Chapter Three: Slytherin Surprise
At about five in the morning Crook was pawing at Leigh's arm. The opened her eyes and remembered her meeting with her fellow pranksters. She got up quickly and changed into her robes. "Come on Crook." She whispered not wanting to wake the other girls. Leigh quietly exited her dorm and descended the spiral staircase into the common room. Sitting on the couch waiting for her was Remus, James, and Sirius. "Why so early?" Leigh asked trying to stifle a yawn. "Ha, there's the point. No ones up yet. One of the best times to prank if not at night." Sirius explained standing up. There was a hissing noise at his feet and he looked down to see Crook staring up at him with his yellow eyes. "Why did you bring you're cat?" "He's actually very useful when pranking. He's always been lookout." Leigh said fondly picking up Crook. "Let's stop wasting time and get down to the Slytherin dorm's shall we?" Said James standing up also, along with Remus. "Yes let's." The others agreed heading over to the portrait hole and climbing out.
On the other side James pulled out his invisibility cloak along with the Marauders Map. He was about to explain to Leigh what his cloak did but she obviously knew because she pulled it over her head. "You guys wanna get caught? What are you waiting for?" Leigh's voice asked.
"You knew that was an invisibility cloak?" Questioned Remus raising an eyebrow. "Um, yeah duh." Leigh said pulling the cloak off her head. "Coming?" She held the cloak up allowing James, Sirius, and Remus to come in under it. Crook darted ahead of them keeping an eye out.
The four quietly made their way down to the dungeons. Then to the statue of a serpent that hid the entrance to the common rooms. James pulled the cloak off and stuffed it into his pocket. "Ok. Sirius you have the ice cream?" He asked looking at his best friend. "What?" Questioned Leigh and Remus together. "Ice cream." Sirius said pulling several tubs of ice cream out of a back he'd been carrying. "What are we going to do with ice cream?" Leigh said looking from Sirius to James. "Decorate Mr. Statue here." Sirius said patting the statue. "Ok?" "Then rig it to melt all over Malfoy and Snape." "Pretty good." Remus said smirking. "I think strawberry would go wonderful with Snape's robe."
Leigh and Sirius were in charge of decorating the serpent statue while James and Remus hexed it to only melt on Malfoy and Snape. When finally done they stood back to admire their work. "Oh wait." Leigh muttered conjuring a cherry and placing in on the top of the serpent's head. "Now it's perfect." "I agree. Now let's eat the evidence and get back to Gryffindor tower." James said pulling out the invisibility cloak and Marauders Map again. They all ducked under it and headed back to their own common room. About halfway their Crook, who was running ahead of them, stopped and began hissing. "What's he doing?" Sirius asked quietly. "He sees someone." Leigh said stopping also. James glanced down at the Marauders Map and sure enough Ms. Norris was just around the corner. "Oh great. It's that ruddy cat." James muttered. "Girl cat?" Leigh said. "Hints the name: Ms. Norris." Remus said. "No problem. Crook!" Leigh's cat's head snapped around. "It's a girl cat. Distract her or something." Crook looked at Leigh for a few seconds before running around the corner. The four watched the Marauders Map and sighed as Ms. Norris ran off after Crook. "I know like that cat." Sirius announced. "Me two." Said Remus. "I already liked him." James and Leigh said in unison.
The rest of the way to Gryffindor common room went without disturbance. Filch was on the other side of the castle with Peeves the Poltergeist and by the time they reached to common room the other teachers were just getting up.
At breakfast in the Great Hall Sirius, James, Remus, and Leigh sat quietly watching the Slytherin table waiting for Malfoy and Snape to come in. From outside in the entrance hall they could here choruses of laughing. Then through the door walked Snape covered in strawberry ice cream from head to two. He sulked over to the Slytherin table and sat down heavily in a small group of Slytherins. Sirius glanced over at Leigh who was turning a blue-ish color from trying to hold down a laugh. Suddenly the hall went quiet and through the doors walked Malfoy. Leigh couldn't take it anymore and she broke out laughing along with Sirius and James. Malfoy was absolutely covered in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream and on the top of his head was a cherry. "I'd thought it would have melted by now." Remus commented motioning to the ice cream covered students. "Well then you don't think right." Leigh managed through her laughs. "We hexed them with a non-melting hex." James explained. "Brilliant." Remus said. "Oh but wait for it." Sirius snickered. Just then the ice cream on Snape and Malfoy melted. Both were not just cold but covered in slimy, sticky melted vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry sludge. This sent James, Remus, Sirius, and Leigh into a fresh wave of giggles. Leigh leaned her head down on the table because she was laughing so hard. James was holding his side, Remus was choking on his Pumpkin Juice, and Sirius was almost falling over. Suddenly Leigh lost her balance and fell over backwards onto the floor. The four stopped laughing for a second then began a new wave of hysterical laughter. The four suffered under Professor McGonagle's strict glare and quieted their laughs. "Think she suspects something?" Muttered Leigh to Sirius. "Well with you four laughing like hyenas, it's hard not to." Snapped Lily Evans from down the table. "Aw, Evans how could we do anything?" James asked turning towards his crush. "Don't look at me like that, Potter, I know as well as anyone that if something goes wrong it's usually your fault." Lily glared at James for a second more then got up and left the Great Hall. "What's so funny?" Asked Professor McGonagle. She was coming straight towards them. "Nothing Professor. Sirius just told a joke and it was very.... er.... interesting." Leigh smiled looking innocently up at McGonagle. "Oh did he? What about?" "Um...." Leigh paused and looked to her friends for support. Suddenly she got an idea. "It would be much more easy if I just told you." "Tell away, Ms. Parker." "Ok. How much did the pirate to get his ears pierced?" "No idea." Sirius, James, and Remus looked at Leigh praying that the joke was actually funny and McGonagle bought it. "A buck a near. Get it? A buck an ear?" Leigh gave a false laugh and elbowed Sirius hard in the ribs. He winced then laughed too. "Yes I get it. That joke is slightly amusing. Next time keep your voices down." McGonagle turned and headed back to the head table. "A buck a near?" Asked James. "Hey I didn't hear you coming up with an excuse."
The Marauders had pulled their first prank of the year without getting caught. But unfortunately they weren't as lucky with their next one a month later.
At about five in the morning Crook was pawing at Leigh's arm. The opened her eyes and remembered her meeting with her fellow pranksters. She got up quickly and changed into her robes. "Come on Crook." She whispered not wanting to wake the other girls. Leigh quietly exited her dorm and descended the spiral staircase into the common room. Sitting on the couch waiting for her was Remus, James, and Sirius. "Why so early?" Leigh asked trying to stifle a yawn. "Ha, there's the point. No ones up yet. One of the best times to prank if not at night." Sirius explained standing up. There was a hissing noise at his feet and he looked down to see Crook staring up at him with his yellow eyes. "Why did you bring you're cat?" "He's actually very useful when pranking. He's always been lookout." Leigh said fondly picking up Crook. "Let's stop wasting time and get down to the Slytherin dorm's shall we?" Said James standing up also, along with Remus. "Yes let's." The others agreed heading over to the portrait hole and climbing out.
On the other side James pulled out his invisibility cloak along with the Marauders Map. He was about to explain to Leigh what his cloak did but she obviously knew because she pulled it over her head. "You guys wanna get caught? What are you waiting for?" Leigh's voice asked.
"You knew that was an invisibility cloak?" Questioned Remus raising an eyebrow. "Um, yeah duh." Leigh said pulling the cloak off her head. "Coming?" She held the cloak up allowing James, Sirius, and Remus to come in under it. Crook darted ahead of them keeping an eye out.
The four quietly made their way down to the dungeons. Then to the statue of a serpent that hid the entrance to the common rooms. James pulled the cloak off and stuffed it into his pocket. "Ok. Sirius you have the ice cream?" He asked looking at his best friend. "What?" Questioned Leigh and Remus together. "Ice cream." Sirius said pulling several tubs of ice cream out of a back he'd been carrying. "What are we going to do with ice cream?" Leigh said looking from Sirius to James. "Decorate Mr. Statue here." Sirius said patting the statue. "Ok?" "Then rig it to melt all over Malfoy and Snape." "Pretty good." Remus said smirking. "I think strawberry would go wonderful with Snape's robe."
Leigh and Sirius were in charge of decorating the serpent statue while James and Remus hexed it to only melt on Malfoy and Snape. When finally done they stood back to admire their work. "Oh wait." Leigh muttered conjuring a cherry and placing in on the top of the serpent's head. "Now it's perfect." "I agree. Now let's eat the evidence and get back to Gryffindor tower." James said pulling out the invisibility cloak and Marauders Map again. They all ducked under it and headed back to their own common room. About halfway their Crook, who was running ahead of them, stopped and began hissing. "What's he doing?" Sirius asked quietly. "He sees someone." Leigh said stopping also. James glanced down at the Marauders Map and sure enough Ms. Norris was just around the corner. "Oh great. It's that ruddy cat." James muttered. "Girl cat?" Leigh said. "Hints the name: Ms. Norris." Remus said. "No problem. Crook!" Leigh's cat's head snapped around. "It's a girl cat. Distract her or something." Crook looked at Leigh for a few seconds before running around the corner. The four watched the Marauders Map and sighed as Ms. Norris ran off after Crook. "I know like that cat." Sirius announced. "Me two." Said Remus. "I already liked him." James and Leigh said in unison.
The rest of the way to Gryffindor common room went without disturbance. Filch was on the other side of the castle with Peeves the Poltergeist and by the time they reached to common room the other teachers were just getting up.
At breakfast in the Great Hall Sirius, James, Remus, and Leigh sat quietly watching the Slytherin table waiting for Malfoy and Snape to come in. From outside in the entrance hall they could here choruses of laughing. Then through the door walked Snape covered in strawberry ice cream from head to two. He sulked over to the Slytherin table and sat down heavily in a small group of Slytherins. Sirius glanced over at Leigh who was turning a blue-ish color from trying to hold down a laugh. Suddenly the hall went quiet and through the doors walked Malfoy. Leigh couldn't take it anymore and she broke out laughing along with Sirius and James. Malfoy was absolutely covered in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream and on the top of his head was a cherry. "I'd thought it would have melted by now." Remus commented motioning to the ice cream covered students. "Well then you don't think right." Leigh managed through her laughs. "We hexed them with a non-melting hex." James explained. "Brilliant." Remus said. "Oh but wait for it." Sirius snickered. Just then the ice cream on Snape and Malfoy melted. Both were not just cold but covered in slimy, sticky melted vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry sludge. This sent James, Remus, Sirius, and Leigh into a fresh wave of giggles. Leigh leaned her head down on the table because she was laughing so hard. James was holding his side, Remus was choking on his Pumpkin Juice, and Sirius was almost falling over. Suddenly Leigh lost her balance and fell over backwards onto the floor. The four stopped laughing for a second then began a new wave of hysterical laughter. The four suffered under Professor McGonagle's strict glare and quieted their laughs. "Think she suspects something?" Muttered Leigh to Sirius. "Well with you four laughing like hyenas, it's hard not to." Snapped Lily Evans from down the table. "Aw, Evans how could we do anything?" James asked turning towards his crush. "Don't look at me like that, Potter, I know as well as anyone that if something goes wrong it's usually your fault." Lily glared at James for a second more then got up and left the Great Hall. "What's so funny?" Asked Professor McGonagle. She was coming straight towards them. "Nothing Professor. Sirius just told a joke and it was very.... er.... interesting." Leigh smiled looking innocently up at McGonagle. "Oh did he? What about?" "Um...." Leigh paused and looked to her friends for support. Suddenly she got an idea. "It would be much more easy if I just told you." "Tell away, Ms. Parker." "Ok. How much did the pirate to get his ears pierced?" "No idea." Sirius, James, and Remus looked at Leigh praying that the joke was actually funny and McGonagle bought it. "A buck a near. Get it? A buck an ear?" Leigh gave a false laugh and elbowed Sirius hard in the ribs. He winced then laughed too. "Yes I get it. That joke is slightly amusing. Next time keep your voices down." McGonagle turned and headed back to the head table. "A buck a near?" Asked James. "Hey I didn't hear you coming up with an excuse."
The Marauders had pulled their first prank of the year without getting caught. But unfortunately they weren't as lucky with their next one a month later.