For SunnyGirlTheSunster, who waited ever so patiently for this. Thanking you for the idea. I had so much fun with this.

Marauders first year.

I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Birthday Dumbledore!

"Are we skipping class again?"

"No, Remus, we're just not going to History of Magic. We're not missing out on anything if that's what you're worrying about."

"But, Sirius, we can't get caught again. Remember the last time?" said Remus earnestly.

"Haha, yeah, good times. But honestly, Binns wont even know we're not there. I don't think he even knows that he's dead," Sirius said with a laugh. "Turn here."

Sirius, Remus, James and Peter turned abruptly into a deserted hallway where a large, stone gargoyle stood all the way down the end.

"We're here," Sirius announced, coming to a halt.

"Dumbledore's office?" said Remus, scratching his head.

"Yep."

James had now set his bag down on the floor and he and Peter were now pulling things out of it. But there weren't school books or quills or inkwells, or any school things at all for that matter. There were, infact...

"Streamers?" asked Sirius.

"Check," said Peter.

"Confetti?"

"Check," said James.

"Balloons?"

"Check."

"Banner?"

"Check."

"Party hats?"

"Check!" said James and Peter together, jamming brightly coloured party hats on top of their heads.

"Are we throwing a party?" asked Remus as James jammed a lurid green hat on his head.

"You're a smart kid, Remus," said Sirius. "Now help me with the balloons."

Remus watched them curiously for a moment, then shrugged and helped decorate the deserted hallway for this unexplained party. James and Peter tossed confetti around the floor while Remus and Sirius blew up balloons and made them float in bunches that bobbed up and down on the ceiling. Together they all strung streamers across the windows and put a big banner across the end of the hall where the gargoyle sat.

"Why does it say 'Happy 200th Birthday Dumbledore' across it?" Remus asked once they all stood back to admire their work.

"Because," said James, who was now attaching a purple party hat to the very grumpy looking stone gargoyle. "We're throwing a party for Dumbledore!"

"I don't think he's that old," said Remus.

They heard footsteps and a quiet muttering coming from another direction.

"Quick, hide!" whispered Sirius, darting around a corner and out of sight. The others hurtled after him and they all peered around the corner as Filch the Caretaker stumped up the hall. The footsteps stopped and Filch howled.

"Ohh I'm going to get them this time. It's them, oh it's them alright, my sweet," Filch was obviously talking to Mrs Norris, his cat. "Come on, we're going to fetch the Headmaster, then we'll see what happens to them, won't we, my sweet?"

Filch lurched off quickly to look for Dumbledore, Mrs Norris streaking after him meowing importantly.

James had burst into a fit of silent laughter and was rolling about on the floor clutching his side. Peter looked absolutely petrified as he gnawed on whatever was left of his fingernails. Remus looked thoroughly distrubed by the way Filch had spoken to his cat. Sirius had poked his head around the corner in eager anticipation. This was obviously what he had planned to happen.

Moments later Filch was heard stumping back up the hallway growling complaints to another person. Quiet footsteps were heard quite as clearly as Filch's angry, clunky ones. Both footsteps grew louder and they stopped suddenly.

"See, Professor," said Filch, "see what they've done! Offensive, that is. Made a mess of the hallway, they did."

"What a wonderful surprise," Dumbledore said pleasantly to Filch. "Someone obviously went to a lot of trouble to put this all together..."

"A lot a trouble?" Filch said incredulously. "A lot of trouble for me clean up, you mean! Those boys, they did it, Dumbledore."

"What boys do you mean, Argus?" Dumbledore asked.

"You know what boys I mean! That Potter kid and Black and Pettigrew and Lupin," Filch said wildly.

"Mr Potter? I should hardly think he would do anything like this," said Dumbledore, "and Mr Lupin is a pleasant child. I highly doubt he'd ever be involved in such a thing."

"And what about the other two?" Filch said.

"Mr Black and Mr Pettigrew? Well, Mr Pettigrew, bless him, wouldn't have done this unless his friends were involved. Mr Black is never seen without Mr Potter and I don't believe Mr Potter was involved in this," Dumbledore said. "You see, Argus. These boys didn't do this."

"So you expect me to just clean it up, do you? Without punishing anyone?"

"Of course not, Argus. I will clean it up myself. However, I do believe Peeves has been throwing apple pies at some most unfortunate fourth years in the Great Hall and there is a great deal of mess on the Ravenclaw table," Dumbledore said, suggesting Filch should leave now.

"Peeves!" roared Filch, and he hurried off to the Great Hall cursing.

A soft sniggering came from around the corner where Sirius, Remus, James and Peter were hidden.

"Now," said Dumbledore happily, "what am I to do?"

He began to hum and he conjured a rather fancy, elaborately decorated, glittery, lilac party hat and placed it on his long, silver hair. James started to roll about on the floor in another fit of roaring laughter. Peter, who was standing just infront of James, was tripped over by James, and he toppled right into Remus, who knocked over Sirius and they all tumbled into the hallway where Dumbledore was standing. Dumbledore turned around and looked at the boys, completely unsurprised.

"Hello, boys," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "Fancy seeing you here."

Sirius, Remus, James and Peter all scrambled to their feet. James's party hat was now covering his left ear.

"Oh, hi Professor Dumbledore sir," said Peter quickly.

"Hello, Peter," Dumbledore said, smiling.

"Uh," was all Remus said. He looked about nervously, wanting to edge out of the scene unnoticed.

"Hello, Remus," Dumbledore said, smiling. Remus stayed where he was.

"'Lo, Professor," he said.

"Hey, Professor!" James said with a cheery wave.

"Hello, James," Dumbledore said, smiling. He waved back.

"Happy Birthday, sir!" Sirius said. He threw a handful of confetti at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore chuckled heartily. "Many thanks to you Sirius, and to you, James, Remus and Peter, but I think you may have been misinformed."

"Oh have we, Professor?" Sirius asked.

"Quiet," Dumbledore said with a nod. "You see, Mr Black, it is not my birthday today. And for another fact, however hard it may be to believe, I am only seventy-eight."

The boys snorted with laughter.

"Yes, yes, it is rather astonishing isn't it?" Dumbledore laughed. "Now, I am afraid I need to issue you a detention. How about cleaning up this wonderful mess?"

The boys nodded.

"Yes? Thankyou, boys," Dumbledore said with a polite smile. He headed towards his office and just before he left them alone in the hallway, he added, "if you do feel the need to throw another party in this hallway any time soon, I suggest mid-March is a quite an appropiate time of the year. Mind you bring a cake next time, too. Birthday parties are never quite right without a birthday cake, don't you agree?"

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that! I'm still not sure if it was much of a prank, but it was still a bit of fun. It was a good enough prank for me. To be totally honest, after A Very Maraudery Christmas, and next to Lovely Rita and Lucky Peter, this has become one of my favourites.

Also, I made up Dumbledore's birthday and age so no questions about that, okay? Thanks!

Reviewers once again, thanks for sticking with the story. So happy that you're enjoying it!

On an ending note, the Marauders did end up throwing another party for Dumbledore and they did bring along a cake. And Filch wasn't invited, for he was, again, busy cleaning up apple pies which Peeves had thrown at the same group of Ravenclaw fourth years.