Disclaimer: See the first chapter....
WARNINGS: Just to remind you, there's going to be Remus/Sirius slash soon!
Credits: I have to thank dragon_princess2028 for helping me think up names for the members of the Quidditch teams. We were a bit on the silly side at the time.
~*~*~*~*~
Year 2 - An Idea Is Born, and James Makes the Team
~August 15, 1976 - Camping~
"CANNONBALL!" Sirius shrieked in delight, tucking his knees under his chin as he fell.
"NOOOOO!!!!" yelled James, swimming as fast as he could to get away. "TIDAL WAVE!!!"
*SPLASH*.
"Ahhhhh!" yelped Peter and James together, sputtering and waving their arms. "Sirius, stop that!"
Sirius surfaced and shook his long black hair out of his eyes in a doglike way. "Aw, you're no fun," he pouted, and turned to Remus, who was sitting on the edge of the float with his feet in the water. "It was cool, wasn't it, Remmie?"
"I suppose," Remus said, smiling, "But I doubt Jim and Pete appreciated it."
It was the last camping trip of the summer for the Marauders. In a little over two weeks, they would be returning to school, back to Hogwarts for another year. And even though this had been the best summer of Remus' life, he couldn't wait to get back to school. He smiled at the thought. He probably wouldn't like school so much, or the summer holidays either, if it weren't for his friends.
If he ignored his transformations, Remus couldn't think of a better time he'd had before this summer - well, besides last year at Hogwarts, that was. All summer long, the Marauders had been getting together for camping and fishing trips, sleepovers, and (at Remus' insistence), study sessions. Both Sirius and James had protested, but Remus was stern. "It doesn't do any good to procrastinate," he had told them. "We've got homework to do, you know. You don't want to fall behind, do you?" As James and Sirius were the cleverest students in their year, this hardly mattered; but neither of them liked to argue with Remus when he had a bee in his bonnet over something. Not to mention, Peter had been grateful for the extra help with his work.
"I wonder what's under here," Sirius mused, looking at the float.
"Seaweed, probably," shrugged Peter.
"Maybe a dead body," James said, his eyes lighting up with the typical excitement only a twelve-year-old boy could produce at the thought. "That'd be cool."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Don't be daft, Jim. If someone had been murdered around here, we'd probably know about it."
"Maybe not."
"Maybe so."
"Maybe NOT."
"Maybe SO."
Before the argument could progress any further, Peter interrupted. "Umm, guys, I'm hungry," he spoke up timidly. "Why don't we go get some lunch?"
Sirius rolled off the float into the water, and began swimming back to shore. "Last one there's a slimy Slytherin!" he shouted.
~August 23 - Diagon Alley~
"A full set of Ballycastle Bats Quidditch robes!" James drooled, gazing in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. "I know what *I'm* asking for for Christmas this year."
"Me too," agreed Sirius. "We could be, impersonators or something like that..."
Remus rolled his eyes. For nearly an hour, they had been standing outside Quality Quidditch Supplies so James and Sirius could get a good look at all the newest equipment. And frankly, Remus was bored. What he really wanted to do was head off to Flourish and Blotts for new schoolbooks, but he didn't want to get Jim and Siri irritated.....
It was Peter who saved the day. "Um, guys?" he spoke up timidly. "We only have a little while until our parents come back to pick us up... and we aren't done shopping..."
With a sigh, Sirius and James pulled themselves away from the window. "You're right, Pete," James said reluctantly. "Maybe we can come back again before school opens......"
And off they headed to Flourish and Blotts, consulting their booklists.
"Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2....... Magical Plants and Herbs of Europe....... Dangerous Beasts and How To Deal With Them...." Sirius read as they wound through the crowded street. "Now that sounds fun," he said. "Lesson One: How NOT to get gored by a unicorn....."
They arrived at the bookstore and got their new schoolbooks, but James and Sirius, feeling a tad guilty about hanging around Quality Quidditch Supplies for so long, agreed to stay for a little bit while Remus browsed through the shop, looking for a few books for extra reading. They sat down with Peter on a bench by the door and watched Remus and the other customers wandering through the store.
"Do you think we should tell him?" Sirius muttered to James and Peter. "About the plan?"
James looked over at Remus, who was standing in a patch of sunlight in front of one shelf, absorbed in an immense book titled 'Spells, Curses, and Counter-Curses For All Occasions'.
"Not now," he said, keeping his voice low. "Let's wait..... give us more time to do a little more research."
"Okay..." Sirius sighed. "I hope he doesn't get mad...."
~September 1 - Hogwarts Express~
"Remus?"
Remus looked up from his book. James, Sirius, and Peter were all looking at him with serious, somber looks on their faces. What was wrong with them now?
"Yes?" he asked curiously. "What is it?"
"We have to tell you something," James said.
"It's a surprise," Peter said.
"We spent all summer planning it for you," Sirius added.
"A surprise?" Remus asked skeptically, remembering the 'surprises' they had bestowed on Snape for April Fool's Day.
"Yeah..." said James. "You see.... we did some thinking, you know, about you, and we......" he trailed off, looking nervous. "You might not like the idea... but...."
"We've decided to become Animagi," Sirius cut in.
Remus' eyes widened. "Animagi? Why?"
"That's easy, isn't it?" Peter said. "So we can come stay with you, you know, during the... full moon."
"Is that okay?" James asked anxiously.
"Why would you want to go through the trouble?" Remus asked.
Sirius sighed and lightly tapped his fist on Remus' forehead. "Knock knock, anyone home? We're going to do it because we're your friends and we don't want you to be alone, you daft sod."
Remus surprised them all by bursting into tears and trying to hug them all at once.
"You're too nice to me," he sobbed, burying his face in Sirius' hair.
"You're embarrassing me," James said, hugging Remus and pretending to blush.
"It's no problem, really," Peter said.
"Especially since you can help us work it out," Sirius said slyly.
Remus sighed. You had to hand it to them - they could really take advantage of a situation.
~September 17 - The Library~
"This looks hard...." Peter whined, reading the notes on human Transfiguration that James had written out the other night.
"Of course it is," Sirius snapped irritably from across the table, thumbing through 'Magical Drafts and Potions' for information for his Potions essay. "You can't just say 'Abracadabra' and turn into something, you know."
"Don't argue," Remus mumbled, absorbed in his own Potions essay. "I can't think with you two sniping at each other...."
Sirius straightened up, tossed down his quill, and finger-combed his long hair into a loose ponytail. "I just realized something," he said. "Jim is missing."
"Two guesses on where he is," Peter said.
"Either nagging Madame Hooch about Quidditch practice, or lurking behind a shelf spying on Lily Evans," Remus sighed. "Same as always."
But just then, James turned up, looking extremely happy about something.
"Guess what!" he said, and then barreled on without giving them a chance to guess. "Hooch says Quidditch tryouts are next week! I'm gonna try for the Gryffindor team!"
"Good luck, then, Jim," Remus said, smiling at his friend. "Which position are you going for?"
James puffed out his chest proudly. "Seeker, of course!"
Sirius started laughing. "You're mad, you know that?" he teased. "You're the slowest thing I've ever seen."
James laughed and grabbed Sirius in a headlock. "Take it back, Black," he ordered. "Or I'll .... crrrrrrrrush you!"
Sirius squirmed in James' grasp. "Gerroff, Jim!" he panted. "My... POTIONS ESSAY..... needs me!"
"Like you care about that," James growled, and started tickling Sirius.
"Break it up, now!" barked Madame Pince, the stern, vulture-like librarian. "Or five points from Gryffindor!"
James released Sirius and sat down, and Sirius straightened up again, rubbing his neck. "I'll get you tonight, Potter," he scowled.
~September 23 - Gryffindor Common Room~
"I made it, I made it!" James shouted, leaping through the portrait hole in a frenzy. "You're looking at the new Gryffindor Seeker!"
"Way to go, Jim!" cheered Sirius, jumping up to give James a high-five. "The Quidditch Cup has Gryffindor written all over it this year!"
Lily Evans, who was passing by their table, paused, smiling. "Congratulations, James," she said shyly before hurrying on her way. Sirius giggled in delight, watching James blush.
"Someone's got a crush...." he teased. "James Potter, the ladies' man!"
James punched him in the arm. "Shut up," he muttered, but he blushed even more. Sirius' grin widened, and he looked like he was going to say something, but Remus elbowed him hard and shook his head.
"When's our first game?" Peter asked, happy for a diversion from his Potions work.
"Week after next," said James excitedly. "Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff!"
"Hufflepuff hasn't had a decent Seeker in years," Sirius said happily. "We'll flatten them."
James smiled. "You know, Siri, *you* should try out for the team."
Sirius shook his head. "Nah, not me, Jim old boy," he said. "Not one for showing off, am I."
James sputtered with laughter. "Sure you aren't!" he choked, and wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. "Who's the one who does *everything* he can to get noticed? And who is the one who plays with his hair for *thirty bloody minutes* every day?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Snape!"
Remus shook his head. "Please, don't mention him just before dinner," he ordered. "Just thinking about him will put me off my food."
"Agreed," said Peter. "Now, will someone help me out with this Potions essay?...."
~October 2 - The Quidditch Game~
"You have to eat something," Remus said.
"Just a bit of toast, mate," Sirius wheedled.
"You have to keep your strength up," Peter urged.
James shook his head. "I can't eat a thing. I feel ill."
"It's just nerves," Sirius said, "You'll be fine once you get out on that field."
"I suppose...." James sighed. "But I always get really nervous before something big." He fiddled with his fork, looking pale.
"It's almost eleven, Jim, you'd better head out," Remus said, and patted James' arm comfortingly. "Don't be nervous, we'll be out there rooting for you!"
James smiled weakly, and left the Hall. Remus, Sirius, and Peter finished their breakfasts quickly, then headed out to the Quidditch stands.
Almost half the school was wearing red and gold; Ravenclaw was supporting Gryffindor as well. The Slytherins, of course, supported Hufflepuff - not that the Hufflepuff team was better; the Slytherins abhorred Gryffindor so much there was no way in hell they'd support the Gryffindor team. The two teams gathered on the field around Madame Hooch.
Izzy Jordan, a fellow Gryffindor, was doing the commentary for the match. "The Quaffle is released! And, THEY'RE OFF!"
Up in the Gryffindor stands, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were cheering loudly, waving at James and jumping up and down.
"Gryffindor Chaser Yamachi in possession of the Quaffle!" Izzy shouted. "Passes to Wood - Wood passes to Goodwind - back to Yamachi - TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR! And now - Wood has the Quaffle - oh no!"
One of the Hufflepuff Beaters, Jamison, had whacked a Bludger straight at Wood. She put up her arms to shield her face - but accidentally dropped the Quaffle, which was snatched up by a Hufflepuff Chaser.
"LaRue has the Quaffle - passes it to Whalebone - catch it, Joe! - oh no - Hufflepuff scores!"
Up in the stands, Sirius and Remus were watching James. James was hovering above the action, scanning the field for the Golden Snitch. "C'mon, Jim," Remus whispered - and at the same time Hufflepuff scored another goal.
"Dammit," Sirius muttered. "Come on, come on..."
"Twenty points to Hufflepuff," Izzy announced, rather unhappily. "And now White has the Quaffle - oh! I say! Spectacular move by Gryffindor Beater Theodore Cleaver!"
Cleaver had hit a Bludger straight at White, who had tried to dodge it, but was too slow. The Bludger hit him in the arm, making him drop the Quaffle. Sora Yamachi snatched it out of midair and sped off towards the other end of the field. The Hufflepuff Chasers took off after her, and swerved around to meet her before she got to the goal posts. But then - James dived straight at them, making them scatter and leaving Sora's way clear.
"Good move, Jim!" Sirius shouted. "That'll teach them!"
"Siri, pay attention, We've just scored again!" Remus yelled, jumping up and down.
The audience was in a frenzy - a tie!
"God, I hope Jim catches the Snitch," Peter moaned. "Come on, Jim!"
Just then, a flash of gold darted past the Hufflepuff goalposts, making their Keeper, Amos Diggory, turn and stare.
"It's the Snitch!" Izzy Jordan screamed. "And the Seekers have spotted it!"
James was pelting towards the Snitch, with Hufflepuff Seeker Bobby Bennett right behind him.
"Go, Jim, GO!" Sirius and Remus yelled.
"Watch out!" Peter shrieked.
A Bludger flew straight at James - the Gryffindor Beaters were coming as fast as they could - but they were too far behind - James swerved, but the Bludger hit the tail of his broom. James lost his grip, and both he and the broomstick tumbled twenty feet to the ground - and Bennett caught the Snitch.
"Hufflepuff wins!" Izzy yelled, but Remus, Sirius, and Peter barely heard him; they tore down the stairs and ran across the field to where the Gryffindor team, Madame Hooch, and Madame Pomfrey were gathered around James.
"Is he okay?" Remus gasped.
"No," James moaned. "I missed the Snitch, Remmie...."
"That's not important now!" Madame Pomfrey said, magicking James onto a stretcher. "Let's get you to the hospital wing, come on...."
~In the hospital wing~
"It was still a great performance, Jim," Remus said consolingly. "If that Bludger hadn't hit the end of your broom, you still could have made it."
"Yeah," Sirius said. "Don't beat yourself up over this. There'll be other games, too."
"And you heard Joe," Peter said. "He doesn't blame you a bit. Neither does the rest of the team."
"Yeah," sighed James. Joe had, in fact, congratulated him several times on his great flying and nice save - "And the way you tried to avoid that Bludger was good too," Joe had said.
Remus smiled at his friend. "It's ok, Jim. Just wait until we play Slytherin."
James blanched. "Slytherin? God, if we don't beat them, Snape will be unbearable..."
~The Next Day~
Well, there was one thing James hadn't reckoned on. Snape didn't need a Slytherin victory to be unbearable - as they learned on Monday, in Potions class.
"So, Potter," Snape said coolly as the Marauders entered the room, "Taken up bunjee jumping, have we? Pity you forgot your cord...."
"Ignore him," Remus muttered under his breath, grabbing both James and Sirius by their sleeves and pulling them to a table at the back of the room before there could be bloodshed. "He's just a stupid git."
"I know," James sighed. "But still.... there's only so much one person can take..."
The Marauders had spent the better part of Sunday in the Gryffindor common room, doing homework, mostly to avoid the Slytherins. James didn't need to be tormented every moment of every day. It was only a Quidditch match, Remus thought, taking out his notebook and beginning to copy down today's potion recipe. It wasn't like the fate of the world depended on it.
Most unfortunately, Snape was beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's loss, and took every opportunity to rub it in James' face. Sirius finally got mad enough to fling a very dead, very large caterpillar at Snape, hitting him in the forehead and splattering slime all over his face, causing Professor Kirk to give Sirius detention. "And it barely made a difference, either," Sirius grumbled as they headed off to Transfiguration. "Even if I dipped him in a bucket of slime he'd be just as greasy as always."
~January 2 - last day of the holidays~
"I'm going to kill him," Sirius growled, standing up. "That bloody prat, I swear I'm going to kill him."
Remus sighed, reached up, and seized a handful of Sirius' robes. He pulled him back into his seat and said sternly, "Siri, you can't kill him. You'd get expelled. And besides, it's *Christmas*."
"I'd probably get an Award for Special Services to the School," Sirius grumbled, shooting a glare across the hall at Snape, who was entertaining the Slytherins by impersonating James falling off his broom.
"You'd think he'd get tired of that by now," James said wearily. "No, wait, he's only been doing it for - nearly three months! My mistake, he's got plenty of use left in that joke..."
"Buck up, Jim," Remus said bracingly. "Only the Slytherins think it's funny, and we all know how dull-witted they are..."
He couldn't blame James for how he felt - if the Slytherins had been tormenting *him* for months, he probably would get a little sick of it too. A little? That was an understatement.
"Wait," Sirius said, his eyes lighting up. "I think I have an idea. It's risky, but it'll get Snape off your back, Jim."
"What is it?" James asked eagerly. Remus felt a tad unsure, but he didn't want Snape bugging his friend so much.
"How risky, Siri?" he demanded.
Sirius grinned. "We-ell, It won't be risky if someone usually unsuspected does it..."
Remus gulped. "ME?!"
"Pleeeeeeease?" Sirius pleaded, making puppy dog eyes. "No one would ever suspect you, Remmie!"
Remus sighed. "What do I have to do?"
Sirius put his hand inside his robes and drew out a very small, brightly pink bottle. "All you have to do is pour this in Snape's pumpkin juice at dinner tonight," he said, his eyes sparkling. "It takes a few hours to work, but if I'm right, Snapey's going to have one hell of a surprise tomorrow morning."
"What is it?"Remus asked, slipping the bottle into his pocket after a furtive glance around.
Sirius' grin widened. "You don't want me to ruin it for you, do you?"
Remus sighed. This wasn't his idea of fun.
~Later That Night~
Sirius hugged Remus and laughed. "Good job, Remmie!" he cheered. "If I hadn't known what you were going to do, I wouldn't have even suspected it!"
James grinned and rumpled Remus' hair. "Definitely," he said. "You didn't even pause."
Remus blushed and swiped at his bangs. "It wasn't that hard to do."
"I would have made it look too obvious," Peter said admiringly. "That was just great."
At dinner, Remus had gone up to the teacher's table to ask Professor McGonagall a question, passing Snape as he did. When he passed Snape again on his way back to his seat, he had squeezed the contents of the bottle hidden up his sleeve into Snape's goblet - without so much as a pause or a blink. James and Sirius had had a hard time covering their giggles during the rest of the meal, and the Marauders had gone up to their dorm early to have a good laugh.
"That's not all," Sirius said happily. "Wait till you see what it does to him."
"What?" Peter asked. "Come on, tell me!"
But Sirius resisted Peter's badgering for the rest of the night, lying on his bed and finishing a History of Magic essay. The others did the same. Remus sprawled on his bed, reading, but wondering what was going to happen to Snape, and worrying if someone had seen him.
He glanced up at Sirius, who was writing furiously, and his stomach seemed to do a flip-flop. The lamplight glowed on Sirius' long, silky hair, highlighting the black with gold. The blackness of Sirius' hair contrasted beautifully with his winter-pale skin, as did his' long, sooty eyelashes. For just one moment, Remus saw Sirius in a way he supposed no one else had - stunningly beautiful. But then he blinked, and then Sirius looked the same as always.....
He shook himself from his reverie, and wondered what the hell *that* had been all about.
~January 3 - start of next term~
James and Sirius were leaning across the table in order to get a good view of the door leading into the Great Hall. Remus kept his attention on his waffles, afraid to look up. He really wished he hadn't agreed to this prank. What if Sirius had done something wrong, and Snape had ended up getting poisoned? It wasn't likely, but if Sirius *had* wanted to poison Snape.... or what if it gave Snape horns or something, and they couldn't be removed? Playing pranks was not good on his stomach, Remus decided. He felt sure he was going to be violently ill very soon.
Just then, Sirius and James began chuckling, their shoulders shaking and tears streaming from their eyes. And they weren't the only ones. More and more students were beginning to laugh, and Remus finally dared to look up. Snape had just entered the Great Hall, looking like he was wishing mightily for someone to kill him.
Snape's shoulder-length, greasy hair was pink.
Neon pink.
Shocking pink.
The brightest, most blinding pink you can imagine.
Remus couldn't help it, he spluttered with laughter. James and Sirius were howling, their heads on the table, crying with mirth. Peter was giggling like mad. Snape's face was almost as pink as his hair. He sat down at the Slytherin table and pulled the hood of his robes up over his head. As he did, he shot a nasty look at the Marauders, and suddenly Remus felt apprehensive again. What if Snape suspected them? Or worse, what if Snape ended up getting one of the others in trouble, instead?
"Don't worry, Remmie," panted Sirius, gasping for breath. He seemed to know exactly what was troubling his friend. "He won't suspect it's you. And it's not permanent. It should be gone by lunchtime."
Sure enough, by lunch Snape's hair was black again. The sight of him in Potions before lunch had been quite funny, though - his hair had been alternately streaked black and pink.
It was, as Sirius said, a sight to die for.
~April 15~
"I feel ill," James said.
"Let's not go through *this* again," Sirius said warningly. "You'll do fine. Besides, Joe's had the lot of you practicing forever! There's no way Slytherin can beat us."
Gryffindor had flattened Ravenclaw early in February, and now they were going up against Slytherin, a rather nerve-wracking prospect.
"Garoff really has a good team," James said despairingly, as they got up together and headed to the Quidditch field.
"Pfft. Lucius Malfoy's their Seeker," Sirius snorted. "He's a wimp - knock him off his broom."
They had reached the field by now, so Sirius, Remus, and Peter patted James on the back, wished him good luck, and headed into the stands. They sat down and were soon joined by Lily Evans.
The rest of the school soon gathered in the stands. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were supporting Gryffindor, of course, but the whole of Slytherin House, all in green, stood out amongst the sea of gold and scarlet.
"Did I ever mention green is my least favorite color?" Sirius mumbled, looking out at the crowd of Slytherins.
Remus patted his arm. "Don't worry, Siri. We'll crush them."
"I just hope Jim stays on his broom," said Peter. "Look, here they come!"
"The teams are on the field!" Izzy Jordan shouted (he was doing the commentary as always). "Captains Smith and Garoff shake hands - Madame Hooch has released the balls - and off they go!"
Remus cheered and waved to James, who grinned broadly and waved back.
"Slytherin Chaser Rosier has the Quaffle! Passes to Crabbe - oh! Nice steal by Gryffindor Chaser Yamachi! Go, Sora!"
Sora Yamachi had intercepted Rosier's pass to Crabbe, snatched the Quaffle from between them, and was now zooming towards the Slytherin goal posts. She passed the Quaffle to Celeste Wood, who threw it through the hoops. Slytherin's Keeper, Garoff, made a grab for the Quaffle, but missed.
"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Izzy shouted, as the Quaffle was snatched by Rosier once more. "Slytherin in possession - Rosier passes to Jointly - Jointly passes to Crabbe - Crabbe throws - YES! Excellent save by Smith!"
Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Peter cheered and catcalled, jumping up and down and waving their Gryffindor banners wildly over their heads. The Gryffindor team was in excellent form, thanks to their endless training sessions.
"We've just *got* to win," Peter squeaked. "Go, Jim!"
"Go, Jim!" Lily yelled.
"Yamachi in possession - passes to Wood - back to Yamachi - oh NO!"
Grub Jointly, one of the Slytherin Chasers, had deliberately elbowed Sora in the face. She yelped in pain and dropped the Quaffle, and at the same moment Madame Hooch's whistle rang out.
"It a foul to Gryffindor!" Izzy shouted. "Yamachi takes the shot - oh no, a little off - wait - I don't believe it! She's scored! Another ten points to Gryffindor! Twenty to zero!"
The Slytherin Beaters, enraged at the foul, began knocking the Bludgers towards Sora at every chance. She swerved and turned, avoiding them wonderfully - and scored another ten points, easily throwing the Quaffle past Garoff with a superb throw.
"Gryffindor playing better than ever!" Izzy cheered. "Thirty to zero! Oh, I say - was that the Snitch?"
A murmur ran through the crowd. A flash of gold had appeared, flitting across the field. James tore after it, but Lucius Malfoy suddenly flew in front of him, blocking his way.
"Damn!" Sirius swore, looking almost directly overhead at James and Lucius. "That bastard! Kill him, Jim!"
The Slytherin team, cheered by Malfoy's block on James, seemed to recover some energy. Their Beaters headed straight for the Gryffindor Chasers as fast as they could. Wentworth and Cleaver had more than they could do trying to keep the Bludgers away from their Chasers. But in the midst of all the confusion - Celeste Wood scored another goal for Gryffindor.
"Well done!" Remus shouted. "Watch out!"
Celeste easily dodged a Bludger, then gasped as the Snitch zoomed by right under her nose.
"Go, Jim, GO!" Sirius yelled as loud as he could. "Get it!"
James had already seen the Snitch, and was speeding towards it, with Lucius Malfoy close behind. They were neck-and-neck now - James was pulling ahead - he knocked Malfoy's hand away -
"I've got the Snitch!" he roared, holding it above his head. The crowd erupted into tumultuous applause, cheering wildly.
"James Potter gets 150 points for catching the Snitch!" Izzy yelled. "Gryffindor wins! 190 to zero! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"
Remus cheered, laughing happily. Sirius seized Remus, Peter, and Lily in a huge bear hug. "We won! We won! Stupid Slytherin!" he yelled. "Let's go get Jim!"
~Later that night~
"Bloody fantastic, Jim," Sirius repeated for about the trillionth time. "Fantastic. The look on Malfoy's face!"
"Snape won't be so cocky now," James said, satisfied.
Sirius waved a hand. "He hasn't even gained back his swagger after that hair dye incident," he grinned.
Remus yawned. "They'll be talking about this for quite awhile, Jim," he said.
Peter grinned around the remains of a Chocolate Frog. "It was good!" He held out another Frog to Remus, who groaned and politely refused.
"I've had too much to eat already, Pete," he said, smiling.
All of Gryffindor House had been up until nearly one in the morning, celebrating. James had gotten hugs and kisses from every girl in Gryffindor (a fact with both embarrassed and pleased him). Right now, the Marauders were in their dorm, relaxing a little before bed.
Remus stifled another yawn behind his hand. "It's three-thirty in the morning," he said. "We'd better get to sleep."
Sirius pouted, but James laughed and clapped him on the back. "Remmie's right. We have classes tomorrow. Not everyone's a night owl like you, Siri."
~June 29 - Hogwarts Express~
"I still can't believe the look on Snape's face last night!" Sirius crowed. "When Dumbledore said we'd won the House Cup - it was priceless!"
"Too bad we didn't have a camera," Peter said unhappily.
Sirius smirked. "You didn't. But *I* did!"
He pulled a picture from his pocket and held it out. Peter, Remus, and James crowded around to look.
The picture showed Snape sitting at the Slytherin table, looking happy. His smile faded (if there had been sound, they would have heard Dumbledore announcing the points), then his face went white with shock, his eyes huge, and his bottom lip began to tremble.
James spluttered with laughter. "Serves him right, the slimy git! We've really put it over on him this year for sure!"
Sirius grinned. "There's always next year, too." he said as the train pulled into the station. "We'll have to start planning pranks over the summer, to use on him...."
Laughing, the Marauders went to retrieve their luggage.
To be continued
Coming Next : Our Marauders are in third year! They'll be starting some new classes, and they'll face some nutty professors and a potentially insane first-year!
(A/N: I don't think anyone cares, but if you do, here is a list of the members of all the Quidditch Teams! WARNINGS: These names are largely made out of random sputterings and stammerings. Written too late at night to think coherently. Any recognizable ones are property of J.K. Rowling. )
GRYFFINDOR: Joe Smith (Captain/Keeper); James Potter (Seeker, duh); Jane Goodwind (Chaser 1); Celeste Wood (Chaser 2); Sora Yamachi (Chaser 3); Roger Wentworth (Beater 1); Theodore Cleaver (Beater 2).
HUFFLEPUFF: Amos Diggory (Captain/Keeper); Bobby Bennett (Seeker); Joseph White (Chaser 1); Mary LaRue (Chaser 2); Jonah Whalebone (Chaser 3); John Jamison (Beater 1); Big McLargeHuge (Beater 2).
RAVENCLAW: Esther Leaf (Captain/Seeker); Chad Wagglemuff (Keeper); Sara Josephson (Chaser 1); Rose McDougall (Chaser 2); Devon Griphonwah (Chaser 3); Bill Jones (Beater 1); Apu Patil (Beater 2).
SLYTHERIN: Sludgenmuck Garoff (Captain/Keeper); Lucius Malfoy (Seeker); Paul Crabbe (Chaser 1); Evan Rosier (Chaser 2); Grub Jointly (Chaser 3); Puglin Boot (Beater 1); Brutus Maximus (Beater 2).
WARNINGS: Just to remind you, there's going to be Remus/Sirius slash soon!
Credits: I have to thank dragon_princess2028 for helping me think up names for the members of the Quidditch teams. We were a bit on the silly side at the time.
~*~*~*~*~
Year 2 - An Idea Is Born, and James Makes the Team
~August 15, 1976 - Camping~
"CANNONBALL!" Sirius shrieked in delight, tucking his knees under his chin as he fell.
"NOOOOO!!!!" yelled James, swimming as fast as he could to get away. "TIDAL WAVE!!!"
*SPLASH*.
"Ahhhhh!" yelped Peter and James together, sputtering and waving their arms. "Sirius, stop that!"
Sirius surfaced and shook his long black hair out of his eyes in a doglike way. "Aw, you're no fun," he pouted, and turned to Remus, who was sitting on the edge of the float with his feet in the water. "It was cool, wasn't it, Remmie?"
"I suppose," Remus said, smiling, "But I doubt Jim and Pete appreciated it."
It was the last camping trip of the summer for the Marauders. In a little over two weeks, they would be returning to school, back to Hogwarts for another year. And even though this had been the best summer of Remus' life, he couldn't wait to get back to school. He smiled at the thought. He probably wouldn't like school so much, or the summer holidays either, if it weren't for his friends.
If he ignored his transformations, Remus couldn't think of a better time he'd had before this summer - well, besides last year at Hogwarts, that was. All summer long, the Marauders had been getting together for camping and fishing trips, sleepovers, and (at Remus' insistence), study sessions. Both Sirius and James had protested, but Remus was stern. "It doesn't do any good to procrastinate," he had told them. "We've got homework to do, you know. You don't want to fall behind, do you?" As James and Sirius were the cleverest students in their year, this hardly mattered; but neither of them liked to argue with Remus when he had a bee in his bonnet over something. Not to mention, Peter had been grateful for the extra help with his work.
"I wonder what's under here," Sirius mused, looking at the float.
"Seaweed, probably," shrugged Peter.
"Maybe a dead body," James said, his eyes lighting up with the typical excitement only a twelve-year-old boy could produce at the thought. "That'd be cool."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Don't be daft, Jim. If someone had been murdered around here, we'd probably know about it."
"Maybe not."
"Maybe so."
"Maybe NOT."
"Maybe SO."
Before the argument could progress any further, Peter interrupted. "Umm, guys, I'm hungry," he spoke up timidly. "Why don't we go get some lunch?"
Sirius rolled off the float into the water, and began swimming back to shore. "Last one there's a slimy Slytherin!" he shouted.
~August 23 - Diagon Alley~
"A full set of Ballycastle Bats Quidditch robes!" James drooled, gazing in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. "I know what *I'm* asking for for Christmas this year."
"Me too," agreed Sirius. "We could be, impersonators or something like that..."
Remus rolled his eyes. For nearly an hour, they had been standing outside Quality Quidditch Supplies so James and Sirius could get a good look at all the newest equipment. And frankly, Remus was bored. What he really wanted to do was head off to Flourish and Blotts for new schoolbooks, but he didn't want to get Jim and Siri irritated.....
It was Peter who saved the day. "Um, guys?" he spoke up timidly. "We only have a little while until our parents come back to pick us up... and we aren't done shopping..."
With a sigh, Sirius and James pulled themselves away from the window. "You're right, Pete," James said reluctantly. "Maybe we can come back again before school opens......"
And off they headed to Flourish and Blotts, consulting their booklists.
"Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2....... Magical Plants and Herbs of Europe....... Dangerous Beasts and How To Deal With Them...." Sirius read as they wound through the crowded street. "Now that sounds fun," he said. "Lesson One: How NOT to get gored by a unicorn....."
They arrived at the bookstore and got their new schoolbooks, but James and Sirius, feeling a tad guilty about hanging around Quality Quidditch Supplies for so long, agreed to stay for a little bit while Remus browsed through the shop, looking for a few books for extra reading. They sat down with Peter on a bench by the door and watched Remus and the other customers wandering through the store.
"Do you think we should tell him?" Sirius muttered to James and Peter. "About the plan?"
James looked over at Remus, who was standing in a patch of sunlight in front of one shelf, absorbed in an immense book titled 'Spells, Curses, and Counter-Curses For All Occasions'.
"Not now," he said, keeping his voice low. "Let's wait..... give us more time to do a little more research."
"Okay..." Sirius sighed. "I hope he doesn't get mad...."
~September 1 - Hogwarts Express~
"Remus?"
Remus looked up from his book. James, Sirius, and Peter were all looking at him with serious, somber looks on their faces. What was wrong with them now?
"Yes?" he asked curiously. "What is it?"
"We have to tell you something," James said.
"It's a surprise," Peter said.
"We spent all summer planning it for you," Sirius added.
"A surprise?" Remus asked skeptically, remembering the 'surprises' they had bestowed on Snape for April Fool's Day.
"Yeah..." said James. "You see.... we did some thinking, you know, about you, and we......" he trailed off, looking nervous. "You might not like the idea... but...."
"We've decided to become Animagi," Sirius cut in.
Remus' eyes widened. "Animagi? Why?"
"That's easy, isn't it?" Peter said. "So we can come stay with you, you know, during the... full moon."
"Is that okay?" James asked anxiously.
"Why would you want to go through the trouble?" Remus asked.
Sirius sighed and lightly tapped his fist on Remus' forehead. "Knock knock, anyone home? We're going to do it because we're your friends and we don't want you to be alone, you daft sod."
Remus surprised them all by bursting into tears and trying to hug them all at once.
"You're too nice to me," he sobbed, burying his face in Sirius' hair.
"You're embarrassing me," James said, hugging Remus and pretending to blush.
"It's no problem, really," Peter said.
"Especially since you can help us work it out," Sirius said slyly.
Remus sighed. You had to hand it to them - they could really take advantage of a situation.
~September 17 - The Library~
"This looks hard...." Peter whined, reading the notes on human Transfiguration that James had written out the other night.
"Of course it is," Sirius snapped irritably from across the table, thumbing through 'Magical Drafts and Potions' for information for his Potions essay. "You can't just say 'Abracadabra' and turn into something, you know."
"Don't argue," Remus mumbled, absorbed in his own Potions essay. "I can't think with you two sniping at each other...."
Sirius straightened up, tossed down his quill, and finger-combed his long hair into a loose ponytail. "I just realized something," he said. "Jim is missing."
"Two guesses on where he is," Peter said.
"Either nagging Madame Hooch about Quidditch practice, or lurking behind a shelf spying on Lily Evans," Remus sighed. "Same as always."
But just then, James turned up, looking extremely happy about something.
"Guess what!" he said, and then barreled on without giving them a chance to guess. "Hooch says Quidditch tryouts are next week! I'm gonna try for the Gryffindor team!"
"Good luck, then, Jim," Remus said, smiling at his friend. "Which position are you going for?"
James puffed out his chest proudly. "Seeker, of course!"
Sirius started laughing. "You're mad, you know that?" he teased. "You're the slowest thing I've ever seen."
James laughed and grabbed Sirius in a headlock. "Take it back, Black," he ordered. "Or I'll .... crrrrrrrrush you!"
Sirius squirmed in James' grasp. "Gerroff, Jim!" he panted. "My... POTIONS ESSAY..... needs me!"
"Like you care about that," James growled, and started tickling Sirius.
"Break it up, now!" barked Madame Pince, the stern, vulture-like librarian. "Or five points from Gryffindor!"
James released Sirius and sat down, and Sirius straightened up again, rubbing his neck. "I'll get you tonight, Potter," he scowled.
~September 23 - Gryffindor Common Room~
"I made it, I made it!" James shouted, leaping through the portrait hole in a frenzy. "You're looking at the new Gryffindor Seeker!"
"Way to go, Jim!" cheered Sirius, jumping up to give James a high-five. "The Quidditch Cup has Gryffindor written all over it this year!"
Lily Evans, who was passing by their table, paused, smiling. "Congratulations, James," she said shyly before hurrying on her way. Sirius giggled in delight, watching James blush.
"Someone's got a crush...." he teased. "James Potter, the ladies' man!"
James punched him in the arm. "Shut up," he muttered, but he blushed even more. Sirius' grin widened, and he looked like he was going to say something, but Remus elbowed him hard and shook his head.
"When's our first game?" Peter asked, happy for a diversion from his Potions work.
"Week after next," said James excitedly. "Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff!"
"Hufflepuff hasn't had a decent Seeker in years," Sirius said happily. "We'll flatten them."
James smiled. "You know, Siri, *you* should try out for the team."
Sirius shook his head. "Nah, not me, Jim old boy," he said. "Not one for showing off, am I."
James sputtered with laughter. "Sure you aren't!" he choked, and wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. "Who's the one who does *everything* he can to get noticed? And who is the one who plays with his hair for *thirty bloody minutes* every day?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Snape!"
Remus shook his head. "Please, don't mention him just before dinner," he ordered. "Just thinking about him will put me off my food."
"Agreed," said Peter. "Now, will someone help me out with this Potions essay?...."
~October 2 - The Quidditch Game~
"You have to eat something," Remus said.
"Just a bit of toast, mate," Sirius wheedled.
"You have to keep your strength up," Peter urged.
James shook his head. "I can't eat a thing. I feel ill."
"It's just nerves," Sirius said, "You'll be fine once you get out on that field."
"I suppose...." James sighed. "But I always get really nervous before something big." He fiddled with his fork, looking pale.
"It's almost eleven, Jim, you'd better head out," Remus said, and patted James' arm comfortingly. "Don't be nervous, we'll be out there rooting for you!"
James smiled weakly, and left the Hall. Remus, Sirius, and Peter finished their breakfasts quickly, then headed out to the Quidditch stands.
Almost half the school was wearing red and gold; Ravenclaw was supporting Gryffindor as well. The Slytherins, of course, supported Hufflepuff - not that the Hufflepuff team was better; the Slytherins abhorred Gryffindor so much there was no way in hell they'd support the Gryffindor team. The two teams gathered on the field around Madame Hooch.
Izzy Jordan, a fellow Gryffindor, was doing the commentary for the match. "The Quaffle is released! And, THEY'RE OFF!"
Up in the Gryffindor stands, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were cheering loudly, waving at James and jumping up and down.
"Gryffindor Chaser Yamachi in possession of the Quaffle!" Izzy shouted. "Passes to Wood - Wood passes to Goodwind - back to Yamachi - TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR! And now - Wood has the Quaffle - oh no!"
One of the Hufflepuff Beaters, Jamison, had whacked a Bludger straight at Wood. She put up her arms to shield her face - but accidentally dropped the Quaffle, which was snatched up by a Hufflepuff Chaser.
"LaRue has the Quaffle - passes it to Whalebone - catch it, Joe! - oh no - Hufflepuff scores!"
Up in the stands, Sirius and Remus were watching James. James was hovering above the action, scanning the field for the Golden Snitch. "C'mon, Jim," Remus whispered - and at the same time Hufflepuff scored another goal.
"Dammit," Sirius muttered. "Come on, come on..."
"Twenty points to Hufflepuff," Izzy announced, rather unhappily. "And now White has the Quaffle - oh! I say! Spectacular move by Gryffindor Beater Theodore Cleaver!"
Cleaver had hit a Bludger straight at White, who had tried to dodge it, but was too slow. The Bludger hit him in the arm, making him drop the Quaffle. Sora Yamachi snatched it out of midair and sped off towards the other end of the field. The Hufflepuff Chasers took off after her, and swerved around to meet her before she got to the goal posts. But then - James dived straight at them, making them scatter and leaving Sora's way clear.
"Good move, Jim!" Sirius shouted. "That'll teach them!"
"Siri, pay attention, We've just scored again!" Remus yelled, jumping up and down.
The audience was in a frenzy - a tie!
"God, I hope Jim catches the Snitch," Peter moaned. "Come on, Jim!"
Just then, a flash of gold darted past the Hufflepuff goalposts, making their Keeper, Amos Diggory, turn and stare.
"It's the Snitch!" Izzy Jordan screamed. "And the Seekers have spotted it!"
James was pelting towards the Snitch, with Hufflepuff Seeker Bobby Bennett right behind him.
"Go, Jim, GO!" Sirius and Remus yelled.
"Watch out!" Peter shrieked.
A Bludger flew straight at James - the Gryffindor Beaters were coming as fast as they could - but they were too far behind - James swerved, but the Bludger hit the tail of his broom. James lost his grip, and both he and the broomstick tumbled twenty feet to the ground - and Bennett caught the Snitch.
"Hufflepuff wins!" Izzy yelled, but Remus, Sirius, and Peter barely heard him; they tore down the stairs and ran across the field to where the Gryffindor team, Madame Hooch, and Madame Pomfrey were gathered around James.
"Is he okay?" Remus gasped.
"No," James moaned. "I missed the Snitch, Remmie...."
"That's not important now!" Madame Pomfrey said, magicking James onto a stretcher. "Let's get you to the hospital wing, come on...."
~In the hospital wing~
"It was still a great performance, Jim," Remus said consolingly. "If that Bludger hadn't hit the end of your broom, you still could have made it."
"Yeah," Sirius said. "Don't beat yourself up over this. There'll be other games, too."
"And you heard Joe," Peter said. "He doesn't blame you a bit. Neither does the rest of the team."
"Yeah," sighed James. Joe had, in fact, congratulated him several times on his great flying and nice save - "And the way you tried to avoid that Bludger was good too," Joe had said.
Remus smiled at his friend. "It's ok, Jim. Just wait until we play Slytherin."
James blanched. "Slytherin? God, if we don't beat them, Snape will be unbearable..."
~The Next Day~
Well, there was one thing James hadn't reckoned on. Snape didn't need a Slytherin victory to be unbearable - as they learned on Monday, in Potions class.
"So, Potter," Snape said coolly as the Marauders entered the room, "Taken up bunjee jumping, have we? Pity you forgot your cord...."
"Ignore him," Remus muttered under his breath, grabbing both James and Sirius by their sleeves and pulling them to a table at the back of the room before there could be bloodshed. "He's just a stupid git."
"I know," James sighed. "But still.... there's only so much one person can take..."
The Marauders had spent the better part of Sunday in the Gryffindor common room, doing homework, mostly to avoid the Slytherins. James didn't need to be tormented every moment of every day. It was only a Quidditch match, Remus thought, taking out his notebook and beginning to copy down today's potion recipe. It wasn't like the fate of the world depended on it.
Most unfortunately, Snape was beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's loss, and took every opportunity to rub it in James' face. Sirius finally got mad enough to fling a very dead, very large caterpillar at Snape, hitting him in the forehead and splattering slime all over his face, causing Professor Kirk to give Sirius detention. "And it barely made a difference, either," Sirius grumbled as they headed off to Transfiguration. "Even if I dipped him in a bucket of slime he'd be just as greasy as always."
~January 2 - last day of the holidays~
"I'm going to kill him," Sirius growled, standing up. "That bloody prat, I swear I'm going to kill him."
Remus sighed, reached up, and seized a handful of Sirius' robes. He pulled him back into his seat and said sternly, "Siri, you can't kill him. You'd get expelled. And besides, it's *Christmas*."
"I'd probably get an Award for Special Services to the School," Sirius grumbled, shooting a glare across the hall at Snape, who was entertaining the Slytherins by impersonating James falling off his broom.
"You'd think he'd get tired of that by now," James said wearily. "No, wait, he's only been doing it for - nearly three months! My mistake, he's got plenty of use left in that joke..."
"Buck up, Jim," Remus said bracingly. "Only the Slytherins think it's funny, and we all know how dull-witted they are..."
He couldn't blame James for how he felt - if the Slytherins had been tormenting *him* for months, he probably would get a little sick of it too. A little? That was an understatement.
"Wait," Sirius said, his eyes lighting up. "I think I have an idea. It's risky, but it'll get Snape off your back, Jim."
"What is it?" James asked eagerly. Remus felt a tad unsure, but he didn't want Snape bugging his friend so much.
"How risky, Siri?" he demanded.
Sirius grinned. "We-ell, It won't be risky if someone usually unsuspected does it..."
Remus gulped. "ME?!"
"Pleeeeeeease?" Sirius pleaded, making puppy dog eyes. "No one would ever suspect you, Remmie!"
Remus sighed. "What do I have to do?"
Sirius put his hand inside his robes and drew out a very small, brightly pink bottle. "All you have to do is pour this in Snape's pumpkin juice at dinner tonight," he said, his eyes sparkling. "It takes a few hours to work, but if I'm right, Snapey's going to have one hell of a surprise tomorrow morning."
"What is it?"Remus asked, slipping the bottle into his pocket after a furtive glance around.
Sirius' grin widened. "You don't want me to ruin it for you, do you?"
Remus sighed. This wasn't his idea of fun.
~Later That Night~
Sirius hugged Remus and laughed. "Good job, Remmie!" he cheered. "If I hadn't known what you were going to do, I wouldn't have even suspected it!"
James grinned and rumpled Remus' hair. "Definitely," he said. "You didn't even pause."
Remus blushed and swiped at his bangs. "It wasn't that hard to do."
"I would have made it look too obvious," Peter said admiringly. "That was just great."
At dinner, Remus had gone up to the teacher's table to ask Professor McGonagall a question, passing Snape as he did. When he passed Snape again on his way back to his seat, he had squeezed the contents of the bottle hidden up his sleeve into Snape's goblet - without so much as a pause or a blink. James and Sirius had had a hard time covering their giggles during the rest of the meal, and the Marauders had gone up to their dorm early to have a good laugh.
"That's not all," Sirius said happily. "Wait till you see what it does to him."
"What?" Peter asked. "Come on, tell me!"
But Sirius resisted Peter's badgering for the rest of the night, lying on his bed and finishing a History of Magic essay. The others did the same. Remus sprawled on his bed, reading, but wondering what was going to happen to Snape, and worrying if someone had seen him.
He glanced up at Sirius, who was writing furiously, and his stomach seemed to do a flip-flop. The lamplight glowed on Sirius' long, silky hair, highlighting the black with gold. The blackness of Sirius' hair contrasted beautifully with his winter-pale skin, as did his' long, sooty eyelashes. For just one moment, Remus saw Sirius in a way he supposed no one else had - stunningly beautiful. But then he blinked, and then Sirius looked the same as always.....
He shook himself from his reverie, and wondered what the hell *that* had been all about.
~January 3 - start of next term~
James and Sirius were leaning across the table in order to get a good view of the door leading into the Great Hall. Remus kept his attention on his waffles, afraid to look up. He really wished he hadn't agreed to this prank. What if Sirius had done something wrong, and Snape had ended up getting poisoned? It wasn't likely, but if Sirius *had* wanted to poison Snape.... or what if it gave Snape horns or something, and they couldn't be removed? Playing pranks was not good on his stomach, Remus decided. He felt sure he was going to be violently ill very soon.
Just then, Sirius and James began chuckling, their shoulders shaking and tears streaming from their eyes. And they weren't the only ones. More and more students were beginning to laugh, and Remus finally dared to look up. Snape had just entered the Great Hall, looking like he was wishing mightily for someone to kill him.
Snape's shoulder-length, greasy hair was pink.
Neon pink.
Shocking pink.
The brightest, most blinding pink you can imagine.
Remus couldn't help it, he spluttered with laughter. James and Sirius were howling, their heads on the table, crying with mirth. Peter was giggling like mad. Snape's face was almost as pink as his hair. He sat down at the Slytherin table and pulled the hood of his robes up over his head. As he did, he shot a nasty look at the Marauders, and suddenly Remus felt apprehensive again. What if Snape suspected them? Or worse, what if Snape ended up getting one of the others in trouble, instead?
"Don't worry, Remmie," panted Sirius, gasping for breath. He seemed to know exactly what was troubling his friend. "He won't suspect it's you. And it's not permanent. It should be gone by lunchtime."
Sure enough, by lunch Snape's hair was black again. The sight of him in Potions before lunch had been quite funny, though - his hair had been alternately streaked black and pink.
It was, as Sirius said, a sight to die for.
~April 15~
"I feel ill," James said.
"Let's not go through *this* again," Sirius said warningly. "You'll do fine. Besides, Joe's had the lot of you practicing forever! There's no way Slytherin can beat us."
Gryffindor had flattened Ravenclaw early in February, and now they were going up against Slytherin, a rather nerve-wracking prospect.
"Garoff really has a good team," James said despairingly, as they got up together and headed to the Quidditch field.
"Pfft. Lucius Malfoy's their Seeker," Sirius snorted. "He's a wimp - knock him off his broom."
They had reached the field by now, so Sirius, Remus, and Peter patted James on the back, wished him good luck, and headed into the stands. They sat down and were soon joined by Lily Evans.
The rest of the school soon gathered in the stands. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were supporting Gryffindor, of course, but the whole of Slytherin House, all in green, stood out amongst the sea of gold and scarlet.
"Did I ever mention green is my least favorite color?" Sirius mumbled, looking out at the crowd of Slytherins.
Remus patted his arm. "Don't worry, Siri. We'll crush them."
"I just hope Jim stays on his broom," said Peter. "Look, here they come!"
"The teams are on the field!" Izzy Jordan shouted (he was doing the commentary as always). "Captains Smith and Garoff shake hands - Madame Hooch has released the balls - and off they go!"
Remus cheered and waved to James, who grinned broadly and waved back.
"Slytherin Chaser Rosier has the Quaffle! Passes to Crabbe - oh! Nice steal by Gryffindor Chaser Yamachi! Go, Sora!"
Sora Yamachi had intercepted Rosier's pass to Crabbe, snatched the Quaffle from between them, and was now zooming towards the Slytherin goal posts. She passed the Quaffle to Celeste Wood, who threw it through the hoops. Slytherin's Keeper, Garoff, made a grab for the Quaffle, but missed.
"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Izzy shouted, as the Quaffle was snatched by Rosier once more. "Slytherin in possession - Rosier passes to Jointly - Jointly passes to Crabbe - Crabbe throws - YES! Excellent save by Smith!"
Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Peter cheered and catcalled, jumping up and down and waving their Gryffindor banners wildly over their heads. The Gryffindor team was in excellent form, thanks to their endless training sessions.
"We've just *got* to win," Peter squeaked. "Go, Jim!"
"Go, Jim!" Lily yelled.
"Yamachi in possession - passes to Wood - back to Yamachi - oh NO!"
Grub Jointly, one of the Slytherin Chasers, had deliberately elbowed Sora in the face. She yelped in pain and dropped the Quaffle, and at the same moment Madame Hooch's whistle rang out.
"It a foul to Gryffindor!" Izzy shouted. "Yamachi takes the shot - oh no, a little off - wait - I don't believe it! She's scored! Another ten points to Gryffindor! Twenty to zero!"
The Slytherin Beaters, enraged at the foul, began knocking the Bludgers towards Sora at every chance. She swerved and turned, avoiding them wonderfully - and scored another ten points, easily throwing the Quaffle past Garoff with a superb throw.
"Gryffindor playing better than ever!" Izzy cheered. "Thirty to zero! Oh, I say - was that the Snitch?"
A murmur ran through the crowd. A flash of gold had appeared, flitting across the field. James tore after it, but Lucius Malfoy suddenly flew in front of him, blocking his way.
"Damn!" Sirius swore, looking almost directly overhead at James and Lucius. "That bastard! Kill him, Jim!"
The Slytherin team, cheered by Malfoy's block on James, seemed to recover some energy. Their Beaters headed straight for the Gryffindor Chasers as fast as they could. Wentworth and Cleaver had more than they could do trying to keep the Bludgers away from their Chasers. But in the midst of all the confusion - Celeste Wood scored another goal for Gryffindor.
"Well done!" Remus shouted. "Watch out!"
Celeste easily dodged a Bludger, then gasped as the Snitch zoomed by right under her nose.
"Go, Jim, GO!" Sirius yelled as loud as he could. "Get it!"
James had already seen the Snitch, and was speeding towards it, with Lucius Malfoy close behind. They were neck-and-neck now - James was pulling ahead - he knocked Malfoy's hand away -
"I've got the Snitch!" he roared, holding it above his head. The crowd erupted into tumultuous applause, cheering wildly.
"James Potter gets 150 points for catching the Snitch!" Izzy yelled. "Gryffindor wins! 190 to zero! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"
Remus cheered, laughing happily. Sirius seized Remus, Peter, and Lily in a huge bear hug. "We won! We won! Stupid Slytherin!" he yelled. "Let's go get Jim!"
~Later that night~
"Bloody fantastic, Jim," Sirius repeated for about the trillionth time. "Fantastic. The look on Malfoy's face!"
"Snape won't be so cocky now," James said, satisfied.
Sirius waved a hand. "He hasn't even gained back his swagger after that hair dye incident," he grinned.
Remus yawned. "They'll be talking about this for quite awhile, Jim," he said.
Peter grinned around the remains of a Chocolate Frog. "It was good!" He held out another Frog to Remus, who groaned and politely refused.
"I've had too much to eat already, Pete," he said, smiling.
All of Gryffindor House had been up until nearly one in the morning, celebrating. James had gotten hugs and kisses from every girl in Gryffindor (a fact with both embarrassed and pleased him). Right now, the Marauders were in their dorm, relaxing a little before bed.
Remus stifled another yawn behind his hand. "It's three-thirty in the morning," he said. "We'd better get to sleep."
Sirius pouted, but James laughed and clapped him on the back. "Remmie's right. We have classes tomorrow. Not everyone's a night owl like you, Siri."
~June 29 - Hogwarts Express~
"I still can't believe the look on Snape's face last night!" Sirius crowed. "When Dumbledore said we'd won the House Cup - it was priceless!"
"Too bad we didn't have a camera," Peter said unhappily.
Sirius smirked. "You didn't. But *I* did!"
He pulled a picture from his pocket and held it out. Peter, Remus, and James crowded around to look.
The picture showed Snape sitting at the Slytherin table, looking happy. His smile faded (if there had been sound, they would have heard Dumbledore announcing the points), then his face went white with shock, his eyes huge, and his bottom lip began to tremble.
James spluttered with laughter. "Serves him right, the slimy git! We've really put it over on him this year for sure!"
Sirius grinned. "There's always next year, too." he said as the train pulled into the station. "We'll have to start planning pranks over the summer, to use on him...."
Laughing, the Marauders went to retrieve their luggage.
To be continued
Coming Next : Our Marauders are in third year! They'll be starting some new classes, and they'll face some nutty professors and a potentially insane first-year!
(A/N: I don't think anyone cares, but if you do, here is a list of the members of all the Quidditch Teams! WARNINGS: These names are largely made out of random sputterings and stammerings. Written too late at night to think coherently. Any recognizable ones are property of J.K. Rowling. )
GRYFFINDOR: Joe Smith (Captain/Keeper); James Potter (Seeker, duh); Jane Goodwind (Chaser 1); Celeste Wood (Chaser 2); Sora Yamachi (Chaser 3); Roger Wentworth (Beater 1); Theodore Cleaver (Beater 2).
HUFFLEPUFF: Amos Diggory (Captain/Keeper); Bobby Bennett (Seeker); Joseph White (Chaser 1); Mary LaRue (Chaser 2); Jonah Whalebone (Chaser 3); John Jamison (Beater 1); Big McLargeHuge (Beater 2).
RAVENCLAW: Esther Leaf (Captain/Seeker); Chad Wagglemuff (Keeper); Sara Josephson (Chaser 1); Rose McDougall (Chaser 2); Devon Griphonwah (Chaser 3); Bill Jones (Beater 1); Apu Patil (Beater 2).
SLYTHERIN: Sludgenmuck Garoff (Captain/Keeper); Lucius Malfoy (Seeker); Paul Crabbe (Chaser 1); Evan Rosier (Chaser 2); Grub Jointly (Chaser 3); Puglin Boot (Beater 1); Brutus Maximus (Beater 2).