Marauders II
Disclaimer: I don't Own Harry Potter, which goes to JK Rowling, but I do own Elle Smith… Enjoy
Thank you to FallenMystery for reviewing; you made my want to add this chapter. Hope you like it.
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The Prank: #2
The next couple weeks of detention were harsh for our favorite Marauders, they were watched constantly by their teachers, and barely left alone to their own devices. Even in the daytime they were watched as if they were hatching some other daring plan for another prank. Which of course they were, but they had to be quiet about it, and nobody was to know, it was a quiet Wednesday night when the four met in the Gryffindor common room by firelight.
"Ok, what's the plan Hermione?" Harry murmured so nobody could over hear them as if.
Hermione leaned over into the middle of the circle. "Can everything be ready by tomorrow?"
"Yea, everything is ready for tonight. But we can't risk getting caught." Ron replied leaning back into the chair behind him. "I mean if McGonagall, Snape, and Lupin weren't watching us like hawks we might have been able to pull if off earlier." Elle nodded in agreement.
"Good, Harry you are to go down to the kitchens and get more food. We're going to meet in the little square near the back of the castle tomorrow night…"
"Whoa wait a second Hermione." Elle interrupted. "How are we supposed to get out of detention? I mean Snape will have me cleaning cauldrons all night long, you just expect me to up and leave or something?"
Hermione chuckled almost darkly, "of course." Her three best friends gave her a look that said she was complete off her rocker and she couldn't actually expect them to up and leave detention. "There's going to be a staff meeting tomorrow night around 8. I've heard Remus talking about for the past week; he's been saying it going to be important so it might last longer than usually. Which may give us up to a free hour." The still looked slightly confused, "What we're going to do is, do an large amount of work in the first hour of our detention. Make it look like we've been doing our work for ours, so make it look good. But leave like a little bit behind before coming."
They were starting to catch on to their plan; they needed to give themselves an alibi if they were questioned. "Then well you guys know the plan form there." The three nodded before they headed off to bed, they needed to approach tomorrow like any other day.
The next morning everything went completely as planned, the four woke with their normal sour looks knowing what they were faced with that night when they arrived in detention. Ron complained about the cuts and sores he was getting having to walk through the forbidden forest looking for herbs and things by only wand light. Elle sighed about her dish panned hands from washing so many cauldrons, Harry and Hermione just shrugged when asked about their detentions, knowing that they'd gotten off easy.
Yet nobody knew of their secret plans for the night. Which was good because nobody needed to suspect a thing. However exited about the night prank, Elle was still very much dreading going to her detention that night. Snape always had her cleaning cauldrons and after today's nasty assignment of concocting a stinking slope she knew that tonight was going to be hell. Something told her that, her nasty Potions Professor was giving out these outrageous potions to make her life harder. But she'd have to work extra hard so she could pull of the nights prank.
Needless to say 7 o' clock rolled around as fast as it usually does when someone had detention with their least favorite person. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Elle groaned playfully as they split up to get their separate ways.
Harry knocked lightly on professor McGonagall's door, before being told to enter. "Hello Mr. Potter, hope you're having a good night." Harry nodded placing his books down on the nearest table.
"And you're self Professor?"
"Good, thank you." McGonagall smiled as she stood from behind her desk. "Follow me, Mr. Potter, we'll be working in my library tonight." Harry couldn't help but groan, he hoped beyond hope she didn't have him cataloging books. "Tonight you'll be cataloging my books." The raven-haired boy dropped his head; it was going to be a very long night.
"What I want you do is, write down the name of the Title of the Book, the author's name, last name first, and then I need the number, all in this booklet here. Obviously you won't get done tonight so this will be you're task for the next few days."
Pushing the door open Harry gapped at the number of books that occupied the strict Professors library. "So um… Professor out of curiosity how many books do you own?"
"Nearly 400 Mr. Potter."
Groaning again mentally Harry ducted that he had to do two hours work in one, and then come back in do another. The things he did for a little bit of fun in his life. "Well I'd better get started."
"Yes you should."
Taking the booklet and self-inking quill Harry set to work writing down Author names, book titles, and numbers before replacing the book and starting with the next.
Ron made his way down to Hagrid's hut, trudging through the wet grass, it had rained all day two days ago and knowing that the forest floor receive very little water he was going to be do something completely muddy tonight for detention. Sighing he knocking on Hagrid's door. "Well hullo Ron. Good to see you here on time, we've got a lot of work to do today."
Ron didn't even want to think about the workload of mud and worms as he followed Hagrid out to the edge of the forbidden forest. "Now Ron yur' knows da rules, don go ta fur, and don bother ta animals." The red head merely nodded. He'd been getting the same speech for the past twelve days. "T' night wur gonna be gather'n us up sum, pixie treats. Dey ten ta like ta eat da earthworms after a good rain. Go were the soil is wettest and pick up all da worm you can."
Ron swallowed thickly, he was going to be picking up worms, he shuttered. The main reason he hated fishing, as a kid was when he had to touch the worms to put them on the hook. But tonight he'd have to work past the disgusting fact of touching slimly, sticky, wet worms and work double time so he could make it look like he'd been there two hours when he really was only there one.
"Lets start." Ron nodded following the large man into the forest.
Elle groaned loudly as she entered the dungeons that night. She knew that this was going to be the worst detentions Professor Snape ever assigned. She couldn't wait for the greasy haired man to leave so she could have some fun. Placing her thingsdown on one of the desk she moved towards the utility closest. Her Professor didn't have to tell her what she was supposed to do, seeing as how she did the same thing nearly everyday.
Grabbing the nasty green gloves she started to work on the goopy green slime that filled every sixth and seventh year cauldron, if she worked through these first she wouldn't have such a hard job a head of her.
Hermione was the only Marauder who didn't moan and complain about her detentions. As twisted as it may sound, the bushy haired girl actually enjoyed her detentions with Professor Lupin. She was able to look through his extensive book collection, hold an intelligent conversation and help him with research, what could be better? Moving into the classroom she place down her things and waited for her Professor to acknowledge her presence.
"Oh good Hermione you're a tad early." Lupin glanced at his watch, "You can start looking though those books there, same as last night." The tawny haired werewolf smiled pointing towards the pile of large books. "Get everything you can find on wolfsbane and laws pertaining to werewolves." Hermione nodded and set to work.
The normally level minded, mature student couldn't fight the grin the broke out across her face as she watched Lupin shift through grading his papers. Looking towards her own watch she watch the hour drift away. The older man had yet to notice she had written double the amount of notes. Finally he checked his watch, "Oh, Hermione I'm going to be leaving you, I can trust that you will stay here for maybe an hour or so."
"Of course Professor." She responded automatically as she watched in exit the classroom. Once he was gone Hermione smirked, time to put the plan into motion.
Harry listened expertly from the ladder in Professor McGonagall's private library. The stern woman shuffled around for a bit before leaving shutting the door with a soft 'toot'. More or less likely so that Harry wouldn't hear her leave. Professor Snape attempted to same feet for Elle, as she was in the closet while he softly treaded though his potions classroom out the door. Hagrid merely left Ron to his own devices.
Once the four were completely sure the their presiding Professor were no where in site, they rushed from their rooms and to the clearing directly below the Astronomy tower. Ron of course was the first to arrive at the scene, taking from his pocket what looked to be a miniature toy slingshot. With a swing of his wand the miniature was enlarge and quickly set up.
Next to arrive were Harry and Hermione who met on the steps, both were carrying a basket stacked with a different assortment of foods. They ranged from melons to sweets, which Ron yearned to sink his teeth into be knew they were serving a much greater cause. Last was Elle seeing as how she had the longest walk, which meant eluding more people. Once everyone was together, they waited.
Nearly twelve or fourteen minutes later theywatchedProfessor Sinistra's seventh year Astronomy class collected onto the roof. Some type of constellation was supposed to come out tonight and they had come to view it. "Alright, our targets are in position who wants first try?" Elle giggled uncontrollably as she watched the obvious seventh years watching the sky. They should have been watching the grown when Harry's accurately aimed mince pie hit a Ravenclaw square in the smacker.
The group broke down in a fit of chuckles as they watched the Ravenclaw boy look around stupidly, then back at his peers who were paying him not attention. Not to call attention to his embarrassment he quickly went back to watching the stars.
Ron was next aiming for a bored face Slytherin girl who had once said something nasty about Ginny. A large fat melon doused her with sticky orange juices. The black haired girl screamed shrilly before escaping from the tower. Not know exactly what was happening to their classmates, what would soon be happening to them, some laughed as she had seemingly just gone completely nutters.
Next up was Elle who was aiming for a Hufflepuff that stood never the edge of the tower. Place a nicely baked lemon moorage (sp?)pie into the large slingshot; she smacked him dead in the kisser. The boy sputtered spitting pie over the tower wall, looking down the four ducked. They watched as the boy continued to wipe pie from his mouth. A few of his friends turned to ask him about the pie but laughed at whatever response was given.
Hermione had giving up her turn for she knew she held no aim. The three alternated between each other until they had hit nearly every student, some twice, on the tower. When Hermione notified them of their time shortage and the suspicions of their fellow students they let her have a swing at the slingshot. Placing a whipped cream pie on the holster she closed her eyes and released.
The white pie flew through the air, which strangely reminded Harry of Hedwig, they watched in suspended anticipation as the pie continued to fly. It started it downward arch, and theMarauders weren't completely unsure of where it was headed until it hit Professor Sinistra square on the head. The four burst into laughter as the rushed back to their designated detentions, leaving the class on the Astronomy tower gasping for breath at their whipped cream covered Professor.
Professor Sinistra was livid, someone was pulling a humorless prank and she was going to get to the bottom of it. The only teacher not currently at the staff meeting she burst into the staff room still covered in whipped cream. "They've done it again!" she screamed hysterically. Dumbledore, Lupin, McGonagall, Snape and Hagrid exchanged looks as they raced to the nearest Marauder.
They found Ron sitting at the edge of Hagrid's cabin petting fang, covered with cuts and lacerations from running through the forbidden forest. "What have been up to tonight Weasley?" Snape sneered.
"Why aren't you still collecting wroms?" Dumbledore questioned.
Ron looked at them as confused as possible, "I collected my last bag of worms a few moments ago before I was heard some weird noises." Hagrid urged him to continued, "I guess I had gone to far, and I ran." He indicated to the fresh cuts on his face and arms, plus his torn shirt.
Dumbledore nodded, they couldn't very well prove him wrong, he did have the cuts and the actual wormsto prove andsustain his alibi. "We'll head to the Infirmary so that Poppy can take a good look at those cuts." The five Professor nodded as the headed back into the castle, James and Sirius had been known to pull pranks alone, moving toward the next Marauder.
Hermione was found nursing a cramped writing hand with nearly 4 or 5 feet of parchment. The ink still fresh from some of her newer notes her hand officially cramped from all the writing. Lupin sighed loudly, "There's no need to ask what you've been doing for the past hour." There was no way to prove she had left her seat, nobody could write that many notes in ten minutes, and she definitely hadn't had that many done when he'd left.
Elle and Harry still could have worked alone. But their hopes were soon dashed when they found Elle bent over a cauldron just how Professor Snape had felt her. At the intrusion upon her closet they found her robe discarded, sleeves rolled up, hair a mess, and dirt and green stuff covering exposed skin. "My last one Professor, and I'll be out of your way."
"No need to rush your self Smith." Snape snarled, "You might find your self in this exact position for the rest of year."
Elle looked at her Professor curiously, "What happened?"
"Don't pretend as if you don't know!" The potions master accused.
The Australian born girl looked between the five adults, "Am I being accused of something I know nothing about?" She looked genuinely upset as if she knew nothing of what her potions Professor was sprouting on about.
"Just continue what you were are doing." McGonagall replied as they exited the dungeon. "Lets check on Potter."
Harry had already cataloged seven new books and was replacing the last, which happened to be located at the very top of the shelf. Not being tall enough he stood on his tiptoes to replace the book, he was inching it in when, "POTTER!" followed by a loud door slamming startled him. Tipping back the raven-haired boy lost his balance to come tumbling down the ladder, falling flat on his wrist.
Remus Lupin listened to what sound like a body hitting the floor and a sickening crunch he's a werewolf then a loud cry of pain. "Harry!" Substitute godfather mode kicked in as he raced to find the boy cradling his wrist, withering in pain on the floor. "Harry, are you alright?"
"My wrist, I think I broke it." He felt like crying, he thought it had hurt when he had grown back the bones in his arm, breaking one felt much, much worst.
"Let me see." Remus knew good and well it was broken, all thought of questioning the boy about his nights activities completely fled his mind, as he watching the younger boy's wrist swell. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Hagrid soon entered the library to see Remus helping Harry stand. "He's broken his wrist I'm taking him the Infirmary."
Nobody took noticed to the smirk that over took Harry's face. Of course he hadn't planned on breaking his wrist but it had saved him for more detentions. Once in the Infirmary Madam Pomfrey informed that she had no more bone mending potions and that he would have to settle for a muggle cast for two weeks before Snape could restock her. No minding it one bit he watch asshe molded his cast, while it was drying he listened in on the conversation.
"There's no way to prove it Severus." Dumbledore replied, to whatever the man had said.
"But I know they did it, how about Veritaserum?" the man suggest.
Lupin snorted loudly, "That's bit far for a prank Severus." Harry smirked, good old Remus.
"I would expect someone like you to say that." He could almost envision Snape's sneer as he listened to the bellow of robes and slamming of the infirmaries doors. He held back a snicker. Dumbledore said some words he couldn't hear when Pomfrey informed him that he was able to leave.
The next day was full of gossip about Harry's wrist and what had happened to the seventh year Astronomy class the night before. Many people had asked to sign his cast, of course after the Marauders had. Just as they were moving towards Charms they notice the Hufflepuff from the night before talking with some of his friends. "It was crazy, I mean on moment I'm watching the stars and the next I'm hit with lemon pie. Personally I think it was Peeves." The four exploded with laughter as they thought up their next prank.