Author's note: Here is chapter 5, almost 2 yrs after chapter 4. SORRY! R&R please.

"Hey! That was a really good one. Would they still look down on muggle-born now!" Gwen gave Lily a hi-5. "Those were magically improvised muggle jokes right?"

"Yeah, I had my brother send them to me through owl mail. He had so much fun with the owl, appears that he hasn't quite gotten used to tamed owls." Gwen chuckled at that.

As they walked off to an early break with Calin, James and Sirius emerged from the dungeons. Sirius looked furious, feeling that Lily had stolen all the joy from their last joke while James looked bemusedly after their backs.

"Looks like we've gotten some interesting partners." James commented softly.

"WHAT PARTNERS!" Sirius exploded on the hallway to common room.

"Chill! There's no need to get so agitated over that. We got an early break after all, didn't we? I think you're just overreacting because it wasn't planned and carried out by us."

Sirius sputtered at those words, preparing to make another loud and long statement when Nearly-Headless-Nick came by and told them to get to the hall as soon as possible.

Wondering what was wrong, the pair hurried off, taking all possible shortcuts, arriving in record time. There were many students already, though only Mcgonagall was at the teacher's table.

"Professor Dumbledore had made a stern reminder at the start of the year, barely a month had passed, and it seems like everyone had forgotten about it." This started a buzzing the hall. "A Slytherin had apparently been dared to break a branch off the Whipping Willow. Without my saying, it is an awfully dangerous act to do, very childish of those who dared him to do so too. The Whipping Willow does not recognize people, and will attack all that goes near it; there is no mercy in it. The student is currently at the hospital wing and will be there for at least a week according to Madam Plaus. He suffered a series of cuts and fractures; these are minor in the face of what that tree can cause. If any of you still have any wish to better the tree in a duel, please be prepared to serve detention for 3 months. Thank you, you may go." She ended her speech sternly, as she cast the spell to stop the recording that is to be played during the breaks of other classes. The buzzing of the students grew even louder after her speech, discussing who was injured and so.

James and Sirius tucked in to the food on the tables without speaking, having no interest in the mishap befallen on the Slytherins. As threads of whispers reached their ears, there were a few of interest, such as the absence of Remus from the day, whether they made a mistake in the identity of the boy injured. Both James and Sirius choked on that comment.

"Ridiculous! How could they have confused that idiotic Slytherin with our darling Remus?" Sirius spoke out loud, silencing the people who were questioning that.

"Exactly, if it was Remus that was dared, he wouldn't even have gotten a scratch." James backed up Sirius, thinking how insulting it is for Remus who is visiting his ailed mother.

Mcgonagall smiled at hearing the support the pair had for their friend, noticing how they had shut everyone who had questioned the identity. They will go far, if they remain as close as they are now. She thought to herself. She saw the pair exit quietly after all the racket they had created in the Hall.

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"Let's make a welcome-back gift for Remus, shall we?" James asked Sirius on their way back to the common room.

"Absolutely, but isn't this too soon after…" He blanched at the thought of Lily's joke. "Go ahead. Let's plan something bigger this time, show her who the kings in prank world are." He said with his glint.

"Something big? Let's take our time then, we can even include Remus in the joy of planning the later stages of the prank, let's go with a big bang this time. Literally." James replied as they proceeded to the dormitories to rummage through that big package, the joy of Mr. Potter.

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The days passed peacefully enough, with minor on-the-spot pranks played all over the school, and potions classes have finally started, to the relief of Professor Bimp.

As the Gryffindors and Slytherins settled into the halves the dungeons had split into, Professor Bimp kept a close look out for any signs for disruption from the Slytherins, getting tired of not getting to teach. She started off by firing questions on the prominent ingredients in potion making, and on the uses of ancient potions. To her amazement, one person could answer all her questions correctly. As Gryffindors murmured about how the answers have to be regurgitated from the textbooks, Professor Bimp knew that these answers are a sign of much reading and experimenting.

"The process of making the Draught of Living Death can be quickened by adding a clockwise stir after 7 anti-clockwise stirs." Severus Snape continued on his answers confidently.

"Is that right? Worth trying one of these days, but how did you know? Draught of Living Death is an advance potion, to be learnt only in 6th year." Professor Bimp exclaimed in shock, thoroughly pleased with Snape's answers previously, she was taken aback at this knowledge. Her interest in potion-brewing was called upon as she heard the tips Snape mentioned.

"Family reasons have caused me to start early in potion making." He answered humbly.

"50 points to Slytherin. Those are the best answers I've heard in my many years of teaching."

The rest of the lessons went by peacefully, the simple potion for changing the color of flowers was relatively easy to make, but with Snape completing it the earliest, earning another 10 points from a very pleased Professor Bimp. The Gryffindors were shocked, that skinny, oily haired boy who was always walking around with obnoxious Lucius Malfoy is the best in potions? Little did they know, that was but the tip of Snape's ability. Being a gifted wizard, he had a promising future in his own way.

Malfoy knew, Snape is not as simple as he appears to be, neither is he truly friends with him. They were a makeshift pair, together only when required, just as how the Slytherins make friends. The cunningness, the ambitiousness drives them to make use of people to achieve their goals. Malfoy knows the power in Snape and he wants to be able to manipulate that when the time is right. Snape does not care about Malfoy one bit, he has no use for him either, he has in own goals that will show when it is time.

Sirius lamented about how Remus was not around to brew the potions, though Remus was not as good as Snape (which Sirius refuse to concur), he would easily be second in the level. On the way to the greenhouse, James pondered about Snape's answers and skills, knowing that there was more to it than appeared. All complaints and thoughts disappeared as they reached greenhouse 6, the safest of the lot, when they saw Madfungus, mushroom-like plants that bites at anything that comes near. They stopped in their tracks, not expecting to see such plants so early into the year, only to be ushered in by Professor Bean, shushing the complaints rising from the group.

"They are all tamed," Shrieks arose from the students who had entered the greenhouse first as they tried to keep out of reach of the Madfungus. "Quiet! Just pat them gently on the head and they'll calm down. They're just excited at having visitors. Right?" She asked them as she did what she said, pet them. The Madfungus she was petting licked her hand.

After everyone settled down, which took a long time, she started on her lesson. They learnt about how to grow these plants, what are the optimum conditions to grow them and a hands-on session on replanting them.

"Homework, at least 15 inches parchment on how to use them and what are their uses. Class dismissed." She said sourly at the end of class as she had to send a few students to the hospital wing due to Madfungus mild bites.

"Those were tamed?" Sirius sputtered as soon as he was out of ear reach. "I swear they tried to bite my finger off!"

"Well they didn't, did they. I see it still dangling from that hand of yours. I vaguely remember a powerful use of the Madfungus I read from a book in the library at home. I can't for my life, remember what it is. It feels important!" James replied irritably. Sensing danger, he quickly said.

"Let's check it out when we do our homework then. Now for dinner!" Running at top speed, he ran right into Calin who was stopped when Professor Elena stopped Lily at the doors.

"Ouch! Giant." That was all Calin could say, flattened by Sirius. James pulled Sirius off her which took some effort.

"I'm sorry, he wasn't looking, totally mesmerized by the prospect of food." James apologized on behalf of Sirius with his most gentlemanly bow. Totally stunned by what James did, she just nodded plainly at him, watching his back as the pair ran in the direction of the Hall.