Chapter Seven
James took a deep breath and looked back at a Remus who he had dragged along from moral support. Remus gave him a rather half-hearted thumbs-up.
"Mademoiselle?" he said to Lily, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table eating lunch and reading a Muggle novel, Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Asteroid or something.
"Oh, hello James, how can I help you?"
"Well, you know that we're supposed to exchange gifts. And I thought I would deliver mine in person, you know, before the teacher's party."
"How thoughtful, thank you James," she said giving him a heartwarming smile.
James felt like he was floating, her smile was directed solely at him. It was for him alone, he was elated.
"Oh," she said remembering something. "Here's your gift. I hope you like it." Giving him another smile she asked, "You won't open it until the party will you?"
"Of course not."
She checked her watch, "Oh, James I'm so sorry, but I have to get to class to talk to the professor."
"Oh, well, could we talk this afternoon?"
"I have to help one of the third years with his Potions, I'm sorry. But, I'll see you at dinner or if not at the party tonight." She smiled and hurried off in to the crowd.
"See you then," he responded absently, still happily reeling over the fact that she had given him such a heart winning smile.
"Oh Professor McGonagall, I need to ask you about the assignment you gave to the second years."
"Yes Mademoiselle?"
"Well, I've been tutoring several students, and when I've talked to the other tutors about how their pupils are doing with the assignment, they say that they haven't been able to figure it out either, or that it simply won't get done. So I was wondering if you might consider changing the deadline."
I'll consider it. Thank you dear."
The other students began to arrive and they sat at their desks.
"Okay class, please take out your text books. Today you will be learning to turn mammals into other mammals. Now this is tricky, turning a mammal into an inanimate object is difficult enough. To do this correctly."
Class went on and they began to practice, with some very interesting results indeed. In the end the classroom contained silenced birds of every color, many of them sporting strange looking appendages; three badger-sized animals resembling a cross between a giraffe and a snail; and one iguana like creature, it seemed impervious to the silencing spell, and was singing "Amazing Grace" with an off key, Scottish burr.
"Wonderful Bill, I think that with just a little more work you might actually get an O this year. It's good to see ambition in someone with an A in Potions already."
The young redheaded boy blushed, "Gee, thanks Lily."
"Oh, it's no problem at all. Now, let's see," she thumbed though Bill's weekly reports. They were required for all students seeking tutorial help. "I see that you're having some trouble in Divination."
"Well it's not that really," he said, his ears turning pink. "It's that I can't concentrate. I keep falling asleep. Professor Divinare is just so boring. It's worse than Binns. At least he talks about interesting stuff. Goblin history is fascinating."
Lily chuckled, "You know, I think you might be the first person I've ever heard say that. But I'll help you there, from what I've heard, if you make up a load of junk about you dying, or nearly so, you'll be fine. But you must promise me NEVER to do this for another class; this is a special case anyway."
He nodded solemnly.
"Alright then," she said with a smile, "I'll see you the Friday we get back."
He gathered his things, and waved as he left the classroom.
Lily looked at the clock, Oh no, I'm late. Drat it, I still have to change.
Lily hurried off to her dorm to change into her more festive clothes for the Feast.
".and now a word from our Head students," announced Dumbledore.
James stood, "It's good to see you all here, I hope you are all as excited as I am for the holidays. It'll be nice to be able put our homework off for at least a week won't it." That got several chuckles from all around the hall, "but I would like to say, the Marauders have a little surprise we've been planning for when you all get back. So, get ready for the surprise of your lives." He smirked, no one, least of all the teachers was looking forward to the return, especially if the Marauders were going to announce their intentions, "Now, to my beautiful colleague."
"Thank you James." Lily smiled at the faces watching her, "I would like to announce the winner of my challenge. Sirius Black, will you please stand."
And before catching the look of horror on his best friend's face, he stood and gave the entire hall an exaggerated bow.
"Thank you," said Lily grinning with amusement. "Now, I think I'll wait until we return to tell you who I am." turning to Dumbledore, "your dice."
Professor Dumbledore looked at all the expectant faces and said, "Let the Feast begin."
A/N: Great place for a cliffy a'nit.
James took a deep breath and looked back at a Remus who he had dragged along from moral support. Remus gave him a rather half-hearted thumbs-up.
"Mademoiselle?" he said to Lily, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table eating lunch and reading a Muggle novel, Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Asteroid or something.
"Oh, hello James, how can I help you?"
"Well, you know that we're supposed to exchange gifts. And I thought I would deliver mine in person, you know, before the teacher's party."
"How thoughtful, thank you James," she said giving him a heartwarming smile.
James felt like he was floating, her smile was directed solely at him. It was for him alone, he was elated.
"Oh," she said remembering something. "Here's your gift. I hope you like it." Giving him another smile she asked, "You won't open it until the party will you?"
"Of course not."
She checked her watch, "Oh, James I'm so sorry, but I have to get to class to talk to the professor."
"Oh, well, could we talk this afternoon?"
"I have to help one of the third years with his Potions, I'm sorry. But, I'll see you at dinner or if not at the party tonight." She smiled and hurried off in to the crowd.
"See you then," he responded absently, still happily reeling over the fact that she had given him such a heart winning smile.
"Oh Professor McGonagall, I need to ask you about the assignment you gave to the second years."
"Yes Mademoiselle?"
"Well, I've been tutoring several students, and when I've talked to the other tutors about how their pupils are doing with the assignment, they say that they haven't been able to figure it out either, or that it simply won't get done. So I was wondering if you might consider changing the deadline."
I'll consider it. Thank you dear."
The other students began to arrive and they sat at their desks.
"Okay class, please take out your text books. Today you will be learning to turn mammals into other mammals. Now this is tricky, turning a mammal into an inanimate object is difficult enough. To do this correctly."
Class went on and they began to practice, with some very interesting results indeed. In the end the classroom contained silenced birds of every color, many of them sporting strange looking appendages; three badger-sized animals resembling a cross between a giraffe and a snail; and one iguana like creature, it seemed impervious to the silencing spell, and was singing "Amazing Grace" with an off key, Scottish burr.
"Wonderful Bill, I think that with just a little more work you might actually get an O this year. It's good to see ambition in someone with an A in Potions already."
The young redheaded boy blushed, "Gee, thanks Lily."
"Oh, it's no problem at all. Now, let's see," she thumbed though Bill's weekly reports. They were required for all students seeking tutorial help. "I see that you're having some trouble in Divination."
"Well it's not that really," he said, his ears turning pink. "It's that I can't concentrate. I keep falling asleep. Professor Divinare is just so boring. It's worse than Binns. At least he talks about interesting stuff. Goblin history is fascinating."
Lily chuckled, "You know, I think you might be the first person I've ever heard say that. But I'll help you there, from what I've heard, if you make up a load of junk about you dying, or nearly so, you'll be fine. But you must promise me NEVER to do this for another class; this is a special case anyway."
He nodded solemnly.
"Alright then," she said with a smile, "I'll see you the Friday we get back."
He gathered his things, and waved as he left the classroom.
Lily looked at the clock, Oh no, I'm late. Drat it, I still have to change.
Lily hurried off to her dorm to change into her more festive clothes for the Feast.
".and now a word from our Head students," announced Dumbledore.
James stood, "It's good to see you all here, I hope you are all as excited as I am for the holidays. It'll be nice to be able put our homework off for at least a week won't it." That got several chuckles from all around the hall, "but I would like to say, the Marauders have a little surprise we've been planning for when you all get back. So, get ready for the surprise of your lives." He smirked, no one, least of all the teachers was looking forward to the return, especially if the Marauders were going to announce their intentions, "Now, to my beautiful colleague."
"Thank you James." Lily smiled at the faces watching her, "I would like to announce the winner of my challenge. Sirius Black, will you please stand."
And before catching the look of horror on his best friend's face, he stood and gave the entire hall an exaggerated bow.
"Thank you," said Lily grinning with amusement. "Now, I think I'll wait until we return to tell you who I am." turning to Dumbledore, "your dice."
Professor Dumbledore looked at all the expectant faces and said, "Let the Feast begin."
A/N: Great place for a cliffy a'nit.