If you're reading this, much love.
ENJOI
…
To their great delight, Malfoy was floored when Ron and Harry showed up at breakfast the next morning. He went red in the face and glared daggers at James, as if he instinctively knew it was James's doing.
Which, you know, it was.
As James, Travis, and Brian joined a concerned Kiara at the Ravenclaw table, Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig, swooped down and dropped a huge package in his lap. Harry was practically dancing as he ripped it open before class, showing off the Nimbus 2000 McGonagall had gifted him.
James Dean wasn't jealous.
James Dean was not jealous.
As an added bonus, Hermione had taken to avoiding them and not speaking to any of them at all. She and James had, however, gotten into an unspoken rivalry when she was over heard saying that was smarter than him. Never one to back down from a challenge, James quit being lackadaisical with his studies and hit the books with gusto. They competed to get the most points for their respective houses, becoming academic all-stars, and even Snape was forced to admit that, when James put his mind to it, he could be brilliant.
...
"I am remiss to admit, Potter..." Snape spat his name like it was a curse. "but you really are brilliant, when you bother applying yourself."
"Aw, stop it," James gushed giddily as he stirred his Forgetfulness Potion. "You're making me blush!"
…
It took some coaxing, but they managed to get Neville out of his shell shocked state and go back to class. He skipped the first few days after their encounter with Cerburus, and Harry and Ron had to bring him his school work. Flitwick, being concerned about Neville's grades, had bribed James and Travis with House Points to tutor him with his missed classes, which terrified Neville(who was now scared of James for whatever reason) and, another added bonus, infuriated Hermione. They did manage to teach him a few jinxes and counter spells to defend himself with, if he ever did manage to get the confidence to do so.
Life was calming down after the first week, though, and Hogwarts proved to be nothing at all like what Lily and James Sr. had told them it would be; it was ten times weirder.
With countless staircases that ranged from opulent and grand to so narrow and rickety one would be hard pressed not to fear for their life, it was easy to get lost between classes. Just as soon as they thought they knew were they were going, ghosts would pop out of nowhere like the forever arguing Sybil and Cecil, distracting them long enough for stairs to change, making them get lost again.
With it so easy to become turned around, James often had to ask his professors for directions to his next class. Some were helpful, and downright happy to do so. Professor Flitwick was so thrilled to have a Potter in his House that he offered to even assign an older student to give him, Brian and Travis an in-depth tour. Others, like Professor Snape, sneered and "reminded" them that he wasn't a tour guide, and even deducted house points for merely asking.
Fred and George Weasley were lifesavers. In between classes and even after hours, they would show James and Harry around the castle, and noted secret passages that could substitute as shortcuts. Pretty soon, Harry, Ron, James, Travis, Kiara and Brian were making it to classes in record time, were able to get around the school after hours without getting caught, and were even able to pull off a few more minor pranks, all with "Gred and Forge" and their best friend Lee.
Kiara, who was a skittish thing who seemed terrified at the prospect of breaking the rules with her newfound friends, often stayed in the Ravenclaw Common whenever they went out on their treks, but they always made sure she got there before Malfoy and his gang could get to her. Harry and Ron often joined them, finding their first night out as great fun, and the seven got into tons of late night trouble and misadventures.
When Travis asked Fred how he and George had gotten such a vast knowledge about Hogwarts, especially since they were only third years, he was rather short on it. "A map," he answered curtly, grinning like a maniacal magician keeping his worst secret. He and Fred hushed them upon further questions, saying that it was a well guarded secret, and one that they could not indulge upon them, at least not yet.
"'Yet' being the operative word, mate," George hinted with a wink. "We still require the item's… services, but when we decide that it is not necessary to be of use to us, you will get to know more than just what it is. Trust me."
Travis huffed a bit, but dropped the subject.
September came and went in a flash, though, and James and Fred had began working on James's plan to get at the Caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris.
...
"Nepeta cataria," James boasted as he held the bag of catnip up for Fred's inspection. "Also known as... catnip. Distant relative to mint, and enjoyed by two-thirds of the world's population of domesticated felines. All we gotta do is make a potion that boosts its effects to new, Schedule 1 levels, and we'll have that little monster by the short whiskers."
"Brilliant," Fred chuckled as he rubbed his hands together. "I know just the place to work on it in peace, too..."
"Where?"
"Ever wonder why the girl's avoid the lavatory on the second floor...?"
…
And so all throughout October, James and Travis split their free time training with Roger and Desmond, studying with Brian and Kiara, and James and Fred secretly experimenting on their latest, greatest "product." James Sr. was overjoyed that so many of his sons had gotten so deep into Quidditch, a sentiment he had expressed in every letter he had sent. They were taught formations and passing patterns and how to break off and when to fall back in and how to dive after a Quaffle properly. Roger was tough on them, being all too serious about getting the two first years up to and above par; they held private lessons with Desmond on the days whenever Quidditch practice wasn't going on. Desmond was impressed with their performance and had decided to be a kind and merciful God, giving them the week of, and past, Halloween off.
Harry, who, with the exception of Oliver and the Weasley twins, hadn't readily been accepted on the Gryffindor team, quickly proved himself as a good Seeker in every given practice. By the time Halloween came around, he was all Wood seemed to talk about, as he, too, had far outperformed the standards that Oliver seemed to have for him.
Harry had also seemed hellbent on figuring out what Cerberus was protecting.
"It has to be that thing Hagrid was taking from Gringott's," he told Ron adamantly. "I wonder what it is?"
"Obviously its something dangerous or expensive," Ron agreed.
"It's probably just Dumbledore's family treasure or something," James had waved his twin off. "He's defending it with something dangerous for a reason."
"You aren't curious?"Harry demanded.
"Not really," James shrugged as he bit into a licorice wand. "I'm in the business of causing trouble I can get away with, and I sincerely doubt I can get away with cracking anything Dumbledore's set up."
...
"We're going after Mrs. Norris," James blurted out while he helped Kiara with her potions essay. The four were sitting in their favorite spot in the common room, so James felt comfortable speaking freely.
"Mrs. Norris?" Kiara asked. "Filch's cat?"
"The one and only, that mangy, fur-licking, danger-toed beast."
"I agree," Travis puffed, as he continued his push ups.. "But how are we going to get away with it? Wherever she is, Filch ain't far behind."
"Elementary, Dear Barker. We are going to lure her away from Filch, with a special little… something."
"And what would that be?"
"Something Fred and I have been working on. Covertly, of course, but almost fool-proof."
"'Almost?'" Travis inquired cautiously from his spot on the floor. He finished his push-ups and sat cross-legged on the floor, picking up his potions book. "Sounds a little risky," he warned as he began taking notes.
"Well, only two thirds of house cats enjoy catnip," James explained. "Fred and I tested it on her and she lapped up every leaf, so I'm sure the potion we're working on will attract her. Don't worry; it'll be so… irresistible... that Mrs. Norris will be so far away from Filch, both physically and spiritual, that she'll be easy pickings. The little cretin will finally know what it feels like being a mouse, for a change."
"Well, you can tell us what we're going to do to this cat, I hope?" Brian asked, dubious himself. He strummed an open E on his guitar a couple times, and made a face. Tuning the string he hit it again and smiled appreciatively. "Nothing better sounding than a finely tuned six string."
"Humiliate the hell outta her," James replied casually, looking up from his Transfiguration homework and pointing at a spelling error Kiara had made.
"Sounds like fun," Brian giggled from over the wooden rim of the acoustic guitar. "Did you hear what Ron and Harry did to Hermione Granger today?"
"Bashed her so bad after Charms that she spent the rest of the day locked in a bathroom?" James asked with a grin, knowing where the conversation was heading. "Priceless…"
"Can't say the know-it-all didn't have it coming," Travis agreed with a sinister grin.
"Yeah, she did. But I heard that Ron may have gone… a bit too far?" Kiara added softly, looking a bit sympathetic.
"Feeling sorry for Miss British Buck-Tooth Nineteen-ninety one?" Travis goaded, daring her to say that she was.
"No," Kiara quickly defended, but looked like she almost immediately regretted it.
James gave Kiara's look some thought, and started to feel a bit bad, too. Dad had explained to him that he was merely sinking to her level, as he put it, and that from what he had accounted to his father, had been just as rude to her as she was to him. Travis and Brian didn't think as highly and even suggested that they try pranking her again.
James sighed; such thinking was giving him a headache. Looking down at his watch, he noticed that it was almost time for the Halloween feast. "Halloween feast starts soon, wanna head down?"
"Yeah, I'm starved," Brian answered, putting down his guitar.
"Nothing better to do," Travis agreed, standing up and throwing his book down on the coffee table with an audible crack. "Shall we?"
"I could eat," Kiara mumbled, looking a bit distraught.
…
Pumpkins grown in Hagrid's patch had been carved into comically sinister jack-o-lanterns. They floated amongst the candles in the Great Hall as bats flitted between them, and would screech on occasion. The tables were all bedecked with orange and black, with more jack-o-lanterns replacing the usual candlestick holders that sat between the trays of food.
The four took a seat at the Ravenclaw table, and after giving Harry a wave, they tucked in. Travis and Brian bashed on Hermione, while James was just happy to have access to one of his favorite meals. Kiara quietly poked at her food, and by the time dessert rolled around, excused herself from the table.
"What's her problem?" Travis asked.
"I dunno," James shrugged. "I don't think she likes all the crap you're talking 'bout Bushyhair."
They stopped talking after that, until...
"TROLL! T-t-troll. In the dungeon!" Quirrell's stammering voice resounded throughout the Hall. Many a strangled gasp and harried whisper filled the Great Hall as James choked on a big piece of treacle tart and Brain's eyes bugged out of his face. Quirrell stumbled to the head table and whispered another wheezy "Troll, in the dungeon... I just thought you should know," before falling unconscious.
"Some Defense against the Dark Arts teacher he is," George Weasley muttered loudly. A few people laughed nervously, but everyone else simply panicked.
"Calm, everyone! Calm," Dumbledore demanded from his chair. "Prefects, take your fellow students to your houses, and do not delay. All of you must not venture beyond your common rooms the rest of the evening. All teachers, please follow me," he ordered, and set off for the dungeon with a trail of anxious teachers following. All of them except Quirrell, who remained passed out on the floor, James noticed, and Snape.
"James," Harry whispered, suddenly appearing next to him. "It's Hermione, she is still up in the lavatory, she doesn't know!"
"What?"
"Who cares," Travis scoffed. "The troll will be doing us a-"
"I dare you to finish that," James cut him off. "I dare you."
Travis held his hands up. "Fine, fine, but don't expect me to-"
"We're all going to find her," Harry demanded. "Let's go!"
...
Kiara entered the bathroom and washed her face in the first possible sink. She had eaten at the feast and had enjoyed it, but when Travis started talking, injecting the table with cruel jokes about Hermione, she simply had to leave. She had nothing against the Gryffindor girl, she really didn't. In fact, she respected her for her being smart and confident enough to stand up to the three self proclaimed PranKings, no matter how... invasive, she could be.
She didn't want to admit it, though. Hermione was a muggleborn, the type of witch and wizard her father had told her was the absolute scum of the earth. She was terrified of the idea of muggleborns, at first. But after learning that Travis and Brian were probably muggleborn, she had been forced to come to the conclusion that her father was wrong
Not that she'd ever tell him that. She shuddered at the thought of what he'd do.
I sound so weak right now, Kiara berated herself. "I'm a clatty coward."
A sudden gasp broke Kiara's self-conversation. She napped her head around and asked, "Who's here?"
"M-me," Hermione Granger's voice sounded from the furthest stall.
"Hermione?"
"Yes," the girl sobbed.
"Are you… alright?" Kiara asked as she walked over and opened the stall door "Have you been in here all day?"
"Y-hic-yes."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kiara whispered, kneeling and hugged Hermione, who readily grasped back. Kiara heard the girl gasp suddenly, and rode it off as her just being breathless. But moments after, a stupid, rumbling growl told her otherwise.
...
"Where in Merlin's name did she go?" Ron cursed, looking back and forth down the hall.
"Yeah, keep turning your head on a swivel in an empty hall," Travis snorted. "Maybe she''ll appear from out of a wall."
"Travis, no offense, but what is your problem?" Brian pried. "I know Granger ain't the greatest person, but really, what has your- oh, damn."
The troll stumbled past at the end of the hall, unaware of the five boys. It disappeared, but a loud, resounding bang told them where it was, while piercing screams told them where Hermione was.
"C'mon," James urged, he and Harry sprinting towards the end of the hall.
"Easy for you to say, you have no brains!" Ron complained, following after them.
Brian and Travis looked at each other questioningly. Travis shrugged at Brian's quirked head. "C'mon, bro," Travis consented. "Let's make sure Harry and Jimmy Dean don't get crushed to death."
Upon crossing the threshold of the girls' bathroom, James immediately saw that the gigantic monster had Hermione and Kiara Kennedy cornered in the furthest stall of the room, hugging each other. The stalls had been obliterated, and many of the toilets were shattered, flinging water across the floor. The troll itself was well over fifteen feet tall, with boils popping out of its gray and sickly skin. It smelled like it had never been introduced to a shower and had dirt caked on its bald head and behind its large, round ears. Gawping at the unintelligent beast, James was at a loss at what to do. Naturally, Harry thought it was best to refer command to him.
"James, what do we do?!"
"I don't know!"
"Well, think of something!"
"Me?! This was your idea!"
"I'm the brave and noble Gryffindor, I don't think on my feet! Use your brilliant Ravenclaw wittiness!"
"Would you two do something?!" Hermione shrieked as the toilet she and Kiara had previously been occupying just a split second before it shattered under the crushing force of the troll's large wooden club.
Pushed into action, James did the one thing he was best at.
Insults.
"Hey, ugly! Yeah, you! I woulda' been yo' daddy, but the dog beat me over the fence!"
"Yeah," Harry agreed, waving his arms. "You make my grandmum look pretty, and she's been dead for like, a hundred years!"
"You're so fat, Oprah's like damn!" Brian threw in, grabbing a broken plank of wood and tossing it to Ron.
"You make a dumb blond look like Einstein!" Travis snarled as he threw a piece of porcelain at the idiotic giant's head. "Your mother pulled tricks in a swamp and your father reeked of elderberries!"
"I have no insult!" Ron roared as he took the plank of wood and snapped it over the immense calf of the troll. The thing kicked back and sent him flying into the wall. It turned to regard the rest, and grunted stupidly.
"Yeah, that's right," Travis boasted, waving his arms gloatingly. "I know Muggle gangsters more scary than you, ugly! I'll shank you so-Oof!" Travis went flying as the Troll swung at him. Harry charged at that point, brandishing his wand and grabbing the club as it arced.
"Whoa!" he screamed as the troll brought it back around, staring at Harry as he held onto it. It pulled the gnarled plank up to his face and stared oafishly at Harry before roaring, covering Harry in a gale of slobber. "Ugh," Harry scoffed as he shoved his wand up the beast's nose.
"Harry!" James screamed.
"Kiara, Hermione, c'mon!" Brian screamed, waving the two towards him. "While it's distracted!"
As the two ran past the troll, James jumped at it. It pulled Harry off its club and was beginning to slam it into him when Ron screamed, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The club flew up in the air, thudded against the ceiling, and James, picking up on Ron's idea, slung his own wand and called out the counter charm, promptly making the club slam into the troll's face, knocking it out. James and Harry were careened into the wall, but thudded to the floor safely atop a pile of shattered stall doors.
"Mom and Dad would kill me if they heard me say this," James muttered as he pushed Harry off of him and swatted at the troll saliva that got swiped on him. "But son of a bitch."
Brian started giggling uncontrollably. Travis started laughing after him, slapping his thigh and sliding down the wall and plopping down on the wet and flooded floor. Harry followed, throwing his arm around James's shoulder throwing a glob of troll spit at him. James cackled evilly back and tackled Harry to the tiles and forcibly washing the spittle off of his robes.
"It never ceases to amaze me how ye all laugh in the face o' clear and imminent danger," Kiara muttered fearfully. She was sitting up to the wall with her knees to her chest, her eyes staring at the snoozing form of the troll and not leaving it as she spoke. "First the rogue broom, and now this? Ye are insane. All a' ye are bloody insane. Ye are all a bunch of neddy wackjobs. The whole lot of you."
"Why thank you," Travis said happily. "We take great pleasure from you-"
"What in Merlin's Pants happened in here!?" McGonagall shrieked as she, Snape, Flitwick, a queasy Quirrell, and Dumbledore walked in. "Potter!"
"Hello, ma'am," James asked, smirking and tossing a two fingered salute, still high on the adrenaline rush. "You're looking good tonight."
"What did you do!" she demanded as Snape began inspecting the troll and Quirrell went white and sat limply on a toilet.
"We saved the damsels in distress," Travis boasted a sloppy smile plastered on his face.
"We know that this was your doing, Potter," Snape sneered, now looking directly at Harry, but the git did manage a side-glare at James, lest he feel left out. "We have caught you at the scene of your crimes."
"Crime?" Brian spat incredulously. "We save Hermione, our sworn rival and intellectual nemesis, and you wanna blame us?"
"Oh, yes! Please, profess your innocence to me!"
"Professor Snape," Flitwick chided adamantly. "Surely you do not believe these children are here for malicious reasons?"
"These two, just like their father, they-"
"May I ask you why your leg is bleeding, Professor?" James pointed out.
Snape glared at him as he covered his torn and bloodied pant leg with his robes. "Mind your own, Potter."
"Well, my brother does have a point…" Harry trailed. "Snape didn't exactly follow when you ordered, Headmaster," he finally continued, looking up at Dumbledore.
"How very astute of you, Harry," the wizened old man said with a smile. With a twinkle in his eye, he referred to Snape. "Professor Snape went to handle something else, under my specific orders should something awry happen unexpectedly. Now, this scene tells me a story, but I'd rather hear your version. Why did you seek out the troll when you were told in detail to go straight to your dormitories?"
"Well, aha ha, that's the thing-"
"We were just-"
"Yeah, and-"
"The troll came out of nowhere and-"
"They were trying to stop me!" Hermione cried. All eyes turned and looked at Hermione in shock.
"Oh?" Dumbledore looked at her with curiosity. "And why was this, Miss Granger?"
"I- I went after the troll. They just were trying to stop me. I locked it in here, but I didn't know Kiara was in here, so I had to reopen the door, and it all just…"
"…fell apart?" Dumbledore finished helpfully.
"Yes… I expect I should be packing soon."
"Nonsense," McGonagall sniffed. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, and a month's detention. But you will not leave Hogwarts tonight, Miss Granger. As for you two," she turned towards Harry and Ron. "Twenty-five points each for attempting to thwart her… foolish attempt!" McGonagall turned on her heel, threw her arms in the air and stormed out. "I will go catch Filch and have him clean up this mess!"
"I meant it when I said ya looked great, Professor!" James called out as she left.
"And you three," Flitwick slapped James's knee before looking to them. "Twenty-five points each, to Ravenclaw. Miss Kennedy, will you be alright?"
"Yes, Professor Flitwick," Kiara intoned. She still had her gaze locked on the troll's faint form. "I am well."
"Yes, well," Flitwick stumbled over words. It was obvious that she wasn't. "Will you boys take her back to the dormitory? Harry, you and Mr. Weasley should escort Miss Granger as well. Well, off to bed, then."
"Pip-pip!" Dumbledore urged, waving his hands in the direction of the door with a smile. The boys looked over their shoulders uncertainly. "You will all need a good night's rest before your classes tomorrow!"
Harry and Ron both followed a shaky Hermione out of the bathroom at a record pace. James and Brian each gently grabbed a shoulder and hefted Emma up. Leading her out with Travis following, they all but sprinted from the room and the teachers. James distinctly heard Snape whining about letting them "off the hook." James smiled despite the situation; Snape had no idea what James was capable of getting away with, a fact Mrs. Norris would find out soon enough.
"Duuuuuude… that was so close!" Brian exclaimed as soon as they were well away from the ears of the Professors.
"Yeah, I know," Travis muttered disbelievingly. "What just happened?"
"I think," James said, with an air of finality, "That we are now near and dear friends with Hermione Granger. From this point on, she is our sister, and may God himself help those who speak ill of her golden soul. That also includes you," he added as he grinned at Kiara. "Sister."
For some reason, she didn't his declaration very comforting.
…
"Blasted damnation!" Quirrell screamed as he stormed into his study after his final class on the day after Halloween, ripping his turban off.
Voldemort hissed quietly to himself. The fool's plan was oh-so-very sound. Bring in a troll from one of the surrounding mountains, distract the teachers, clear the students… it was so very brilliant in its simplicity, but had been spoiled by the clever Dumbledore. Even then it may have worked, if Snape had been forced to forgo guarding the third floor corridor to help the teachers fight it off rather than safe house the door to his one and only desire; the Stone. But alas, the Potter twins and their worthless friends took care of the troll for their precious professors, the meddling runts.
Voldemort grunted to himself. If only I could touch them...
"If only I had managed to kill them when I had that chance…" he hissed from the back of the fool's head. "If only…"
Voldemort cut that line of thought off where it stood. No room was there for "What could have been." He didn't know what saved their lives, much less their annoying parents, and he didn't quite care, at least not at that point in time. The time for affirmative action was, as always, right now.
"We need to take care of them. Permanently," Voldemort whispered.
"We can curse Harry at the game. He is playing Seeker for Gryffindor, and it would be the opportune time for him to… fall?"
"That works… unless Dumbledore is there."
"He shall not be, M'Lord, he will be attending a meeting with Minister Fudge that day until well into the eve."
"Very well. Now on to other business."
His clever mind reeled in Quirrell's head, scrambling for a way to get into that hall. If he wanted to be whole again, he'd need a plan. Voldemort thought maybe- no. He couldn't think; he could feel his grip on this world was slowly fading, that Quirrell's weak body was failing, and they both were nearly done. They needed sustenance.
"Quirinus, we're not going to last. This little plot is taking longer than planned and I'm losing my grip."
"What?" the idiot asked stupidly. "My lord, why didn't you say anything before? I could have just-"
"Could have just what, you fool!? I am a spirit clinging to a world it doesn't belong in and you think there is a simple solution for my predicament?"
"Yes, M'Lord. The Forbidden Forest has many unicorns grazing its depths, and as we both know, they can supply immortality to spirits and Wizards willing to risk the effort..."
"I-" the Dark Lord started, but cut himself off. It was a sound idea. In fact, it was a brilliant plan. "Then we go tonight, my vessel. We go out tonight."
Maybe Quirinus Quirrell wasn't such an imbecile, after all…