Chapter 21 Sacrifice is the Greatest Form of Love
Just wanna be with you, only you-no matter where life takes us, nothing can break us apart, you know it's true-I just wanna be with you -High School Musical "Just Want To Be With You"
Two Months Later-November
"Look at this! No, wait-Lily, look at that!" James's eyes were huge, eyeing up every new item on Zonko's display stack.
"Anything for you today, boys?" The storekeeper, Ernie, who apparently knew all of the Marauders very well, asked. He was older than middle aged, and was bald with a huge mustache. He had a twinkle of mischief in his eyes much like the Marauders, which made sense seeing that he ran a joke shop.
James had matured since years past, and proven himself responsible, but was still mischievous and loved pranks-and that was something that I would never ever, not in a million years, want him to grow out of. I had always grudgingly liked that about him, that he could make everyone in the room bust out laughing, regardless of how many Death Eater raids there had been in the past week. I only stopped pranks when they looked too particularly fatal to the prankee.
"I'll take...three of these Fanged Frisbee things, they look wicked-oh, and four-no, seven of those exploding biscuits, lovely, we can use those on the Slytherins," Sirius looked at me wickedly, winking.
"They're banned, you know," I told him frankly, knowing full well that my statement would not put a damper on his pranky mood whatsoever. I knew that Ernie, the Zonko's manager, wouldn't give a broken rubber wand either about which of his products (ninety-nine percent of them) were taped on a list on the door of Filch's office.
"Banned, schmanned," he replied, true to form.
"Don't worry Lily-love, we'll only put them in the really detestable Slytherin's plates," he winked, kissing me swiftly. I brought my hands up to his neck, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him and deepening the kiss, lips moving with mine-
"Ugh, you two-get a room!" Sirius shielded his eyes, staggering around.
"Oh shush, Black!" I swatted his arm as James and I broke away. "It's exactly what you and Marlene do!"
"Watch out, Evans, or you just might find yourself with an exploding biscuit in your dinner, Prongsie's girlfriend or not," he said, picking up a tiny toy sword the size of a fingernail from the cart behind him and it magically transformed (Astound your friends! Catch Death Eaters off guard!) into a three-foot long saber.
"You wouldn't," I mock-gasped, pulling out one of my own and commencing to challenge him. He walked around each other in a circle, playfully jabbing at each other as Ernie laughed jovially as James joined in.
"Not thy fair Lily!" James gasped, lunging forward and attacking Sirius in slow motion. I stepped out of the battle, preferring to watch and keep both my eyes.
"Boys will be boys," Marlene sidled up behind me, laughing and shaking her head as the two Marauders made sword-sound effects, taking their battle the length of the shop.
"Wouldn't want them any other way," I laughed. "Where'd Peter and Remus and Dorcas and Emmy go?" I wondered. Alice was currently in Madam Puddifoot's tea shop with her boyfriend of half a year, Frank Longbottom. We all suspected he was going to propose soon, with couples marrying sooner and sooner because of the rush to start families, thanks to Voldemort. It wasn't uncommon to get married right out of school.
"I think they're in the Three Broomsticks-either that, or they may be spying on poor Alice," Marlene laughed, inspecting an automatic spit-ball gun. New and Improved, apparently. "This could be useful," she murmured to herself. "I want to have a snowball fight!" Her eyes lit up as they travelled toward the window.
"That's just sad, honestly, Marlene," I shook my head, commenting sarcastically. "It's November, and not even a decent snowball fight to usher in the winter!" I cried dramatically. "That will have to change."
"When you're least expecting it, Lily," she promised wickedly.
"I'll hold you to that," I said very seriously before both of us burst out laughing when James tripped, skidding across the floor and landing at my feet at a sudden patch of ice that Sirius had thrown in front of him-he smiled sheepishly up at me, glasses askew before jumping up and giving me a kiss.
"I will never get tired of that," he promised.
"Me either!" I giggled, kissing him again. "Now, what's that called? That ice thing? I don't appreciate Sirius tripping your while you're carrying a sword, though...but they do look dead useful," I murmured. "I think I might even have to take a few."
"Innnnn-stant ice sheets!" Sirius announced, sliding up to me over the ice, and it retracted back into his box with a shwoop.
"I'll take three," I beamed, and James picked me up and spun me in awe.
"You are truly amazing," he pronounced, looking up at me, hands under my arms. He spun me and I threw my head back, both of us laughing.
Sirius shook his head, amazed. "I have never seen a couple that laughs more than both of you," he admitted, pulling Marlene to his side and touching her nose with his, dumping both his and James's swords back into the display, where they promptly shrunk. "Though I do have to say, we have you beat in the attractiveness category," he winked as James pulled me down, still keeping an arm around my waist.
The four of us walked into the Three Broomsticks, sitting down at a large booth with Dorcas, Remus, Peter, and Emmy. Dorcas and Remus were sitting together, snickering at something Remus had just said-the two of them were something like third cousins twice removed.
Emmy, on the other hand, could not look any less comfortable with Peter, and vice versa. Emmy was leaning away, her rose red with cold crinkled slightly, curly brown hair falling around her face and laying on her gold and maroon scarf. Peter kept throwing terrified glances her way. I passed off a snort as a cough.
"Hey!" I exclaimed as James and I slid in next to Dorcas and Remus, squashing together on the booth. Marlene and Sirius joined Peter and Emmy, and we promptly ordered butterbeers all around.
Sipping the warm liquid, I leaned into James, smiling with bliss. The sweet taste warmed my insides, and James warmed my heart. James wrapped his arm around me and pulled me to his side protectively, my red hair falling over his sweatshirt.
"I got instant ice patches," I leaned over to talk to Emmy excitedly over the many conversations going on around the table.
"Oooh, I saw those!" She exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "Think we could use them on Petunia, next summer?" She winked.
"Oh, she'd kill me then," I laughed. "Oh!" I straightened up. "That reminds me! You all are invited to my sister Petunia and her walr-erm, her lovely fiancee's, wedding. It's August fourth, I can send you all invites." I expected them to protest and back out, seeing as for seven years now I had been telling them how much my sister despised me and magic, and now for the past year, how Vernon despised everything even slightly out of the normal. He didn't even like my hair or eyes, calling them "unnatural, loud colors." I retaliated by calling his mustache "unnaturally large and hamster-like." Petunia hadn't spoken to me all week.
"Oh, good!" James rubbed his hands together, eyes lighting up. "Flower, I cannot even begin to describe how many opportunities you have just opened up to me," he grinned.
"Yeah?" I asked, meeting his eyes and smiling at his goofy grin. "Such as?"
"Well, I get to dance with you," his eyes lit up. "And those muggles won't know what hit them when the Marauders-" he looked over the table at Remus and Sirius.
"Enter the building!" All four of the boys exclaimed at the same time, almost as if they were one voice.
"Oh please, nothing too drastic, she'll hate me forever, more than she already does," I groaned. "Although..." a sly smile spread across my face. "It would be good for her health to meet Sirius, you two are about the two exactly opposite people I'll ever know," I grinned.
"That will be fun," Marlene nodded. "I've never been to a muggle wedding."
"Me either! Are you going to be a bride's maid, Lily?" Dorcas grinned at me.
"Erm..." my smile faded. Actually, I didn't know. Knowing Petunia, I probably wouldn't. James sensed my feeling off loss and laced his fingers through mine, using his other hand to brush hair from my face tenderly. I loved him so much. I was just waiting for him to tell me first, old-fashioned as I was.
"That's alright, you probably wouldn't even want to be, would you Lily-kins?" James grinned, touching his nose to mine and calling me a silly name in an attempt to cheer me up. "You wouldn't be able to stand up there the whole time without laughing at that horrible man. Besides, wouldn't you rather be in the audience with us?" He teased.
"Maybe, if you never ever call me Lily-kins again," I mock-glared, cheering up slightly.
"Marauders honor," James lifted his right hand solemnly and I giggled into his shoulder. Conversation resumed again, but from that moment on, James and I were in our own little world.
"So tell me what you would do to Vernon and Petunia if you had the chance to be in our house, unrestrained with all of the pranking equipment in the world," I whispered up to him, the conversations around us fading to a dull hum. I was dangerously close to becoming a bloody blathering fool if I looked into his eyes for too long. A boy like James should come with a sign-WARNING-boy bearing sign has motive and means to make you fall completely, head over heels in love with him at any given time.
"First, I would take all of her clothes and replace them with wizarding robes and penguin suits," he started, a faraway look appearing in his eye.
"She would choose the penguin suit a thousand times over, she'd rather die than be associated with "the likes of us,"" I quoted this last bit direct from Petunia herself, giggling now at the phrase I had once found highly offensive.
"Right. Secondly, I would take all of her clothes and levitate them from the ceiling, charming them to burst into a flock of singing birds when touched." I burst out laughing at this, and James's smile increased. I registered movement around me, but I was barely aware of it. "And that's just the beginning-you know what I would do to Vernon?" He began to laugh. "Turn his doorknob into a portkey to Hogwarts, and see him run around-"
"He would absolutely have a heart attack!" I laughed, imagining a purple-faced Vernon running around, screaming and going crazy. "But before that, he would scream about "Unnatural places" and "stick-carrying freaks." You know what would be really funny?" I giggled.
"What?"
"If he met-" I stopped myself, shaking with laughter. "Peeves! If Vernon met Peeves! I retract my original statement-Peeves and Vernon are the most opposite two being could be, though Marlene and Si-hey, where'd they go?" I did a double take as my gaze swept the benches. James jumped several feet in the air-
"They must have left, the buggers!" He gasped, laughing. "Though I suppose we could thank them," he murmured, drawing me into a kiss. I put my hands on his cheeks, pulling him closer to me. Once again, everything around us faded-it was just him, and just me. He continued to kiss me softly, taking both my hands.
"-really do think we should try the doorknob thing, though!" James sang as we made our way back to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade, arms around each other as we walked through the snowy path.
"That would be hil-ah!" I shrieked, jumping away as something firm hit my back. I whirled around, hoping to catch the perpetrator- "Who's th-" Before I could finish the statement, another snowball launched itself from a particularly giggly bush behind us, to our right, hitting James in the chest. With a wordless look to each other we both balled up a handful of snow and advanced around the bush, throwing our powdery ammunition just as we were met with another barrage of snowballs-
"Argh!" I half-screamed, half-laughed as freezing cold snow dripped down the collar of my coat, thanks to Sirius. As he attempted to run away I picked up a handful of snow and jumped on his back, knocking him flat into a snowdrift with the unexpected weight and rubbing the snow on the back of his head. "Revenge!" I laughed, dancing away as he stood to meet me. Emmy shot a snowball at one of us, but it flew through the gap between us, hitting the ground with a splat-from the left, a wall of black ran into me and suddenly I found myself in the snow, a body laying across my midsection-
"James Potter!" I shrieked as Sirius approached menacingly, and I struggled to get out of his grip. I finally succeeded in wriggling out from under him, and Sirius's slow, dramatic approach cost him-Sirius's barrage of snowballs knocked into James's side and back as I dove behind him, and I was too busy laughing hysterically to notice as James dove over me, pulling me with him down the snowy hill. I screamed and laughed, locking my arms tightly around him and he put his hands around my neck. We rolled over each other down the abnormally large snow drift, completely caked with snow as we came to a stop. Our arms were still secured around each other as I grinned at him, resting my chin on his chest.
"Hey Evans, guess what?" James teasingly used my last name.
"Yeah, Potter?" I gently flicked his nose.
"I love you." I stared at him, eyes popping out of my head.
"Really?" I squeaked. "Seriously?"
"Really truly," he nodded eagerly.
"I love you too!" I laughed, and buried my face between his neck and shoulder before he pulled me into a kiss, lips especially warm in contrast to the cold snow that came down around us, coating everything in a fresh white blanket. We didn't even break apart as a volley of snowballs launched themselves around us, peppering the layers of snow and missing our bodies completely. We continued to kiss, his arms snaking around my waist.
"Oi!" Dorcas shouted, laughing. "Get back up here, you two!" We stood up and ran back to our friends together, short of breath and giggling for no apparent reason. I was incredibly giddy-I was in love with James Potter.
I positively screamed with laughter as I nailed Peter in the back of the head. He whirled around, indignantly yelling-"Hey!" And retaliating with a surprisingly accurately thrown snowball, hitting me in the stomach as my attempt to dance away failed. I kicked snow at him, laughing as the spray came more than ten feet short of him.
"Oi, no one throws snowballs at my girlfriend but me, Wormy!" James shouted jokingly from quite a ways away, running and ducking as Sirius and Marlene pelted each other with snowballs.
For the rest of that night, Volemort was the furthest thing on my mind. Thoughts of love and friendship dispelled any notion of darkness, the Death Eaters, or Voldemort himself-there was just James, the rest of the Marauders, and my friends.
We all walked back toward the castle well after dark, soaked but somehow not cold.
"Hey! Lily! James! Marlene! Emmy! Sirius! Oi! All of you!" We had just made it to the doors when we heard a distinctly female voice calling us back. We turned to see Alice and Frank walking together, her pulled into his side. They were both beaming, positively radiant-
"She said yes, mates!" Frank called out happily, and James and Sirius whooped, high fiving, as did Remus and Peter.
"He proposed!" Alice screamed, breaking away from her boyf-er, fiancee-and ran toward Emmy, Marlene, Dorcas and I as we enveloped her into a five-way hug, demanding to see the ring and peppering her with questions as the boys basically did the same thing a foot away. Alice held her arm out behind her, as did Frank, and even though they were facing opposite directions they were linked at the hand.
"Isn't it beautiful?" She gushed, eyes sparkling.
"Oh, Alice!" I squealed, pulling her into about the tenth hug.
"When's the wedding going to be?" Emmy asked excitedly.
"We don't know, yet-soon, this summer, maybe, just a small one, of course. We want to do it as soon as possible, with You-Know-Who and all."
"Ahh!" Emmy shrieked and tackled her into another hug.
"Alice, I can't believe it!" Marlene screamed, and I jumped from foot to foot, too much energy and giddiness coursing through my body to stay still. Soon we began to shiver-the snow was still beating down, and we were wet from our snowball fight, so we traipsed inside, trying to whisper so Filch wouldn't catch on that it had been us who was leaving behind a giant trail of slush and water in his pristine hallway.
"Ah, what a happy coincidence," Dumbledore suddenly appeared around the corner, addressing us. Our conversations stopped immediately as we "Good afternoon, Professor"-d him.
"Good afternoon to you all as well. This is a nice surprise-I was just coming to retrieve the ten of you from your dorms. Will you come to my office?" We followed him silently until we reached a stone gargoyle.
"Drooble's gum," he announced, and the gargoyle sprang aside. I looked to James with slightly wide eyes-what had we done? As we ascended the stairs I slowly went over every bad thing I had done in the past year in my mind. Some of my anxiety dissipated as we came up to see more people-I recognized people from every house-even some people who had already graduated from Hogwarts. From Huffluepuff there were Benjy Fenwick and Caradoc Dearborn, both of which had graduated last year. Edgar Bones was in Ravenclaw in our year, as was Elphias Doge. Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Alice's cousins, the former of which had been Ravenclaw and the latter, Gryffindor-the last of whom I recognized was Sturgis Podmore. He didn't remember what house he had been in, but he had been head boy several years ago. There were also a few I didn't recognize, but none I knew from Slytherin-the biggest group of people from any one house was Gryffindor, I noted with pride. There was none under seventh year.
"Welcome to all of you-to those who have already graduated, and to those who still remain a pupil here-for months more, at least," Dumbledore began, sitting down at his desk and looking to all of us. "As you know, Voldemort is rising and becoming more and more powerful, and more influential every day, striking terror into the heart of both wizard and muggle alike. But another recent development has come to my attention-and this is not so well known. There are those who would not have me tell you. But I believe you need to know, need to be prepared for what you will be, and already are, up against."
"Constant vigilance," muttered a man from the shadows-his face was extremely marred, and one of his eyes was glass, a blue iris-it was swirling around in it's head, almost like it had a mind of it's own, completely independent of the other eye. It stopped on me once he caught me staring, and he turned his face toward me, nodding. I nodded back, turning my attention back to Dumbledore.
"Voldemort is campaigning for something, something that may become more well-known in the future-but right now it is being hushed up. He, and his Death Eaters, wish to take over the Ministry of Magic." He paused as whispering broke out, and I looked at James in fear. He squeezed my hand reassuringly, a grave expression on his face. "You may guess what this may mean, if he succeeds. But you could not possibly come close to the horrors of which it would bring upon the world. Death. Destruction. Total chaos. He would persecute those all he deemed unworthy, or below him-muggleborns, and muggles, primarily." The blood drained out of my face, and James pulled me tighter to his side, where I wrapped my arm around his waist securely. "But also blood traitors, and anyone who stands in his way.
"Therefore-the day has come. It is time for us to stand against him, to fight, to band together-I am forming a secret group of resistance to Voldemort and his ways. If you are in this room, listening right now, I have considered you brave enough, good enough, strong enough-to become a member of the Order of the Phoenix." A tingle went through my spine at the mere name, and I stood up a little straighter.
"Of course, this is a secret organization, at present, and is not to be advertised publicly," he looked at us over his half-moon spectacles. "Secondly, with this power, comes responsibility. There will be times when you are asked to fight, to stand. In becoming a member of the Order, you vow to protect your fellow members at all costs, even your life, if need be. The greatest form of love is sacrifice," his eyes flickered briefly to me, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. "Life is a delicate thread waving in the wind, supporting a weight far too heavy-you never know when it's going to break, fly away, but you know it will happen...until then, you can only spend it the best way possible. There is an end to every beginning, that is the way the dance goes, it never stops.
"None of you need to decide now, but I give you time to think on my invitation. Should you wish to accept, or decline, simply come to me by the beginning of Christmas break, and make your wishes clear." We all agreed, and the older students began to floo out and the rest of us left, visibly more thoughtful and quiet than we had been when we came in. Without realizing it I hadn't moved, staring into space-the rest of our friends were already walking down the staircase, and it took James tugging on my arm to snap me out of my daze.
"C'mon, Lily, let's go," he murmured in my ear, and I nodded silently. Voldemort was trying to take over the Ministry. For people like me...that was practically a death sentence. Would I have to go into hiding?
"Lovely necklace, Miss Evans," Dumbledore suddenly commented as he walked by, giving me a secret wink. I opened my mouth to thank him, but then I realized what necklace I was wearing-the one with the helicopter, key, and locket. I looked at him oddly, and he gave me a secret smile.
Did he know?
I wouldn't put it past him.
"Lily! Psst! Lily!"
"Mmmph," I lazily flopped a hand at the intruder of my sleep, turning over and pulling the quilt back up to my head, not opening my eyes. I had just slipped back into my dream, completely and utterly warm and comfortable when-
"Lily Evans!" My eyes shot open at a sharp prodding to the small of my back, and I whipped around at the intrusion, eyes wide and searching through the darkness.
"James?" I whispered in a voice thick with tiredness. "What time is it?"
"Three thirty."
"Too early," I mumbled. "How did you get up here, anyway?"
"Come on, Lils. I'll tell you when we get downstairs, we don't want to wake anyone up."
"I don't want to," I whisper-groaned. I thought he had left me alone when I felt a strong pair of arms sliding under my back and knees-
"James! What are you doing!" It was more of an exclamation than a question.
"Shhh!" He shushed me, carrying me bridal-style out the door, closing it with his foot. I wore no shoes, and pajama pants and a t-shirt.
I curled up against his warm chest once he began to walk down the stairs, tangled hair hanging down over his arms.
"Ah, there's the sleepy head!" Sirius greeted me as we stepped out into the common room. James set me on my feet and I yawned widely, bending backward to stretch.
"What do you boys need? Are Peter and Remus here, too?"
"Right here," came Remus's voice, and I turned around to find the source-and was met with empty air.
"Wha-"
"Lily, don't you see us? We're right in front of you!" Peter giggled teasingly, and I blindly reached out in front of me until my fingers came in contact with a cool material-I pulled it off, revealing a mischievously smiling Peter and Remus.
"Is that an invisibility cloak?" I gasped, looking it over. It shimmered in my hands, cool and smooth like it was woven from the wings of dragonflies. "Where-how did you get this?"
"It was my dad's," James grinned proudly.
"And the secret to our success!" Sirius added.
"One of them, anyway."
"How did you get up to the girls' dorms? I thought the stairs turned into a slide when boys tried to enter?" I suddenly remembered, turning to James.
"We cracked tha secret years ago, dear Lily," Remus smiled. "Don't worry, I've made sure they haven't abused the privilege."
"No fun at all," Sirius grumbled, pulling a piece of parchment out of his back pocket. "And now, part two. But first, we are all going on a tour of the castle."
"A tour? I've already seen the castle," I looked at James oddly as he linked his arm through mine.
"At night?" He asked.
"Invisible?" Sirius added.
"And with the Marauders' Map?" Peter finished.
"The what?" I crinkled my eyebrow.
"You'll see," James said cryptically. "And since there isn't enough room for all of us, Peter, myself, and you will be going-that is, if you want to discover our innermost secrets to all of our pranking," James beamed.
"Let's go!" I exclaimed, already excited. We threw the cloak over the three of us, shuffling together until we got the hang of walking as one so the cloak wouldn't flap about our ankles.
"Now see, this looks like an ordinary piece of parchment, right?" James asked eagerly, practically jumping up and down with excitement.
"He's been waiting to show you this for years," Peter explained, and I nodded, beaming at James. He was adorable.
"Right," I nodded as we stepped outside of the portrait hole. At first I thought she was used to having invisible students walk in and out, but on second look, I realized she was fast asleep and snoring quite loudly.
"Now watch this-I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." James tapped the parchment with his wand. Immediately, maroon ink began to spread across from where his wand tip had touched. I stared, mesmerized.
Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present...The Marauder's Map
"This is incredible!" I gasped. "How did you do this?"
"You really sh-should give us more credit, Lily," Peter stammered a bit as his arm knocked against mine. I threw my head back and laughed, taking the map eagerly as James handed it to me.
"Wow!" I gasped, opening it. "It's a map of Hogwarts!"
"The whole thing," James nodded.
"Even the secret passages!" Peter added. "And it shows where everyone is, too. See, there's us." I laughed aloud again at the three labelled dots, footsteps following in our wake to show the direction we were headed.
"It even shows you if you're invisible?" I gasped. "Look-there's Sirius and Remus, running around in the common room, are they chasing each other?" I laughed. "Silly boys-look! There Dumbledore! In his office, walking around his desk! I wonder why he'd up this late...ooh, James, what if you die, does your dot just disappear?"
"Blimey, Lily," he laughed, wrapping his arms around my waist and setting his chin on my head from behind. "If I would have known you were going to be this enthusiastic about it and not turn us in, I would've shown you ages ago!"
"You mean-if we would have let him, Prongs is trying to say," Peter knocked James upside the head.
"Yeah, well, that too," I could tell by his voice James was grinning. I leaned into him, breathing in his scent of new robes, and something distinctly piney, like the forest. No doubt what I would smell if I took a whiff of Amortentia, I surprised myself by thinking.
"Can whoever's looking see light from the inside of our invisibility cloak?" I gestured at the tip of Peter's lit wand.
"No," James shook his head. "This is a bloody good cloak, and-"
"Peeves!" Peter hissed a warning, and we shuffled to the side of the hallway to avoid where the ghost's footsteps were leading.
"Ickle stuuuuuuuudents," his voice floated down the hall toward us. "Peevesie heard you, he did, and he'll fiiiiiiiiind you..." he burst into a round of laughter, doing a loop-de-loop in the air as he came into sight.
"Peeves," Someone spoke out in a gravelly, throaty voice from down the hall.
"Ah ha!" Peeves shrieked, promptly facing the direction of the voice. "Who's there?"
"It is I, Peeves, the reaper of ghosts," the voice came again. I turned back to James, surprised to find him shaking with silent laughter.
"Who?" I mouthed, and he nodded towards Peter. To my surprise-he had been the one talking.
"You can throw your voice?" I whispered incredulously as Peeves slowly meandered down toward where he thought the "Reaper of Ghosts" was standing in ambush. Peter nodded his slightly chubby face, messy blonde hair sticking straight up in the back, like a cowlick. The slight layer of peach fuzz on his chin looked almost at war with the baby fat of his face, like there had been no transition phase from boy to man.
"That's how the other three Marauders started to be friends with me," he beamed proudly. I held in my laughter, stomach shaking. "That, and I can impersonate pretty well, too."
"Peeves!" He bellowed again in the deep voice.
"What?" Peeves's voice was a bit higher, and he jumped in shock at the startle. "Peeves, I hear you have been giving students trouble!" He boomed.
"What are you going to do about it, Ratticles?" He laughed loudly.
"That was a very offensive swearword back in the 1800's," James informed me.
"I will start by eating your brain, if you have any," the voice changed its position, slightly behind Peeves. He whirled around, trying to look calm. We were starting to get to him. "Then...then, I will get the fan. And you know what I will do then, Peeves? BOOOO!" Peter screamed, jumping out and putting his wand in front of his face to shield his identity, and held his cloak out from both of his arms, bat style.
"AHHHH!" Peeves screamed, and promptly dove through the walls. Seconds later, a few corridors down, we could hear him screaming-
"Reaper of Ghosts, Reaper of Ghosts!" Much clanging ensued.
"Bravo!" I clapped, laughing hysterically. Peter bowed, entering the cloak again as we held it out to him.
"Now this spell is extremely complex, but who knows...it might appear on your NEWTS, so pay attention!" Tiny Flitwick squeaked. I promptly pulled my head up from my hand and sat up straighter, re-focusing my eyes. I poised my quill, ready to write down his every word. I was rather tired from last night's adventure with James and Peter, though both of them had never looked more alert.
James was sitting next to me in Charms, and Marlene and Sirius behind us. I already had taken more notes than half of the seventh year put together, and had been studying like mad for NEWTS. Though James prevented me from doing more than five hours a night, saving me from "burning my brains out," apparently.
"This spell will completely bound your opponent with robes, very potent in a duel-I don't expect any of you to have this spell mastered by the end of three days' time, much less one class. There are two ways to set about doing this-one is to cast it on an object, which, when touched, will set it off. Or, the second is to directly use on you opponent. We will be practicing the second. It is a rather longer spell-repeat after me, A capite ad calcem constrixi jute. Now move your wands like this-no, Longbottom, cuuuuurve the wand, not zigzag, we don't want to hex Miss Prewett's ears off..." I practiced the movement as shown, frowning...something about this felt oddly familiar. I looked to James beside me, but he hadn't realized anything out of the ordinary, he was only practicing the movement, as were the rest of the class.
"Now repeat once again after me, and look on the board if you must, this spell is long. A capite ad calcem constrixi jute. Very good, Miss Evans, just like that!" He beamed at me. I smiled vaguely, mind preoccupied with trying to think where I had done this spell. Why did it seem so familiar?