Chapter 68

The New Poltergeist

Filch was furious.

Peeves was causing more trouble than he had fixed.

The Marauders decided to label him as their Halloween prank. Telling Dumbledore by way of words writ ten in fire at dinner that day...

The Marauders would like to introduce Hogwarts to the New Peeves the Poltergeist

We have found his true calling...

James wrote the words this time, he was practically bouncing at the thought of it finally being his turn before dinner had begun.

We are quite offended to think that you thought he may be able to rid you of us

So we choose to think you were merely providing us with a new friend.

And we choose to thank you.

Happy Halloween!

McGonagall moaned, she'd had two suspects for Peeves' change. These Marauders or Sirius and James. She was even about ready to call the boys into her office. Well she didn't have to do that anymore.

The only ones that were happy about the Marauders Halloween message was those that had obtained detentions from Peeves, witch really was the majority of the school.

Peeves hadn't been a well liked addition to the school.

By the end of the week he was even less liked.

He played tricks on everyone, he was thoroughly enjoying his new life, and the Marauders were thoroughly enjoying watching him enjoy himself.

He even played tricks on the Marauders, or tried to anyway. For the most part he was successful, but no one could prank Sirius... No one. Peeves never gave up trying though thus the reason James, Remus and Peter found themselves trapped in a very sticky goo two weeks later as Sirius stood outside of it laughing at them.

Peeves joined in laughing untill he realized Sirius wasn't in the goo pile. He looked from Sirius, who was now smirking at him, to the other Marauders and back.

"Nice try, but no can do." Sirius told him leaning up against the wall. Peeves pouted a little before floating away to think of a new plan to try out.

"Wait? How are we getting out?" Remus asked. Sirius laughed again and got out his wand, vanishing the goo.

"Woah, when did you learn vanishing?" Remus asked.

"Just recently," Sirius answered.

"That's pretty cool."

"Can we head back to the dorm? I feel really gross," James said, as he was still rather sticky.

"Ya, me too." Remus agreed.

"Ah, yo sissies." Sirius smirked at them.

"Please if you were in our place you'd be crying." James rolled his eyes at him.

"Not crying no, but very upset... but I'm not in your place so it doesn't matter. I wasn't stupid enough to fall for it.

James looked shocked, "hey don't talk about Moony like that." He said giving Remus a one armed hug.

"He was talking about you too."

"Shhh, Moony, don't talk to the crazy person," he said now pulling Remus gently away from Sirius.

"I was talking about you, James."

"I don't know what you're talking about Remus."

"James, if you don't let go of me we are going to end up stuck together and I promise I will rip you off me, how ever painful it will be, before I take a shower with you." Remus told him very calmly, causing the words to sound very menacing. James instantly let go and took two steps away.

Sirius' laughter didn't subside untill they were in the shower and he was alone in the room. When they came out they saw him doodling on their Map. James watched as he drew an excellent image of the whomping willow.

"I thought we were done with that by now," he said hiding his surprise at Sirius' drawing skills.

"I was thinking about it. I don't think we should just leave it as it is. What if someone finds it. It's kinda dangerous, I don't want anyone, but us, to be able to find secret ways into Hogwarts," Sirius replied, looking up from the page. James thought about it. It was true, the map could be potentially harmful, but still...

"Why would anyone else find it? It's not like we're going to leave it laying around somewhere." He shrugged, passing it off as a waste of time.

"No James, Sirius is right. Just because the chances are slim doesn't mean we should be taking chances. With all the stuff going on in the news... and to tell you the truth I don't know that we can trust everyone here," Remus argued, he was glad, as well as a little worried, that Sirius had thought of it. Sirius knew way to much about how things could be potentially abused.

Sirius turned to look at Remus. "I know you can't trust everyone here, and if we can figure out how to sneak ingo their common room, they can figure out ways to sneak into ours. I'm sure of it."

"That's a scary thought." James repressed a shutter. "So what can we do?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"It does no good to hide it, then even we can't use it and it becomes a waste of time and effort," Remus decided.

What if there is a way to hide it in plain sight? Like make a way that only we can see it?" James sat on his bed and tired to think, but nothing came to mind.

"That's pretty advanced magic. I don't think I know haw to do something like that."

"But I thought you could do everything, Sirius."

"Shush! we were supposed to keep that between the two of us!" Sirius joked.

"Woops, I forgot."

"Some friend you are."

"Hey now. Them's fighting words right there." James laughed.

"Please... like you'd ever be able to hold your own against me."

"I could in muggle fighting," he defended.

"James, a ten-year-old could beat me in muggle fighting. That is if I didn't decide to cheat."

"You're willing to admit that?" Remus asked, worrying for his friend's sanity. Half the time Sirius was as proud as a Jack Russell Terrier, but other times he seemed surprisingly insecure. Only James seemed to completely understand the defective mind of Sirius Black sometimes. Remus laughed, partly due to his own train of though and partly because, as he was speaking, James asked..

"You'd cheat against a ten-year-old?"

"Yes to both questions," he answered without hesitating.

"What a bum."

"I never claimed otherwise," Sirius shrugged. "If anyone attacks me fighting fair is the last thing on my mind."

"And all Morals fly out the window?"

"Fighting children who are attacking you and are only three years younger then you is immoral?"

"Okay, you've got a point on the three years younger thing... What if they were younger? Say a six-year-old, what then?"

"Why in the world would a six-year-old be attacking me?"

"Imperuas curse," how James was able to answer with no emotion on his face they would never know.

There was silence for a while as Sirius tried to thing about the answer.

"I suppose it would depend a lot upon the circumstances. Bit if I couldn't find any other way... I wouldn't like it, bu I probably would not hessitate to fight back, even if they were using a child. Am I awful for it?

"No. I think I would too. Especially if someone else's life depended on it."

There was silence as they slowly realized what they were talking about.

"This talk never happened. We never even considered that children could be used as weapons. This subject doesn't leave our mouths and we shall never speak of it again," Remus said, horror evident on his face.

"Speak of what?" James agreed.