Chapter Thirteen
THE BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES
Even though they had gone back to the dormitory much before all other Gryffindors, James and his friends didn't stay long. Their very first lesson was Potions, down in the dungeons. Since they had no idea how to get there, they decided to leave early.
They arrived in the Great Hall again as the last students were leaving. Sirius gave a quick look into the big room.
"Hey! What's a Slytherin doing at our table?" he cried out in disgust.
A young, black haired boy was sitting near Lily. They were having a lively conversation.
"It's the Slytherin girl again!" shouted Peter.
James felt unsure. He was regretting his behaviour the first time they had met, but he was also unhappy to see a Slytherin at their table. He was not even sure it was allowed. No teachers were in sight.
Lily got up suddenly and, still speaking with the dark boy, went toward the door. She only noticed Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter when she was a few meters from them, and she stopped talking.
"Then you really want to be a Slytherin!" began Sirius. An evil look gleamed in his eyes.
"Let her stay!" the boy stood in front of Sirius, threatening.
"Then it really was a mistake, you being put to Gryffindor! You even have a boyfriend at Slytherin!" said James harshly. If he had felt guilty, he could not remember now.
Lily blushed but did not leave, even though her eyes were filling with tears.
"I'm not her boyfriend. I'm a friend," precised the boy quitely, "and I think you should think back at your behaviour. What has she done to you, to make you be so cruel?" he said, looking James in the eyes. He could not hold the look.
"You... you'd better think at what you've done! You're not allowed at our table!!" said Peter from behind Remus's back, trying to sound rude, but it was without great result.
"Then it's true, Peter. I told Lily it was impossible that you were with them. I even defended you some moments before," said the boy, sounding more sad then angry. "Well, then. This is the end of our friendship" he added harshly.
"Don't bother my friends," said James, regaining his sureness. He knew Peter was wrong, as well as he was. Anyway he could not help but feeling dislike for that dark, slimey Slytherin boy. Plus, the boy was right.
"Otherwise?" asked the boy, challenging.
"Otherwise you'll face the consequences."
"What's goin' on here?" a small man with an evil expression had approached them. It was Apollyon Pringle, the caretaker.
"Nothing, Mr. Pringle," said the boy, without breaking eye contact with James.
"Absolutely nothing," added James, holding the look.
"Well then, you'd better reach your classes. Lessons are about to begin," said the man with a sneer.
After a last glance, James and his group went away from the two.
"Who the hell is that boy? Peter, talk. You seemed to know him well," said while they were walking toward Potions class.
"No... I..." began Peter
"Stop it. You lied us. And don't think I won't remember that. Now talk: who is he?" James' rage was coming out all in a once. Rage against the boy, rage against the girl. Lily. Mostly, rage against himself. In truth, he didn't care that much about Peter's behaviour, he just happened to be a handy target for James's anger.
"I... his name is Severus Snipe. Our families are friends ever since I can remember. But in truth, I've never tolerated him. I was forced to stay with him every summer," said Peter.
"What about the girl?" asked James
"I was with them on the train," Peter stopped a moment, then "She's a Mudblood!" he cried out as happy as a dog giving a stick back to its owner.
"My mum is a Muggle. Any problem?" said Sirius angrily. Peter swallowed, feeling lost.
"I don't care if her parents are Muggles. That's not the point, even if it explains why she didn't know about Slytherin. The point is that..." he stopped, as if he was looking for the right words. Nothing came.
"That she still wants to be a Slytherin!" completed Peter, happy to be of any help.
"Yes! That's the problem!" agreed James, trying to sound convincing at least to himself.
"Can we really blame her?" said Remus. The other three stared at him. "I mean... she probably just wanted to be with someone she knew and, when that desire was realized, she found herself picked up and moved. Plus, we didn't give her the welcome she deserved. I'm sure that, thanks to yesterday, all the other girls avoided her in the dormitory. Now, can we blame her?" he asked again. Nobody answered.
They walked to the Potions dungeon in silence.
THE BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES
Even though they had gone back to the dormitory much before all other Gryffindors, James and his friends didn't stay long. Their very first lesson was Potions, down in the dungeons. Since they had no idea how to get there, they decided to leave early.
They arrived in the Great Hall again as the last students were leaving. Sirius gave a quick look into the big room.
"Hey! What's a Slytherin doing at our table?" he cried out in disgust.
A young, black haired boy was sitting near Lily. They were having a lively conversation.
"It's the Slytherin girl again!" shouted Peter.
James felt unsure. He was regretting his behaviour the first time they had met, but he was also unhappy to see a Slytherin at their table. He was not even sure it was allowed. No teachers were in sight.
Lily got up suddenly and, still speaking with the dark boy, went toward the door. She only noticed Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter when she was a few meters from them, and she stopped talking.
"Then you really want to be a Slytherin!" began Sirius. An evil look gleamed in his eyes.
"Let her stay!" the boy stood in front of Sirius, threatening.
"Then it really was a mistake, you being put to Gryffindor! You even have a boyfriend at Slytherin!" said James harshly. If he had felt guilty, he could not remember now.
Lily blushed but did not leave, even though her eyes were filling with tears.
"I'm not her boyfriend. I'm a friend," precised the boy quitely, "and I think you should think back at your behaviour. What has she done to you, to make you be so cruel?" he said, looking James in the eyes. He could not hold the look.
"You... you'd better think at what you've done! You're not allowed at our table!!" said Peter from behind Remus's back, trying to sound rude, but it was without great result.
"Then it's true, Peter. I told Lily it was impossible that you were with them. I even defended you some moments before," said the boy, sounding more sad then angry. "Well, then. This is the end of our friendship" he added harshly.
"Don't bother my friends," said James, regaining his sureness. He knew Peter was wrong, as well as he was. Anyway he could not help but feeling dislike for that dark, slimey Slytherin boy. Plus, the boy was right.
"Otherwise?" asked the boy, challenging.
"Otherwise you'll face the consequences."
"What's goin' on here?" a small man with an evil expression had approached them. It was Apollyon Pringle, the caretaker.
"Nothing, Mr. Pringle," said the boy, without breaking eye contact with James.
"Absolutely nothing," added James, holding the look.
"Well then, you'd better reach your classes. Lessons are about to begin," said the man with a sneer.
After a last glance, James and his group went away from the two.
"Who the hell is that boy? Peter, talk. You seemed to know him well," said while they were walking toward Potions class.
"No... I..." began Peter
"Stop it. You lied us. And don't think I won't remember that. Now talk: who is he?" James' rage was coming out all in a once. Rage against the boy, rage against the girl. Lily. Mostly, rage against himself. In truth, he didn't care that much about Peter's behaviour, he just happened to be a handy target for James's anger.
"I... his name is Severus Snipe. Our families are friends ever since I can remember. But in truth, I've never tolerated him. I was forced to stay with him every summer," said Peter.
"What about the girl?" asked James
"I was with them on the train," Peter stopped a moment, then "She's a Mudblood!" he cried out as happy as a dog giving a stick back to its owner.
"My mum is a Muggle. Any problem?" said Sirius angrily. Peter swallowed, feeling lost.
"I don't care if her parents are Muggles. That's not the point, even if it explains why she didn't know about Slytherin. The point is that..." he stopped, as if he was looking for the right words. Nothing came.
"That she still wants to be a Slytherin!" completed Peter, happy to be of any help.
"Yes! That's the problem!" agreed James, trying to sound convincing at least to himself.
"Can we really blame her?" said Remus. The other three stared at him. "I mean... she probably just wanted to be with someone she knew and, when that desire was realized, she found herself picked up and moved. Plus, we didn't give her the welcome she deserved. I'm sure that, thanks to yesterday, all the other girls avoided her in the dormitory. Now, can we blame her?" he asked again. Nobody answered.
They walked to the Potions dungeon in silence.