Unraveled Mysteries
Remus's pronouncement was followed by James's eyelids suddenly fluttering, then opening.
"James is awake! I worked the spell right!" Peter informed them, he sounded slightly disbelieving.
"I'm going to have one bad headache tomorrow..." James muttered weakly as he slowly stood up.
Sirius kept his eyes trained on the edges of shadow. "It's up to something... Why hasn't it attacked again?"
"Didn't any of you hear me?" Remus asked angrily. "I know what it is, it's a Boggart! We have to use the Riddikulus spell to weaken it."
Before anyone could comment on this, the last remaining torchlight went out.
They saw more than heard it suddenly spring. Four wands came up to emit the same spell.
"Riddikulus!"
An explosion sounded from four of the same spell targeting one entity and all consciousness slipped away.
-
James groggily opened one eye to see quite a few eyes staring back. One pair dark brown, another pair a slightly amber color, and yet another that were so light brown that they were nearly grey. Those he could pick out as his three best friends... but there was one pair that was slightly obscured by half-moon glasses.
"Good to see that you're awake." Professor Dumbledore greeted.
James sat up, one eyebrow raised. "Um?"
Remus to was looking at the Headmaster curiously and James realized that each of his friends must have been asleep too before the Headmaster arrived. But that still made no sense.
Why was the Headnaster in their dorm room...?
James almost groaned as his memories caught up with him. Now they were in for it.
Dumbledore smiled benignly at them for a moment before speaking. "I'm sure you're all wondering what happened last night.
"It's… morning?" Remus questioned with a confused look on his face.
"Yes, I'm afraid you were all out for the rest of that night." One white eyebrow arched up. "I admit though, I'm quite curious on why you were out and about that night at all."
The four boys launched into four rather separate stories that were quickly collaborated into their having wanted to study a bit more in the library and then having gone for a midnight snack.
Dumbledore nodded, only looking slightly skeptical of their story.
"You will all be happy to know the dark creature that has been haunting the corners of the school, is now gone. I trust you all wish to know more?"
At several curious stares, Dumbledore continued. "Yes, well, it turns out that the creature was indeed a Boggart, as it seems Mr. Lupin discovered-"
"Waaaaaaaaaaait." Sirius interrupted suddenly. "How did you know what it was, or that Remus found out what it was? ...Or any of that!"
"You mean, how did I know you four were out of bed?" Dumbledore questioned mildly.
The four boys nodded.
"It seems you have Mr. Longbottom to thank for that. Perhaps you didn't know, but Mr. Longbottom's parents wanted him to avoid socializing with you four. Though I won't go into the details, it seems they were worried that one of you had more of his family in him than he did. Mr. Longbottom was quite agitated by this, but in the end he chose to make his own choices. When he heard you four were poking around in things you shouldn't and didn't show up for bed, he grew worried and informed me."
Peter spoke up finally, looking slightly nervous on the prospect of addressing the Headmaster. "Right... But, Sir, you said 'that night'... don't you mean 'last night'?"
Dumbledore smiled, obviously pleased. "Very intuitive of you, Mr. Pettigrew. You four have been asleep for that night and last. Thanks to the Dreamless Sleep potion Madam Pomphrey was kind enough to whip up. How long has it been since any of you actually slept an entire night?"
The four immediately looked anywhere but at the Professor; between monster hunting, midnight snacks, studying, and the Marauders' Map they hadn't really gotten to bed at decent hours.
Dumbledore nodded knowingly, his eyes twinkling. "Yes well, on another note, exams have been reinstated and the school shall stay open! Thanks to all of you."
Peter started making a gagging noise as he stared at the Headmaster, disbelief clearly etched across his features.
Remus's eyes widened in alarm as he quickly turned to James, Sirius, and Peter. "Quick! Start quizzing me... Ooh no, how am I going to pass now?"
-
"Glad that's over." Remus sighed as the group exited their final class exam. Aside from the test, the room had been nearly unbearable. Sunshine had streamed through the window baking everyone that was unlucky enough to have a seat near the portals to the grounds. Needless to say, the coolness of the halls was a welcome relief.
"I think my sugar quill melted..." Sirius informed the others mournfully.
"You're not supposed to bring any other kind of quill in for the exams..." Remus started, but James broke in.
"Decent marks, no classes till next year, and we're famous!" James declared.
Remus rolled his eyes at this. "A bit of hero worship and you're head inflates like a balloon."
"I failed." Peter advised the others. "I missed every question."
"Unless you chose the wrong answers on purpose, then you couldn't have." Remus told him. "And I'm sure you got most of the answers right."
Sirius chose to interrupt any further reference to exams to state in a rather dramatic fashion. "It is now time to let you all in on my grand plot!"
The other three boys' only response was to raise their eyebrows skeptically.
Sirius motioned for James, Remus, and Peter to follow him into an empty classroom. There he laid out his carefully detailed plans....
-
All of the Gryffindors let out a cheer as it was announced that, with a little help from the Marauders newly earned fifty points, Gryffindor had managed to win the house cup.
Heedless of all the cheering, Sirius, James, and their almost unwilling companions proceeded with the ultimate trick. Hidden by the house banners, multicolored balloons hung ominously above the many students' heads. All that was need was for them to be set free.
And that was indeed what the Marauders did.
With a jab of their wands, hundreds of balloons plummeted from the ceiling, revealing that inside there was more than air.
As the balloons landed amongst the table they splashed their burden, pumpkin juice, over everyone, including the teachers.
-
In the end it was decided that fifty points would be taken back away from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw would receive the House Cup, and the four Marauders would have a particularly large amount of homework for the summer holidays along with a detention for the start of the year.
Things could have gone worse though, right?
If you think about it, it wasn't such a bad first year. The mysterious monster ate no one, the Slytherins were covered in pumpkin juice, and four friends met to become some of the most legendary practical jokers in all of Hogwarts' history. (Though at the moment, they being eleven and all, their jokes aren't that brilliant. As Lizz might put it, a few were particularly 'lame'.)
Nope, it wasn't bad for a first year... and next year would be even better.
- Jade-chan
