The Marauding Five : Year Four

Lori Rhodes : Yeah, I know I had tons of mistakes :P that's just me, I guess! It wouldn't be me anymore if I'm perfectly perfect!!!! Anywayz, speaking of dreams, I had the latest one right at the bottom ^_^; just thought I'd amuse some people a little on my dream version on 'How Harry Caught The Snitch In Quidditch Pitch In My Dream.' You might want to read it, just for fun :P

Noelle : Oh, goody!!!! I did try my best at calling them but, sadly, the line went out of order. A voice told me, tho, that it had changed to Hotline-Voldemort-The-Moron-Being-Hunted-By-Wizards-And-Witches-So-Help-Us-Right-Now-Ministry-Of-Magic-Otherwise-Known-As-MOM-or-Harry-Potter-Could-Really-Grace-Us-With-His-Presence. Trust me, I did write that out. My friend thinks I'm nuts however, but agrees with me that my Science teacher is totally Voldemort in Disguise. And YES!!!! We most definitely could do with Teenager's Day!!!!! I tried taking advantage of Children's day when I was 13 but dad told me it's CHILDREN, not TEENAGER. Talk about bad luck!!! I got my mom a whole set of cactus gardening and she loved it ^^

Lily Girl : I reviewed your poems, didn't I? I just reviewed it, and it it didn't show up, tell me. I'll try again with my school computer!

shampoo ul copt : I'm a genius? I think not!!! I'm the dumbest person ever liven! It's a wonder how I'm still alive since all I did is flunk half the subjects in school *groans* anyone has a spell for making me smarter?

Misty Alanna Potter : Come on, you HAVE to admit that I'm one of the weirdest writer on earth!!! And I can't see myself being the best author ever. Am I even an author? I'm just a story-teller, aren't I? I mean, these ARE stories – fanfics, whatever – and I'm just telling the story in my version… right?

To many others… you're all really really sweet!!!! How can I ever repay you for reviewing for me? And to Sovia, I'll have year 5 written as soon as I finish my last chapter [nope, not this, unfortunately]. It's the next chapter, soo… be patient till then!

Disclaimer: *blink blink* Are you eating me?

The Marauding Five : Year Four

Chapter 10: Target

'Lily, come back here!!!' Tally yelled as Lily ran in front, laughing madly. The previously blonde girl now had dark brown hair and green skin with a handful of freckles on her usually smooth skin. She was quite a sight, no doubt.

'You think I would? That'll be first!' Lily laughed, sliding down the staircase handle.

'Whoa! What happened?' a first year cried in astonishment, looking up from his work.

'Don't bother, Cetel. It's just Lily,' his sister, a third year, said. The girl was used to this after knowing the Marauders for three years.

'Sis, you don't mean this is normal?'

'Of course it is!'

'Lily Evans! Put me back to normal! I have to study for Astronomy!' Tally cried, running down the stairs after Lily.

'Who says you can't study this way?' Adele asked, looking at Tally with amusement clearly written on her face.

'I did!' Tally replied.

'As long as Lily hadn't damaged your brain, you can still study,' Lily piped, laughing.

'You're insane! Insane, I tell you!' Tally cried. 'PUT ME BACK!'

'Walk backwards five steps,' Lily said. Tally obediently do so.

'What's this?'

'You asked me to put you back. That is exactly where you were standing a minute ago, yelling at me. Wait, open your mouth and look like a stupid frog… that's it! There!! You're perfectly at the same spot, looking the same way!' Lily said, grinning at Tally.

'LILY EVANS!!!' Tally shrieked, breaking a few windows in progress.

**

'And Evans?'

'Yes, Minnie?'

'No magic in dormitories.'

'Ahem. It's in the corridors. Nothing of the rules said anything about dorns,' Lily said.

'It's still the same, Evans,' McGonagall said primly, walking off.

'Yeah, and I'm from Slytherin, disguised as a Gryffindor,' Lily said, rolling her eyes at the retreating Professor. She had just been assigned a new detention from McGonagall. All for spicing up Tally's dull looks. Big deal.

'Tch, tch… Lily, Lily, Lily,' James tutted from behind her.

'What?'

'You got a detention!' Sirius cried.

'And your point is?'

'What's our resolution for this year again?' Remus asked.

'Get as many detentions as possible?'

'Righto!!! And you left us out!' James cried.

'How could you?' Sirius whined.

'Totally unfair!' Remus wailed.

'Well I was bored at that time, so the idea just popped out—'

'You should've gotten our names in!' Sirius cried.

'Actually, I'm thankful she didn't,' Adele muttered. 'You carried me with you too many a time these days. Minnie's getting real mad at me.'

'Aah… for what?' Remus said slyly.

'Stupid Transfiguration essays,' Adele muttered, burning the parchment before her with a flash. She caught Lily's robes by accident.

'Ow! Adele, stop burning me in process!' Lily cried, putting it off by stamping on it heavily.

'Sorry Lily. Didn't mean to.'

'You mean you didn't mean your apology?' Lily said in amazement before bursting into buckets of crocodile tears. 'How could you??'

'See what had you done? You made her cry!!!' James yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Adele.

'No, I—'

'Ssh! C'mon Li! It's not worth it,' Remus hushed. The girl just went on crying.

'Honestly—'

'How can you not mean the apology?? It's a crime! A total disgrace!' Sirius said emotionally, shutting his eyes tightly in anger. Fake anger. 'How could you???'

'No!! I—'

'Mean! Mean, mean, mean!' Lily cried, sobbing and sniffing and hiccupping.

'That's a downright crime, Adele. Don't you know it?' Remus said, shaking his head sadly.

'It is? But—'

'A rule! Now that the Marauders are back, the rule returns!' James cried, also weeping emotionally.

The four of them hurdled together and started wailing, drawing curious attention from the whole common room. Adele had a look on her face which clearly reads, "Oh, brother! What had I done now? I just commited a crime! A sin!'

'Look guys, I'm honestly sorry about—'

'She's honest! You heard that? Honest!' James cried.

Good. At least they understand me, Adele said to herself.

They yell even more. Louder than ever. And those salty water just keep pouring and pouring.

Then again, maybe not.

'You are not supposed to be honest! How could you?' Sirius cried.

'Uh…'

'I told you not to take time for granted! See, exams are here and you barely even studied! And those morons over there are making big time racket!' a seventh year moaned in dismay to himself.

'Time's a small problem,' Lily said, grinning suddenly. She wiped the tears off her cheeks with her robes sleeves.

'You LIED to me?' Adele gaped.

'Very small problem, time is,' Remus agreed.

'What?? You all lied to me???' Adele demanded.

'Ta-da!! Look at what we nicked!' Sirius said happily, holding out a small object.

'Is that…?' the seventh year said excitedly, leaning forward.

'A time-turner!!! Yep! Just nicked it from Minnie!' James said.

'Gimme!' he cried.

'Only for fifty galleons,' Adele said automatically.

'What?!'

'Fifty galleons and you can have all the time you want,' Lily confirmed. The senior seemed to think for a while.

'Deal,' he said.

'Whoopee!!' Sirius said happily. Muttering, the boy handed a cheque of fifty galleons in which was exchanged for the time-turner.

'Ha! We got ourselves some cash!' James said happily.

'Boy, smart girl, Adele!' Remus grinned. Adele beamed broadly.

'I'll make a great buisiness woman, don't you think?'

'Awfully good! Ten galleons each!' Lily said.

'Too bad. He didn't know it's illegal to use that thing without permission,' Sirius said, jabbing his finger at the nervous seventh year, who had just returned from his trip back in time.

'What a fine!' Remus whistled. 'Ten thousand galleons: wow!'

'Excuse me? I'd like to meet Michael McMichael,' a man in swirling blue robes asked.

'Er, me?' the seventh year said.

'You are fined ten thousand galleons for usingan illegal object,' the wizard-police said severely.

'WHAT?! You're kidding!'

'No, I'm not a kid anymore. Pay up now.'

'You're joking!'

'Neither am I a Joker, kid.'

'You're…'

**

The very next morning, the Marauders were shot murderous looks from McMichael. They avoided his glares carefully and settled for breakfast, when Owl Post came in halfway. As usual, Lotus, Jackpot, Soot and Radish flew respectively to Lily, James, Sirius and Remus.

'Hello! I do appreciate you coming, but try not to dirty my food,' Lily said. Lotus gave a short hoot.

'Anything from Gram?' Lily asked. Lotus screeched.

'I guess not,' James said.

'I know that!' Lily said, visibly annoyed.

Just then, a large bird swooped swiftly into the Great Hall, haughtily flying past some slow owls. The huge hawk soared and flew around the place grandly, showing off. After a while, as if remembering it had a letter or message to deliver, it started screeching at a high-pitched voice.

'What a fat show off!' Sirius commented.

'It's not fat, but I guess it'll do pretty well for dinner,' Remus said.

'Stay off, Kiara!' Adele said, turning to her Yumi in her robes.

'Eek!' Kiara said, scrambling into a pocket.

The hawk stopped circling around the room and swooped powerfully towards the Marauders. Sirius yelled at it some odd language which sounded nothing like a bird's, as far as his friends could place. The big bird screeched back angrily.

'Um, Sirius?' Adele said.

'What?'

'You say something?'

'Yes, I did say something. I said "What?" didn't I?'

'No, I mean to the bird.'

'What do you mean?'

'She means did you annoy that hawk in any way? Say, call it Kentucky Fried Hawk for instance,' Remus said. Sirius blinked blankly at Remus and Adele.

'Is there such thing as Kentucky Fried Hawk? I thought it was chicken!' Sirius said in amazement.

'Maybe someone hit him on his head. Or maybe it's those Bludgers finally working into him,' Remus said decidingly.

'Well, in any case, did you insult that hawk????' James demanded.

'NO!!! Why would I insult a lowly, feather-brained creature as this?' Sirius cried. 'I mean, it's probably too stupid to decipher what I'm saying now!'

The hawk gave them a sharp screech.

'There! There!! You insulted it!' Adele cried. 'You insulted the bird!!!!'

'And your point is?'

'You insulted this poor, sad, thing… it's so pitiful, so sad…' Adele ranted pitiously.

'Alright, alright! It's probably too low a self-esteem for that! Enough already with your rants!' Remus said, clamping a hand on Adele's mouth to shut her up, in case she shouldn't shut up.

'Mmpf!' Adele called.

'You insulted who?' Lily said blankly.

'No one,' James said. Lily had obviously not paid any attention to their late conversation about "Hawk-Insulting" topic.

'Then what is this thing doing here?' Lily said, pointing at the hawk. The bird made a playful snap on her fingers. 'Ow! Stupid bird!!!'

'How should I know what that thing's here for? I thought birds are usually a mean of postage,' Remus said.

'Dunno,' Adele shrugged.

Everyone watched the hawk for about five minutes. The bird flew up. And down. And up. And down. And this goes on for the past five minutes where everyone was watching it. Finally, it decided to fly down again. Its pin-point eyes bored into each and every of the Marauders's. The Marauders looked nervously at each other, each wondering what the other had done to make this hawk stare so oddly at them.

'Err… hi? Can you get lost now? It's really rude to stare at people when they're eating, y'know,' Adele said. It bored into her.

'It's also very rude to point,' Sirius said. The hawk was "pointing" at them with its large wings. It shifted its pupils to Sirius, who gulped loudly, sounding like a burp.

'And really rude to stare,' Remus said. Remus got a glare.

'And glare,' James added. Adele was now in hiccuppings, Sirius continued burping and Remus was sweating profusely. Lily held her breath to what James would do.

And then… something happened. Something that shouldn't happen in this very tensed moment.

Someone laughed. No, not someone. The whole table laughed. The Gryffindors laughed. It all seemed too funny, with an eagle, the Marauders, and whatever the joke was.

'Excuse me - *hic!* - can't you all act up to the - *hic!* - moment??? It's supposed to - *hic!* - be a really tensed - *hic!* - moment!' Adele hic-yelled at them. They roared with laughter again, half of them giving loud applauses.

'Shut up!!!!!!' James yelled.

'What do you want?' Lily asked the hawk sternly. It let out several loud screeches.

'It said it was sent to post,' James explained, 'not to listen to lectures on manners. Or hear laughters and applause.' Then the roaring laughter and claps sounded.

'KEEP IT DOWN!!!!!!!!' the Head Boy yelled loudly suddenly. The whole hall silenced. It was so silence you could hear a pin drop. 'Thank you. Hahahahahaha!!!!!!'

'What?' Tally said blankly.

'Well, can't you see????' Dan said.

'See what?'

'He's laughing!'

'Yeah, so?'

'I want my laughter to be heard!' the Head Boy snapped. 'Okay people! You can all start laughing again!'

'Weird,' Adele commented.

'Okay… so what happened to the letter?' Lily asked.

Screech, screech, yelp, sqwak.

'It dropped it halfway,' James translated.

'You've got to be kidding. An owl? Drop a letter?' Nina laughed uproarously.

'It's a hawk, Nina,' Adele said.

'Still, it's a post bird!'

'You have the point.'

'And your problem is?' Remus asked the hawk.

Sqwak, sqwak, screech, sqwak!

'It liked Lily,' James said.

'Not again?! Soon, the owls here might all—' Lily's moans were drowned to nothing because almost every owl flew to her after the hawk's brave confession on why he was there. Lotus, Lily's very own owl, stood grandly with pride, her chest puffed up.

'Your mistress is drowned and all you could do is stand with pride? Pathetic,' Adele said to Lotus.

'Hey Lily! You there?' Sirius called to the flock of owls.

'Am alive!!!' a muffled voice cried.

'Shoo! Shoo!' James cried at the owls, flapping his arms to frighten them. He reminded Remus very much of a mother hen. The owls flew off in fright and Lily emerged, a hero – uh, heroine – of the scene.

'Get that stupid bird to say what that letter says then!!!' Lily cried angrily, pulling the owl feathers off her long hair.

Yell, screech, yell, screech, sqwak!

'It said that its master, Lord Voldemort, sent us the letter,' James translated.

At the horrifying name, the students flinched. Anna Hopkins burst out sobbing as her sisters tried to comfort their youngest sister.

'What about him now?' Sirius asked Remus in boredom.

'Ask that bird, not me,' Remus said. Sirius started screeching at it and the bird started to fall over, cacking its beak off.

'What?' Sirius demanded, annoyed at this response.

'You- you said- you said "I'm a pompous geek!" Oh, Sirius!!!!' Lily laughed, doubling over. The Gryffindors, the Ravenclaws, the Hufflepuffs, and even the Slytherins burst into laughter at this. Hearing Sirius Black say "I'm a pompous geek" to a bird was definitely history.

'I did not!'

'You did!! You see, the bird testified that!' James lauhghed.

'But- but- Argh!!!! I give up!' Sirius cried.

'So… what did Voldemort want?' James asked, once the pain and laughter died in him.

'Squawk! Screech! Screech, screech, screech, squawk!! Yelp!!' the hawk said. The Marauders looked at James expectantly as the hawk took flight out of the window. James seemed to be thinking deeply and he had gone extremely pale in face.

'Well?' Remus said at last.

'Well what?'

'Well, what did it say?' Adele asked.

'Come here,' James whispered, pulling them away from the still laughing students.

'What?' Lily said in confusion. Obviously she had not been able to translate the hawk's last words.

'That hawk was from Voldemort,' James said, when they entered their hideout behind the mirror.

'Yes, yes! Get to the point!' Sirius said impatiently.

'Voldemort asked…'

'Voldemort asked…?' Adele said.

'That…'

'That…?' Remus said.

'Just get to the point, James!' Lily snapped.

'Okay, okay! He wants us to join him, so there,' James said hurriedly.

'He what?'

'He wants us to join him so there.'

'He WHAT?! I heard that right???' Lily cried, backing off.

'Yes! Right! He wants us to join his league!!' James repeated.

'He's kidding!' Adele cried, going paler and paler.

'Na-ah. He wants us, by hook or by crook,' James said firmly.

'So what should we do?' Remus said.

'We should join him. Of course not!! Alert our parents! AT ONCE!' Sirius boomed, frightening them.

'How?' Adele asked. Sirius casually pointed at Lily.

'Me???' Lily cried in astonishment.

'Yes you. Who else???'

'No!!! Not gonna get ANY parents here!' Lily said, shaking her head firmly.

'Another way, then,' Remus sighed.

'Why would he want fourteen-' Adele started.

'I'm thirteen,' Lily piped childishly.

'Okay, fourteen, thirteen, whatever!!! Why would he want us?'

'It's obvious, isn'tit?' Sirus said, rolling his eyes at her. Adele shook her head.

'Look who we are!' James said, waving his arms around.

'You want to turn into a chicken, go ahead. No one's stopping you,' Lily said.

'We're a group here! Meaning none will go without the other!' Remus said self-righteously.

'And?' Adele said.

'Still don't get the point? Gee, you're slow!!!' Sirius commented.

'Okay. Psychic, Black Mage, White Mage, Animal Language Speaker, Werewolf, Animal Translater, Animal Attracter, Seer, Potion Brewer, and Geniuses. Does that ring anything in your head?' James said. he paused to take a deep breath. Adele's violet eyes grew wide as everything finally sunk into her head.

'He wants us!!! Our powers!!! Our intelligence!!!!' Adele gaped. 'Though I'm quite stupid at Transfiguration…'

'Ditto. And we're all, as you'd pointed out, master in a couple of various subjects. All five of us together are just perfect,' Lily said.

'We shouldn't join him!' Adele said firmly.

'Who says we should? Who says we are?' Remus snorted. 'Fat chance!!!'

'Yep! So we won't join him,' Sirius said.

'And now, we're Voldemort's target,' Lily said quietly.

'What?' James said, straining his ears. 'Come again?'

'We're his targets now. He have two choices, as we. He'll either kill us or recruit us. And we'll either follow him, or live on the run,' Lily said quietly.

'We're on the run? From the greatest Dark Wizard in history? Oh, no!!!!!' Adele cried desperately.

'Stop it!!! I think he's particularly interested in Lily and I,' James frowned.

'Why?'

'The hawk says that.'

'Probably you guys'll get taken hostage?' Remus suggested.

'I think not! I think it's because of that curse! The Ularsta Nagita curse!' Lily said.

'And…?' Sirius said.

'We got the cure annd I managed to summon my soul out with some help,' Lily said. 'I was supposed to have a coma of some sort.'

'Wow!!'

'But I think he wants Adele, too. Black mage. Pure one, too. They're almost extinct!' James said.

'I'm in danger for being that. Thanks a lot for reminding me,' Adele grimaced.

'Werewolves are known as Dark creatures, thus Remus falls in the category,' James said grimly.

'Dang. It wasn't my fault!' Remus protested.

'Your mother DID warn you about playing out in full moon,' Lily reminded.

'So she did, so she did,' Remus sighed. 'Guess it's my fault, then.'

'And Sirius—' James said, turning to his friend.

'One minute. He won't want me! I hadn't any talent!' Sirius protested.

'Well, that hawk said that you're a skilled potion brewer,' James said slowly. 'And potions are important in the Dark Arts.'

'Probably that's why ol' Snape's such a brewer,' Lily muttered.

'Probably, probably,' Remus shrugged.

'I saw his dark mark!' Adele piped.

'You're kidding!!' the four cried.

'No I'm not! I saw it! On his arm!' Adele insisted. 'He pulled up his sleeves and I just caught sight of that horrid thing!'

'I can't think much for now. That detention is still on and I had to run for it,' Lily sighed. 'Ciao guys!'

'Bye!'

And rather sickly, Lily climbed out of the mirror.

AN: D'you know all the rubbish that had entered my mind since I last wrote a story? Well, one of the dreams had a very interesting effect, I daresay, on my school friends. I was somewhere in my old school pitch [you probably don't know it] and I saw Harry and the Quidditch team playing Quidditch against Ravenclaw. When all the players shot up, I saw Harry still on the ground, his eyes glued to the dark sky.

'What are you doing?' I asked curiously.

'Looking for the Snitch,' Harry replied.

'You're not on broomstick,' I said flatly. He wasn't having his Firebolt.

'Sirius took it for a ride, so I thought I'd find the Snitch this way,' he said easily.

'…'

'Aha!! There it is!! The Snitch!!!' he cried excitedly. I waited to see how would he catch the tiny walnut without a broom. Well, here's what he did: He took out his wand and cried out 'Accio Snitch!!!' and Gryffidnor won the game.

My friend told me that if the snitch was THAT easy, he wouldn't have to break any bones at all in his second year. And she could easily win all Quidditch matches if all you have to do as a Seeker is cry out the Summoning Charm. Just something to let you all ponder on for the meantime ^^

This little Author Notes have became some sort of a daily talker already :P I'm not surprised if one day I should collect these and make a life planner for my own J let's see… blame school, definitely, for everything that has to do with, um, everything. And yeah! My very very weird sense of humour that made this odd story [let's face it: you wouldn't understand what I call humour at all] or chapter even … shorter than it is. Am so sorry this one's really really short!!!!!!!!!! Honestly, I am! I'll try injecting some fun in the next one, kayz? Review for me, please!!!!!!! Jaa, minna!!!!! ß {In case you don't understand, it means "bye bye, people!!!!!" in Japanese. Or so I'd learnt.}