Sunday 29th April 1973
Gryffindor Tower, 18:00
Sirius was glad to get back to school. Extremely so. Being home hadn't been fun at all. The only bright spot had been going to James'. That had been loads of fun. Home, on the other hand, hadn't been. Mother would not stop with the derogatory comments about the Potters, Reggie had been acting all weird and Father had told him what electives he was doing next year - apparently, he didn't get any choice. At all. There hadn't even been a discussion about it. Father had pulled him into his study (again) and just told him bluntly that he was doing Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. No ifs. No buts. He'd been dismissed before he could even open his mouth. Then there was Reggie who hadn't wanted anything to do with him. At all. It had made for quite a lonely end to the holiday so, yes, he was glad to be back. Sirius looked at around, watching everyone greet each other.
Speaking of greeting each other, he had yet to see any of his friends yet. Surely, they'd all be back by now? He was late thanks to Uncle Alphard turning up and Mother starting a screaming match with him. Or rather, Mother had screamed at Uncle Alphard and he had just stood there and taken it. Sirius didn't know what he had wanted because Father had bundled him and Reggie through the Floo. Pity. Uncle Alphard was always good fun.
"Hi, Sirius!" Peter greeted as he walked into the dorm.
He and Remus were sitting on Remus' bed, Peter showing Remus something - Sirius couldn't see what.
"Hey, guys?" he looked around. "Where's James?"
James, being James, took this moment to burst out of the bathroom, hair still soaking wet from the shower.
He took a shower?
"He knocked floo powder all over him," Remus explained.
"Ah."
Trust James to manage something like that. Honestly.
"Had good hols?"
Sirius made a shrugging motion, not really wanting to get into details. His highlight was going to James'.
"Mine were boring," Remus supplied.
"So were mine," Peter added, coming over to Remus' bed to chat.
James noticeably didn't join them, instead he was rummaging through his trunk for something. Peering over, Sirius noticed, with more than a little bit of satisfaction, that James was hurriedly trying to write that summary to his Transfiguration Easter work.
He chuckled, making James look up at him and scowl. It would have had more of an effect if his face hadn't been splattered with ink.
"Shut up!"
Wednesday 2nd May 1973
Professor Slughorn's Office, 12:45
Severus left his Head of House' Office, feeling happy that he had got something off his plate.
His choices for third year electives had been pretty easy. Ancient Runes because he liked learning to decipher things and ancient texts sometimes held old potion recipes. Ones that might have been lost. That subject promised to be the most interesting he thought. His second choice was Care of Magical Creatures, most potions ingredients came from animals so it only made sense to learn about them. The healthier the animal the better the ingredients after all. He had debated about taking Healing - it would have given him more opportunities to brew Potions. But eventually, Severus had decided against it. A good portion of it was wanded which he didn't enjoy. Sure, he was good with his wand but that was hexes and jinxes (and hopefully curses soon) but that's because it got him awe in the Common Room. And it meant that people knew he wasn't defenceless, an important thing when you were a half-blood in Slytherin House.
So, it had been a no to the Healing. Professor Slughorn said that third years and above were free to use the Potion Labs during their free periods as opposed to his set hours in the evenings for first and second years. So, Severus was planning on taking advantage of that.
"Oof!"
Someone had crashed into him. Severus steadied himself and glared. It was a younger student.
"Watch yourself," he scolded.
The younger boy looked up and Severus immediately recognised the face.
"Apologies, Snape," Regulus Black said smoothly - Severus could swear there was a hint of a sneer in the younger boy's tone.
Looking behind the younger boy, Severus noticed that he had his usual posse of sycophants around him. Great.
Giving Regulus a short nod, Severus left them. He really didn't like either of the Blacks. Too haughty and proud for his liking. Far too full of self-importance. Too confidant.
If Severus Snape was in any way introspective, and what thirteen-year kid was, he would realise this was all the qualities he wanted to possess. But he wasn't, so he didn't. Instead, he was scathing towards those who did possess those qualities. Unfortunately, Hogwarts being the magical equivalent to a British Public Boarding School, there were quite a lot of students that had those qualities. However, most of them weren't as obnoxious about it as the Blacks who just seemed to drip with them. Yes, Severus Snape definitely did not like Regulus or Sirius Black. He supposed he should be thankful that one was in Gryffindor, he only had to deal with one and not constantly. The joy of the boarding school tradition of only really associating with your year group.
Now, despite his dislike of them, Severus wasn't stupid. Far from it.
He knew how Slytherin worked. Somewhat. It would be social and political suicide to put yourself up against the Blacks and their ilk. However, that didn't mean he had to pander to them. Thankfully, he wasn't expected to like Sirius. Or even pretend to agree with him. Since he was a Gryffindor traitor and all that.
But that left Regulus. A boy who had the eyes of the entire House on him. And not suspicious eyes but envious one, awe-stricken was. Apparently, even Slytherins could act stupid.
Thursday 10th May 1973
Second Year Gryffindor Boys Dorm 18:30
James ran his finger down the star chart and shook his head. One of these days he is going to do his Astronomy homework when he got it but today was not one of those days. Where on earth was Cygnus? He could have sworn that he had just seen it. Ah, there it was, way down at the bottom. He wasn't going to be able to see all of it during Astronomy then. Or, he might. If the sky was dark enough. What phase was the moon in?
He went over to Remus' bed and grabbed the Daily Prophet off his bedside table, it always had a lunar calendar in it.
Huh, full moon tonight. It would probably still be too bright to see Cygnus. Pity. James put the newspaper back, knowing Remus would not appreciate it if he left his area untidy. That would be the first thing he'd comment on when he got back - he was away again. Privately, James thought Remus shouldn't have gone. His friend looked absolutely exhausted yesterday and today with his white face and rings under his eyes. Just like last month.
Huh.
A thought struck him and he wandered back over to Remus' bed to see if he had any older copies of 'The Daily Prophet'.
"What are you doing?" Sirius asked as he entered the dorm.
James jumped and nearly feel over.
"What? Oh, hi Sirius."
"You better not be doing something to his bed," Sirius warned. "He'll get mad."
James shook his head and grabbed last month's paper. "I was just thinking."
"Of what?"
"When was Remus gone last month?" he asked, ignoring Sirius' question as he found the right page.
"About the same date," Sirius answered. "He missed the Charms end of topic test."
Oh yeah, he had forgotten about that. Remus had had to do it in Flitwick's storeroom during the next class. Apparently, it was very musty in there. That was around the full moon. Huh. And he had been gone on the full moon the month before as well. And the month before that. And Remus always looked tired and sore after he came back from his "Aunt's"...
"I've just realised something," James announced. "Well, come to the conclusion."
"Because that makes sense," Sirius said sarcastically.
James glared at him.
"Just spit it out," Sirius said impatiently. "I need to say something too."
"This is important!' James insisted.
Sirius' obviously wasn't or he would have said something as soon as he came in. Which he didn't. Therefore, James should speak first.
"Then hurry up!"
"You have to let me speak."
"I am."
"You're interrupting me!"
"I am not!"
This was getting them nowhere. And this was extremely important! James made a frustrated noise. Sirius gave him an unimpressed look.
"Right, then you go first." James said forcibly.
Maybe then Sirius would be in a position to actually listen.
"No, you."
Both of them glared at each other. James made an impatient noise. Didn't Sirius realise how important this was?
Deciding that he was going to go first (what was more important than finding out your friend was a werewolf?), James started to speak. Unfortunately, Sirius had the same thought process and said what he wanted to say as well.
"I think Remus is a werewolf!"
Both of them blinked at each other, surprised that they had said the exact same thing. What?
"You figured it out too?" James gasped.
He thought he had been quite lucky figuring it out. If it hadn't been for the lunar calendars, he would have never figured it out. And that had only been in the last five minutes really.
"Well, yes," Sirius replied, the 'isn't it obvious' heavily implied. "He's always gone on the full moon and he's got a really strong sense of smell."
"He itches around the full moon too," James threw in so he didn't look completely stupid - even though that little titbit only made sense after you knew Remus was a werewolf. "His other senses are sharper around the full moon as well."
"He gets hungrier too," Sirius retorted.
"Changing to a wolf would use a lot of energy," James mused. "It's definitely tiring because he's always exhausted and achy after."
That shocked Sirius. "Really?"
James nodded, trying not to be too smug. Remus tried to hide it but James had noticed his stiffness and flinches.
The two lapsed into silence, each engrossed by his own thoughts. An awful lot of Remus' mannerisms made sense when you realised, he was a werewolf.
"Do you think it hurts?" Sirius suddenly asked. "Changing into a werewolf," he added at James's puzzled look.
That was actually a good question. Did it hurt? Remus certainly always looked uncomfortable around the full moon so perhaps it did. It would make sense; he was changing into a completely different animal. And forcibly too so surely your magic wouldn't work like it would with an Animagus transformation? Was it anything like an Animagus transformation? That was really cool - James had looked it up. Somehow, he didn't think that being a werewolf was quite the same thing or else, surely, people wouldn't be so scared of them.
It was a weird thought, the idea of being afraid of Remus. It was actually quite silly. James just couldn't imagine being scared of Remus.
"Why didn't he tell us?" Sirius asked with a frown.
James shrugged, though that at least seemed obvious to him.
"Probably because he thought we'd be scared or tell or tell other people about him and he'd have to leave Hogwarts."
"Werewolves are dangerous," Sirius pointed out.
"But he's not dangerous," James protested. "He leaves every full moon."
Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.
"True. Of course, Remus is sensible about it."
James had to snicker at that. It was a very Remus way of dealing with things.
"Are we going to tell Remus we know?" Sirius asked hesitantly.
That was a very good question.
"Um."
They couldn't hide it, could they? Would Remus want them to tell them? He had been trying to hide it from them. But maybe because he was scared of their reaction? They weren't mad or angry or upset so maybe it would be okay?
Oh, James didn't know. It wasn't like they could ask anyone about how to deal with this!
"We need to have a conference," James said decisively. "Where's Peter?"
Monday 7th May 1973
Professor McGonagall's Office, 12:30
Alice stood indecisively outside her Head of House's office clutching a piece of parchment in her hands. She had a little bit of a dilemma, quite literally, in her hands.
It was her Third Year Electives and it was causing her all manner of grief. Oh, not from too much advice and indecisiveness that had been plaguing the rest of her year. Quite the opposite. She had quite a restricted set of choices and, unfortunately for her, Ancient Runes was not on that list.
See, Ancient Runes was not something young ladies took. No, definitely not. Because the only thing that led to was a career and what need did she have of that? Never mind that they were so fascinating and mysterious. That they told stories. No. Not an appropriate subject for her to take.
But surely it wouldn't matter? She was taking Care of Magical Creatures and Healing, useful for any woman running a household - every mother should know how to heal minor injuries and brew healing potions after all. Doing Ancient Runes wouldn't be that big of a deal. Right?
Alice wished she could believe that but she could almost hear the reactions of her parents. They would be so annoyed, maybe even furious. Definitely disappointed. They would go on about how Gryffindor was making her unladylike again. Which it wasn't! She had always loved the idea of Runes; they were in all her stories and fairy tales.
Suddenly, Professor McGonagall opened the door and gave her a startled look.
"Miss Smith?"
Alice was not prepared for this to happen, she suddenly realised that she maybe didn't want to discuss this at all.
"Sorry, Professor, I don't have an appointment, and, uh, well, I'll just go -" she babbled.
"Nonsense, come on in," she was instructed.
Well, she couldn't very well disobey, could she? So, she didn't and somehow, she ended up in the chair in front of Professor McGonagall's desk with a ginger newt in her hand.
Professor McGonagall was behind her desk, watching her. Expecting her to say something. Alice didn't know what to say so she kept on chewing on her mouthful of biscuit. It was pretty much dust now.
"What do you need, Miss Smith?" Professor McGonagall finally asked and looked down at the parchment Alice was still holding tightly onto. "Are you having difficulty making your choices?"
Mutely, she shook her head. She wished that was her problem.
"Then what?"
That had to be the gentlest tone Alice had ever heard Professor McGonagall use. It put her at ease.
Alice swallowed heavily, the fine crumbs coating her throat as well as her mouth now - it made it even harder to speak.
Haltingly, she explained her problem, McGonagall's lips getting thinner and thinner as she talked. That definitely wasn't a good sign. Alice gulped and trailed off. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She could be happy with just Care of Magical Creatures and Healing. Maybe she could get herself a few books on Runes and teach herself?
It felt like she was starting to babble again and not make any sense but Professor McGonagall didn't interrupt or tell her off or anything.
Eventually, though, she did stop herself. Mostly because she noticed that she had started repeating herself. She was panting like she had run some large distance.
"I don't know what to do, Professor," she finished helplessly.
It was embarrassing, but she had to rub at her eyes. Over a subject choice. She was being so silly.
At least Professor McGonagall was k9nd enough not to say so. In fact, she offered her biscuit tin again. Alice hesitated but her stomach rumbled. She took another biscuit; this was lunch time after all.
Speaking of that, Professor McGonagall seemed to realise that as well as she reached for a plate and tapped on it with her wand. Immediately it filled with sandwiches. Wow. She took one and offered the plate to Alice.
"No point in is missing lunch."
No, there was not. Yum, that was a good sandwich.
"You are allowed to take three electives," Professor McGonagall pointed out after they both finished a sandwich. "Though it takes a lot from the student to balance the work."
Alice nodded, "Yes ma'am, I know and I still want to do it."
"Then you should do so."
"But, my parents -"
"Are not the ones doing the work," she pointed out firmly. "If you think that you are capable of the workload then you should do so."
Alice chewed on her bottom lip, not sure what to do. She really did want to so Ancient Runes, she did, but her parents really wouldn't like it. Really wouldn't like it. Did Professor McGonagall not understand that? Grades weren't the only thing at stake here!
"Of course, I can't make that decision for you -"
Alice really wished she could but other people choosing for her was how she got this problem. Professor McGonagall produced a sheaf of parchment.
"-but I can ensure you make an informed decision."
Alice blinked at her.
"What's that?"
"That is the Ancient Runes syllabus for third through seventh years and what you can do with the knowledge you get in each year."
She stared at it. It was an awful lot. But she was interested, even more so now, so she took it.
"You have until Friday to make a decision," she was reminded. "If I were you, I would give each consideration some thought."
Alice nodded. A list of pros and cons. She could do that.
"But, Alice?"
She startled at that; she didn't think she had ever heard Professor McGonagall use someone's first name.
"Don't sacrifice yourself for the sake of others."
Tuesday 15th May 1973
Gryffindor Second Year Boys Dorm, 16:00
Remus dumped his bag by his dresser and flung himself on his bed. It had been a long day and he was glad that it was over. It didn't help that everyone seemed to be obnoxiously loud today. Though, Hogwarts was always obnoxiously loud. There were several hundred children living together. That certainly wasn't quiet. It was just too much for today.
He was hoping to get an hour or so of peaceful quiet in the Dorm before dinner. Maybe lie on his bed and doze for a bit. That might get rid of his headache (which he wasn't going to the Hospital Wing for because Madam Pomfrey would just keep him there until the full moon of she had her way).
That apparently wasn't to be because he could feel someone else's presence in the room. Several someones, in fact.
He rolled to see all three of his dormmates staring quite intensely at him.
"What?" he asked. "Is there something wrong?"
"Not exactly..." Sirius trailed off only to be elbowed in the ribs by James.
"We just want to tell you something," James said. "It's important."
That got Remus sitting up and frowning. This sounded quite serious.
"Yes?" He prompted when it became obvious that no one was going to speak.
The three of them looked at each other and made a series of faces that Remus assumed was meant to mean something but he couldn't decipher them. Couldn't they just get a move on? This was making him anxious.
Suddenly, Peter and Sirius gave James a shove so that he was standing in front of them. Looked like he was going to be their spokesperson.
James took and extreme deep breath before announcing, "We know you're a werewolf."
Talk about a bombshell. It was like Remus' whole world had come to a standstill over that one little sentence. The sentence that he had been dreading to hear. That he never wanted to hear.
He staggered and landed heavily on the nearest bed. Peter's. Not that he particularly cared at the moment, the worst thing of his life had just happened after all.
What was going to happen now? What did he do? Had they told anyone else? Did he go straight to Dumbledore?
"I think we can take that as a definite yes now," he heard Sirius mutter.
Not that Remus was overly aware of his surrounding anymore. Yes, that's what he'd do. Dumbledore. He'd go to Dumbledore. The man would need to know anyway, right?
But Remus didn't want to tell the Headmaster. Didn't want this to be real. But it was real. All too real.
"I'll go tell Dumbledore that I need to go," he said, standing up.
Each of them exchanged puzzled looks.
"What?" Peter asked but Remus wasn't listening.
All he could hear was the whooshing noise in his ears as everything came crashing down around him. It had, quite frankly, been a miracle that he'd managed it for two years. Well, almost two years. Would he be even allowed to finish his second year? He hoped so, he'd hate for his revising to go to waste.
He didn't even get as far as the door before James and Sirius blocked his way with their arms folded. Did they want to beat him up or something first? Teach him a lesson?
The none too gently led him back to Peter's bed and stood over him. He cowered slightly, having himself for it but they looked so intimidating with even Peter appearing to look over him.
"Remus," James said gently. "We don't care."
"What?" he asked stupidly, not comprehending.
He couldn't have heard James right, could he? It was just some wishful thinking, nothing more.
"We don't care that you're a werewolf," Peter elaborated.
"At all," Sirius felt the need to quickly add, probably felt left out.
"You don't care?" Remus repeated.
"No."
"You're not scared?"
"No."
"But I'm dangerous!"
That got him a shove from James.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," he said with an eyeroll. "Sirius here is more dangerous when he doesn't get his coffee."
"He gets all growly when he doesn't," Peter supplied.
"And that happens loads more time than you get growly," James said dismissively.
Remus gaped at him. Get growly? He doesn't "get growly"! He turns into a monster!
"Hey!" Sirius said indignantly.
"Shhh!" James scolded. "Your unhealthy coffee habits aren't important right now."
"They're none of your business," Sirius grumbled.
James rolled his eyes and Remus couldn't help but give a weak chuckle. He thought his coffee habits were bad but Sirius' were terrible. He drank an incomprehensible amount of coffee each day. Remus just stuck to unhealthy amounts in the morning like a normal person.
His stomach sank again. But he wasn't a normal person, was he? Peter elbowed him, yanking him out of his thoughts.
"See? We don't mind."
Remus let out a hysterical sounding laugh. Didn't mind? Didn't mind? This wasn't a matter of not minding. This was about them feeling safe. Being safe. Anyway, how could they not mind? He was a monster for crying out loud.
"Only once a month," James replied.
Oops, had he said that last sentence out loud?
Sirius nodded. "I hear girls get like that too."
That wasn't funny. You couldn't compare girls and what he went through. You just couldn't. He jumped as James sat next to him and slung an arm around his shoulders.
"Hey! Calm down. Breath in and out."
He hadn't even realised that he was hyperventilating but he was and the world was starting to go a bit fuzzy.
"In and out, Remus. Like me."
James exaggerated slow breathing, which Remus tried to imitate. It was difficult but he managed. Eventually. He got a pat on the back for his efforts.
"See? That wasn't so hard."
Easy for him to say. Remus still felt like he wanted to hyperventilate but he made an effort not to. He had to be aware of what was going to happen next. If anything was even going to happen.
Remus looked at each of them in turn and only saw genuine honesty in their faces. They, they really didn't care. They knew and they didn't care. They didn't care.
His eyes started to burn and he blinked rapidly. Sirius patted him awkwardly on the shoulder. That was his undoing.
Completely embarrassing himself, Remus burst into tears.
Friday 18th May 1973
Gryffindor Common Room, 18:00
"Have you not handed that in yet?" Sirius asked, settling himself into the spot on the sofa next to Peter.
Peter looked up from the parchment he had been rather intensely looking at and frowned guiltily.
"Professor McGonagall gave me an extra week," he admitted slowly.
Though that was up today, in an hour, so he'd have to be quick about this.
It probably wasn't something to go blabbing around or else she would have got none of the forms back but he was genuinely having a tough time choosing. There were just too many options! Peter had literally agonised over the decisions he had to make. It was just cruel to do this when you were only in second year? What did they know about what they wanted to be at this age?
"I thought you made your decision," Sirius said in a questioning tone. "Didn't you try to have subjects that overlapped with all three of us?"
He had done that, not wanting to be alone in any class but he did want to take Divination. But the others just thought that was stuff and nonsense though Remus had put it a lot kinder than that.
"I changed my mind."
Sirius just shook his head but peered over his shoulder.
"What are you thinking of then?"
"Divination," Peter said needlessly, pointing to the newly added subject on his list.
Sirius snorted at that, making Peter frown.
"What?"
"You know you can't be taught Divination?" Sirius said scathingly. "You either have the Gift or you don't."
"You don't know that," Peter felt the need to argue. "You can't make prophecies without having the Gift of the Sight but you can be taught how to read signs of the future."
Surely, they wouldn't teach it at Hogwarts if that was the case? Peter looked doubtfully down at his choices.
Why did they have to make all these decisions?
Tuesday 29th May 1973
Gryffindor Common Room, 19:30
Marlene watched as the Marauders, as they'd taken to calling themselves - something what McGonagall said to them appears, practically sprinted across the Common Room. Lots of annoyed yells followed them.
"Got it, Remus!" James called from the stairs to the boys' dorms.
Marlene had no clue what they were doing but it looked hilarious, mainly because of all the annoyed looks they were getting from anyone else.
"I cut it!" Remus replied, holding up the end of a rope.
Wait, a rope? Why did they have a rope? She didn't get a chance to asked as the four of them were coiling it up and running up to the dorms. With a sigh, she turned back to Lily.
"Do they seem different somehow?" she asked.
"Who?" Lily replied disinterestedly.
"The Marauders."
"Don't call them that. You'll just make them even more insufferable," Lily tutted.
Marlene brushed Lily's comment aside. "But do you?" Marlene asked again.
"Do I what?"
"Think they've been acting differently."
Lily gave her a puzzled look.
"How?"
Marlene waved her hand at the stairs to the boys' dorms and made a frustrated noise.
"I don't know. Different? Closer or something?"
"Hmm."
At least that got Lily thinking. Maybe she would be able to come up with something.
Lily shook her head. "They've just got louder."
Sunday 3rd June 1973
Gryffindor Second Year Boys Dorm
"Where's my good luck charm?" James demanded, looking balefully at them from under his bed.
Sirius gave him an unimpressed look.
"Excuse me?"
"My good luck charm, where is it?"
"I don't know."
Why would he know where James' good luck charm was? It wasn't like he needed it for anything. It was probably under all of James' mess. Sirius eyed James' side of the dorm. It was a tip. As usual.
James gave him a suspicious look.
"I bet you took it."
"And why would I take it? Good luck charms are stupid."
They really were. Luck wasn't a thing. It was up to you to change things, not some suspicious looking 'charm'. Especially not that monstrosity of James'. Even if luck was real, that was sure to bring about bad luck.
"Because it's powerful."
Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose and slowly breathed in and out. He was not going to respond to that. He wasn't. Because all they would be doing would be repeating an argument, they frequently had over it.
"I didn't touch that nasty thing of yours."
He really hadn't, Sirius didn't want that thing anywhere near him. It had started to ooze even more recently. And it had a weird smell. If all else failed, maybe they could get Remus to sniff it out. This werewolf business meant he had heightened senses, right?
James grumbled incoherently and kicked around his stuff. He was going to lose something else if he wasn't careful.
Who on earth would take that stupid thing anyway? James probably just lost it and this was all going to be for nothing.
Sirius caught Remus' eye, raising an eyebrow in question. He just got a sheepish look in return. Oh. It looked like Remus had done something to it. Thank Merlin. That thing was foul. Even the House Elves wanted nothing to do with it, poor things.
"You don't need a good luck charm for your exams," Remus argued. "You need to study!"
"I need both!"
Thursday 14th June 1973
Transfiguration Classroom, 10:30
Lily breathed a sigh of relief as she left the classroom. It was over. Her least favourite subject was over. And she didn't think she'd done too badly.
But it was still a Transfiguration Exam so it was good to be out. Only three exams left to go and one of those was their Charms practical, which she wasn't too worried about.
She waited for Severus, thankfully he was just behind her.
"How did you find that?" she asked.
He pulled a face but didn't look too distressed. Transfiguration wasn't his favourite subject either.
"I just got it finished in time."
Suddenly, Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew all came barrelling out. They seemed to do nothing alone.
"That was easy!" Potter declared happily.
"Boring even," Black said with a fake yawn.
Lily scowled at them. They really were obnoxious and she was going to tell them so. Unfortunately, she was thwarted by Marlene practically jumping on her and pulling her away.
"You're going to quiz me on Herbology!"
Friday 22nd June 1973
Gryffindor Common Room, 17:00
"Told you you didn't need that stupid good luck charm," Remus told him triumphantly, poking at the piece of paper James was holding.
James did the extremely mature thing and stuck his tongue out at him. Remus just shook his head. James literally had nothing to worry about, he had come in the top five in their year in Transfiguration, History of Magic, Potions and Charms. Even snagged the top spot in Transfiguration. All without that odd smelling thing.
Actually, they had all done well. Sirius had come just below James in Transfiguration (much to his annoyance), also second in Charms (just below Evans, also to his disgust) and top in Astronomy. He was in the top ten in everything else. Peter hadn't done too badly either, his best mark placing him joint second in Charms with Sirius and fifth in Defence. No poor marks for any of his exams either. And then there was him. Remus was incredibly pleased with all of his results. Top in Defence, narrowly beating Snape this year, and a respectable in the top ten for everything else. Except Astronomy but the night sky and him weren't exactly friends.
"We should celebrate," Peter suggested.
James shook his head, shoving his results into his cloak pocket.
"There's no time for that. We need to sort put something for the House Cup."
"Like last year?" asked Sirius.
James nodded. "But bigger."
