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Author's note: This is one of those chapters where I feel the need to describe everyone. The reason for this is that as I progress in the story, I'm having a harder time picturing this all in my minds eye, which means, you all are having trouble picturing our dear friends and so I had to fix it. I'm sorry if I went too far and bored you all to tears; but, hey, at least now you know what all of our stars look like and act like. Feel free to skip the parts if you need to, but just know, their proper descriptions *are* there. Mmkay, then, and on with the show...
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Time flew for the new Gryffindors, and before they knew it, Halloween was upon them. Hagrid, the groundskeeper, could be seen with Professor Flitwick, magically bringing the 3 ton pumpkins into the Great Hall for decorations, and decorating with live bats and rat that were levitated, so they scurried around above their heads on the walls. The girls didn't really see their charm, but Peter out of all of them, was fascinated.
The four boys had grown very close throughout the days, none more so then Sirius and James. Sirius had gotten James out of some very sticky situations with Mr. Filch, the bitter school caretaker and James, in turn, had used his charm to worm Sirius out of several detentions with McGonagall. Still, Remus and Peter had gotten very close to the duo as well, and even Frank had been included in many of their nighttime escapades.
The five Gryffindor girls had merged into best friends over night; all Muggle-born, they all had something in common and immediately worked from there. It was rare to see one alone in the corridor, even briefly, and if they were solo, they were usually up to trouble, sneaking around, trying to figure out what the boys were up too.
The qualities in each of the first year Gryffindor soon distinguished themselves among their peers.
James, with his dark black hair and hazel eyes, had a wonderful personality if you were on his good side. Get on his bad side, or have anything to do with Slytherin and the dark arts, and you were immediately out. James was a very trusting person; his trust wasn't earned, it was granted, and you had to do something serious to lose it, but once it was lost, it was gone. His best subject was Transfiguration, but his favorite activity was pranking Snape. The greasy haired Slytherin had already had his hair turned pink six times; it was time for something original. James was fiercely loyal to his friends, especially Sirius, Remus and Peter, and would do anything to help any of them out.
Sirius, like James, loved pranking people. He loved to be the center of attention was, ironically, rarely serious. His best subject was charms, and he loved Qudditch like James, but he was more outgoing then his best friends. His charming smile and disarming bark of a laugh shot down many a detention before it was given, and worked his magic to get Lily to occasional do their History of Magic for them. His good looks, though boyish still, with his dark eyes and gorgeous hair, managed to let most of the pranks he played on the girls slide.
Remus was more practical then his other two nitwit friends. He was just as attractive as them, though no one really looked at him that way, because after all, he was just Remus. Smart, logical, but above else kind, there was no one else anyone would rather talk to than Lupin. He never tried to stop James and Sirius, though sometimes he frowned and would turn away if they went too far. He was the mastermind behind many of their pranks, researching farfetched charms to help them pull them off.
Peter was quiet then his other, bigger, friends. Scrawny, but pudgy, Peter was barely more then a squib in any subject but Herbology, but James patiently took time out to tutor him in transfiguration and potions, and Sirius re-taught every charms lesson while Remus made sure Peter passed defense against the dark arts. His hair was mousy brown and his dark eyes small and pointy, but he did have a nice smile. And he was always there if you needed him. No matter if you needed him to be bait for the Slytherins, or to copy his Herbology essay, Pete was there.
Frank wasn't as close with the other four boys. He was closer to several friends he had made in the Hufflepuff house, but he still kept up occasionally with the other boys, frequently joining them in their midnight adventures. He had become close friends, best friends, with Alice Angio of Hufflepuff and spent a lot of time with her. He was always up for a good laugh though, and though he was lacking a little in his studies, his Defense Against the Dark Arts grades were, shall we say, 'off the hook.'
Lily was the most academically minded of the girls; with her flaming red hair and emerald eyes, she had to endure constant calls of 'Slytherin Eyes' whenever she pissed someone off with her rambling about tests and essay. "Oh, shove off, Slytherin Eyes!" had been coined by none other then James Potter, but now became a common refrain around the common room, even by the girls. She was sweet to people she liked, surprisingly nasty to people she didn't, and had the perfect poker face, the ability to hide her emotions came to her surprisingly well.
Jessica was undeniably cute, a fact that same her often in Defense Against the Dark Arts, her worst class. Professor Lovegood was patient with everyone, but Jessica was just so simply sweet and innocent, she never got scolded, even when she confused Azkaban with Disney World on one of their first tests. With platinum blonde hair and demure chocolate eyes and a pert little nose, Jessica looked very much like an elf, and sometimes acted like it too. She was prone to giggles and laughs, and was usually seen laughing at something or other much more often then she was studying.
Laurel was the girly girl of the group. She was prone to switch moods without warning, one minute laughing and the next biting your head off. She was constantly buried in some magazine, forcing the girls to do some quiz to discover what their signature perfume scent was, and trying out all sorts of things to keep her hair straight. She was kinda self-involved, but determinedly loyal, and was always there to listen when there was a problem, usually coming up with a practical solution that the girl's would later see featured in Seventeen Magazine.
Cleo was the prankster. She laughed at anything, sometimes even things that were not-so-funny, like the time James fell off the roof and broke his arm. She had a dark look to her, with a natural constant tan, and long, thick black hair that fell to her waist. Her black eyes sparkled with constant mischief, but when one of her friends was hurt, there was no more fun and games and Cleo wanted revenge. It was she her friends turned to in times of vengeance, and Cleo always made sure what goes around, comes around.
Lastly, Emmeline, who hated her name with a passion and went around constantly chirping, "Just call me Em!" She was the tomboy. Her hair was chin length, a deep honey color, and her eyes were light brown, flicked with gold. Her body was long and lean of an athlete and she was constantly racing the guys to class, usually winning, unless she happened to be racing somewhere James knew a secret passage way too. She was very shy around people she didn't know, except when it came to her name, but, around her friends, failed to ever shut up. She was very perceptive and usually picked up details the others missed; it was she who eventually figured out the reason Lily was losing so much of her lovely red hair was because Snape had been slipping some All Natural Hair Loss potion into her evening pumpkin juice. Cleo made sure Snape paid for that one.
The girls had gotten close with some of the boys; Remus and Lily had become fast friends, and Jessica and Peter had discussed at some length herbolgy, both of their best subjects. It was obvious Laurel had discovered a fast crush on Sirius, who didn't seem to be aware she was a female, and that Sirius and Cleo had a lot in common. In fact, of all the girls, Cleo was included in the most of their pranks; James and Sirius found her creative streak useful and inventive and they often collaborated on schemes against Malfoy and the Slytherins. Em and James, both Qudditch lovers, got up before everyone every Wednesday when the pitch was free to practice throwing Quaffles at each other; each hoping for a position on the team come next year, as everyone knew first years never made it.
Yep, everyone got along quite well, except for James Potter and Lily Evans. Spurred by the 'carrot top' comment, James teased her mercilessly about her hair; furious about his teasing, Lily could often be seen researching hexes to make James bald so he wouldn't touch his hair all the time. Their screaming echoed throughout the Gryffindor Common Room until Hestia threatened to dock points from her own House if it didn't quiet. From there, it merged into subtle pranks and insults, but by now, was a full blown war. When they were with other people, James and Lily were civil to each other for their friends sake; but alone, it was dangerous.
Everyone but Sirius was utterly content with their new life in school. Sirius loved Hogwarts, and he loved Gryffindor, but he had one major rain cloud soaking his day.
Sirius had yet to tell his parents what house he was in; they had naturally assumed Slytherin and he didn't tell them otherwise. But Narcissa, his nasty Slytherin cousin, was holding the fact over Sirius's head. If he didn't tell them, she warned, smirking horribly, she would. And she would make it seem as though Sirius was *glad* to be in Gryffindor!
Sirius had just rolled his eyes at her at the time, but was beginning to seriously worry. When his aunt, Andromeda, had been sorted into Hufflepuff, there had been a family uprising, resulting in several angry letters being sent to Dumbledore. Dumbledore had consulted with the Sorting Hat, who had agreed all sorting were final and there was nothing to be done. But nothing had been the same with Andromeda and her family since. And things were awkward enough in the Black household, without the added stress of Gryffindor on Sirius's back.
On October 23, a few days before Halloween, Sirius and James had just arrived back at the common room late that night, around midnight, from detention with Filch and were in the midst of a discussion, ignoring the three first year girls who were studying in the far corner as they collapsed on the couch, nursing their sore hands and knees from washing the trophy room for 6 hours. The duo thought they were alone.
"I say, you just tell 'em, Si. They're gunna find out eventually, Narcissa will tell her parents and it'll get to yours. They'll be madder if they have to find out that way. Just explain to them that you wanted to be in Slytherin and then they'll forgive you. "
Sirius shook his head. "It's not that I care what they think, Potter. It's just that I don't want to listen to their babble. I mean, Gryffindor is reserved for mudbloods and muggle lovers and I--"
He paused, suddenly, thinking about what he just said. "I mean, no offense to anyone, as I'm *in Gryffindor*, but that's just what my parents think and I--"
James nodded, having not taken the least bit offense even though his mother often wrote about Muggles in her books. He had known what Sirius meant. But from the far corner of the room, Lily dropped her History of Magic book, and Cleo gasped. Em looked up from her Potions essay, her mouth open.
"Sirius Black," Cleo breathed. "I cannot believe you!"
Sirius looked up, surprised. "Hey, Cleo," he said easily. "What's up?"
But Cleo's dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't even speak to me," she hissed as she stood and threw her belongings in her bag. "Don't even."
Sirius raised his brows. "What are you talking about?"
"Like you don't know!" Em hissed, fury in her eyes. "Like you didn't just call all of Gryffindor Mudbloods and Muggle Lovers! I'll have you know there is nothing," she growled, "*nothing* wrong with muggles or muggle borns!"
Sirius paled visibly and James shook his head quickly. "No, girls, you didn't hear him right, he meant his fam--"
"Shut up, Potter." Lily snapped. "No one is talking to you. You're just as bad, you agreed with him!" Whirling around to face Black as she threw her things into her bag and headed towards the dormitory, she spat, "I knew Potter was bad, Black, but you I thought better of. I guess we were wrong. You're no better then Malfoy."
And with that, the girls grabbed their stuff and tore up the stairs.
Sirius leapt over the couch, reaching for Cleo's bag, as she was the closest as they started up the stairs. "Wait, girls, seriously, I didn't--"
But Cleo spun around, her black hair whirling as she reached the first step of the staircase. When she tugged on her bag and he wouldn't let go, she literally growled. Reaching down, she lifted her palm and slapped him as hard as she could, sending his head snapping to the side and stars bursting before his eyes. He let go weakly and they tore up the stairs, slamming the door behind them.
Sirius turned, stunned to James, who was standing, his mouth half open. "What the hell was that?"
James shook his head numbly. "No idea..i mean, I know Evans is a nutter, but Cleo? And Em?"
"They thought I called them mudbloods," Sirius said numbly, sinking into a chair. "I would never call them mudbloods.."
"And muggle lovers." James added, but Sirius shot him a venomous look. "You're not helping."
"They're pissed at me too, remember? I nodded. Apparently I agreed."
"But I never said that.." Sirius said, his voice strained. James nodded. "I know, mate. Don't worry, they'll come around."
But Sirius shook his head. "You don't know girls like I do, mate."
James raised a brow. "You know girls?"
"I have several girl cousins," Sirius reminded him. "When they get a bone like this, they're like animals. They gnaw on it until it's dead and dry."
"Lovely analogy," James quipped, but he wasn't in the mood for laughs. "I would never call anyone a mudblood." He added after a moment. "Who cares about blood?"
"Slytherins," Sirius answered bitterly. Finally, he threw his hands up in the air. "This is stupid. We'll just explain to them tomorrow what happened, and as for now -- do you have any parchment?"
James nodded, handing his friend a spare piece and a quill. Sirius frowned and thought aloud as he wrote.
"Dear Mother and Father,
I am sorry to have to inform you of this, especially you father, but I think you should know before cousin Narcissa tells you. I have been sorted into Gryffindor. I didn't tell you until now because I was embarrassed--" Sirius's voice reeked of sarcasm, and James snorted -- " and because I have been trying to the best of my efforts to be transferred into Slytherin. "-- James coughed loudly, something that sounded suspiciously like, "YEA RIGHT!" --"I am sorry to tell you that it hasn't worked. I am a Gryffindor.
My apologies, Your son, Sirius."
Sirius regarded the letter bitterly as he folded it up and sealed it into an envelope and stuffed it into his pockets. "I hate my parents." He said suddenly and James frowned, sympathetically. "I know, mate." He said softly. "You were born into the wrong family, it seems."
Sirius grinned, never serious for long. (lol) "Yeah. I shoulda been born into yours."
James let out a laugh. "Then my mother would really have some good material for her books!"
Sirius chuckled with him. "And a lot more gray hairs."
James laughed. "That's a given."
Suddenly, a loud shriek echoed from the girl's dormitory, and both James and Sirius turned to look. "What was that?" James asked, puzzled, but Sirius frowned.
"Most likely word of our bigotry is passing from girl to girl," he surmised glumly. "Girls always shriek when they get upset."
"Girls always shriek period." James corrected with a smile and Sirius laughed. "Agreed."
"So, anymore pranks planned lately?" James asked, not yet tired, but determined to get his mind off the girls.
Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. I think we may need to bring in backup on this one though, because it won't work properly in my head."
"Oh yeah? What is it?"
"Well, somehow we need to transfigure a storm, water, lightening, and everything. That's not too difficult, you can probably manage that."
"What am I transfiguring it to?" James asked, eyes wide.
"Oh, I don't know," Sirius answered casually. "A rock, something. Anyway, we transfigure a really heavy hurricane cloud into a rock, or a ball. Then, when Perkins turns his back in Potions, we throw it. It turns back into a storm midair, and whoosh! The dungeons are flooded and Potions gets out early."
James looked at him blankly. "Sirius? How are we going to transfigure an entire hurricane? I mean, a cloud, maybe?"
"So we do it cloud by cloud."
"But that doesn't include the water, or the lightening.."
Sirius yawned. "SO it's not perfect yet. We'll bring in Lupin on it. He'll be able to figure something out."
James nodded, grinning. "Yeah. He'll manage it. And if it works--"
"The look on Perkin's face when it's raining on his head will be priceless. He'll be *forced* to take a bath!"
It was running joke between the Gryffindors that the strong smell of cabbage that assaulted them every time they went into the dungeons was none other then the body odor of Professor Perkins. He was a Slytherin, after all, he did have the greasy look going for him. At every chance possible, every Gryffindor had vowed to somehow get Perkins wet. It was for the greater good; for the health of the students. So far, Perkins had several water balloons magiced over his head to follow him around, refilling and pelting him for an entire afternoon until he managed to unhex them; he had a cauldron of shampoo dumped over his head followed by his robes being transfigured into water (he had muggle clothes on underneath). But to cause an entire flood in the dungeons to rid the smell? It would be their greatest feat yet. If they could do it.
"We could just get a rain cloud to follow him around all day," James mused as they headed up to bed.
Sirius nodded. "We could, but that doesn't get rid of the stench in the dungeons. It needs a good cleaning, if you ask me."
"How quickly do ya think it'll flood?"
"that's another thing, we'll need to block the drainage.."
Sirius rambled on about his brilliant idea until they opened into the dormitory. Frank and Peter were already asleep, but Remus was up, buried in a book.
"Whatcha reading, Remmy?" James asked, yawning, interrupting Sirius in his spew of ideas to clog the Hogwarts plumbing by throwing a dungbomb down Moaning Myrtle's toilet.
Sirius scowled but Remus held up the book so they could read the title; Dangerous Beasts and Where to Find Them.
"Ah, nice to see you've got some good bed time stories, Lupin." James said dryly, and earned a laugh from Sirius as he struggled to keep his voice low as they changed into their nightclothes.
Remus smiled. "Very funny James."
"I am, aren't i?"
"Hardly." Sirius answered dryly and James scowled.
"So what happened down there?" Remus asked in a half whisper. "I heard the girls shrieking from in here. They're still awake."
"How do you know?"
"I can hear them," Remus answered amused.
James and Sirius exchanged looks. "How?"
Remus smiled. "Listen."
All the boys quieted down until they could hear only the quiet snores of Peter and Frank. Suddenly, they heard a muffled bang, and a quiet scream, as if the person was doing everything they could to keep themselves quiet and not succeeding. They heard someone shout, as if into a pillow, yet it was still so loud that it traveled down the corridor and into their room, "STUPID BLOODY PRICK!"
Sirius frowned grimly. "Oh."
"Yeah," Remus said, watching them both curiously, the light coming from the candle near his bed making him look more tired then usual. "What happened?"
"They think we called them mudbloods," James answered dolefully. "It was all a misunderstanding," Sirius said stubbornly.
Remus raised an eyebrow. "Did you call them mudbloods?"
"Of course not!" James exclaimed angrily. "Sirius was talking about his stupid bloody family and saying what they thought about Gryffindor. The girls overheard--"
"And thought we were saying what *we* thought about Gryffindor." Sirius finished dully. "It's all really stupid."
Lupin nodded in agreement. "Yea, it is stupid," he agreed, his voice soft. "So who heard you?"
"Lily, Em and Cleo. You would think Lily would freak because she's just plain nuts--"
Remus chuckled softly under his breath.
"--but Em and Cleo really seemed upset too. Whatever, it's not a big deal, we'll work it out in the morning."
Remus nodded. "Yea, I guess so. Don't worry about it too much, I'll talk to them, if you want."
"Thanks, Remus," Sirius answered gratefully from under his covers. "They always listen to you."
"Yeah, why is that?" James asked from his bed by the window. "What do you got that we don't?"
Remus chuckled. "You want a list?"
"Shut up, Lupin, I'm serious."
"No, I am," Sirius chimed in, and James snorted. "That jokes dead, Black. Leave it in peace."
"That joke was dead from the moment it was said," Remus said. Sirius chuckled. "Hey, Remus, you made a rhyme!"
"I'm a poet and don't know it."
"And another one!"
"It just comes to me, I rhyme naturally."
"Hey, how bout that!"
"It's amazing I know, the ease the words flow."
"Lupin, I am impressed."
"Lupin is my name, Rhyming is my--" But James interrupted. "Finish that rhyme Lupin and I'll be forced to hex you."
"Game," Remus finished lamely and James groaned.
Remus chuckled.
"Goodnight guys."
"Goodnight mi amigos."
"Sirius, you don't speak Spanish."
"Says you."
"You do not speak Spanish," Remus chimed in agreement.
"Who cares if I speak Spanish or not? I say I do."
Suddenly, someone whispered, "Lumos!" and a light filled the room. It came from Frank's bed, and he hissed dangerously at them, "SHUT UP!" before muttering, "nox." and replacing his wand on his bedside table. With a snort, he turned back over, stuffing his head under his pillow.
"Goodnight guys," James hissed in a whisper.
"Goodnight mi amigos," Sirius hissed in response.
Frank just groaned.
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"So then he goes, "Well, Gryffindor is reserved for mudbloods and muggle lovers!" "
"No!" Laurel exclaimed. "Sirius? Sirius Black?"
"The very same," Lily assured her ominously. "And then, get this! Potter, yes the same Potter you just told me this morning, was 'not *that* horrid', he nods! He agreed with Black!"
Laurel shook her head. "STUPID BLOODY PRICK!"
"Thank you, Lau," Cleo said into the silence that followed, causing smiles to crack. Tears had welled up in several of the girl's eyes and Em shook her head. "Don't let yourself get upset about it, girls. They're just pricks."
"Pricks we have to spend the next 7 years with," Lily added reassuringly. Jessica giggled. "Well, there is Remus, Peter and Frank. They're nice," Em added helpfully. "Though I guess this means no more Qudditch with James."
"And no more pranking with Sirius." Cleo agreed glumly.
"Where do they get off, calling Gryffindor's mudbloods anyway?" Lily hissed spitefully. "They're as bad as Slytherins!"
"Worse!" Laurel cooed, and Jessica giggled. They turned to stare at her.
"Sorry," she said through her slight laughter. "It's just the thought of anyone being worse then the Slytherins makes me laugh."
Lily giggled too. "Okay," Laurel allowed with a smile, "maybe not worse."
"You know what this means, now, don't you girls?" Cleo said slowly with a mischievous smile.
Em sighed. "That look in your eye means only one thing, Cleo."
"Trouble." Lily finished with a smile.
"Yes, but not for us," Cleo clarified. "For our dear wanna-be Slytherins."
"Pranks?" Jess asked.
"Yes; now." Cleo agreed. "Now, while they unsuspecting."
"Do we have any good ones lined up?"
They all turned to Lily; she was the brains of the group. "Well, Lil, any interesting hexes?"
Lily smiled softly. "I think I have an idea. Grab your wands and two pillows, and lets go."
Giggling like crazy, the girls grabbed their supplies and tiptoed into the boy's dormitories. Outside, they paused, listening.
"I'm a poet and don't know it."
"And another one!"
"It just comes to me, I rhyme naturally."
"Hey, how bout that!"
"It's amazing I know, the ease the words flow."
"Lupin, I am impressed."
"Lupin is my name, Rhyming is my--" But James interrupted. "Finish that rhyme Lupin and I'll be forced to hex you."
"Game," Remus finished lamely and James groaned.
Remus chuckled.
"Goodnight guys."
"Goodnight mi amigos."
"Sirius, you don't speak Spanish."
"Says you."
"You do not speak Spanish," Remus chimed in agreement.
Lily backed away from the door, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "What, what?" Cleo hissed.
"I have an idea," Lily said brilliantly. "Go get your charms book, Jessi."
The blonde scampered off and returned quickly, and Lily flicked to the page she wanted, her grin growing. "Perfect," she whispered. "We just have to wait for them to go to sleep."
The girls nodded, and paused, waiting. Within minutes, deep, heavy breathing could be heard, along with loud, obnoxious snoring -- Sirius.
Giggling madly, the girls gathered into a circle, the pillows in the center. Lilly pulled out two feathers and placed them by her feet, before transfiguring the pillows into two can of whip cream.
Cleo's eyes gleamed. "The old muggle trick?" she whispered excitedly and Lily grinned in answer. Laurel meanwhile, applauded silently. "If only Potter and McGonagall could see your transfiguration now!"
"Okay," Lily whispered in an order. "Laurel and Jessica, you tackle Sirius. Spray the whip cream into his hand and then tickle his face, as many times as you want. Just make sure it's properly covered. Em, Cleo, you do the same thing to James."
"And what are you gunna do?" Jessica asked as she gathered her whip cream. Lily just grinned.
The 5 girls slithered into the room, stifling their giggles helplessly. Finally, Lily cast a silencing charm on all of them to keep their giggles at bay. Before long, Sirius was sporting a beard of whip cream that would rival Old St. Nicholas's, and James was doing his impersonation of a cloud. The whip cream went straight down his nose and up around his eyebrows and in a flash of brilliance, Cleo tickled his ears too. With the whip cream sticking out of his ears, James looked as though he had aged 60 years. But Lily kept grinning. Holding out her wand, she muttered four incantations, but only one had an immediate effect -- James's beautiful hair disappeared entirely. Though sparks flew out of her wand and landed softly on James's lips as she spoke the other three chants, no other effects showed. She quickly crossed the room and did the same to Sirius.
When all was said and done, the girls fled the room, hiding the evidence. All except for a bright banner that was hung across the room. Signed in their wacky penmanship, the banner read in flashing Gryffindor colors, "LOVE ALWAYS, THE MUDBLOODS!"
Breakfast was going to be fun.
Author's note: This is one of those chapters where I feel the need to describe everyone. The reason for this is that as I progress in the story, I'm having a harder time picturing this all in my minds eye, which means, you all are having trouble picturing our dear friends and so I had to fix it. I'm sorry if I went too far and bored you all to tears; but, hey, at least now you know what all of our stars look like and act like. Feel free to skip the parts if you need to, but just know, their proper descriptions *are* there. Mmkay, then, and on with the show...
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Time flew for the new Gryffindors, and before they knew it, Halloween was upon them. Hagrid, the groundskeeper, could be seen with Professor Flitwick, magically bringing the 3 ton pumpkins into the Great Hall for decorations, and decorating with live bats and rat that were levitated, so they scurried around above their heads on the walls. The girls didn't really see their charm, but Peter out of all of them, was fascinated.
The four boys had grown very close throughout the days, none more so then Sirius and James. Sirius had gotten James out of some very sticky situations with Mr. Filch, the bitter school caretaker and James, in turn, had used his charm to worm Sirius out of several detentions with McGonagall. Still, Remus and Peter had gotten very close to the duo as well, and even Frank had been included in many of their nighttime escapades.
The five Gryffindor girls had merged into best friends over night; all Muggle-born, they all had something in common and immediately worked from there. It was rare to see one alone in the corridor, even briefly, and if they were solo, they were usually up to trouble, sneaking around, trying to figure out what the boys were up too.
The qualities in each of the first year Gryffindor soon distinguished themselves among their peers.
James, with his dark black hair and hazel eyes, had a wonderful personality if you were on his good side. Get on his bad side, or have anything to do with Slytherin and the dark arts, and you were immediately out. James was a very trusting person; his trust wasn't earned, it was granted, and you had to do something serious to lose it, but once it was lost, it was gone. His best subject was Transfiguration, but his favorite activity was pranking Snape. The greasy haired Slytherin had already had his hair turned pink six times; it was time for something original. James was fiercely loyal to his friends, especially Sirius, Remus and Peter, and would do anything to help any of them out.
Sirius, like James, loved pranking people. He loved to be the center of attention was, ironically, rarely serious. His best subject was charms, and he loved Qudditch like James, but he was more outgoing then his best friends. His charming smile and disarming bark of a laugh shot down many a detention before it was given, and worked his magic to get Lily to occasional do their History of Magic for them. His good looks, though boyish still, with his dark eyes and gorgeous hair, managed to let most of the pranks he played on the girls slide.
Remus was more practical then his other two nitwit friends. He was just as attractive as them, though no one really looked at him that way, because after all, he was just Remus. Smart, logical, but above else kind, there was no one else anyone would rather talk to than Lupin. He never tried to stop James and Sirius, though sometimes he frowned and would turn away if they went too far. He was the mastermind behind many of their pranks, researching farfetched charms to help them pull them off.
Peter was quiet then his other, bigger, friends. Scrawny, but pudgy, Peter was barely more then a squib in any subject but Herbology, but James patiently took time out to tutor him in transfiguration and potions, and Sirius re-taught every charms lesson while Remus made sure Peter passed defense against the dark arts. His hair was mousy brown and his dark eyes small and pointy, but he did have a nice smile. And he was always there if you needed him. No matter if you needed him to be bait for the Slytherins, or to copy his Herbology essay, Pete was there.
Frank wasn't as close with the other four boys. He was closer to several friends he had made in the Hufflepuff house, but he still kept up occasionally with the other boys, frequently joining them in their midnight adventures. He had become close friends, best friends, with Alice Angio of Hufflepuff and spent a lot of time with her. He was always up for a good laugh though, and though he was lacking a little in his studies, his Defense Against the Dark Arts grades were, shall we say, 'off the hook.'
Lily was the most academically minded of the girls; with her flaming red hair and emerald eyes, she had to endure constant calls of 'Slytherin Eyes' whenever she pissed someone off with her rambling about tests and essay. "Oh, shove off, Slytherin Eyes!" had been coined by none other then James Potter, but now became a common refrain around the common room, even by the girls. She was sweet to people she liked, surprisingly nasty to people she didn't, and had the perfect poker face, the ability to hide her emotions came to her surprisingly well.
Jessica was undeniably cute, a fact that same her often in Defense Against the Dark Arts, her worst class. Professor Lovegood was patient with everyone, but Jessica was just so simply sweet and innocent, she never got scolded, even when she confused Azkaban with Disney World on one of their first tests. With platinum blonde hair and demure chocolate eyes and a pert little nose, Jessica looked very much like an elf, and sometimes acted like it too. She was prone to giggles and laughs, and was usually seen laughing at something or other much more often then she was studying.
Laurel was the girly girl of the group. She was prone to switch moods without warning, one minute laughing and the next biting your head off. She was constantly buried in some magazine, forcing the girls to do some quiz to discover what their signature perfume scent was, and trying out all sorts of things to keep her hair straight. She was kinda self-involved, but determinedly loyal, and was always there to listen when there was a problem, usually coming up with a practical solution that the girl's would later see featured in Seventeen Magazine.
Cleo was the prankster. She laughed at anything, sometimes even things that were not-so-funny, like the time James fell off the roof and broke his arm. She had a dark look to her, with a natural constant tan, and long, thick black hair that fell to her waist. Her black eyes sparkled with constant mischief, but when one of her friends was hurt, there was no more fun and games and Cleo wanted revenge. It was she her friends turned to in times of vengeance, and Cleo always made sure what goes around, comes around.
Lastly, Emmeline, who hated her name with a passion and went around constantly chirping, "Just call me Em!" She was the tomboy. Her hair was chin length, a deep honey color, and her eyes were light brown, flicked with gold. Her body was long and lean of an athlete and she was constantly racing the guys to class, usually winning, unless she happened to be racing somewhere James knew a secret passage way too. She was very shy around people she didn't know, except when it came to her name, but, around her friends, failed to ever shut up. She was very perceptive and usually picked up details the others missed; it was she who eventually figured out the reason Lily was losing so much of her lovely red hair was because Snape had been slipping some All Natural Hair Loss potion into her evening pumpkin juice. Cleo made sure Snape paid for that one.
The girls had gotten close with some of the boys; Remus and Lily had become fast friends, and Jessica and Peter had discussed at some length herbolgy, both of their best subjects. It was obvious Laurel had discovered a fast crush on Sirius, who didn't seem to be aware she was a female, and that Sirius and Cleo had a lot in common. In fact, of all the girls, Cleo was included in the most of their pranks; James and Sirius found her creative streak useful and inventive and they often collaborated on schemes against Malfoy and the Slytherins. Em and James, both Qudditch lovers, got up before everyone every Wednesday when the pitch was free to practice throwing Quaffles at each other; each hoping for a position on the team come next year, as everyone knew first years never made it.
Yep, everyone got along quite well, except for James Potter and Lily Evans. Spurred by the 'carrot top' comment, James teased her mercilessly about her hair; furious about his teasing, Lily could often be seen researching hexes to make James bald so he wouldn't touch his hair all the time. Their screaming echoed throughout the Gryffindor Common Room until Hestia threatened to dock points from her own House if it didn't quiet. From there, it merged into subtle pranks and insults, but by now, was a full blown war. When they were with other people, James and Lily were civil to each other for their friends sake; but alone, it was dangerous.
Everyone but Sirius was utterly content with their new life in school. Sirius loved Hogwarts, and he loved Gryffindor, but he had one major rain cloud soaking his day.
Sirius had yet to tell his parents what house he was in; they had naturally assumed Slytherin and he didn't tell them otherwise. But Narcissa, his nasty Slytherin cousin, was holding the fact over Sirius's head. If he didn't tell them, she warned, smirking horribly, she would. And she would make it seem as though Sirius was *glad* to be in Gryffindor!
Sirius had just rolled his eyes at her at the time, but was beginning to seriously worry. When his aunt, Andromeda, had been sorted into Hufflepuff, there had been a family uprising, resulting in several angry letters being sent to Dumbledore. Dumbledore had consulted with the Sorting Hat, who had agreed all sorting were final and there was nothing to be done. But nothing had been the same with Andromeda and her family since. And things were awkward enough in the Black household, without the added stress of Gryffindor on Sirius's back.
On October 23, a few days before Halloween, Sirius and James had just arrived back at the common room late that night, around midnight, from detention with Filch and were in the midst of a discussion, ignoring the three first year girls who were studying in the far corner as they collapsed on the couch, nursing their sore hands and knees from washing the trophy room for 6 hours. The duo thought they were alone.
"I say, you just tell 'em, Si. They're gunna find out eventually, Narcissa will tell her parents and it'll get to yours. They'll be madder if they have to find out that way. Just explain to them that you wanted to be in Slytherin and then they'll forgive you. "
Sirius shook his head. "It's not that I care what they think, Potter. It's just that I don't want to listen to their babble. I mean, Gryffindor is reserved for mudbloods and muggle lovers and I--"
He paused, suddenly, thinking about what he just said. "I mean, no offense to anyone, as I'm *in Gryffindor*, but that's just what my parents think and I--"
James nodded, having not taken the least bit offense even though his mother often wrote about Muggles in her books. He had known what Sirius meant. But from the far corner of the room, Lily dropped her History of Magic book, and Cleo gasped. Em looked up from her Potions essay, her mouth open.
"Sirius Black," Cleo breathed. "I cannot believe you!"
Sirius looked up, surprised. "Hey, Cleo," he said easily. "What's up?"
But Cleo's dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't even speak to me," she hissed as she stood and threw her belongings in her bag. "Don't even."
Sirius raised his brows. "What are you talking about?"
"Like you don't know!" Em hissed, fury in her eyes. "Like you didn't just call all of Gryffindor Mudbloods and Muggle Lovers! I'll have you know there is nothing," she growled, "*nothing* wrong with muggles or muggle borns!"
Sirius paled visibly and James shook his head quickly. "No, girls, you didn't hear him right, he meant his fam--"
"Shut up, Potter." Lily snapped. "No one is talking to you. You're just as bad, you agreed with him!" Whirling around to face Black as she threw her things into her bag and headed towards the dormitory, she spat, "I knew Potter was bad, Black, but you I thought better of. I guess we were wrong. You're no better then Malfoy."
And with that, the girls grabbed their stuff and tore up the stairs.
Sirius leapt over the couch, reaching for Cleo's bag, as she was the closest as they started up the stairs. "Wait, girls, seriously, I didn't--"
But Cleo spun around, her black hair whirling as she reached the first step of the staircase. When she tugged on her bag and he wouldn't let go, she literally growled. Reaching down, she lifted her palm and slapped him as hard as she could, sending his head snapping to the side and stars bursting before his eyes. He let go weakly and they tore up the stairs, slamming the door behind them.
Sirius turned, stunned to James, who was standing, his mouth half open. "What the hell was that?"
James shook his head numbly. "No idea..i mean, I know Evans is a nutter, but Cleo? And Em?"
"They thought I called them mudbloods," Sirius said numbly, sinking into a chair. "I would never call them mudbloods.."
"And muggle lovers." James added, but Sirius shot him a venomous look. "You're not helping."
"They're pissed at me too, remember? I nodded. Apparently I agreed."
"But I never said that.." Sirius said, his voice strained. James nodded. "I know, mate. Don't worry, they'll come around."
But Sirius shook his head. "You don't know girls like I do, mate."
James raised a brow. "You know girls?"
"I have several girl cousins," Sirius reminded him. "When they get a bone like this, they're like animals. They gnaw on it until it's dead and dry."
"Lovely analogy," James quipped, but he wasn't in the mood for laughs. "I would never call anyone a mudblood." He added after a moment. "Who cares about blood?"
"Slytherins," Sirius answered bitterly. Finally, he threw his hands up in the air. "This is stupid. We'll just explain to them tomorrow what happened, and as for now -- do you have any parchment?"
James nodded, handing his friend a spare piece and a quill. Sirius frowned and thought aloud as he wrote.
"Dear Mother and Father,
I am sorry to have to inform you of this, especially you father, but I think you should know before cousin Narcissa tells you. I have been sorted into Gryffindor. I didn't tell you until now because I was embarrassed--" Sirius's voice reeked of sarcasm, and James snorted -- " and because I have been trying to the best of my efforts to be transferred into Slytherin. "-- James coughed loudly, something that sounded suspiciously like, "YEA RIGHT!" --"I am sorry to tell you that it hasn't worked. I am a Gryffindor.
My apologies, Your son, Sirius."
Sirius regarded the letter bitterly as he folded it up and sealed it into an envelope and stuffed it into his pockets. "I hate my parents." He said suddenly and James frowned, sympathetically. "I know, mate." He said softly. "You were born into the wrong family, it seems."
Sirius grinned, never serious for long. (lol) "Yeah. I shoulda been born into yours."
James let out a laugh. "Then my mother would really have some good material for her books!"
Sirius chuckled with him. "And a lot more gray hairs."
James laughed. "That's a given."
Suddenly, a loud shriek echoed from the girl's dormitory, and both James and Sirius turned to look. "What was that?" James asked, puzzled, but Sirius frowned.
"Most likely word of our bigotry is passing from girl to girl," he surmised glumly. "Girls always shriek when they get upset."
"Girls always shriek period." James corrected with a smile and Sirius laughed. "Agreed."
"So, anymore pranks planned lately?" James asked, not yet tired, but determined to get his mind off the girls.
Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. I think we may need to bring in backup on this one though, because it won't work properly in my head."
"Oh yeah? What is it?"
"Well, somehow we need to transfigure a storm, water, lightening, and everything. That's not too difficult, you can probably manage that."
"What am I transfiguring it to?" James asked, eyes wide.
"Oh, I don't know," Sirius answered casually. "A rock, something. Anyway, we transfigure a really heavy hurricane cloud into a rock, or a ball. Then, when Perkins turns his back in Potions, we throw it. It turns back into a storm midair, and whoosh! The dungeons are flooded and Potions gets out early."
James looked at him blankly. "Sirius? How are we going to transfigure an entire hurricane? I mean, a cloud, maybe?"
"So we do it cloud by cloud."
"But that doesn't include the water, or the lightening.."
Sirius yawned. "SO it's not perfect yet. We'll bring in Lupin on it. He'll be able to figure something out."
James nodded, grinning. "Yeah. He'll manage it. And if it works--"
"The look on Perkin's face when it's raining on his head will be priceless. He'll be *forced* to take a bath!"
It was running joke between the Gryffindors that the strong smell of cabbage that assaulted them every time they went into the dungeons was none other then the body odor of Professor Perkins. He was a Slytherin, after all, he did have the greasy look going for him. At every chance possible, every Gryffindor had vowed to somehow get Perkins wet. It was for the greater good; for the health of the students. So far, Perkins had several water balloons magiced over his head to follow him around, refilling and pelting him for an entire afternoon until he managed to unhex them; he had a cauldron of shampoo dumped over his head followed by his robes being transfigured into water (he had muggle clothes on underneath). But to cause an entire flood in the dungeons to rid the smell? It would be their greatest feat yet. If they could do it.
"We could just get a rain cloud to follow him around all day," James mused as they headed up to bed.
Sirius nodded. "We could, but that doesn't get rid of the stench in the dungeons. It needs a good cleaning, if you ask me."
"How quickly do ya think it'll flood?"
"that's another thing, we'll need to block the drainage.."
Sirius rambled on about his brilliant idea until they opened into the dormitory. Frank and Peter were already asleep, but Remus was up, buried in a book.
"Whatcha reading, Remmy?" James asked, yawning, interrupting Sirius in his spew of ideas to clog the Hogwarts plumbing by throwing a dungbomb down Moaning Myrtle's toilet.
Sirius scowled but Remus held up the book so they could read the title; Dangerous Beasts and Where to Find Them.
"Ah, nice to see you've got some good bed time stories, Lupin." James said dryly, and earned a laugh from Sirius as he struggled to keep his voice low as they changed into their nightclothes.
Remus smiled. "Very funny James."
"I am, aren't i?"
"Hardly." Sirius answered dryly and James scowled.
"So what happened down there?" Remus asked in a half whisper. "I heard the girls shrieking from in here. They're still awake."
"How do you know?"
"I can hear them," Remus answered amused.
James and Sirius exchanged looks. "How?"
Remus smiled. "Listen."
All the boys quieted down until they could hear only the quiet snores of Peter and Frank. Suddenly, they heard a muffled bang, and a quiet scream, as if the person was doing everything they could to keep themselves quiet and not succeeding. They heard someone shout, as if into a pillow, yet it was still so loud that it traveled down the corridor and into their room, "STUPID BLOODY PRICK!"
Sirius frowned grimly. "Oh."
"Yeah," Remus said, watching them both curiously, the light coming from the candle near his bed making him look more tired then usual. "What happened?"
"They think we called them mudbloods," James answered dolefully. "It was all a misunderstanding," Sirius said stubbornly.
Remus raised an eyebrow. "Did you call them mudbloods?"
"Of course not!" James exclaimed angrily. "Sirius was talking about his stupid bloody family and saying what they thought about Gryffindor. The girls overheard--"
"And thought we were saying what *we* thought about Gryffindor." Sirius finished dully. "It's all really stupid."
Lupin nodded in agreement. "Yea, it is stupid," he agreed, his voice soft. "So who heard you?"
"Lily, Em and Cleo. You would think Lily would freak because she's just plain nuts--"
Remus chuckled softly under his breath.
"--but Em and Cleo really seemed upset too. Whatever, it's not a big deal, we'll work it out in the morning."
Remus nodded. "Yea, I guess so. Don't worry about it too much, I'll talk to them, if you want."
"Thanks, Remus," Sirius answered gratefully from under his covers. "They always listen to you."
"Yeah, why is that?" James asked from his bed by the window. "What do you got that we don't?"
Remus chuckled. "You want a list?"
"Shut up, Lupin, I'm serious."
"No, I am," Sirius chimed in, and James snorted. "That jokes dead, Black. Leave it in peace."
"That joke was dead from the moment it was said," Remus said. Sirius chuckled. "Hey, Remus, you made a rhyme!"
"I'm a poet and don't know it."
"And another one!"
"It just comes to me, I rhyme naturally."
"Hey, how bout that!"
"It's amazing I know, the ease the words flow."
"Lupin, I am impressed."
"Lupin is my name, Rhyming is my--" But James interrupted. "Finish that rhyme Lupin and I'll be forced to hex you."
"Game," Remus finished lamely and James groaned.
Remus chuckled.
"Goodnight guys."
"Goodnight mi amigos."
"Sirius, you don't speak Spanish."
"Says you."
"You do not speak Spanish," Remus chimed in agreement.
"Who cares if I speak Spanish or not? I say I do."
Suddenly, someone whispered, "Lumos!" and a light filled the room. It came from Frank's bed, and he hissed dangerously at them, "SHUT UP!" before muttering, "nox." and replacing his wand on his bedside table. With a snort, he turned back over, stuffing his head under his pillow.
"Goodnight guys," James hissed in a whisper.
"Goodnight mi amigos," Sirius hissed in response.
Frank just groaned.
---------------
"So then he goes, "Well, Gryffindor is reserved for mudbloods and muggle lovers!" "
"No!" Laurel exclaimed. "Sirius? Sirius Black?"
"The very same," Lily assured her ominously. "And then, get this! Potter, yes the same Potter you just told me this morning, was 'not *that* horrid', he nods! He agreed with Black!"
Laurel shook her head. "STUPID BLOODY PRICK!"
"Thank you, Lau," Cleo said into the silence that followed, causing smiles to crack. Tears had welled up in several of the girl's eyes and Em shook her head. "Don't let yourself get upset about it, girls. They're just pricks."
"Pricks we have to spend the next 7 years with," Lily added reassuringly. Jessica giggled. "Well, there is Remus, Peter and Frank. They're nice," Em added helpfully. "Though I guess this means no more Qudditch with James."
"And no more pranking with Sirius." Cleo agreed glumly.
"Where do they get off, calling Gryffindor's mudbloods anyway?" Lily hissed spitefully. "They're as bad as Slytherins!"
"Worse!" Laurel cooed, and Jessica giggled. They turned to stare at her.
"Sorry," she said through her slight laughter. "It's just the thought of anyone being worse then the Slytherins makes me laugh."
Lily giggled too. "Okay," Laurel allowed with a smile, "maybe not worse."
"You know what this means, now, don't you girls?" Cleo said slowly with a mischievous smile.
Em sighed. "That look in your eye means only one thing, Cleo."
"Trouble." Lily finished with a smile.
"Yes, but not for us," Cleo clarified. "For our dear wanna-be Slytherins."
"Pranks?" Jess asked.
"Yes; now." Cleo agreed. "Now, while they unsuspecting."
"Do we have any good ones lined up?"
They all turned to Lily; she was the brains of the group. "Well, Lil, any interesting hexes?"
Lily smiled softly. "I think I have an idea. Grab your wands and two pillows, and lets go."
Giggling like crazy, the girls grabbed their supplies and tiptoed into the boy's dormitories. Outside, they paused, listening.
"I'm a poet and don't know it."
"And another one!"
"It just comes to me, I rhyme naturally."
"Hey, how bout that!"
"It's amazing I know, the ease the words flow."
"Lupin, I am impressed."
"Lupin is my name, Rhyming is my--" But James interrupted. "Finish that rhyme Lupin and I'll be forced to hex you."
"Game," Remus finished lamely and James groaned.
Remus chuckled.
"Goodnight guys."
"Goodnight mi amigos."
"Sirius, you don't speak Spanish."
"Says you."
"You do not speak Spanish," Remus chimed in agreement.
Lily backed away from the door, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "What, what?" Cleo hissed.
"I have an idea," Lily said brilliantly. "Go get your charms book, Jessi."
The blonde scampered off and returned quickly, and Lily flicked to the page she wanted, her grin growing. "Perfect," she whispered. "We just have to wait for them to go to sleep."
The girls nodded, and paused, waiting. Within minutes, deep, heavy breathing could be heard, along with loud, obnoxious snoring -- Sirius.
Giggling madly, the girls gathered into a circle, the pillows in the center. Lilly pulled out two feathers and placed them by her feet, before transfiguring the pillows into two can of whip cream.
Cleo's eyes gleamed. "The old muggle trick?" she whispered excitedly and Lily grinned in answer. Laurel meanwhile, applauded silently. "If only Potter and McGonagall could see your transfiguration now!"
"Okay," Lily whispered in an order. "Laurel and Jessica, you tackle Sirius. Spray the whip cream into his hand and then tickle his face, as many times as you want. Just make sure it's properly covered. Em, Cleo, you do the same thing to James."
"And what are you gunna do?" Jessica asked as she gathered her whip cream. Lily just grinned.
The 5 girls slithered into the room, stifling their giggles helplessly. Finally, Lily cast a silencing charm on all of them to keep their giggles at bay. Before long, Sirius was sporting a beard of whip cream that would rival Old St. Nicholas's, and James was doing his impersonation of a cloud. The whip cream went straight down his nose and up around his eyebrows and in a flash of brilliance, Cleo tickled his ears too. With the whip cream sticking out of his ears, James looked as though he had aged 60 years. But Lily kept grinning. Holding out her wand, she muttered four incantations, but only one had an immediate effect -- James's beautiful hair disappeared entirely. Though sparks flew out of her wand and landed softly on James's lips as she spoke the other three chants, no other effects showed. She quickly crossed the room and did the same to Sirius.
When all was said and done, the girls fled the room, hiding the evidence. All except for a bright banner that was hung across the room. Signed in their wacky penmanship, the banner read in flashing Gryffindor colors, "LOVE ALWAYS, THE MUDBLOODS!"
Breakfast was going to be fun.