Chapter 4: The First Year Gone
Note to readers: I know the first few chapters have been slow, but things will start to pick up soon! There will definitely be some Quidditch action within a couple more installments, as well as a few surprises, so please be patient! Also look for Snape to make another appearance, as well as a few more familiar faces.
The weather was balmy and beautiful, as May began to slip by and the group of first-year students, now seven fast friends, finished their classes and spent most of their days studying for exams out by the lake.
One particularly warm and inviting afternoon, Azalea was laughing as Sirius tickled the tentacles of the giant squid, one of which was in his lap and depositing slime all over his Transfiguration notes. Sirius had yet to notice this.
James had gone to the kitchens to fetch more pumpkin juice, Remus was attempting to Transfigure a beetle that was crawling around on his shoe, and Lily was intent on perfecting her Levitation Charm. Peter and Lucy hadn't joined them yet; they were still in the library finishing up research for History of Magic.
Azalea, with an effort, pulled her attention away from Sirius's tickling and glanced at his lap. "Um, Sirius…"
"What?" he said distractedly, attempting to free his hand from one of the squid's suckers.
"Your notes…"
Sirius looked down at his lap and the pile of soggy paper. "Oh."
He scooted away, and the tentacle thrashed about before sinking back below the surface of the lake. Grimacing, Sirius extracted the slimed notes and started trying to separate the pages. "Does anyone know a De-Sliming Charm?"
Azalea shrugged, returning her attention to her own Transfiguration notes. Sirius tapped the slime with his wand. "Reparo?"
At the sound of the word, the small rips and tears in the paper mended at once, however, the slime remained. Lily looked up from her feather.
"Inimucosa," she muttered, and tapped the notes again. The slime seemed to take on a life of its own, and slithered off of the pages, before sinking into the ground. Sirius looked at her gratefully, as the rest of them goggled.
"Lily, why do you know how to perform a De-Sliming Charm?" Remus finally asked, sounding mildly disturbed.
"Preparation for cleaning the bathroom over the summer," she told him, and they all laughed.
Once the exams were over, the days spent by the lake become more relaxed. The day before the results were due to come out, James was telling them all of his ambition to make the House Quidditch team the next year.
"My dad was a Beater when he was here," he said, half-watching Sirius and Remus playing chess. "I'm a Seeker though…I'd kill for the spot on the Gryffindor team, and Quinn is leaving this year…"
"You'll get it, James," Lily piped up. "I've seen you fly in class, you've really got talent."
"Thanks," and James gave her a huge grin. "Quinn's captain though, I wonder who's going to take his place. I guess we'll find out about tryouts when they pick a new captain." He surveyed the assembled group. "Say, you know, we've got seven of us here…"
Sirius looked up from the chessboard. "James, what are you thinking?"
After conferring with Professor Willow, the flying instructor, James enlisted Sirius and Remus to help him haul the trunk of Quidditch balls and seven broomsticks out onto the field. The rest of them regarded the equipment with apprehension.
"This is going to be a little different than regular Quidditch," he told them. "In essence we'll play Chaser against Chaser against Chaser, against Beaters and Keeper, and I'll just practice catching the Snitch…"
Having watched the House Quidditch games, even Azalea and Lily were able to follow James's explanation. They quickly divided off; Azalea took the position of Keeper, while Sirius and Remus picked up the Beaters' clubs, and Lily, Lucy, and Peter were left as Chasers.
James released the Bludgers and the Snitch, and tossed the Quaffle into the air. Lucy grabbed it out of the air, and went flying around the field, attempting to avoid Lily and Peter. Azalea hovered in front of the hoops, as Sirius and Remus chased Lily, hitting the Bludgers at her.
Lily attempted to score, but Azalea angled her broom and batted the Quaffle halfway across the field. Sirius cheered as he swooped by her, club upraised. James flew past a second later, shouting "Nice save, Azalea!" before he was out of range.
There was a furious fight at the other end of the field a few moments later amongst the three Chasers; Remus flew straight into the middle of the clump, scattering them and causing the Quaffle to fall nearly to the ground before Peter was able to dive down and retrieve it.
James had caught the Snitch twice and released it again before Lucy was able to finally put a score past Azalea. He was impressed; he knew that the Gryffindor Keeper was a seventh-year as well, and Azalea looked like she would be a wicked replacement for him. He grinned; convincing her to try out would be no problem.
The afternoon drew to a close, and the students finally landed, happily exhausted from the game. Sirius and James caught the Bludgers and forced them back into the trunk, and James reached into his pocket and pulled out the Snitch. They hauled the trunk and brooms back to the castle, their minds now filled with thoughts of packing and returning home for the summer.
The next afternoon, the two Gryffindor prefects delivered a box full of envelopes to the tower, which contained their exam results. All of the first-years had passed every subject; Azalea let out a cheer at the hundred and twenty percent she had received in Potions. Sirius and James had been told by Professor McGonagall that they had a strong flair for Transfiguration, which, coming from her, was high praise. Lily had received exceptionally high marks in Charms; Remus and Lucy had done well all around; Peter, however, had just barely squeaked by.
"It's all right, Peter," Remus said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We'll just help you even more next year. You passed everything, right?"
Peter nodded, still dispirited, but his gloom was lost amidst the flurry of packing and cleaning.
"I can't believe it's going to be two whole months before we see each other again," Lucy mourned to Azalea and Lily, as they made one final check of the dormitory. "At least you two are together."
"Your birthday's in the summer, right?" Azalea asked, and Lucy nodded. "Ask your parents for an owl…then you can write any of us any time you want!"
On the train back, all seven of them squeezed into one compartment, and passed the time again with Exploding Snap, Gobstones, and chess. All of them, particularly the boys, were in deep disappointment over the letters handed out as they were boarding; the ones that expressly forbid magic over the holidays.
"I'm going to get so bored," Sirius moped. He immediately cheered up as one of his Gobstones nailed Peter in the face.
"If you're bored, owl us," Lily told him, moving a rook to take James's bishop. "We'll all be just as bored."
"Guess that means no cleaning the bathroom with the De-Sliming Charm, Lily," Azalea added. Lily looked even gloomier at the prospect.
They disembarked the train at Kings' Cross Station, and the seven friends shared hugs all around before heading back through the barrier in ones and twos. It was time for a summer apart.