing outside. They walked inside again, they didn´t really have the will to face the gloomy atmosphere in the great hall, so instead the two boys walked down to the kitchens.
The house-elves greeted them with lots of food and desserts as always. James tried to figure Sirius out. He was a snake… no! He isn´t a snake. He is a lion, just like James, but… a different one. A lion raised like a snake. The sorting hat had put Sirius in Gryffindor, so he is a lion.
His whole family is Slytherins. Sirius had told him that he was the first Black to ever go to Gryffindor, his parents had expected him to be Slytherin, there had never been another option.
Who is Sirius? A lion raised by snakes or a snake dressed as a lion?
"Sorry"
"What?" James asked without thinking, Sirius apologize had come as a surprise to him.
"I´m sorry that… that you… that you don't feel like you can talk with me about this" Sirius didn´t look up as he spoke.
"Shut up!"
"What?" Sirius looked surprised at James.
"I said shut up! I don't want to hear you talk about yourself like that. It´s not your fault that I feel this way. So please just stop! If you want to talk about the attack, then tell me! It´s me who has a problem, you shouldn´t apologize for that" James exclaimed a bit too harshly. "I´m sorry, Sirius, it's just… I don't want to talk bad about your family" he admitted.
Sirius raised from where he sat and then sat next to James, he pulled the other boy into a hug. James returned the hug.
"This 'friends' thing is still pretty new, huh?" Sirius said for both of them.
"Yeah" James agreed.
They pulled apart again.
"Two hugs in one day. With this speed we´ll be married before our second year" Sirius teased, they both laughed.
It was moments like these they both appreciated, just being together, laughing. A little break from their normal life. Both boys knew that their lives would only get harder from here, at least they have each other.
Peter Pettigrew was glad to see that his friend was feeling better, he didn't look sick anymore. If what he had to do was cause some mischief with him, then let it be it.
Plus, he had to admit that it was actually just a little bit fun. Just a little. Or really much. They had lots of fun trying to avoid the places they had enchanted and make others touch them.
After lunch they had spend more time in the library, here they meet some other Gryffindor´s who had seen they tryouts.
"Sara Foster, Sally Thompson and Theodore Allen is chasers. Roy Sidney and Kristen Foster is beaters. Eileen Hill is keeper and my big sister Julie is seeker" Marlene McKinnon told Remus and Peter when they had asked who made the team.
"I´ve never heard of a girl-beater" Peter said confused, usually beaters would be boys because… boys are just more "build" for it.
"Me neither, but Kristen Foster is really good at it, she beat all the boys who showed up" Debbie Law told him in awe.
"I really wish I could play Quidditch" Lily Evans said dreamy, "I think it's really fascinating, I can't wait for the first match"
"I think I will try to convince my parents to buy me a broom, so I can join next year" Mary Macdonald told them, she seemed really eager as far as Peter knew she was a muggleborn. So, to her everything about the wizarding world seemed exiting. "What about you guys, do you want to join?" she asked Peter and Remus.
Peter imagined himself on a broom. Remus just gave a short laugh then shook his head and mumbled something about him and his flying. Peter shook his head too when he remembered his first flying class.
"Not the biggest Quidditch fans huh?" Marlene McKinnon cut in.
"I don't know, I haven´t ever seen a match" Remus said quietly, Peter stared shocked at his friend.
"Isn´t your dad a wizard?" he asked.
"Yeah he is, and my mom is a muggle" Remus answered neutral.
"How come you never seen a match before then?" Lily Evans asked confused.
Remus´s face turned red, he looked down trying to hide it. He mumbled something.
"What?" Debbie Law asked.
"We´ve never had the money" he mumbled again.
Trying to avoid it to get worse for Remus, Peter quickly changed the subject.
"The first match is Gryffindor against Slytherin, who do you think is going to win?" he asked all the girls, of course they all hoped for Gryffindor to win, but Debbie thought that there might be a chance that Slytherin won, they were really good. Marlene McKinnon totally disagreed, according to her, her sister Julie McKinnon was the best seeker Gryffindor had ever had. Apparently, she had been her previous years too.
Lily Evans and Mary Macdonald didn´t know too much about Quidditch, Marlene McKinnon and Debbie Law had done their best to explain it, it gave them a good idea about how it is, but its not the same when you actually see the game.
The gloomy atmosphere that had been before had kind of disappeared, the Hufflepuffs were still quite at dinner, but the school were almost back to normal again.