Pranking Disaster: Part One

The second day of the school year dawned bright and early for all the students. The seventh year girls, minus Emily who had decided to wait for Sirius, were downstairs in the Great Hall eating breakfast. The three girls were talking about their classes for that day when the seventh year guys and Emily walked in. All of the four Marauders had mischievous smiles across their faces.

Emily came over and joined her friends while the boys sat a couple seats down.

"What's with all the happy faces this morning, James," asked Becca as she got up and sat down in between Remus and Sirius.

"You'll see soon enough," answered James, rubbing his hands together in glee.

"Yeah, Beck, you'll honestly love this. You and Em will not be able to beat it no matter how hard you try," Sirius said, draping his arm around her shoulders. "Now, sit back, relax, and fix your gaze upon the Slytherin table."

Becca and Emily turned around to glance at the table in question. Their jaws positively dropped, their mouths agape.

Instead of their normal black school uniform, each Slytherin was wearing a scarlet robe. In gold letters, there were different messages on each uniform-things like "Lions for the Cup!" and "Slytherins are Snot Bags!" and "Gryffindor Has What Slytherin Doesn't: Marauders and Talent."

Emily grinned. "Very nice, boys."

"But that's not the best part!" James insisted. "They can't see their own robes…only others'." He laughed infectiously.

"I bet a House full of Slytherins were shocked to see their friends advertising for Gryffindor," Becca said. "That's pretty funny."

"Yeah, Potter," said a scathing voice behind James. "Really witty."

"Evans, can you leave us alone and let us enjoy our prank in peace?" James asked, not even bothering to turn around and look at her. "Just this once? I'll even deliver myself a lecture if you want, just to save you the time."

Lily's eyes narrowed and she stalked off wordlessly.

There was a long silence. "Trust Lily Evans to ruin a perfectly good prank," James said sullenly.

"I don't understand why you do that, James," Emily said, buttering a piece of toast.

"Do what?" he asked innocently. "I just offered to save her a scolding."

"That's precisely it. You always seem to know exactly what to say to trip her trigger." Emily looked back at the Slytherin table and couldn't help but grin as she saw an angry McGonagall scold the Slytherin Prefects from straying from their school uniforms.

"She does it too! She's always calling me irresponsible, and immature, and arrogant, and—"

"Well why don't we start a giant name-calling festival, James," Emily said sarcastically to her cousin. "If you'd just grow up, maybe you could get along."

"Well it takes two to tango, Emily," James said. "And I don't think Lily knows how to dance."

"Forget dancing, James. It's going to take a lot more than another year of pranks and smart-# comments to make her like you at all. Right now, I'd say you're still at the Loathing level. Try a little harder and you might make it to Scorn."

"You have a sliding scale for how much she hates me?" James demanded incredulously. "What else is there a scale for?"

"Lioni secrets, James," Becca said after downing her morning pumpkin juice. She shared a mysterious smile with Emily as the two rose and exited the Great Hall.

"Potter! Black!"

James and Sirius turned around just in time to see a fuming McGonagall heading straight towards them.

"Let's see what kind of punishment old Minnie throws at us this time," Sirius said, rubbing his hands together.

"Follow me," McGonagall said crisply. Sirius and James grinned at each other before getting up and following their strict Professor. Lily smirked at James' retreating back clearly saying that he was deserving what he was getting. Receiving punishments was one of the many consequences of being a Marauder. Another detention wasn't going to kill them.

Professor McGonagall led them right outside the Great Hall before she began her speech; she obviously hadn't wanted to make a scene. "Explain yourselves!"

James and Sirius pulled a look of pure innocence that they had developed over the years. "Whatever are you talking about, Professor?" James asked curiously.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about Potter. Pranking the Slytherins! Disgusting behavior from two young men that belong to my house," McGonagall said.

"Oh, you mean their robes, Professor? I, personally, like their new sense in fashion. I guess they all clearly noticed how horribly their old green robes went with their complexion," Sirius explained.

"Don't even try to talk your way out of this one, Black. It has your names written all over it," she retorted.

"Actually, I thought I saw the name 'the Marauders' written on the back of most of them. Whoever the Marauders are I'm sure they're incredibly handsome and talented," James said, smiling winningly.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor and a night's worth of detention. I will be sending you a letter with the time and—I'm sure you know the drill by now," Professor McGonagall said tartly. James and Sirius watched as she turned on her heels and walked back in the Great Hall.

"'I guess they all clearly noticed how horribly their old green robes went with their complexion'. Padfoot, my friend, you never lose your touch," James laughed.

"Oh, neither do you, Prongsie. 'Whoever the Marauders are I'm sure they're incredibly handsome and talented'. So true, so true," replied Sirius clapping James on the back.

"And to add to the fun…" James said, whipping out his wand, as he saw a particular group coming out of the breakfast hall.

Sirius rubbed his hands together in glee as he spotted his younger, evil brother Regulus amongst the group. He had always wanted a chance for revenge ever since Regulus had decided to support Voldemort and his Death Eaters…even if Sirius had already gotten his revenge twenty-seven times.

"Aw, Regulus, my dear little brother. I had no idea you looked up to me that much. I'm touched," Sirius said dramatically, placing his hand over his heart. Regulus made a weird hissing sound while Bella made a noise of disgust. On the back of Regulus' scarlet new robes were the words, "My older brother got the looks…and the talent…and the girls."

James laughed. "Oh, and Snivellus. It's wonderful to see you up and walking again after yesterday's little duelling practice," James said, as he easily spotted Snape's greasy head out of the group of Slytherins.

Snape growled loudly. "Ugh, Prongs. I think old Snivelly has rabies," Sirius exclaimed.

"Sectusempra!" Snape hissed, making a weird slashing movement with his wand. James and Sirius jumped out of the way of the travelling spell, which hit a painting of a group of warlocks, sending them scattering into neighbouring frames.

"Woah. Snivelly's getting down with his bad self. Making up spells, are we? Naughty, naughty. I'm sure that's illegal," Sirius taunted, shaking his head back and fourth as if disciplining a five year old.

A jet of yellow light shot out of Bella's wand. "Protego," James flicked his wand simply as if shooing away a fly, procuring a silver shield.

"Wow, Bella. You finally got the hang of non-verbal spells. I'm so proud," James mocked, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

Bellatrix made a cry of indignation. "Cruci—"

James' eyes widened, as he jumped out of the way, pulling Sirius with him, putting up the strongest shield he could think of.

But the spell never came. "Bella. You must get a hold of yourself. If you get expelled you won't be of any use…" her sister, Narcissa, explained quickly, grabbing Bella's wand arm and pulling it downwards towards the floor. Bella pulled her arm angrily out of Narcissa's grasp.

"The Dark Lord will get you one day, dear cousin. You too, Potter. Mark my words," she hissed.

James and Sirius snorted in unison. "Oh, I'm scared now. Why don't you go tell your mate, Voldy, that we'll be here waiting," James said.

"How dare you…don't you dare…you have the nerve to speak His name," Bella said, so incensed that she could hardly speak in complete sentences.

"What's the matter, cousin Bella? Afraid of hearing you're master's name?" Sirius said.

"Watch your step, Black. The day will come when He gets rid of all the filth in this world. Including you're little girlfriend, Mudblood Lily Evans," Rodolphus Lestrange spoke up from beside his girlfriend, Bella, who seemed angry beyond words. Lestrange was sneering at James, knowing he'd hit the ball out of the park.

Lily, Becca, and Emily were discussing the different ways to conjure Shield charms as they walked to class.

"Your problem, Becca, is that you haven't mastered the flick of the wrist we learned first lesson, first year," Lily admonished, grinning. "You're still doing some kind of slash motion."

"Who cares? I'll just chuck aside my wand and start punching people when I need to," Becca retorted as they rounded the corner and full-tilt jungle madness came into view.

The three stood, their mouths agape, for a second, staring at the scene before them. James was currently punching Rodolphus Lestrange into a pulp as Sirius tackled four other Slytherins, his wand poised and dangerous.

Leaving Lily standing there, Becca and Emily jumped into the fray, pulling a couple Slytherins away from Sirius and giving him a chance to breathe.

"Half-blood Daniels and Muggle loving Potter are trying to help my dear cousin," taunted Bella from the sidelines. She kicked Becca hard on the side of her stomach, sending her sprawling across the floor. Bella began laughing, advancing on Becca who pulled out her wand.

"Expelliar—," gasped Becca, holding the side of her stomach. But before she could finish her spell, Bellatrix was thrown up into the air and thrown down the hall where she collapsed against the wall, unconscious.

"Good one, that was," Becca said, allowing Remus to help her to her feet. He apparently had heard the commotion and him and Peter had come running out of the Great Hall.

Becca winced slightly as he helped her stand up straight. "That Bella…she can sure kick hard. But then again, who the heck kicks in a full blown out duel?" Becca exclaimed. Remus laughed. The two looked around. Emily was helping Sirius fight off Zachary Malfoy, who seemed to want revenge for the knocking out of one of his fellow Slytherins. James, meanwhile, was still punching every bit of Lestrange he could reach, his wand laying on the floor beside him.

"You filthy little…don't you dare let me catch you say that again or you'll be sorry that you're good for nothing parents ever decided to have you," James hissed. He picked up his wand and pointed it directly at Lestrange's throat.

James let out a yell of surprise when his wand flew out of his hand and up into the air. He turned his head around and saw Lily standing behind him, holding his wand, a look of pure rage on her face.

James quickly got up off of Lestrange, kicking him with his foot as he did.

"Potter, I can't even find words enough to explain you at this moment. Twice in less than twenty-four hours? And—" She was cut short as Sirius yelled. "Oy! Prongs! I don't think so, Lestrange!"

There was a blast of red light, and Rodolphus fell over onto the ground, as stiff as a board, with Sirius standing behind him, smiling evilly.

Snape and Narcissa were leaving the scene dragging the unconscious Bella behind them, leaving many other unconscious Slytherins behind.

"So, what are we going to—"

"Shut it, Black! I'm going to be getting to you in a minute," Lily snapped, glaring between the two boys, her eyes so narrowed they were just slits of green.

Emily walked up from behind and stood beside Sirius. "Lily, the Slytherins…they well…deserved it…I mean, we don't even know the full story," She tried to explain.

"And you two," she said, pointing a finger at Becca and Emily. "Getting involved like that. Outrageous, absolutely outrageous behavior," Lily said.

"But, Lily, they were all ganging up on Sirius, we couldn't just—" Becca was saying, but Lily turned her back on her.

"And you Potter. I was hoping that you would have grown up over the summer. But after the whole ordeal yesterday and now this…it's disgusting! It's childish! And you're Head Boy! You are without a doubt the lowest, most—"

"Evans! I was bloody trying to defend you!" James shouted, his eyes glinting.

"For the record Potter, I can defend myself! I don't need you fighting my battles!" She retorted angrily.

"You don't fight them yourself! You just let them get away with it, calling you names and putting you down. You've never once stuck up for yourself!"

Lily glared at him, thrusting his wand back into his hands. "There are other ways of sticking up to people besides throwing hexes at each other and dishonouring Gryffindor's name," she hissed. She turned on her heel and walked briskly away, back up to the Gryffindor common room.

There was a ringing silence as the rest of the group surveyed the scene. "Well, um…should we just leave them here?" James finally asked, a hint of sadness in his voice, motioning to the few knocked out Slytherins scattered across the floor.

"No, we shouldn't. We've already gotten one detention from McGonagall this morning and this definantly has the word 'Marauders' written all over it," Sirius said, kicking the leg of Lestrange.

"Oy!" Becca and Emily shouted. "And the Lioni! What are we, sidekicks?"

"I don't think Evans would like to be associated with this mess," said James bitterly. "Come on, mates. Let's take them to the Hospital Wing."

With a swish of his wand, James had Lestrange floating in the air.

"What kind of story should we tell Pomfrey this time?" Asked Sirius, as he too levitated a Slytherin.

"We can't use the one how they all just seemed to fall down the stairs tripping over one another…we used that one at the end of last year," Remus said as the four Marauders walked off towards the Hospital Ward, with three Slytherins floating behind them.