'Potter, for the last time, if you don't stop drawing on the table, I shall send you to the headmaster!'
Professor Jones had never been much of a pleasant person, but bearing her for four hours in a row in a written exam was almost more than James thought he could bear.
'But I finished ages ago,' he said sullenly. 'It's your fault if you don't just let me go.'
'That is the rule,' snapped the Professor, snatching his parchment and scanning it with her eyes. 'You might use the time to look over your work again, correcting mistakes.'
She took great care not to raise her voice too much, as several people were still writing, but some (Severus Snape among them, James noticed with a scowl) looked up nevertheless and gave their Potions Professor confused looks. James rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
'Please,' he said, 'I've done that twice. This subject doesn't require that much skill, you know. Just a large brain with lots of space to store ingredients i-...'
'Silence now,' Professor Jones snapped, even harsher than before. 'Other people are still writing. - Black, sit properly! Snape, eyes on your own parchment! What the heck do you think you're doing, Mr. Nott?'
Everyone hurried to get back to their parchments and Timothy Nott stored away a large piece of crispbread, which he had just attempted to consume unseen, and swallowed. If Professor Hestia Jones used someone's full title for addressing them, it was time to lay aside all foolishness and pretend to be good and attentive again, as this was usually a sign of her great displeasure. And nine months of double Potions had taught them that the last thing they wanted was displease Professor Jones shortly before she had to grade their exams.
'Well then,' said the Potions mistress, shaking her head disapprovingly, twisting Peter Pettigrew's ear who, once again, had been the last to notice that the opportune cheating moment had just ended. 'Ten more minutes, everyone. I am sure you'll stand through those, Potter.'
The Potions exam was the last of all. Except for Remus's tongued necklace and an incident involving Snape and an empty Transfiguration sheet, James had laughed very little during the two examination weeks. This had mainly been due to his nervousness and a bad cold he was sure he had caught from Rebecca Wood at the end of the previous week. But the mood in the first-year dormitory in Gryffindor tower was not at its highest these days anyway.
Peter, of course, was nervous and twitchy twenty-four hours a day because of McGonagall's prediction that he would fail most exams and have to repeat the year. He had studied very hard and improved greatly in recent months, but James had overheard a staff meeting in which she had fought to hold him back no matter what the result of his written work might be. Remus, on the other hand, had received a letter from home only a few days ago, saying that he would have to spend the holidays with his grandmother again, as his parents were going to visit one of his cousins who, apparently, had joined the wizarding army and was stationed at the South African border at the moment.
'Pureblood?' enquired Sirius Black curiously when Remus told them all the details of the letter, a few hours after they had accomplished their last bit of work this term. They were sitting under a great beech tree near the lake, chatting and comparing exam results. At least Remus had been before James had mentioned the letter.
'What does it matter?' retorted James sharply, knowing only too well that he was hacking into an open wound. 'I thought you'd come over your obsession with bloodlines after a year of decent company.'
'Shut up,' growled Sirius impatiently. 'I was just wondering whether I've, perhaps, heard of him. I have quite a few relatives in the wizarding army, all stationed down there, you know.'
'Really?' said James, chewing an acorn and trying to swallow it afterwards. 'Whom?'
'You wouldn't know them,' retorted Sirius, laying back on the grass, pulling up his shirt and scratching his bare stomach. 'It's not the kind of people your lot usually mix with.'
James gave him a cold grin. 'You are an idiot,' he said, leaning back himself, now busy with something that looked remotely like a mushroom. 'Go on, give me their names. I might have heard of them.'
'Yeah, you might,' grinned Sirius, but fell silent while trying to look straight into the sun without blinking.
'You're ruining your eyesight,' remarked Remus. 'Don't do that.'
'It feels odd,' retorted Sirius. 'Not unpleasant. What's your cousin called?'
'Rodney,' said Remus calmly. 'Lance corporal in one of the smaller countries down there. Guard-to-be, of course.' He gave a pained, dry laugh. 'Mother adores him. Father thinks he's an idiot.'
'Why do they have to visit him during the holidays?' said James, feeling aggressive towards the friendly werewolf's ignorant family. 'You don't like staying with your grandmother, do you? Why couldn't you come along?'
'They'll be staying over a month,' explained Remus. 'And anyway, I don't care much for Africa. Too hot. Too many mosquitoes.'
'And African Billywig,' nodded Sirius, grinning again and licking his lip. James gave him an indignant look and snorted. Remus gave him a light smile.
'I have written them a letter,' he said as calmly as ever. 'Saying that I'd prefer to stay with my aunt and uncle. If I am lucky, mother's in a good mood and lets me stay. Balbina's already asked her parents and they have agreed. - Strangely enough,' he added, looking thoughtful. James decided not to ask.
'What's Billywig?' he asked instead, turning towards Sirius, who had found an earthworm, much to his delight, and was trying to fit it through a gap in his teeth. 'Something to eat?'
'An insect,' said Sirius matter-of-factly. 'Imported many years ago by people like Remus's cousin to... lighten people's mood over here by stitching their veins. If you know what I mean.'
'Of course, it's long been classified as exceedingly dangerous and addictive,' added Remus with an ironic smile on his face. 'How come you've heard of it, Sirius?'
'Personal experience,' replied his friend, making all three of them look up and give him surprised stares. He yawned. 'What kinds of idiots are you? Of course not. I'd not be talking to you lot about it if I'd really taken that stuff.'
'Careful, Black, careful,' growled Potter, more of habit than ill will.
Sirius grinned and changed the subject. 'What will you be spending your holidays with, sunny boy? Hunting nifflers?'
'Probably,' replied James. 'My mother told me they've taken over the whole of Godric's Hollow during the past couple of weeks.' He shrugged. 'Though I am not quite sure how my return could help fighting them.'
'They'll all run away screaming once you enter the house,' said Sirius grinningly. 'Why's it Godric's Hollow anyway? Not in relation to Godric Gryffindor, is it?'
James shook his head. 'Nah,' he said. 'I doubt it.'
'The old Gryffindor would have died before setting a foot in your dump, I presume,' said a cold voice behind the boys' backs and James whirled around. In front of him, arms crossed, a piece of parchment loosely in his spidery hand stood Severus Snape. He appeared to be towering over James, although it was clear that if either of the four Gryffindors decided to get up, he would suddenly appear small and skinny again.
'Snape,' snarled James. 'What in the name of Merlin are you doing here?'
'At the moment, talking to you, dunce' said the Slytherin contemptuously and James realized that there was a highly unusual air about him. Almost as if... he was acting a part. Not being his usual whiny self. James wondered what he was up to and decided to remain seated. Sirius, however, got up and crossed his arms very similarly to how Snape was standing.
'Well,' he said harshly, 'what do you want?'
'I was merely told to give you this,' said Snape coldly, turning, and handing the piece of parchment in his hand to Peter, who looked both, surprised and revolted. 'Professor McGonagall wants to see you in her office as soon as possible. Something to do with exam grades.' He smirked.
James raised his eyebrows and let his gaze wander over Snape's scrawny face.
'What nonsense is that?' he said, well aware that he sounded indignant. 'Why you? She could have come down herself.'
'I suppose,' said Snape, the sneer on his face becoming more pronounced, 'she'll want to spare the more enjoyable part of the task for herself.' He smirked, turned, and walked off as swiftly as he had arrived. James narrowed his eyes.
'He's loving it,' he remarked, watching Snape cross the broad lawn leading up to the castle. 'He knows exactly that Peter's not certain to pass the exams. He thinks he's just delivered disastrous news. And he's loving it!'
Sirius nodded. 'Little git,' he muttered. 'I so hoped he wouldn't get his letter. Honestly,' he grinned, 'he had all the promising features of a squib.'
'How long have you known him?' asked James, not taking his eyes off Snape.
'Oh, I won't pretend that I know him,' said Sirius coldly. 'I have only once seen him before coming to Hogwarts - more than enough, I should say, but anyway, he looked like a squib at that time.' He grinned. James squinted his eyes at Snape who was at considerable distance by now, still brooding over the smaller boy's derisive grin.
'I wonder,' he said slowly,' whether I could make him fall. Not much it takes, is it? Just a simple spell and...'
'He's too far away,' yawned Sirius, trying to take a look at the title of Remus's book, who obviously thought that the whole matter was none of his business. 'You can't catch him from here.'
'I bet you seven Sickles that I can,' retorted James. 'But you've got to decide quickly.' Snape was looking left and right, seemingly trying to decide which path to chose. Sirius nodded.
'Seven Sickles,' he said. 'And your pudding tonight.'
Peter grinned. 'They're self-refilling, Sirius. All you have to do is -'
But exactly what you had to do if you wanted another helping of pudding James never found out. He drew out his wand and pointed it straight between Snape's legs, or in the rough direction at least, as Snape was really too far away to tell. This was going to be interesting.
'Cadence,' he hissed and a light red spark zoomed across the lawn towards the black-haired figure at the end of it. Against his expectations, however, the spell did not hit anywhere near Snape, but was zooming beyond its goal, towards a group of grown-ups, who had just appeared at the top end of the lawn.
There was a scream and some commotion. One of the men who had appeared fell flat on his face, almost hitting the utterly startled Snape as he did. James watched the small Slytherin recoil, but being lifted in the air by one of the larger men by his collar before he could make his escape. They could not make out any speech, due to the great distance, but James was sure the men were trying to find out what exactly had made their companion fall.
He jerked back, every muscle in his body tense, watching the scene intently. He could feel Sirius next to him, as tense, but for very different reasons, apparently. The young Black's eyes had widened just a bit and he seemed to subconsciously doing up his robes, moving behind the persistently reading Remus. James threw him a questioning look, watching the changes in Sirius's face not without concern.
'What's up?' he said, trying not to sound too worried. 'Someone you know?'
'My father,' said Sirius, putting up an unfathomable expression. 'You've hit my father.'
'What is your father doing at Hogwarts?' asked Remus, now looking up from his lecture for the first time. 'And during exam week?'
'I don't know,' muttered Sirius. 'I guess he's supervising the practical NEWT exams. I remember him mentioning something along those lines during the Christmas holidays. But he never tells me anything.'
The men, in the meantime, had spotted the cause of the accident, and also, James realized, where the spell had come from. Having unjustly yelled at Snape at first, they were now approaching the place where the four Gryffindor boys had seated themselves on the grass. Sirius seemed to shrink even more behind Remus, although his face showed rigidity and an anxiety James had barely ever seen on it before. But he did not blame his friend.
Sirius's father was an imposing figure. Not specially large, but certainly strongly built and severe-looking. It did not help that he was accompanied by two other men. One, looking livid, though slightly elderly (in his mid-sixties, perhaps), the other being the largest person James had ever met, with cold, blue eyes and one very severe frown on his forehead. All three of them came to a halt in front of the four Gryffindor students rather abruptly, making James instinctively jump to his feet before any of them had spoken a word. Looking around he realized that his friends had shown the same reaction and were assembled around him now, being moral support, if nothing else.
'I am very sorry, sir,' he said quickly, resolving that he might as well have the first shot. 'I did not intend to hit you with that spell.'
Mr. Black eyed him intently, anger written on his face, and, unmistakably, contempt.
'You are a Potter,' he finally said, sounding startlingly calm and composed. 'The unconventional line?'
James stared. 'What?'
Sirius kicked him lightly. James considered his statement.
'I mean... unconventional, sir? I am not quite sure I understand.'
'Naturally,' said Mr. Black coldly. 'Your lot aren't the brightest people on earth. I have noticed that much.'
The other men laughed. James's face flushed, but he kept himself from giving a cheeky response. The men watched him intently, though, and he finally realized that his fist was still clenched around his wand, as if intending to use it.
'Have you any valuable excuse,' the elderly wizard now voiced from behind Mr. Black, 'for hitting a respectable member of our society with a Stumbling Spell?'
Only now James became aware of the presence of another person he had almost completely forgotten about. Snape was standing behind the massive figure of the third man, looking rather intimidated and not at all as cheeky as only minutes before. He seemed to have received a shock from the appearance of the men and was now clearly not in the mood for sneering anymore. James gave him a cold glare and looked back at the three men.
'We were fooling around,' he said firmly. 'I wasn't casting any specific spell. It was an accident.'
Snape assumed a doubting expression. Mr. Black sneered. The elderly man, however, shook his head and took a step forward. His eyes narrowed and James felt his ear being pulled upwards, just an inch, so that it hurt.
'Do you know whom you have before you?' snarled the elderly man, making a cold shiver run down the boys' spine. 'How dare you lie to Minister Black? And the commander? And myself?'
'Leave him, Fumes,' came the dark voice of his broad-shouldered companion. 'He's just a foolish boy. Not worth your anger. I suggest we proceed to the Headmaster's office, or he will be gone before we arrive.'
'This is the second time I have had an unpleasant encounter with a Hogwarts student today,' hissed the man called Fumes, not letting go of James's ear, which was throbbing very uncomfortably by now. 'This school is certainly going to the dogs if they cannot even teach their students decent behavior. You look like you could use a good beating, boy. What is your name?'
'James Potter,' said James angrily. 'You're hurting me.'
'I intend to,' said Fumes, letting go of his ear. 'I shall talk to the headmaster about you, make no mistake.' He turned swiftly and walked off, expecting the other two men to follow him.
Sirius's father looked at James for another while, then at Sirius.
'If I hear you are getting into trouble because of this one,' he said, 'you need not come home at the end of the term. Behave like a Black for once and don't ruin the family's good reputation. ... Any further,' he added as an afterthought, motioning the other man to follow him. The latter, in turn, motioned Snape to follow them up to the castle. All three were gone very quickly.
James stared after them and felt his head spinning all of a sudden. He looked around for support from his friends. Remus, however, seemed as confused as he was. Peter was watching James, and Sirius was glaring angrily at the point where his father had vanished.
'Was that...' James motioned after Snape and the three men vaguely, drawing Sirius's attention to his friends once more.
'Hm? What?'
'Who were they?' asked James, feeling slightly confused, trying to ignore his pounding ear. 'Do you know that... Fumes fellow?'
'He is one of the school governors,' said Sirius absently. 'Father's superior, I expect. Good thing you didn't make him fall. He seemed rather livid.'
'You think he's going to talk to Dumbledore?' said James, looking around uneasily. 'You think he's going to complain?'
'And if,' shrugged Remus. 'Dumbledore sees things for what they are. I doubt he'll even tell McGonagall about it, which is going to save your neck.' He gave a small grin. James returned it all too gladly. Remus, however seemed thoughtful still.
'The other one...' he said questioningly, turning to Sirius.
'The big one?' Sirius pulled a grimace. 'Why, don't you know him? He is the commander of one of the surveillance areas down in M'bwa. My... uncle. Unfortunately. Stupid git. At least as unpleasant as his dim-witted son. Only a bit more dangerous, of course. I wouldn't cross his way, if I were you-... what are you staring at?'
'Was that... Mr. Snape?' James could hardly believe his ears. 'That giant of a man?' Even Remus was listening now. Sirius shrugged.
'Yeah,' he said. 'So what?'
'Nothing,' said James slowly. 'He just... doesn't look like a Snape.'
'Yeah, he does,' said Remus, also looking very pensive all of a sudden. 'Your mother's line, isn't it, Sirius?'
The Black nodded darkly. 'Don't remind me of it.'
'And here's me thinking I know every important person in the wizarding world,' muttered James. 'I don't seem to know half your relatives. And they - should be mine as well, shouldn't they?'
'Our lot are divided in two major branches,' said Sirius lazily. 'You wouldn't know much about our branch, just as I don't know much about yours. Children deriving from the few links are very much in demand on both sides - concerning marriage - because they produce less squibs. If you know what I mean.'
'Ridiculous,' said James. 'Squibs are the logical outcome of centuries of incest. Why don't they just marry muggles if they feel their blood needs a little... push-up in terms of genetic material?'
Sirius grinned. 'See?' he said.' This is exactly why there's so few links between the two sides. Because that's what you lot think.'
There was a short silence in which Peter shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.
'Well, c'mon,' said James uneasily, not actually wanting to discuss pureblood lines after he had just almost got his ear ripped off by a complete stranger. 'Lets return to the common room, before the three of them return from their little visit to the headmaster's office.'
Sirius nodded and the four of them packed their stuff, hurrying towards Gryffindor tower a bit sooner than originally planned.