Ch 14 Pay Back

Dumbledore watched them as they talked. They were standing in his office. McGonagall and Slughorn were there along with Madam Pomfrey and Snape. When they finished talking everyone looked at Dumbledore.

"So all of this was a prank?" he asked.

"Yes sir." James replied.

"You realize all the trouble you caused because of this?"

"Yes sir,"

"Minerva, they are in your house. I will leave their punishment to you. If Horace, Poppy and Severus could please leave, I'll call you back in when it's time."

They all walked out, Snape had a deadly look to his face. McGonagall waited until Dumbledore was at his desk again.

"You four have disgraced the name house of Godric Gryffindor." She started. They just looked at her. James was scared of what was coming.

"I have warned you before about getting into trouble."

"Professor, please just listen. It was a harmless prank. Snivellus healed fine, you found the counter potion and everyone is-."

"Mr. Potter, I don't want to hear it. I have no idea how yu were able to pull this off and honestly, I'd rather not know. For something this big the proper punishment should be suspension at the least."

Remus looked like he was about to cry. He was able to get a new wand from his parents for keeping up his marks for the first semester but if he could do it for the whole year he was going to get new books and robes and quills.

"Mr. Lupin, you are a model student. Top marks in most of your classes, and transfiguration isn't an easy subject to expert and you have been doing very well. Unfortunately if you have to be suspended so be it. It may teach you a lesson."

Remus nodded and turned away. James was certain he saw a few tears fall down his face.

"As for Mr. Pettigrew, maybe if you took your time during your suspension to study. Your marks are low in most of your classes. Study during the suspicion. Potter, Black, your marks are average. Do homework, which you are still expected to do even if you aren't in the classes. The library is off limits and the Great Hall is only to be used for meals. You are not to leave the common room, I will have a guard watching you but you will not know he or she is.

"Any questions?"

"Are you going to tell the whole school it was us?" James asked.

"Well, we will be reporting that we caught the persons responsible and they were given their punishments. I'm sure it won't take everyone long to know, though. I'm sure Severus will make it a priority to tell everyone it was you." Dumbledore said.

"A weeks suspensions and a few weeks Saturday detentions. No Quidditch games for the rest of the year either." McGonagall finished.

"Yes Professor." The boys said together.

"You may leave, but first we are going to call Snape in here and you are going to apologize. Never in my years since I've been here have I seen such behaviour I may add."

Slughorn and Snape walked back in. Madam Pomfrey decided to go back to the Hospital wing seeing as her patient was fine.

"Boys?"

"Sorry Snape." James said regretfully.

"Yea, me too." Peter and Remus said.

"Sorry Snivellus, but if you weren't such an easy target we wouldn't have done anything." Sirius said.

"Black, that's another week's detention. Now back to the common room. I'll be in there to make sure you are behaving." And the boys walked out.

Slughorn and Snape walked out behind them. Snape had the ugliest look on his face, You could tell all he wanted to do was cause them pain and humiliation as he had. James was sure that if Slughorn wasn't there they would've been cursed from here to the next century.

"Remus, I am going to miss you in my classes." Slughorn said.

"Well sir, I made a mistake and I must face my consequences." Remus said.

"Mistake, you didn't make a mistake, you did it on purpose and you wait, I will get you back." Snape said and walked away before Slughorn could say another word.

"That boy has a temper, but he is a brilliant potion maker." Slughorn said and he too walked away.

"Suspension, my parents are going to kill me." Remus said.

"Well, mine will probably not let me out of the house again, and if Sirius is lucky, never let him come back."

"How will I be lucky?"

"Because if my mom gets a hold on you, she'll treat and punish you like a son." James said and they walked back to the common room in silence. James was thinking too much on how his mother is going to react.

"Your teachers will not draw attention to your absence. They have been told and I will have someone bring you your homework. You are to stay in here and work while students are in classes, I don't want to see you out of here. Understood?"

"Yes, professor."

It was Monday morning and classes were about to start. There was no one in the common room and McGonagall was about to leave for her third year class.

"Remember, the walls have eyes and I will know if you misbehave again." And she walked out the room.

"This is not good. We are trapped here except for breakfast, lunch and dinner." Peter said.

"Calm down, mate, there are always ways to get around it."

"If you are talking about going under the cloak-."

"Is it so terrible Remus?" asked Sirius.

"James, it's not a good idea. We got in enough trouble. All this because you hate a kid you probably don't even know." Remus argued.

"I thought you enjoyed pranking on Snivellus?" asked Sirius.

"It was fun at first, but if you are going to get me in trouble with the headmaster and ruin my chances of getting good grades-."

"Relax Remus, besides, you are going to be able to get around it. Don't you have to take your medication Wednesday night?"

Remus yelped a little. It sounded a little like a dog.

"I almost forgot the full moon is Wednesday."

"Yea, but no big deal." James said.

"So, what should we do first?" asked Sirius.

"Well, I'm doing my homework. You goof off if you want to but I'm doing my studies." Said Reus and he grabbed his books, sat at a table and started to work.

"Maybe we should do some homework." James said.

"If you want to get through life-."

"Sirius, this isn't funny. We are in serious trouble. I don't think anyone has gotten suspended from Hogwarts before." James said.

"Ok, relax. We'll lay low for sure."

"Thank you, Peter, can you pass me that book?" asked James. Peter handed it to him and they spent the rest of the day doing homework, only leaving to eat lunch and dinner. James got through all his homework that day and McGonagall came to collect and distribute and give them their new work.

All that evening after dinner, everyone was questioning the boys to see if it was actually them who boiled up Snape. James was keeping quiet, he kept himself buried in his books. He knew nothing good would come out of this and didn't want reason to make it a bigger deal. McGonagall had also warned them about talking about it.

"Snape is saying it was you. He's telling anyone who'll listen, so basically the Slytherins and that little red haired girl." Said Bradley Rogers of the Quidditch team.

"Yea, Evans is the only one who'll listen really because the Slytherins just want to get us Gryffindors in trouble." Sirius said.

"Agreed, so was it you guys though?" he asked.

"Can't say, but lets just say, if the sky is blue we are your people." Sirius said.

Everyone around them applauded until someone spoke.

"Oh yes, you are so cool. Picking on someone just to make yourself feel more superior." It was Lily Evans.

"Evans, why don't you go and comfort your little boy pal." Sirius said. James decided to join in.

"Evans, you know it was funny. I saw that smirk on your face when it happened."

Lily's face reddened a little but she stood her ground. "I did not smirk. Why would I laugh at a friend? Slytherins may be bad but not all are. If you knew the whole story you wouldn't be laughing. Severus is twice the wizard you are and has four times the brains."

"That's big talk for a small girl." James retorted.

Lily glared at him and stalked away.

"Girls," Sirius said and the people around them laughed.

"Well, the prank was brilliant. Whoever thought of it was a master. By the way, how did you manage not to pull it off?" Bradley asked. He put sarcasm on the not.

"Well, we can't really speak of it. Its top secret and none of anyone's business." James said. Just then Peter walked over and sat down.

"And here's Peter, another one that wasn't involved." This time Sirius was the one speaking and putting sarcasm on words, this time on the wasn't.

"Hey Peter, my name is Bradley. That's some prank."

Peter didn't know what to say. He seemed surprised that someone other than James, Sirius and Remus was talking to him.

"Yea, it was a fun thing. McGonagall is coming by the way." He added to James and Sirius.

"Thanks for the tip. You guys need to leave. We aren't supposed to be talking to anyone." James said. The other agreed and waked away talking bout the brilliance of the prank.

McGonagall walked in.

"Boys, my office, now." Was all she said. They looked at each other and got up and followed her out the common room. When they reached her office they found a surprise waiting for them. Snape was in er office along with Lily.

"I have reason to believe that these two were planning on invading you." McGonagall started. "What do you have to say for yourselves."

"They deserve anything we were going to do. Not that we were going to do anything." Lily said glaring at the four boys while Snape smirked.

"Miss Evans, I'm surprised by your attitude." McGonagall said.

"Professor, you don't understand, all year these boys, mostly Potter and Black, have been picking and teasing Severus. Since they met him on the train, all he said was he wanted to be in Slytherin and Potter and Black start to taunt him."

"It's true Professor." Snape said.

"Boys, is this true?"

"No Professor," Sirius said.

"Evans is just trying to get us in trouble." James said.

"Well, I'll be speaking to Professor Slughorn about this Snape, meanwhile the both of you will serve detention with these four boys tomorrow night. Dismissed." The boys walked out.

"You wait, we will get you." Lily said. "So you better watch your back." And her and Snape walked away.

"Evans try to get us? I'd like to see her try." James said and Sirius smirked and the other two laughed as well.

"Potter, Black, Pettigrew, and Lupin. Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office right now." McGonagall walked up to them as they were eating breakfast. By her orders they had to sit away from everyone else. The boys got up and followed McGonagall out the hall. People stared as they walked by. They walked down a corridor to a stone gargoyle.

"Chocolate Droubles." McGonagall said and the gargoyle sprang aside. Behind the gargoyle was a moving stone staircase. The boys and McGonagall walked onto the staircase and it brought them up to Dumbledore's office.

"Come in," Dumbledore said when McGonagall knocked. "Ah boys, I was expecting you. After I wrote to your parents I asked them to send letter up here rather then to the Great Hall, in case they wanted to send a certain red envelope that blows up." James looked worried at this.

"I am expecting letters any moment now, as they are usually delivered about now in the Great Hall. I asked for letters to be sent up here as to not draw attention to you. I believe those are owls now." Dumbledore pointed out the window. Sure enough James recognized his family's owl. Remus and Peter obviously recognized owls too as they had a worried look on their faces. Sirius was the only one who didn't seem worried, and he had a good point, as there were only three owls, but James still suspected Sirius would be mentioned in his letter, or at least that's what James hoped it was.

The window was open and the three owls flew in. One landed in front of Remus carrying a normal looking envelope. Peter's letter was a normal one as well but James's was red and he didn't want to open it but knew what happens if you ignore a howler.

"James, you better open it." Sirius advised.

"Fine, but you better be prepared, because if I know my mom, there's going to be something about you in here as well." James took the howler from his owl Joint. He opened it cautiously but it was still as loud as ever. James was thankful he wasn't in the Great Hall.

"James Victor Potter, How dare you hurt that poor boy. Your father and I are both very disappointed in you and Sirius should have known better as well. If you don't smarten up your act you can bet there will be no more friends aloud. I am taking away a few items in your room for now, when you get back for the Summer. You will not be coming home for Easter but shall remain at Hogwarts to serve your detentions as you should. When your father gets home, he'll be hearing about this. You and James better behave yourselves if you want to remain friends." And the Howler blew up and landed in ashes on Dumbledore's desk.

"You got it bad mate." Remus said.

"What does your letter say?" Sirius asked. He didn't seem the least bit worried about what James's mother had to say.

"Just that they are disappointed and if I want to get my new school things for next year that I better clean up my act."

"I got basically the same thing." Peter said.

"Boys, you may go back to your breakfast." Dumbledore said and McGonagall led the boys out.

"I'm surprised your mother mentioned me." Sirius said suddenly.

"Are you really?" James asked.

"Well no, but it's not like I have to listen to her."

"Sirius, she just has your best interests at heart."

"James, no offence, but I can take care of myself."

"If you don't care what my mom has to say then that means you don't care about being friends. Because that was what that note was all about, either clean up my act or forget about y friends. So, I guess you don't want to be friends if you're not going to clean up your act." James said and stormed off, not back to the Great Hall but to the Gryffindor common room.

"You know he's right Sirius." Remus said and he and Peter walked away as well.

James was back in the common room. He was mad at Sirius. Didn't he understand what his mother was saying? Sure his mom like Sirius, but if Sirius was going to be irresponsible and get James in trouble all the time, maybe it was best if they just forget about being friends.

Lily and Severus were sitting at a table together in the library working on their Potions homework.

"I could make up a wicked potion to use on them, using the chemicals and acids you bought me for my birthday." Snape said.

"Sev, they may be expecting something like that from us. I mean we are like the best potion makers in the class, besides Lupin." Lily said with a nasty look on her face.

"Well, we'll think of something." Snape said.

"Hold on, I think I have a plan." Lily said.

A/N: Alright… only 6 more to go after this and then I'll start with the sequel ** squeals happily!!** please leave a review!