A word from the Author: Hello my lovelies! First off, a big thanks to those who reviewed chapter five --WhiteTiger3944, Karma-k2, and moongazer123. Also, thanks to soaring-bright-flame for joining in on the story fun and reviewing chapters 1 and 2. Much love to all.
More Peter bashing has been requested. Today just might be your lucky day, as we're going to Divination with him in this chapter! Which means the others have ample opportunity to bother Gary…
Disclaimer: Is still the same as always.
Enjoy the chapter!
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The boys left Slughorn's class speaking in hushed voices. A passerby would have heard the words "explosion," "next generation," and "empire" and probably thought the worst. But or boys weren't talking about the end of the world or conquering it. They were merely discussing plans for the group of third years they were to begin mentoring tomorrow. They had a free period before their next double block of classes.
"I understand that, Sirius," Peter said, "but he's just so weird!"
"Well, every group has its weirdo," Sirius said.
"Then who's ours?" Peter asked.
The others averted their eyes and Remus quickly changed the subject.
"Regardless, do you really think it's smart to do this?" he asked.
"I've thought it out," Sirius said. "There's no way it can backfire. We just have to swear the little guys to silence, and we're set."
"Well, whatever," Peter said. "I've got to get to Divination."
He scurried off down the hallway with a wave.
"Which means we've got Gary," James muttered.
Instead of trotting off like Peter, the three remaining Marauders trudged off to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They found three seats together and immediately started the note passing. They didn't even wait for Professor Professor to arrive.
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Meanwhile, in the Divination class room, way up high in the North Tower, the boy called Peter Pettigrew once again sat staring into a large crystal ball placed on the table before him. His eyes were open wide, straining to see something in glass.
"Do you see anything yet?" Peter's partner Harold, a sixth year Ravenclaw boy, asked as he filled with his quill impatiently.
"Well, I either see doom and gloom or kittens and rainbows," said Peter. "What do you feel like today?"
"Chocolate sundaes and wooly sweaters," Harold said. "My turn."
Peter pushed the heavy crystal ball towards Harold. Harold's face contorted for a moment and then relaxed. His eyes very soon looked exactly like Peter's before, wide and intent. Ten suddenly, they narrowed.
"Do you have a fish, Peter?" Harold asked.
"Yes, back home, why?" asked Peter curiously.
"I think it's going to die," Harold said bluntly. "Or maybe it already has."
Peter's lips began to quiver and he turned his face away from Harold, trying (but failing) to be inconspicuous. Harold reached over and pulled Peter's face back to face him.
"Oh, buck up mate, I was just kidding," Harold said.
When he saw Peter's eyes being even more watery than usual he gave him a very strange, almost gleeful look. Peter found that look to be very familiar.
"Harold, what's your last name again?" he asked.
"Littlebrook," Harold answered.
Peter made a face and looked at Harold apprehensively.
"As in Danny Littlebrook?" Peter asked.
"Yes, he's my little brother," Harold said.
Peter's hand shot into the air before Harold finished the sentence.
"PROFESSOR!" he shouted.
The Divination teacher flitted over to their table. She was dressed in the manner of a clichéd gypsy woman.
In her shrieky lilt of a voice she asked, "Yes my dear?"
"May I please be excused?" Peter asked.
The teacher flared her nostrils and pursed her lips.
"Students are not dismissed from Damali Mospus' classroom unless Damali Mospus dismisses them!" she boomed, suddenly so differently than her normal voice.
Peter had shrunken back in his seat. He cracked his eyes open slowly. "So am I excused?
"No!" Professor Mospus shrieked, settling down a bit, but still visibly agitated.
All eyes were now on her, Peter, and Harold, who had by now shrunken back in his seat too.
"Besides," the Professor said, "I have seen something!"
Her hand shot up and away from her.
"I have seen it in the stars."
As she said this, her hand closed around something invisible. In jerky motions, she brought it close to her face and examined it.
"I have seen it in my palm," she said and then thrust her hand under Peter's nose. "Read it!"
Every part of Peter's face seemed to peel back. He began to look awfully like an angry possum.
"Um," he said, "You have… nice hands?"
Professor Mospus sighed. She pulled her hand away sharply and twirled around to face the other side of the room.
"Aurelia!" she called to a girl at another table. "What do you see in your tea leaves?"
The Hufflepuff girl sat a little straighter in her seat and looked purposefully at her cup.
"I see pain and suffering, Professor," the girl called Aurelia said. "Suffering and, well this shape that resembles a rat. Does that meaning anything?"
"It means a great deal, my child," Professor Mospus said, her shrieky voice turning grave. "There is a traitor in our midst. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one of us will commit the ultimate crime… betrayal of a friend."
The class looked around at each other anxiously. They each looked at their own tea leaves in search of rats. As Peter looked down, he clearly understood the shape he had previously thought was a badger.
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Meanwhile, across the castle the other three Marauders were listening to Professor Professor's lesson. Well, Remus was listening. The note passing had gradually died out for lack of interest from James, who was staring at Lily, while Sirius quietly levitated the dust bunnies below his desk. He then set about transfiguring them into actual bunnies. He did this with little success and then just started levitating them again.
"Wingardium Leviosa," he whispered.
Out of nowhere, Professor Professor was in Sirius' face.
"Are we having fun, Mr. Black?" The Professor asked.
Sirius looked up. He appeared unsurprised and unaffected.
"No, Gary, I am not," Sirius said. "I am bored out of my mind, to tell the truth."
"Well, do you think you could offer a more interesting lesson?"
Remus was staring in horror at the Professor.
"Well, no sir," Sirius said, staring the Professor down. "I'm sure I don't know half as much as you, Gary, about pointless information that I'll never ever use, but I would very much like to leave. Unless of course you plan to teach us nonverbal spells sometime after you finish droning on about whatever it is you're droning on about."
Professor Professor returned Sirius' stare.
"You're not ready for nonverbals, boy," he said coldly.
"Well then, do you mind if I leave then, Gary?" Sirius asked, much to Remus' dismay.
Professor Professor drew in a long slow breath before replying.
"Why, by all means, Mr. Black, go ahead," the Professor said. "I will see you in detention later this evening."
Sirius made a face. He then stood up, scooped up his book bag and headed for the exit. Before leaving the room he dramatically swept his back and turned to his classmates. Remus hid his face in his hands. James was totally unaware and still staring at Lily.
"I bid you all the fondest of farewells," Sirius said in a theatrical, over-the-top way. "Except of course, you Snape."
He backed out of the doorway taking little bows as he went.
"Adieu, adieu, adieu."
Remus peeked out from behind his fingers. He shook his head in disapproval and turned his attentions back to the front of the class.
This was not good, not good at all. In fact, it took all Remus could to focus on the rest of the lesson. Sirius was well on his way to being suspended, James on his way to flunking, and Peter on his way to realizing he was weird. It wouldn't do well to have his friends going every which way. The full moon was coming up soon and he really needed them all to stick together.
"Mr. Lupin," Professor Professor called from the front of the classroom. "Will you kindly read us the first paragraph from page 217 from the chapter on Nonverbal Spells?"
Remus sighed and opened his book. No, this was no good at all. He began to read in all his worried, nerdy glory.
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Thanks for reading! Please review and leave comments, suggestions, or praise, even constructive criticism if you like.
A little more ominous than usual… The boys are in for some trouble it looks like. And Snape's been introduced! Dun dun dun…
Special thanks to Miaseaofbitterness and WhiteTiger3944 for naming suggestions!
And thanks for sticking with me despite the horrendously long wait for the new chapter.
