28
James had very little to complain about over the coming weeks. Mary had emerged from the hospital wing with no lasting damage, and Snape and Lily's friendship seemed to have hit its rockiest patch yet—while Snape was not overtly defending what everyone suspected Mulciber had done, he was imploring Lily not to jump to conclusions and stated it was all just a joke that had gone awry. Lily was not convinced by the explanations and had become very frosty to him, much to Snape's dismay, but to the general glee of everyone else.
In addition, Gryffindor played their match against Hufflepuff and won handily in a one-sided yet clean game. They were now in a position where all they had to do was win against Ravenclaw, and they would be in a winner-take-all match against Slytherin once more for the Quidditch Cup. In addition, the winter weather was beginning to fade away allowing the students to lounge outside on the school grounds. It was here that James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Marlene were sitting.
'Looking forward to the Ravenclaw match on Friday?' Sirius asked bracingly.
James nodded. 'Dorcas is running double practices every evening. If we have any energy left, I'll certainly be excited,' he joked.
'Lily's excited, too,' Marlene said suggestively. 'I've never known her to be really into Quidditch before, but she seems to be looking forward to this all, too.'
Remus chuckled. 'Great, now James' head is going to be in the clouds all week,' he said.
'It's already there, what with Snivelly and Lily fighting all the time. Serves him right though,' Sirius added. He was lounging in Marlene's lap as she played with his hair in a not-entirely-un-nauseating fashion.
Marlene frowned. 'I know you don't like him—I don't either—but why does it serve him right?'
'Little git's always following us around trying to get us into trouble,' Sirius said with a snort.
Marlene's frown deepened. 'When? I haven't noticed him following you around.'
James looked sharply at Sirius, and saw Remus and Peter do the same out of the corner of his eye. Sirius paused for a moment, and then went on easily. 'Well, that's because he hasn't successfully gotten us into trouble yet,' he said with a smile. 'We're much too clever for that.'
Marlene seemed satisfied. 'Much too modest, too,' she smirked.
'We'll get him back eventually,' Sirius said with a grin. 'How goes our extracurricular assignment, Moony?' he asked.
Remus went slightly pink. 'Fine,' he said.
'What assignment is this? Marlene asked.
James glared at Sirius again. He was being far too loose-lipped for his liking. 'Er—potions,' Sirius said. 'We're doing extra credit work.'
'But you're fabulous at potions,' Marlene pointed out.
Sirius nodded. 'Peter's rubbish, though, so we're doing the extra credit to help him out,' he lied easily. Peter went extremely pink in the face and Remus frowned. James grimaced—as embarrassing as the lie was for Peter, it was somewhat believable.
'Well that's very nice of you,' Marlene said kindly as Sirius' eyes flicked apologetically to Peter. James shook his head with a sigh.
The rest of the week saw tension ramping up in the school. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were typically on good terms with each other, and they never resorted to dirty tactics during or between games with one another. But the Slytherins were making it perfectly clear who they would rather play for the Quidditch Cup, and that was Ravenclaw.
Remembering the underhanded moves that Slytherin had made in years' past, Dorcas once again instructed all the Gryffindor players to travel in groups to avoid ambushes. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter went everywhere together.
Crabbe and Goyle had attempted to ambush Gideon and Fabian Prewett on their way to the washroom one day. The end result was that they had both ended up stuck in toilet bowls—their backsides magically enlarged to prevent them from escaping. This was all discovered after the fact, as the Prewetts had been mum on what happened until Crabbe and Goyle failed to show up for class. Filch had finally discovered them, gagged so as not to shout out for help, and it was only then that Gideon and Fabian confided in their teammates what had happened.
'We could have done worse,' Gideon said with a grin as they sat in the great hall eating lunch on Friday afternoon.
'It's true. I was personally advocating that we stick their heads down the bog rather than their arses,' Fabian chimed in as James laughed.
Frank and Alice strode into the hall together, talking animatedly and laughing as they came over towards the table. 'Still no room on your pool for when they finally lock lips?' Gideon asked hopefully.
James laughed again. 'Sorry, private bet,' he said with a wink.
'Alright, everyone?' Frank asked as they sat down. They were quickly joined by Lily, who plunked herself down next to Alice.
'We were just getting an explanation as to what really happened to Crabbe and Goyle,' Cresswell chuckled.
Lily 'ooo'd' appreciatively. 'I'd like to send a Christmas card to the geniuses behind that,' she said with a glazed look in her eyes. James looked at her in surprise. 'What? They're foul,' she said dismissively to even more general astonishment.
'I don't think I've ever seen your dark side before, Evans,' James said.
'There's lots of me you've never seen,' Lily replied with a grin. 'And lots you never will.'
Gideon and Fabian roared with laughter. James tried to laugh it off too, but he couldn't help grinning at the smirk on Lily's face. 'Don't get me wrong, Evans—I think the dark side suits you well.'
Sirius nodded enthusiastically. 'Especially if it extends to Sn—' he began, but he was cut off abruptly by an elbow to the midsection from Remus. 'Mulciber and Avery,' he winced, glaring at Remus angrily.
'Mulciber…' Lily muttered angrily.
'We'll get him on the pitch,' Alice said encouragingly. 'I'll give him an extra whack for Mary.'
'I'd rather you not go near him,' Frank grimaced. 'I don't want to be accused with assault before leaving school, if you don't mind,' he said to general laughter.
Alice raised an eyebrow. 'Don't think I can take him?' she asked.
'Please. You could run circles around him, quite literally,' Frank replied. 'I just don't think you need to dirty your hands with him.'
'Right—that's our job,' Gideon said with a grin. 'You just catch that Snitch. We'll be sure to leave Mulciber black and blue.'
'We'll throw in some green, brown and orange for good measure,' Fabian added.
'Well, I'm stuffed—I'm going to go and polish my broom for the game,' James said, standing up.
Dorcas instantly pointed at Sirius. 'Take him with you,' she ordered. Sirius obediently began to shovel handfuls of food into his robe, but James waved dismissively at him.
'It's just from here to the common room! I think I can manage,' James said.
Dorcas folded her arms. 'Absolutely not,' she said. 'This is exactly the sort of opportunity the Slytherins have been waiting for.'
'Oh come on, Snape's sitting right over there and he's the only one who's ever tried to get me in the past,' James said, pointing him out and glancing apologetically at Lily. 'It's just a two minute jog—I'll be there in no time.'
He took off before Dorcas could object. He exited the great hall and moved up the staircase, taking them two at a time. He was nearly at the top when the hulking form of Avery appeared at the top of them, leering down at him. James stopped in his tracks and idly slipped his hand into his robes, feeling his wand. 'Alright, Avery?' he asked.
Avery grinned. 'Fancy seeing you here, Potter,' he said.
James raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. 'I didn't know you could talk. I thought you communicated by banging rocks together,' he said sarcastically.
'You talk too much,' Avery snarled.
'Incessantly,' James replied. 'I'm on my way to my common room, so if you don't mind moving?'
'You're not going anywhere,' Avery said, producing his wand.
James sighed and drew his. 'You don't stand a chance against me one-on-one, Avery,' he said in a warning tone.
Avery smiled again. 'Let's even the odds then,' he said with a grin and James was suddenly aware of someone else on the stairs behind him. He cast a look back to see Mulciber climbing the staircase, his wand drawn.
'Ah, but of course. It wouldn't be a true Slytherin ambush if you didn't outnumber your victim,' James said confidently. 'I must say—I'm pleased you didn't decide to pick on a girl this time,' he added.
Mulciber chuckled. 'McDonald'll come around someday,' he said.
'Come around?' James echoed. 'But this is touching—are you sweet on her, Mulciber?' Mulciber said nothing so James, sensing it was going to come to a fight anyway, pressed on. 'I can see why you'd need the Imperius curse to do that. I mean, it's hard giving you a second look, giving it looks like someone once set your face on fire and subsequently beat out the flames with a hammer.'
Mulciber snarled. 'Enough!' he said and he raised his wand.
James hurled himself aside, flipping his wand through the air and casting a shield charm swiftly. Mulciber's rebounding curse nearly struck him, but he leapt to the side of the staircase. James' Quidditch reflexes came to his aid as he bounced to his feet and bolted past Avery, heading up the stairs. He blindly flicked his wand behind him, casting a stunning spell which—by the angry yell he heard behind him—struck Avery. James sprinted through the hallway, he was almost to the portrait hole—
—when suddenly a foot appeared from behind a statue, tripping James up and sending him crashing to the floor. He caught the briefest glimpse of Regulus Black. 'YOU!' James yelled, but he was suddenly struck in the back of the head by a heavy object and his world faded to black.
He did not know how long he was unconscious, but he became distantly aware of the sound of voices. It took him back to the times he had woken up in the hospital room, and he immediately realized it was the same two voices he was accustomed to hearing.
'They're gone,' said a male voice. 'Scarpered. But when I get hold of Regulus…' it trailed off into curse words.
'What the hell did they do to his arm?' moaned a female voice.
'We need to get him to the hospital wing,' said the male voice.
'No,' James groaned.
'Potter! Are you alright?' the female voice asked urgently.
James' eyes fluttered open and he found himself staring up into the faces of Lily Evans and Sirius Black. 'What happened?' he moaned.
Lily bit her lip. 'You were ambushed,' she said. 'By—'
'—my brother,' Sirius spat angrily. 'And it looks like Mulciber and Avery, too. I'll tend to them, but we need to get you to see Madam Pomfrey,' he said.
James sat up. 'Why?' he muttered. 'I'm fine.' He glanced down at his arm and felt his stomach turn over—it looked like a wet noodle. 'What the hell is this?' he gasped.
Lily bit her lip. 'If I had to guess? They got rid of all the bones in your arm…' she trailed off as James' mind raced. If he went to Madam Pomfrey, that would be it—he wouldn't be able to play in the Quidditch match. Growing bones back was a lengthy process.
'Come on, mate, we need to get you to the hospital wing,' Sirius said.
James stood up, shaking his arm to test it out. It flopped back and forth with a gelatinous sound effect. 'No,' he said. 'If I do that, I won't be able to play.'
'Don't be thick, you can't play with your arm like that!' Sirius said, aghast.
'Potter, you won't be able to hold onto your broom and catch the quaffle. You need to be reasonable, here,' Lily pointed out.
James shook his head. 'We'll lash this arm to the broom handle, and I can catch with the other hand.'
'You're mental,' Sirius said.
'Look, if we lose this match—if we lose because of me—I'll never forgive myself, and that's not even touching on what Dorcas will do to me…' James shuddered at the thought.
Lily rolled her eyes. 'I think she'll understand, Potter! You've got no bones in one arm! Who do you think you're going to be helping? All Gryffindor has to do is win, it's not that critical.'
'Yes it is,' James said firmly. 'You two tell no one about this, you understand?'
'He's taking the mickey,' Sirius said, looking at Lily for support. 'You expect me to just let Regulus get away with this?' he added.
James shook his head. 'No, you can get your revenge after the match. But if Dorcas finds out…if McGonagall finds out…they won't let me play.'
'And they'd be right!' Lily said, throwing her arms up in exasperation. 'This is beyond stupid, Potter! You won't be able to defend yourself if a bludger comes your way! You won't be able to control your broom properly with just one hand!'
James puffed his chest out as he began marching towards the common room. 'Just watch me,' he said.
'This isn't the time to be arrogant!' Lily implored as she and Sirius trotted along behind them. 'You could get seriously injured! Potter I—I'll tell McGonagall if I have to!' James stopped short and looked at her. She looked defiant, but somewhat hesitant at the same time. 'You can throw all the machismo you want at me, Potter, but I swear, I'll do it!'
Sirius bit his lip and looked back and forth between them. James closed his eyes and prayed for patience, and then he realized the only avenue available to him.
'Please,' he said quietly.
Lily's eyes went wide. 'Beg pardon?'
'Please,' he said again. 'Let me do this. It's not about being arrogant I—there's too much riding on this for me to be the reason it all falls apart,' he said. 'Please, Evans. Let me play.'
Lily looked very much as if she would like to tell him where to stick his please, but she cast her eyes to the ground. 'Oh, go on, then,' she muttered.
'Right,' James said as they entered the common room. 'Sirius, find something to lash my arm to the broom with. I'm going to need to wrap it around my robes, too, so it doesn't look too suspicious. Quick now, I need to get in full gear before the others get here!'
Sirius and James dashed up to their dormitory and began preparing in earnest. They could hear sounds from the common room as the other players arrived—and the subsequent sounds of Lily distracting them. James found some unicorn hair which had been given to him by Hagrid the previous year, and they snugly fastened James' gloved but useless arm to his broom.
'If they look closely at it, they'll be able to tell,' Sirius said worriedly. 'Don't give anyone reason to.'
'You don't know anything about this, you're safe,' James said firmly. Sirius looked at him questioningly. 'If McGonagall found out that you or Evans knew, you'd be in big trouble. I did all of this on my own—understood?'
Sirius hesitated and then nodded. 'Fine,' he said.
The door the dormitory burst open and Frank, Gideon, Fabian and Cresswell came in. The latter three carried on to their own room while Frank joined them in theirs. 'Ready to fly, James?' he said excitedly.
'You bet,' James said with a bright grin.
'Don't make me regret this,' Sirius said under his breath.
