Chapter 6: We've only been back a week!
"So guys." Stella said. "What's up?" The boys looked at her for a moment then exchanged glances.
"Oh you know the usual." James said finally. Stella snorted.
"Right because you guys have a usual." She said.
"Fine we're struggling." Sirius said and when Stella raised an eyebrow he added. "To work out a new prank."
"Oh is that all." Stella said. She sat down in one if the cosy armchairs near the fire. The Gryffindor common room was always a nice place to hang out, it was warm and comfortable.
"Yeah that's all." Remus said. "We have nothing." Stella shrugged.
"I've had a few ideas." She said. The boys looked at her eagerly.
"Go on." James said.
"Guys we've only been back a week I don't think we need to pull a prank right off the bat." Stella said.
"Yeah we do." Sirius said. "We have a reputation from last year to uphold."
"Didn't my last idea nearly get you guys killed?" Stella pointed out.
"Not killed really just in a lot of trouble." James corrected.
"Right so you really want another one of my ideas." Stella said getting to her point.
"We have nothing, I repeat nothing." James said.
"Well then have you ever made ageing potion?" Stella asked.
"No why?" Remus asked.
"Oh you know how we have that house elf friend in the kitchen." Stella started.
"Yeah." Sirius said slowly.
"Well what if we convinced them to let us pour ageing potion on all the food." Stella said. "It wouldn't be permanent but it would be funny."
"Dude that's awesome." James said excitedly.
"Just an idea really." Stella said.
"I like the idea." Peter said. "But won't we get caught if we're the only ones who don't age?"
"That's a good point Peter." Remus said. "I guess we have to eat the food ourselves."
"Yeah prank ourselves." Sirius said.
"How long does it take to make ageing potion?" James asked.
"I don't know we could just order some." Stella suggested.
"No I think we should make it, the owls might be checked." Sirius said thoughtfully.
"Might be checked?" Peter asked with alarm.
"Well." Sirius lowered his voice a notch. "With Voldemort making a more pronounced move they have to increase security."
"True, the school is in danger." Stella added.
"But why would you attack a school?" Peter asked.
"Because almost every witch and wizard in Britain attends Hogwarts." Stella explained. "You can monitor muggle-borns and pass on your beliefs to the next generation."
"I didn't realise school was that important to the dark lord." James whistled.
"I'm scared." Peter said. Stella noticed that her friends looked nervous as well.
"Hey guys don't worry." She said. "I doubt he'll attack the school while Dumbledore's around." Her friends brightened.
"That's right Dumbledore is super powerful." Sirius said bracingly.
"You know that makes me think I don't want to leave Hogwarts over the holidays." Remus said with a shiver.
"I think it would be a good idea to stay anyway." James said. They paused for a moment all considering the dangers their families would be facing. Sirius then realised that his family was on Voldemort's side and if he knew his relatives there would probably be a meeting with him coming up.
"Right I've decided." Sirius said breaking the silence. "I am not going home under any circumstances this year."
"Except summer." Remus corrected.
"Yeah but I'm locking myself in my room for all of that." Sirius said.
"Hey you could come round mine!" James said quickly.
"Oh man if they would only let me." Sirius groaned.
"How about it though?" James asked. "Everyone can come."
"After spending a whole year with you I think I would prefer to go home." Stella said.
"Fair enough but everyone else?" James asked.
"I don't know." Remus and Peter said in unison.
"Well that is so helpful." James said.
"Ahem." Stella coughed.
"Yeah?" Sirius asked.
"The prank?" Stella asked. "What are we gonna do?"
"Oh that's a fair point." James said. "I agree we have to make the ageing potion ourselves and then we just have to talk to the house elves."
"That's the problem though." Remus said. "What if this prank gets the elves into trouble?" Stella sighed.
"Yeah I got to that conclusion too."
"Hang on then why don't we do it when the house elves can't get in trouble?" Sirius asked.
"But how?" James asked.
"I know." Stella said suddenly. "What if we get to breakfast before anyone else and then add it?"
"That's a good idea but I don't think we'd be able to do everywhere in time." James said.
"Sure one of us each for each table." Remus said.
"But we need to be fast." Sirius said.
"Meh then why don't we just do the Slytherin table?" Stella asked. She didn't mean it of course but Sirius and James began to look excited.
"That's brilliant Stella." They chorused. Stella blinked.
"What?" She asked. "Wait no I didn't mean we actually... you know what let's go with it."
"Yay!" Sirius cheered.
"Sirius you are acting like a four year old." Remus said.
"So are we doing the prank?" Peter asked.
"You bet Pete." James said. Peter joined in Sirius with the cheering. James must have felt left out because he too started cheering. Remus and Stella shook their heads.
"Honestly we've only been back a week." Remus said.
"I know and this one is so on me again." Stella muttered. Remus laughed.
"Well oh queen of the pranks it was your idea." He said.
"Great now I'm stuck with laughing, cheering boys." Stella grunted.
"Oh lighten up Stella." Remus said.
"Yeah we've been back a week and we're all set to pull a prank meanwhile the entire common room is staring at us." Stella said. "Of course by all means I'll lighten up." The boys slowly came to a halt in their cheering and laughing to see what Stella was talking about. Sure enough when they looked round the entire common room was staring at them giving them weird looks.
"Oh uh nothing to see here." Sirius said waving at the crowd.
"Why are you cheering?" Emmeline asked.
"Oh um we don't really know." James said.
"Just felt like the thing to do." Sirius added.
"I'm surrounded by idiots." Stella sighed.
"We're not idiots." Sirius said.
"Fine the mentally challenged." Stella corrected.
"Thank-you." Peter said everyone looked at him. "What? My mum says I might be mentally challenged."
"Naturally." Stella murmured.
"You sound like Dumbledore." Remus choked, cracking up again. Stella face palmed.
"Agh with the amount if times I have ended up in his office or bumping into him it doesn't surprise me." She said.
"You know you do spend a lot of time with the teachers in this school." James said.
"Yeah well I got in trouble a lot last year mainly due to that one freaking teacher." Stella said.
"Oh man that guy hated you." Sirius laughed.
"He probably still does." Stella sighed.
"Yes Stella somewhere someone will hate you." James said in a serious voice.
"Uh huh and even closer to home someone hates you more."
Stella said. James blinked.
"Who hates me?" He asked. "Who could hate me?"
"Oh you know every Slytherin in the castle, possibly Ashfo and maybe a few other people." Stella said. "But I'm not gonna name and shame."
"I get the picture but I'm so loveable." James said disbelievingly.
"Oh yeah don't let that fat head of yours become anymore inflated." Lily sneered. James looked upset.
"Oh man that was harsh." Stella said.
"I think Lily just rolled a critical." Sirius said.
"She really doesn't like me?" James asked.
"I've been trying to tell you that." Stella said sympathetically.
"But why?" James asked.
"Oh I don't know maybe because you're a jerk to everyone and you're arrogant and you act like an idiot." Lily said.
"Geez Lily don't worry about his feelings." Remus said.
"Yeah just tear into him." Sirius said.
"Like he's a piece of chicken." Peter said. The common room went very quiet and James still looked very upset.
"Okay guys shows over move along." Stella said getting annoyed at the tension.
"Right nothing to see here." Sirius added.
"Just two people having a normal argument." Remus said.
"Translation: beat it." Tina said finally entering the common room. She looked at everyone with a great evil stare.
"Tina!" Stella exclaimed. "Where have you been? I've been everywhere."
"Oh sorry." Tina said dropping into a seat next to Stella. Then she looked round. "You heard me beat it." Everyone scrambled out or quickly started talking because Tina was giving out the aura of a very pissed off person.
"Dude what happened?" Stella asked with alarm.
"Oh that DADA teacher is so ugh." Tina said. "You were right about her she is so creepy."
"You were with Torvin?" Sirius asked confused.
"Yeah and she is way too interested in you." Tina said.
"Me?" Sirius asked even more confused.
"Yes you." Tina said.
"But why, I'm not that amazing am I?" Sirius asked.
"Actually it was more about your family." Tina said.
"What did you say?" Stella asked.
"Said I didn't know anything." Tina replied.
"What did you do?" Remus asked.
"Nothing!" Sirius exclaimed.
"We've only been back a week,, how could he have done anything?" Stella asked.
"We were just planning a prank." James pointed out.
"Yeah but we haven't done it yet." Sirius corrected. They all looked troubled and now Stella was sure something was wrong with the new DADA teacher. She was much worse than Ashfo and Stella really didn't like that. Now she was really worried but didn't know she'd have much more to worry about than just a whack DADA teacher.