a/n-yay! another update! aren't you all so proud of us? anyway, since it hasn't really been that obscenely long of a time since our last update, we felt it would be ok to spare you our lenghty sorrows at not updating sooner. so, just go enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer-J.K. Rowling wishes she was as amazing at writing about her own characters as we are.
Chapter Five
Minerva McGonagall was not having a good third day back to school.
Her second year Hufflepuff and Slytherin class had put out a truly dismal showing. They did not even come close to transfiguring their tea cups, and to make matters worse every Slytherin seemed to consider it their personal obligation to make the Hufflepuffs cry.
Furthermore, two of her fifth year Gryffindors had gotten into a fight in the middle of corridor like common street thugs, one had walked away with purple hair and the other with a dinner plate glued to the back of his head. Unfortunately, this may or may not have been the result of a permanent sticking charm and let me tell you Minerva McGonagall did not look forward to telling that child's parents that a dinner plate was permanently glued to his head.
And, to make matters worse, her star chaser had fallen down two flights of stairs and according to Madame Pomfrey would be out of commission for the next one or two matches. McGonagall could not understand how someone who was poetry in motion in the air could be so clumsy on her own two feet.
Her fondest desire was to retreat back to the calm sanctity of her office and have a nice, soothing cup of tea without interruption from any of her students or fellow professors. Unfortunately, this was not going to be the case…
The transfiguration mistress had just set about finding her tea kettle when screams of horror began to filter through from the floor below. McGonagall groaned and allowed her head to fall onto her desk with a resounding thud (which only served to increase the migraine that had been lurking at her temples all morning). She took a few calming breaths and, stealing herself for horrors beyond her imagination, dragged herself out of her office and down the marble staircase. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her.
"Purple bubbles?" She inquired in a wary tone, wisely drawing to a stop at the bottom of the stairs several feet away from the center of the mayhem.
"Indeed," replied Dumbledore who was watching the chaos unfolding with what can only be interpreted as an amused expression on his face. "However, this goes far beyond the appearance of these magnificently conjured purple bubbles…"
Indeed, Dumbledore was quite astute in his observation for when each purple bubble popped (usually right above someone's head) that person would experience some, ah, unpleasant side effects. Namely, when the bubble exploded the person unlucky enough to be underneath it would A. Have their hair died some horrendous neon color such as pink, orange, yellow, etc. Or B. the spell seemed to have the effect of forcing those under its influence to tell the truth (in the most straight forward manner), meaning that some unfortunate boyfriend who had been asked "Do these robes make me look fat?" was suffering the wrath of his girlfriend. Also, fireworks were erupting from all over and scrawling the message "the Marauders were here," in the air. All in all, the Marauders had managed to accomplish quite a bit in their first official prank.
McGonagall, meanwhile, seemed to be on the verge of an aneurysm as she took in the calm countenance of the Headmaster, the brightly colored fireworks, and the screaming student populace. It was as an afterthought that she decided to calm down just enough to ask the Headmaster a question.
"Who, exactly, are these 'Marauders?'" She asked through clenched teeth.
"An excellent question, my dear Minerva," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "Although, whoever they are, they are quite aptly named. They are succeeding far beyond normal standards in the area of invading and attacking this fine institution."
"Aren't you going to do anything about this, Headmaster?" McGonagall demanded, her mind clearly on the events of the night of the sorting ceremony. Students could not be allowed to get away with such extreme mischief making!
"Hmm…" Was Dumbledore's thoughtful, academic response. "I think not. Today is such a fine day for pranking to occur, don't you think, Minerva? Besides, we must assume that these lovely students who are calling themselves the Marauders will strike again, don't you think? I'm sure there will be plenty of other opportunities for them to be punished. One just has to hope that they aren't staying true to their title and taking this opportunity to pillage the castle as we observe the mayhem they have created for what we are assuming is their own amusement. Lemon drop?"
Professor McGonagall could only stare at her superior in what can best be described as shock.
"Another time then, perhaps?" Dumbledore suggested, putting the paper full of the offered candies back into his pocket. Then, without another word, he turned on his heel on walked away, whistling a cheerful-sounding tune that did not in any way echo Professor McGonagall's mood at the current moment.
Abandoning the clearly seething Deputy Headmistress momentarily, at the top of the marble staircase an entirely different scene was being played out. Well, almost, anyway…
"We have succeeded!" Sirius declared triumphantly.
"I never should have agreed to this." Remus said with a shake of his head as James and Sirius high-fived each other. "There goes my dream of having a perfect school record."
"Dumbledore left and didn't do anything about it, though." Peter said. "We aren't going to get in any trouble at all."
"I highly doubt that." An unfamiliar voice said from behind them.
As one, they all jumped and turned to see a small, red-haired girl standing before them. James' eyes lit up at the sight of her.
"Lily Evans, isn't it?" He asked, sticking a hand out for her to shake. "I'm James. James Potter."
Lily merely raised an eyebrow at him. "This is the fifth time today that you've introduced yourself to me. I know who you are, Potter." Ignoring the crestfallen look on James' face she turned to Sirius. "It's Sirius Black, isn't it?"
Slowly, Sirius nodded.
"Marlene McKinnon is looking for you." She informed him. "I've only known her for a few days now, but if I were you, I'd run away and never come back."
"Er…why?" Sirius was quite confused.
"My dear friend," Remus began, putting a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "When someone says they highly doubt we're not going to get into any trouble, like Miss Evans here did just moments ago, then I'm sure they have ample enough reason to justify it."
"What Remmy is trying to say," James cut in suddenly, "Is that Marlene is going to kill you because you forgot to tell her we were doing a prank today, so we did it without her."
"No." Lily said. She pointed towards the staircase. "That's why McKinnon is going to kill him."
The four boys turned to look where she pointed and saw a very irate-looking Marlene walking towards them. A very irate-looking Marlene with bright blue hair.
"Oh dear." Was all Remus could say.
"Have a nice day, you lot." Lily said before walking away.
"We're going to die." Peter said in a panicked whisper.
"Why yes, Peter. Yes, we are."
"YOU!" Marlene practically shouted, her finger pointed at the group as a whole. "Look what you've done to me!"
"But Mars," Sirius said, attempting to reason with his friend, and failing miserably, "Look on the bright side. Now your hair matches your eyes."
Marlene focused the attention of her glare on him as he spoke.
"What if I don't want my hair to match my eyes?" She demanded. "What then?"
"You'll be unsatisfied with your wonderful matching-ness?" Sirius offered, backing away slowly as she advanced on them.
"I'll say." Marlene replied. "Do you even know how to reverse this?"
"Well," Sirius began, but, alas, we shall not learn if Sirius knew the reversal spell for Marlene's blue hair, because just then a purple bubble, which had drifted in between Marlene and the four boys, chose that exact moment to pop.
The Marauders were here!
Marlene just looked at the words shimmering gold in between them for a moment, before looking back at the boys.
"You four pulled this prank, right?" She asked.
"Yep." Peter replied. "Great, wasn't it?"
"I think we've already established that Marlene doesn't think that, Pete." Remus muttered in the smaller boy's ear.
"Oh, yeah…"
"Then who are these so-called 'Marauders?'" Marlene demanded.
"Ah…well, that would be us." James said. "The four of us." He indicated himself, Peter, Remus, and Sirius. "It's a secret society dedicated to pranking that Sirius made up last night."
"Excuse ME?" Marlene demanded irately, if not for the fact that this was so not meant to be amusing the sight of the short curly, blue-haired girl with her hands on her hips making four much taller boys cower in fear of her would've been quite humorous. As things stood however, the four boys would soon be finding little to laugh at.
"You're excused." Sirius said cheerfully.
Marlene wisely disregarded this remark and plowed onward. "Are you telling me that you, you four, traitorous traitors formed a secret society without me last night? How could you do this to me?! How?!" And to the four boy's great horror her eyes actually started swimming with what looked suspiciously like tears.
"Aw, Mars, don't cry," Sirius said feebly exchanging uncomfortable looks with James.
"None of you love me anymore, admit it!" Marlene demanded.
"We do!" Sirius protested vehemently. "We really did mean to include you but the secret oath we signed was a time-release spell, and you were asleep, and we can't get in the girl's dormitories and there was nothing we could do about it."
"A likely story!" Marlene scoffed.
"Really, it's true!" James squeaked looking terrified that she was going to start crying all over him at any moment.
"Look, Mars, is there anyway we can make this up to you?" Sirius asked pleadingly.
"…well, there is one way." Marlene said taking care to keep the evil smirk of her face. Boys were too easy to manipulate.
"Tell us!" Peter exclaimed.
"Yes, please do." Remus added.
"Well, first of all, I expect advanced knowledge of any and all pranks you pull in the future, also, seeing as how my hair is now blue I expect all of you to dye your hair a color of my choosing as a show of sorrow and solidarity."
"…B-but my hair!" Sirius exclaimed.
At this protest, Marlene turned watery blue eyes to her friend, and he was soon crumbling like putty in her capable hands.
And, that was how Sirius found himself with bright pink hair, whereas James enjoyed hair of a lovely shade of violet, Remus got some delightful neon green hair, and Peter's hair was a quite interesting shade of puce. Unfortunately, for them the hair color spell was on a time-release spell and Marlene, in a spurt of vindictiveness, set it for two weeks. On the other hand, they did get away with no punishment, because why on earth would the perpetrators of a crime also attack themselves? So, clearly they were innocent.
But they wouldn't always be…
a/n-please review! and we'd also love it if you read and reviewed our other story Muggle Studies. thanks for reading!