Chapter 27:Practice Makes Perfect
"Our first practice today." Lily said tiredly as she helped herself with the seconding helping of cream of chicken soup.
"Yeah. Just now Potions was enough to kill." James complained, munching his fish and chips hungrily. They had to make a complicated truth potion but not as strong as veritaserum. The Marauders thought it was funny to splash some onto Professor Porky. James and Sirus pretended to push around and hit onto Severus who fell forward and pushed his cauldron over. In the end, Professor Porky made them stayed for extra half an hour longer to tell them some truth about himself. He only released them after the class rolled on the floor with laughter. By the time he regained his consciousness in another ten minutes, the Marauders ended with a week detention without complains. The laughter in the truth for his class was worth it.
"What do you think we would be doing for our first practice??" Lily asked the group, looking around. Peter had joined them and today was James' turn to 'obliviate' him. I wonder how can I endure the night.
"I think should be rather simple." James said; his mouth was rather filled with chewed fish and chips. Just wait till I can do wandless magic. Heeheehee.
"I don't know. Let's eat quickly. We only have like thirty more minutes." Lily checked the time and told the rest. The group ate their dinners quickly in silence.
"Let's get going." James instructed as the six of them walked out of the Great Hall. James had just 'obliviate' Peter and asked him to return to Gryffindor tower first. The six of them had always felt bad about leaving Peter out from their discussions. None of them knew that Peter had never been 'obliviate' at all. He remembered all their discussions clearer than anyone else and reported them to his master every time when he was left alone.
"Sherbet lemon." Lily told to the gargoyle after all of them stood on the steps of Dumbledore's office entrance. They were allowed to know the password to his office in case of emergency. It had been an exhausting day for them but nevertheless they knew the importance of these practices.
"Come in." Dumbledore said before any one of them even knocked the door. James opened the door slowly and the sextet walked in. Dumbledore was always full of amazement.
"Hi Professors." The six chorused together. Professor McGonagall was there as well to overlook their practice.
"What do you think of Fawkes??" Professor Dumbledore asked as he turned to face his new red phoenix that was standing on a new bird stand.
"It's a phoenix." Lily said, awed. It was the same phoenix as I had seen the last time.
"I seen this phoenix in your office in the future before." Remus spoke up.
"That's right. It's a gift from someone. Fawkes had belonged to him for a few hundred years, and now he had given it to me." Professor Dumbledore said, lightening the mood in the room. "A phoenix is a very rare creature indeed." He took another look at Fawkes and turned back to them.
"Why did he give it to you since it's such a precious creature??" James asked curiously.
"We're old friends." Dumbledore said, in a finalized statement. "I understand that you had a full day of lessons. I've heard what you guys did in Potions." The Marauders grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, we shall start training each of you individually." Professor Dumbledore instructed each of them to their respective area for their practice.
"Why am I sent to the hospital wing to help Madam Pomfrey??" Lily muttered to herself and walked quickly towards the infirmary alone. Well, I've the gift of healing. Where else can I go to practice anyway??
"Alohomora." James pointed at the lock with his right hand and muttered. A green spark appeared at the tip of his index finger and the door opened instantly.
"Very good, James. You pick up very fast. But I believe that it's very tiring for you." Professor Dumbledore said kindly.
"I'll try my best, Professor." James said confidently and continued doing the simple spells with his hand. "Accio wand." His wand flew over from the table.
CCccRRRrraaassSSshhhH!!
"Be careful!!" Professor McGonagall yelled at Sirus. A pile of books had fallen over Professor McGonagall from the bookshelf. Sirus had been using his eyes to make things move about in the room. He was trying to insert some books into the empty area on the bookshelf above Professor McGonagall when he lost his concentration because James had made his wand flew across his face.
"Sorry Minnie." Sirus said sweetly as he bent down and tried to help Professor McGonagall up. Professor McGonagall, who was already irritated, looked at Sirus furiously after he called her Minnie.
"Back to practice!! Clear the pile of books!!" Professor McGonagall instructed in a weak tone and went towards the chair.
"AAaaaHHhhhHH!!" Professor McGonagall landed on the floor because the chair had moved automatically away from her and towards Stefanie.
"Oh no. I'm so sorry, Professor McGonagall." Stefanie apologized profusely. She was using her mind to move the chair over so she could sit. It was rather tired moving objects with her mind and hence, she instructed the chair behind her to move over the moment Professor McGonagall was about to sit.
"It's ok, Stefanie." Stefanie was helping Professor McGonagall up while James and Sirus was stifling a laugh.
"Are you alright, Professor??" Stefanie asked in a concerned manner. Professor McGonagall had been prone to all sorts of accident in the room ever since they started practicing. She was hit by several books horizontally and vertically, crashed onto the ground when the table she leaned on moved, and now she just gotten hit by more books and fell onto the ground once again.
"I'm fine. Go ahead and practice." Professor McGonagall said in a feeble manner. Being hit and had fallen so many times had made her weaker than ever. Stefanie resumed moving objects with her mind once she made sure Professor McGonagall had settled safely on a chair.
Remus wondered around the empty corridors in Hogwarts. He had just traveled about twenty years down the road again. I wonder will I meet that Harry Potter guy again. The place looked pretty much the same. I just head down to the kitchens and get some food while exploring.
Arabella was sitting at a corner in the room, reading their thoughts and laughing to herself. The sight of the chaotic Dumbledore's office was funny enough even without reading their thoughts. She tried to get some premonitions but unsuccessful so she decided to read their minds instead.
This is easy manz. Imagine next time I can prank the Slytherins without using my wand. Haha. I bet they won't know is me. Professor Porky will not have evidence against us either. Looks like I'm really gifted in wandless magic. Professor McGonagall's wand, which had fallen when she fell down from the chair, had just flown into James' hand and she was demanding it back.
What can I do to make more things crash on Minnie?? Books. Been there done that. Table and Chair. No use. Fawkes. Aha. I can make Fawkes fly around the room. Weird, why isn't it working?? Maybe it's not for living objects. Let me see. Aha, Minnie's wand. Hahaha. Sirus stared at Professor McGonagall's wand and immediately it flew high above her and James. James grinned at Sirus and he winked at him. Professor McGonagall's wand dropped onto the floor the moment he lost the eye contact and she used that opportunity to seize it back and kept it safely in her pocket.
"Sirus, never ever lose concentration." Dumbledore instructed.
Let me move that book. Done. The chair. Done. The table. Done. What else can I move?? Fawkes!! Yes. Argh. Why isn't he moving?? Move Fawkes Move. Hmm, maybe my brainpower can't be applied on living things. Let me move Bell. Heehee. That's right.
Don't you dare!!
Bell??
Yes.
How come you are in my thoughts??
I'm reading everyone's thoughts.
Any nice gossips??
Nope.
C'mon. I'm tired.
Me too.
Let me try to move you.
No way!! I don't wanna be floating around the room. Besides if you do it, Sirus will do it to me too. He hasn't figured out why he couldn't move Fawkes yet.
You already read his thoughts??
I'm reading everyone's.
Okok. Back to practice.
Yeah. Arabella left Stefanie's thoughts. She moved on towards Dumbledore since Lily and Remus are not around to let her read theirs.
They're working really well. By the way, Arabella, if you're reading my thoughts, please stop.
How did you know I'm reading you thoughts, Professor??
It's your gift. Besides you're sitting there looking at each of us. Professor Dumbledore gave Arabella a wink behind his half moon spectacles.
Ok, I leave your thoughts then.
Try to get some premonitions. We need that.
I'll try my best, Professor. With that, Arabella left Professor Dumbledore's thoughts and moved towards Professor McGonagall.
I can't believe how unlucky I'm. Getting hit and fell so many times. More than I can ever think of in my whole life. I wonder if James and Sirus had done it on purpose. This is such a headache. No. The guys are such a headache!! This is only the first practice. And I have to suffer this three times a week?? Oh Merlin. I can die from all these torture!!
Arabella giggled and moved back to Sirus' thoughts. I shall not read so much into Professor McGonagall's thoughts. Otherwise I'll probably start laughing everytime I see her. Maybe I can try reading Fawkes thoughts. Afterall, I wonder how birds think.
I'm more than just a bird, Miss Figg.
What!! I'm talking to a phoenix in his thoughts??
Yes, that's what you're doing.
How can you talk??
I can't talk like a human, I can think like a human.
Oh my god. I don't believe that.
That's why I said I'm more than just a bird. Miss Figg, it's not possible for you to read my thoughts anyway. Mr. Black and Miss Black had tried to control my movement but unsuccessful.
I know.
I know more than what you know but you just can't read my thoughts.
Alright, I leave you thoughts for know. Arabella looked at Fawkes and then looked at Sirus and started shaking her head. I can't believe I just talk to a phoenix. Oh. My. God.
"Hello!!" A voice said from behind.
"Hi Harry." Remus turned and was surprised to see him.
"You haven't told me your name the last time by the way." Harry said patiently.
"Jack. Nice to meet you." Remus said, smiling. I can't possibly tell him I'm Remus. Who knows he probably know the real Remus.
"O-ok. Hi Jack." Harry said, unconvinced. He walked over intending to put his hand over Remus' shoulder. There was a kind of electric shock that went through them and both guys were flunked backwards. The sixteen-year-old Harry was sent backwards and hit one of the statue while the thirteen-year-old Remus hit the painting behind him.
"What happened??" Remus asked in a shock.
"I don't know. Are you alright, Jack??" Harry asked kindly as he picked himself up. It was obvious that his back was hurting a little.
"Sorry I've gotta go." Remus dashed away as quickly as possible in his hurting back. I need to get back to Dumbledore's office now. He concentrated and the next moment he returned to the present day Dumbledore's office and nearly was hit by a heavy flying book on his face.
"Remus, bend down." Stefanie shouted as she tried to move the book with her mind that Sirus was controlling away.
"Woah!! Remmy, be careful. You won't want to end up like Minnie." Sirus said in a joking manner and earned an angry glare from Professor McGonagall at the corner.
"What happened Remmy?? You're dashing in such a great hurry." James asked. Remus told the details of his last three hours in the future and his meeting with Harry Potter and about the electric current when he tried to touch him.
"I think it's because you're not supposed to be present there. You're like a vision, an illusion." Dumbledore said, thinking hard. "I think the reason why he can't touch you is because you're not real."
"Anyway it's nearing ten. I think you five better head back towards your dormitories and get some sleep. It had been a long day." Professor McGonagall said in a stern and tired tone.
"What about Lily??" James asked. The rest of the group turned to give him a why-are-you-so-concerned-about-Lily look.
"I've already told Madam Pomfrey to send her back to Gryffindor tower before ten." Dumbledore said smiling at James.
"Thank you, Professors." The five chorused and left Dumbledore's office.
"You had a tiring day, Lily." Madam Pomfrey told Lily in a motherly manner.
"Yes." Lily said feebly. She had healed a first-year who fell and scratched himself rather badly, a second-year with an injured back, Jun Chang who sprained her ankle and a fourth-year with a twisted wrist, etc. Madam Pomfrey had to charm the students to a subconscious state before Lily can heal them supernaturally. Only three staff and the six of them knew about their confidential secret.
"You had done a great job today." Madam Pomfrey said encouragingly and gave Lily a mug of cold chocolate.
"Thank you. I probably should start heading back now." A tired Lily replied after she finished drinking.
"I see you at your next training."
"Good night, Madam Pomfrey. Thank you for all your help." Lily said gratefully and dragged her feet back to Gryffindor tower alone. They're so lucky to be able to practice together. Whereas I'm stuck at the hospital wing all by myself.
"Lily!!" Arabella and Stefanie shouted as they came into the empty dormitory. Samantha and Joey were in the common room studying. They did not want to disturb Lily, who looked like she needed some peace.
"Hey Bell, Stef." Lily said tiredly. She was resting in her bed waiting for Arabella and Stefanie to return from their practice, which felt like ages.
"Let's talk about what happened." Arabella said excitedly. She wanted to tell the two of them about the thoughts she came across for the guys as well as Fawkes, Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"Ok, make it quick. Healing people is really tiring. I'm drained." Lily muttered as both of them climbed onto Lily's bed. The three started talking eagerly about their practice and soon all three fell into a deep and dreamless sleep on Lily's bed.