Disclaimer- If I own this, then why haven't truckloads of money been delivered to my house yet?
Authoress' Note- Hello, lovely readers! You may notice that chapter three has been revised slightly and that Dumbledore now has a very long, quirkly funny speech! Yay! I don't know why anyone who's already read this chapter is reading it again, but maybe I'll post a note on Chapter 17, so people can read the much better Dumbledore speech. Cheers, turkey, and wonderful reviews! E.D.J.
Ch. 3- Intervention by Padfoot
"Ah I'm stuffed!" moaned James, sighing and leaning back in his chair to get a better view of Lily Evans, who was farther down the table in animated conversation with the green-hairbanded girl.
"Wat' choo 'ooking a'?" asked Sirius around a mouthful of peach tart.
He leaned across the table to look in the same direction as James. When he saw the pretty red-haired girl, Sirius gave a barking laugh, spraying bits of tart all over James.
"Oy!" said James loudly, wiping tart of his glasses. "Watch it!"
"Fancy her, eh?" teased Sirius, leaning forward to get a better look. "She's quite pretty. Why don't you go over and talk to her?"
"Because I don't want to go talk to her!"
"Who?" asked Remus and Peter, joining the conversation.
"No one," said James through gritted teeth, staring at his empty gold plate angrily.
"That redhead," said Sirius, cocking his head at Lily. "Something Evans? Hmm ... let's try something, eh?"
Sirius's gray eyes glittered mischievously.
"No ..." began James dangerously.
"Oy, Evans!" Sirius called loudly down the table.
Lily looked around at the sound of her name, seeing James Potter and three other boys farther down the table. Sirius pointed at James, whose face turned slightly red.
"What ... Potter?" asked Lily uncertainly, using his last name like how he'd supposedly called her.
"Uh ..." said James, kicking Sirius under the table. "Would you pass that chocolate pudding by you?"
"Of course," she replied, handing the pudding to a girl next to her, watching it progress down the table until it reached James. She looked at him for a moment before turning back to her conversation with Emmeline.
"Nice save there," said Remus with a dark chuckle. "That could have been a mess."
"Oh you're a bloody coward," whispered Sirius, elbowing James is the side.
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't want to tell the entire House if I decided to talk to Lily? And perhaps there is nothing to say her?" said James, raising an eyebrow quizzically.
"Ah yes, it's Lily Evans!" said Sirius with a chuckle. "Of course, Jamesie would know. And there is something to tell her. What is it, mate?" Sirius nodded at Peter.
"He fancies her?" said Peter, uncertain if this was the answer Sirius was looking for.
"Right," said Sirius, nodding. "Mr. James Potter fancies Miss Lily Evans. Though he denies it at this time."
"You're a loony, Sirius."
"But a dashingly handsome loony, eh?"
James sighed as Sirius, Remus, and Peter began pondering over the subject of the next Quidditch Cup competitors, a subject that usually would have interested him, but now he felt too pitiful.
Just then, Professor Dumbledore stood up again, and the hall instantly quieted.
"I just have a few start-of-term announcements before your House prefects lead you to your dormitories. The Forbidden Forest, which surrounds our beloved school, is off limits to all students unless one wishes to die a gruesome death at the teeth of one of the dangerous creatures that occupy our forest. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, reminds me for what he says is the tenth time that no magic may be used outside the classroom. He also adds that any rule breakers will be strung up by their toes in the dungeons, but, Argus, I can't allow you to inflict pain on my students in that way; much as you may beg and plead. All other rules, big and small, may be found on the list outside Mr. Filch's office or in the library in a copy of Rules of the School: What Not to be Caught Doing by Montgomery Spatterwood. Also, a rare, new tree has been planted on our grounds much to the delight of our Herbology teacher, Professor Sprout. It is called a Whomping Willow and if any students go near it you will receive a sound beating. Not at the hands of a professor, mind you. No, at the hands of the tree. You see, a Whomping Willow will lash out at anyone who goes near it, so I would advise you to give it a wide berth, so we do not have any injuries. Prefects, you make take the students to their dormitories. Good night."
The four boys along with Lily and their fellow Gryffindors followed a blonde sixth-year prefect who introduced herself as Marlene McKinnon to a painting of an enormous lady dressed in a pink dress.
"Password?" inquired the Fat Lady.
"The paintings talk too?" said Lily, astonished.
"Of course," said Marlene with a chuckle. "Why wouldn't they?"
"Ahemm ..." said the Fat Lady, clearing her throat, obviously frustrated. "I said, 'password'?"
"Oh right," said Marlene, resuming her prefect duties. "It's shrivelfig."
The painting swung aside revealing a round opening into Gryffindor House.
"All of you best remember that password 'shrivelfig'," said Marlene as they all made their way into the Gryffindor common room. "Or else you'll get stuck outside the House for Merlin knows how long, and the caretaker will murder anyone he catches out after hours."
The common room was very warm and cozy, full of scarlet armchairs and sofas, and the giant fireplace had a roaring fire crackling inside it. All of the first years gaped enormously while the older students threw themselves into to chairs or scurried up flights of stairs that branched off of the room.
"Up those stairs are the dormitories. Staircases leading to the girls and boys' sides are clearly marked," said Marlene, motioning up the stairs. "Look at the signs on the doors to find your year's room."
All the first students stumbled sleepily up the stairs to go to bed.
Lily followed Emmeline up the girls' dormitory's staircase and through a door labeled "First-years". She lay down on her new four-poster bed and was soon asleep.
"Oy! Here we are!" called Remus, pointing to the "First-years" sign on one room's door.
The four boys, followed by Frank Longbottom strode into the room.
"It's quite nice," said Peter, sitting down on a bed. "Cozy."
"I get this bed," said Remus, pointing to a bed near the window. "I ... like to watch the night sky."
"Alright, we got these two then," said Sirius and James, motioning to the beds to the right of Remus.
Frank took the bed next to Peter.
"I hope we'll be friends seeing how we're stuck together for the most part of the next seven years."
"I agree," said James, sticking out his hand. "Let us agree to mutual friendship for the sake of our years being pleasant ones."
All five boys shook hands enthusiastically before falling into a deep sleep.
Review! Tell your friends to read this! Tell your friends to review this! Tell your friends to tell their friends to read and review this! I could go on and on, but I'll stop because I doubt many people what to read 10 pages of tell your friends to tell their friends to tell their friends to their friends to read and review this! And so and so forth! New readers continue reading onward! E.D.J.