Chapter 2- Prank wars
The group of eight teenagers arrived at the train station, there
biding Mr Black goodbye. James and Lily headed straight to the
prefects compartment, they had "duties", Remus and Peter decided
they were hungry and were already off looking for the witch with
the food trolley. (The train hadn't even started yet!) And Crystal
went in search of Haley, which left Sirius to bug Claire. Claire
knew that Sirius had a thing for her.
She liked to use this to her advantage and get dirt on her brother
from him. Sirius was way too arrogant for her though. They found a
compartment and sat in it.
"So did you enjoy your summer?" Claire asked, in aid of making
conversation.
"Yes, very much so. I would ask you the same, but I was there so of
course you did!" Sirius stated dogmatically.
"Uh huh?" Claire raised and eye brow.
"Oh come on" Sirius started. "You can't honestly sit there and tell
me that you haven't had the tiniest little thought about me? I bet
you picture me naked all the time!" At that point Remus and Peter
entered. It was really just as well, because Claire's temper was
raising.
" 'Choo talking about?" Remus questioned, mouth full.
"Sirius was just demonstrating how delusional he can be." Claire
stated moodily, storming out of the end compartment.
"Oh Padfoot shoots the quaffle and he misses, horrendously!" Remus
exclaimed. "Wait till I tell Prongs you've been making passes at
his sister AGAIN! Mind you..." Remus looked out down the train "I
don't blame you!"
"Yeah." Peter agreed.
Later, Claire passed Lily and James on their way to find the
others, she stole Lily from her brothers evil clutches. They found
an empty compartment and began to chat.
"So... you like anyone here?" Claire dived straight to the point.
"Well, sure there's lots of people I like. You for a st..."
"No no no! I mean like... as in a boy?" Lily started blushing and
stuttering.
"Uh...well...no...maybe...?" Claire was giggling.
"You sure Hun? he he, Your a tad indecisive on that one!" Claire
couldn't suppress a grin as Lily was blushing furiously, she loved
to torture people like this! "So who is he?"
"Who... nobody."
"There's got to be someone."
"...nope..."
"Not even Sirius?"
"Nope"
"Peter?"
"nope."
"Remus?"
"Definitely not!"
"James?"
"...no..."
"So you don't like my brother like that?"
"No"
"You don't think he's funny?"
"Ur no"
"You don't think he's cute?"
"No." Lily was finding it harder and harder to lie.
"You don't want to run your finger through his messy hair and pull
him into a smashing, heart stopping, breath taking kiss?"
"Err...no"
"Ow?" Claire was amused, she wanted to see how easy it was to break
Lily. She was quite impressed, her brother gave up long before
this. And she would have thought Lily would be easier!
"Ow, just as well... Isn't that James out side now kissing Fran
Thomsome?" Lily shot round to look out the door, no one was there.
"Oops my mistake, must have just been a figment of my imagination!"
Claire smiled a satisfied smile, "So still denying your feelings
for him? I mean at the rate at which your head just shot round, you
would've thought Sirius had just heard the fridge open or
something." Lily grinned sheepishly but stuck her ground.
The boys were having as much fun as Claire, in plotting their start
of term prank. The admittedly were a little hot, but that was a
price to pay to save embarrassment.
They had fun catching up with various people who stopped by,
playing exploding snap and discussing Quidditch. And soon enough
they were changed (They still covered their robes with their cloaks
though) and the train was pulling up to the station.
James thought back to the same time the previous year, he was
young free and single. He was always on the pull. And had a
different girl beside him every other day. He had never heard of
Lily before and now he hardly every thought of anybody else. What a
difference a year could make.
When they reached the great hall the four boys stood out like sore
thumbs, everyone else had stripped down to their lightest school
robes, no one wore hats and their sleeves were all rolled up. Even
the teachers were following this because it was soooo hot. And the
boys were fully kitted out in their winter cloaks.
They sat down in their usual spots in the very central part of the
Griffindor table. They put their heads together to discuss their
plans.
"So you all ready for the game?" James questioned.
"I'm not to sure about this?"
"Ow come on moony, so what if we're in trouble. It's not as if
we're new to detention!" Sirius argued.
"Ok, what's the rules again?"
"Ok what's the rules again?"
"It's like murder in the dark, we have to charm as many peoples
robes our colour as we can until we get told to stop. I'm blue,
Moony you're green, Wormtail you're Yellow and Prongs you're red.
You get 1 point for a firstly, 3 for any other year, 5 for a
prefect, 10 for a teacher or head student and 50 points for
Dumbledore."
"Ready? GO!" The boys discreetly started charming every bodies
robes as the sorting was going on. The funny thing was nobody
seemed to notice? Once all the firsties had been sorted Dumbledore
stood up.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, we have a new addition to the
teaching staff this year, This is professor Addams, the new defence
against the dark arts teacher." The new professor stood up to a
Luke warm applause, as he sat back down his robes turned blue.
"Thank you, I would also like to remind you that the forbidden
forest is, as always, forbidden. Mr Filch this year is the full
time care take, as Mr Pringle has left." There was a loud cheer
which came from the centre of the Griffindor table. "Mr Filch has a
small list of 100 items which have been banned from use in the
school. If you would like to view it, and I suggest certain people
do," His eyes flickered towards Sirius and James.
"Then the full version can be found outside Mr Filch's office.
Finally could I please ask Messer's Potter, Black, Pettigrew and
Lupin to explain why on merlins beard they are charming everyone's
robes?" Dumbledore finished, amusement in his voice. Everyone
looked around to find each others robes multi coloured. Sirius
stood up.
"My good friends and myself were just having a little game. If I
could ask you all a favour and could all the yellow robed people to
stand up please?" Sirius added up Peters points, "Now the greens...
And the reds?"
Allot of the hall stood up, including Dumbledore. "And finally the
blues... Ok, well, in forth place we have Peter, with 55 points.
Then in third, myself, with 97 points, In second Remus, with 109
points and Finally in first we have James with 135 points. But then
he got the bonus points because he got professor Dumbledore and
Professor Mcgonnagal.
Thank you all for participating!" Sirius sat down and Dumbledore
stood back up.
"As... interesting as that was boys, I ask that you refrain from
changing the colours of your classmates robes."
He said still with a hint of amusement. He raised his wand "Finite
Incatatem" And everyone's robes were their original colours. "And
also could I ask you to please take your cloaks off, I must say it
is making me rather hot." The boys began to protest but Dumbledore
held up a hand to silence them, almost as though he knew.
Claire grinned as the boys removed their robes, revealing the
messages on their back, there also seemed to beg flowers growing
round the hems of them. Pretty good with only a potions kit, Claire
thought. The hall burst out laughing, wondering who had pranked the
prankers? And all throughout dinner that was the question. But no
one answered it.
The feast passed quickly and uneventfully, after the introduction
and soon enough James was leading the new Griffindor firsties up
through the castle to Griffindor tower. Once the orientation was
done, James turned to his mates.
"Hey guys I'll be up to bed soon, I think we have a prefects
meeting." Sirius eyed him suspiciously. "OK? see you then." And
James ran off out of the common room and into the prefects common
room. Lily stood up from one of the chairs.
"Finally, what took you so long?"
"I don't know?"
"Ow, I guess I was just eager!" She smiled sheepishly.
"So what did you think of our little display in the hall earlier?"
James asked.
"It was very... amusing, I'm so pwoud of my cwever boyfwiend for
winning his wittle game with his fwiends!" She said in a cutesy
babyish voice.
"Did you notice you were the first person to turn red?"
"Not really."
"Well you were (He smiled proudly). Anyway whilst we're on the
subject of pranks, just who exactly decided to declare my fondness
of flowers?" James didn't sound angry, more teasing.
"Well... I... err." Lily blushed and smiled, cheekily.
"You... err thought it would be funny to embarrass your boyfriend
in front of the entire school?" James in a would be angry voice,
Lily could tell he wasn't serious.
"Well actually I did it because your sister wanted revenge on you
for annoying her so much over the summer, believe me if I hadn't
stepped in your robes could've been ALOT WORSE!" James smiled and
hugged Lily.
"Aw, thank you sweetie." Lily was a little confused, but let it
slip. What she didn't know was that before they both left, James
had discreetly charmed her "prefect" badge to say "Perfect"
instead.
James got back to his dorm and heard a faint;
"Night Lover boy!" From Sirius' direction, then he fell into a
peaceful and content slumber.
The next morning everyone received their time tables, the sixth
years were split up more thoroughly this year, as they got to
choose the 5 main subjects they wished to take for their NEWTS.
Lily, having obtained Outstanding, in all of her OWLS had a very
wide variety of subjects to choose from. But in the end she stuck
with Potions, Charms, Arithmancy, Herbology and Transfiguration.
She had decided in a past careers talk with Professor Knoles, the
Arithmancy teacher and head of Ravenclaw, that she wanted to become
a healer, she would be able to help people, she was definitely
smart enough and she was quite good in panic situations which
needed medical attention.
Only herself and her professor knew that she wanted to take this
path though. James had taken potions, transfiguration, Defence
against the dark arts, herbology and muggle studies. He still
wanted to become an aurour.
After the first day of lessons the 6th years realised that their
NEWTS were going to be no piece of cake! They would have 3 lessons
a day, two of which being double periods. And even on their first
day back they were piled with homework.
James had claimed he wanted piece and quiet to do his home work and
went to the prefects common room to do it. He apparently had a
meeting there later anyway. In actual fact he would be doing his
homework with Lily.
They inspired each other. Once they finished, they would talk, or
go for a walk or something a like. They carried on using this
routine for the next few weeks. It went school, homework, fun.
James would also spend one night a week doing some sort of prank,
it was never the same night twice in a row, as then people would
expect when it was going to happen, and the boys liked it to be a
surprise. Then Quidditch season started and James had practices 3
times a week.
He couldn't really miss them as he was now captain of Griffindor's
team. Lily had been offered a permanent spot on the Ravenclaw team,
but turned it down, as she wanted to concentrate more on her
studies and she also didn't like the idea of competing against
James again.
The group of eight teenagers arrived at the train station, there
biding Mr Black goodbye. James and Lily headed straight to the
prefects compartment, they had "duties", Remus and Peter decided
they were hungry and were already off looking for the witch with
the food trolley. (The train hadn't even started yet!) And Crystal
went in search of Haley, which left Sirius to bug Claire. Claire
knew that Sirius had a thing for her.
She liked to use this to her advantage and get dirt on her brother
from him. Sirius was way too arrogant for her though. They found a
compartment and sat in it.
"So did you enjoy your summer?" Claire asked, in aid of making
conversation.
"Yes, very much so. I would ask you the same, but I was there so of
course you did!" Sirius stated dogmatically.
"Uh huh?" Claire raised and eye brow.
"Oh come on" Sirius started. "You can't honestly sit there and tell
me that you haven't had the tiniest little thought about me? I bet
you picture me naked all the time!" At that point Remus and Peter
entered. It was really just as well, because Claire's temper was
raising.
" 'Choo talking about?" Remus questioned, mouth full.
"Sirius was just demonstrating how delusional he can be." Claire
stated moodily, storming out of the end compartment.
"Oh Padfoot shoots the quaffle and he misses, horrendously!" Remus
exclaimed. "Wait till I tell Prongs you've been making passes at
his sister AGAIN! Mind you..." Remus looked out down the train "I
don't blame you!"
"Yeah." Peter agreed.
Later, Claire passed Lily and James on their way to find the
others, she stole Lily from her brothers evil clutches. They found
an empty compartment and began to chat.
"So... you like anyone here?" Claire dived straight to the point.
"Well, sure there's lots of people I like. You for a st..."
"No no no! I mean like... as in a boy?" Lily started blushing and
stuttering.
"Uh...well...no...maybe...?" Claire was giggling.
"You sure Hun? he he, Your a tad indecisive on that one!" Claire
couldn't suppress a grin as Lily was blushing furiously, she loved
to torture people like this! "So who is he?"
"Who... nobody."
"There's got to be someone."
"...nope..."
"Not even Sirius?"
"Nope"
"Peter?"
"nope."
"Remus?"
"Definitely not!"
"James?"
"...no..."
"So you don't like my brother like that?"
"No"
"You don't think he's funny?"
"Ur no"
"You don't think he's cute?"
"No." Lily was finding it harder and harder to lie.
"You don't want to run your finger through his messy hair and pull
him into a smashing, heart stopping, breath taking kiss?"
"Err...no"
"Ow?" Claire was amused, she wanted to see how easy it was to break
Lily. She was quite impressed, her brother gave up long before
this. And she would have thought Lily would be easier!
"Ow, just as well... Isn't that James out side now kissing Fran
Thomsome?" Lily shot round to look out the door, no one was there.
"Oops my mistake, must have just been a figment of my imagination!"
Claire smiled a satisfied smile, "So still denying your feelings
for him? I mean at the rate at which your head just shot round, you
would've thought Sirius had just heard the fridge open or
something." Lily grinned sheepishly but stuck her ground.
The boys were having as much fun as Claire, in plotting their start
of term prank. The admittedly were a little hot, but that was a
price to pay to save embarrassment.
They had fun catching up with various people who stopped by,
playing exploding snap and discussing Quidditch. And soon enough
they were changed (They still covered their robes with their cloaks
though) and the train was pulling up to the station.
James thought back to the same time the previous year, he was
young free and single. He was always on the pull. And had a
different girl beside him every other day. He had never heard of
Lily before and now he hardly every thought of anybody else. What a
difference a year could make.
When they reached the great hall the four boys stood out like sore
thumbs, everyone else had stripped down to their lightest school
robes, no one wore hats and their sleeves were all rolled up. Even
the teachers were following this because it was soooo hot. And the
boys were fully kitted out in their winter cloaks.
They sat down in their usual spots in the very central part of the
Griffindor table. They put their heads together to discuss their
plans.
"So you all ready for the game?" James questioned.
"I'm not to sure about this?"
"Ow come on moony, so what if we're in trouble. It's not as if
we're new to detention!" Sirius argued.
"Ok, what's the rules again?"
"Ok what's the rules again?"
"It's like murder in the dark, we have to charm as many peoples
robes our colour as we can until we get told to stop. I'm blue,
Moony you're green, Wormtail you're Yellow and Prongs you're red.
You get 1 point for a firstly, 3 for any other year, 5 for a
prefect, 10 for a teacher or head student and 50 points for
Dumbledore."
"Ready? GO!" The boys discreetly started charming every bodies
robes as the sorting was going on. The funny thing was nobody
seemed to notice? Once all the firsties had been sorted Dumbledore
stood up.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, we have a new addition to the
teaching staff this year, This is professor Addams, the new defence
against the dark arts teacher." The new professor stood up to a
Luke warm applause, as he sat back down his robes turned blue.
"Thank you, I would also like to remind you that the forbidden
forest is, as always, forbidden. Mr Filch this year is the full
time care take, as Mr Pringle has left." There was a loud cheer
which came from the centre of the Griffindor table. "Mr Filch has a
small list of 100 items which have been banned from use in the
school. If you would like to view it, and I suggest certain people
do," His eyes flickered towards Sirius and James.
"Then the full version can be found outside Mr Filch's office.
Finally could I please ask Messer's Potter, Black, Pettigrew and
Lupin to explain why on merlins beard they are charming everyone's
robes?" Dumbledore finished, amusement in his voice. Everyone
looked around to find each others robes multi coloured. Sirius
stood up.
"My good friends and myself were just having a little game. If I
could ask you all a favour and could all the yellow robed people to
stand up please?" Sirius added up Peters points, "Now the greens...
And the reds?"
Allot of the hall stood up, including Dumbledore. "And finally the
blues... Ok, well, in forth place we have Peter, with 55 points.
Then in third, myself, with 97 points, In second Remus, with 109
points and Finally in first we have James with 135 points. But then
he got the bonus points because he got professor Dumbledore and
Professor Mcgonnagal.
Thank you all for participating!" Sirius sat down and Dumbledore
stood back up.
"As... interesting as that was boys, I ask that you refrain from
changing the colours of your classmates robes."
He said still with a hint of amusement. He raised his wand "Finite
Incatatem" And everyone's robes were their original colours. "And
also could I ask you to please take your cloaks off, I must say it
is making me rather hot." The boys began to protest but Dumbledore
held up a hand to silence them, almost as though he knew.
Claire grinned as the boys removed their robes, revealing the
messages on their back, there also seemed to beg flowers growing
round the hems of them. Pretty good with only a potions kit, Claire
thought. The hall burst out laughing, wondering who had pranked the
prankers? And all throughout dinner that was the question. But no
one answered it.
The feast passed quickly and uneventfully, after the introduction
and soon enough James was leading the new Griffindor firsties up
through the castle to Griffindor tower. Once the orientation was
done, James turned to his mates.
"Hey guys I'll be up to bed soon, I think we have a prefects
meeting." Sirius eyed him suspiciously. "OK? see you then." And
James ran off out of the common room and into the prefects common
room. Lily stood up from one of the chairs.
"Finally, what took you so long?"
"I don't know?"
"Ow, I guess I was just eager!" She smiled sheepishly.
"So what did you think of our little display in the hall earlier?"
James asked.
"It was very... amusing, I'm so pwoud of my cwever boyfwiend for
winning his wittle game with his fwiends!" She said in a cutesy
babyish voice.
"Did you notice you were the first person to turn red?"
"Not really."
"Well you were (He smiled proudly). Anyway whilst we're on the
subject of pranks, just who exactly decided to declare my fondness
of flowers?" James didn't sound angry, more teasing.
"Well... I... err." Lily blushed and smiled, cheekily.
"You... err thought it would be funny to embarrass your boyfriend
in front of the entire school?" James in a would be angry voice,
Lily could tell he wasn't serious.
"Well actually I did it because your sister wanted revenge on you
for annoying her so much over the summer, believe me if I hadn't
stepped in your robes could've been ALOT WORSE!" James smiled and
hugged Lily.
"Aw, thank you sweetie." Lily was a little confused, but let it
slip. What she didn't know was that before they both left, James
had discreetly charmed her "prefect" badge to say "Perfect"
instead.
James got back to his dorm and heard a faint;
"Night Lover boy!" From Sirius' direction, then he fell into a
peaceful and content slumber.
The next morning everyone received their time tables, the sixth
years were split up more thoroughly this year, as they got to
choose the 5 main subjects they wished to take for their NEWTS.
Lily, having obtained Outstanding, in all of her OWLS had a very
wide variety of subjects to choose from. But in the end she stuck
with Potions, Charms, Arithmancy, Herbology and Transfiguration.
She had decided in a past careers talk with Professor Knoles, the
Arithmancy teacher and head of Ravenclaw, that she wanted to become
a healer, she would be able to help people, she was definitely
smart enough and she was quite good in panic situations which
needed medical attention.
Only herself and her professor knew that she wanted to take this
path though. James had taken potions, transfiguration, Defence
against the dark arts, herbology and muggle studies. He still
wanted to become an aurour.
After the first day of lessons the 6th years realised that their
NEWTS were going to be no piece of cake! They would have 3 lessons
a day, two of which being double periods. And even on their first
day back they were piled with homework.
James had claimed he wanted piece and quiet to do his home work and
went to the prefects common room to do it. He apparently had a
meeting there later anyway. In actual fact he would be doing his
homework with Lily.
They inspired each other. Once they finished, they would talk, or
go for a walk or something a like. They carried on using this
routine for the next few weeks. It went school, homework, fun.
James would also spend one night a week doing some sort of prank,
it was never the same night twice in a row, as then people would
expect when it was going to happen, and the boys liked it to be a
surprise. Then Quidditch season started and James had practices 3
times a week.
He couldn't really miss them as he was now captain of Griffindor's
team. Lily had been offered a permanent spot on the Ravenclaw team,
but turned it down, as she wanted to concentrate more on her
studies and she also didn't like the idea of competing against
James again.