Chapter 6 – The effects of Firewhisky
A/N: This chapter contains references to alcohol usage (or is surprisingly similar to the effects of alcohol). I feel this is a PG 13 topic, but you have been warned.
The week passed fairly uneventfully, except that the boys of Gryffindor tower were involved in some unfortunate "accidents" that all seemed to involve the new caretaker Argus Filch, or his cat Mrs. Norris. After one particularly bad "accident" the boys wound up in detention, cleaning the floor in a corridor at midnight, on their hands and knees scrubbing without magic.
"This is so unfair!" Peter moaned, grabbing a sponge and wringing its load onto the floor with a sigh. "Well, if you hadn't been found with the incriminating sausage..." Remus began but was cut off by Sirius, "You charmed it to attack the cat!" "Well I happen to think that it was worth it," James grinned, and remembering their prank the boys stopped bickering and agreed that any amount of scrubbing was worth seeing Filch fight off his dinner, and because Filch was a squib, without magic.
"Anyway," he continued "The Firewhisky will be done tomorrow, we can drink it on Saturday evening." They had stolen some bottles from the Potions lab, and were eagerly awaiting their dice with drunkenness.
"The groups working surprisingly well, what with Peter's Potions talent," At this Peter grinned and did a little jig "James's skill at Transfiguration," James gave a mock bow, and they all grinned at the memory of James turning professor Adarif's goblet into a coffee mug which had a picture of a rabbit on, making all the teachers grin and professor Firada to laugh out loud at her brother. "Remus's skill with charm," Remus was indeed better at charms than most, except for Lily.
"And my general godliness at all things mischievous," Sirius finished causing the other three boys to throw their sponges at him. Filch saw this and made them scrub for another two hours, making Sirius say some things that none of the others had heard before.
"By the way, how is your grandma, Remus?" James asked curiously as they walked up the stairs to their common room. Remus had had to visit his grandmother on Wednesday and it really interfered with his work, he was worrying all day. "Umm, well, I think she's ok but I might need to visit her next week." Remus quickly changed the subject and they talked eagerly about tomorrow night, but James made a mental note of the date Remus left.
The next day they slept well into the afternoon, being woken up by the commotion in the common room. Professor Mcgonagall was glaring at Lily, which caused the groggy guys to smirk; Lily was a good student and was one of Mcgonagall's favourites along with James and Sirius who spent their lessons talking and doing nothing yet still producing their correctly transfigured objects. "You're awake!" Mcgonagall practically shouted at them, "Miss Evans has been led to believe that you've been brewing Firewhisky, which, apart from being illegal and harmful at your age, would be impossible for a first year to brew!" James felt a burst of pride for Peter; he was seen as untalented by most and usually did fairly bad in anything other than Potions or Herbology. Many wandered why James and Sirius hung out with him, they were considered popular. "I was just saying that you couldn't have, and now you can explain how she got such a ridiculous idea in her head!" Remus looked ill, James looked nervously at Sirius but Peter spoke up, "Why of course we didn't," Peter scowled at Lily "I don't know how anyone could get such an idea." But it was obvious that Frank, who shared their dormitory, must have let something slip. James started to get seriously nervous, they had cleared the cauldron, but the bottles were in their cupboard, which would be the first place to look. He glanced nervously at Peter, who grinned (obviously pleased with himself) and told Mcgonagall she was welcome to search their dormitory. She walked up to their room and looked around. No cauldron, no bottles, she looked relieved. But suddenly she opened the cupboard, and James silently cursed Peters sudden burst of bravery. But she turned around and said, "Well I knew you wouldn't be so foolish as to brew such a thing, and certainly not talented enough." James felt that pride again, and saw Sirius was smirking as he told Mcgonagall that he would be surprised if professor Firada could brew it, and she was the potions master. She walked out, leaving them to congratulate Peter.
"That was bloody brilliant mate!" Sirius grinned at him, and Peter smiled nervously. "So where are the bottles?" At this Peter sniggered and said they were still in the cupboard. James looked in, saw nothing and told Peter he should stop mucking around. Peter sighed, reached into the cupboard and mimed pulling out something loose and hard to carry. He pretended to lay it on his bed and then gave something a quick pull, revealing four bottles of Firewhisky and James's invisibility cloak. "People look with their eyes, not with their hands." He said with a huge grin. They hid them until Frank got into bed, and then pulled out a bottle.
"Well, I think we should drink to Peter as he brewed this delight!" James said with a hint of mockery in his voice. Sirius continued,
"And we shall also drink to Remus's grandmothers health and my mothers ill health," They all snorted and poured out four even doses from the pint (about 100 ml each) leaving a tiny amount at the bottom. Sirius pocketed the bottle, giving them a wink. After downing the Firewhisky, the boys changed, and to anyone who saw them that night the reason why Firewhisky was sold only to wizards of age would become apparent. James and Sirius immediately declared they should explore the castle, swaying as they walked down the stairs. Remus started grinning and followed them, and Peter, the shortest of the four, jumped down all of the stairs, cartwheeled and became quite hyper. They got to the fat lady and walked through the portrait, Remus, James and Sirius holding each other for support, and Peter running around them in circles and darting around uncontrollably.
"Lets get that git Filch!" Remus slurred and James and Sirius agreed. "Get Filch, Filch, Filch, Filch! He's there, there, there, THERE!" Peter said in his hyper state, pointing at Mrs. Norris. Even in James's drunken state that meant bad news. "Quick back to the common room," He shouted with confidence, but looked desperately around him, he had altogether lost his sense of direction. They ran, none as fast as Peter, down the stairs, crashing into things and making a large amount of noise. Peter darted back in the other direction, and so did the other boys when they noticed Filch chasing after them.
"Get back here you marauding scumbags!" He shouted as they ran. They were lost pretty badly and had to duck into an empty classroom to avoid Filch's wrath. They ran as soon as they heard Filch mutter darkly as he stalked away, and found the common room and ran through the portrait. But they stopped quite suddenly as they were confronted by professor Mcgonagall, who did not look happy. "Miss Evans warned me that you might be up tonight, and it looks like you have been!" She said angrily. Sirius looked suddenly like he had fell back to earth, James stuttered about exploring the castle and Remus just kept his mouth shut. Peter was still hyper, and twitching like a mouse. "Get into bed now!" She yelled. They all went to bed, with grins at the escape of serious trouble. But in the morning their heads were killing them. Sirius groaned as he walked down to breakfast, pouring something out of a bottle into his empty goblet. The others stumbled into the great hall, gripping their heads. "And the lord said, yay, verily, ye shall have been punished for thou merriment with thee king of all hangovers," Remus mumbled quietly sitting next to James. Lily, who was sitting close, smirked smugly at them. "Well, you were warned not to drink that stuff bu- Sirius you idiot!" She had been knocked by the seemingly half-awake Sirius, whose drink spilled into her goblet. He mumbled his apologies as Lily drank deeply, scowling at him. As she walked off, muttering darkly, Sirius grinned at them, gave a small wink and said, "That'll teach miss know it all a lesson about getting on my nerves on a bad morning."
A/N: This chapter contains references to alcohol usage (or is surprisingly similar to the effects of alcohol). I feel this is a PG 13 topic, but you have been warned.
The week passed fairly uneventfully, except that the boys of Gryffindor tower were involved in some unfortunate "accidents" that all seemed to involve the new caretaker Argus Filch, or his cat Mrs. Norris. After one particularly bad "accident" the boys wound up in detention, cleaning the floor in a corridor at midnight, on their hands and knees scrubbing without magic.
"This is so unfair!" Peter moaned, grabbing a sponge and wringing its load onto the floor with a sigh. "Well, if you hadn't been found with the incriminating sausage..." Remus began but was cut off by Sirius, "You charmed it to attack the cat!" "Well I happen to think that it was worth it," James grinned, and remembering their prank the boys stopped bickering and agreed that any amount of scrubbing was worth seeing Filch fight off his dinner, and because Filch was a squib, without magic.
"Anyway," he continued "The Firewhisky will be done tomorrow, we can drink it on Saturday evening." They had stolen some bottles from the Potions lab, and were eagerly awaiting their dice with drunkenness.
"The groups working surprisingly well, what with Peter's Potions talent," At this Peter grinned and did a little jig "James's skill at Transfiguration," James gave a mock bow, and they all grinned at the memory of James turning professor Adarif's goblet into a coffee mug which had a picture of a rabbit on, making all the teachers grin and professor Firada to laugh out loud at her brother. "Remus's skill with charm," Remus was indeed better at charms than most, except for Lily.
"And my general godliness at all things mischievous," Sirius finished causing the other three boys to throw their sponges at him. Filch saw this and made them scrub for another two hours, making Sirius say some things that none of the others had heard before.
"By the way, how is your grandma, Remus?" James asked curiously as they walked up the stairs to their common room. Remus had had to visit his grandmother on Wednesday and it really interfered with his work, he was worrying all day. "Umm, well, I think she's ok but I might need to visit her next week." Remus quickly changed the subject and they talked eagerly about tomorrow night, but James made a mental note of the date Remus left.
The next day they slept well into the afternoon, being woken up by the commotion in the common room. Professor Mcgonagall was glaring at Lily, which caused the groggy guys to smirk; Lily was a good student and was one of Mcgonagall's favourites along with James and Sirius who spent their lessons talking and doing nothing yet still producing their correctly transfigured objects. "You're awake!" Mcgonagall practically shouted at them, "Miss Evans has been led to believe that you've been brewing Firewhisky, which, apart from being illegal and harmful at your age, would be impossible for a first year to brew!" James felt a burst of pride for Peter; he was seen as untalented by most and usually did fairly bad in anything other than Potions or Herbology. Many wandered why James and Sirius hung out with him, they were considered popular. "I was just saying that you couldn't have, and now you can explain how she got such a ridiculous idea in her head!" Remus looked ill, James looked nervously at Sirius but Peter spoke up, "Why of course we didn't," Peter scowled at Lily "I don't know how anyone could get such an idea." But it was obvious that Frank, who shared their dormitory, must have let something slip. James started to get seriously nervous, they had cleared the cauldron, but the bottles were in their cupboard, which would be the first place to look. He glanced nervously at Peter, who grinned (obviously pleased with himself) and told Mcgonagall she was welcome to search their dormitory. She walked up to their room and looked around. No cauldron, no bottles, she looked relieved. But suddenly she opened the cupboard, and James silently cursed Peters sudden burst of bravery. But she turned around and said, "Well I knew you wouldn't be so foolish as to brew such a thing, and certainly not talented enough." James felt that pride again, and saw Sirius was smirking as he told Mcgonagall that he would be surprised if professor Firada could brew it, and she was the potions master. She walked out, leaving them to congratulate Peter.
"That was bloody brilliant mate!" Sirius grinned at him, and Peter smiled nervously. "So where are the bottles?" At this Peter sniggered and said they were still in the cupboard. James looked in, saw nothing and told Peter he should stop mucking around. Peter sighed, reached into the cupboard and mimed pulling out something loose and hard to carry. He pretended to lay it on his bed and then gave something a quick pull, revealing four bottles of Firewhisky and James's invisibility cloak. "People look with their eyes, not with their hands." He said with a huge grin. They hid them until Frank got into bed, and then pulled out a bottle.
"Well, I think we should drink to Peter as he brewed this delight!" James said with a hint of mockery in his voice. Sirius continued,
"And we shall also drink to Remus's grandmothers health and my mothers ill health," They all snorted and poured out four even doses from the pint (about 100 ml each) leaving a tiny amount at the bottom. Sirius pocketed the bottle, giving them a wink. After downing the Firewhisky, the boys changed, and to anyone who saw them that night the reason why Firewhisky was sold only to wizards of age would become apparent. James and Sirius immediately declared they should explore the castle, swaying as they walked down the stairs. Remus started grinning and followed them, and Peter, the shortest of the four, jumped down all of the stairs, cartwheeled and became quite hyper. They got to the fat lady and walked through the portrait, Remus, James and Sirius holding each other for support, and Peter running around them in circles and darting around uncontrollably.
"Lets get that git Filch!" Remus slurred and James and Sirius agreed. "Get Filch, Filch, Filch, Filch! He's there, there, there, THERE!" Peter said in his hyper state, pointing at Mrs. Norris. Even in James's drunken state that meant bad news. "Quick back to the common room," He shouted with confidence, but looked desperately around him, he had altogether lost his sense of direction. They ran, none as fast as Peter, down the stairs, crashing into things and making a large amount of noise. Peter darted back in the other direction, and so did the other boys when they noticed Filch chasing after them.
"Get back here you marauding scumbags!" He shouted as they ran. They were lost pretty badly and had to duck into an empty classroom to avoid Filch's wrath. They ran as soon as they heard Filch mutter darkly as he stalked away, and found the common room and ran through the portrait. But they stopped quite suddenly as they were confronted by professor Mcgonagall, who did not look happy. "Miss Evans warned me that you might be up tonight, and it looks like you have been!" She said angrily. Sirius looked suddenly like he had fell back to earth, James stuttered about exploring the castle and Remus just kept his mouth shut. Peter was still hyper, and twitching like a mouse. "Get into bed now!" She yelled. They all went to bed, with grins at the escape of serious trouble. But in the morning their heads were killing them. Sirius groaned as he walked down to breakfast, pouring something out of a bottle into his empty goblet. The others stumbled into the great hall, gripping their heads. "And the lord said, yay, verily, ye shall have been punished for thou merriment with thee king of all hangovers," Remus mumbled quietly sitting next to James. Lily, who was sitting close, smirked smugly at them. "Well, you were warned not to drink that stuff bu- Sirius you idiot!" She had been knocked by the seemingly half-awake Sirius, whose drink spilled into her goblet. He mumbled his apologies as Lily drank deeply, scowling at him. As she walked off, muttering darkly, Sirius grinned at them, gave a small wink and said, "That'll teach miss know it all a lesson about getting on my nerves on a bad morning."