Written for QL, semi-finals, Kestrals, Chaser 3, Marauders Map. Prompts: [spell] Silencio [object] book [number] five.
Marauder's map prompt - used lyrics as inspiration (focusing on spells they repeated) and the 'vibe'.
Word count: 2146
Betas: Ash and Binte - Thanks so much!
Notes: Mild swearing, bullying, attempted murder.
James Potter grinned slyly as he watched the slimy head of Snivellus walk ahead of him. Right there, poking out of his satchel, was his Potions book. He glanced at his best friend as a cunning idea started to form.
Sirius smirked and muttered, "It's Potions finals next week."
Sliding his wand out, James moved to the side of the corridor with Sirius blocking any onlookers.
"Accio Potions book," James muttered, grinning as the book managed to slip out of the bag and into his hand.
The smelly Slytherin turned around, holding his bag.
"What's up, Sniv?" Sirius asked pointedly, daring him to reply.
Instead, Snivellus simply turned back around and walked off faster.
James laughed and leant against the wall nonchalantly, causing all three of his best friends to stop walking.
"That'll teach him for showing us up in class," Sirius cackled.
James flicked through the book aimlessly, almost stopping on page five. "There's writing in this—who knew he'd write in books. I thought he was too much of a bookworm for that."
"Insult taken," Remus uttered, holding a hand to his heart. The lopsided smile, however, gave it away that he didn't care.
James laughed, shaking his head at his friend's antics, but slowed down. Eventually, he flipped back to page five. The notes started here, a few pages in. It was good, very good. The notes grabbed his attention right from the beginning at the top of page five. A gentle shove on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts, and he slid the book into his own bag.
"Let's go get some grub!" Peter said, already heading towards the Great Hall.
All four friends walked together down the hall, making jokes and enjoying life.
That evening, after the Marauders had returned from their evening adventures—doing things they weren't supposed to be doing—James decided to stay down in the common room for a bit longer.
"You sure, mate?"
James looked up at Sirius and smiled tiredly. "Yeah, Lily's on prefect duties and—"
"Ah! Say no more! I hope she doesn't hex you again."
James always appreciated his friend's unfaltering support, whether it was playing jokes on each other or others, grabbing a midnight snack, or helping him woo the love of his life.
However, while he hadn't lied, he hadn't told the truth either. Lily was on prefect duty tonight, and he did like to wait up for her. Even if she didn't care for the support—or him, for that matter—he wanted her to know that he was here if she needed anything. But the real reason he wanted to stay down here was to go through the book he had stolen from Snivellus again.
Pulling it out of his bag, James immediately returned to page five and read it uninterrupted. It opened up a whole new way of thinking in his brain. He read through five full pages before the portrait door swung open.
Quickly, he hid it down the side of the couch and looked up.
"Good evening, Miss Evans," James greeted, a cheeky grin on his face the second he saw her annoyed expression.
"Why aren't you in bed?"
"Why are you back late?"
Lily immediately checked her watch. "A few minutes because patrolling took a little longer than expected."
"A few minutes indicates three," James stated matter-of-factly.
"Okay, smart-arse. I'm five minutes late. Put me in detention." Lily threw her hands up and walked towards her dormitory.
"Good night, Miss Evans," he called after her. After a few minutes, when he was sure she wouldn't return, he pulled out the book and continued to read it.
James was completely absorbed in the book and, without realising it, began reading a few things out loud. "Crush, don't cut—that makes sense. Hmm… Three, not two? I wonder what that would change… Septem… What is that? It doesn't relate to this page… is it a spell… for enemies… is it a spell for me? Is Snivellus planning on using this spell against me?"
"James?"
James' eyes jumped up suddenly and landed on Remus. The book fell out of his hand and landed on his lap. "Remus!"
"What are you doing?"
James glanced at the time: nearly five am… how did that happen?
"I…" James sighed to himself and held up the book. "I was reading Snivellus' book."
His friend crossed over and took the book, flicking through it. "And you stayed up all night reading through his scribbly notes?"
James nodded. "If you tell anyone I said this, I'll kill you… but… I think Snivellus would be an awesome tutor—maybe even a professor. Read it, it's good."
Remus chuckled and handed the book over. "Looks like he has an admirer."
James immediately grabbed a cushion and threw it at Remus.
Remus laughingly threw it back with more speed and accuracy—wolf talent—and approached him with a few long strides. When he reached his hand out, James accepted and allowed himself to be pulled up. "Come on, up to bed you go."
"You're no fun."
"Because we've got Charms in three weeks."
James Potter and his three friends wandered aimlessly by the Black Lake, chatting about their upcoming schoolwork and what they would do when they left school. It was Peter's turn to express his inner desires—opening up a bakery—when James caught the side of a familiar black-haired boy.
Severus Snape was walking towards them purposefully.
"I know it was you," he shouted, his wand held tightly in his right hand.
James stepped forward. "Back away, Snivellus!" he taunted.
"Give it back!" Snape continued, stopping a few metres from them. "Or I'll make you."
James laughed a few seconds after Sirius. "Make us? What with that silly little 'Sectumsempra' spell of yours?"
Snape froze, his arm went limp, and he stared at him.
"What does it do, eh? Is it a killing curse? Or Cruciatus? Or something pathetic like you?"
Snape's hand fisted around his wand again, beginning to raise it. "If I had the chance, I'd kill you now! You want to know what it does… Fine! Sec—"
"Silencio!" called Remus loud and clearly, immediately silencing the Slytherin. "Enough!"
James turned to look at his friend and nodded before turning back to Snape. "You're not welcome here! Fuck off!"
Snape, unable to speak, had no choice and sulked off.
The next day, James found himself at the library, pouring over the notes he'd made from Snape's book. The secrets and spells Snape had jotted down were intricate and—reluctant as he was to admit—brilliant. He was so engrossed that he didn't notice Snape approach.
"Potter," Snape's voice hissed, startling James.
"What do you want, Snivellus?" James snapped, quickly closing his notebook.
Snape's eyes flickered to the closed notebook. "You've had your fun. Give it back."
James stood, towering over Snape. "Or what?"
Before Snape could respond, Madam Pince's sharp voice cut through the tension. "Boys! This is a library, not a duelling arena. Behave or leave."
Snape's wand twitched in his hand, and James anticipated another fight. Just as Snape started to whisper an incantation, James, quicker on the draw, cast, "Silencio!"
The spell hit Snape, silencing him instantly.
Snape's mouth moved, but no sound came out. His face flushed with fury and humiliation.
James smirked. "Go cry somewhere else, Snivellus."
Snape glared daggers at him, but with Madam Pince's eyes on them, he had no choice but to turn and leave.
While the Marauders were planning their next prank near the Great Hall, they noticed Snape lurking nearby. James exchanged a look with Sirius, who nodded subtly.
"Got an audience," Sirius muttered.
"Watch this," James whispered back, pulling out his wand. He muttered, "Silencio," pointing it at Snape, who had been eavesdropping. The spell hit its mark, and when Snape attempted to confront them, he realised he had been rendered mute.
Snape's eyes widened in rage, but no sound escaped his lips. The Marauders burst into laughter, their voices filling the hallway.
"Good one, James," Peter snickered.
"Now, where were we?" James said, turning back to their planning as Snape stormed off, unable to retaliate.
The following morning, during a Transfiguration class, James found himself partnered with Lily. This was something he had always hoped for, and he attempted to make it happen as much as possible. However, he found himself glancing at a certain forcefully silenced Slytherin at the back of the classroom.
Lily noticed his distraction. "What are you looking at?"
James smirked. "Just admiring my handiwork."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "What did you do this time?"
James leaned in, whispering, "Silenced Snivellus again. He was eavesdropping on us last night."
Lily sighed. "You need to stop picking on him."
"After what he said last year, I'm surprised you'd care," James muttered with a shrug. Snivellus deserved it and more.
Lily shook her head, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "One day, Potter, you'll get what's coming to you."
James chuckled.
"Let him talk," Lily said a few minutes later.
With a sigh and a quick glance to the professor, James slid out his wand and reversed the spell. "There."
"Thank you."
Head-to-head.
Eye-to-eye.
James stared into his black-eyed opponent. Severus Snape.
The crowd around him blurred away. All he was focused on was winning this duelling match.
"Go."
"Expelliarmus!" James shouted immediately, barely waiting for Professor Malidictus to finish saying go.
Snape dodged, countering with a jinx that narrowly missed James.
James and Snape squared off against each other. James quickly blocked the following five spells from Snape, but Snape avoided his, too. They were put together because they were relatively evenly matched, something James wanted to disprove. He was definitely better than the slime ball.
As the duel intensified, James saw an opportunity. Snape was muttering a complex incantation, likely one of his own creations. James reacted swiftly, casting "Silencio!" to cut him off.
This time, Snape blocked it with an angry, "Finite!"
"Cruci—" his opponent started but quickly hesitated.
James saw that the professor noticed and quickly shouted, "Sectumsempra."
A blinding flash of light erupted from James' wand, hurtling towards Snape with terrifying speed.
The spell struck Snape squarely in the chest, and for a moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Snape's eyes widened in shock and pain as he was violently thrown backwards through the air. His body collided with the hard stone floor, skidding several feet before coming to a halt.
Gashes began to materialise across Snape's skin as if invisible blades were slicing through him. Blood seeped from the wounds, staining his robes and pooling around him on the cold, unforgiving floor.
James stood frozen in place, his wand still raised, unable to fully comprehend the damage he had just inflicted. The room's sounds seemed to fade away, replaced by the rapid thudding of his own heartbeat in his ears. The onlookers gasped and whispered among themselves, their faces mixed with fear and disbelief.
The gravity of his actions hit him like a tidal wave. James rushed forward, his heart pounding with regret and horror. Snape lay on the ground, his breathing shallow and ragged, each breath causing more blood to spill from his wounds.
"No," James muttered, rushing forward. He got there at the same time as the professor, and they began to heal him together.
"Leave," the professor ordered, waving his arm.
Most began to leave—slowly, of course, curious to see what was happening.
"You too, Potter."
"Let me help. I'm good at Healing Charms."
He had gone too far. Since last year, when Lily had been hurt by Severus going too far, he had vowed to himself to ease back. He didn't want to be the person to go too far and do irreversible damage; physically, emotionally or otherwise.
Now, he had gone too far.
His parents constantly taught him healing charms as he was growing up because he often injured himself while playing Quidditch.
The professor reluctantly nodded, and James joined in the effort to heal Snape. They worked in tandem, their wands moving rapidly, casting spell after spell to close the wounds and stop the bleeding. Sweat beaded on James' forehead as he concentrated, willing the magic to undo the damage he had caused.
Madam Pomfrey arrived moments later, her face set in a grim mask of determination. She took over with practised efficiency, her hands steady and sure. As she worked, James could see Snape's breathing stabilising, the colour slowly returning to his face.
Thankfully, before he was sent off, he saw that Snape was regaining consciousness.
James stumbled backwards towards the door, staring at Snape. Why would he write that spell in his Potions book? James knew that books were powerful, but he never expected Snape's to be dangerous, too.
Later that day, at 5 pm, James returned Snape's Potion book to him in the infirmary. He never spoke directly to him again.