Wow, this chappie took me forever! But I'm finally home from Florida so I now have my own computer back instead of having to share with my mom, dad, sister, grandma, and grandpa. On one line. Anyways, I will probably go back and edit this chapter in the near future. Nothing big, just commas, periods, sentence structure. I think there's something slightly wrong with this chapter, but I'm not quite sure what it is yet. Maybe you guys can help me in a review? *hint hint* Personal thank you's at the bottom!



Chapter Twelve

A Prank Well Planned



"Settle down, class." Professor McGonagall snapped. "Today will be a difficult lesson, and I doubt anyone will be able to master it before the end of the class. Therefore, if you don't master it, you must practice it several times until you can achieve it for our next class.

"Today, we will be transfiguring other people into animals. This must be done with utmost caution, as a blundering student turned his partner into a legless skunk yesterday that could not be changed back to normal by a charm and had to spend five hours in the hospital wing while Madam Pomfrey came up with a counter potion."

Several students in the class laughed, causing Professor McGonagall to purse her lips together dangerously.

"You may find it amusing, but I will warn you that it is very painful when the spell goes wrong. You will split into partners which I have already chosen for you. Read the board to find your partner." She said, pointing her wand to the chalk board, and about ten lines appeared in a curly cursive writing with two names on each line. Lily looked up, and realized she was partnered with James. 'Great.' She thought, though a smile spread across her lips. 'This could be...fun." She thought.

"The spell you will be using is Plylactin. Ply-lahk-tin." Professor McGonagall sounded out. "This will transform your partner into either a skunk, racoon, or badger, depending on the way the spell is performed. Please separate into your groups, and start to transform each other."

Lily pulled herself up and walked over to James, forcing a look of utmost unwillingness on her face.

"Why the down face?" James grinned. "I'm your partner after all." He said arrogantly.

"That happens to be the reason for the down face." Lily retorted.

"Ouch." James grinned.

"Shut up and pay attention." Lily lifted her wand. "Plylactin." She said clearly. Nothing happened. Not even a slight breeze erupted from her wand.

"I'll try." James said, losing his arrogance. "Plylactin." He said. "Playlactin...Plulactin..."

"James, stop it! I don't fancy being a legless skunk for the next five hours!" Lily whined. "Plylactin." She said aiming at James. Still nothing. The class was scattered, all yelling "Plylactin!" then tapping their wands in dismay as if the reason they couldn't produce the spell was due to a malfunction of their wands.

"Did I not warn you that it would be difficult?" Professor McGonagall asked, looking slightly amused.

Lily groaned. Things weren't supposed to be that difficult! "Plylactin!" She said loudly. "Plylactin, Plylactin, Plylactin!" She was beginning to get very frustrated.

"Settle down, just because you can't get it on the first try like everything else..." James teased.

Lily glared at him. "Plylactin!" She yelled. With a loud "pop!" James was replaced by a racoon with black markings around his eyes, just like his glasses.

Professor McGonagall looked deeply impressed. "Well done Miss Evans." She said, giving her the rare smile that was usually reserved for her, as she usually got everything on the first try. With a swish of Professor McGonagall's wand, James the racoon was replaced with James as himself.

He grinned. "Finally mastered it, my sweet." He said, aiming his wand at her.

"My sweet? Is that what you called me?" Lily laughed. "Losing your touch, aren't you, Potter?"

"Losing my touch? I shouldn't think so. Plylactin!" He called, yet still nothing happened. "We can add that to the list for tutoring." He grinned, tossing his wand aside and sitting down, resting his feet on the table.

"Thank you, but I wouldn't like to be turned into a...a badger in my spare time!" Lily huffed.

James stood, came close to Lily and whispered in her ear, "I don't believe you would be a badger. I think a skunk would suit you very well instead."

"A skunk am I?" Lily hissed. "Who would ever care for a skunk?" She asked without thinking.

"Come on, didn't you ever read Bambi?" James grinned, stepping back from Lily.

"Bambi? You know about Bambi and you can't even pass Muggle Studies?" Lily asked cynically.

"I read it in a book." James responded. "Even Flower found a true love. Flower, Lily Flower." James said quietly, grinning as he looked into her beautiful green eyes.

"What did you call me?" Lily asked, rather taken aback.

"Lily Flower. Suiting, isn't it?" James grinned.

"Very." Lily sighed, as she turned her face away from him. Only her mother ever called her Lily Flower, Lily Flower as a form of affection. 'God this is starting to scare me.' Lily thought.

Candace approached Lily, and pulled her out of earshot from James. "How's it going, lover girl?"

"Lover girl? Where did that come from?" Lily asked doubtfully.

"Oh, so you're going to play innocent, now are you? I saw you flirting with James Potter. Shamelessly."

"Shamelessly? That's hardly something to joke about, Candace!" Lily gasped.

"Think what you want. Sirius saw it too." Candace grinned.

Lily grimaced. "Candace, has he asked you out yet?" Lily asked.

"Well, no." Candace said blushing slightly.

"Then when it comes to a matter of flirting and affection, I don't trust Sirius Black." Lily laughed.

The bell signaling the end of class rang with a clatter, causing Lily to jump slightly. She shoved her books into her bag quickly, and made for the door.

"Shamelessly flirting? You've degraded me, Candace." Lily laughed.

"Everyone falls into his trap. The trap of James Potter." Candace joked. "I fell into it. I had about six shots of fire whisky before that thanks to Sirius, but I was pulled in by his, well, charm." Candace laughed.

"Charm? You wouldn't be talking about me, now would you?" Sirius asked, wrapping his arms around Candace from behind. Candace winced at his touch.

"Sirius, no." Candace ordered. "I'm sick of being your party favor." She said, pushing his arms off of her, then turning to face him.

"Party favor?" Sirius asked with a raised brow.

"That's all I've ever been to you." Candace said, her voice shaking. She turned away from Sirius and quickly made her way down the corridor back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Lily couldn't help but feel awful. She was almost positive she had stirred those emotions to make Candace act the way she did when she mentioned it in Transfiguration.

Sirius groaned and ran his hands through his hair. Lily watched, not sure what to do. Follow Candace, or walk away and mind her own business. "I need help." He finally said quietly. "And you know her best."

"What?" Lily asked, amazed that Sirius, the one who knew the way into any girls heart would now be asking for help.

"Trust me, I never thought I would stoop so low to ask a girl for help." Sirius said, looking up, his dark eyes full of pain.

"Watch it or you won't get any help at all." Lily snapped. "Go on a walk?" She asked, looking down the corridor towards the Entrance Hall.

"Sure." Sirius answered. Lily hoisted her bag up onto her shoulder and walked down the corridor, then pushed the great oak doors open, the cold air rushing onto her face.

"I just don't know what she wants." Sirius muttered, seeming rather embarrassed.

"I think she's made it really clear what she wants." Lily answered firmly. Inside, she was laughing hysterically that Sirius Black was asking her for help. Her of all people.

"She has?" Sirius asked, looking up from the ground.

"How many times has she said to you that she wants to be with you?" Lily said taking the words easily so not to offend him for his stupidity. Then again, there were some guys in every generation that could read a tree better then they could read a girl.

"I don't know." Sirius answered, sounding frustrated.

"She's said it at least five times that I've heard of."

"Well, she can do something about it. Why do I have to do it?"

"Candace is doing nothing wrong. She told you exactly what she wanted, and that is for you to ask her out."

"And then I'm tied down to one chick for a month at least." Sirius groaned.

"Sirius, wake up. You've been wrapped around her finger for the last five. You are no longer the womanizer of the school since you fell for her. Just make it official and get it over with." Lily laughed. Sirius Black was going soft!

"Yeah right. Easier said then done." Sirius answered. They turned and headed back to the school in silence, and as they reached the front lawn, they saw an interesting sight, at least interesting for Sirius, and maddening for Lily.

"Snivellus." Sirius hissed. He dropped his bag, pulled out his wand and called, "Stupefy!"

"Thanks for that." James answered, lowering his wand. "Stupid git got me from behind."

Severus Snape, the nosy, hook nosed, greasy black haired boy who had been rivals with the Marauders ever since the first day at Hogwarts lay crumpled up in a heap on the browning grass. Snape was nothing but a nuisance, to everyone. Even Lily had to admit he was a creep, though she wasn't about to let James get off for fighting.

"Fighting?" Lily shrieked. "James, you get back inside now before McGonagall catches you! You're Head Boy! You should know better then that!"

'What kind of idiot is he?' Lily seethed. 'Get caught and he could get the both of us in trouble!'

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it and go inside." Sirius ordered in a condescending tone, advancing towards Snape.

"Don't talk to me like that, you pig!" Lily yelled. "That's so patronizing, but what more could I expect from you, Sirius Black?"

"Lily, go inside." James ordered, looking up at her, his eyes softening.

"Why? So you can just have your pride by beating him again? Oh, but don't you want an audience so the victory is just a bit sweeter?" Lily snapped. "Just because you can beat him doesn't mean you have the right to pick fights!"

"I'm not picking a fight, he attacked me from behind!" James insisted.

"So you're just too much of a coward to walk away from him, because heaven forbid a miscreant like Severus Snape would think you're a coward. And he would jeer you and egg you on to pick another fight. That's your nightmare isn't it? People thinking you're a complete and total prat!"

"Go inside." James ordered, his voice low and firm.

"Why? What difference will it make to you? Don't you want me to praise you for winning? That's all you ever wanted, praise. It's disgusting. You're disgusting. You make me sick, Potter. Get a backbone." Lily snapped, turning on her heel and striding back into the castle.

"Dammit." James cursed under his breath. "She's right."

"I hate it when she's right." Sirius muttered.

"I'm out of here. There's better things to do." James said quietly, turning to go back into the school.

Lily was standing in the Entrance Hall leaning against one of the stone walls looking shattered. James looked at her, then continued through the castle back to the Gryffindor Common room, though she appeared to not have seen him.

Finally the portrait of the Fat Lady appeared at the end of the hallway. "Password?" She asked.

"Chocolate Frog." James muttered. She swung forward to admit James into the Common Room. He collapsed onto the couch closest to the fire next to Candace, who was looking equally as depressed.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked.

"Nothing. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." She answered. "I'm just his stupid party favor. He doesn't even care about me, does he?"

"He sure as hell does." James muttered.

"What's really wrong with you?" Candace asked, sighing.

"I'm a coward and I have no backbone." James answered, sighing as well.

"According to Lily?" She asked, knowing the answer.

"How'd you know?" James asked sarcastically.

"What did you do this time?"

"Snape. What else?"

"You haven't grown out of that yet?" Candace asked, eyebrow raised.

"Don't preach to me too." James sighed. "Sirius is still out there being a so-called coward with no backbone." James answered.

"He'll do whatever he's going to do. No one can stop him. I didn't think anyone could stop you either, but apparently Lily can."

"Great." James muttered. "She still hates me."

"No, she doesn't hate you." Candace answered. "I actually think you're growing on her." Candace smiled.

"Right." James muttered, staring into the fire. Sirius burst into the Common Room.

"Snape is about to become a Moony." He grinned at James.

"What?" James looking up, being brought back to his senses.

"I just gave Snape a little prod towards Moony tonight." Sirius grinned, looking out the window where a milky white full moon was raising in the blue sky.



Well, I'm slightly depressed. For chapter ten I got 30 reviews. And I was like on top of the world (for the moment.) But then chapter 11 go t15 reviews, half the amount of chapter ten. So how about I go back on top of the world and all you people review and make me super happy!



Goddess of Gorgeousness- Yes, I thought it was a tad rushed too, but I was too lazy to fix it! Thanks for reviewing!

B-a-b-i- Happy New Year to you as well! The Marauders are friends for life (minus Peter, but it's all good) Thanks so much for reviewing!

XxGinnyxx- I luv winking smilies! Thanks for reviewing!

MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus- Well, what can I say, almost every guy is an asshole of some sort before they grow up. (Note the almost...I can be proved wrong! And have been on several occasions!) Oh! I noticed the Aragorn tacked on the end! I love him! He's so hot! But did you know the guy who played him, Viggo Mortensen is like 45? I think that ruins him. But Aragorn in the movie is still super sexy!

A.M.Bookworm247- Yeah, sounds difficult to do homework without a computer! Thanks for the super nice review! Ahh, that made me feel so special! Thanks again!

YoukaiGryffindor4- Yes, ff.net has been doing that to me lately saying I already reviewed when I really haven't and all that jazz. About Moody being Head Boy I was like, hmm, who's older then them for sure, knows them, and has a really good career for smart people, and he just popped into my head. Thanks for reviewing, and keep your other stories up!

Phoebe-H- I'm really glad you liked it! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Firehottie- Glad you like my story! Thanks sooo soooo much for reviewing!

Joya Sagrada- *Takes Sirius back.* You can keep James! Mmm...Sirius. Eh emm...scuse me, sorry, back to thanking you for reviewing! Thanks so much!

Jessie xxx- Glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing!

Allied-Inspiration- I've lost my values about being faithful in relationships since my best friend which I met five months ago is about the most unfaithful person in the world. I do apologize for that. I don't really see it as much of a crime anymore. But oh well, Remus grows out of it o' course! Thanks for reviewing! (Oh, I love talking on the phone too! I can go for hours! Us girls...lol)

charmed-ireland- Well, the full moon thingy hasn't really happened yet, but it was a set up! Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!

KristiexxNguyen- Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it!

The-Anime-chick-wit-style- Oh my, that's a mouthful! Thanks for the review, and I definitely will check out your stories tomorrow (As it is 2:10 in the morning, my inspiration comes at night. Late at night.) When I have the time! Thanks again!

Cho-Look-Alike- Waaaaa! Sorry, I'm continuing to cry for everyone. Oh well, I think they're happy now, for a while at least. Thanks so much for reviewing!



Thanks everyone who reviewed, and please send a review my way for this chappie! Thanks again!

Pixie