It was the scream of a third year Slytherin girl that drew the attention of everyone in the hall to the Slytherin table. Around the hall laughter flowed, as streams of Pumpkin Juice shot from the glasses on the table, shooting into the air and spraying the Slytherin students. James and Sirius pocketed their wands, trying to stifle their own laughter, although Professor McGonagall's eyes fell straight on them.
Slughorn gaped at his students, before Professor Flitwick waved his wand. The streams of juice stopped, though most of the students were now covered in the stuff. The girls wailed, moaning about their ruined hair, while the boys just stared down the front of their ropes, touching the points they had been hit and pulling away their fingers, wincing at the stickiness of the Pumpkin Juice.
They had timed it just right; as the last student had finished singing, the juice had exploded. The scream, for James, was an added bonus.
"Will all students please return to their common rooms," Professor Dumbledore – cool and calm – drawled. "Once there, if the Slytherin students will change and leave their robes in the common room, they will be collected shortly to be cleaned."
With the laughter of Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors ringing in their ears, the Slytherins trudged out of the room, a fair few of them gazing at the Gryffindor table. Only a few of the older students looked straight at James and Sirius, but most of those in their year glared at the two boys.
The prefects called for the first years to follow them, and once the crowd was moving to the door, James, Sirius, Peter and Remus dove into it, allowing themselves to be gently pulled along as they headed for the Gryffindor tower.
"This way," James whispered, tugging Sirius' robe and nodding his head down an empty corridor.
"That's longer!" Peter whined, as they turned down it.
"But quiet," Sirius replied. They moved down the corridor, past the empty classrooms, until they rounded a corner. Once they were sure they were out of earshot of everyone else, James barked out a laugh.
"That was brilliant!" he chuckled, flashing a huge grin at Remus. "Nice one, Remus."
The boy shrugged. "Small, but effective."
"Did you see their faces?" Sirius said. "Bella was furious! And Narcissa...man, she is going to be pissed about her hair."
"They'll be in the showers all night." Peter glanced at the three of them. "Might rub their stink off."
"Doubt it. And Snivellus' hair is probably less greasy, now," James replied, as they turned another corner and headed up a set of stairs. "It'll teach the first years, too – show them what they have to put up with, now they're in Slytherin."
"Like they have a choice," Remus muttered, rolling his eyes. "One of them was crying, you know."
"Probably all pureblood muggle-haters, anyway," Sirius sighed. "All of them are."
Peter nodded, eyes wide as they carried on through the castle.
"Hey, Remus, any progress on the map?" James asked, glancing at the small boy.
"Not much. It's difficult at home – I can't try any charms or spells on it, and I can't exactly map out the school from there. But I have found a few other spells that might add to it."
"Great!" James glanced around the hall. "Well, that's our project for this year, then."
"Project?" Peter squeaked, as they arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady. "What do you mean?"
"We map the school," James continued, grinning at the other three. "We get the basic plan down, and then...then we explore every inch to find the secret passageways."
"You really think there are secret passageways?" Remus asked.
"Of course," Sirius barked, his grin as big as James'. "There have to be, right – I mean, the school would need some sort of system if they ever came under attack, and it's been here long enough for that to have happened. The Muggles were bombed in the Second World War, right?"
Remus raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. But they wouldn't have been able to find the castle, plus the defences would have stopped them getting badly hit. The castle is practically indestructible, Sirius."
"Yeah, but, okay, bad example. But they must have had somewhere the pupils and teachers could go for safety, or to get supplies in and out?"
"True," Remus muttered, frowning as he thought it over. "Actually, yeah, a supply system would make sense..."
"We might even find the Chamber of Secrets!" Sirius' voice took on a darker tone, as he glanced around nervously. "You know, the one Slytherin built..."
"I don't want any part of that," James sighed, before he turned to the Fat Lady.
"Why are we still out here?" Peter muttered, frowning at the others.
"Because, Pete," Remus drawled, "none of us know the password."
X X X
The boys didn't have long to wait. Not long after they had reached the portrait, Arthur Weasley – seventh year Gryffindor – arrived, straightening his glasses as he turned the corner. He flashed the boys a quick smile.
"Not got the password yet, boys?"
"Not got Head Boy then, Arthur?" Sirius asked, eyes darting to look at Arthur's chest, where his prefect badge was proudly displayed.
"No," Arthur sighed. "Didn't your family tell you? Lucius got it. Mandrake."
The portrait swung open. The prefect ushered the four boys in, before climbing in after them.
"His father probably paid for him to get the badge," Sirius commented. "I mean..."
"Actually," Arthur sighed, as they reached the common room. He turned to look at them. "There was no one to really put the case forward for any Gryffindor student. Professor McGonagall is acting Head of Gryffindor – she told me Slughorn swung the case in his favour by stating she didn't know any of us well enough to make a judgement."
"Any news on a new Defence teacher?" James asked, glancing around the room. A few students were gathered around, catching up on summer news they hadn't heard on the train. The mood was light, and he heard a few commenting on the exploding Pumpkin Juice on the Slytherin table.
"Not yet," Arthur muttered. "Classes may not resume for Defence for the next week. But I'm sure Dumbledore will get it sorted."
James nodded, before he and the others climbed the stairs to their dorm. William Wolfe and Michael Tate, the two other boys they shared a room with, were already there.
"That was you, wasn't it?" William drawled, eyes landing on the three. James flashed him the most innocent look he could muster.
"What was us, Wills?"
William rolled his eyes as he took out a set of robes from his suitcase and placed them in a drawer. "The exploding Pumpkin Juice."
Sirius began to laugh, as he opened his own suitcase and knelt down. "Here, Pete, want these?" Much to the delight of Peter, Sirius dug out a box of chocolate frogs and handed them over.
"Thanks."
"And what makes you think it was us?" James asked, still grinning as he sat on his bed.
"Because I've had to put up with you for the last year, that's why," William snapped back. "You four need to be careful – we don't have a permanent Head to stick up for us right now, and Slughorn will be taking off any points he can if his Slytherins come under threat."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "The Cup...actually, yeah, it matters, but Remus answers enough questions right in class to get any points we lose back."
"I thought it was brilliant," Michael commented. "But Will is right. You're going to have the whole of Gryffindor out for your blood if you lose too many points."
"That's if we're caught," James remarked, as Remus climbed into his bed and drew the curtains. From there, as he undressed, he listened to the rest of the conversation. "And it was harmless. Anyway, they have no way of proving if it was us or not."
Remus had taken, from his suitcase along with his clothes, a pile of papers. He quickly rifled through them, before sliding out a piece of parchment and placing the rest on the bedside table. The conversation outside carried on.
"You're getting too arrogant," William snapped. "Anyone who looked at you once it started exploding could have seen it on your faces! And the Slytherins hate you enough as it is! If they can't get to you, if they can't prove it was you and get you punished by the school, then they're going to try something else, Potter."
James scoffed, as Remus scanned the parchment in his hands. It was a chart, a moon chart, to be precise.
"Like what?"
Silence reigned, and Remus guessed the boys were beginning to get ready for bed.
"Just, be more careful," Michael begged. "If you're going to keep doing it..."
He heard the rustling of curtains as he checked the dates beside the next full moon.
"Fine," Sirius grumbled, from his bed. "Fine, we'll be more careful. Happy now?"
He had fourteen days.
X X X
Their first class of the week was Transfiguration, with Ravenclaw. The second years waited patiently outside the class for McGonagall – already inside – to let them in. All of them were early, knowing the Professor hated late comers and was prone to take points off anyone more than a minute late.
The door opened, and McGonagall scanned the waiting students before informing them they could enter.
"Chose your seats wisely," she said, as they filtered in. "Whoever you sit beside will be your partner for the next year, unless I decide the pairings are unwise." Her gaze fell on Sirius and James. "You will be working together on a project, and it is expected that you will help each other receive the highest marks you can."
"You sit next to Peter, will you?" James whispered to Remus. "If anyone can help him, it's you."
"All right," Remus muttered, forcing himself to smile at Peter as James and Sirius sat on the end of one row of four, with Remus and Peter at the other end. In front of them sat William and Michael, beside Lily Evans and Alice Prewitt. Two of the other Gryffindor girls sat in the front row, the third girl forced to pair up with one of the Ravenclaw boys. As the students were prone to do, they had split into their houses, with the Ravenclaws on the other half of the room.
"At the end of the year, the partners with the best results will receive a small prize for their efforts. I expect everyone to try their hardest at this – although it seems like a long way off, in just a few short years you will be sitting your OWLs, followed by your NEWTs. I will take on, for Transfiguration NEWTs, only those students who have shown effort throughout their school years, as I explained to you previously. Though I doubt many of you remember what you were told at the start of last year. Nevertheless, if you did find yourselves struggling last year, now is the time to redeem yourselves."
She turned the board, waving her wand at it. Words in white appeared across it.
"Write this down." There was a rustling as people rolled out their parchment and opened pots of ink, dipping their quills into it before copying the words on the board. "This is the list of tasks you will be expected to complete at the end of the year. Some spells will be taught in class, while others will be left up to you to practice and master, with the class sessions serving as building blocks to aid you."
Eyes darted up and down, writing out the various tasks. There were fifteen in total; the first two were ones they had looked at briefly the previous year, and Remus knew, from his own reading, that the tasks grew more difficult and complicated the further down the list. Fifteen, he could tell, was going to be a real challenge.
For the last task, they were to transform a small mammal (an example was given next to it; a mouse) into a small fish or reptile.
He was sure it was way beyond their level.
McGonagall confirmed his thoughts.
"I do not expect any of you to totally master the final task," she informed them. "It is given more as an attempt, though I do expect you to try your hardest and, at least, attempt to accomplish it."
A few students groaned, though Remus could see a couple of Ravenclaws smirking.
He was surprised; they really did think they would be able to do it.
"Now, for today's lessons, take out your books." More ruffling as people rummaged through their bags and took out the required texts. "Read chapter five, take notes...it should help refresh your memory for the first two tasks. If you finish the chapter, read chapters six and seven and, if that is done, feel free to practice the spells. I assume your brains are rusted from the summer, so there is no need to be worried if you do not get it the first time. Anything not finished is homework, and next lesson you will be expected to show your current progress. Good luck."
X X X
History of Magic was the only lesson which even Remus wished they did not have to attend. Unlike most other classes, it was only the Gryffindors in the History lesson. But that was not why Remus disliked it; no, Remus hated the fact that most of what they were told, he could learn on his own. Plus Professor Binns, who had died so long ago no one in living memory remembered him alive, (or so was said) was so boring that James and Sirius often paid no attention at all, leaving Remus to inform them what, exactly, had been covered in class.
Professor Binns started the lesson as he always did. He drifted through the wall, and began what was, essentially, a lecture. Almost immediately, the other students tuned out, doodling on their parchment or falling asleep. Remus and Lily, however, paid rapt attention.
Despite his dislike for the class itself, he knew the only way to pass was to know, exactly, what areas had been covered by the ghost.
Goblin rebellions were all well and good, but Remus knew the history of the wizarding world was much more fascinating that Binns ever made it out to be. His drawl made even the interesting aspects sound dull.
In that lesson, on the first day of term, Binns was talking about one of the oldest myths in the wizarding world.
The story of Merlin.
And even that, coming from his mouth and being passed on to the second years in the classroom, was boring.
Every so often, when he mentioned something the students recognised – King Arthur, Celts or even Merlin himself – other students would suddenly be staring intently at Binns, paying attention in the hopes that things would get interesting.
Inevitably his drawl, his very way of speaking, would soon switch them off.
James was yawning when they came out of the class.
"Well," he sighed, shaking his head. "That was certainly..."
"Boring," Sirius mumbled, rolling his eyes. "What was he talking about, Remus?"
"Merlin," Remus explained. "And we have to write a report on why wizards had to go into hiding after Merlin, why they were no longer able to practice magic in the opening in front of Muggles."
Peter's jaw dropped.
"Really? But it was so...boring."
"Don't worry, Pete," James chuckled, clapping his friend on the back. "I'm sure Remus telling it will be much more interesting."
"Maybe you should have just been listening, Potter," Lily chirped, as she and Alice passed the boys. James opened his mouth to reply, only to quickly shut it as the girls turned the corner, out of sight, heads bowed together as they giggled over something.
"Come on." James quickened his pace. "Let's get to lunch – I'm starving."
X X X
As the other three scooped food onto their plates, Remus checked his timetable.
"Well, we're supposed to have Defence next but the notice board said to take it as a free period."
He slid the piece of parchment back into his pocket, before helping himself to a couple of sandwiches. The others were happily munching away, and at the mention of a free period, James' face lit up.
"Fancy coming to the pitch, Sirius?" he asked, glancing at his friend.
Sirius shrugged. "Sure. When are the tryouts?"
"End of this week."
"What if you don't get onto the team?" Peter squeaked. "It's meant to be really hard for second years, isn't it?"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pete," James mumbled, speaking around mouthfuls of food.
"Ugh, disgusting. Weren't you ever told not to eat with your mouth full, Potter?" The comment had come from Lily. She stood behind Remus, clutching a pile of books to her chest and frowning at James.
James swallowed. "It's none of your business, Evans."
She sighed, before her eyes darted to Remus. "Listen, Remus, me and Alice were thinking of trying to set up a study group for Defence. Just so we don't fall too far behind – no one really knows when Dumbledore will get another teacher."
"We were told end of the week," Sirius cut in, frowning at the girl. "And where's our invites?"
"I didn't think you would care enough," she drawled, before returning her attention to Remus. "What about you, Remus? We were just going to meet in the Common Room for the free period, today."
Unsure, he glanced at his friends. James shrugged. "Might as well," he suggested, though his tone was dark. "Don't want to fall behind," he grumbled, eyes snapping to Lily.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Well, if you do decide to join us, Remus, you know where we'll be." She turned, heading back to the other end of the table, where Alice waited for her.
"Would you really mind?" Remus asked, glancing from James, to Sirius and finally, to Peter. Peter shrugged.
"I wouldn't."
"It does seem a bit unfair," James said, frowning as he glanced towards Lily and Alice. "But that's their fault, not yours. If you want to, Remus, then don't let us stop you."
"It will help," he muttered. "And if we do learn anything I think might be handy..."
"You'll tell us," Sirius finished, grinning. "You're a great friend, Remus."
Under the praise, Remus blushed. He glanced down at his food, before his eyes darted back up. "So are you."
"Pete, what you going to do with your free period?" James asked, looking to the boy.
Peter shrugged, before letting out a yawn. "Nap," he sighed. "Sirius' snoring kept me awake last night."
They laughed.
Shortly after, the four finished their lunch. With half of the lunch break to go, and a free period after, Sirius and James decided to make the most of it. They said their goodbyes to Peter and Remus, before heading outside to the pitch, while the other two made their way back towards the Gryffindor Common Room.