Chapter 49: Being Prefects
"Now we've one more burden than the rest." Lily complained as she and James walked towards the prefects meeting room on a Saturday evening.
"Well, I don't know about you. But one of my expectations is to be a prefect." James said nonchalantly.
"What expectations??"
"My father's expectations."
"So you're fulfilling them??"
"I need to."
"Oh."
"Here we're. Responsibilities and Duties." James said and the portrait swung open, revealing a rather nice and comfortable room, which looked rather similar to the house common room.
"Lily, James, finally you guys are here." Andrew smiled at his juniors.
"Are we late or something?? Loucelle told us seven o'clock." Lily asked and checked her watch.
"No, you guys aren't late. Just a comment because no one else is here yet. I'm kinda bored being so early but I don't have a choice." Andrew said in a rather bored tone.
"Well, if James be the Head Boy, he probably would appear fashionably late." Lily joked.
"We must be good examples for fellow students." Andrew pointed out but still gave James his boyish grin.
The prefect's room started filling up with the fifth, sixth and seventh-years prefects from the different houses.
"So Potty and the Mudblood became prefects, huh??" Narcissa said from behind.
"So it was Snape and Clarkee, I thought what dog was barking behind us." James told Lily loudly.
"James, Lily, Severus and Narcissa, please take a seat." Michelle called out. The four fifth-years quickly went to their respective seat and kept quiet but continued glaring at one another throughout the whole meeting.
"There's going to be a Christmas Ball!!" Lily announced the moment she entered the fifth-year female dormitory.
"What!!" Arabella exclaimed and jumped out from her bed.
"A Christmas Ball, that's so cool!!" Stefanie said as she popped out from her
bed.
"We can dress up together again!!" Samantha exclaimed happily.
"Tell us all about it." Joey asked Lily excitedly.
"It would be announced somewhere this few days. The Christmas Ball will be held somewhere between twentieth to twenty-third of December. Only fifth-years to seventh-years will be allowed this time." Lily said in brief.
"Sounds cool." Stefanie said excitedly.
"Theme is Glittering Stars. Prefects are doing the preparations." Lily explained. "Gryffindor prefects are in charge of the music."
"Hope Slytherins are not in charge of the food." Arabella remarked. "They might poison us."
"Ravenclaw prefects are in charge of the food and Slytherin prefects are helping out in the deco."
"At least the most they can only make the Christmas tree collapse." The five girls started laughing and then continued their girl talk.
"We need to come up with a list of songs. Loucelle, Penelope and I will be something like the deejays. We might need help from both of you as well. So do make yourself available when we need you. Otherwise both of you can enjoy while you can." Daniel Thomas, the sixth-year prefect, was telling James and Lily. The six Gryffindor prefects were having a little meeting for the upcoming Christmas Ball preparations.
"I've to start the dance with all prefects, some sort of tradition." Andrew was telling the group. "We've to choose a song that we all like."
"There must be a balance number of fast songs and slow songs. More slow songs would be preferred." Loucelle suggested.
"I agree. We should have more slow songs that fast paced ones. We can just use the pop songs or something." Penelope Patil commented.
"How about let our first song be Can't Help Falling In Love With You?? The Elvis Presley song. Rather popular and slow enough." Loucelle suggested.
"Hey Lily, James, you two are being unusually quiet." Andrew said suddenly.
"So what do you think of the starting song??" Penelope asked.
"I think it's nice. But I can't imagine dancing it with James."
"Neither can I imagine dancing that song with you."
"It's only a dance."
"Sounds scary. All eyes will be on us." Lily commented.
"On us only more likely since we'll be right in front. I'll be dancing with Loucelle and Michelle will be with Terrence Boot." Andrew remarked.
"Anyway back to the song list." Daniel said.
"So what are the slow songs??" Penelope asked the five. Very soon, they started listing out the songs they wanted in order of appearance. Their first song was confirmed and their list of two hundred songs was out after three hours of informal discussion.
"There is someone around the Whomping Willow." Lily thought she saw some shadowy movements along the killer tree, went towards the window to take a closer look. "It's Snape!!"
"What are you talking about??" James asked her and went towards the window to take a closer look.
"Oh my god!! It's full moon tonight!!" Lily whispered worriedly.
"You go and inform Dumbledore and I go down and get Snape off the tree." James instructed and he dashed down the staircases towards the Whomping Willow. Lily, on the other hand, ran quickly towards Dumbledore's office.
What on earth is Snape doing there?? And how did he know about it?? Did he saw Remus?? James thought as he ran faster and faster towards the tree. Snape is my enemy, I shouldn't be helping him. But he's innocent, and from another point of view, he's a fellow schoolmate. Yes, I must save him.
James ran towards the Whomping Willow and looked around the deserted area. Shucks, he must have gone into the tunnel. He quickly grabbed an old tree branch, which Madam Pomfrey had always been using, and tried to poke at the point which make the tree freeze and at the same time escape from the swinging branches. Peter better be able to do this when he's a rat.
It's nearing night, this is getting bad. James thought as he dashed towards the Shrieking Shack direction. Where is he?? Where is he??
Suddenly there was a loud werewolf howl from afar. James finally saw Snape who was walking closer and closer towards the Shrieking Shack.
"SNAPE!! STOP!! DON'T GO ANY FURTHER!!" James shouted.
"I'm going expose your little secret to the Headmaster." Severus smirked with his little triumphant smile.
"This is not a secret. THIS IS DANGER!! LEAVE NOW!!" James shouted and grabbed hold of Severus to prevent him from moving forward, as the howling sounds get more distinct.
"Why should I listen to you?? Potty boy??" Serverus taunted and struggled to make James release. James, being much stronger, held Severus tightly and tried to make the way back to the Whomping Willow. "Get off me!!"
"I'll only release when we're out there safely." James said, struggling to hold onto Severus tightly and walked back.
"So what are you all hiding?? I'm going to expose all of you and make sure you, the Minister's son, get expelled from Hogwarts for good." Severus screamed, and punched James on his stomach and face.
"STOP PUNCHING ME!! If you go further ahead, you'll make the biggest regret of your life. AND STOP STRUGGLING!!" James shouted at Severus' ear as he tried to shove him up the tunnel.
"I'm not going to leave till I find out what's going on!!" Severus struggled and James lost his grip. Severus ran towards the end of the tunnel with James chasing behind. Suddenly with a loud howl, a full-grown werewolf appeared at the end of the tunnel. Severus fainted on the spot instantly.
James transformed into his animagus form and galloped towards Remus the werewolf and pinned him down on the ground. James looked into Remus' eye and some form of understanding came between them and they stopped struggling. James had gotten some scratches on him from Remus claws. Just then Sirius, in his animagus form came over, James and Sirius looked at each other, then slowly James released Remus but not letting him go any closer to Severus. Sirius shoved Remus back to the Shrieking Shack leaving James alone. After making sure Remus was a safe distance away, he transformed back to himself. Giving one look to himself to make sure he did not splinched himself or something, he levitated Severus and left the tunnel quickly.
"James, how are you??" Lily came running towards the frozen Whomping Willow with Dumbledore.
"I'm fine, just some scratches. Snape isn't fine though." James said, looking at the still Severus who was lying on the floor motionlessly.
"Let's take him to the Hospital Wing." Dumbledore said and conjured a stretcher for Severus. "That was very brave of you to save your enemy from danger. What happened in the tunnel??"
"I chased after Snape and we struggled. Remus sensed us and was about to come towards our direction when a dog stopped him in time. Snape fainted on the sight of the werewolf and I brought him up." James said, missing out some facts deliberately.
"You've done what a heroic wizard would do." Dumbledore said and winked at James. Looks like they're not going to admit that they're illegal Animagi. I don't blame them either. "Now Severus owe you a Wizard Debt in which he has to repay you somehow someday in this life."
"As long as he don't let out the news about Remus, I don't want him to repay me at all." James said, looking at the stiffed Severus.
"It's a bond created when you save him. Saving someone would create a bond between the two. Remus and Stefanie share a special bond between the two that no one can break. I don't know how is Stefanie ever going to repay Remus." Lily remarked.
"That's right, Lily. It's some sort of bond. For us in the wizarding community, it's known as Wizard Debt. It's nearly impossible to repay in certain sense, especially when it involved saving one's life." Dumbledore said.
"Argh!! I don't want him to repay me." James said in disgust. "Who know how he would try to repay?? Being my friend?? Eeewww." Lily laughed at James' reaction whole Dumbledore gave a small chuckle.
"You might as well say that it's your duty since you're a prefect??" Lily suggested.
"Yeah, it's my duty. No repayment needed or wanted." James said.
"In time, you'll see how he's going to repay you." Dumbledore said wisely.
"I'm so beat!!" Lily whined as she sat on the armchair the moment she entered the Gryffindor common room.
"Yeah." James agreed. Both of them had been patrolling along the corridors with the sixth-year prefects for the last three hours.
"Being prefect is such a tiring job."
"We can only return when most of the population is sleeping so soundly." They had started patrolling from ten onwards, after their practice with Dumbledore.
"Who would be out there at this time of the night anyway??" Lily commented.
"The Marauders of course." James said.
"It's people like you who's giving us so much trouble."
"So am I considered to be in the 'you' category or the 'us' category??"
"Both."
"How to??"
"I'm too tired to argue with you."
"The Lily I know will argue till her last breathe."
"What do you mean by that??"
"It means that you still don't remember me."
"What's the diff?? You're in my current memories and that's what matters."
"You've got a point."
"Of course I've a point."
"Ah.. That's the Lily I know."
"Yeah." With that, both of them dozed off in the Gryffindor common room on the comfy armchairs.
"Hey Lily, wakie wakie!!" Arabella shook the sleeping Lily.
"I think you better wake Lily up because I need to perform the ultimate stunt to wake James up." Sirius said.
"Lily, you're going to be late!!" Stefanie pulled Lily up.
"Huh?? What??" A confused and sleepy Lily asked.
"You're late for lessons. Better go and get changed." Stefanie said.
"I'm late?? Ok, wait for me." Lily ran up to her dormitory to change.
"Watch this." Sirius said as he levitated James about half a meter of the couch and then released him for a straight drop.
"OUCH!!" James groaned and he got up from his sleep.
"This always works well." Remus laughed at the sleepy James.
"Tell us what did you and Lily do last night??" Arabella questioned James.
"Did what?? Prefect duties of course." James answered as a matter-of-fact.
"For the whole night??" Sirius teased.
"Of course not. We were too tired and just fell asleep here." James said. "You guys are being ridiculous again. I'm going up to change." James left the five of them at the common room laughing.
"What's so funny??" Lily came down in great hurry from the female dormitory.
"James was being funny." Stefanie said.
"What did he do??"
"What did you two do last night??" Sirius questioned Lily.
"Did what?? Prefect duties of course." Lily answered as a matter-of-fact.
"They sure have rapport. They've identical replies." Remus teased.
"Hello?? That's what we did last night. Then we were too tired and just sleep on the armchair."
"Whatever you say." Sirius grinned. The five friends seemed to share a similar grin and Lily eyed each of them suspiciously.
"If not for Dumbledore, I would have told the world your little secret." Severus hissed at the Marauders as he walked passed them on purpose in the Great Hall.
"He won't tell." James assured Remus. "Dumbledore made him keep quiet."
"I certainly hope so." Remus said quietly. Peter gave him an assuring pat on his back.
"Don't worry. You've us no matter what happen. Once a Marauder, always a Marauder." Sirius said.
"Thanks Si." Remus said and started heaping food onto his plate.
"Don't worry about it, Rem. We're here for you." James assured and started eating the mountain of food on his plate.
"Hey guys." A female voice called out.
"Oh no."
"Uh oh."
"Hi girls." Sirius said in a false friendly voice.
"Mind if we join you guys for dinner."
"Actually we do, we've something important to discuss."
"Aren't we important enough to know??"
"You are not important enough to know anything."
"Oh, fine. Who did you think you're anyway??" The two Slytherin third-years stomped off.
"Let's eat faster." James said and the four started eating their dinner in a much faster pace.