AN: I'd totally forgotten about the existence of Halloween!!!! How could I have? Oh well, this'll be a chapter on it, so all done! Oh, and I wasn't aware that you'll jump to each new person I'll introduce [ulp!] Unless you really wanted Pettigrew on *shudder* and skip the fun, I can try that. Just thought you might want a whole different story from the original. Ideas? I dream of them, and they are NOT pleasant. 'course, I flowered it a little … and I'll be adding Anna Hopkins to a rival list [I always do that :P] thank you so much, those who reviewed for all my stories and even some of them!
bunny chan
Disclaimer: if you'd read each chapter of my fic from start, you won't wanna hear this…
The Marauding Five : Year Three
Chapter 3: Halloween Hogwarts
Severus Snape was suffering from the Marauders. But he wasn't the only one, though. The Slytherin house had joined him in getting rid of the Marauders. Lily, James, Sirius and Remus had carefully painted the whole of the Slytherin common room and almost all their paths with the rat-trap glue Lily had brought. Several traps with heavy, old, sharp and really dangerous weapons planted in them were placed almost everywhere. Boulders fall when you tried to climb the stairs, banana skins were scattered here and there to slip anyone that come across them and a million more unthinkable things.
The Marauders were tired of using magical tools to play their pranks on, thus, had decided on settling with dangerous muggle pranks. Ninchakus were placed in the common room, so that whenever anyone opens the door, daggers flew and the ninchakus will whirl. However, the four weren't really tired of magical stuff. Biting pillows replaced cushions, gobbling chairs took over the comfy sofas and a chomping carpet ate up the Slytherin's green and silver carpet.
Professor Halley was at her wits' ends, finding out all that had been done to her house. She stomped into the Great Hall, whereby everyone was happily eating their breakfast. Owls flew everywhere, looking for the addressees and chattings were heard everywhere.
'POTTER, EVANS, BLACK, LUPIN!!!! WHAT HAD YOU DONE TO THE SLYTHERIN HOUSE???' Halley thundered. Everyone looked quite taken aback by her behaviour, for the professor is normally a happy-go-lucky woman, very much unlike the Slytherins. The Marauders didn't seem to hear her, as they were still talking about their lessons.
'And that Red-Cap went poof!' Remus was talking.
'I hate it when you're so good with Dark Creatures!' Sirius said jealously.
'Talent, Si, talent,' Lily said sympathically, patting him.
'I have talents,' the boy replied in an indigant voice.
'Yeah, you sure do, Si,' James grinned.
Halley stomped over to the Gryffindors table.
'WHAT HAD YOU DONE TO THE SLYTHERINS?' Halley screamed. They casually covered their ears with their fingers.
'Yes, Halley?'
'Hey, d'you know that Halley's a sort of comet? It is one huge one and it happens about every seventy years!'
'Wow!'
'It's also one of the biggest comet ever known! The tail's really, really long and it's really, really beautiful!'
'Hey, cool fact! Halley, you know about this?'
'RESTORE EVERYTHING BACK AT ONCE!'
'Restore what?'
'The Slytherin house!'
'Where is it?'
'It's at-'
'Halley! Do not conceal the whereabouts of your house!' McGonagall said sharply.
'What happened?' Dumbledore asked.
'Professor! Someone seemed to have messed up the Slytherin common room, dorms, the house!'
'And why did you suspect Lily, James, Sirius and Remus?'
'Er…'
'When is this, Halley?'
'Just a few minutes ago. Everything popped up when the Slytherins woke up.'
'But they had been here an hour ago. They got up early to practise Quidditch,' Flitwick squeaked. 'I saw them!'
The Marauders smiled innocently. One they had practised for a long time and the one that pulled them off suspicions. Halley turned off without a word.
'Hey, speaking of Quidditch, how about we ask Terry to let Remus in? About time, isn't it?' James said. They nodded and made their way to Terrykinns, who was chatting constantly with Catherine and Geraldine Googles, his other friend.
'Hey Terry!' they greeted.
'What? No greeting for me?' Catherine said, looking hurt.
'Hi Kat!' Lily greeted.
'Hey, how did you guys pull the trick?' Terrykinns asked, looking up from his plate.
'Really long story. We had a few stuff to help us, so do not try this at home. We're professionals,' Sirius grinned.
'Tell!!' Catherine begged. They went back to the common room to talk about it, afraid that if McGonagall hears, they'll be sentenced to detention.
'See, we sneaked into the Slytherin house last night,' Lily started.
'And we brought along what Lily brought,' James continued.
'Placed those weapons here and there, did a few measurements around and a couple of spells,' Remus went on.
'And started our plan,' Sirius finished.
'Yeah, but how?' Terrykinns asked.
'We replaced everything with what we'd gotten from Hogsmeade,' Sirius said brightly. At this point, the two senior years eyed at them.
'Hogsmeade visits hadn't started yet,' Catherine began slowly.
'They hadn't?'
'No. Not yet. Explain now, Sirius!' Terrykinns said.
Sirius! You stupid, stupid dog! Why did you tell? Lily asked him mentally.
What, you think I remembered? It's our usual activity! Sirius retorted.
James, do something!!!! Lily begged.
I'm trying to! Ask Remus for reasons! James replied nervously
Don't ask me! Remus said.
How come our minds are connected? Sirius asked.
Uh, my powers? Do something!!!! Anything! Just something! Lily begged.
I know! Sirius' mental voice said.
What?
Run away!
Good idea, Si.
Okay, on the count of three.
One.
Two.
RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The four sprinted off outside the portrait hole as quick as they can. Terrykinns and Catherine were spinned around as they ran towards their secret room for hiding. Lily made sure that no one was around before whispering the password at the mirror. It opened and they scrambled in, closing it quickly.
'Phew! That was one thing,' Sirius said, breathing heavily.
'Lily, your psychic powers are improving!' Remus said.
'Congratulations, Lily!' James said to the girl.
'Yeah, now I mastered another level. I'm exactly at the same level as my mother,' Lily said.
'Really? Cool!' Sirius said, gaining breath now.
'No, I wanna prove to her that I'll be better. I hadn't told her how good I was progressing; just how bad.'
'Why?'
'So I can surprise her.'
'Okay, but what's the point? Besides, what's the next level?'
'I can show you if you want. I'm practising it already.'
'What is it?'
Lily transfigured a parchment into a spoon. 'Watch.'
They watched. Lily seemed to be looking at the spoon calmly. Suddenly, before their very eyes, the spoon bend into two and a loud crack was heard.
'Ouch! That was good, Li!' James congratulated.
'That was just a spoon. I'm practising on little models now,' Lily said, shrugging everything. 'See what I learnt!'
'What?'
'Want a glass of water, Si?'
'I want food.'
'Name it.'
'Apple pie!' Sirius said at once.
'I want pumpkin cookies!' Remus voiced.
'Cookies will do,' James said simply.
Lily held out a finger and concentrated at it. Soon, a plate of apple pie, pumpkin cookies and chocolate chip cookies came flying in.
'What sort is this?' Sirius asked, cutting a huge slice out.
'Power? It somehow seemed like the Summoning Charm that we're gonna learn next year, but this one doesn't summon. It makes the things. See,' Lily said, transfiguring an egg. She pointed a finger at it and it turned into an omelet. 'Something like a switching spell, but it switches nothing. More like Transfiguration, but this one lasts forever. Very weird one, if you ask.'
Sirius dived for the omelet. 'Good. Next time we're too hungry to walk, we'll just get you to do this.'
'Yeah. It saves time, doesn't it? It isn't quite hard either,' Lily said, turning the plates into cookies.
'I wonder how's Trelawney doing in her room?' Remus asked. They had just planted some Stench Potion in the Divination class.
'Let me find out,' Lily said, taking out a mirror.
'What does this do now?'
'Lets me see what's at the present. Not future, but present, so I guess it's Psychic.'
'Looks like you're working hard.'
'Course! I want mom to know that I'm much better than her and Gram!'
Lily looked hard into the mirror and to the Marauders' surprise, an image suddenly swirled itself from the center of the mirror.
'See? This is psychic. I made it to let you see,' Lily said.
'Very good. Now focus on the Divination class,' Sirius ordered.
Lily focused it at the Divination Tower. They saw Trelawney, furiously beating almost everywhere to find out where the smell has come from. The tables were all upturned and cushions flew everywhere. They saw her turning to her desk and she started scratching that.
'Now I'm confirmed that she's insane,' Lily said.
'Isn't she?' James said.
'We've Quidditch practise in a minute's time! Let's go!' Sirius said. The four burst out of the room, using Lily's psychic powers to summon their brooms to them before flying on them from the fourth floor. They guided their brooms skillfully, dodging the trees and branches, and finally landing on the Quidditch pitch, where Terrykinns and Catherine stood. Droville Rammers was just hurrying over with his broom.
'Hi Terry, Kat, Droville! Mind if Remus becomes the Keeper in turn of poor Billy?' James asked.
Terrykinns nodded, but decided to put Remus into a test first of their flying obstacles.
**
'Potter, Evans, Black, Lupin!!!' Snape stormed into the Great Hall along with the a quarter of the Slytherin house. Half of them were covered with bandages, but looking at Snape made the Marauders laugh. Half his hair was clipped off, a small part of it is not greasy anymore. His skin was dented in a couple of places and bruises can be seen everywhere.
'Yes Snape?' Remus said in a stiffled calm voice.
'How dare you sack the whole of Slytherin house! How dare you! How dare you!'
'Dare what?' Lily asked.
'You fix those traps! All those muggle traps!'
All the muggle-born wizards and witches looked offended and started glaring daggers at him.
'Then why tell us about it?' James asked, biting into his salad.
'Because YOU are a mudblood!!' Snape cried, jumping up and down now.
If possible, the mugggle-born wizards and withces turned even angrier and had started glaring chinese swords at him.
'Stop jumping! You're putting me off my food! Hey, you washed your hair!' Sirius commented. Everyone laughed at the small spot of Snape's greasy hair that was clean and smooth.
'It needs more though,' Lily said, waving a wand at him. Immediately, a soap bucket fell instantly over Snape's head, showering him with ice-cold water and bubbles. Everyone laughed again.
'Hey Snape! You should wash yourself more often!' A fourth year Ravenclaw called at him.
'Shut up or I'll use a curse at you!' Snape snarled.
'Ooh! We're sooo scared!' a Hufflepuff mocked.
Without a word, Snape raised his wand. The Hufflepuff floated straight into the air and started twitching horribly. A misty-blue bubble was covering her tightly.
'Snape! Put her down!' Halley called from the High Table before marching down.
Snape lazily flick his wrist and the Hufflepuff twitched even more.
'Snape!' Remus called before waving his wand at the fifth year. She stopped twitching and fell slowly to the ground, sobbing.
'Just what do you think you're doing?' Halley screamed.
'No one mock Slytherins, professor, and that is what exactly the mudblood is doing,' Snape sneered.
'Thank you, Lupin. Snape, follow me,' Halley said gravely. Without a word, Snape followed her out of the Hall. Remus looked quite shaken as he sat back down.
'Did you know what is he using?' Remus asked the Marauders in a whisper, shaking.
'Dark Arts. Very powerful,' Lily said.
'Right. It's not usual for him to know it. And that was a fifth year Hufflepuff there!' Remus replied.
'Poor you. You're still too weak to cast a spell, Re,' James said.
'Not especially after the Quidditch obstacles and that full moon,' Sirius agreed in a lower voice.
'Go on and eat,' Lily said, pushing him a plateful of turkey. Remus nodded quietly.
As he start eating, the rest of the Marauders turn to the Hufflepuff fifth year. She was still shaking and sweating profusely. Half the Hufflepuffs all turn to her and started comforting her. Lily turned to the Slytherin table. They were laughing and sneering their heads off. Lily held hard onto her wand and healed Remus with a spell before aiming it at the Hufflepuff, healing her, too. She stopped shaking and started to breathe normally.
Lily kept her wand back before turning to the Slytherins table. A blue light illuminated her for a quick moment before the red head turned back to her plate, smiling. Everyone stared at the Slytherins. They were all pinned to the wall tightly by sharp knives.
'What did you do now?' Sirius asked, grinning.
'Very interesting. Maybe we should put one straight in their head?' James suggested.
'That'll mean killing. And I want them to suffer,' Lily said dismissively, cutting herself some cake.
'Okay, what did you do? I know you healed me and that Hufflepuff, but what about those Slytherins?' Remus asked
'I'm playing a little with my psychic. Anytime tomorrow, mom'll send me a Howler, but she won't since it's Slytherins I'm playing with here,' Lily grinned. 'May I help?'
The Gryffindors resumed back to eating, looking at the Marauders from their plates of food, ears alert.
'Back to the subject of Snape,' James said.
'How on earth does he know about that spell? Dad says that it's not even allowed to be used!' Lily said. 'Get back to your food and let us talk, can you?' she snapped at the Gryffindors. They quickly start eating and talking loudly.
'I said Remus is still too weak to cast that counter-curse, but will he listen? No!' Sirius cried, though not too loud.
'Hey, someone had to help!' Remus retorted.
'Yeah. I was about to pull my wand and you came,' James said. 'You saw me reaching for my robes pocket.'
'Oops! Hehe, sorry. But I can't let her stay there much longer, can I?'
'Maybe putting the curse back on Snape'll do.'
'Alright!' Sirius cried. Immediately, stares turned back to them.
'You're all lucky we hadn't yet cast a curse on you,' Lily warned. With that, the Marauders marched out to their secret room, not intending to have their conversations interrupted anymore.
'Does that mean they'd grown up?' Pertsy whispered to Tally.
'I think not. See, they still played that awful trick on the Slytherins!' Tally said, pointing at the still pinned Slytherins in the wall.
'Right,' Pertsy said sadly.
'They had decided to mask themselves on all their pranks,' Tally explained.
**
Back in the secret room, the Marauders were looking at old books. James was pouring over one titled How To Counter Dark Arts And Curses, Lily was quickly scanning pages on Dark Arts And Their Ways, Sirius was practically eating up a book called Dark Arts: Countering and Casting and Remus was reading an extremely thick and large book on Dark Arts – Countering, Casting and Using.
'Got everything?' James grinned, slamming his book shut.
'I have everything done,' Lily smiled, putting the books back under her bed.
'All finished,' Sirius said triumphantly.
'Everything in favor,' Remus sighed happily.
'We'll get Snape back for casting Dark Arts in school!'
'Get? What did he do?'
'Trust me, he cast a Dark Spell on a student! Isn't that bad enough?'
'Yeah! We never even do it yet! All ours are harmless and really-easy-to-counter charms and spells!'
'They are? Well, there's transfiguration…'
'Anyone can transfigure anything back.'
'Especially Minnie.'
'And we hadn't used much a spell that is too dangerous on others!'
'The only dark spell – okay, not only. It's just one of them – that we used is the one to duplicate ourselves!'
'And I found it out of a book! Just like every other dark spells I found without realizing it.'
'Yeah. Talk about careless.'
'I resent that!'
'I knew you would. So when Snape tried to hurl us a curse, spell, charm, anything, we'll just shoot it back at him. Learn the reflecting charm yet?'
'Learn? Gram taught us all in the holidays!'
'Oh right. I kinda forgot about it.'
'Reckon Snape's a death eater?'
'His family's in Dark Arts, he is in Dark Arts, he used Dark Arts in school – your conclusion? Yes.'
'I'm getting confused. Never mind. Everytime he tried a curse on us, we'll be ready!'
'Reflecting Charm, remember?'
'Yup! The war between the Marauders and Snape has just begun!'
'Not Snape only. Him and the Slytherins! The more, the challenging!'
'Yeah, considering that half the Slytherins knew Dark Arts.'
'This is gonna be such a good practise for us to become Aurors!'
'Yeah. Really good. Our target? Snape and Slytherins.'
'Right!'
'Ssh! Someone's coming!' Lily hushed. Immediately, they hold their breaths. Far off, they heard a tip-tapping of footsteps. Tip-tap tip-tap. It neared their mirror and it stopped right there. The Marauders stopped moving altogether. Remus heard the blood pounding in his ears and his heart thumping hard at his ribs. Will they be in trouble?
Fortunately, it went away and they heard it rushing down the stairs.
'Who was it?' Sirius asked, taking as much oxygen as he could.
'Corn. But what on earth is he doing here?' Lily said.
'Patrolling?' Remus suggested.
'Corn patrolled last night,' James reminded.
'He did?' Remus said.
'Yeah. We were doing things in the Slytherin then. Remember?' Sirius reminded.
'Not really. Oh well, couldn't much be bothered. Planning to stay here or return to the dormitory?' Remus asked. Immediately, they sat in their beds.
'That's staying here. Who'd go back if you know the Gryffindor house is waiting for it's Marauders in their common room?' Lily said.
'How would you know?' Remus said.
Lily pointed to her head. 'Alright, get the Invisibility Cloak out and we'll see what they want with us.'
James pulled a long silver cloak from the trunk and they hid themselves under it. They turned invisible and checked for any body parts left out. Not that they need to anyway. The cloak covered them all beautifully and they slowly crept out from their secret room.
Mrs Norris stared hard. She swore that she's sensed something moving just nearby the mirror. Her whiskers helped her with that. Slowly, the inched to the mirror before getting kicked hard.
'Sirius!'
'Hey, she's too tempting to be left just like that! Taught her not to nose too far anyway.'
'Oh fine!'
'Let's just get going!'
Mrs Norris stared. There are no ghosts at Hogwarts – wait, there are. But which ghost is named 'Sirius'? The cat ran off as fast as her feet allow.
'Stupid cat.'
'Shut up, Si!'
'I am!'
'Sssh!'
'We'll draw suspicions!'
Then the four quietly make their way to the Gryffindor tower.
'Roasted Ham,' Lily whispered to the Fat Lady.
'What? Who's there?' the Fat Lady asked, looking around.
'Roasted Ham, now let us in!' James hissed. The Fat Lady swung the portrait open and they climbed in slowly, for fear the cloak to rip off right there and then. Sirius jumped in after the three had and looked around. Sure enough, whole of Gryffindor house was looking expectantly at the hole.
'Why isn't there anyone?' Catherine asked.
'You mean why did it open?' Sita shivered.
'Show up!' a prefect called. Lily had an idea. She pointed her wand at herself before muttering a charm.
'Huuulooooooo,' Lily said in a ghostly, airy, sound. The Marauders, getting the joke, did the same charm.
'KYAAAA!!!' Remus screamed, exactly like a banshee. Half the Gryffindors are yelped out in amazement.
'Who goes there?' Terrykinns asked. The Gryffindors looked around.
James quickly duplicated the Invisibility Cloak and each one of them took one and covered themselves with it before spreading all over the common room, circling the Gryffindors and whispering ghostly sounds at them.
'Lily? James? Sirius? Remus?' Tally dared.
'Yes?' Lily whispered softly, so it turned out airy and echo-like.
'Are you there, Li?' Tally asked again.
'Yes,' Lily whispered again.
'Show up!' Nina said.
'Don't be too surprised, Nina,' Lily said as another idea popped into her head. Quickly taking out a new can that she'd just bought from Hogsmeade, she put her wand tip in it before touching herself with the tip. Immediately, she looked pearly-white. Then she put a floating charm on herself and hid her Invisibility Cloak.
'Why should we be surprised?' Sita asked.
'Lily? Where are you?' Pertsy asked. Suddenly screams were heard all over as they pointed at a floating ghost.
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' The third years joined. The ghost floated gently and started swimming.
'Lily! You're a ghost!! How come?' Tally asked, frightened.
'I fell down the cliff,' Lily replied in the same echo like voice.
'WHAT? What were you doing there?' a seventh year snapped. Lily let out an airy laugh before floating to a corner.
'I was chasing Snape,' she explained.
'And you fell down the cliff?' Nina said in amazement. Sita started crying and Tally sobbed.
'Why are you crying? See, James, Sirius and Remus are with me,' Lily said. As soon as she'd said, the three other figures started floating next to Lily.
'Not you too!' Terrykinns wailed. 'We can't have four of the Quidditch members gone!'
'Hey, it'll be fine! We got a replacement for ya!' Sirius grinned.
'Oh, whom?' Droville asked.
'What? We'd died and all you care about is that?' James said sourly.
'We still have our wands, you know. And we're planning to stay with Peeves,' Remus grinned.
'No! Don't!' Pertsy cried.
'You don't want us?' Lily said, hurt.
'Um, not exactly.'
'Then we'll haunt you to your life end,' Lily said. Immediately, she glowed bright crimson. Everyone back off in a shock as Lily started floating even higher.
'Come down, Li!' James hissed quietly.
'Just doing a dramatic act, kay? Then we'll leave,' Lily said with a wink.
'Just what is going on in here?' McGonagall screamed. Everyone turned to her.
'Professor, they turned into a ghost!' Dan said faintly, pointing at the floating Marauders.
'How can they possibly be?'
'Oh, professor! They died!' Nina wailed dramatically.
'WHAT??? THEY DIED??' McGonagall cried in astonishment. Tally turned her head to the floating Marauders, who grinned and waved at her. McGonagall stared. At first with shock and then panic. She ran out as soon as possible, muttering about having to see Dumbledore this instant.
The Marauders, deciding that this is enough of fun, left under their Invisibility Cloaks and floated after her. They had decided that maybe floating was faster than walking.
Under the cloaks, they grinned as started huddling in a corner, keeping three of the cloaks into their robes. Lily turned them all back to their original color and took off the floating charm. Hiding back under James' original cloak, they vanished into Dumbledore's office (using a secret passage). Sirius burst the door open.
'Hello Dumbledore!' they greeted.
'Hello Lily, James, Sirius and Remus. I just had Halley bringing Snape out.'
'You gave him a detention?' Lily asked eagerly.
'Maybe take his house points?' James said hopefully.
'And sentence him to Azkaban?' Remus said grinning.
'All but the last,' Dumbledore replied.
'WHAT? He used Dark Arts!' Sirius said.
'Yes, but he seem to have claimed otherwise.'
'You couldn't believe him! Remus countered it!' Lily exclaimed.
'Yeah!' Remus said.
'And he used Dark Arts on another student!' James said.
Dumbledore looked at them, amused. 'Well, I took a hundred points off Slytherin…'
'Okay, that's very fair,' Lily said, sitting on the sofa.
'Very, very fair,' James said, dropping next to her.
'Very, very, very fair,' Remus said, jumping next to him.
'That is so unfair!' Sirius wailed. 'Wait, I mean it's extremely fair!'
'Professor! Evans, Potter, Black and Lupin were dead! They fell off a cliff and-' McGonagall burst in, gasping hard for air.
'Minerva,' Dumbledore started. McGonagall gave him no chance.
'Turned into ghosts! Went to the Gryffindor common room! I saw them, Professor! They were floating! Pearl-white! Almost invisible! You have to send to their parents!'
'But Minnie…'
'We have to find their bodies!'
'Hi Minnie!' James and Lily greeted. Sirius was cackling with laughter and Remus was busy stuffing Sirius' mouth with parchments.
'Oh, wait there, Evans, Potter. I have to talk to Professor Dumbledore about this misfortune that happened to- Evans? Potter? Black? Lupin?' McGonagall said in amazement.
'As you can see, Minerva, they're chatting here with me at the moment, not dead or floating in the Gryffindor common room,' Dumbledore said. McGonagall was gaping at them like a goldfish.
Sirius was still cackling and Remus was still busy stuffing him with more parchments. James was wearing the Sorting Hat and Lily was talking with Fawkes, playing the seashell-flute and Fawkes was singing to it. McGonagall stared.
'But you were in the common room! Floating! White! A ghost!'
'Huh?' Remus said intelligently before stuffing Sirius with more parchments.
'I think I'll leave,' McGonagall said. She left without another word and Dumbledore turned to them, an amused look written clearly on his face. He knelt down beside Remus.
'How many parchments does it take to stop him from laughing?' the old wizard inquired.
'Oh, it's 834, 452 parchments, Dumbledore. As you can see, his mouth is really big,' Remus said.
'What was the Sorting Hat saying to you?' Dumbledore asked, turning to James.
'Something really stupid. Does it always speaks rubbish?' James grumbled.
'Well, as far as I'd known, it tells me rubbish all right. Ssh! Don't tell him!' Dumbledore whispered with a wink.
'I like your pheonix,' Lily sighed. 'Wish I could have it.'
'Too bad, Lily. Fawkes is mine!' Dumbledore said protectively.
'Yeah, too bad I can't have a pheonix,' Lily said sadly. 'Oh well, maybe I'll visit Fawkes more often then.'
'You're most welcomed to,' Dumbledore said, smiling warmly at them. 'What is Minerva talking about?'
'Huh? Oh, Minnie was talking about ghosts?' Sirius said, spitting all the parchments out.
'There goes my work,' Remus said sadly.
'A loadful of lousy work,' Sirius replied.
'Who cares? I'll work on it someday.'
'But the ghosts were you,' Dumbledore said.
'She's hallucinating?' Lily suggested.
'Maybe. Hey, we'd to leave now! Bye Dumbledore!' James said. They left, dragging Sirius by the ear (he wanted to hex Fawkes and smash the sorting hat).
'Oh, don't forget the Halloween feast tomorrow!' Dumbledore called.
'Sure!'
'We'll be having a little stage performance. Care to join?' Dumbledore asked.
'Maybe. I'll invite some fairy-folk over,' Lily grinned.
'Thank you.'
'Sure thing! Bye!'
And they left his office.
**
The next morning, the whole of Gryffindor house looked hard at the Marauders. A quarter did a double take, half of them did a triple look at them and the remaining quarter fainted with fright of seeing the supposedly 'dead' Marauders walking and breathing into the Great Hall.
The third years turned blue when the four sat opposite them. Tally turned petrified and Dan was as stiff as a rock. The rest just stared hard at them.
'Aah! GHOSTS!' Catherine and Terrykinns shouted at the same time when they rushed into the Hall.
'Hiya Kat, Terry!' Sirius said, holding up a toast. 'Want one?'
'G- g- g- ghost! You're here?' Terrykinns stuttered.
'Do I look dead to you?'
'H- h- how can you eat? Y- you're dead!' Catherine said, stumbling.
The Marauders burst into fits of laughter as the Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins all looked at the Gryffindors. The Slytherins snickered, and started telling everyone that Gryffindors went bonkers. Of course, the Marauders hit them on the head for that and Lily managed to throw a whole new set of daggers at them, narrowly missing their head.
'No, we're not dead,' James said impatiently. 'Aren't you guys ever gonna eat? Cause if you aren't, I want to.'
They slowly shook their heads and watched the Marauders. True enough, Sirius ate up half of the Gryffindor table and Lily, James and Remus ate the other half. They patted their stomachs fondly.
'Today's fabulous! Pumpkin cakes, pumpkin icing, pumpkin cookies – all pumpkin!' Lily said happily.
'I think I'm turning sick for eating too much pumpkin,' Remus muttered, holding his head.
'Nah! You'll heal,' James grinned.
'Look! It's a pumpkin ice-cream!' Sirius said brightly.
McGonagall walked in at that very moment Sirius decided to attack the ice-cream. She was holding her head tightly and a contorted look on her face. Immediately, Gryffindor house rushed towards her and bombarded her with questions.
'Professor, they! Died! Alive!' a fourth year stuttered.
'No Wilkins, they aren't dead,' McGonagall said. Apparently, a few Gryffindors had bumped into her and had questioned her the same question. McGonagall looked green and the Gryffindors decided to give her a rest as she went up to the High Table, muttering things to herself.
They turned to the Marauders. If their teacher cannot answer them, they most certainly could.
'Lily! Explain this instant!' Nina demanded.
'Mmm… I love pumpkin donuts!' Lily said, happily biting into one.
'James!! Remus!' Thomas said, waving a hand in front of them.
'What about me?' Sirius scowled.
'You're too insane to give a sensible answer,' Droville replied.
'Tell us!' a fifth year prefect urged.
'Um, a trick played by our souls?' Remus said.
'Yeah! They left our body last night!' James supported.
'Had a dream you were frightening them?' Lily asked.
'Umhm!' Sirius said, playing with a pumpkin carving nearby.
The Gryffindors looked dazed. But as soon as they were to shoot out another question, Dumbledore stood.
'Welcome to the Halloween at Hogwarts!' Dumbledore started happily. 'We'll have events especially for today!'
'Do we? We don't last year,' Pertsy said eagerly.
'I assure you, we do. First, we'll have a pumpkin carving race outside in Hagrid's pumpkin patch! Once we're watered and filled, we shall be heading that way,' Dumbledore said happily. Immediately, the Great Hall was filled with eager voices.
'I wanna join!' Thomas said.
'You can carve?' Nina said.
'I'm not all that stupid y'know!'
'Whatever. I'm joining if you are!'
'Unfair! You can't carve!'
'Who says?'
'We'll be joining,' James said, quickly scribbling the Marauders' names onto four pieces of parchments.
'It's by groups, isn't it?' Lily asked.
'Yes, six to a group,' Dumbledore answered, smiling. He jingled a box under their noses.
'Nina, Thomas, how about joining with us?' Remus asked.
'Sure, why not?'
James hurriedly scribble everything into a new parchment before pushing it into the box. Dumbledore walked off, jingling the box.
'We'll join!' Terrykinns said, entering a parchment into a box.
'Good! The more, the merrier!' Dumbledore laughed.
'Who're you with?' Sirius asked, pushing half a plate of pumpkin-covered salad into his mouth.
'Kat, Fanny, Luke, Rowan and Melody,' Terrykinns grinned. 'We'll beat you for sure!'
'No! I'll use my wand!' Lily said.
'Oh, and no wands allowed!' Dumbledore said. Lily groaned.
'I'll just use my powers then.'
'Not even any special powers are allowed. In fact, no magic is allowed, so if you know how to use magic without a wand, that's not allowed,' Dumbledore said.
'Oooh, but Psychic isn't magic,' Lily grinned. 'It's a supernatural power and I'll use it to win!'
'Winner gets points for their house,' Dumbledore said again, walking to the Ravenclaws table.
'Even better! With Lily's uh, powers, we'll win!' James said confidently to the Gryffindor.
'Let anyone from Gryffindor win!' Rowan Alps said.
'Yeah!' the Gryffindors chorused, each quickly formed a group so that they will have more chance of winning.
'We'll definitely win! With Lily's mastered Psychic powers,' Sirius grinned to the Marauders.
'Definitely!'
'Professor Dumbledore, the Slytherins will all be joining,' Snape sneered coldly. Since his friends were all pinned to the wall (he just came in), he had to write all the Slytherins' name.
'Good, good!' Dumbledore said merrily.
'Trust him to. I bet you anything he'll get Hagrid to carve a pumpkin for him,' Remus said sourly.
'I'll send a message to Hagrid then,' Lily offered.
'Sure. The faster, the better,' James agreed.
The Pumpkin-Carving Race started and ended with the Marauders and Nina and Thomas winning, thanks to the help of Lily's Psychic powers. She didn't use exactly all, because the group had to scrap off the pumpkin fillings inside neatly before letting Lily to carve it. Gryffindor won twenty-five points for that.
'Yay! And to think we were the fastest!' Nina said happily.
'And our pumpkin's the neatest too! Lily, you carve good!' Thomas said.
'I helped Petunia carve her head,' Lily muttered, but the Marauders all laughed at it.
'Carve her head empty, Li, scrap all her brain,' Sirius said.
'We helped, so where's our praises?' James said.
'Who cares? The next competition's coming!' Remus said eagerly. They turned to Dumbledore.
'We'll now see a presentation by pixies and fairies!' Dumbledore said happily. Everyone applauded, just as a large flock of fairies flew onto a magically built stage (McGonagall transfigured it) and the pixies scrambled on it before they presented a dance, a comedy script and a brief history on how Halloween began.
'You managed to contact them?' Sirius whispered to Lily. Remus was laughing at a pixie dropping faint because of a vampire.
'Don't ask how. I really don't want to tell,' Lily hissed back.
'We went to find them at the Forest last night. We dropped into their traps,' James muttered, remembering the very embarassing moment the two encountered last night.
'Fine with me if you don't wanna tell,' Sirius shrugged.
'The last one will be after our dinner feast!' Corn said happily. 'Go on, shoo! To the Hall for the feast!'
'What? We're chickens?' Tally said, annoyed.
'Don't shoo at us!' Dan grumbled as he walked reluctantly to the Hall.
'Someday, I think Corn'll go bonkers,' James said to Lily.
'What, I hope he leave as soon as possible. He's starting to freak me out these days,' Lily replied.
The school waited expectantly for Dumbledore to finish his food. When he had, he stood up once again.
'Now, we'll have a quiz all about Halloween! We'll start with Professor Binns, shall we?' Dumbledore said. Binns floated up as everyone scattered into their groups. Those who are not participating watched from the gallery, magicked especially for them.
'I have no wonder if I suddenly fall asleep,' Sirius muttered. The others just laughed at him.
'A very good evening to all participants,' Binns greeted in a boring voice. 'Yes, very fine day, isn't it? The stars are shining and the goblins started rampaging.'
'Professor Binns, please go straight to the point,' Sprout said politely.
'Ah yes. First question; in 465BC, which goblin decided to break free to celebrate Halloween?'
Two hands shot into the air. Anna Hopkins and Lily Evans'.
'Uh, which goes first?' Flitwick asked.
'Me! Me!' Anna said, jumping up and down.
'We'll have it once again, then,' McGonagall said. The two put down their hands and Lily glared at Anna.
As soon as McGonagall shouted three, five hands shot into the air. All four Marauders' and Anna's once again. She looked angrily at them. Had they actually listened to the ghost's lecturing? As far as she'd known, they were sleeping in each of his classes.
'I guess we'll go by quantity then,' Sprout said. Angrily, Anna lowered her arm as Sirius stood up to answer.
'Rebel the Rebellious,' Sirius said happily, sending a smug look at Anna, who glowered red.
'How did you know?' Thomas hissed into Sirius' ear.
'Lily and James told me that in the holidays. Like usual, they swallowed the whole book.'
'Oh.'
Then McGonagall stood up.
'Second question; Which was Ludwy the Lurker's first Transfiguration?'
'I didn't expect her to ask History,' Nina moaned.
Catherine's hand shot into the air. 'Yes?'
'It's a dog. For his pet,' Catherine said, glowing. Five points were awarded and she glowed even brighter.
'Third question,' Corn said, standing up. 'Name me the Unforgiveable.'
Immediately, hushes went all over the room as the group members started whispering to each other.
'God, we didn't learn it!' Thomas whispered.
'Wait, let me think! My dad told me one before,' Lily said racking her head hard.
'James, hit her hard,' Remus said. James hit her on the head.
'What was that for?' Lily snapped. 'Oh wait! I got it! It's Avada Kedavra! I remembered Voldemort saying it once in my- why is everyone so pale?'
'N- never mind. Just tell Professor Corn,' Thomas said, white in face.
'Corn, you shouldn't ask them this! None of them had even learnt it!' Rivers, the Muggle Studies professor, said.
'Well – ah! Evans has the answer!' Corn said happily, turning to te red-head.
'I know! Voldemort uses this one before; Avada Kedavra!' Lily said excitedly. Immediately, all talks died down and half the Hall went white. Some fainted and a few yelped. 'What?'
'She said You-Know-Who's name!' one Hufflepuff whispered.
'A- and A- avada k- ke -' the Ravenclaw never finished though. He sat staring, gaping like a goldfish.
'Ah! Well said, Evans, well said!' Corn said happily. Lily beamed. Maybe seeing Voldemort sometimes isn't all that bad. He helped Gryffindor get five points.
'Fourth question; tell me why Halloween is special,' Flitwick squeaked. Hands were raised everywhere.
'Everyone is more powerful. Spells work more than they did, curses happen, werewolves, draculas and vampires are at their height of powers,' a Hufflepuff said. Remus shivered at the mention of werewolves.
'Right!' Flitwick congratulated.
'I'd like the honor of the fifth trivia, Halley, if you would please,' Dumbledore said. The Potions professor nodded.
'Fifth question; Why are there ghosts?' Dumbledore asked. Whispers and hushes went all around as they asked themselves the question they had never even bothered to think.
'Uh, they brew a potion to die?' Pettigrew said. Dumbledore shook his head and Snape hit Pettigrew hard.
'Squib, you lost us five points!' Snape hissed.
'Any others?' Dumbledore said, looking around the room. Just then, a huge explosion sounded nearby and everyone turned. Remus raised his arm just at that very moment.
'We'll wait, Lupin. Let us see what the explosion is all about,' Dumbledore said.
'It's from Hogsmeade, Professor,' McGonagall said, turning to a nearby window.
Lily let out a loud shriek. 'It's him! Voldemort! He's attacking Hogsmeade! There are some really horrid creatures with him!'
'What is it like?' James asked, trying to look out.
'It's like a rotten corpse. Rotten. And it has a hood. It's bending over someone now,' Lily explained.
'A Dementor! Dad told me about them leaving Azkaban!' Remus groaned. At Remus' words, Dumbledore quickly hurried out.
'No! Don't go yet, Professor!' Sinistra called. 'The stars wants us to wait!'
'Trust her to think like a centaur,' James muttered. Lily opened her eyes. They flashed a while as she looked sadly over the outskirts of Hogsmeade.
'They went already. Flew off. Voldemort too.'
'Just what exactly happened?' Sirius asked.
'The explosion was caused by Voldemort. He was trying to attack a house, I can't remember which. Oh, it's dreadful! And those Dementors were with his. They seemed like they were bending over all the onlookers and ugh! Their mouth's like a huge sack of empty hole,' Lily said, wincing at the memory.
'Lily, what happened?' Tally asked, running to her. 'You seemed rigid for a moment.'
'I was?'
'Yeah. Anyway, looks like Trelawney decided to join us,' Tally said, pointing to where the Divination had suddenly seated herself at a nearby table.
'Stupid insect,' Lily muttered. She still hated her for being negative.
Trelawney went to Dumbledore and said something to him before she left again without another word. Everyone looked at her, puzzled. Lily just frowned.
'Li, why so sour?' Pertsy asked good-naturedly.
'She told Dumbledore that Voldemort's coming after Hogwarts and left without another word. What made her leave her wonderful place and swoop her gloominess to us?' Lily said. Turning to the Marauders, she beckoned them to a silent corner.
''Scuse us, kay?' Remus said before they went. They just nodded.
'Voldemort said beware,' Lily started.
'What? Why?' James said.
'He'll be coming after us, he told me that! He said "Lily Evans, James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, beware of your fate for I shall be coming after you! This is another warning from me to you,"' Lily said, putting a really eerie voice.
'What?' Sirius and Remus said together.
'Remember that letter we received?' Lily said.
'Yes.'
'He'll be coming after us. That was no joke. He even used the Dementors – or whatever they are – to attack Hogsmeade! And tons of wizards lived there!'
'Tell Dumbledore?' Remus said.
'And get our heads off? You're kidding! We won't be allowed alone without a teacher!' Sirius said.
'Best I said is we should take extra precautions,' James said.
'I agree with James. Besides, we're in Hogwarts. We'll be safe for the meantime,' Lily said.
'Just hope that we'll live past fifteen,' Sirius muttered.
'Oh, don't worry! We'll live to a ripe, old age!' Lily laughed. That relieved the tension in them.
'What were you gonna answer, Re, when Dumbledore asked about the fifth question?' Lily asked.
'Oh, I wanna say that they just are ghosts and will stay as ghosts since they are ghosts. Stupid answer, really,' Remus said, grinning all over.
'Ah! That's the right answer, Remus! Five points to Gryffindor!' Dumbledore said suddenly from behind them.
'Aaaah!' the Marauders cried in unision.
'Sorry kids. Yes, the answer's correct, Remus, however stupid it may sound. I think we shall just call this a day, shall we? Off, off! Trot to bed now!' Dumbledore said, marching them straight to the Gryffindor tower without another word.
'Who'd knew that random ramblings will win you five points?' Remus said, amused.
'Well, Dumbledore?' Sirius said.
'Talk about stupid talks,' James said.
'Well, I think I'll go to bed. Night!' Lily said with a yawn.
AN: ta-dah! I make this chapter long ^^ about 80KB [at least, when this font size's eight…] so it'll help if my next few chapters are only 30KB each? –splat!- OK, Ok! I'm just kidding! I'll get them longer! Review for me!! Please! *puppy eyes*