Hogwarts was still in a grim mood Tuesday morning. As the whole of the castle went down to breakfast, no one suspected that they were in for something other than food and conversation.
That is, except for the Marauders.
"You're positive everything has been set up right?" Remus checked. "If we did anything wrong, someone could get hurt."
"Relax, Moony," Sirius said. "We're fine."
The Marauders sat down in their usual spots.
"Now," James said.
There was the soft mutter of an incantation, and it began.
Welcome to Hogwarts' first ever competitive game of The Floor Is Lava, brought to you by the Marauders.
Everyone turned to look at the Marauders.
James and Sirius grinned.
"You should probably pay attention to the rules," James suggested.
Everyone turned back towards the writing.
For those of you who already know the muggle game, it is very similar. There will be a countdown from three. When it hits zero, the floor turns to lava (in this case, literally) and you need to find a place to stand where you won't touch the floor. Should that happen, you will burn to a crisp and lose the game. As the game progresses, potential perches will sink into the lava. If you are on a piece of furniture when it sinks and you touch the lava, you lose. The winner earns immunity for their house from our next prank. Should a teacher win, their house will earn immunity. Should a teacher win and not have a house, they alone will win immunity. When you have gotten out, you may leave the Great Hall to change.
The game will begin in…
Three…
Two…
One…
When the countdown had begun, the Marauders had scrambled onto the table. A good number of others followed their lead.
Now!
Those who hadn't climbed onto a table or bench jumped, fell backwards, or froze in shock. Lava had begun spreading from the center of the Great Hall, creeping toward the students.
It reached the edge of the Hufflepuff table.
"We're all going to die!" a second year screeched.
Pandemonium broke out, and in the chaos, none of them noticed that the table was not on fire, nor were they.
By the time the Hufflepuffs realized that they might not die, the lava had spread throughout the whole hall.
The other houses began laughing.
Not for very long.
The first half of the Slytherin table sank into the lava.
The Slytherins began yelling loudly as they went down towards the lava, making even louder noises when they got closer to the bubbling orange substance.
"They sound like puhterydactols," Sirius noted. "Particularly Snivellus."
He wasn't wrong about Snape; he was shrieking louder than most of his classmates.
"What?" Remus said.
"You should know. Puhterydactols." At Remus' still confused expression, he elaborated, "The flying dinosaurs."
"You mean pterodactyls," Remus said.
"That's what I said!"
On the other side of the hall, the lava-bound Slytherins had stopped shrieking.
"It won't burn you," a first year announced, knee deep in lava. "It's just like being in a hot tub."
Majority of the Slytherins responded to this by jumping into the lava to remove themselves from the game, as did a number of people from the other houses.
"They can't just quit, can they?" James said.
Sirius shrugged. "Don't complain, mate. The more Slytherins that give up, the less of a chance that they'll win immunity."
"Good poin- oi! We're sinking, get to the other end of the table!"
The table shuddered beneath them.
The Gryffindors on the Marauders' half of the table hurried to crowd with the rest of their housemates that were sitting closest to the staff table.
Remus and Peter managed to make it to the safe half of the table. James and Sirius were not as lucky.
Lily stood in the middle of their path.
"Now would be a good time to step to the side, Evans," Sirius said. "You wouldn't let your future husband burn to a crisp, would you?"
"Potter isn't my future husband," Lily said cooly. "I'm more than happy to let him burn."
"But Evans, we're perfect together!" James insisted.
Lily glared at him.
"Look, Evans, maybe you'd let James burn, but me? Your favorite Marauder?" Sirius pleaded.
The table was now almost level with the lava.
"The only decent Marauders are Remus and Peter. You two are just-"
"Oi, Peter! Tell Evans to let us through!" James called down the table.
Peter sighed. "Why me?"
"Because she'll-"
James was interrupted by a loud shout.
"Oh! It burns! Evans, how could you! I'm dying!" Sirius yelled dramatically. The table had sunken into the lava, and he was now ankle deep.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Get on with it, then."
"Never! I refuse to-"
James, who had already given up, grabbed Sirius from behind and gave his shoulder a push.
He lost his balance and fell into the lava.
"James! You're supposed to be on my side!" Sirius said.
"I am!" James said. "You were too busy being dramatic to notice that the staff table is sinking. I had to get your attention."
Sirius looked up to the staff table.
It was almost completely submerged in lava. Most of the teachers had already given up, except or Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick.
Flitwick looked up and said something to Dumbledore, who nodded briskly and pulled out his wand.
He gave it a quick flick, and McGonagall floated across the lava to the non submerged part of the Gryffindor table.
"Hey! No magic allowed!" Sirius said.
"There was no rule against it, Mr. Black," McGonagall said briskly. "Mr. Pettigrew, Ms. Evans, step to the side, please, there are still two more teachers coming."
Flitwick made it across just in time. Dumbledore was not quite as lucky.
"I suppose that I'm out," he said matter-of-factly, looking down at the lava he was standing in. "Best of luck, Minerva, Filius. I daresay that you'd enjoy immunity for you and your students."
The game continued, only getting more competitive as more tables sank.
The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables, as well as a bench from Hufflepuff, were the last few pieces of furniture to not sink.
The dozen Ravenclaws were huddled together, talking quickly and quietly. Flitwick and McGonagall were talking as well. The Gryffindors were watching the Ravenclaws, not attempting to work together. One of the Hufflepuffs was sharing a large piece of bacon with her remaining housemates.
The Ravenclaw table began to descend. Breaking from their huddle, the Ravenclaws pulled out wands.
"Partners!" someone yelled.
Half of the Ravenclaws were levitated across the gaping chasm to the Gryffindor table. Upon gaining their footing, they raised their wands and began levitating their fellow housemates.
Some of the Gryffindors were on the very edge of the table, centimeters from toppling off.
"There's not enough room for everyone," Hestia said, watching the incoming Ravenclaws.
Remus slipped his wand out. "Don't worry, we'll make room," he said lightly. Discreetly, he aimed at one of the Ravenclaws that was levitating her partner. "Flipendo."
The Ravenclaw was knocked off of the table, and her partner fell from the air, both landing in the lava.
"Remus! They could have gotten hurt!" Lily said.
"There's a cushioning charm on the floor," Remus shrugged. "I had a feeling people would be pushed."
Only four of the Ravenclaws got across successfully. The rest were knocked from the air or off the table.
Once down in the lava, they proceeded to aim their wands at the Gryffindors, sending a manner of hexes their way.
The table began to sink as the Ravenclaw table had. With nowhere to go, most of the Gryffindors gave up, deciding to jump into the lava and avoid some of the hexes still coming at them. Which meant-
Congratulations, Hufflepuff! You have won The Floor Is Lava and immunity from the Marauders' next prank.
The majority of the lava vanished and the tables became visible again, though now they were coated with lava.
Thank you for playing, and enjoy the remainder of your day.
McGonagall turned to where James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were standing. "Marauders-"
"Don't worry, Minnie! We'll clean it up," Sirius assured her.
"Do that, then," McGonagall said. "After Transfiguration, I want you four to come and see me."
"Everyone else- to your lessons!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I suspect your first class will be a tad bit shorter after this excitement, and I'm sure you all want to get as much of your class work done before the end of the day."
The Great Hall cleared out quickly enough, and the Marauders began the cleanup.
"Scourgify!" James said, pointing his wand at the Gryffindor table. "Why isn't it working?"
"Probably because it's not meant for lava," Remus said. "Transfigure something into a cloth, we have to clean it off by hand."
James groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."
They finished midway through History of Magic. Rather than going to class, they took a trip to the kitchens.
"Can I have a bunch of biscuits?" Sirius asked when they got there.
"You're going to be having biscuits when we go to Minnie's office," Peter said.
Sirius continued as though he hadn't heard. "And some chicken, some chocolate, cake, and- what did you want again, James?"
"Butterbeer," James said.
"Yeah, and four butterbeers."
The house elves nodded quickly and hurried to bring them the food.
"Thanks," James said.
"Anytime, Messrs. Anything we can be doing to help," an elf squeaked happily.
"Well, mates," James said. "I think that went well."
"Yeah, Minnie enjoyed it, didn't she?" Sirius said, grabbing a biscuit.
"Of course she did, she loves our pranks!" James said.
"I don't know about that," Remus said.
"She does, and even if she doesn't, she loves me, so it's okay," Sirius decided.
Remus sighed. "I don't think she loves you, Sirius."
"Yes, she does. How dare you suggest otherwise?"
"Hufflepuff has immunity now," Peter said, changing the subject.
"That's fine," James said. "You know what that means."
Sirius grinned. "It's time to get the Slytherins."
James nodded. "Any suggestions?"
Once they had finished their food, they made their way to McGonagall's office.
"Have a biscuit," McGonagall said when they came in.
"Thanks, Minnie," Sirius said.
"And don't eat too many," McGonagall said. "I need them for other students as well."
"Alright, I won't eat more than six."
"Mr. Black-"
"So, Minnie, what are we here for?" Sirius helped himself to another biscuit.
"I'm sure you four know." McGonagall pursed her lips. "Using lava in the Great Hall was extremely dangerous. Someone could have gotten severely injured, or killed. For your carelessness, fifty points from Gryffindor."
The Marauders exchanged looks.
"We were really careful with all the charms, Professor," Remus said. "I double checked everything to make sure we did them right."
"However," McGonagall said, looking at them carefully, "the charms work was extremely precise and worked very well. For that, I'd say twenty points to Gryffindor."
"Come on, Minnie. It's worth at least thirty, right?" Sirius said.
"I wasn't finished, Mr. Black. I have also noticed that since your game this morning, people have seemed to be much more lighthearted. Fifteen points for providing them with a well needed distraction." McGonagall's lips twitched up at the corners, almost smiling. "Now, I expect you have another class to get to? I've only got a half hour until my next class, and I have papers to grade."
"Yeah. Thanks, Minnie," James said.
McGonagall sighed. "Go on, then. I'm sure Professor Flitwick would prefer you to be on time."
They left the office and began making their way to Charms.
"That wasn't too bad," James said. "Only five points, and even better- no detention!"
"Why would Minnie do something like that? She was impressed," Sirius said.
"I don't think impressed is the right word," Remus said.
"She smiled, didn't she? She never does that. That counts for something."
"Of course it does, but-"
"I wonder how many times we can get her to smile because of something we've done before we graduate," James said thoughtfully. "Let's start keeping track."
"We're already at two or three," Peter said.
"I bet we can make thirty," Sirius decided.
"Thirty five," James said.
"Alright. Three down, thirty two to go."