Years of the Marauders

Chapter 5: Detention

Wendy had just gotten back from History of Magic, which was a boring class. Professor Binns, the teacher, had a very monotonous voice. It didn't help either, that the classroom was really warm, and it was a sunny day. It would be easier to count the kids who didn't fall asleep. You could probably do it on one hand.

The Slytherin girl reached her hand into her bag to pull out her timetable, 'Cool, I have mom's class next,' she said.

She wished she hadn't because soon after the words left her mouth, the paper was ripped from her hand, 'I have mummy's class next!' The voice was shrill and mocking.

She looked up to see that it was Noah Albarn, 'Give it back Noah, it's not funny.'

'What are you talking about Arnold, it's hilarious! You're a little momma's girl.' This was really starting to get annoying. Noah ran his fingers through his combed black hair.

'You better watch it Noah. Last time I checked, we have potions together. Being the daughter of the potions master, I'm pretty good at potions, and I might just make a terrible poison and slip it into your pumpkin juice at breakfast.' Wendy nonchalantly looked at her finger nails.

This had obviously rattled Noah a bit. He raised his voice, 'Was that a threat?'

'Well I wasn't asking you to marry me.'

'You'll pay for this Arnold, even if you ARE in my house. I don't care.'

Wendy was tired of this. She grabbed Noah's collar and looked him in the face, 'You know what your problem is Noah? You're too uptight. You let every little thing get to you. You need to just relax.'

'Fighting in the halls I see?' Wendy quickly dropped Noah and whipped her head around. Standing in front of her was a woman, who was in her early 30's. She had long black hair, and wore rectangular black glasses. She had deep green robes and was carrying some books in her hand. 'I would expect this sort of thing from those four little Gryffindor boys. But my own daughter? Tsk tsk.' The woman walked in a circle around Wendy and then turned to Noah. 'You'd better get going Mr. Albarn.' Noah scrambled out of hall faster than James would scramble if he heard that Lily was kissing another boy.

'Wendy, what's wrong? I've never seen you act this way before.' Professor Arnold switched into mom mode. She became calmer.

As they walked towards the dungeon, where potions class was held, Wendy said, 'I don't know mom. There's just something about that kid. He kind of reminds me of dad.'

'How so honey?'

'He's so paranoid, and he makes a big deal out of little things. But even though dad's that way, I still miss him. Hey mom? Why did you marry dad?'

'What's with this all of a sudden?' Professor Arnold asked, hoping to change the subject. Seeing that she wasn't going to get anywhere, she continued. 'Anyway, your father was… so courageous… I mean…'

'Mom, you said was. I hate it when you do that.' Wendy was starting to get angry.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You know what I meant honey.'

'He's not dead! He just left. He's coming back!' Wendy tried to assure herself.

Wendy rejected her mother's touch as she rushed the opposite way. She didn't want to go to potions. Wendy's dad had left when she was little. Her mother never told her why. Wendy wasn't sure if she knew either. Mrs. Arnold always made it sound as though he was never coming back. Wendy knew that he likely wasn't, but a part of her hoped that he would. She hated hearing her mother move on, when Wendy hadn't.

Wendy ran back to her dormitory, as it wasn't far from where potions class was. She stopped at the bare wall that concealed the Slytherin Dormitory. 'Blue-Blood.' She muttered and the wall slid open. Through her anger, she managed to find her bed, and she flung herself on it.

'Why are you back ssso sssoon?' Evra, the kingsnake slithered out from underneath Wendy's pillow. 'I wasss hoping to have a longer nap. After all, I jussst ate.'

Wendy looked at the snake and said in Parsletongue, 'Mom was talking about dad. I don't want to go to potions class.'

'Nonsssenssse. You can't let that hurt you, you love potionsss.' Evra slithered up to Wendy and she picked him up and held him in her hands.

'Jussst ignore your mother. During classs, ssshe'sss jussst your teacher.'

'You're right Evra, She may be my mom, but she's my teacher first. I really don't want to miss my first potions class. What if there's something important?'

'Glad to hear it. Now go ssso I can sssleep.'

Wendy set the snake down again and headed back to the potions class. Wendy thought she was over reacting anyway. Her plan was just to ignore her mom, like Evra had said.

Wendy arrived at the class. She took a breath before opening the door. In the classroom, the students were already starting on a potion.

'Ah Wendy,' Professor Arnold said when she saw her, 'You're late, but I suppose you know that. There are an odd number of children, so you'll have to partner up with a Gryffindor today.' A couple of the Gryffindors groaned, except Hannah, who happened to be in the class.

She raised her hand, 'Professor Arnold, Wendy can work with me.'

'Alright then. Hurry up Wendy, you're running out of time. Also, for being late,five points from Slytherin, and you're getting a detention. Speak with me after class.'

Wendy didn't defend herself. She knew she deserved it. Besides Professor Arnold was her teacher.

She walked over to Hannah and stood beside her. 'What are we making?'

Hannah smiled, 'Nice to see you too. We're making a wit-sharpening potion. I don't really understand it, I'm just following the directions. I'll probably need to take one of these potions before potions class. '

Wendy rolled up her robe sleeves. 'Leave this to me. I can brew this one in my sleep. So, how was your first class?'

Hannah was stirring the cauldron. 'It was… interesting,' She said with a half-hearted smile. 'Besides, that's not important. What's important is that Quidditch tryouts are on Friday and I told Loopy that we'd be there. Sirius was asking for you.'

'Really?' Wendy asked, 'Sure, I'd love to go. Are Wade and Katherine going as well?'

'Yeah,' Hannah said. Wendy was carefully slicing a worm into equal portions. 'I've only had one class and I'm looking forward to the weekend. Sucks that you have detention. I thought your mom would let you off easy.'

Wendy sighed. 'I just had a fight with her before class. Plus, she's pretty strict.'

Professor Arnold was walking around the room, checking on the children's potions. 'No no, that's too many beetle eyes.' She corrected them when they went astray.

'At least your mom's a good teacher,' Hannah said. She left to get some more frog tongues. When she returned she said, 'Professor Valentine's not that great.'

'I think I have her this afternoon,' Wendy said. She was focusing on her potion. So far a couple of group's potions had gone wrong. One of them had bubbled over the cauldron, causing their book to get ruined. Another's burst into flames. Professor Arnold had quickly gone to the rescue.

'I wonder what's for lunch.' Wendy said. She was finishing up her potion now.

Professor Arnold came by their cauldron at the end of class. 'Well I'm not surprised. See class? Ms. Reinhardt and Ms. Arnold's potion is a beautiful shade of green. Ten points to Slytherin and ten points to Gryffindor. Keep up the good work guys.'

Wendy and Hannah gave each other a high five and started cleaning up. By the time the bell had rung, their station was clean. Hannah stood up, 'See you at lunch. Good luck with your mom.'

Wendy sighed and walked up to her mother's desk. 'Hey mom. So… detention.'

Professor Arnold took her glasses off and sighed. 'I'm sorry honey. But it's my duty as a teacher to treat each student the same. I would have done it for anyone else. Besides, I think that you'll enjoy your detention. I have a student in second year that also has a detention with me. He's in Gryffindor, and he needs help with his potion making skills. Maybe you could give him some help? So I expect you here Friday afternoon, after classes.'

'All right. It won't be so bad. Who is it anyway?'

'It's a boy named Peter Pettigrew. Do you know him?'

'Wendy shrugged, 'I think he's one of Hannah's friends. Or maybe one of her friend's friend.'

Professor Arnold clapped her hands once, 'Well then, it's settled. Now go have lunch with your friends.'

In the Great Hall, Hannah was sitting with her friends. 'James, what would you do if Lily married, oh I don't know, Snape?' Hannah asked jokingly.

Sirius chuckled, 'Oh come on Hannah, don't mess with him. He has enough problems as it is.'

Hannah saw Wendy come into the hall and flagged her down. 'So Wendy, what do you have to do for detention?'

The group looked at her. Sirius exclaimed, 'You have a detention? She's like a part of our family now.'

Remus smiled, 'Sirius, getting a detention isn't something to be proud of. Unless it involved doing something to Snape.'

Wendy sat down with them, 'I was just late for potions. And I have to give a potions lesson to Peter on Friday.'

Sirius and James laughed. James sighed, 'But Peter's older than you.'

Sirius stopped laughing, 'But wait. The Quidditch tryouts are on Friday.'

Wendy said, 'I can't believe I forgot. Maybe mom will move my detention.'

Peter said, 'She might move yours but she won't move mine. She hates me.'

'James, If I miss your tryouts, I'm really sorry. I completely forgot.' Wendy said sadly.

'It's fine, you'll be with me in spirit.' James said this while putting his hand on his heart.

The week had gone by fairly quickly. Wade had become quite good at making new friends. Katherine had found her talent, which was charms. Hannah was doing the best in her class at Transfiguration, even though she didn't care for Professor Valentine, and Wendy was acing all of her potions classes.

After her Herbology class, which was the last of the day on Friday afternoon, Wendy headed back to the classroom. She regretted missing out on the Quidditch tryouts with her friends.

She passed through the Great Hall and made her way to the potions classroom in the dungeons. She opened the door and her mother was there. 'Hello Wendy. Peter's not here yet. I have to go take care of things, so when he gets here, why don't you show him how to make the wit-sharpening potion you made earlier this week. I'm sure he doesn't even have that one down yet.'

Wendy nodded and Professor Arnold left the room after giving Wendy a kiss on the forehead.

She pulled out a cauldron and grabbed the necessary ingredients and laid them out neatly on the desk. Half an hour later, the door swung open.

The straw haired Gryffindor boy said, 'Sorry I'm late.'

'It's fine, Peter. Let's get started. Maybe we can catch the end of the tryouts?' Wendy said.

The two got straight to work. Wendy realized what her mother said about Peter was correct. Wendy tried not to help him too much, but she couldn't help it.

'So, you never told me why you have a detention.' Wendy said as she sat on the desk and watched Peter make the potion.

'Well, James hexed someone in the hall, except that Snape kid saw. Well, he didn't see who did it. So I said I did it, and he told on me.' Peter was concentrating on his potion, trying not to mess up.

'Why did you take the heat for it?' Wendy asked, 'It doesn't seem fair.'

'I'm always doing stuff like this for my friends. It's fine, I'm used to it.' Peter dropped his chopped scarab beetles into the cauldron.

'Well, maybe they should take responsibility for the stuff they do. I bet James was just showing off anyway.'

'Yeah,' Peter said, 'Lily was watching.'

Wendy laughed, 'He really likes her?'

'That would be an understatement,' Peter said.

'You know,' Wendy said, 'I've heard a lot about you, but, you're not that bad.

'Um, thanks.' Peter smiled.

The potion was completed. 'Good job Peter. You did great.'

'Thanks, it was more comfortable without the other kids in here.'

'I'll bottle this up and leave it on mom's desk. Quidditch tryouts would be over by now, but we should still meet up with the rest of the guys.'

In the Great Hall James was boasting about his feats. 'I was hoping for Seeker, but I guess it's because I'm in second year. I did get Chaser though, so that automatically makes me better than the other people who tried out.'

Sirius said, 'Good job James. I wish Wendy was there though.'

Katherine smiled, 'Peter was gone too.'

Sirius sighed, 'Yeah well, what can you do?'

The group giggled as Wendy and Peter walked over to the table. Hannah stood up, 'Hey Wendy! James made Chaser!'

Wendy ran the rest of the way to them. 'Congrats James, I'm sorry I couldn't be there.'

'No biggie. You better be at all my games though.'

Wade intervened, 'But wouldn't she cheer for the Slytherin team?'

Wendy smiled, 'I'll just cheer for everyone!'