A/N: Actually, kluvhp, you did review Chapter 5... to be perfectly honest,
I am not entirely sure what a Mary-Sue is... I asked Eihwaz but she has not
emailed me back and I have compulsive updating disorder!!! :S Thanks
Sploogal, too, for reviewing chap 6... your reviews are really nice!
Chapter 7
The start of term feast was as good as ever - better than last year, in fact, because we were no longer 'ickle firsties' as Peeves the poltergeist always said. And my 'fame' had changed school life quite a bit - even Malfoy nodded to me as we passed in the entrance hall. Only Snape was worse than ever. Sirius and I were on our way to the Gryffindor tower when suddenly a shape burst out in front of us and a voice cried "Tarantallegra!"
My feet went into an uncontrollable tap dance. So, next to me, did Sirius'. Snape stood and laughed. "What a star you are, Potter," he scorned. "Unable to defend yourself in the corridors - really good."
But he had misjudged me. On our date in Hogsmeade, Maria had taught me a good few hexes, and I intended to use them. "Petrificus Totalus!" I responded, despite my feet. Snape's legs and arms snapped together and he keeled over backwards. Remus came running up behind us, and as soon as he saw, shouted the counter-curse.
"Thanks," we muttered. Somehow Remus always seemed to know useful things like counter-curses, even if it was Sirius and I who excelled in class. I made a mental note to learn as many hexes as I could, and their counters. I would show Snape who was top. He probably only knew one hex - well, he wouldn't mess with us for much longer.
"Leave him there," I said loudly to Remus. "Someone else can un-hex him."
"James, I don't think..."
"What, you don't think anyone'd bother?" Sirius interrupted. "No, I suppose not. Little Snivellus Snape - why would they want to?" He grinned at me, then poked Snape with his shoe.
"Then again," I countered, "if we don't get him up he'll leave a greasy mark on the floor."
Sirius and I sniggered. Remus, however, frowned and muttered the counter curse. Snape staggered to his feet and shot us all - Rem included - a poisonous glare. He couldn't say any further curses, though, as Remus had kept his wand pointed at him, so he walked off, fists clenched.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I don't believe in cruelty."
I squirmed slightly at Remus' lofty tone. "But he cursed us first!"
"Sure. I don't condemn what you did, either. But I won't have a part in leaving him there."
"It would have worn off," Sirius said.
Remus shrugged. "Fine. I didn't know that. Come on, let's go."
Trials for the Gryffindor Quidditch team were held on the first Saturday of term. They were a reasonably apt bunch, as far as I could see - the new captain, who played Seeker, two Chasers, a Beater and a Keeper were left after last year's leavers. The captain, Geoff Bones, grinned when he saw me.
"Ah, James Potter," he said happily. "What position do you want to play? Chaser or Beater?"
"Chaser. I'm not bad at Beater, but I prefer the other." Personally, I had been delighted that I could try for Chaser. Despite Frank Morton's conviction, I thought I was a stronger Chaser than Seeker.
"We'll put you as Chaser for now then. Come on, show us what you can do."
I kicked off the ground with the rest of them and caught the Quaffle from Bones. I shot up the pitch, looped a Bludger and threw to Arthur Weasley, a sixth year Chaser on the team, as I was blocked by a stand-in. I dodged round and received the ball from Weasley, then dived a little to be level with the goals.
"And he scores!" cried Weasley from behind me. "Amazing!"
"You're in," Geoff Bones exclaimed excitedly, flying up beside me. "That was spectacular."
The first practice was the following Wednesday. I found it easy to work with the other Chasers, Weasley and, unusually, a fourth year girl whose name was Amanda Prewitt, whose sister was a friend of Lily Evans'. The Beaters were a fifth year called John, who was new like me, and a sixth year, Crispin. Griff Lemon, another fifth year, was Keeper. Geoff Bones was clearly excited to be captain. "It's a few years since we won the Quidditch Cup, but I always thought we needed some new blood in the team, and now we've got John Rhys and, of course, the famous James Potter!" I grinned but said nothing. "So, show me what you can all do together. On my whistle!"
Even at the Quidditch camp, I had not experienced being in a team where we all truly wanted to work together to beat others. There had always been an element of wanting to prove your individual strength at the camp. This was better. I soared up and down the pitch, passing and catching and shooting. The only thing I had been disappointed in about being Chaser was the lack of need for dives and manoeuvres, but it turned out that was untrue. Skill at dodging and swerving was as valuable as anything else, and that was where I came in most useful.
"That was the best training session I've ever captained!" Geoff joked as we headed back to the changing rooms later. "No, but seriously, for a first practice as this team, that was great. We'd better get that cup this year... at the very least beat Slytherin."
I grinned. I too had reason to want to beat Slytherin.
I was as good as my word in learning hexes. Sirius and I skimmed through book after book, picking our favourites and learning them. Defence against the dark arts helped too, although silly curses were less in abundance there. Remus had the best capacity for harmless yet amusing jinxes, but I was interested in more. If Snape wanted to curse me, then he'd get more than he bargained for. So, for that matter, would anyone who crossed me. I was the height of cool, now, as Remus had said, and I had my gang, my place on the Quidditch teams - both Gryffindor and junior England - my girlfriend, though unfortunately not at Hogwarts, and the grades and power to go with it all. I couldn't even care that Lily hated me now. Life was a doddle.
At the start of October, Remus disappeared. I had forgotten his habit of vanishing periodically, but suddenly, now that I had no other worries, it seemed stranger than it had last year.
"Where's he gone this time?" I asked Sirius.
"Apparently his grandmother's sick."
"He has a very unhealthy family," I commented, cynically. "She was sick twice last year, too. And his mother, father and sister, each a couple of times. And him."
Sirius nodded slowly. "Bit strange, really. Oh well. What would he be covering up?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm blowed if I believe they're really all ill."
A mystery.
My first school Quidditch match, against Hufflepuff, was both exciting and faintly - very faintly - disappointing. We won, easily, which was great, but the match only lasted fifteen minutes before Geoff Bones caught the Snitch. Arthur, Amanda and I managed to score two goals, but it wasn't the amazing debut I had hoped for. Fifteen minutes, indeed. How was I supposed to prove anything in that short a time? Then again, the cheering was exhilarating in itself, for as long as it lasted. I saw Sirius, Remus and several other Gryffindors waving a large flag bearing my name that let off a loud bang and emitted sparks every few minutes, to Professor McGonagall's probable distress - but she didn't appear to have taken it down, so maybe she didn't mind.
"Great work, team," Geoff said in the changing rooms, though we all shouted him down, as it had, in truth, been his doing that we won. "No, no, let me speak! Great work. I know you didn't have long, but that was some neat flying, Potter - good co-ordination, too, Chasers. Beaters, good, and of course Griff, you never let us down! Well done. Same next time, please, and even better the time after that - against Slytherin."
We all booed dramatically.
"That was excellent, Potter," Geoff continued to me as we left the changing room. "When's your first junior England match?"
"Start of the Christmas holidays," I said. "Before our one against Ravenclaw."
He nodded. "You've been training well. I'm sure you'll do brilliantly. You're Seeker for them, aren't you?"
"I was, but one of the managers heard I was Chaser here so he came to watch today. I might be changed."
Geoff nodded. "I know you beat Gary Lambert as Seeker, you must be impressive, but I think you're a strong Chaser. Our strongest on the team, to be honest - you're just what we need to hold Weasley and Amanda together. Keep it up!" he said, clapping me on the back before hurrying off to meet his friends.
"You were brilliant," Sirius told me later. "Shame it was so short really, but hey - we won!"
I laughed. "Loved your flag, by the way."
He grinned. "Yeah. Shame Professor McGonagall confiscated it when it set fire to Snape's robes."
"Did it?"
"Well, with a bit of help. That Peter Pettigrew helped us, you know, the kind of quiet one."
I smiled. "What did Snape do?"
"Put it out and went running to Sherwin. Sadly McGonagall didn't intercept him in time - I've got detention this evening."
"Has Pettigrew?"
"No. I got him out of it. Listen, will you come too? Nobody'll know if you come under the cloak and it'll help."
"Is it cleaning?"
"No. It's lines, that's all. He couldn't think of anything else, that's why McGonagall got involved. She was feeling lenient because you won."
"OK then," I said. "I'll come."
We were on our way back to the Gryffindor tower when my owl, Neptune, nearly gave me away by perching on my shoulder.
"Hi, Neptune," Sirius said quickly as Professor Sherwin gave the 'air' where I was a suspicious look. "Looking for James? Here, I'll take his letter, I'll give it to him in a minute." I prodded Neptune gently, and she hopped onto Sirius' shoulder. He smiled and removed the letter.
I stayed back a pace as Sherwin walked round to Sirius' other side, groped in the air and gave a satisfied nod. I came up on the other side and glanced at the envelope. It was addressed in Maria's handwriting. Sirius gave me a curious look - I hadn't mentioned her yet, and her writing was unknown to him. I couldn't respond without sound, so I merely waited.
"Who's this from?" he asked the minute we entered the common room and I shrugged off the cloak.
"Dunno," I lied, taking it and slitting it open. A single slip of paper fell out, and he snatched it from me.
"Ooh! Maria? Who's she?"
"A friend from Quidditch camp," I said quickly. "Give it here, what does she want?"
"She wants to meet you in Hogsmeade tomorrow night!"
I smiled. "Anything else?"
"She says to reply A.S.A.P. What will you say?"
"Yes, of course." I reached into my bag for a quill and parchment, scribbled 'Yes, nine o' clock, see you,' and was about to tie it to Neptune's leg and send her off when I noticed Sirius staring at me.
"Well, I'm coming too," he said.
"No you're not!"
"Oh yes I am. Our first adventure out of school via one of the passages and me and Remus not there? You must be joking."
"But Sirius..."
"Come on, James, be a sport."
"Fine," I said and added a note 'Is it okay if my two best friends show up? Only they're threatening to kill me if I don't smuggle them out of school with me...' I fastened it to Neptune's leg and patted her on the beak. "Thanks, 'Tune," I said. "Let's just hope Remus wants to go."
"He will."
But when we finally located Remus and told him about the venture, he looked dismayed. "I'm really sorry, I can't come," he said.
"Why not?" Sirius looked incredulous.
"Because... because... I have an extra lesson with... Professor McGonagall. I didn't understand the work we did yesterday."
"At nine o' clock?"
"Well, it ends then, and you'll have left, won't you?"
"I guess... all right then, Rem. It'll just be me and James. We'll tell you all about it!"
Remus nodded, then jumped up and left the table. Sirius and I exchanged glances. "What's wrong with him?" I mused.
At eight o' clock that evening, as Sirius and I returned from dinner, we met Professor Flitwick in the corridor. He was struggling under the weight of what looked like a hundred text books and fifty rolls of parchments. Suddenly the pile collapsed and next minute he was trying to pick everything up off the floor.
"Accio, accio," he was muttering desperately. "Oh, Potter, Black, could you possibly give me a hand? I am sorry to bother you, only..."
It would have been heartless to refuse, so I began to gather up scrolls and books. Sirius did the same. "Where are you taking them?"
"Up to my office in the south tower," he said. "Do you know where it is?"
I nodded.
"I am sorry," he repeated. "It shouldn't take a minute, should it?"
Typically, we were at the furthest point in the school away from South tower, but Sirius and I broke into a hasty trot and reached his office in a few minutes.
"Phew!" Sirius said as we dumped the lot on his desk. "I ought to take up some of your training."
I laughed. "Come on, let's go back."
We were walking along the corridor when suddenly Sirius, who had been staring out of the window, let out a gasp. "James, James, look! It's Remus! I thought he was having an extra lesson with McGonagall?"
Chapter 7
The start of term feast was as good as ever - better than last year, in fact, because we were no longer 'ickle firsties' as Peeves the poltergeist always said. And my 'fame' had changed school life quite a bit - even Malfoy nodded to me as we passed in the entrance hall. Only Snape was worse than ever. Sirius and I were on our way to the Gryffindor tower when suddenly a shape burst out in front of us and a voice cried "Tarantallegra!"
My feet went into an uncontrollable tap dance. So, next to me, did Sirius'. Snape stood and laughed. "What a star you are, Potter," he scorned. "Unable to defend yourself in the corridors - really good."
But he had misjudged me. On our date in Hogsmeade, Maria had taught me a good few hexes, and I intended to use them. "Petrificus Totalus!" I responded, despite my feet. Snape's legs and arms snapped together and he keeled over backwards. Remus came running up behind us, and as soon as he saw, shouted the counter-curse.
"Thanks," we muttered. Somehow Remus always seemed to know useful things like counter-curses, even if it was Sirius and I who excelled in class. I made a mental note to learn as many hexes as I could, and their counters. I would show Snape who was top. He probably only knew one hex - well, he wouldn't mess with us for much longer.
"Leave him there," I said loudly to Remus. "Someone else can un-hex him."
"James, I don't think..."
"What, you don't think anyone'd bother?" Sirius interrupted. "No, I suppose not. Little Snivellus Snape - why would they want to?" He grinned at me, then poked Snape with his shoe.
"Then again," I countered, "if we don't get him up he'll leave a greasy mark on the floor."
Sirius and I sniggered. Remus, however, frowned and muttered the counter curse. Snape staggered to his feet and shot us all - Rem included - a poisonous glare. He couldn't say any further curses, though, as Remus had kept his wand pointed at him, so he walked off, fists clenched.
"Why'd you do that?"
"I don't believe in cruelty."
I squirmed slightly at Remus' lofty tone. "But he cursed us first!"
"Sure. I don't condemn what you did, either. But I won't have a part in leaving him there."
"It would have worn off," Sirius said.
Remus shrugged. "Fine. I didn't know that. Come on, let's go."
Trials for the Gryffindor Quidditch team were held on the first Saturday of term. They were a reasonably apt bunch, as far as I could see - the new captain, who played Seeker, two Chasers, a Beater and a Keeper were left after last year's leavers. The captain, Geoff Bones, grinned when he saw me.
"Ah, James Potter," he said happily. "What position do you want to play? Chaser or Beater?"
"Chaser. I'm not bad at Beater, but I prefer the other." Personally, I had been delighted that I could try for Chaser. Despite Frank Morton's conviction, I thought I was a stronger Chaser than Seeker.
"We'll put you as Chaser for now then. Come on, show us what you can do."
I kicked off the ground with the rest of them and caught the Quaffle from Bones. I shot up the pitch, looped a Bludger and threw to Arthur Weasley, a sixth year Chaser on the team, as I was blocked by a stand-in. I dodged round and received the ball from Weasley, then dived a little to be level with the goals.
"And he scores!" cried Weasley from behind me. "Amazing!"
"You're in," Geoff Bones exclaimed excitedly, flying up beside me. "That was spectacular."
The first practice was the following Wednesday. I found it easy to work with the other Chasers, Weasley and, unusually, a fourth year girl whose name was Amanda Prewitt, whose sister was a friend of Lily Evans'. The Beaters were a fifth year called John, who was new like me, and a sixth year, Crispin. Griff Lemon, another fifth year, was Keeper. Geoff Bones was clearly excited to be captain. "It's a few years since we won the Quidditch Cup, but I always thought we needed some new blood in the team, and now we've got John Rhys and, of course, the famous James Potter!" I grinned but said nothing. "So, show me what you can all do together. On my whistle!"
Even at the Quidditch camp, I had not experienced being in a team where we all truly wanted to work together to beat others. There had always been an element of wanting to prove your individual strength at the camp. This was better. I soared up and down the pitch, passing and catching and shooting. The only thing I had been disappointed in about being Chaser was the lack of need for dives and manoeuvres, but it turned out that was untrue. Skill at dodging and swerving was as valuable as anything else, and that was where I came in most useful.
"That was the best training session I've ever captained!" Geoff joked as we headed back to the changing rooms later. "No, but seriously, for a first practice as this team, that was great. We'd better get that cup this year... at the very least beat Slytherin."
I grinned. I too had reason to want to beat Slytherin.
I was as good as my word in learning hexes. Sirius and I skimmed through book after book, picking our favourites and learning them. Defence against the dark arts helped too, although silly curses were less in abundance there. Remus had the best capacity for harmless yet amusing jinxes, but I was interested in more. If Snape wanted to curse me, then he'd get more than he bargained for. So, for that matter, would anyone who crossed me. I was the height of cool, now, as Remus had said, and I had my gang, my place on the Quidditch teams - both Gryffindor and junior England - my girlfriend, though unfortunately not at Hogwarts, and the grades and power to go with it all. I couldn't even care that Lily hated me now. Life was a doddle.
At the start of October, Remus disappeared. I had forgotten his habit of vanishing periodically, but suddenly, now that I had no other worries, it seemed stranger than it had last year.
"Where's he gone this time?" I asked Sirius.
"Apparently his grandmother's sick."
"He has a very unhealthy family," I commented, cynically. "She was sick twice last year, too. And his mother, father and sister, each a couple of times. And him."
Sirius nodded slowly. "Bit strange, really. Oh well. What would he be covering up?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm blowed if I believe they're really all ill."
A mystery.
My first school Quidditch match, against Hufflepuff, was both exciting and faintly - very faintly - disappointing. We won, easily, which was great, but the match only lasted fifteen minutes before Geoff Bones caught the Snitch. Arthur, Amanda and I managed to score two goals, but it wasn't the amazing debut I had hoped for. Fifteen minutes, indeed. How was I supposed to prove anything in that short a time? Then again, the cheering was exhilarating in itself, for as long as it lasted. I saw Sirius, Remus and several other Gryffindors waving a large flag bearing my name that let off a loud bang and emitted sparks every few minutes, to Professor McGonagall's probable distress - but she didn't appear to have taken it down, so maybe she didn't mind.
"Great work, team," Geoff said in the changing rooms, though we all shouted him down, as it had, in truth, been his doing that we won. "No, no, let me speak! Great work. I know you didn't have long, but that was some neat flying, Potter - good co-ordination, too, Chasers. Beaters, good, and of course Griff, you never let us down! Well done. Same next time, please, and even better the time after that - against Slytherin."
We all booed dramatically.
"That was excellent, Potter," Geoff continued to me as we left the changing room. "When's your first junior England match?"
"Start of the Christmas holidays," I said. "Before our one against Ravenclaw."
He nodded. "You've been training well. I'm sure you'll do brilliantly. You're Seeker for them, aren't you?"
"I was, but one of the managers heard I was Chaser here so he came to watch today. I might be changed."
Geoff nodded. "I know you beat Gary Lambert as Seeker, you must be impressive, but I think you're a strong Chaser. Our strongest on the team, to be honest - you're just what we need to hold Weasley and Amanda together. Keep it up!" he said, clapping me on the back before hurrying off to meet his friends.
"You were brilliant," Sirius told me later. "Shame it was so short really, but hey - we won!"
I laughed. "Loved your flag, by the way."
He grinned. "Yeah. Shame Professor McGonagall confiscated it when it set fire to Snape's robes."
"Did it?"
"Well, with a bit of help. That Peter Pettigrew helped us, you know, the kind of quiet one."
I smiled. "What did Snape do?"
"Put it out and went running to Sherwin. Sadly McGonagall didn't intercept him in time - I've got detention this evening."
"Has Pettigrew?"
"No. I got him out of it. Listen, will you come too? Nobody'll know if you come under the cloak and it'll help."
"Is it cleaning?"
"No. It's lines, that's all. He couldn't think of anything else, that's why McGonagall got involved. She was feeling lenient because you won."
"OK then," I said. "I'll come."
We were on our way back to the Gryffindor tower when my owl, Neptune, nearly gave me away by perching on my shoulder.
"Hi, Neptune," Sirius said quickly as Professor Sherwin gave the 'air' where I was a suspicious look. "Looking for James? Here, I'll take his letter, I'll give it to him in a minute." I prodded Neptune gently, and she hopped onto Sirius' shoulder. He smiled and removed the letter.
I stayed back a pace as Sherwin walked round to Sirius' other side, groped in the air and gave a satisfied nod. I came up on the other side and glanced at the envelope. It was addressed in Maria's handwriting. Sirius gave me a curious look - I hadn't mentioned her yet, and her writing was unknown to him. I couldn't respond without sound, so I merely waited.
"Who's this from?" he asked the minute we entered the common room and I shrugged off the cloak.
"Dunno," I lied, taking it and slitting it open. A single slip of paper fell out, and he snatched it from me.
"Ooh! Maria? Who's she?"
"A friend from Quidditch camp," I said quickly. "Give it here, what does she want?"
"She wants to meet you in Hogsmeade tomorrow night!"
I smiled. "Anything else?"
"She says to reply A.S.A.P. What will you say?"
"Yes, of course." I reached into my bag for a quill and parchment, scribbled 'Yes, nine o' clock, see you,' and was about to tie it to Neptune's leg and send her off when I noticed Sirius staring at me.
"Well, I'm coming too," he said.
"No you're not!"
"Oh yes I am. Our first adventure out of school via one of the passages and me and Remus not there? You must be joking."
"But Sirius..."
"Come on, James, be a sport."
"Fine," I said and added a note 'Is it okay if my two best friends show up? Only they're threatening to kill me if I don't smuggle them out of school with me...' I fastened it to Neptune's leg and patted her on the beak. "Thanks, 'Tune," I said. "Let's just hope Remus wants to go."
"He will."
But when we finally located Remus and told him about the venture, he looked dismayed. "I'm really sorry, I can't come," he said.
"Why not?" Sirius looked incredulous.
"Because... because... I have an extra lesson with... Professor McGonagall. I didn't understand the work we did yesterday."
"At nine o' clock?"
"Well, it ends then, and you'll have left, won't you?"
"I guess... all right then, Rem. It'll just be me and James. We'll tell you all about it!"
Remus nodded, then jumped up and left the table. Sirius and I exchanged glances. "What's wrong with him?" I mused.
At eight o' clock that evening, as Sirius and I returned from dinner, we met Professor Flitwick in the corridor. He was struggling under the weight of what looked like a hundred text books and fifty rolls of parchments. Suddenly the pile collapsed and next minute he was trying to pick everything up off the floor.
"Accio, accio," he was muttering desperately. "Oh, Potter, Black, could you possibly give me a hand? I am sorry to bother you, only..."
It would have been heartless to refuse, so I began to gather up scrolls and books. Sirius did the same. "Where are you taking them?"
"Up to my office in the south tower," he said. "Do you know where it is?"
I nodded.
"I am sorry," he repeated. "It shouldn't take a minute, should it?"
Typically, we were at the furthest point in the school away from South tower, but Sirius and I broke into a hasty trot and reached his office in a few minutes.
"Phew!" Sirius said as we dumped the lot on his desk. "I ought to take up some of your training."
I laughed. "Come on, let's go back."
We were walking along the corridor when suddenly Sirius, who had been staring out of the window, let out a gasp. "James, James, look! It's Remus! I thought he was having an extra lesson with McGonagall?"