Family Keeps You Sane
By: animaguswolfsong and CleveristWitchHerAge
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never have, never will.
Chapter 3 – Professor Rune
James left the Gryffindor common room, waving goodnight to his friends. Once he was on the other side of the portrait, he took one flight of stairs up to the next floor and headed straight to the Head's dorm. McGonagall had informed both and him and Lily where the dorm was located and what the current password was.
When he approached the portrait of a forest fairy, James stopped and the fairy turned to face him.
"Password?" the fairy asked in an extremely high-pitched voice.
"Fairy lights," James said. The fairy nodded and swung outward, letting James inside. The room was red and gold because both Heads were Gryffindors. It looked oddly similar to the Gryffindor common room, except for the two door way on opposite ends of the room. Each had a golden plaque place over the door with each Head's names eloquently scrawled on the gold.
James smiled and walked towards the door with his name and walked into the room. He was amazed to find that it was an exact replica of his own room. He looked around and spotted another door. He walked over to it and opened it. Inside was a spacious bathroom with another door on the other side.
James raised his eyebrows. Sharing a bathroom with Lily? This was going to be interesting. She would probably think that this was his doing, that he somehow coerced Dumbledore into creating this connecting bathroom.
Just then, the door opened and Lily walked in. She stopped dead when she saw James standing there.
"Potter, what are you doing here?" she demanded.
"Looking around, same as you," he answered casually.
"You mean I have to share a bathroom with you?" she asked, appalled.
"I guess so," James shrugged.
"Great! Just great!" Lily sighed, then turned around and walked back into her room, slamming the door behind her.
This was definitely going to be an interesting year.
The next morning, James met his friends at the Gryffindor table. He sat down and he helped himself to some breakfast.
"So," Sirius muttered, swallowing his food. "How was last night?" he said, grinning.
James eyed his friend. "What would the meaning behind that statement be, Padfoot?" James asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I don't know," Sirius said. "How'd our Lily-flower take the news that you two were going to share a bathroom?"
James choked on his pumpkin juice. "How'd you know about that?" James sputtered.
"I overheard her talking quite loudly about this to her friends," Sirius explained.
James nodded and took a bite out of his croissant. "What is on the timetable for this year?"
"Well, old Minnie is first, then we get to find out more about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"What's his name again?" Peter asked.
"Professor Rune," Remus answered. "He seems really…" he trailed off, trying to think of the right word.
"Freaky?" Sirius supplied.
"No, not freaky, Sirius," Remus said. "More like, strict. Elusive."
"Sounds like a normal Defense teacher," James said.
Just then, Lily walked into the Great Hall, accompanied by two other girls. Adelie Hansen and Tori Booth. Tori was on the Quidditch team as the seeker since their fourth year.
Lily's eyes caught James' but immediately turned away and ushered her friends to the far end of the table as far from James as possible.
"You still haven't answered my question," Sirius stated.
"What question?" James asked.
"The one I asked almost five minutes ago," Sirius exclaimed.
"Your memory can go that far?" Peter asked.
"I wouldn't talk if I were you, Wormtail," Sirius threatened.
"What did you ask, Sirius?" Remus queried, looking at his friend. Sirius straitened as he turned to James.
"How'd our Lily-flower take the news that you two were going to share a bathroom?"
"How do you think she took it?" James replied.
"Picking up the closest breakable thing and aiming it at your head sounds about right."
"Not exactly. She just sort of walked out. I think she's tired of dealing with me," James said.
"Poor Prongs. Whatever shall he do? No Lily-flower to hate him."
"Shove it, Padfoot," James said, feigning anger. Sirius only laughed at him before returning to his breakfast.
James and the other Marauders were sitting in the back of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, waiting for the professor to make an entrance. Lily and her friends were sitting in the front of the classroom, talking quietly amongst themselves. James was mentally debating with himself whether he should go down and talk to her. Why not? Because she'd just yell at him more. So? That'd never stopped him before.
"Prongs. Prongsie, you in there?" Sirius called. James didn't respond. "OY! PRONGSIE! WAKE UP!" James jumped in his seat at the sudden noise.
"Sirius! Don't do that!" James exclaimed.
"There will be no shouting in this class, Mr. Potter. You too, Mr. Black."
The class turned to the front of the room where a tall, dark man now stood, placing papers on the desk.
"How did you know our names?" Sirius asked, surprised.
"I know all my students' names. I, unlike many of you, do my homework. Sirius Black, oldest son of Orion and Walburga Black, younger brother, Regulus A. Black, has lived with the Potters since the summer before your sixth year." The class sat in shocked silence as they stared at the professor, who acted as if nothing unusual had occurred.
"Could you give that much about each of your students?" Sirius asked, trying to hide his uneasiness.
"Of course, but that is not the topic of today's lesson. Today's lesson is basically an introductory lesson, per say. Today, we will focus on recapping, because I'm sure that not many of you even picked up a book this summer. Now, where shall we begin?" Professor Rune scanned the classroom. Many of the seventh years shifted their gaze when his fell on them.
"Miss Evans," he whispered, though his voice carried across the room. Lily's head shot up as she stared into the professor's eyes.
"Yes, Professor?" she asked, slightly nervous.
"Can you tell me exactly what would happen to you if you were to be caught in Oneirogenic Mud?"
Lily hesitated at first, shaking slightly under Rune's steady gaze. "When Oneirogenic Mud comes into contact with your skin, it causes your nerves to temporarily cease working, causing you to become numb and unable to move. You slip into a kind of dream state where you live out your worst nightmare and before you can wake up, you've sunk too far into the mud to get out and you suffocate," Lily answered thoroughly.
"Impressive," Rune sneered. "Tell me, Miss Evans, what would your worst nightmare be?"
Lily looked taken aback. She stuttered, "I-I'm not sure, Professor. Why do you—"
"Your worst fear is the most powerful tool an enemy can use against you, that is why there are so many weapons and monsters out there that bring forth your worst fear such as dementors and boggarts. Your enemy can be easily subdued or killed if they are terrified out of their mind.
"For the next few weeks, we will be dealing with fear and how to overcome it. There are many different kinds of fears. The two main categories are rational and irrational fears. For example, fear of darkness is an irrational fear. What can the darkness do to harm you? Some may even classify arachnophobia or ophidiophobia, a fear of snakes, as an irrational fear, because they will not harm you unless you threaten them .
"The best way to defeat an enemy attack that is fear-based is mentally fight it off, though that is easier said than done. As this is a N.E.W.T. defense class, we will be focusing on the mind as a powerful weapon against an opponent. Over the course of the next few weeks, you will have identified your fear and have a solid defense on how to fight off that fear. Any questions?"
The class was silent. No one dared ask a question.
"If anyone writes down that their fear is me," he paused. "you are not very amusing. The point of this is to divulge your worst nightmare so you can arm yourself against it." Silence rang through the room. "No questions? Very well.
"For next class, I want you to have, ready to hand in, a detailed account of what you believe to be your worst fear. The first step in conquering your fear is realizing what it is. I will also expose you to a touch of Oneirogenic Mud. If you are correct in your assumption of what your worst fear is, then you will receive a few extra points on your essay. Fear is not only a conscious thing. The Mud will find what your true fear is, what your subconscious fear is. I want you to think long and hard about this. It is no laughing matter.
"Fears constantly change. As situations change, fears change. As times darken, your worries begin to shift from yourself to those around you, in most cases, at least. Fear is powerful. Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear. Beware of yourself."
"That man is bloody terrifying," Remus muttered as the four friends sat in the Heads' common room. "What kind of man acts like that?"
"That kind," Sirius said wisely.
"Well, I know what my fear is," Remus said.
"What?" Peter asked. Remus looked around the room before turning to look at his friends.
"You know what it is."
"Oh," James said, understanding dawning on him. "People finding out about your 'furry little problem'."
Remus nodded, smiling slightly at James' term.
"I don't know what mine would be," Sirius muttered. "I have nothing to be scared of, really."
"I'm scared of snakes," Peter put in.
"Professor Rune doesn't want us to use 'irrational fears'," James said. "Snakes don't count."
"What about you, Prongs?" Remus asked.
James remained silent for a moment. "I'm not sure. Same as Sirius. I'm not sure what my fear would be. And if it were my choice, I wouldn't think about my fears. I'd much rather think about Quidditch or something."
"Quidditch, huh?" a female voice sounded from behind them. James turned around and saw Lily, Adelie, and Tori walking up to them.
"This room will not become the Marauder Club House, Potter. I won't let it," Lily threatened. James stood up, followed by Sirius.
"What do you want, Evans?" James asked lazily.
"I want you and your idiots to get out of here," she said.
"I resent that!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Wow, Sirius. 'Resent' is a pretty big word," Lily said.
"Watch it, Evans," James muttered, getting slightly angry.
"What, Potter?"
"No one, not even you, insults my friends."
"Potter, just drop it. I'm not impressed. Now, just get out of here," Lily said exasperatedly.
"We're not leaving. Why don't you and your friends go into your room?"
"Why don't you?" Lily demanded.
"Because we were here first and may I point out you interrupted us."
"What were we interrupting, exactly?" Tori questioned, speaking for the first time. "I heard talk of Quidditch. Now, I'm not undermining the importance of Quidditch, as I am on the team, but couldn't you talk about Quidditch in your room?"
"For your information, we weren't talking about Quidditch. We were talking about our Defense homework," Sirius said proudly.
Lily scoffed. "I don't believe you."
"Really, Evans, we were. You see, we were just getting around to what my fear is and now, I'm beginning to believe that it would be that—"
"Don't you dare say anything about me going out with you, Potter, because if you do I swear I'm going to slap you!"
"On that note, will you go out with me?" James said, grinning widely. Sirius' eyes grew wide as James said that. Remus groaned at the stupidity of his friend and Peter scrunched up, bracing himself for the slap.
They didn't need to wait long, for in one fell swoop, Lily had taken a step forward, raised her hand, and had brought it down with such ferocity, that the sound rang through the room and James staggered backwards from the impact.
"I hate you so much, Potter!" Lily screamed as she ran out of the room, Adelie and Tori quickly following behind her.
"She's never hit me before," James whispered, slightly shocked.
"That was one of the stupidest things you've ever done, James," Remus said seriously.
"I agree with Remus, mate. That was completely mindless."
James felt his cheek. It stung greatly and knew that it had to be red.
"She left her handprint on your face, James," Peter commented.
James turned to the mirror by the fireplace and saw that indeed there was a huge red mark in the shape of a hand imprinted on his left cheek.
"I'm going to bed," James proclaimed as he quickly turned from the mirror and headed to his room, leaving his friends alone in the room.
A/N: Okay, "Fear is powerful. Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear. Beware of yourself," is a quote from Bertrand Russell, just so you guys know that. Well, hope you liked it. We'll post soon.