"So what's first?" Sirius asked between bites at breakfast.

"I don't know, Remie, what's today?" James turned and looked at the other boy.

"Transfiguration with Ravenclaw. Not a bad start. Then on to potions with Hufflepuff, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin, all in all, not a bad day." Remus grinned. "So, what are you two planning? If it's harmless, count me in."

"In Minnie's class, Sirius wrote this spell." James pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "It's the same thing we used for the hair, only changed to work on objects and to follow a certain command."

"Let me see." Remus pointed his wand at his goblet. "Colores maxima pink."

Nothing happened and Sirius raised an eyebrow at Sirius.

"Dolt, it doesn't work like that." Sirius snatched the paper back. "Watch."

He ripped off an edge of the paper and wrote 'Sirius' on it. Then, he touched the paper with his wand and pointed it at the goblet.

"Colors maxima pink." Sirius said.

Suddenly, Sirius' name was written in bright pink letters on the goblet sitting in front of him. Remus grinned.

"Okay, I'm in for that one." He nodded.

"What do I do again?" Peter asked.

"Nothing. You just ask Minnie a question, like something that would detract her attention for a few seconds." Sirius explained yet again. "That's all you do."

"And for potions?" Remus asked.

"Nothing. The key to getting a good grade in Sluggy's class is to make a good impression. And for Defense Against the Dark Arts, we're going to enchant an ice mice to scare the girls and cause chaos." James replied. "So just pretend to be normal if you see a few mice running about."

"What are we going to write on Minnie's things?" Remus asked.

"We each get to choose, but we should write them now." Sirius tore of three more pieces of parchment and handed one to each James and Remus.

"Okay, I'm going to do the wall." Sirius grinned. "And I'm going to write…no, I'm going to draw a picture of a seeker chasing a snitch."

"Okay, I'm going to do the desk and I'm going to write…you all fail." James smiled. "Remus?"

"This requires careful thought. What about…oh, I know. I'll write 'this is not a blackboard' on the blackboard!" Remus exclaimed.

"Very brilliant, mate. Quite thought provoking, actually." Sirius joked.

"Now Pete, all you have to do is ask her questions." James nodded. "We all ready to do this?"

"It's not like we're actually hurting anything." Remus nodded. "Well, we best be off."

The four boys walked down to transfiguration, excited about their first class ever. They wanted to make a name for themselves, and they had to start off on the right foot. McGonnegal wasn't in the room when they entered, only a small tabby cat that sat on her desk, watching students enter.

"Whose cat?" James asked.

"It's McGonnegal." Remus replied in a whisper.

"What!" Sirius, James and Peter exclaimed.

"Shh!" Remus hushed them. "She's an Animagus. She can turn into a cat, specifically, a tabby cat."

"Oh." The other three nodded and took their seats.

After the bell rang, all the students sat quietly waiting in their seats. The cat jumped off the desk and turned into Professor McGonnegal, eliciting an excited gasp from the students.

"Good morning, class. I am Professor McGonnegal, and I will be teaching you the art of transfiguration. Do you have any questions before we begin?" she looked around the room.

Peter Pettigrew's hand shot up, right on cue.

"Yes, Mr. Pettigrew?" McGonnegal asked.

"Professor, I read in a textbook that Animagus transformations can result in a wizard getting stuck in that shape, but this textbook says otherwise. Which one is true?" Peter asked.

McGonnegal frowned and walked over to his desk. Remus, James, and Sirius pointed to the chalkboard, the desk, and the back wall and said the incantation quickly. McGonnegal turned around to see that her desk had the words "you all fail" written in bright green. The words "This is not a blackboard" stood out on her blackboard in a marvelous shade of orange.

"Oh for goodness sake." McGonnegal waved her hand, returning the desk and chalkboard to their normal colors. "Who did this?"

No one made a move. All the students were grinning, trying not to laugh. It would be impossible for McGonnegal to tell the culprits by their expressions.

"I will find out who did this." McGonnegal warned and turned to the chalkboard, seeing her back wall made the class burst out laughing.

A quidditch player drawn in a putrid blue was chasing a yellow snitch and catching it over and over again on her wall.

"That is quite enough." McGonnegal said with quiet authority. "I will find out who is responsible for this, and take points from their houses. If no one comes forward, I will take twenty points from both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw alike. If the culprits reveal themselves, I'll only take off five points from the house and give those responsible detentions. The choice is yours."

Immediately, Sirius, Remus, and James stood up.

"We did it Professor McGonnegal. We're really sorry." Sirius said, looking very ashamed.

"Yeah, it won't happen again." James nodded, looking equally remorseful.

McGonnegal stared at them for a second, then sighed.

"Very well. Detention tonight in my office at eight o'clock." She said, knowing full well that these boys were going to be trouble. McGonnegal began her lesson on transfiguration.

Sirius scribbled something on a piece of paper and passed it to James.

Hey, we should become Animagus. It'll be a fun challenge, don't you think?

-Sirius

James wrote a note back to Sirius, careful to avoid McGonnegal's watchful eye.

Yes, but not yet. We should probably learn the basics first. If you've got any ideas for tomorrow's pranks, tell me later.

-James

P.S. That was bloody brilliant.

Sirius gave him a heads up and they continued with their class work.

Professor Slughorn's class was exceptionally boring. No pranks were pulled in there because it was essential that they all make a good impression, everyone was talking about the words on the desk and chalkboard, and of the spectacular quidditch player on the wall, though. After lunch, the boys headed down to Professor Brown's room, anxious to pull another prank.

"Good afternoon class. For homework tonight I want you to write me one roll of parchment about what you think Defense Against The Dark Arts is. We'll be following ministry-approved guidelines in teaching this class, so keep that in mind when you write." Brown smiled pleasantly, but there was no warmth in his smile.

"Sir, what exactly are those ministry approved guidelines?" Remus asked.

"Mr. Lupin, if you are to raise your hand in my class, you are to wait for me to call on you." Brown sighed. "Five points from Gryffindor. Let's see if you cannot do things right this time."

Remus raised his hand and Brown nodded at him.

"Professor, I beg your pardon, but what are the ministry approved guidelines that we will be following?" Remus asked sweetly.

"Well, it is a constructive combination of book learning and semi-practical application of what you have learned. We will thoroughly study a counter-curse or a defensive spell before implementing it in monitored classroom situations that will not put any students in any danger." Brown explained.

"Professor, how can you practice a defense spell against nothing?" Lily Evans, the red head that tried to hex the boys, asked.

"Tut-tut, Miss Evans. Apparently you were not listening when I instructed Mr. Lupin on classroom etiquette…"

"Now." James whispered at Sirius as Brown droned on about classroom etiquette.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Now!" James whispered.

Sirius put the three ice mice on the floor and straightened up quickly as Brown walked over.

"Can I help you with something, boys?" Brown walked over to their desk.

"Sorry Professor. I didn't mean to be rude." James replied. "I just had a brilliant idea for my essay, and I just had to tell Sirius here about it."

"Well, if your idea is so good, I guess you won't mind me making it two rolls of parchment for you, now, will you?" Brown again smiled his cold, sarcastic smile and continued walking.

James, Remus, and Sirius all took out their wands and started making the mice crawl around.

"Please put your wands away." Brown instructed. "First we will-"

"Mouse!" Lily Evans screamed and several girls jumped on their chairs, causing more screaming and chaos as the class tried to get away from the floor.

"Mouse!" Girls were shrieking as Brown ran around the room trying to catch the enchanted mice.

Sirius was waving his wand, controlling his mouse, grinning like a maniac.

"Sirius! Put it away!" James hissed, putting away his wand.

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, putting his wand away too.

Too late, Brown had seen the Sirius and noticed the other two trying to get his attention. He was on the warpath now; Sirius quickly ended the incantation and put his wand away just as Brown reached him.

"Class, take your seats, they are only ice mice." Brown yelled angrily, immediately, the class sat down. "You three will join me for detention tonight at seven thirty in my office."

"We can't, unless our detention is only half an hour." James said.

"We have a previous engagement at eight that we can't miss." Sirius nodded.

"Of all the impertinence!" Brown roared. "If I say you have detention, you have detention!"

Several of the Slytherins laughed.

"Sir, we can't. We've already got detention tonight at eight." Remus explained. "Perhaps tomorrow night would work better for all our schedules?"

"Tomorrow night?" Brown scowled, furious at the three boys. "No, ten points from Gryffindor, you'll have detention at seven thirty tomorrow and the day after. Come ready to work."

With that, Professor Brown stormed up to the front of the classroom, leaving the three boys grinning behind him.

"So, how'd we do today?" Sirius asked as they walked out of class.

"Well, we're up thirty-five, and down twenty, so fifteen points. We've got three detentions so far and lots of homework. We're still in the good points wise, so we're okay." James grinned. "Did you see Brown's face?"

"Did you see Minnie's?" Remus smiled.

"They're in for one hell of a year." Sirius laughed.