AN: Year Two, Chapter Two. I'm not under sugar high when writing this, but the chocolate on top of my computer's tempting me… this part might be kinda short, seeing that there isn't much to write about. Oh, and for those who asked why Lily's parents are wizards and witch (again), I like writing Alternate Reality fics. Because I can't find a plot to settle that on for the MWPP/L part (you won't like it anyway), I thought I'd just change a little. How they kept it from her and why? How: they pretend to be muggles and live like them. Let's just say they took Muggle Studies. Why: Petty, as they'd said, is a squib. They wouldn't wanna freak her out as she believed in witch burning and hated all those witches and wizards. When Lily become a witch, they just reveal everything. Any other questions, shoot them.
bunny chan
Disclaimer: Would you believe me if I said I own everything? Besides the plot and the side characters?
The Marauding Five : Year Two
Chapter 2: Hogwarts Again
'Hello Hogwarts! It's so nice to see you again!' Lily called happily at the castle as she got out of the horseless carriage, giving the thousand-story-high castle a low bow.
'Geez, Lily, you needn't go that low, do you? Your head's touching the ground!' Sirius' mischievous voice grinned at the red head, who automatically snapped at him. 'Watch it Si! I'm greeting the castle! I wonder if Peeves' waiting for us?' Lily turned to look for the poltergeist. She was greeted with a very cold water balloon. Soaked, Lily glanced up at the poltergeist before muttering about mastering her defenses and reflexes. James, who had just stepped out, greeted the ghost happily as he dragged a sleeping Remus behind him.
'Hmm… I wonder who'll the head boy or girl be, now that Billy and Elley had left.' Sirius started as they headed towards the Great Hall. A stream of witches and wizards from all four houses were streaming in. Lily remembered something.
'Hey, did you bring that paper?'
'Yep!'
The four drew out four pieces of paper from their black robes before memorizing it for the last time. After five minutes of reading, they heard a loud knock echoing through the castle walls, indicating that Hagrid is here already. Grinning broadly, they kept the papers back into their robes before hurrying towards the Hall. The first years will be here pretty soon.
The Marauders placed themselves at the front of the table, armed with Dungbombs and Lily's infamous packets of powders. Tally, Nina, Pertsy, Sita, Dan and Thomas sat themselves automatically opposite them. As soon as they sat, they saw the first years marching towards them, their faces green with sickness. Lily grinned piteously at them. Poor things. They wouldn't know what'll hit them, she said happily to herself. McGonagall was looking bored at herself, probably because of the same speech again, when she placed the stool and the battered hat on it. The Marauders took it as their cue to start.
With James leading, they went to the High Tables and positioned themselves right in front of the Sorting Hat. Remus waved his wand as musical instruments appeared, along with all the ghosts of Hogwarts. They hit the note and the four burst into a song and a dance:-
"Oh it must be pretty sad
For the Sorting Hat
To lay here patched and frayed
So boring, just leading
A life so colorless and dull
In the cheerful Hogwarts School
It needs a rest
As we can see
So we thought we'd give it a break
We'll sing this song
C'mon and dance along
As we let it rest a bit
Listen us sing
Leave the hat snoozing
To entertain this joyful day
Forget seriousness
Enjoy the happiness
That we'd cooked up-'
'POTTER, BLACK, EVANS, LUPIN! JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? DETENTION!' McGonagall screeched in a hoarse voice as her feet tapped away to the rhythm of the song. The school looked disrupted, for they're all dancing and singing (courtesy to Lily's little charm) to the song. The first years giggled at them, all their nerves forgotten, as they, too, dance along with the rhythm happily. The Hogwarts Ghosts' Band seemed upset at the stern woman's break out, and Peeves led them through her, making her shiver vigorously on the spot. The Marauders, however, looked disappointed, but left the High Tables with a bow, receiving cheers from the whole school.
Lily sighed wistfully when they returned to their seats. The rest of their tables seemed to be roaring with laughter and applause as tears flowed down from some. Tally was holding her stitches tightly as she rolled on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. When she finally stopped, she turned to the Marauders.
'Gosh, you were hilarious! And McGonagall's face! Oh, I thought she was going to kill you right on there and laugh at the very same time!'
'Too bad we never get to finish it,' Sirius said sadly, glancing at the paper with a sad expression on his face. 'Lily took the holidays to write it, since the sorting hat's song must be a little woolly,' James explained as they turn to the red head. She - instead of breaking into tears and complain how wasted her holidays had been like a normal girl would - laughed at her goblet. Then again, Lily wasn't a normal girl, being with the Marauders and all.
'Did any of you see Snape? Oh, he looked so stupid!!' Lily choked out in her midst of laughter. Then James remembered.
'Yeah! He was trying to stop too! My, I should've taken his photo up there!' James said, shaking his head with disappointment, but broke down remembering the Slytherin dancing.
'No need any disappointment,' Sirius said, grinning stupidly. 'See, I'd asked Remus to take it for us! He had a new camera from his parents for his birthday and he's dying to use it!'
Remus nodded in agreement as he pulled out his camera, which is developing the film now. They group waiting anxiously. Two photos came out. One of Snape and one of McGonagall. They burst out laughing again.
'Lupin, you actually managed to take McGonagall too?' Lily asked in disbelief, staring at the well develop pictures with glee. The boy nodded.
McGonagall was trying to calm everyone down before the Sorting Ceremony started. When, at last, everyone is back to their normal state, the sorting started. The first years, more confident than before, had stopped shivering and shaking.
The Marauders threw Dungbombs at those who went to Slytherin and sprinkled Lily's powder, which turned out to be confetti, over those who became a Gryffindor. The Gryffindor first years seemed delighted, as they were in the same house with the Marauders. Unfortunately, Sirius had the Dungbombs counted wrongly, and instead of ten, they had eleven. But all was not wasted, as Lily had said, for the last Dungbomb, they threw it to the Slytherin table, hitting Snape who was starting on his roast chicken. When the Dungbomb burst, the greasy haired boy stared at his chicken, jaw wide open, as if wondering how the chicken had burst when he bit into it. Everyone broke down, for the second time of the day, laughing at Snape, who's also black in face and staring stupidly at his spoon.
Before returning to their dorms, Lily said, 'Lucky those first years. How nice it'll be if our first day at Hogwarts had started out this good.' The others sighed in agreement.
**
The next day, the Marauders performed their grand entrance. Carpets rolled on the floor for them, trumpeters played, an announcer announced their arrival and this time, they had confetti throwers. The Owl Post arrived late (Lily frightened the owls with a picture of Petunia and her horrendous make-up.), and the usual four Howlers with hexes on them arrived on Snape's breakfast plate.
Everyone congratulated the Marauders on their song last night with grinning faces. Of course, all but the Slytherins. They glared angrily at the four Marauders, and if looks could kill, they probably would be by Heaven Gates by now. Unfortunately for the Slytherins, they couldn't.
Pettigrew wormed up to the Gryffindor table and squeaked loudly. Half the table turned to him and adopted a hatred look. Gryffindor and Slytherin had been enemies even before Hogwarts was created, and Pettigrew's appearance on the Gryffindor table was clearly annoying them. The boy left without another word, understanding that his presence was not welcomed and if he dared take another step, they'll be at his neck.
'Hey, anyone recalled Minnie giving us detention? It must've been a record! First detention on the very first day, before the Sorting Hat's song!' Sirius perked up happily.
'Yep! And I think she will be racking her head again!' James replied as he gulped down his pumpkin juice. 'Ah! Nice and fresh!'
'Attention!' Dumbledore's magnified voice called from the High Tables. Everyone turned at him. 'Quidditch practices will be starting very soon and due to the fact that many players had left us this year, we'll be taking try outs. There'll be five open spots in Gryffindor team, six in Ravenclaw, three in Hufflepuff, and three in Slytherin. Those interested in trying can contact your Quidditch house captain.'
James looked excited at himself. He had longed to play Quidditch ever since he'd learned all about that wizarding sport. Lily and Sirius are, too, looking forward for the tryouts. The three vowed to make it to the Quidditch team.
Dumbledore wasn't finished yet, though.
'And you'll have to have a good record in your studies. Thank you very much. Now, we can proceed to finishing our breakfasts.'
Many groans were heard from all around the Hall. This didn't trouble Sirius, James and Lily though. They know that they were good in their studies, as well as they can play their pranks without many (except McGonagall) knowing about it.
Timetables were soon handed out as they walked to their first lesson of the day: Potions.
Lily groaned inwardly as she headed towards the potions class. This time, she didn't have potions with Slytherins, but instead with the Hufflepuffs. But then again, it was a bad enough to her. She, Lily Evans, second of the year student after James Potter, the brains of the Marauders of Hogwarts, a wizard chess player, can never brew a potion even to save her own life. She managed last year, because of her urge to show Snape that she, too, can excel in potions. Surely she can do the same this year? Maybe no, 'cause she hasn't any enemy in Hufflepuff. At least in Ravenclaw, she can still prove that Gryffindors had brains, and can work on each challenge they issued to her. But Hufflepuff? Those students will just work on their own, mind their own buisiness and keep everything to themselves.
With a worried thought, she headed doubtfully to the potions class.
James, who isn't feeling quite normal whenever Lily is upset, confronted her in Potions.
'Hey Lily, why are you so sour today? I mean, isn't this class great without any Slytherin?'
'No. I can't brew potions.'
'Huh? You managed to last year.'
'That's 'cause I had to win Snape.'
'So, you want to be challenged to be able to work properly huh?'
Lily nodded.
'Well, I challenge you to beat me in Potions then, Lily!'
'I take it up! I'm no Marauder if I didn't!' Lily snapped, then covered her mouth in shock. She'd always said that whenever people challenged her and James had used it against her. Moaning, she dropped her head into her hands.
'Well, you'll be no Marauder if you back up now,' James said gleefully to his Potions partner, just as Halley tripped in. The whole class burst out laughing at the young professor, who hissed angrily.
'Peeves! The Bloody Baron'll hear all about this!'
'Ohoho! I'm sooo scared!' Peeves' voice mocked as the little man showed himself, right in front of Halley's face. The woman's face screwed up.
'PEEEEEEEEEEEEVEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was some time before the class starts. They were working on Muting Potions and Lily was still groaning about getting her gillyweed chopped wrongly when a Hufflepuff stood up happily. His potion must've finished, Lily thought dully. WHAT?! HE'S FINISHED WHEN I BARELY EVEN STARTED? No, this can never do! Get a grip Evans, Lily said to herself harshly as she registered what she'd thought just now. Quickly, she chopped her gillyweed in a quick speed and brew her potion after adding in some silence spell. She waited five minutes, before lifting her hands high in triumph. James stared at her, wide eyed. One moment she was moping about her gillyweed, and the next, she had her hands raised up, potion all finished.
The professor sniffed the potion and she stared hard at the color.
Halley was delighted.
'Second to finish the muting potion! Ah, how shall we test it? It looked fine enough to me.'
Without a word, Lily handed her a badger that she'd just transfigured from her chair, just to annoy those Hufflepuffs. Halley fed the potion to the squirming badger. One moment it was squeaking in a high pitched tone and the next, it was as silent as can be, although it's mouth moved and his voice box rattled just under his throat.
'Congratulations, Miss Evans! Take ten points for Gryffindor!'
James stared bewilderedly at his Potions partner. Lily just grinned back at him. Maybe Potions with Hufflepuff isn't all that bad after all. She'd found her rival in this class: Thomas DeAnne.
Next was Charms. Somehow, Dumbledore had changed the rules, so instead of all four houses studying together for Charms, Transfiguration, DADA and History of Magic, there'll be only a house in each of the subjects. Having a class with only ten people were much easier to manage, but boring to entertain. The Marauders do their best anyway, just to brighten up the boring classes, such as Professor Binn's Droning Class. It's no point calling it a History of Magic class, because all the professor did was drone drone drone and more drone. All the class learned how to drone, simply by listening to him drone. Naturally, the Gryffindor second years left it to the Marauders to annoy the ghost in their classes.
The Marauders are now sitting in the library, drawing a star chart for Astronomy as Sirius muttered to himself whilst pointing to a star here and there with his quill, leaving a trace of ink after his quill's tip. Remus peeped over his shoulder to see what his friend is doing and grinned.
'You know that Sinistra wouldn't like that,' Remus started.
'So? All we did these days are b-o-r-i-n-g! Get it? I mean, what's with the professors? They think we're having our OWLs all this very year!' Sirius said waving his hands, causing his inkbottle to spill over the chart.
'Hey, I thought you wanted to enter the Quidditch team! The professors are just trying to limit us for the seventh years. Besides, we have Lily to parrot everything for us, don't we?' James said, nudging to the red head who's staring at something behind the bookshelf. Lily, being Lily, had finished everything beforehand and is already searching for books on ridiculous hexes so she can whirl it onto Snape and turn him into a laughing stock by the end of the day.
'What are you looking at?' Remus asked as they shoved Lily away and peeped for themselves at the little gap. They laughed silently at what they were seeing and hearing. Severus Snape was in the library (a rare thing!) and he was talking to his owl about Tally Chapman, his crush. The owl, Tally, was her master's little 'experiment', because Severus seemed to be telling it his love for her and all.
The nymph statue hushed quietly at them as she indicated towards Madam Pince, who looked ready to kick them out whether they like it or not.
They swallowed their laughter, packed their things quietly, went outside the corridor, and burst out laughing. Tally, who was passing there, looked at them.
'What happened? Why are you all laughing like a hyena?'
'What's a hyena?'
'Sirius, you'd been living like a muggle for almost eleven years and not know about hyena?'
'Yep. What's it?'
'An animal.'
'What happened?'
'Well, see…'
Sirius never got to finish, because one look at the blonde, they all burst into peals of laughter again.
'We-'
'saw-'
'Severus-'
'Snape-'
That was all they managed to get out, just before falling on their backs once again. Snape came out of the library with his owl on his hand. Remus immediately pulled a straight face before turning to the boy.
'Why, hello Snape!'
'Goodbye, Lupin.'
'Why, are you taking Tally for a walk?' Sirius said, eyeing the blonde from a corner of his eye.
Snape blushed in crimson and Tally gulped.
'She isn't in the Owlery, where she's supposed to be, is she?' James snickered, looking at the owl.
'Oooh! I bet he was the one who poisoned the owls! I visited Lotus, and she looked sick,' Lily fake a squeal. The Marauders colored some owls the night before, making them looked as if poisoned.
'What? You poisoned Venus?' Tally stormed, smoke bursting from her ears.
'No! They did it!' Snape protested.
Just then, McGonagall rounded the corner to find five Gryffindors and one Slytherin protesting. Her sharp ears caught Lily squealing something about the poisoned owls and that caught her attention. That morning, all Gryffindor students' owls that came in from the Owlery were green and sick with some sort of poison, and McGonagall's owl had also the same symptoms.
'Who poisoned the owls?' her stern voice called. Straight to the point. Snape and Tally gulped nervously at her, but the Marauders looked casual. Suddenly, Lily broke out a whole story of her owl being green, and since green was the Slytherin house color, they suspected Snape being the one because Slytherin had rivaled Gryffindor for as long as anyone could remember. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie at all for she didn't mention who had done that. She said suspected, James said to himself. Then, they went to their little court of justice part.
'Severus Snape of Slytherin House,' Remus started in a stern voice.
'Yes.'
'Your fate, rests upon the verdict from the juries,' Sirius continued in a smooth voice, gesturing towards James and Lily who nodded.
'Yes.'
'You are found…' Lily started as she unroll a parchment she was holding.
'Yes.' The voice seemed to get squeakier than before.
James grinned at Lily. 'GUILTY!'
'Yes – huh? Wait! I'm NOT guilty!!' Snape started protesting.
'Sorry Snape. You said "yes" before the "no". According to the rules, the first answer you said is the truth,' Remus replied calmly.
'Yep! Loads of apologies, Severus. Minnie McGonagall!' Sirius said, jumping with excitement.
'Yes?'
'Execute him to Albus Dumbledore for detention!' James and Lily chimed in together as McGonagall dragged a protesting and crying Snape towards Dumbledore's office. Tally just stared as they broke into another pack of giggles.
'How'd you do that? You asked McGonagall to bring him to Dumbledore and that's exactly what she did!'
'Well, we'd always done that every time and they work every time,' Sirius said mischievously.
'Never once failed,' Remus sighed.
'Always-' Lily started.
'Worked!' James finished.
'We made McGonagall called herself guilty once, and boy, it was good!' Sirius said as the four jumped off to the Gryffindor Tower.
Tally stared after their retreating figures.
'They're weird yet funny people. But I still don't understand what they did to make Snape call guilty and McGonagall escorting him to Headmaster's office? Hm…' Tally puzzled as she walked blindly to the Owlery to feed Venus, her owl, just before Lily reappeared.
'Hey Tally!'
'…hmm. Huh? Oh, Lily.'
'You're going to the Owlery?'
'Yes. Why?'
'Nothing much. Hey, feed all those green owls this powder okay?' Lily gave her a white packet powder.
'Why?' Tally asked, confused.
'To cure them. Lotus hates being green. A slight pink's fine with her, but green's absolutely horrid, so feed her this powder. As for Jackpot, this brown powder, Soots, the black packet and Radish, this beet root one.' Lily thrust a light pink, brown, black and beet red packet into the blonde's hands.
'Surely, surely you aren't the one to color those owls?'
Lily pondered this for a while before grinning and said, 'No.'
'Then who did?'
'Simple, Lily Evans.'
'So you are the one!'
'No. It's Lily who did. My name's not "You", and neither are the Marauders'.'
'You're cheeky.'
Lily took a bow before running off to join her gang.
AN: Hmmm… come to think of it, maybe I should make Tally Lily's friend? I mean, since I hadn't gotten Lily a girl friend, maybe Tally should be her? Then, Tally stayed also at her area. So maybe you can gimme some comments about this part? This part's kinda short, but who cares? I might make the next one longer. Wait, I remembered someone once complaining that my stories are just too long, so maybe it's better shorter? Hmm… be a sweetie and review, okay? ^_^