"I'm quite excited you," said Clare to Remus as they walked to their first lesson. "Al these new lessons. It's great!"
"I will agree that it's interesting," said Moj, butting in, "but not exciting."
"Well said, Moj," Loz chuckled, walking next to Sirius, her new partner in crime.
"Well, I think it is," said Clare defensively.
"I do too," said Remus, "although they're not as new to me as they are to you."
"You two are just sad though," said Moj.
"Awww, they're not that bad really, Moj," said Beck. "They're a little bookish, yeah, but, well I can't say about Remus, but Clare's one of your best friends. If she was that sad, you'd have ditched her ages ago."
"Nah, Moj isn't that nasty," said Loz.
"You are though," said Moj.
"Yeah, you're probably right, which obviously means Clare isn't- OW!" She walked straight into the back of someone holding many books, knocking them and the books on the floor. "Oh, I'm sorry!!" She began to help him pick up the books. "I'm really sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. Let me help you-"
"I don't want your help, mudblood!" he spat. Her concerned gaze hardened into an ice cold, steely glare. There were several sharp intakes of breath around them.
"What did you just call me?" she growled. He stood and met her glare.
"I called you a mudblood."
"Yeah, I thought there was something in there that pissed me off." She punched the boy hard, knocking him to the ground again. She stormed into the Transfiguration classroom that was just ahead.
"You'll regret saying that," Sirius warned him angrily and went after Loz, the other six following shortly after ward.
"Loz?" Moj tested as they entered the room. She was slamming her books on the table. Moj sat one side of her, Sirius sat the other.
"That fucking greasy slimeball bastard!!!" Moj sighed.
"You are alright then. Phew. For a moment, I thought you were upset."
"Of course I'm bloody upset! Didn't you hear what he called me?! Slimey bastard!" Tears were shining in her eyes, but she blinked them back.
"This doesn't look like upset to me. It looks like angry. Real angry."
"I'm going to make that git pay!" She leant over and whispered something to Sirius. He nodded and started laughing. "We'll save the other one for another day."
"Fine by me!" he replied.
"Well done, Loz," James said, who'd sat next to Sirius.
"Where'd you learn to punch like that?" Clare asked, trying to hide how impressed she was behind a mask of disapproval.
"I know basic self defence. Someone must have taught me back home."
"Came in useful," said Moj.
"Are you sure you should have hit him?" Beck asked.
"What?! Yes, of course I am!" Loz cried. "The greasy git deserved it!!"
"He's not that greasy." She got evil glares from everyone. "…ok, so he is."
"He's a greasy ugly bastard!! Urgh! I need to look at something gorgeous so I can nurse my eyes back to health." She looked at Sirius quickly and grinned, though she blushed slightly.
"That was subtle," Moj chuckled, rolling her eyes.
"She's got the right idea though," said Beck.
"Oi, hands off," Loz growled, without thinking. Her eyes widened and she blushed more deeply this time. She hadn't actually meant to say that, at all. She twisted in her seat, away from Sirius, and hid her face. She didn't see him grinning maniacally.
During all this, they hadn't noticed the classroom fill up, awaiting their teacher. So the sharp cry of,
"Settle down!" made them all jump. They all took seats and those who hadn't already got out their books and (in Beck's case) pencil cases.
"You're all rather restless today," McGonagall said loudly, making them jump again. "I hope for your own sake that it is just first day jitters. Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not return. You have been warned. Now then, I shall give you a demonstration, then you shall be taking notes. If you are well behaved in the lesson, we may have time for some practical work." She changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realised they wouldn't be changing furniture into animals for a long time. After making a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. That is, most of the class were.
Loz looked at Sirius and he grinned at her and nodded.
"Do you know what to do?" he asked quietly, not so loudly as McGonagall could hear.
"I think so."
"Sure?" He whispered in her ear and she nodded.
"Yeah, I got it." Moj looked at them strangely, wishing she knew what they were up to.
Loz scanned her the room and her eyes locked onto the offending boy from earlier. He was positioned perfectly. He sat on the other side of the room, but he was on the aisle seat, three rows ahead of her. She discretely pointed her wand at him…
A few seconds later, the boy yelped and leapt to his feet. The class roared with laughter.
"That wasn't meant to happen…" Sirius gasped confusedly as he laughed. Loz leapt to her feet.
"HA! Take that, you greasy ratbag!!" She had, somehow, managed to make his clothes completely disappear.
"Oh shit! Loz!" Sirius cried, without thinking. "You blew our cover! …oh bollocks!" Moj was staring glassy eyes at nothing in particular.
"If those are considered bollocks, my life isn't going to be as interesting as I originally thought…"
"DETENTION!!!" McGonagall screeched. "For indecent language and bullying another student! Honestly! Never in all my years…! Mr. Snape, will you cover yourself up, boy! And 20 points EACH from Gryffindor!!" The boy, Snape, was searching frantically for something, anything, he deemed adequate enough to cover himself, though to him, nothing seemed substantial.
"Here you go!" Beck called. She grabbed what she thought was her pencil case and threw it, only realising after she'd released it that it was actually her quill that she'd thrown, which made the class laugh even harder. "OOPSIE!! Sorry!" She threw the correct item this time. Her fluffy, pink, bunny-shaped, pencil-case.
McGonagall took off her emerald green cloak and gave it to Snape.
"Come with me!" she snapped. She led him to the door. "Anymore pranks like this and you'll be out of the school quicker than you can say Godric Gryffindor!" The door slammed shut behind her.
The class went into a renewed fit of hysterical laughter. There were hoots and cheered as Loz and Sirius stood up and bowed, then turned to each other and shook hands and then hugged triumphantly.
"That'll teach the bastard," said Loz.
"A job well done, I think," Sirius stated. However, their proud grins lessened somewhat when they saw the looks Remus and Clare were giving them.
"What?" Loz asked innocently.
"You know damn well what!" Clare barked. "You stupid girl! Why? Why did you do that?!"
"Well, that wasn't actually what-
"You've lost Gryffindor 60 house points, got yourselves a detention, got Moj a detention when she wasn't even involved, embarrassed that Snape boy, and you haven't even been here 24 hours yet!"
"I know, it's great, isn't it?!"
"No it is not!" Loz and Sirius flinched slightly. "It was idiotic and childish!!"
"But it was funny though," Moj attempted to defend her friends.
"Be that as it may, she is in serious trouble already! I thought she had more sense than that!" Beck snorted.
"I think it was very clever," said James. "Certainly showed him."
"Don't encourage them, James," Clare said sharply.
"Not that it's stopping there," said Sirius.
"What do you mean?" Clare and Remus said together.
"Well, I'm not letting him get away with what he did."
"But he hasn't got away with it, though," said Remus.
"We're going to make him suffer sooooo much before we graduate in seven years time," said Loz smugly.
"We certainly are," Sirius agreed. "You with us, J?"
"Every step, mate," replied James with a grin.
"Me too!" said Moj.
"Me three!" squeaked Peter.
"I'm not having anything to do with this," Clare said archly.
"I'm staying out of it," said Remus.
"Beck?" Loz asked expectantly.
"Where'd he put my pencil case?"
-----
That evening, Loz, Moj and Sirius stood in the trophy room, boredly, awaiting their instructions. Loz and Sirius had decided against any more pranks that day, otherwise they knew McGonagall really would have their guts for garters.
"I'm bored already and we're not even doing anything yet," Moj moaned.
"Well, whoever is meant to be here is already 10 minutes late," said Sirius.
"Let's hope they don't turn up then," said Loz cheerfully.
"How can you be happy at a time like this?" Moj asked incredulously.
"I had ginger cake for pudding," she giggled girlishly. Sirius looked confused. Moj smacked her hand off her forehead.
"Ginger cake makes her hyper," the exasperated girl explained.
"Hyper Loz? Hmmm, well, this should be interesting. How bad does she get?"
"Just don't let her touch anything. Then she can't break or burn it. Or both."
"Oh. Alright then." McGonagall and the caretaker, Filch, entered before anything else could be said or done.
"I'm sorry we're late," she said. "I was waylaid on my way here. Mr. Filch will be watching you tonight. Your punishment is cleaning every trophy by hand. No magic."
"No magic?" Sirius repeated.
"That's right, Mr. Black. Hopefully this will prevent you from any more performances such as today's."
"Like hell it will," Moj muttered under her breath.
"How long do you want us to stay, Professor?" Loz asked.
"As long as it takes, Miss Margetts."
"Very well, Professor. But, before you leave, may I impress upon you how sincerely sorry we are for our actions this morning. They were childish and uncalled for. I must learn to control my temper." McGonagall looked mildly impressed. Sirius and Moj were stunned.
"Well, if that's the case, then perhaps from now on we shall see an improvement in behaviour. I'm told you and Mr. Black continued to be disruptive in other lessons. You were told several times in each lesson to stop talking and carried on anyway."
"I'm sorry about that too, Professor. But, if you'll forgive me for stating the obvious, my friends and I aren't from this world. It is natural that everyone - including us - will have questions that want answering."
"Questions should be asked in your own free time if they have nothing to do with the subject you are studying."
"Yes, Professor. We are sorry, Professor."
"Well, get on with it then." McGonagall walked out.
"What was all that about?" Moj asked, but Filch didn't give Loz a chance to answer.
"If you three think you can slack or have idle chit-chat just because I'm not a Professor, you're wrong," Filch said sharply. "Any slacking and I'll get you down to the dungeons for some proper punishment… oh, how I miss the screams." Moj wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"That's illegal," Loz stated.
"No it's not. Corporal punishment is well within the law."
"But Dumbledore doesn't allow it in this school," Sirius said boldly.
"Yes, but after some proper punishment, none of you will be in any frame of mind to go squealing to the Head. now, get scrubbing!!" The three student weren't about to test the sincerity of his words and so, got to work.
"I really don't want tot do this," Moj moaned under her breath.
"But think of it this way, the faster we work, the faster we're out of here," said Loz.
"Good point."