When Somers Turned To Black
Chapter 7: Forest Fears
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Raven's journal remained under Sirius's pillow and was soon forgotten. Sirius became increasingly bogged down with homework and was exhausted from Quidditch practices. Patrick Myles, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, was making them work out in all sorts of weather. They had sped through rain for about two hours one day before Patrick finally realized that you can't play Quidditch if you can't see. After one of these grueling, late-night practices, James and Sirius sat exhausted in the common room.
"If Myles keeps us going like that, we're all going to come down with a cold before the match," complained James. He was slumped over a large couch, his black hair still dripping from the persistent rain.
"Move over you idiot," groaned Sirius as he tried to get comfortable on the opposite end of the couch. "I'm trying to keep warm, too. You can't have the whole fire all to yourself."
"Did you have to beat the bludger at me like that?" James asked, massaging his shoulder.
"No. But I did anyway!" laughed Sirius, wiping his sleeve across his forehead.
"Well, let's hope you try to kill the Slytherins, like you tried to kill me!"
"And let's hope you're not such a wimp like you were out there just now," retorted Sirius who was smiling inwardly.
"You were sending that bludger straight at my head. I felt like I was doing some muggle tornado drill. Duck and cover, duck and cover."
"Right," Sirius said sarcastically as James grabbed a pillow and jumped, attempting to smother him.
"Get off!" Sirius laughed.
"Not until you say it," James yelled, pinning Sirius down. "C'mon. Say it!"
"Alright!" Sirius said as James tightened his grip. "James Potter is the best Quidditch player on the face of the earth. I am weak and insignificant next to his awesome power."
James let him go and lounged back into his spot on the couch.
"You'd better believe it," he said, running his hand through his messy black hair, while winking at a table of fourth year girls who were cleaning up to turn in for the night. They giggled loudly.
"You are a git, Potter," Sirius said rolling his eyes.
"You're just jealous 'cause you can't get the girls like I can," James shot back, waving to the fourth years as they walked up to their dorms. James smiled as another explosion of giggling came from behind him.
They sat in comfortable silence until everyone else had left the common room. This was one of the first nights in about a week and a half that Sirius had been able to just sit down and think. He found that it wasn't necessarily a good thing. The journal passed through his mind for the first time in quite a while.
"Hey, James?" Sirius started hesitantly.
"What?" replied James, who had his eyes closed and was basking in the warmth emitting from the fire.
"You remember that night we raided the girls' room?"
"How could I forget?" James replied as a grin crept across his face. "That was bloody brilliant, that was. What about it?"
"Well, you know the journal you flipped through?" James opened his eyes and sat up, interested. "I decided to go back and get it."
"Why? It's probably full of girly garbage. Nothing important, really. Why did you want to swipe it?"
"I just happened to spot my name and I wanted to know what it said. And… I already got it," Sirius replied.
"Oh. Well, where is it? Have you had a look yet? Bunch of rubbish isn't it?"
"Well, yeah. But it's rubbish about us."
"Us? What does it say?"
"Hold on," Sirius said as he got up to retrieve the journal.
Sirius ran down the stairs a few seconds later holding the worn, leather book.
"Bring it here, you dolt," pleaded James impatiently.
"Alright, alright," he handed it to James, who inspected it carefully before opening the clasp. "It starts back here," said Sirius as he flipped back to where he had first read about him and James.
As James read the page, his face slowly reddened and he looked up.
"We 'complete the gang of stupidity'. Well, that's interesting. I thought we were quite brilliant."
All of a sudden, James burst out in a fit of laughter. Sirius stared dumbstruck at his best friend.
What could possibly be so funny? He's just read a bashing of himself, and he's rolling around on the floor laughing his head off.
"Breathe James, breathe. What is wrong with you?"
"Ha ha ha… Why didn't you tell me you fancied Raven?" James gasped as he tried to regain control.
"WHAT!" Sirius yelled. "Who said I liked Raven?"
"Well, isn't it obvious. Only an agitated, lovesick fool would have gone back for that journal. Nobody else would ever get worked up over a few pointless entries."
Sirius was speechless. He knew James was going to take this the wrong way.
So much for a best friend.
"Why does Raven's journal hold any interest in your mind, unless you like her? So that's why you've been touchy ever since Christmas holidays. I knew it was a girl. I was just telling Remus the other day that…"
"I do not like Raven, okay." Sirius cut off his friend. "I was just curious, that's all. I know it's just a bunch of rubbish. I just thought I'd show you before I gave it back."
"Give it back? Are you mad? Just… throw it up the girls' staircase or something. Otherwise she'll know you swiped it."
"Oh, right. Well, I'm turning in. It's been a long day and I'm dog tired," Sirius said, getting up from his comfortable spot on the couch.
"Alright. I'll be up in a while. I'll leave you to your thoughts, loverboy," James replied, looking up at the retreating back of his best friend.
"I knew I couldn't trust the bloody dolt to read that stupid journal," Sirius said out loud as he jumped into his four-poster.
I guess I'll just do what James said and throw the journal somewhere. I can't just toss it up the stairs though. I'll just slip it into a pile of her books or something. And what is wrong with that stupid bloke? Now he somehow has the crazy idea that I fancy Raven. I don't know where he pulled that out of. He had better not go telling everyone that I like her. It'll be around the school in a matter of a few hours. I won't get a girl for weeks after they think I've hooked up with her.
####
"Oy, Sirius," a beautiful sixth year Ravenclaw called after him as he, James, Remus, and Peter made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "So, I heard you're with Raven Somers?"
Sirius smiled haughtily at her, turned back around and kept walking.
"James, I'm going to kill you."
"Oh, lighten up Sirius," said Remus casually. "The last rumor you spread got around in two hours and fifteen minutes. It took James four minutes longer for this one!
"That's just it though. It's a rumor. But why did it have to be about me?"
"You were the easiest victim," said James matter-of-factly. "Oh, come off it! You know it'll die down in a day or two."
"Yeah, well, it better have before Raven hears about it," said Sirius grumpily.
"Sorry, mate. She already knows," stated Remus. "I heard Lily Evans asking her about it over breakfast. Don't tell me you didn't notice her this morning?"
"Oh, shove off you clod," said Sirius as he punched Remus in the arm.
They walked the remaining length to Defense Against the Dark Arts in considerably higher spirits, and filed in through the door.
"Good morning, good morning," said Professor Ogletree as they sat into their seats. "I have quite a treat for you today. Grab your wands and follow me."
The class got up after extensive rummaging through their bags and filed back out of the classroom.
"Where do you think we're going?" asked James curiously.
"I dunno," replied Sirius. "I reckon outside."
"Very funny," James said as they followed Ogletree through the front doors and across the school grounds.
They stopped in a clearing at the edge of the forest. Colorecd flags marked the beginning of a trail.
"Oh, don't tell me we're going into the Forbidden Forest!" exclaimed Gayle Williams, a Slytherin girl. "It's forbidden! Duh!"
"So much for stating the obvious," muttered Sirius to his friends.
"Okay class. Gather 'round."
"Oh, this should be good. Watching the Slytherins try to get through the forest, I mean. They'll probably all get eaten by Erklings!" laughed James. "Oh, by the way. Sirius, did you ever give Raven back that journal?" he asked in an undertone.
"Not yet, you clod," said Sirius through his teeth.
"Alright," started Professor Ogletree. "Today we will be going through an extensive obstacle course. Everything you have learned so far this year may be part of it. Your goal is to find a simple, but effective way to complete the course in twenty minutes or less. Hindrances will more than likely block your path. You will have to make your way through the forest and grab a key at the end of the course. They will be labeled with each of your names. Your score depends on how well you hex the obstacles and on how fast you are. If you are unsuccessful in retrieving your key in the standing time limit, you will receive a failing score. You will may encounter jarveys, doxies, and pogrebins. Do not be discouraged by this task. I am sure that if you have been paying attention at all this year, you will do fine," Ogletree continued as he looked around at the dumbfounded faces. "To get through the course follow the paths marked by the colored flags. After completing the task, exit the forest by a path lit by bright blue lanterns. If you should become injured, use your wand to send up purple flames. This will be a great review for all who are worried about O.W.L.'s," he finished as he smiled at them.
"Wonderful," complained James. "Now I can go get myself killed! Last week it was Litvy and that stupid Truth-Seeing Draught. I nearly failed that."
"Oh, shove off it," said Sirius. "We're at the head of our class. How bad could we possibly do? He said it would be easy if you had been paying any attention at all."
"I haven't really been paying attention," said Peter shyly.
"Oh, don't worry about it. You'll come off fine. You almost always do," replied Remus.
"Yes… almost is the key word there," Peter said, frustrated.
Sirius looked around at his fellow classmates. As usual the Slytherins were separated as far as they could away from the Gryffindors. He noticed Snape slightly off to the side of their group. He had his greasy nose in a book as usual. Lucius Malfoy was mocking Professor Ogletree behind his back and making the others laugh loudly. To his left he noticed all of the Gryffindor girls had gathered together, out of the way.
"Hey. What's going on over there?" Sirius said, nudging James in the ribs.
"Ouch! Quit that! I dunno. But I'm sure we can find out. Wait here."
"Where's he going?" asked Remus as he watched James saunter over to the group of females.
"He's going to get his face punched in," Sirius replied.
James continued over until he reached the edge of the group. Up this close, he noticed none other than Lily Evans and Raven Somers in the center.
"What's going on?" he whispered to the girl standing in front of him.
"Oh!" the girl jumped, surprised to see someone behind her. "She's afraid of the forest. It must be the creepy, dark trees."
"Raven?" questioned James curiously. She had always come off to be Ms. Tough. "Is she seriously afraid?"
"Well. I said she was," the girl tutted and turned away.
Sirius watched as James headed towards them with a wide grin splitting his face.
"It looks like your girlfriend is afraid of the Forbidden Forest, Black," said James as his grin only broadened.
"My girl… Oh! Shut up, you meathead. You mean Raven? She's really afraid?"
"How much does that bloody suck?' said Remus as he stared at the large expanse of gloomy pines.
"Oy! Raven!" Sirius yelled at the group of girls. "Be one with the trees. You are the forest creature. Think…fur." At this, James smiled mischievously.
"Sirius!" Professor Ogletree called out. "Why don't you start!"