Chapter 4
Lily started to wash her hair. As she was rinsing out the shampoo she began singing. She had her eyes closed and couldn't see.
James rolled out of bed and woke startled as his head hit the floor. He could hear someone downstairs. He checked the time: 6:10. He groaned and rolled towards his packed trunk and pulled his uniform towards him. He lay there thinking for about 3 more minutes then took a deep breath and stood up groggily making his way towards the bathroom in his boxers.
"Hallo lamp-post watcha knowing. I've come to watch your flowers gro –" Lily sang as un-aware of James coming down the stairs as he was that he was about to trip.
THUD! James hit his head on the bathroom door. He had tripped before the last few paces.
"Owww…"
He stood and opened the door. Lily had stopped singing and turned of the water she was now dressed in her towel. It all happened at once. Lily reached out to get her comb, James slipped on the soap and flew into Lily's out stretched arm, whilst Lily screamed and fell on top of James.
"OUCH! OW, OW, OW! Ow." said James weakly.
Lily now had stopped screaming.
"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Asked Lily concerned.
"Sure." James croaked.
She stood up stepping on James fingers and then helped him up. He smiled.
"Nice legs."
Lily looked furious and stalked out, as soon as she was out the door onto the carpet Lily called back.
"Thanks for cushioning my fall fattso!" then ran up the stairs.
"Am I really fat?" James wondered out loud.
"Hey guys!" James called out to his friends Remus, Sirius & Peter.
"Hi James, how's it goi –" Remus was halfway though asking before Sirius burst out:
"What in hell happened man!"
"What? Don't I look normal?" Said James concerned.
"There is like a bump the size of Mount Everest on the back of your head." replied Sirius.
"So I don't look fat?"
"No…" Remus answered.
"Not…fatter?" James asked.
"No!" Said Remus much quicker this time having read something about anorexia recently.
"Moony relax. What's up with you?"
"I'm, I'M NOT FAT!" James did a sort of victory dance, "What the hell is Mount Everest anyways?"
"No idea mate, no idea. Twas in one of Moony's books," replied Sirius attempting to be mysterious.
"Guys, Mount stands for mountain. Mount Everest is the tallest one of the most famous mountains ever. Many people have tried unsuccessfully to climb Mount Everest." Remus tried to explain.
"Why would anyone want to climb a mountain?" asked James.
"No idea mate –" Sirius started.
"No idea." James joined in as he finished the sentence.
And they headed down to breakfast with an exasperated looking Remus.
"Hi!" Melissa greeted her warmly.
"Oh. Hey!" Lily replied back.
"So…?"
"What?"
"So what's it like up there in the Head Girl room?" Melissa persisted.
"Oh, it's pretty boring without you."
Melissa laughed.
"I make the world don't I."
"You're turning as pigheaded as Potter & Black. Speaking of which…" And Lily launched into her story about the bathroom.
"Shared bathroom?" Melissa echoed, "How will you survive Lily!"
And they played out a small dramatic scene in which Lily had a breakdown about the shared bathroom, but then went back to reality.
"I survive at home with my family." Lily reminded her.
"Yeah. Yeah, but this is Potter."
"Good point Mel, good point." said Lily as some Slytherins walked down some stairs.
"Why if it isn't little miss mudblood! I can't believe of all people they put you in charge."
"Shut your mouth Lucius!" Melissa snapped.
"Make me blood traitor! I don't think your Mum will be pleased!
"THAT'S IT!" Melissa whipped out her wand.
"What's it Prongs?" Remus asked confused.
"What? I didn't say anything."
"Incontras!" shouted Melissa.
Malfoy disappeared. The other five Slytherins drew their wands and stepped forwards.
"Five on two, not going to be a pretty picture," said one of Malfoy's cronies smirking.
Melissa whom had already figured this out made a plan.
"Do you have a plan Mel?" whispered Lily.
"Sure."
"That doesn't involve fighting to the death to preserve our dignity and pride?" asked Lily hopefully.
"Okay now we need a new plan."
"Mel?" The Slytherins advanced.
As long as Lily had known Melissa she had never been one to risk her dignity & pride. Lily hoped that just this once Melissa would make an exception on her behalf.
"Mel?" Lily whispered.
The Marauders walked down the stairs and found Melissa and Lily standing facing a group of Slytherins.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Sirius shouted as the marauders leapt down the stairs.
"Impedimenta!" James came next.
"Uh um…Wingardium Leviosa?" said Peter un-sure as he levitated a Slytherin about a meter off the floor.
"Petrificus Totalus!" A Slytherin stopped and went as straight as a board before falling to backwards.
"Cruico!" cried a Slytherin.
Melissa whipped her head round and came face to face with the curse sailing at her. The curse hit her and sent her flailing backwards. She didn't shriek with pain but her face showed everything. She was lucky the Slytherin had obviously never used this before and was now hanging in the air by his ankle courtesy of Sirius who looked mutinous. Everyone was staring at Melissa. She got up and went over to Lily and helped her up.
"What is going on here?" Professor McGonagall asked rushing in on the scene, "Black! Lower that Slytherin! Fifteen points from Gryffindor!"
"Yeah, and how many points are you going to take off him for attempting to use an un-forgivable curse!" Sirius retorted.
"What? Black! There is not a student in this whole school that knows how to use an un-forgivable curse! Don't make me take more points from my house! To my office now please."
Melissa, Lily, James, Sirius, Remus & Peter entered the McGonagall's office.
"You two," She pointed at Melissa and Lily, "Tell me what happened."
"Mel and I were walking and we bumped into a group of 6 Slytherins. Malfoy called –"
"Lucius called her a mud-blood! And I told him to shut his twisted mouth! Then he called me a blood traitor! Then I –"
"Have a ginger newt!" said professor McGonagall firmly.
"I don't want a ginger newt. I want to see that Slytherin who attempted to use an un-forgivable curse on me and give him a piece of my mind!"
Lily elbowed her sharply. Her friend could get so carried away sometimes. She prayed that Mel wouldn't lose her temper this time if she hadn't already. 'Mel got the message she's taken a ginger newt!' thought Lily relived.
"Lily. Would Lily please continue?"
"Uh, yes well, Mel uh. What exactly did you do Mel?"
"I sent him...uh, turned? Yes, turned him into a…a paving stone."
Professor McGonagall stopped.
"So you meant to turn him into a paving stone?"
"Yes, I just really said the first thing in my mind. Which happened to be…" she trailed off.
"You're a real werdio Mel. You know that?" Sirius stated.
"I see well lets find Mr Malfoy first before we do anything else. Follow me."
So they all went back to the scene to find Malfoy.
They walked around for at least half an hour tapping various paving stones with their wands.
"Professor its no use, I don't think he's one of these stones. Can I ask Mel if she made a mistake with the spell?" asked Lily.
"No need!" shouted James, "We found him!"
They all hurried forwards. There in the middle of the floor was a very unhappy looking paving stone. If you looked closely you could see the different tones on stone making an un-happy face. Professor McGonagall stepped forward and tapped him with her wand. Malfoy appeared.
"Mr Malfoy my office. The rest of you go down to breakfast if it isn't already finished."
And she hurried off to hear Malfoy's story in her office.
