Chapter 76: More Paybacks Coming
"I bet it's the Slytherins. They must be doing this to revenge on the Marauders."
"I believe that's the case too." Another girl was telling her friends. "Who else have such big revenge on the Marauders??"
"They're all out to embarrass the Marauders. Must be jealous of them or something."
"The Marauders are like the coolest guys in history. How I wish Sirius would just notice me."
"I still like the mysterious aura Remus show around. Shy and soft-spoken type."
"James is the best. So cool and in control of everything. He's like so perfect in every aspect. Every girl's dream guy." The fourth girl said.
Lily was eating her lunch and she nearly choked when she heard the comment a fourth-year made regarding James.
"Calm down. Not everyone think so lowly of James like the way you do." Stefanie teased.
"I thought we all think he's a jerk??" Lily queried.
"Yes, he's a jerk and everything. But ultimately he's indeed a dream guy." Samantha commented.
"Sam, you can't be on his side. You're my friend."
"I'm not on his side or anything. I'm on your side, of course. Otherwise why would I risk my good records to help you??"
"But why are you speaking well of him."
"She's stating the fact actually." Joey commented.
"Alright, I know how perfect everyone think James is. But not me, okay??"
"We didn't force you to think he is perfect, did we??"
"Alright, three against one."
"Anyway what do you think they're doing right now??" Stefanie asked suddenly. The four beds with their respective users had been cleared from the Great Hall, but the topic of the day was still hanging around. Various groups of people were discussing about that matter, including the Slytherins.
"Trying to wake up in the Hospital Wing??" Lily suggested.
"Not in their dorm??"
"More likely in McGonagall's office."
"We shall wait and see."
"Tomorrow we shall go on with operation part two." Lily whispered to the three other girls.
"What do you think you four are doing when you decided to change your sleeping location??" Professor McGonagall demanded from the four sleepy looking boys.
"We don't know what happened either." James replied groggily.
"It's not our fault. We didn't know we were there." Remus said sincerely.
"It's not that I'm going to believe you again. You guys were caught sleeping in the common room, prefect's room, classrooms, even the toilets, in the last six years. Do you think I'm that stupid to believe the four of you were not involved in making yourselves sleeping in the middle of the Hall??" Professor McGonagall barked.
"How about you give us some of the Veritaserum??" James requested. "Then you'll know that we're stating the truth."
"It's not necessary. It might be a revenge from some other pupils."
"Then why are we getting punished instead??"
"Because the four of you can't seems to get enough detentions. Mr. Filch already had a whole chest of drawers dedicated to the four of you. Can't the four of you just behave yourselves??" Professor McGonagall said in a strict tone. "Especially you, James. Since you're a prefect so you got to be a role model to the younger students." She turned to face Remus. "And you too, Remus, I expected better behavior from you for being the other prefect of Gryffindor."
"We'll track down the culprit of this whole thing." Sirius said in a sleepy tone. He appeared to be the drowsiest among the four Marauders.
"It's not necessary. Let this be a lesson for the four of you." Professor McGonagall said in a surrendered voice. "Put on some clothes before going anywhere else."
"Erm, our clothes are all in our dorm." Peter said in a soft voice.
"SUMMON THEM HERE!!"
"Looks like everyone believed that those Slytherins did it." Stefanie whispered to the four girls during dinnertime.
"They're taking away all our credits. That was too brilliant for them." Lily said sourly.
"Think of it this way, if anything happens, they'll get the punishments." Samantha pointed out.
"It's like killing two birds with one stone." Joey added.
"Alright, they can take all the credit for them."
"Then we shall come up with more pranks."
"Lily, don't be too greedy. Just this once is enough."
"Preparing a prank is not easy. I would prefer to be laughing over one of them instead."
"So the job of the Marauders isn't all that easy."
"Well, we're experiencing it now, aren't we??"
"Strange, they're not around for dinner."
"Maybe they're too embarrassed to come down."
"Or perhaps they're busy thinking of revenge for the Slytherins."
"Well, it's difficult to say."
"So how're we going to drug them to take the potion??"
"We sneak into their bedroom, feed them with a wee bit of the Sleeping Draught, and then drop a few drops of that potion into their mouth."
"It's gonna be a concentrated one."
"Who could have done such a prank on us??" James commented. The four guys were now hanging out in their dormitory for a major meeting after getting their dinner from the kitchens directly.
"It must be the Slytherins." Sirius said definitely. "Who would so such a thing on us??"
"How did they go about doing it??" Remus questioned. I got this gut feeling that this got something to do with Stef.
"To start with, I don't think they've the brains to think of something like this."
"They wouldn't know the password to Gryffindor tower, not to mention our dormitory password."
"The only person who know the password is Stef." Sirius said slowly.
"So you mean the girls did that to us??"
"That's a bigger possibility than Slytherins definitely."
"Why would they do such a thing to us??" Remus asked in bewilderment.
"I've no clue." Sirius said bluntly. "To think that we trusted them with everything."
"I'm sure they pulled such a major prank on us for a reason." Remus persisted. "Wormtail, did you offend them??"
"No, I didn't. Why would I??" Peter defended himself.
"Padfoot??"
"Not me. Ok, maybe I did in a sense or so, I don't remember how I offended any of them actually."
"It's me." James admitted.
"What did you do??" James told them briefly about the run-in with Lily last weekend, and he generally skipped the private details about it.
"Do you think they would have figured out we pulled that prank on them by now??" Lily paused her homework for a moment to ask her friends in the dormitory.
"I think they might be." Stefanie looked up from her homework. "Afterall Remus is there."
"I believe James and Sirius don't have the brains to think, but well, Remus do have some brains."
"So what about our next plan??"
"We gotta carry it out by hook or by crook."
"Not that serious, right??"
"I was practically molested by that idiot!!"
"Calm down, you didn't see him doing it."
"That's because he was invisible!!"
"Lils, calm down."
"How could I??" Lily gritted her teeth. "That jerk!!"
"I'm going with you." Stefanie offered.
"I'm okay by myself since I've this." Lily declined, covering herself with James' cloak.
"I don't want you to go alone."
"Lils, don't take too long."
"We'll wait for your good news."
"Let's go then." Stefanie said and the two girls disappeared under the cloak. The sixth-year girls' dormitory opened and closed with a gentle crack, leaving Samantha and Joey waiting inside.
"Thanks Stef." Lily whispered appreciatively.
"Don't mention it." Stefanie smiled. "That's what friends are for."
The two girls sneaked up the boys' dormitory as silently as possible. It was three in the morning and most of the students would be asleep at this time since they would have lessons in the morning at nine.
They stopped outside of the Marauders' dormitory and try to hear for any traces of movement inside. After ensuring the coast was clear, Stefanie whispered the password and the door opened with a deafening crack. They crept into the dormitory towards a corner of the room and waited for any signs of movement.
Lily caught Stefanie's eyes in the darkness and gave the signal to head towards James' bed first. In perfect synchrony, they tiptoed towards James' bed. Stretching out her hand, Stefanie dripped a few drops of the Sleeping Draught into his mouth and Lily followed up with several drops of the potion from her vial.
Then they proceeded on towards Sirius whereby they put the similar dosage as James. For Remus and Peter, they reduced them a little so the effect would not be too great for them.
"Let's go." Lily mouthed the words to Stefanie and both girls crept out from the slightly ajar door and closed it as silently as possible after them. This time they walked faster than before and reached their own dormitory in five minutes flat.
"How was it??" Samantha asked excitedly. All Lily and Stefanie replied was thumb-up signs.
"Great." Joey said enthusiastically. "We're going to watch another show tomorrow."
"At least it would be a seven-days long drama."
"How I wish it would last for even longer than just that??"
"That would be really flattering for them."
"Let's get to sleep. I don't want to miss the good show tomorrow morning." Stefanie laughed.
"Remember to wake me up to go for an early breakfast too." Lily said as she popped into the bed.
"Don't forget to apply your night cream." Samantha called out from her curtained bed.