CHAPTER 19

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I were J. K. Rowling, would I be writing this?

"OK, ready?" James pulled out the notebook as Remus went to the door to make it Alohoroma-proof, with a muttered incantation and the swish of his wand. "OK, this is the Christmas break of the first year,"

"The year when we blew the biggest Christmas tree?"

"Yep, that's the year. They put wards on it after that, though," James said, "So we can't do it again,"

"Yeah, I heard the Prefects talking about it under the cloak," Sirius said, "Come on, read it!"

"I can't believe the nerve of Potter and Black! The Great Hall looked fabulous with all the Christmas decorations, but Potter and Black and two other boys, who I think as more of the victims here, blew up the biggest and most beautiful Christmas tree!" James read.

"I never knew we made such an impression on Lily."

"The Christmas feast was amazing, and I was packing for my visit home for Christmas, I've been dreading it forever because I'm afraid of what Petunia would say, but I miss Mum and Dad dearly, Petunia will just have to deal with my 'weirdness' as she calls it in her letter, which came with their present- a beautiful music box that Sev and Alice helped me charm into making the ballet dancer hop off the stand and dance whenever I tune it,"

"Wow, that's highly advanced magic," Remus said, impressed. "Alice must be very good at Charms, Evans is not bad either."

"I knew they were acting suspicious from the beginning of that day, whispering at the breakfast table and glancing sideways at Hagrid."

"Why were we glancing at Hagrid?" Peter asked, not remembering this part.

"Because we need Hagrid to cooperate if we want out plan to go smoothly," Remus said, "You were asleep then, that's why you don't remember,"

"In the middle of the Christmas feast, Professor Dumbledore suddenly shouted at Hagrid about something, but Hagrid was too drunk to react to Professor Dumbledore, who was wearing a bonnet. He looked rather funny."

"I love how Dumbledore always wears what he got in the crackers," James said, remembering his last Christmas feast.

"Yeah," Sirius said, "Remember the time we charmed his crackers to come out with an ugly maroon hand-knitted sweater with orange puffballs?"

"Yeah, I still can't believe he put it on," Remus said, remembering the hideous sweater they had found in the Quidditch locker room, no doubt left behind by some unfortunate pupil who received it as a Christmas present.

"But right after Professor Dumbledore shouted at Hagrid, the Christmas tree behind the staff table exploded! Sending un-meltable icicles everywhere and people were ducking for cover! One of the Slytherins near Sev slipped and fell, and he landed with his face in his plate."

"I never noticed Professor Dumbledore shouting at Hagrid, I can't believe he found out about the explosion before it went off!"

"He's the most brilliant wizard in history, probably right after Merlin, what do you expect?"

"Yeah... I wonder if he was a prankster or a teacher's pet when he was small?"

"It's hard to say, since he seems full of fun and yet so intelligent..."

"Anyway, continue reading, James."

"I still can't believe those two... I'm going to sleep now, what they do is none of my business anyway."

"That's all?" Sirius asked, a bit bewildered by the lack of attention from Lily,

"It's only the first year," Remus said, as if reading Sirius's mind. "What is the rest all about?"

"Oh, it's just about her daily life and how much she loves Hogwarts." James said. "I have a feeling that she didn't really like her last school,"

"If she goes to public schools, it's no wonder that she doesn't like it," Remus said,

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you listen in Muggle Studies?" Remus said, pretending to be shocked. "Smart people and people who get good grades get teased in public schools, you know that's true, since there's even a little teasing in Hogwarts."

"OK," James said, slightly disgruntled at the thought of Lily getting teased. "I'm going to bed now."

"It's 8 PM," Remus said, eyebrows raised to his hair. James usually doesn't go to bed until at least 11.

"Then I'm going to lie in bed."

"Don't try to hide it, we know that you are going to kiss every dot and stroke every cross in Lily's notebook!" Sirius teased, picking up the notebook and stroking it along the spine.

"Give that back!" James made a snatch at the book but missed.

"You can't catch me!" Sirius said, taunting him with the notebook clasped tightly in hand. "I am the famous Sirius Black, or else the infamous Padfoot! You can't catch me!"

"Oh, you bet I can!"

James leapt up in the air and grabbed hold of one half of the book, Sirius holding tightly on to the other half, and they both tugged at their end, attempting to claim possession of it, when-

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip

"Uh oh." James simply said, staring down at half a notebook in his hands.

So, what do you think? James got himself in a tight spot!

I found my beta reader!