Sirius Black
Where was the food? This had become bloody annoying. Every year, we have to endure watching puny first years get sorted and we're starving! Does nobody care about the people older than first years? I glance around the Great Hall to confirm that I'm not the only one. Sure enough, more than three quarters of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff population are staring at table, willing the food to come or groaning as the Sorting Hat takes an excruciatingly long time to sort a specific student. I don't see why we can't just sort the firsties after we eat. I knew we should've bought more food in the train. And who's brilliant idea was it to give our lunch to firsties after we finished it? Moony, obviously.
"I feel like I'm going to die of hunger. Can't they hurry up?" I confided in Prongs
"Hungry? Oh… yeah, that." he says, still snogging his girlfriend
I roll my eyes, I mean I'm happy for Prongs and everything but this is getting really annoying. They've been together for a month now and doing anything with them is nauseating. Ugh, it feels like I'm losing my best mate to some stupid bird. I don't like Elizabeth Fawley and I haven't made it a secret. That bird is clingy, only wants to snog and is downright stupid. Though I find her awful, I haven't given Prongs an ultimatum. Yet. When he announced that he finally had a serious girlfriend that he didn't dump after a week, I was shocked and secretly happy that he was finally over Evans. That bloke would stare at her for hours at a time and drive us mad with constantly trying to hatch plans to get her to go out with him. Now, I think I actually think I miss the old Prongs. This James's main occupation is to snog his girlfriend like there's no tomorrow. I know Moony is tired of it too, but he's too polite to acknowledge it. And Wormtail - let's face it, worships the ground Prongs walks on. Basically there's only me with some sense her. I look around the great hall the see if someone's changed and my eyes fall on the Gryffindor girls, Evans, Prewett, Mckinnon, Shafiq and Mcdonald. Evans is the same as ever as she jabbers enthusiastically with Mckinnon, Shafiq is in a deep conversation with her boyfriend of almost 2 years: Thomas Patil. Mcdonald is flirting with a few boys at a time, although managing to do it without appearing to be a slag. I don't know how she does it. Prewett, ah… Alice Prewett is staring at Longbottom again. Everybody seems to know about her crush except him. Poor girl. It's really a shame, they would make a good couple. I tear my eyes away from the group and whisper to Moony:
"Don't you think we should put a stop to Prongs and Fawley dating. It's really getting on my nerves, they barely know each other, the only thing they do is snog." I admit
"It's getting me annoyed but we can't really do anything about it. They'll break up once they realize the only thing they have in common is their love off snogging" he whispers back
"That's it! You're a genius!" I almost shout in victory
"What do you mean?" asks Moony warily
"I'll tell you after, the food's coming," I say
And indeed the food is finally here. Oh treacle tart! Oh fried chicken! How much I've missed you! Even Prongs tears himself away from Fawley and starts shoving food down his throat.
About an hour later, the food disappears and Dumbledore begins his speech.
"Dear Students,
This year will be the same in some ways and different in others. It will be different because for the first time in fifty years, the whole of the wizard is in danger… This is because there is a dark wizard who calls himself Voldemort out rounding up people and killing muggles and muggle-borns as we speak."
Everybody is quiet, listening intently on what Dumbledore has to say. This is grave news and they know it. I can see some young first years getting more and more terrified as he speaks. I know it's scary, but at least they know the truth. In fact, a lot of muggle-borns are shifting nervously in their seats, not sure what to say. The only group still grinning is the ones who actually support Voldemort. The ones who will join him the minute they finish school. Some of these people are: Rosier, Mulciber, Lestrange… and my brother, Regulus Black. We haven't spoken since when I ran away and was disowned from my family, the summer after 5th year. His last words echo in my head once more:
"How can you do this?"
I shudder and am eternally grateful that Prongs let me stay with him. He really is a brilliant person… Then I remember the start-of-the-year prank we spent the whole summer and some of the train ride preparing. It's going to be brilliant! Thank god Fawley went off to see her friends for some time. The way she claws onto Prongs… Wait! I've finally gotten a nickname for her! "The Claw". I whisper this to Moony and Wormtail and we all chuckle. You can't deny it's true.
"Prongs." I whisper
"Prongs!" I say louder
"James Potter!" I shout
Some people are staring at me now bit I don't care, at least I got his attention.
"The prank." I go back to whispering
Prongs looks confused for a second and I sigh in exasperation. He can't have forgotten already, it's the most important thing to start they ear. Oh wait, The Claw comes first… I think wryly. I watch Prongs finally remember our prank, so I dig in my bag to find the fireworks.
"Wormtail, take Prong's invisibility cloak and get behind the table with Mcgonagall and Dumbledore with these." I whisper, handing him the fireworks. I watch as he puts on the cloak in disappears out of sight.
"Moony, what you need to do." I instructed
"Distract Filch." he said readily'
Ah, he really is a good mate, isn't he?
"Prongs, unstick your mouth off your girlfriend's mouth and follow me." I demanded
Prongs reluctantly stopped snogging The Claw and joined me. We snuck into the corridor and looked at the Marauder's Map once more, just in case, We're quite good at not getting caught until after we finish the prank, I thought proudly. We made it to the door and I stopped.
"This is where we split. Remember, you have to set off the water balloons." I said hoping with all my might that he hadn't forgot them in the train
"I've got them." he said grinning
Maybe my best mate wasn't completely gone. I know what you're thinking: water balloons? Seriously? That's a first year's prank! I know, but the best part of our prank is that it comes in two parts. You see, in the train we realized that everyone was expecting us to do a prank, so we'd have lost the effect of surprise. What we'll do is pelt a few people with water balloons. When everybody thinks that they're safe and sound, we'll start the real prank. I'm not saying anything, but it'll be the best one yet. Maybe the fact that I'm running to Hagrid's hut will give you a clue. I finally get there and I knock on the door. Hagrid opens, I look him up and down. Like always, during the summer he hasn't changed. He's still the big bloke I'm friends with that's slightly strange but is always there when you need him. He comforted me when I got disowned, when Regulus joined the death eaters…
"Sirius! I wasn't expecting you so soon! Why aren't you eating with everyone else?" he exclaims jovially
"I need your help." I say confidentially
Then I tell him everything, well, not everything because you never know, he might report me to the professors, or something mad like that. I tell him part of the plan. At first, he doesn't want to cooperate, but I came prepared: in my bag are dozens of sweets and other small presents. After a few minutes of convincing, he bows down but tells me that when Mrs. Mcgonagall catches me, I mustn't mention him in the plan. Fine with me. The plan is working very smoothly so far. I know, you don't need to tell me, I'm brilliant. I dash back up to the Great Hall, meeting Prongs, Moony and Wormtail. The students of Hogwarts have just been pelted with some water balloons. Some think it was funny, some are angry, a lot think it's a really bad prank for the Marauders and some are just wet. We settle into our seat to appear innocent even though we'll get caught and get ready for our 7th start of the year prank, the best one yet. Let the feast begin!