Chapter Three: The Dawn of a New Era
Breakfast came too early the next morning for James' liking. He ate through numerous yawns. People at the Gryffindor table giggled and pointed at his disheveled appearance. He figured it did no good to point out that his hair always looked like that. Peter slanted him a look and giggled. James glared at him.
"There's nothing I can do about it," he insisted, flattening his hair with his palm, which, as usual, did no good. Peter leaned in close to him and whispered,
"It's your robe," he giggled. "It's on backwards." James looked down. Sure enough, his robes were put on backwards, attesting to the fact that he most certainly was not a morning person.
James figured he had two real choices: He could be horribly embarrassed and hurriedly switch his robes in the nearest lavatory, or he could laugh along with his classmates. James chose the latter. He laughed heartily. Everyone at the Gryffindor table joined in.
"New fashion statement, ay Potter?" Sirius asked, laughing.
"Maybe! Who knows! Perhaps I should hold my own fashion show here at Hogwarts!" James said, standing up and strutting around the Gryffindor table and swinging his hips. Laughter abounded, stretching as far as the neighboring Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. The Slytherins glared as James passed their table, fuming as they watched him stick his nose in the air and stride back to his seat. Just as he sat back down and righted his robes, Professor McGonagall passed out the class schedules.
"Potions first this morning with Professor Dennison," Remus said, considering his schedule. "Then Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Inglewood and Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Then this afternoon we have…"
"We have our hardest classes in the morning?" Peter groaned.
"And the first two are with the Slytherins," Sirius growled, glaring across the hall at the Slytherins, who glared back.
Sirius and James were late to their very first class. When they finally arrived, they walked slowly into the room, as if they had not a care in the world. The entire class stared, the Slytherins snickering. Professor Dennison, a spindly man with dark blonde hair and large glasses whose arms and legs seemed much too large for his body, watched their approach. He pushed his glasses back up his nose (the arms of his robes pulling taunt as if they were a size too small) and stared down at them.
"Late, Mr. Black. Mr. Potter."
"Yes, well, you know how that goes," Sirius said jovially. The Gryffindors sniggered.
"First day and all that," James piped up, smiling. Professor Dennison watched them over the tops of his glasses, which had once again slipped down his sharp-angled nose. Everyone in the room was quiet, waiting for his reaction. Suddenly he smiled.
"Well, I suppose so. But since you've obviously found the room quite well, I'm sure you'll have no problems locating it in the future?" he asked. Both Sirius and James seemed shocked that they weren't in trouble. When they didn't answer, Professor Dennison continued, "Go ahead and take your seats, boys." They did, sitting near the back of the classroom between Remus and Peter, who'd made sure to save seats for them.
"How did you manage to get out of that one?" Remus asked, smiling.
"No idea," Sirius said, watching Professor Dennison. The teacher smiled at Sirius once more, then turned to the class and began to go over their course for the year. Bored within minutes, James and Sirius began scribbling together on a piece of paper, Peter looking on. Remus would look over and grin occasionally, but paid attention to Professor Dennison for the most part.
James was thrilled when it came time to leave class, and was one of the first people out the door. He was turned around walking backwards so he could talk to the other three boys when he ran into someone. THUNK. James turned.
"Watch where you're going, Potter," snarled an oily voice. James looked down at the crouched figure. A boy, slightly shorter than himself, with greasy black hair to his shoulders, hateful-looking eyes, and a pallid complexion, was gathering his books off the floor. He was wearing Slytherin colors. James tilted his head to the side and studied the boy. He waited until the boy stood, his books gathered in his arms.
"Well, if it isn't yet another greasy Slytherin," he said, and heard Peter snicker behind him. The boy sneered at him.
"You Gryffindors all think you're so clever," he snarled. James seemed to consider this for a moment.
"If you'll recall, the Ravenclaws are the clever house. We are a sight more clever than you, though, yes. But, really, that's not much of a stretch is it?" This time a few other people near them in the hall laughed as well. The boy shot James another look of contempt and then glided away to join his fellow Slytherins.
James and his friends continued down the hall, heading towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts room.
"Who was that git?" James asked, watching the Slytherin's retreating form with a frown. Sirius snorted.
"That was Severus Snape. Last of the Snape line," he said scornfully. "Thinks he's something special because his father's got money. I say good riddance to all the Snapes once he snuffs it. His lot are nearly as bad as mine."
"Ah," James said, understanding, "a pureblood fanatic?" Sirius nodded.
They entered their Defense Against The Dark Arts class and made their way, again, to the back of the room, to took their seats. Their Professor had his back to them and appeared to be searching his desk for something. His robes, a sharp contrast to Professor Dennison's, were much too large for him and billowed around him. He had short-cropped hair in chestnut brown. After a few minutes, the class became restless and began to talk and mumble amongst themselves. Then, suddenly, their Professor turned.
"A girl!" James said, open-mouthed. "Our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor is a girl?" Sure enough, Professor Inglewood was, unmistakably, a girl. She looked around the class, studying each person, her green eyes lingering a moment or two on the four boys situated at the back before continuing on.
"I thought her name sounded familiar," Remus said, leaning over towards James, Peter, and Sirius. "That's Martha Inglewood! The ex-Auror! She's one of the most powerful witches of our age."
"Yeah?" said Peter, watching Professor Inglewood. "Then why's she teaching here at Hogwarts?"
"I think something happened…a raid gone bad or something…and they say she can't deal with actual field work anymore. I suppose Dumbledore recruited her because she'd have to know all kinds of things about the Dark Arts to be an Auror."
Like their previous class, Professor Inglewood went over the year's course. And, like their previous class, James and Sirius became bored almost immediately. When class was over, Remus tapped them both on their shoulders. Their heads shot up from their desks and they looked around drowsily.
"Come on," he said, grinning, "I'll fill you in on the way to Transfiguration."
Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall was no different for the boys besides the fact that she seemed to be much more strict than their last two teachers. She told Sirius only once to get his head off his desk before she threatened to deduct points from Gryffindor.
"We'll have to watch out for that one," Sirius said, looking back over his shoulder at McGonagall as they left her class and headed for the Great Hall.
"Or she'll be watching out for us," Peter agreed. "I don't think she's the kind of Professor you really want to have angry with you."
"Agreed," said James, also looking back at McGonagall. She was standing at the door of her classroom, watching them. She met his eyes only for a moment before closing the door to her room.
All the boys were glad that lunch had finally arrived. After eating, they headed outside to sit under a tree by the lake and enjoy the wonderful weather.
"You've been awfully quiet, Peter," said Remus. "Is everything alright?"
"Just thinking," said Peter thoughtfully.
"Don't hurt yourself," Sirius joked. Peter smiled half-heartedly.
"I was just wondering how many passageways we'll find this year. I've heard that there are loads that even the teachers don't know of, " he said, biting his already too-short nails.
"Well, James and I have already found one," Sirius said casually, closing his eyes and leaning back against the trunk of the tree. Remus pulled his attention away from the book he had been reading, and Peter was staring at Sirius, mouth agape. James was grinning from ear-to-ear.
"When did you manage that?" Remus asked softly.
"Where is it? Where does it go?" Peter squeaked.
"Well," said James excitedly, "that's why we were late for Potions. We hung around in the Great Hall after all the teachers had gone. See, Sirius had an idea…"
"And I was right on the money too!" Sirius said, opening his eyes and sitting up. "I wondered about how the plates of food just vanished once we were all done. Well, you have to figure that there's someone doing all that cleaning. I mean, you don't think Filch can do the whole castle by himself do you?"
"And?" Peter prompted, eyes brightening.
"Well, we sat there and Sirius was talking loudly about how much he'd like to have some sweets. And then…"
"This picture moved aside and all these house elves came out carrying trays just loaded with sweets!"
"Well, of course, we asked them nicely as you please how one was to get into the kitchens."
"One of the little buggers told us that all you had to do was tickle the pear on the portrait with the food on it and it would swing aside and you could go right into the kitchens!" Sirius finished.
"Wow!" said Peter.
"You weren't seen, were you?" asked Remus cautiously.
"Nah." Sirius waved his hand. "We were careful! Right, James?" But James wasn't listening. He was staring across the grounds. Sirius sat straighter to see what he was looking at. Then he sighed, collapsing back onto the tree.
"Come off it, James." He said. James watched Lily Evans as she giggled with two or three girl friends. One he recognized as Alice Arthurs, but the others he wasn't familiar with. He watched them coming slowly his way and unconsciously ruffled his hair.
"All right, Evans?" he called out as she passed. She looked up, obviously surprised. Her friends giggled madly, but she merely smiled at him and waved.
"Associating with Muggle-borns now, are you, Potter?" came an acidic voice to James' left. He turned, his eyes darkening. Snape stood, surrounded on all sides by other Slytherins. These, however, were all second and third years. Coward, James thought darkly. He felt rather than saw Sirius and Remus stand on either side of him, Peter cowering behind.
"Snivellus!" James said, as though greeting an old friend. "I thought we'd meet again! I'd thought, or hoped, rather, that it would be later rather than sooner." Snape's malicious grin widened.
"Perhaps," he said slowly, "you haven't met my companions. Malfoy, Crabbe, Avery, Goyle, and Flint."
"Of course we haven't met them. Unlike you, Snivellus, we don't associate with scumbags," Sirius growled.
"You'd think," Malfoy told Sirius, stepping from behind Snape, "that you'd do your family a better honor than to associate with people so…unworthy." Sirius' lip curled in disgust.
"Lucius," he said coldly. Lucius Malfoy was a full two years ahead of Sirius. His thin, lanky body and unhealthy, pasty coloring hardly inspired fear. The look in his eyes, however, had frightened many a person into submission. His parents' money had bought him a lifetime worth of fear-imposing political connections (already fueled by his father), an abundance of worldly possessions, and little else. His acquaintances were sparse, friendships rare, and the little natural caring he had possessed as a child had been stamped down by years of being taught that he was superior to others due to his bloodline and his financial standing.
"What would your parents say about the company you're keeping?" Lucius surveyed the crowd around Sirius. "A Potter. Wizarding blood, yes, but hardly one of the purest. Or the most powerful." He looked beyond James to Remus. "And this one…nothing but filth. I mean, honestly, look at the state of him! I've seen garbage heaps that were in better shape! And they certainly smelled better!" His companions laughed. "Ah, yes. Peter Pettigrew. Really, boy, cowering behind your friends like some sort of Muggle. Yet another disgrace that this world is forced to tolerate. And the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor? House of the brave and loyal?"
"Any and all better than you and yours, Malfoy," Sirius spat. "With the rubbish you talk about being so pure and powerful, your family's sure eager to marry into a wealthier family. Mine, perhaps." Malfoy's eyes narrowed.
"The Malfoys need help from no one."
"If you keep this up you will," James said, withdrawing his wand from the folds of his robes. Everyone else (with the exception of Peter) did the same. Eyes narrowed, they judged each other, deciding what to do next—
"Hello," said a pleasant voice suddenly from behind Snape and the other Slytherins. Everyone dropped their wands to their sides.
"Professor Dumbledore," James said, wondering where the old man had come from. He stared down at them over the tops of his half-moon spectacles. His blue eyes traveled among them, landing on each in turn.
"There's no trouble here, I'm sure," he said, more a statement than a question. Even Snape seemed smart enough not to question Dumbledore.
"Merely a difference of opinion, Professor," he assured him. Dumbledore continued to study them. Then he smiled widely.
"Well, about time to get back inside, then, don't you think? Remus," he said, "could I have a word?" Remus nodded wordlessly and followed him.
"You're lucky the Headmaster came along this time," Snape hissed. "You won't be so lucky next time, Potter. Black." James and Sirius sneered back but said nothing as the Slytherins headed towards the castle. James, Sirius and Peter fell back a few steps making sure they couldn't be heard.
"What do you think the Headmaster wanted with Remus?" Peter said, worry laced through his voice.
"You don't think he was in trouble for something we did, do you?" James asked.
"No. I doubt it. Probably just questioning him about what was going on just now. Probably figures he'd be the most likely to spill," Sirius said.
"Yeah," James said, looking unconvinced. "Yeah, I guess so."
