MISCHIEF MANAGED
Chapter Twelve – Going Back
The train whistled, signalling its departure. James scrambled aboard just as it began to move from the platform, waved hurriedly to his parents, then found his friends already seated in a compartment of their own. 'Nice of you to join us, Potter,' Sirius said, beaming at the sight of his best friend.
'Listen, fellow marauders, I have an idea about how we can keep ourselves entertained until we get to school.' They all gathered round as James told of his prank.
When they had agreed on a plan of action, Remus, Sirius and James, dressed in the Invisibility Cloak, awaited the all clear from Peter, who had been distributing Dungbombs along the length of the train. He came back puffed and in an overly energetic voice, he notified the boys of the obvious, 'It smells really bad out there!'
Then, starting from the Slytherin end of the train, the Marauders, using the Wingardium Leviosa charm, caused chaos by making everyone's belongings fly around their compartments. With the proper incantation, trunks, cloaks, shoes and even owls in their cages zoomed through every section of the train to the astonishment of the Hogwarts students.
The last compartment they came to held three first years talking animatedly about the houses they wanted to be put in. As one, all the Marauders whispered, 'Wingardium Leviosa,' with the required swish and flick motion and the girls' trunks flew into the air.
The smaller of the girls, who had a smattering of freckles across her nose, shrieked loudly at this peculiar scene. The second girl, with the looks of a pureblood, glanced up, sighed in agitation, and then returned to her book, after reassuring her companion, 'No need to squeal, it's just someone's idea of a joke.' Without paying any heed to the pure-blood's remarks, the third girl, more enthusiastic than the other two, laughed, and then proceeded to chase her trunk around the compartment excitedly.
At that point, the Marauders decided it was time to return to their compartment and prepare for the train's arrival in Hogsmeade. When no one was in sight, they pulled off the cloak to stretch their cramped limbs.
They continued on their way, until they were stopped in their tracks by a snide remark from Severus Snape. 'That stupid trick back there, I know it was you.'
'You mean the kid who was enchanting people's trunks?' Remus answered coolly. 'I think it was a Hufflepuff third year.'
Snape flushed red in anger and embarrassment. 'I know it was you,' he hissed. 'I'll prove it.'
Sirius laughed mockingly at this retort, and the four of them continued past him. When they were a few metres away, they heard a muttered, 'You four are disgraces to wizard kind.'
Outraged, Sirius pulled out his wand and hastened menacingly towards Snape. 'Watch your mouth, Snivellus, or I'll have to show you some Black magic.' He turned slowly and began towards his friends, when Snape drew his own wand.
'Petrificus Totalus!' he yelled, but Sirius had ducked, having guessed Snape's next move would be to attack.
Sirius whipped around to face his opponent. 'Densaugeo,' he retaliated, but Snape was no longer there.
'Furnunculus!' This attack came from the side, missed Sirius and hit Peter, who immediately began to come up in boils.
Angered by this unprovoked attack on one of their own, Remus and James tugged their wands from their back pockets and stood defensively behind their comrade. 'Tarantallegra,' Remus directed towards Snape.
His legs not under his control, Snape's usually pale skin went red and he turned tail and danced back to his Slytherin friends, yelling profanities back at the Marauders.
Since Peter was wincing from pain, the boys assisted him back to the compartment. There, they hurriedly pulled on their robes just as the train was grinding to a halt. The whistle sounded, and they gathered up their belongings to place on the platform. Luckily, Remus remembered Peter's cat before it was too late.
Rushing to get Peter to the Hospital Wing, the boys pushed their way to the first lot of carriages. They clambered in one, which moved steadily of its own accord. In no time they had reached the front doors.
Upon entering the castle, they were stopped by the Head of Slytherin House, Professor Slughorn. 'Boys,' he said sternly. 'Another student has just informed me that you have been duelling on the train. This is unacceptable behaviour and I shall have to set you a deten-.' Seeing the boils covering Peter's body, Slughorn's voice trailed off mid-sentence. 'Perhaps you should take Mr Pettypot to the Hospital Wing,' he stuttered, and wandered off, mumbling to himself.
'Thanks for getting us out of detention, mate! At least the ugly boils are good for something,' Sirius joked. He then whispered to James, 'Though it would have been cool to set the record for getting a detention before school even started.'
At that point, Peter made some undecipherable noise, and they remembered Slughorn's orders. Not wanting to miss the sorting, they hastened to the Hospital Wing.
It took some time for Madam Pomfrey to reverse Snape's jinx. By the time they reached the Great Hall, Peter boil-free, the Sorting was already underway. 'HUFFLEPUFF!' the Hat called, and the first year to whom it applied ran to his appointed table.
The next name to be called out was, 'Black, Narcissa.' A beautiful girl with white blonde hair strode confidently to the stool.
'Nose in the air, like all good Blacks,' Sirius sneered at his cousin.
Less than a second after the Hat had touched her head, its brim opened wide and shouted, 'SLYTHERIN!' The table furthest from the Gryffindors' cheered as Narcissa took a seat next to her sister.
'Cauldwell, Rufus!' the next to be Sorted, also joined the Slytherin table.
'Collins, Nicolas!'
'RAVENCLAW!'
'Ditherem, Emily,' McGonagall called. The enthusiastic first-year they had seen chasing her trunk on the train ran to the stool. She pulled the Hat over her ears and sat for a few seconds before it called, 'GRYFFINDOR!' The entire table, along with the Marauders, erupted in cheers and Emily ran to join them, flushed with excitement.
'Fredrikson, Nathaniel!'
'RAVENCLAW!'
'Hubble, Harriette!'
'HUFFLEPUFF!'
The sound of their hungry stomachs distracted the Marauders from the Sorting. However, they still cheered when new students joined their own table.
'Silverstar, Emma!' Sirius looked up at the well-known pureblood name. 'Here goes another Slytherin,' he whispered to his friends.
He was right. The Hat yelled, 'SLYTHERIN!' and she slid into a seat on the Slytherin table next to Andromeda, who seemed to already have taken the young girl under her wing.
'Tippitt, Matthew!'
'GRYFFINDOR!'
'Virnie, India,' was the next name McGonagall called. Remus recognised the freckled girl from the train. He empathised with her as she walked up to the stool with trembling legs.
'HUFFLEPUFF!' the Hat cried. As she walked over to her new House, Remus noticed a sad smile between India and the new Gryffindor, Emily.
'Wembley, Louis!'
'RAVENCLAW!'
The last name was finally called, 'Yazbeck, Charlotte.' The only student left to be Sorted did not appear to hear her name. She seemed to be engrossed in her own thoughts. Laughing at this girl with her head in the clouds, James whispered a jinx, 'Colligare,' and her untied shoelaces tied themselves together. Lily, together with her friend Alice, scowled disapprovingly at James' action.
'Charlotte! Pay attention!' McGonagall yelled to the girl, and she snapped out of her trance. Hardly noticing the laughing school, she took a step forward and fell. Giggling slightly, she again untied them, picked herself up and this time, got to the Hat without any hindrances. 'RAVENCLAW!'
Dumbledore, still chortling from this amusing scene, rose from his seat. 'Let the feast begin.'