Hey! I'm back! I'm sorry for the long wait; finals were a pain. I'm done with school for now though so I'll get the chance to work more intensely on this fanfic. :) Enjoy this chapter!
-4-
This House is no Home
Worry was not part of James Potter's vocabulary. One could even say that the boy was as laid-back as can be. Fear had always been a concept that eluded him. His father told him numerous times that his lack of caution had gotten him almost killed more than once as a kid. It seemed he simply didn't have the same self-preservation instinct that usually kept children from kicking that one beehive behind the manor or jumping from the highest branch of the apple tree.
James often said that a life lived without taking risks wasn't worth living. James' mom, on the other hand, often told him he was a knucklehead and that he was going to make her die of a heart attack before her time. One day, while he was once again trying to convince her that being a daredevil was a worthy way to die without regrets, she lost patience and promptly retorted that falling through the ice of the frozen pond in his parents' yard wasn't going to prove anything except that he was an idiot.
James would get nervous occasionally of course. He would be jittery when asking Evans out. He'd get apprehensive when his mother screeched his full name. He still got stressed out by Quidditch games and could often be found behind the broom shed promptly puking up his breakfast right before the whistle blew. He constantly mulled over the marauders escapades under the moonlight and prayed nothing would disturb their outing. He would grit his teeth every time he thought of the cruel trick fate had played Remus, his kindest friend, and would get angry over the treatment Sirius got from his family.
It wasn't that James was completely unconcerned, he cared deeply about what happened to him and to people around him, but he had never been truly worried before. There had never been a time where he felt the situation was so out of control that he couldn't do anything to make things better.
If he failed, he'd stand up and try again. Remus turned out to be a werewolf? Fine. Let's become an animagus. Sirius got upset over something his cousin Bellatrix said over the break? Great. Let's egg that bitch's common room. Life was simple. He had always thought that for every problem there was a solution.
Things were changing however.
All through summer, James had sensed a shift in the air, there were signs of an oncoming storm. The world seemed a little darker, the atmosphere was heavy and yet no one would tell him what was going on. Diagon Alley was deserted and the few people daring enough to be seen there acted as if thunder could strike them at any given moment. The Daily Prophet reported more and more attacks, attacks that James couldn't make sense of. Children were ganging up against their parents, families were torn apart, entire muggle villages were being mobbed in the name of someone whose name people didn't even dare to utter. Late in the night, when James' parents thought he had gone to bed, he could hear them whispering worriedly together, their heads bend towards each other. His father, Head Auror at the Ministry of Magic, didn't talk about his job at home anymore and, when James called him out on it one time too many, he was on the receiving hand of the longest rant his dad had ever given him. Things were too complex, his father said. The situation was too grave for a teenager, who had no sense of what danger was, to stick his nose into it.
Not so unexpectedly, Charlus Potter's words only served to pique his son's curiosity. No matter how hard he tried though, James couldn't find out much about what got his father so stressed out. It seemed as if people's paranoia prevented them from discussing it openly and even the newspapers were strangely mute about what was happening behind closed doors. James eventually understood that this was a continuation of what was going on within the walls of Hogwarts, the discrimination of muggleborns, the fouled words whispered behind the so-called blood traitors' backs and the ever growing hate of muggles themselves. It was happening on a much bigger scale though and the consequences were much more mortifying.
At this point, James started to feel something he couldn't identify, some kind of heartache that wouldn't leave him alone and that would reach its peak when he thought of what this meant for his friends and family. This vague discomfort was nothing compared to the excruciating pain he felt however when, Sirius, his brother in all but blood, showed up one night, bruised and battered, asking whether he could maybe stay the night. James knew instantly who had done this to his best friend, it wasn't too much of a mystery after all, but it broke his heart in two nonetheless and that's when he finally understood what was happening to him, for the first time in his existence, James Potter was scared out of his mind.
Sirius had refused to talk about what had happened at first. It had taken hours of coaxing on James' part to get him to open up. Once he did though, James almost wished he hadn't. Sitting side by side on James' bed with their arms around their knees like they did on nights when flashes of lightening would keep them awake, the two friends whispered to each other in the dark. James watched Sirius' face in the dim candlelight as he talked, feeling as if he owed it to his brother to be brave. Padfoot, his eyes sunken and devoid of the usual light that make them look alive, told him hoarsely about how his mother and father had come to his room earlier that evening to inform him they had been approached by a man who dubbed himself Lord Voldemort. That self-proclaimed lord, explained Sirius, was the man people on the streets called You-know-who, a pureblood elitist who targeted muggles and muggleborns alike, going so far as encouraging and planning mass murders as well as terrorist attacks.
"They told me he wanted heirs from the most powerful families of Britain to join his ranks. They were elated. Mother told me this was my chance to make everyone forget about my previous impropriety." muttered Sirius.
What followed wasn't a surprise to James. Apparently Sirius' hag of a mother had not taken it well that her older son's answer was that he'd rather jump off a cliff. It was a miracle Sirius had succeeded to make his way to the front door through the constant stream of hexes and curses she aimed at him.
They stayed up late in the night even after Padfoot was done with his story. James, eyes wide open, was having a small panic attack. Things were definitely out of control now and all that was left for James to do was worry.
He worried about his mom and dad who, since as long as he could remember, had been fierce defenders of muggleborns. He worried about how, in times of adversity, some people became intolerant and fearful of what they didn't understand and how life for Remus would be harder from then on. He worried about Lily Evans and all the other witches and wizards, who like her, didn't need a magical background to rock their powers. More than anything, James worried for Sirius whose heart hid a latent darkness that wasn't there before, like some sort of permanent scar.
All in all, returning to Hogwarts was really a blessing. The school was the home of many of his most precious memories and he felt as if nothing could ever reach them behind those walls. On Hogwarts grounds they were the Marauders; Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail. They were invincible. James was desperately in need to feel invincible once again.
James's parents had apparated them early at the train station to make sure that this time, their son wouldn't have to run after the last wagon to climb onto it like he had done the last three years in a row. Now sitting by the window in the compartment the Marauders had claimed as their own since first year, James was waiting for Sirius to come back from the bathroom. Apparently the dog animagus could not wait one single minute more before changing into his wizard robes. He had been gone for twenty minutes now. Well, this wasn't suspicious at all...
The second that thought crossed James' mind, Padfoot made his grand entrance, throwing the compartment door open before flopping down on the seat. "I just saw Peter on the platform, his mother was still fussing over him the poor sod." exclaimed Sirius with an eye roll. "Couldn't find Moony anywhere though."
"Probably didn't even make it out of bed this morning." snorted James, knowing that Remus, even though he acted like a well behaved little boy most of the times, was a real terror at the crack of dawn.
"Wouldn't put it past him." laughed Sirius, eyes crinkling.
Both boys grew silent after that. For people that didn't know Sirius and James very well, seeing the two of them sitting side by side and not addressing one another was an odd sight. Most would have thought the wizards were at odds with each other. They could not have been further from the truth. In fact, when they were left alone together, Sirius and James rarely ever said anything. James had learned over the years that there were many things Padfoot preferred to be left unsaid and that there were some aspects of his life that he'd rather not talk about.
This had bothered James at first. The teenager came from a family that encouraged him to speak his mind whenever and wherever he felt like it. Therefore, to finally meet someone who was incredibly exuberant when surrounded by lots of people but never shared anything personal on a one to one basis, was quite frustrating for eleven-year-old James. However, friendship wasn't about getting along and being on the same page right at the beginning. It was a bond that developed through hard work and patience.
James had never had to put effort to get anything he wanted before, but he had known from the start that he would have been a moron not to try and get to know that boy he met on his first ride on the train. Even as a kid, Padfoot exuded this wildness, the kind of free spirit that you saw only once every few decades and that allowed nothing to stand in its way. James wanted to be part of whatever adventures that Black boy would get himself into.
So James waited. He laughed along with the boy. He went out of his way to make him smile and he pulled pranks. He stood by him when children at school looked down on him because of his name and his family's reputation. Sirius' sorting in Gryffindor was shocking and many noble families were outraged. So James defended the boy against every pureblood heir stupid enough to think that they could bully him only because he couldn't do magic yet.
Never in his life had James ever kicked more shins than during his first year at Hogwarts. Really, who cared if they didn't know how to use their wands yet?
Through everything James stayed. He stayed by Sirius' side when the boy felt down. He stayed when everyone told him Sirius was more trouble than what he was worth. He stayed even when Sirius wouldn't talk to him. He stayed when everyone had already left, unsure as to how they were supposed to comfort someone who didn't want to be comforted.
Sometimes words are meaningless. There isn't anything to say and all you have to do is be there. So that's what James did. Because no matter what Sirius said, he didn't want to be alone and James knew that. It had taken him time but James now felt that he knew Padfoot so well that words weren't needed anymore. James never felt more proud than when Sirius called him his friend.
James was so deep in thought that when Sirius talked he startled him out of his musing.
"This year is going to be a good one, James." said Sirius his eyes on the swarming crowd on the platform.
"Isn't every year a good one?" asked James looking up and studying his friend's face carefully. He kept his tone light but the boy had to refrain the urge to frown at Padfoot's words.
Sirius met his gaze. "No, I'm serious. Nothing is going to stop us this year, Prongs. I can feel it. Now that Wormtail finally mastered his transformation, things are going to get wild on the nights of the full moon." insisted Sirius with a grin. "Besides, I've already got enough ideas for pranks to make sure we drive dear old Minnie crazy! She won't know what hit her."
James hadn't needed any other clue to know something was off with Sirius, but now, seeing him rambling, something his friend rarely ever did, the boy had the confirmation that what he had feared all along was true. Sirius had always been, until this summer, like this resilient weed that grew in the garden behind your house. No matter how many times you plucked it from the ground and tore its roots from the soil, it always came back stronger than ever. At this instant however, James realized that his mate had been stepped on one time too many. To the point that Sirius needed to reassure himself that he was going to make it through. So James did what he did best and he listened. He nodded when Sirius exclaimed: "And don't get me started on Quidditch. Man, I know Harrisson is a right prick and having him as a captain is going to be a pain, but who cares?" He rolled his eyes to the obligatory "Hell, maybe you'll finally manage to get your girl this time around, eh?" that followed and forced a smile from time to time. He could tell that Sirius was aware he was having a panic attack of his own, but the wizard seemed determined to talk himself out of it so James let him be.
About five minutes after Sirius started to rant, Peter entered the compartment. Lost in his own world, Padfoot didn't notice his arrival right away and Peter, confused as to why his friend was acting so unlike himself, shot an uncertain look in James' direction. James only shrugged in response.
Now, what was interesting with Peter Pettigrew was that even though he acted as if he was slow and clumsy he was nothing like that. Or at least, he was much less of an idiot than what he liked people to believe. Having teachers and students alike underestimating his abilities was damn useful and had gotten them out of trouble more than once. Crazy how lies were taken in much easily when they spouted from an insecure and stuttering teen's mouth than from his confident and troublemaking friend's lips. Therefore, it hadn't taken Peter long to become a master in the art of creating a diversion and coming up with alibis.
Quickly understanding that Sirius was out of sorts, Peter took it upon himself to take Padfoot's mind off what was obviously bothering him.
"You wouldn't believe what nonsense that Lockhart kid is feeding everyone on the platform." announced Peter as he landed heavily on the seat beside Sirius. The dog animagus stopped mid-sentence and blinked a couple of times, bemused by Peter's sudden appearance.
Taking pity on Sirius, who was still looking quite flabbergasted, James answered Wormtail. "Lockhart? That jerk two years below us who claims that he's going to be the next Minister of Magic?"
"That very one. Apparently he and his family went on a trip to Greece this summer and Lockhart is telling everyone who's willing to listen that he killed a chimaera all by himself. He is going around showing his so-called battle scar to anyone who pass by him. That prick almost had my mother faint in fright."
"You can't kill a chimaera. Those things are vicious! Bet that idiot got mauled by a garden gnome and is too embarrassed to admit it." said Sirius, who seemed to have come out of his stupor. His comment was met with silence for a second before all three boys burst out laughing.
The ice was broken after this and conversation flowed. Peter carried on relating what he had heard on his way to the compartment. According to him, Matthew O'Connor had tried to sell him a fanged frisbee for ten galleons "Ten Galleons? Is his frisbee covered in gold or what? This kid is completely bonkers!" Kate Winston had finally got rid of her acne "Thanks Merlin. Perhaps now she'll stop looking like a potion gone wrong blew up in her face." and Gareth Finnegan had been named Head Boy.
"Oh, and everyone is talking about some new girl too. They say she's a transfer student." added Peter.
At this, Sirius' ears pricked up. James, knowing where this was going, shook his head and sank in his seat.
"A new student? What did she look like?" asked Padfoot frantically.
Taken aback by Sirius' sudden peak of interest, Peter raised his eyebrows. "Er… I don't know, I didn't see her."
"I did." provided Moony appearing out of nowhere. He struggled a bit to get his luggage through the door and, after a few pushes, shoves and well-chosen curse words, Remus managed to make his way into the compartment. Sirius, getting impatient and wanting Moony to carry on with his thoughts, came to his rescue, grabbing the suitcase from his friend's hands and hoisting it up on the racks above their heads. Remus, clearly exhausted, let himself fall at James' side and closed his eyes. "Yeah, she seemed kind enough but then Bellatrix came along and snatched her up. If that girl hangs out with the likes of Bellatrix Black, she can't be good news." the werewolf sighed.
Padfoot deflated and crossed his arms moodily, eyes darkening in displeasure. Too tired to sense the shift in the atmosphere, Remus continued. "The train hasn't left the station yet and I already had to calm down a hysterical second year that has had his owl's wing broken by a blasting curse because he didn't move out of her way fast enough. Told him Hagrid would fix it right away, but... Your cousin is a bloody maniac, Pads."
"Tell me something I don't know." mumbled Sirius.
Remus, finally catching on with his friend's mood, cracked an eye open. "What's the matter with you?" When he didn't get an answer from Padfoot, Remus turned to James, a frown marring his already scarred face. "What's the matter with him?"
"Padfoot's only bummed his newfound crush doesn't quite meet his expectations." mocked James.
Since the ball hosted by Lucius Malfoy, aka Lucy, Sirius hadn't shut up about this girl and James knew why. Somehow his friend had gotten into his head that Amelia Deauclair was a passive-aggressive rebel. James wouldn't have minded if Sirius had been his usual self, but in the state in which things were, the boy knew how much his mate wished he wasn't so alone in his situation. Sirius craved for someone to understand him and no matter how much James tried, there was no way he could completely get his brother's feelings. What James feared was that Sirius would, in his desperation for approbation, only set himself up for disappointment.
"I do not have a crush. I just thought she'd be different!" cried Sirius. "Still do as a matter of fact."
"I'm lost. How do you even know her?" asked Peter, dumbfounded.
"This summer when my mother forced us to attend Malfoy's stupid ball, Sirius talked to her. Apparently, Lucy came along and tried to ruin the party. This girl blew Malfoy off and now she's the only thing he'll talk about." grumbled James irritation transpiring in his tone. Sirius and he had had that conversation before but Padfoot refused to see reason and it was starting to get on James' nerves. It wasn't even worth teasing him anymore.
Remus' eyes widened slightly and he let out a chuckle. "Wow Pads, you're infatuated with her? That's not like you."
Sirius clearly not enjoying being on the receiving end of taunts, crossed his arms and raised his chin in defiance. "You weren't there, ok. You don't get it." he barked looking James straight in the eye. Turning to Remus, he added: "And no! I'm not infatuated with her Moony!"
James rolled his eyes. "You're right, you're totally indifferent to her. Mate, get real, you're obsessed."
"That's rich coming from you Prongs." said Sirius, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.
"He's got you there." snickered Peter, a smirk splitting his face in two.
"Not helping, Wormtail." replied James curtly. How could Sirius compare his fixation on the girl to his relation to Lily? Amelia Deauclair was a brat. That much had been clear when he had met her. She looked down on everyone and was as haughty as can be. She didn't like Lucius Malfoy. Big deal, most people didn't.
"Okaaay…" said Remus, motioning for them to calm down with his hands. "Let's all take a deep breath. I think I know what this is about. You both need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture."
James leaned back and ruffled his hair, trying to regain his cool. He was letting his worry take over again. This was happening more and more these days and it infuriated him.
Remus frowned and faced Sirius who was still stubbornly staring at a spot a few inches above James' head. "Padfoot, the fact that this girl put Malfoy back in his place doesn't mean she won't buy into the elitist crap. You need to get this out of your head, mate. I understand why you wish she didn't, but it's a hell of a stretch. At most it means she doesn't take everything that comes out of Malfoy's mouth as cash. All it does prove is that she has a better judgment than that." Remus paused and scratched his ear, looking sceptical. Then he conceded, "Although, some critical thinking has never hurt anyone I guess."
Before James could say anything, Moony was onto him, his amber eyes pleading with him to keep silent. "Prongs, cut him some slack. I know where you come from mate, but he's not a kid anymore. I mean, I know you don't want him to get his hopes up but give him more credit. He did survive living under the same roof as Walburga Black for fifteen years."
James had no choice but to admit Remus had a point and relented albeit begrudgingly. Remus, obviously relieved to have managed to abort an altercation, relaxed and slouched against his seat, clearly exhausted. Peter on his part was looking at him with utter confusion, his face scrunched up as he stared at his friend in puzzlement.
"Ok, there's something I'm obviously missing here. I'm lost. How did you figure what they were talking about? And what does Padfoot's mother have to do with everything?" Wormtail asked Remus.
"Well, Prongs and I wrote a couple of letters to each other this summer. We kind of discussed this already. Amongst other things." trailed off Remus avoiding Sirius' eyes.
Padfoot's head snapped towards Moony and he paled quite drastically. "You told him?" said Sirius to James, unbelieving.
James however refused to feel guilty. "Would you rather have done it yourself?" he replied looking his best friend straight in the eyes. Few seconds passed and finally Sirius' features softened.
"No, I guess not."
If Wormtail had seemed baffled before, it was nothing to how he looked now. "Right. Now I'm sure something big happened. What the heck is going on?" squeaked Peter, his gaze going to one boy to another slowly.
James and Remus glanced at Sirius questioningly, waiting to see if the dog animagus felt strong enough to announce the news to his friend himself. Sirius stared at his shoes for an instant before he threw his head upward in true Padfoot fashion. "Finally had the guts to tell my mother to stuff it and get out of this hellhole. That house was never a home anyway."
Peter quickly went into shock and did an impressive impersonation of a fish for a moment. He blinked rapidly a couple of times before crying: "Bloody hell! Why isn't anybody telling this stuff when it happens, eh!?"
"Last time I did Wormtail, your mother intercepted my owl. My backside was never the same after the thrashing my mom gave me when she received the letter your mother sent back to her." mumbled Padfoot, rubbing his bottom as if remembering the pain. James had to grin at that. What masterpiece this prank had been! Mixing laxative in the bowl of soup at the Blacks' annual Christmas party; Sirius was quite the genius. Too bad Peter's mother had ratted him out.
Silence stretched after that and none of the boys seemed to know how to break it. Until...
"Well. Cheers, I guess." exclaimed Peter out of the blue.
Laughter erupted into the compartment. "Only you Wormtail." Sirius smirked.
If there was one thing to be said about Peter Pettigrew it was that he really had a knack at making the most awkward situation almost laughable. Things went smoothly after that and by the time they made it to Hogwarts, the boys were their carefree selves once again.
Once they arrived at Hogsmeade station, they hopped off the train and James had to listen to Sirius complain for the ninth time. "Exploding Snap is a stupid game, anyway." Undeterred by the angry rumbling, Peter continued to gloat over Sirius' half burnt eyebrows, unmistakeable proof of the ignominious defeat the dog animagus had suffered at his hands. James rolled his eyes at them and scanned the crowd in search of Hagrid. Having taken a liking to the kind-hearted half giant while in his third year at Hogwarts, James was really looking forward to seeing him again.
It certainly had not been love at first sight between the five of them... Especially since the Marauders had this way of finding themselves doing stuff and going places that had usually been prohibited. As the gamekeeper, Hagrid had had to drag them out of the Forbidden Forest an obscene number of times, lifting them by the scruff of the neck like a bunch of very obstinate and danger-seeking kittens. No amount of smiles and winks had been enough to win Hagrid over. Bringing back an injured fairy to his hut had certainly done the trick though.
Finally, James spotted the tall man and waved enthusiastically. Unfortunately, Hagrid was talking to someone the boy couldn't see through the crowd. As his arm fell to his side a commotion behind him had James turning on the spot. His sight was then met by a mess of legs and flailing arms. Spotting Sirius' face, red from his attempt at reining his laughter, James quickly understood what had transpired and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
Sirius, ever the sore loser, had finally had enough of Wormtail's guffaws and had shoved the short boy hard enough to send him flying right into Remus. The poor werewolf had not, unfortunately for him, been paying attention enough to his surroundings and was therefore greatly surprised by the mass that suddenly descended upon him out of nowhere. Moony had barrelled into a flock of third years girls, knocking them down like bowling pins. He was now trying to extricate himself from the pile of bodies that was lying on top of him without groping anyone in the process. Ignoring Peter's soft moans of pain, Sirius' hysterical laughter, Remus' flustered apologies and the giggling that ensued, James held out his hand to the young werewolf and pulled him off the ground. After clipping Sirius around the ear, they went in search of a carriage and reached the school in a record time.
They settled at their usual spot at the table in the Great Hall and immediately the four boys fell back into their old routines. Within minutes Peter was complaining about how much his stomach was killing him while Remus, too engrossed by his contemplation of the starry ceiling, failed, as usual, to notice Sirius tying his shoelaces with magic under the table. James had to smile at the familiarity of it all. They were home at last.
After what felt like ages, according to Peter anyway, the first years trickled in, following McGonagall like ducklings trailing after their mother. Automatically Sirius' head snapped in direction of the newcomers and James had to grit his teeth to keep his comments to himself. Unable to stand his friend when he acted like such like a love struck puppy, James looked away. His eyes traversed the length of the Gryffindor table and found the slender silhouette of Lily Evans out of habit. Taking advantage of the fact her attention was engaged with the arrival of the new students, he took a moment to observe her from afar. He had to avert his gaze almost right away though because, as for Sirius, what met his sight was not exactly what he was searching for.
James knew things had gotten out of control by the end of the previous school year. He had not needed Remus' reprimands or Lily's glares directed his way to realise that he had let his aversion for Snape go too far. James was not a complete moron nor was he cruel in any way, he knew that what he had done to his nemesis by the lake had been wrong. It troubled him to be partly at fault for the sullen state Lily was currently in. Lips thinned and hair lacking its usual lustre, the girl was determinately staring at the front of the hall as to avoid having to look at her former best friend, sitting directly opposite of her across the room. Once in a while though, she would steal a glance at him and she would look so sad, so defeated that James' heart clenched. It was obvious she was distancing herself from him because she had set her mind to it, but it was making her miserable.
As much as James hated to admit it, Snape had been Lily's best friend for the longest time and even though they were quite an odd sight to behold, he was painfully aware that the Slytherin had always been the first one the redhead had turned to whenever she felt down. Never mind the grease ball was a hateful dark arts loving git, James was the one that had pushed him over the edge and caused him to break the bond he shared with Lily. The girl had felt utterly betrayed and resented James for he had been the one to rob her of her closest confidant.
This being said, the bespectacled boy was certainly not the only one to blame. Snape's own despaired looks left James completely indifferent. The falling out between the two of them had been more than predictable. How someone as kind as Lily could ever be friends with a guy like Snape, a cold and haughty jerk that wanted nothing but to fit in with the posh offspring of the high society, was a mystery. Only a fool would mindlessly follow these brats around and adhere to their biased opinions on muggleborns while his friend, a muggleborn herself, was naively waiting for him to come back to his senses. It angered James to no end and, had he not felt so guilty, he would have hexed Snape into the next week. That boy had lost the privilege of looking at her the way he currently did all hopeful and full of longing. No one got to choose power hungry jerks over Lily Evans. No one had the right to walk away from this girl and leave her so broken-hearted. No one.
Loud whispering brought James out of his reverie and, blinking rapidly a couple of times, he forced himself to focus once again on his surroundings. It seemed like people had finally noticed that an older kid was standing next to the ickle firsties. Pupils were slowly connecting the dots, making the association between the rumors of the arrival of a transfer student and the girl with the aristocratic features and the golden curls.
Deauclair looked as disinterested as the last time James had set eyes on her. Face blank and devoid of any emotion, like one of those porcelain dolls muggles seemed so fond of, the witch gave the impression of being barely there, and yet, everyone's attention was on her. At the Slytherin table, people appeared smug and condescending. A seat beside Bellatrix had remained empty and Professor Slughorn, their Head of house, wasn't even trying to hide his satisfied smirk from where he sat at the front of the Great Hall. The snakes were obviously expecting Amelia Deauclair to become their newest trophy member.
Names were called one by one until, finally, a young girl, who later joined the Puffs, fell flat on her face while walking to the Sorting Hat. As she got up, as red as a beet, Peter snorted in amusement, apparently forgetting how, a few years back, he himself had tripped over his own feet right after he had put the Hat back on its stool. McGonagall continued to call students until only one lone figure remained standing, still waiting to be sorted.
"Deauclair, Amelia."
The Hall grew silent, the students transfixed by the grace with which the girl moved to stand beside Professor McGonagall, looking as if her feet barely touched the ground she walked on. She sat, knees together and ankles crossed, and put the Hat on her head. Her eyes disappeared from view, the brim of the Hat covering her face down to her nose. The tension which had already been high suddenly reached its peak, until...
Nothing. Time stretched and the Hat still did not speak.
Uncertain, James turned to Peter but found him looking as confused as he was. Brow furrowed, Wormtail shrugged his shoulders. "It seems like the Hat can't decide where to send her."
Beside him, Remus was deep in thought. "Maybe she's arguing with him or something." muttered the werewolf.
It was James' turn to frown. "Has this ever happened before?"
Moony's eyes became distant as he tried to remember something he read in a book he probably had opened a long time ago. "It's unusual, people tend to accept what the Hat tells them, but I think it has happened, yes. Not often though. I think they have a word for it. Hatstill or... Hatstall. Yes, that's it. When a sorting takes more than five minutes, they called it a Hatstall." said Remus quite pleased with the fact he had come up with a satisfying answer.
Sirius suddenly stopped trying to pierce holes in the Hat with his eyes long enough to pin them with his steely gaze. "Who cares what it's called! This is huge. Don't you get it, this could mean..." He didn't get the chance to finish his thoughts though because, at the same moment, the rip near the brim of the Hat opened wide.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Silence. Thick with tension, ear deafening, disbelieving silence. Gobsmacked, James sent an incredulous look at Sirius who, jaw nearly hitting the table, clearly could not believe his ears. Then, slowly but surely Padfoot's lips stretched and he smiled his first true smile since that terrible night when he had appeared on James' doorstep.
At the front of the room Amelia was still sitting with the Hat hiding half of her face. She stayed like this for a while, fingers white from gripping the edges of the stool, until an apparently troubled McGonagall extended a hand and tapped the girl's shoulder lightly. Amelia started before getting slowly to her feet. When she removed the Hat from her head, her face was giving nothing away as always. However, she did not make her way to her new comrades immediately. She stood there, shoulders stiff and head held high for a long minute. She took the time to scrutinize each table one by one. At last, her stare stopped on the Purebloods, all of them expressing different levels of outrage, still waiting for her from their side of the Great Hall.
Some brave Gryffindor then attempted to break the awkwardness by clapping uncertainly, eyes darting around to encourage his friends to follow his lead. The smacking sound echoed loudly in the stillness of the atmosphere before it died abruptly.
Amelia then turned towards the High Table and spoke, her clear voice not wavering once.
"There has been a mistake."
Her announcement was met by even more silence.
Dumbledore, who had, until now, been observing the scene with serene patience, cocked his head to the side, eyes crinkling in amusement behind his half-moon glasses.
"Has there?" the old man asked cheerfully.
Amelia didn't seem to find any humor in the situation though, and remained impassive. "Yes Headmaster, I specifically asked the Hat to sort me in Slytherin, as it is obviously where I belong, but it has refused to listen to reason and wrongfully put me in Gryffindor." explained the girl seriously.
Everyone stilled for a second before, abruptly, the silence was no more and the Hall erupted in loud chatter. Many, most of them sitting by the Marauders' sides, were indignant and made their outrage known in quite a loud fashion.
"Who the hell does this chick think she is?"
"I can't believe this!"
"Is she bloody out of her mind?!"
James didn't say anything. He was too preoccupied by the way Sirius' face had suddenly turned to stone. Gone was the grin and the twinkle in his eyes; the dog animagus crossed his arms over his torso and started glaring, jaw set.
The clamor died down the second Dumbledore raised his hand to tell his students to calm down. "The Hat makes no mistakes, dear." he said, gentle smile in place.
The headmaster's eyes were kind, but James recognized his tone. It was the same one his father used to warn him he was a step away from crossing the line. There was no negotiation past this point.
Amelia seemed unaffected by this though, and carried on. "I thought it was our choices that defined us. If this is true, my wanting to be Slytherin makes me, de facto, one of them, is that not right?"
"You've certainly given me food for thought, child." the man conceded. Dumbledore then pressed his fingers together and leaned forward. For James the message was clear, the conversation was over.
Amelia seemed to realise this as well and took a deep breath, apparently accepting defeat. Turning around, she walked past McGonagall, who was looking at her like it was the first time she had set her eyes on the girl. When she reached the Gryffindor table though, Amelia did not halt. She continued walking until she stood by Bellatrix's side. Then, acting as though no stare was directed her way, she sat down and started piling up food on a plate.
All heads turned to Dumbledore. Students who were waiting for the old man's reaction to the direct affront with baited breath were disappointed however. The headmaster had already moved on and was happily digging into the bowl of mashed potatoes that had popped out of thin air in front of him. It was Professor McGonagall who, nonplussed by the whole incident and the lack of discipline with which Dumbledore had handled it, shook herself out of her stupor and marched to where Amelia was sitting like a queen among peasants.
"Miss Deauclair, I understand you don't quite get how things are done around here, but you are expected to sit at your own table, with your fellow Gryffindors."
Amelia didn't even grace the teacher with a glance. "Professor, it would seem that, for now, I will have to bend to the principles of this school. Until my father hears about this, I will attend classes and sleep in the same dormitory as the students under your care. However, as far as propriety dictates me to follow the rules of the institution that provides me room and board, you have not, in any case, the authority to tell me who I am to associate myself with." The girl then looked up and stared in the woman's eyes with as much sternness as the Transfiguration professor when catching one of her pupils skiving her class.
McGonagall seemed startled for an instant before her face turned sour. "I am pained you have decided to behave this way, Miss Deauclair. Students in Gryffindor have a lot to offer and denying them the chance to let them welcome you into their ranks is hardly the best way to make friends. However, I must admit you are right, I cannot force you to socialize with them."
"I am pleased that we are on the same page Professor." replied Amelia. Her attention was back to her plate and she missed the intensity of the glare McGonagall sent her. James suspected Deauclair did, in fact, felt the heat of the woman's stare on her but that she opted to ignore her. Reckless move.
The argument was cut short though as the older woman noticed all the children gaping at the scene. Deciding retreat was the best option, McGonagall huffed and went back to sit in the seat next to the headmaster, cheeks red and angry scowl in place.
Since Amelia had been sorted last, dishes were already on the tables by the time the confrontation was over. Awkward silence remained in place though and people looked around uncomfortably, unsure of what the right course of action was at that point. Teenagers hesitantly grabbed food and conversations started flowing but the volume level never quite reached the degree it usually did.
When James finally gathered the courage to face Padfoot, his friend was in the process of shoving what seemed like a record amount of chicken wings into his mouth. The sight would have normally comforted Prongs, Sirius often made a habit of forcing as much food as he could into his gob. Puddings, brew and pork chops were Padfoot's own security blanket. However the way Sirius was glowering at his chicken, like he wished he could murder the poor beast all over again with the force of his ire, was definitely not healthy and it worried James greatly.
"Sirius."
"Shut it James."
"Mate, listen."
"No. I don't want to hear it okay?" snarled Padfoot, teeth bared. "If you want to tell me that you 'told me so', you're going to have to wait for tomorrow, alright. I. Don't. Want. To. Hear. It."
James reeled at the harshness in his friend's voice. He knew that tone.
With time, Sirius had learned how to let things slide, hurtful words and bitter disappointments rarely ever got to him nowadays. However there were times when he would let his guard down. It usually had something to do with his brother or his psychopath of a cousin. Those low blows were the ones that crushed him the most and when it happened, the boy would react the only way he knew how, by lashing out at others.
Apparently, Amelia Deauclair had managed to hurt Sirius Black. Deeply.
"Pads, I doubt that's what Prongs was going to tell you." intervened Remus, ever the peace-maker.
"Whatever."
Peter, Remus and James exchanged an alarmed look. James, knowing better than pushing it, moodily started eating.
He knew this was going to end like this. He knew it.
Balling his fists, he casted a glare at Deauclair who was quietly talking to Bellatrix while all the others snakes hung on her every words. The story was repeating itself again it seemed. Good people were always looked over in the end. Glancing back at Sirius, whose ears were red, a clear sign the boy was feeling upset, James felt his anger mounting. This wasn't fair. Deauclair did not have the right. She was not allowed to pain his mates like this.
James decided then and there he was going to have a little talk with the troublesome brat in the near future.
In the meantime, he would worry.
So?! What do you think of Amelia's reaction? What about James? Pretty overprotective kind of bloke, I'd say. I loved getting into his head and making him interact with Sirius.
Kudos to those of you who guessed that Peterson was in fact Remus.
Thanks for the reviews, they really helped me find the motivation I needed to get this chapter out! Until next time!