Chapter Twenty-Six

Something Wicked

If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story

~Orson Wells

When James awoke the next day, the day after he'd finally shown Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore what the Slytherins were up to, he felt like a brand new person. He was sure his positivity and cheeriness were surrounding him like a halo, emanating out of his every pore. He basically bounced down to breakfast, restraining the happy tune he wanted to sing all the while. Sirius, Remus, and Peter all seemed to be in similar, if slightly more muted, form.

James has suspected that their revelation would be the gossip de jour during breakfast. Someone was bound to have overseen or overheard the fallout of Professors Slughorn, McGonagall, and Dumbledore's discussion. A good reaming out, and a banning or disqualification would certainly have gotten out to someone. However, there was not even the slightest wisp of a conversation about anything Slytherin. Even the Slytherins did not seem like anything occurred. Most of the prime suspects were not at breakfast but considering the flexibility of upperclassmen's schedules and most of the Slytherins' penchant for skipping early classes, that was not all that strange.

"Do you think it's possible no one knows yet?" Sirius asked, his voice not much more than a whisper. He shot furtive looks around the dining hall to truly assess the situation.

"Or maybe the professors haven't done anything to them?" Peter squeaked, his face turning paler and paler with each passing second. At his words, worried expressions crossed Remus' and Sirius' faces. James could tell they were mulling over the possibility that Slughorn, McGonagall, and Dumbledore had chosen not to act against the Slytherins responsible for the broom tampering incidents.

"No!" James exclaimed, his voice loud, but his tone cool and calm. "Professor Dumbledore was far too upset at the last match, and there was far too in depth an investigation for nothing to come of our discovery of the true culprits. Trust me, the consequences will be apparent in no time at all. We just have to be patient."

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Players and spectators!" Professor Dumbledore's voice boomed over the crowd of excited students gathered at the Hogwarts Quidditch stadium. A whole two days had passed since the four Gryffindors had turned over their evidence and yet nothing had filtered out about what, if anything had happened to the Slytherins. James and the others were really hanging their last hope on something being done at this match. Dumbledore beginning the game with a speech definitely boded well.

A wide beaming smile crossed James' face and he gently elbowed Sirius in the side. 'This is it,' he mouthed to his friend before motioning towards the teachers' section of the stands. Dumbledore stood in the small box that was usually reserved for the announcer, Karlson. Finally, in front of the whole school they were going to learn the consequences of the Slytherins' deceptive and illegal tactics.

"As I know you are all aware, several of the Quidditch matches this year have been interrupted, and nearly invalidated, by illegal broom tampering. These actions were not only against the ideals of good sportsmanship and fair play but could have been potentially life threatening. They were cowardly acts inspired by a childish desire for a particular house and team to win the Quidditch cup." Dumbledore paused in his speech as excited and curious whispers rose up from the assembled students.

"I stand before you now to let you know the results of an investigation into these matters. New evidence has come to light that has made it very clear who was responsible. Now, some staff members have argued that the who of it all is not important for you to know." James noticed that as Dumbledore spoke, he ever so slightly glanced towards Professors Slughorn and Strinkley, both Slytherins. "However, as the tamperings have affected every one of you, and not just those who play Quidditch, I felt it important that you know.

"A small group of Slytherins, composed of both members of the Slytherin Quidditch team and those not on the team, took it upon themselves to ensure a Slytherin victory. These students first tampered with their own brooms, and those of their unsuspecting teammates, to throw off any suspicions. They then tampered with the Hufflepuff brooms in an attempt to throw suspicion onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team." At the announcement of the Slytherins' guilt, a loud boisterous cheer erupted from the Gryffindor section; their names had been cleared!

"Because of their underhanded tactics, and the fact that Slytherin team captain Alectus Warrington also captained the tampering efforts, the Slytherin Quidditch team has been disqualified from the competition for the school's Quidditch cup. Warrington has been banned from Hogwarts' Quidditch for the rest of his time here, and other individuals have received various other punishments in line with their roles and responsibilities." Towards the end of his announcement, Dumbledore was forced to yell over the increasingly loud crowd. The Gryffindor students continued to cheer and shout with joy. Some Ravenclaws and a significant portion of the Hufflepuffs quickly joined in. Then, on top of that, the Slytherins began booing and hissing, upset at being disqualified. It was a cacophony of noise that filled the large open-air stadium.

Dumbledore stood at the announcer's podium in the professors' section of the stadium, allowing the noise to continue, allowing the release of emotions that the sounds signified. Finally, after about five minutes, Dumbledore stepped up to the voice projection device and cleared his throat. The sound echoed throughout the stadium and slowly it quieted down the raucous crowd. Eventually, all of the gathered students stopped talking and turned their focus back to Dumbledore.

"Now, I know that this information is quite troubling, and I want to assure you that my door, as well as the doors of all of your professors, will be open to you to discuss this and any other matters that are troubling you. However, this is supposed to be a time of revelry and sporting prowess. The main reason of our gathering here today is to play and witness a good, fair Quidditch match. In times of distress, I often find a good distraction is some of the best medicine. So, without further ado," Professor Dumbledore punctuated his sentence by motioning towards the Quidditch pitch ground where Karl Broadmoor was patiently waiting to begin the match. Seconds later, players from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw excitedly marched out to the awaiting crowd.

Both teams had a bounce in their steps. Gryffindor because they had been cleared of any wrongdoing. Ravenclaw because they were now leading the standings for the cup and were in a very good position to clinch it all.

The match quickly commenced, and both teams played with a ferociousness that hadn't been present in previous matches. It was a close match, when one team would score a goal the other would do the same only seconds later. James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter were kept on the edge of their seats throughout the entire game. If Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw by 200 points, a not too difficult feat, then they could win the cup. However, there was never a time when either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw had more than a 30-point lead. Finally, after nearly three and a half hours of intense back and forth game play, the Ravenclaw seeker caught the snitch and ended the game.

Ravenclaw had won the match and, thanks to the Slytherins' disqualification, they had won the Quidditch cup. Despite their loss, the Gryffindor players and nearly every other member of the house was almost more ecstatic about the turn of events than the Ravenclaws. Gryffindor hadn't won, but neither had Slytherin. Gryffindor's reputation had been restored, and Slytherin's had been rightfully smeared. It all added up to an almost intoxicating gleefulness, and the Gryffindors chose as an outlet a loud, exuberant, and boisterous party.

"This has been the best day!" James exclaimed as he dropped down onto a couch in the Gryffindor common room beside his friends, Remus and Peter. Loud music and cheery chatter filled the room, nearly drowning out James' words. The party was in full swing and James and Sirius had been out mingling in the crowd, enjoying it all. Remus and Peter, the quieter of the four, had opted for a spot on a slightly out of the way couch where they could still be at the party and see it, but not been in the center of it all.

"Gryffindors sure know how to throw a party," Remus responded, having to yell quite a bit in order to be heard.

"That they do! And I like to think it's all for us! After all, we are responsible for the celebrations having been the ones who found the true culprits and provided irrefutable proof. Gryffindor is basically throwing a party in our honour!" James spoke smugly. He punctuated his words by crossing his hands behind his head, putting his feet up on a coffee table in front of the couch, and slouching down in a confident, yet relaxed manner.

"That seems rather cocky and bigheaded," a voice from behind James, Remus, and Peter spoke. James leaned his head over the back of the couch. Standing there, a slightly exasperated expression on her face, was Lily Evans. Her friends were standing around her, but her focus at that moment was solely on James. Peter squeaked slightly from James' right and became extremely focused on his shoes. James would have questioned his friend's actions, but he was more concerned with the petite red haired girl who'd just insulted him.

"It's not cocky and bigheaded if it's true," James responded, his head still hanging over the edge of the couch. Lily turned slightly back to her friend and rolled her eyes incredulously. James, now feeling a strong affront to his name and reputation, jumped to his feet and stared Lily down.

"Didn't you hear Professor Dumbledore today? He clearly stated that new evidence had come to light that implicated the Slytherins in the broom tamperings! Well we were the ones that found that evidence and brought it to Dumbledore! If it hadn't been for us, Gryffindor would still be suspects!" James then crossed his arms defiantly, as if daring Lily to push him again.

"Well," she spoke, meeting James' challenging stare with a confident one of her own, "if you think about it, if it hadn't been for you, Gryffindor wouldn't have been suspected in the first place. After all, it was the similarity between the jinxed Quidditch brooms and Severus' broom that initially put the blame on the Gryffindor team. So..." Lily didn't complete the thought, just let it hang in the air between them.

"Maybe you should think of that the next time you want to pick on an innocent person." Lily finished her statement with a nod before turning to her friends and leaving, heading for the girls' wing of the Gryffindor dormitories. James was left standing before the couch, his mouth slightly agape.

The final weeks of school passed in a blur of studying, textbooks, and written and practical exams. Before he really knew it, James and the rest of the Hogwarts students were preparing to head home for the summer. That night would be a going away feast and then the next day everyone would board the Hogwarts Express and return to London and their families.

However, as James stood in his dormitory, packing up his scattered belongings (it was a little crazy how spread out things got when someone had a full year), he couldn't help but feel it was a bittersweet moment. James was excited to be done his first year, to have accomplished so much. He couldn't wait to get home to his parents; no matter how decedent and delicious the cooking at Hogwarts was, it could not compare to his mother's in James' opinion.

But all that was tinged with the bitterness of leaving his friends behind. They would all be returning home, spread out across the country, and would most likely not see each other for another two months. After spending every minute of every day for the past nine months, the prospect of not seeing them made James sad and hesitant to leave.

'It's not time to say goodbye yet,' James thought as he stared at his nearly packed suitcase. The train didn't leave until the next morning and there was still an evening of celebration ahead of them. Not wanting to ruin anything with his melancholia, James pushed down his blue feelings and chose to focus on the fact that he still had a few more hours with the other three Gryffindors.

He, Remus, Sirius, and Peter headed down to the end-of-term feast at their normal time and took their normal spot at the Gryffindor table. Lily and the other first year girls sat a few spots away, similar bittersweet emotions displayed on their faces. However, James was quickly distracted from his observations –he was not staring- of Lily by the arrival of absolutely divinely smelling food.

Meals at Hogwarts were always exquisite, but there was something different about this meal, something more. The kitchen staff had really gone all out. As James and the others dug into their meal, by far the best at Hogwarts, any worries they had were driven from their minds. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and all of the other inhabitants of the Great Hall chatted joyously and generally enjoyed their final meals.

Dinner seamlessly transitioned into dessert and still James and the others chatted on and continued eating. They discussed their summer plans, though Sirius and Remus were a little vague on the details. All four also promised to write letters to each other throughout the summer. Also, word had gotten round through Gryffindor house that the four first years had been responsible for uncovering the truth about the broom tamperings, and several older Gryffindor students came by throughout the meal to thank and congratulate the four on their findings and their relentless work.

Finally, as the consumption of food slowed, and a general feeling of completeness began to permeate the room, Professor Dumbledore stood. He, like the start-of-term feast and other school wide celebrations, had been sitting at the head position of the staff table. As he stood, the hall quieted down, preparing for another Dumbledore speech and, more importantly, the announcement of the winner of the House Cup.

"Good evening! I trust we've all had our fill of that absolutely delicious meal. The kitchen staff have truly out done themselves! A fitting, celebratory end to this year. Now, normally I would take only a few minutes of your time to announce the winner of the House Cup, impart a few words of wisdom, and dismiss you to enjoy your final evening here. However, recent events have made it clear to me that a few more pieces of wisdom and perhaps an old man's plea are necessary. So, unfortunately, I will be taking a few more moments of your time tonight."

A murmur of concern spread throughout the Great Hall, but it quickly died down and Professor Dumbledore continued his speech. "Over the past year, a small group of students chose to lash out at others within the school for a simple sense of victory, or betterment, or superiority. This is greatly troubling. Quidditch is a terrific sport, and the thrill of competition is like nothing else. However, it is important not to get too caught up in that competition.

"Unity, both within each house and, more importantly it appears, between each house should be of the upmost concern. Division, for whatever reason, can be easily exploited and lead to destruction and devastation. From here on out, each person sitting in this room should look to focus on what we share, and not what we don't."

As Dumbledore spoke, James got a sense that the Headmaster was talking about more than just inter-house division. It was something larger with much greater, more life-altering consequences that was on his mind. What, exactly that was though, James hadn't the slightest idea.

"That being said, the staff and I have decided that, to eliminate competition now, when everyone has been working so hard, would be foolish. This year, we will award a House Cup. And we will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. But, going on, house points will be awarded in greater frequency and quantity to acts that promote inter-house unity. Acts against it will be severely discouraged and dealt with. As a wise man once said, 'United we stand. Divided we fall.'

"So, without further ado, the winner of the House cup is," Dumbledore waved his wand and the banners that had previously been black with the Hogwarts crest changed into blue and bronze with a prominent eagle. "With 1325 points, Ravenclaw!" A cheer went up from that house's table. Having concluded the festivities with the announcement, Dumbledore then dismissed the students to enjoy their final night at Hogwarts for that year.

The next morning dawned bright, as if nature itself was happy about the end of term and the freedom of the now arrived summer. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter awoke late in the morning, dressed, and packed up their last few belongings. A note posted in the common room a few days prior had notified them that their trunks would be brought down to the trains for them, so, after a quick breakfast, the boys headed down to the carriages that would transport them to the train.

However, as their carriage rattled down the path of the Hogwarts grounds, the four first year Gryffindors had one final trick, one final prank up their sleeves. About halfway down to the train station, James, Sirius, and Remus pulled out their wands and pointed them out the window at the cloudless blue sky.

"Ningo," they spoke, and the sky began to fill with white clouds. The clouds quickly darkened and then began to spill their contents, fluffy white snowflakes. The horseless carriages halted and the students within them poured outside, shocked at the sight. It had been nowhere near cold enough for snow only a few moments before.

Everyone stood around in amazement, watching the snow fall and blanket the Hogwarts' grounds. Some simply held out their hands to catch the flakes. Some threw their heads back and opened their mouths to catch the flakes. Despite the rapid cooling, no one seemed really upset or perturbed by it, probably too taken by the strangeness of the event to be upset.

After only a few moments, the ground around the carriages was covered with an inch of fluffy white powder. James and Sirius gave each other a look and then turned to look at Remus and Peter, signalling everyone that their plan was now well in motion. It was time for phase two.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter carefully moved throughout the crowd, separating from each other. Once they were in position, they, as inconspicuously as possible, bent down and gathered up some of the snow. Each boy carefully worked the snow in their hands before once again searching for each other.

"Snowball fight!" James exclaimed before he hurtled his small, almost perfectly spherical ball into the air. The other three quickly followed suit and hurled their own snowballs. All four hit random victims and had their desired effect. The victims, as well as several others responding to James' call bent down and began making their own snowballs. Quickly, nearly all of the students who had emptied out of the carriages were involved in a good natured battled of snow.

When James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter finally boarded the Hogwarts Express, they had splitting sides from laughter, tired cheeks from smiles, sore arms from throwing, and were covered in snow. Many of the other students were in the same or similar states. Finally, a little late, the train pulled away from Hogwarts Station. As the grand castle slowly disappeared from view, James couldn't help but think:

'What a great first year. Can't wait to see what next year has in store.'

The End