"Shut up for a second you prat, I can hardly see to think." James whispered
irritably as he elbowed Peter in the side. They had been waiting for almost
three hours now and the wait was beginning to wear on all of them. The
Gryffindor common room was almost completely silent except for a few light
snores drifting down the passage. Peter had argued against coming along but
the others were adamant. They wouldn't stand for Peter to get into another
of his "accidents" while they weren't about.
Finally the portrait hole swung slowly open and five house elves trotted silently in to begin the nightly cleaning. Sirius was amazed to see how much work the house elves had to do. He had never really thought of the drinks left sitting out at night, gone in the morning. Nor of the feathers that were often left covering the common room as a result of a late night pillow fight, swept away by morning as if they had never been there. He shared a guilty look with James who was thinking the same thoughts. The house elves were just beginning to clean the strange isle of goo that had exploded out of a chocolate James and Sirius had jinxed. The one on the floor had exploded before they could get it into the box. Despite himself James grinned. That annoying know-it-all Slytherin prat from Potions, Snape, was going to get quite a surprise in the mail at breakfast.
It was a strain for the four to remain completely quiet but they managed as the time passed slowly away and the common room began to look cleaner than new. After about half an hour the house elves began to speak in quiet voices. The boys strained to hear their chatter but at that volume it was impossible to make out the house elves squeaky voices. Sirius could only manage to make out a few words from the low conversation. "Dark..order.eenix.house elves..." one of the house elves said. James was surprised to see that he was tallish for a house elf and wore a uniform much unlike the other house elves. The house elves grew even quieter as this elf relayed his news and they peered anxiously around the dark room before exiting silently through the portrait hole.
The four boys waiting silently on the stairs heaved a sigh of relief as they stood and quietly followed the house elves. James led the way, Remus and Sirius behind him with Peter in the back. Sirius was watching Remus with awe as his friend walked completely silently through the halls. The others were trying to be as quiet as they could but there was still the soft padding of feet and the occasional "Ow!" from Peter as he stumbled over something in the dark. But Remus walked as silently as a wolf stalking its prey. His step was light and sure even in the darkness that surrounded them. Sirius could only manage to keep his footing by the pale light that his wand cast on the floor.
Finally James stopped as he rounded a corner, bringing the other three up short behind him. "Hush!" he whispered urgently as Peter banged into Sirius with a slight "Ooph!" the group that they had been following had somehow diminished to two. The strange looking elf and a small female. They had paused in front of a still life painting of a bowl of fruit and were whispering urgently. Finally the female elf nodded and scurried down the hallway in the opposite direction. The other elf stared at the painting for a moment, reached out as if to touch one of the fruits and then brought his hand back and left.
James started forwards again to follow him but Sirius held him back. "I think Peter has twisted this ankle of his. He can't seem to walk on it. I don't think we should leave him here alone either. He'd probably panic and start screaming loud enough to wake the whole castle."
"I would not!" Peter said indignantly. "James knows I know better than that, don't you James?" he asked pleadingly James shrugged, disappointed that their quest would have to wait for another night. He stepped forwards and turned his back to the fruit painting to face the other three. "I told Longbottom it'd be tonight. He said he could convince the others but if we don't show at breakfast I'm not certain how well the other Captains will take it. Frank is nice but I don't know about the others, not to mention that Malfoy is Slytherin team captain and he'd be reluctant enough about it if he didn't have some pet first years running around."
Sirius growled and James struggled to keep from looking at him oddly. Sirius had secrets and James was willing for them to remain that way. Sirius pounded his fist onto the painting, striking an oddly proportioned pear that sat to the left of the fruitbowl.
The pear giggled.
The four boys stared at the pear. Sirius reached up again and lightly touched the pear. It convulsed with a giggle. Sirius began to tickle it and the pear began to laugh uncontrollably as the painting began to swing open.
"Yes! Good job Sirius, we'll be able to finish this after all." James said. He stepped through the doorway that the picture had revealed and whispered "Lumosell." He flicked his wand and the room was instantly bathed in light. Sirius looked around the room in delight, his eyes feasting hungrily upon the many dishes that lay on the large counters, simply waiting to be spelled up to the tables for breakfast.
James was happily crunching away upon a large chocolate chip cookie that he had found inside one of the ovens. He looked up to find Remus glaring at him accusingly. "What? Oh, right, down to business. You all should know your parts by now. Righty oh!" James went over to peer at the large bowls of oatmeal that sat waiting quietly. Taking his wand out of his back pocket he pointed at the oatmeal and whispered a few words under his breath. He went around to all the other oatmeal and then started in on the orange juice. He finished just as Sirius bespelled the last of his bacon and toast and came over to James.
"You remember the way back don't you?" Remus asked from across the room. A blank look blossomed on James' face and his mouth dropped open.
* * *
"Wake up you lazy bum." Chris prodded James with his finger as James stifled a giant yawn. "What's with the four of you that you're all still half asleep?" James just shook his head, stifling yet another yawn. It had taken them almost another hour to get back to the dormitories and James had hardly been able to sleep for his excitement.
Sirius was looking at his watch inbetween yawns, counting down the seconds until the spell would take effect. "Now!" Chris and Kyle turned to look at him with bemused expressions but were distracted almost instantly as the toast Peter had been about to put into his mouth turned into a figure on a broomstick wearing Gryffindor robes. Almost instantly a team of seven were up above each table and moments later Slytherin and Gryffindor were involved in a fierce match on one side of the Hall and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were battling away on the other.
Cheers broke out from the tables as they rooted for their own team in miniature. Then the second phase of the spell took effect and another seven figures burst out of the oatmeal at each table each carrying a banner that read "Junior Quidditch Team!" These teams too began to battle fiercely and the students cheered even more wildly than before. James tapped his wand on the table three times and the players froze in mid air. Sirius nodded to Frank Longbottom, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain who leapt to his feet.
"We're instating Junior Quidditch teams! Junior teams are open to all students fourth year and below. Join your house team!" As Frank spoke Remus, James and Sirius had crept to the other house tables and now they began rousing chants of "Gryff-in-dor! Gryff-in-dor!" "Huffle-puff!" "Raven- claw!" "Slyth-er-in!" the other students took up the cheers readily and soon the Great Hall resonated with the cheers from the four houses. James, Remus, Sirius and Peter shared a satisfied glance.
* * *
Just as the hall was beginning to calm down after the turmoil of the announcement the owls began to swoop in upon the breakfasters beladen with the letters and packages sent to the Hogwarts students. The quiet that fell as the students eagerly read the news from home was suddenly interrupted by a shriek from over at the Slytherin table.
All heads swiveled towards the disruption. Severus Snape was sitting among the remains of a box of gourmet chocolates, oozing green slime and smelling horribly of garbage. He seemed frozen for a moment, his lower lip trembling violently, and then leaped up from his table and ran out of the dining hall, leaving a trail of slime and laughter in his wake.
"Whoah! That was great! Did you see the little prat. He was just standing there sniveling like a pathetic little worm that fell into the garbage!" Sirius crowed. The other three were too busy laughing their heads off to respond but Lily Evans who was sitting a few seats away with Sarah Hastings looked up indignantly.
"Don't you dare say something like that about that poor boy. He might be annoying and rather disgusting too but how would you feel if everyone in the school was laughing about you. How would you feel if the only thing people knew you for was being "Slimy Snape"? "Snivelling Snape"?" she demanded. Sirius put his hands up defensively and shrugged under the onslaught.
"Ooh, does Lily have a little bit of a crush on Snapey?" Peter asked mockingly.
"Shut UP Peter!" Lily and the other three shouted. Peter jumped and turned back to his plate sulkily as Lily grabbed out her wand. "I do not have a crush on that slimy prat! Don't you dare say that!" James reached out and grabbed her arm before she could think of a properly horrible jinx.
"Don't curse him Evans, he's enough of a wimp already." He muttered to her. He spoke quietly so no one else would hear but her eyes still flashed angrily. "Don't you tell me what to do James Potter!" she hissed. James shrugged and backed away as she stuck her wand back into her pocket.
* * *
By the time the Gryffindor first years reached their third class of the day, Charms, they were still conversing eagerly on the two topics of the day; Snape and the junior Quidditch teams. Satisfied with their work, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter found tables around the large room.
"If you would all direct your attention to the front of the class please?" Professor Flitwick said in his high squeak of a voice. "Today we'll be working on the Hover Charm so if you would please clear your desks and bring out your wands we can get started." Flitwick waited until the assorted Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students did as he asked and then continued. "You will find that the wand work is much like that involved in a Flame Freezing Charm so if you would I would like to see you all practice the swift poke and whirl once before you begin to practice."
Beside James Peter was anxiously muttering "Poke and whirl." As he jabbed frantically at the air. James smirked at his friend and expertly jabbed his wand out at the empty air and whisked it to the side. Professor Flitwick beamed down at James from his seat at the podium in the corner. "Very good Mr. Potter, I think you have it down! Five points to Gryffindor." He said.
Peter looked at James with awe. "Wow, I bet you're the best wizard in the whole first year James. I bet you're better even than some of the second years." James shrugged with a grin which was almost instantly wiped away as he heard a disdainful voice from behind him, "pompous little jerk." one voice said. James strained to hear the reply but Peter had just managed to blow up his desk and James could only catch "stupid pranks, the little show- off." as Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. "Now, the incantation for this spell is Volarte. Say that for me once and then I'll bring out the pillows that we'll be hovering." James turned around in his chair to see Lily and Sarah glaring at him fiercely. Sarah looked away when he turned towards her but Lily smirked at him before he turned around.
"Volarte!" chorused the class obediently. Professor Flitwick nodded and with a swish of his wand sent pillows flying to each member of the class. James pointed his wand at his pillow idly and made a small movement with his wand as he said, "Volarte!" his pillow slowly bobbed up to the height he was holding his wand at and hovered gently in the air. James raised his wand a few inches and the pillow obediently bobbed up to meet it. "I wish I could be more like you James. You're so good at everything. I'm just stupid." Peter said. James shook his head, "You're not stupid Peter, you just need to practice a bit more. See you're doing it more like a poke than a jab and you've got to make the e on the end more pronounced." Peter tried again and this time his pillow quivered momentarily and then fell still again. It took him seventeen more tries to get his pillow to hover even momentarily and twenty one tries later when he had failed to make any more progress James turned to his other side in disgust to talk with Sirius.
"Frank caught me in between classes, he said that he's already gotten enough applicants to make up three teams but that we're still first on his list. Gryffindor try outs are next Tuesday to make sure that after the excitement dies down only the people who really want to play are left." James said.
Sirius nodded, his lean face breaking into a smile as he brushed a bit of his hair out of his eyes. "So we've got until then to practice up and plan our next move." James nodded. "I'm thinking that Evans needs to be taken down. She's always sticking her fiery little red head into other people's business."
"I've got the perfect plan. Lily Evans beware, James and Sirius are on your tail." Sirius said.
Finally the portrait hole swung slowly open and five house elves trotted silently in to begin the nightly cleaning. Sirius was amazed to see how much work the house elves had to do. He had never really thought of the drinks left sitting out at night, gone in the morning. Nor of the feathers that were often left covering the common room as a result of a late night pillow fight, swept away by morning as if they had never been there. He shared a guilty look with James who was thinking the same thoughts. The house elves were just beginning to clean the strange isle of goo that had exploded out of a chocolate James and Sirius had jinxed. The one on the floor had exploded before they could get it into the box. Despite himself James grinned. That annoying know-it-all Slytherin prat from Potions, Snape, was going to get quite a surprise in the mail at breakfast.
It was a strain for the four to remain completely quiet but they managed as the time passed slowly away and the common room began to look cleaner than new. After about half an hour the house elves began to speak in quiet voices. The boys strained to hear their chatter but at that volume it was impossible to make out the house elves squeaky voices. Sirius could only manage to make out a few words from the low conversation. "Dark..order.eenix.house elves..." one of the house elves said. James was surprised to see that he was tallish for a house elf and wore a uniform much unlike the other house elves. The house elves grew even quieter as this elf relayed his news and they peered anxiously around the dark room before exiting silently through the portrait hole.
The four boys waiting silently on the stairs heaved a sigh of relief as they stood and quietly followed the house elves. James led the way, Remus and Sirius behind him with Peter in the back. Sirius was watching Remus with awe as his friend walked completely silently through the halls. The others were trying to be as quiet as they could but there was still the soft padding of feet and the occasional "Ow!" from Peter as he stumbled over something in the dark. But Remus walked as silently as a wolf stalking its prey. His step was light and sure even in the darkness that surrounded them. Sirius could only manage to keep his footing by the pale light that his wand cast on the floor.
Finally James stopped as he rounded a corner, bringing the other three up short behind him. "Hush!" he whispered urgently as Peter banged into Sirius with a slight "Ooph!" the group that they had been following had somehow diminished to two. The strange looking elf and a small female. They had paused in front of a still life painting of a bowl of fruit and were whispering urgently. Finally the female elf nodded and scurried down the hallway in the opposite direction. The other elf stared at the painting for a moment, reached out as if to touch one of the fruits and then brought his hand back and left.
James started forwards again to follow him but Sirius held him back. "I think Peter has twisted this ankle of his. He can't seem to walk on it. I don't think we should leave him here alone either. He'd probably panic and start screaming loud enough to wake the whole castle."
"I would not!" Peter said indignantly. "James knows I know better than that, don't you James?" he asked pleadingly James shrugged, disappointed that their quest would have to wait for another night. He stepped forwards and turned his back to the fruit painting to face the other three. "I told Longbottom it'd be tonight. He said he could convince the others but if we don't show at breakfast I'm not certain how well the other Captains will take it. Frank is nice but I don't know about the others, not to mention that Malfoy is Slytherin team captain and he'd be reluctant enough about it if he didn't have some pet first years running around."
Sirius growled and James struggled to keep from looking at him oddly. Sirius had secrets and James was willing for them to remain that way. Sirius pounded his fist onto the painting, striking an oddly proportioned pear that sat to the left of the fruitbowl.
The pear giggled.
The four boys stared at the pear. Sirius reached up again and lightly touched the pear. It convulsed with a giggle. Sirius began to tickle it and the pear began to laugh uncontrollably as the painting began to swing open.
"Yes! Good job Sirius, we'll be able to finish this after all." James said. He stepped through the doorway that the picture had revealed and whispered "Lumosell." He flicked his wand and the room was instantly bathed in light. Sirius looked around the room in delight, his eyes feasting hungrily upon the many dishes that lay on the large counters, simply waiting to be spelled up to the tables for breakfast.
James was happily crunching away upon a large chocolate chip cookie that he had found inside one of the ovens. He looked up to find Remus glaring at him accusingly. "What? Oh, right, down to business. You all should know your parts by now. Righty oh!" James went over to peer at the large bowls of oatmeal that sat waiting quietly. Taking his wand out of his back pocket he pointed at the oatmeal and whispered a few words under his breath. He went around to all the other oatmeal and then started in on the orange juice. He finished just as Sirius bespelled the last of his bacon and toast and came over to James.
"You remember the way back don't you?" Remus asked from across the room. A blank look blossomed on James' face and his mouth dropped open.
* * *
"Wake up you lazy bum." Chris prodded James with his finger as James stifled a giant yawn. "What's with the four of you that you're all still half asleep?" James just shook his head, stifling yet another yawn. It had taken them almost another hour to get back to the dormitories and James had hardly been able to sleep for his excitement.
Sirius was looking at his watch inbetween yawns, counting down the seconds until the spell would take effect. "Now!" Chris and Kyle turned to look at him with bemused expressions but were distracted almost instantly as the toast Peter had been about to put into his mouth turned into a figure on a broomstick wearing Gryffindor robes. Almost instantly a team of seven were up above each table and moments later Slytherin and Gryffindor were involved in a fierce match on one side of the Hall and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were battling away on the other.
Cheers broke out from the tables as they rooted for their own team in miniature. Then the second phase of the spell took effect and another seven figures burst out of the oatmeal at each table each carrying a banner that read "Junior Quidditch Team!" These teams too began to battle fiercely and the students cheered even more wildly than before. James tapped his wand on the table three times and the players froze in mid air. Sirius nodded to Frank Longbottom, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain who leapt to his feet.
"We're instating Junior Quidditch teams! Junior teams are open to all students fourth year and below. Join your house team!" As Frank spoke Remus, James and Sirius had crept to the other house tables and now they began rousing chants of "Gryff-in-dor! Gryff-in-dor!" "Huffle-puff!" "Raven- claw!" "Slyth-er-in!" the other students took up the cheers readily and soon the Great Hall resonated with the cheers from the four houses. James, Remus, Sirius and Peter shared a satisfied glance.
* * *
Just as the hall was beginning to calm down after the turmoil of the announcement the owls began to swoop in upon the breakfasters beladen with the letters and packages sent to the Hogwarts students. The quiet that fell as the students eagerly read the news from home was suddenly interrupted by a shriek from over at the Slytherin table.
All heads swiveled towards the disruption. Severus Snape was sitting among the remains of a box of gourmet chocolates, oozing green slime and smelling horribly of garbage. He seemed frozen for a moment, his lower lip trembling violently, and then leaped up from his table and ran out of the dining hall, leaving a trail of slime and laughter in his wake.
"Whoah! That was great! Did you see the little prat. He was just standing there sniveling like a pathetic little worm that fell into the garbage!" Sirius crowed. The other three were too busy laughing their heads off to respond but Lily Evans who was sitting a few seats away with Sarah Hastings looked up indignantly.
"Don't you dare say something like that about that poor boy. He might be annoying and rather disgusting too but how would you feel if everyone in the school was laughing about you. How would you feel if the only thing people knew you for was being "Slimy Snape"? "Snivelling Snape"?" she demanded. Sirius put his hands up defensively and shrugged under the onslaught.
"Ooh, does Lily have a little bit of a crush on Snapey?" Peter asked mockingly.
"Shut UP Peter!" Lily and the other three shouted. Peter jumped and turned back to his plate sulkily as Lily grabbed out her wand. "I do not have a crush on that slimy prat! Don't you dare say that!" James reached out and grabbed her arm before she could think of a properly horrible jinx.
"Don't curse him Evans, he's enough of a wimp already." He muttered to her. He spoke quietly so no one else would hear but her eyes still flashed angrily. "Don't you tell me what to do James Potter!" she hissed. James shrugged and backed away as she stuck her wand back into her pocket.
* * *
By the time the Gryffindor first years reached their third class of the day, Charms, they were still conversing eagerly on the two topics of the day; Snape and the junior Quidditch teams. Satisfied with their work, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter found tables around the large room.
"If you would all direct your attention to the front of the class please?" Professor Flitwick said in his high squeak of a voice. "Today we'll be working on the Hover Charm so if you would please clear your desks and bring out your wands we can get started." Flitwick waited until the assorted Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students did as he asked and then continued. "You will find that the wand work is much like that involved in a Flame Freezing Charm so if you would I would like to see you all practice the swift poke and whirl once before you begin to practice."
Beside James Peter was anxiously muttering "Poke and whirl." As he jabbed frantically at the air. James smirked at his friend and expertly jabbed his wand out at the empty air and whisked it to the side. Professor Flitwick beamed down at James from his seat at the podium in the corner. "Very good Mr. Potter, I think you have it down! Five points to Gryffindor." He said.
Peter looked at James with awe. "Wow, I bet you're the best wizard in the whole first year James. I bet you're better even than some of the second years." James shrugged with a grin which was almost instantly wiped away as he heard a disdainful voice from behind him, "pompous little jerk." one voice said. James strained to hear the reply but Peter had just managed to blow up his desk and James could only catch "stupid pranks, the little show- off." as Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. "Now, the incantation for this spell is Volarte. Say that for me once and then I'll bring out the pillows that we'll be hovering." James turned around in his chair to see Lily and Sarah glaring at him fiercely. Sarah looked away when he turned towards her but Lily smirked at him before he turned around.
"Volarte!" chorused the class obediently. Professor Flitwick nodded and with a swish of his wand sent pillows flying to each member of the class. James pointed his wand at his pillow idly and made a small movement with his wand as he said, "Volarte!" his pillow slowly bobbed up to the height he was holding his wand at and hovered gently in the air. James raised his wand a few inches and the pillow obediently bobbed up to meet it. "I wish I could be more like you James. You're so good at everything. I'm just stupid." Peter said. James shook his head, "You're not stupid Peter, you just need to practice a bit more. See you're doing it more like a poke than a jab and you've got to make the e on the end more pronounced." Peter tried again and this time his pillow quivered momentarily and then fell still again. It took him seventeen more tries to get his pillow to hover even momentarily and twenty one tries later when he had failed to make any more progress James turned to his other side in disgust to talk with Sirius.
"Frank caught me in between classes, he said that he's already gotten enough applicants to make up three teams but that we're still first on his list. Gryffindor try outs are next Tuesday to make sure that after the excitement dies down only the people who really want to play are left." James said.
Sirius nodded, his lean face breaking into a smile as he brushed a bit of his hair out of his eyes. "So we've got until then to practice up and plan our next move." James nodded. "I'm thinking that Evans needs to be taken down. She's always sticking her fiery little red head into other people's business."
"I've got the perfect plan. Lily Evans beware, James and Sirius are on your tail." Sirius said.
