Chapter: Let the Games Begin
Professor McGonagall approached them with their school schedules talking especially to Remus and Severus about their advanced classes. Apparently, they both were brainy and so would be given some individualized instruction. Severus would be enjoying an extra potion class once a week, and Remus would be with McGonagal in a special tutoring class that would cover several subjects once a week as well.
Her lips pursed a bit angrily however when she handed Sirius a scroll. "You shall be taking tutoring lessons with Lord Arcturus twice a week. At his residence." She narrowed her eyes, "Few of my lions are given this opportunity. Although Lord Arcturus believes that you should learn how to manage his estates sooner rather than later." She looked decidedly irked by the request but nodded, "Tuesday and Thursdays you will present yourself precisely after dinner and floo to Black Manor. You will return in time to the tower before curfew." Sirius took the scroll repressing his urge to celebrate and slipped on the mask of a bored pure-blood. Training drilled into him since birth saved him from showing the sudden joy he felt at being able to leave the castle.
That Arcturus had worked a way for Sirius to leave Hogwarts 2 nights a week seemed almost too good to be true. Whatever new hospital wing or Hogwarts donation he had made to get Albus Dumbledore to agree to such a scheme must have been sizable. He chanced a glance up to the staff table but the headmaster was engaged in an animated conversation with the groundskeeper. Hagrid was difficult to ignore. He glanced down at the scroll and broke the seal to read what was written.
Sirius,
I hope you won't be too upset that I have arranged for private tutoring lessons, but ask that you indulge an old man. I think you will find our lessons will be enlightening and a welcome change of pace from the rigors of the classroom. Your Grandmother is expecting you for dinner, so don't ruin your appetite.
Arcturus.
Sirius ran his eyes over the short note and chuckled. James asked what was funny and he replied, "Only a Black would waste good parchment and wax to write so little. He handed the letter over to James who read it and shrugged. "Lord Arcturus is pretty decent for a Black." He quipped. Sirius nodded. "Yeah." As if he really couldn't quite believe it.
As Professor McGonagall finished handing out their schedules she smiled at them, which was a little creepy. Sirius couldn't remember her smiling at him much in his first go around. She looked at each of them and then said, "Oh, and ten points to each of you for the morning exercise. I was quite impressed with your dedication and I hope you keep it up and perhaps convince the rest of your housemates to join you." She nodded approvingly at them before walking down the table continuing to pass out the class schedules.
James sighed forlornly and said, "There goes my goal of losing the most points for a house on their first day!"
He practically pouted and Remus laughed, "Don't worry James, the day is young. You have... Potions, Herbology, Charms, and Defense against the Dark Arts to be unimpressive."
Snape looked at James aghast and asked, "Why in the name of Merlin would you want to lose our house points?"
James smirked, "It's on my bucket list." He grinned. "Don't you have any crazy goals?"
Severus shook his head emphatically, "Goals yes. Crazy goals, no."
Sirius asked, "How many points do you have to lose to break the record?"
James shook his head, "No idea."
Remus then asked, "Why not earn the most house points in a single day as a first-year? I mean you have a 10 point lead!"
James grinned, "Now see. That's what I'm talking about! A challenge! Let's see who can earn the most house points today and then tomorrow see who can lose the most?"
Severus asked, "What do we win? And I really don't think that losing house points on purpose will win us any friends. Sounds like a good way to make enemies."
James considered it and finally said, "Fine. For now, just winning points. As for reward? No idea. Money seems ridiculous. How about... A favor?" They all looked at each other and finally, they decided that it could be fun.
The gauntlet had been thrown and Sirius was smirking because he remembered this particular challenge, only the first go around it had been just James seeing how many house points he could lose in a single day. They never did find out if he had broken the record, but the older Gryphindors almost killed the first year and had threatened to lock him in his room after he'd lost them 150 house points on the first day. Maybe this time they could save James from himself.
He realized the change had come from Severus's inclusion in their group. Remus wasn't the only voice of reason anymore and Snape was cautious while James was impulsive. And of course, Sirius himself didn't egg James on like he had the first time. He wondered which of the four would win and determined that he wouldn't help his younger self who was excited about the challenge and was beginning to plot with devious intent.
Remus and Snape also looked mischievous. "Let the games begin." Remus stated baldly as they rose in unison to get to class on time. They raced each other through the halls, their shoes enabling them to leap up the staircases like monkeys and were practically fighting each other through the door to be the first to arrive, sure that it would be worth a few points.
In potions, Severus won 30 points by knowing the correct answers while Remus came in a close second with 20 points. James won ten by jumping up and assisting professor Slughorn with a cauldron practically tripping over Sirius who raced him to help the bemused professor. And Sirius won ten for leaping to put out a fire a first-year Hufflepuff girl had started in her cauldron.
Hufflepuff had earned a total of 10 points and was looking frustrated and a bit bemused by the Gryphindor boy's enthusiasm. Lilly kept staring from one boy to the next and finally leaned over and asked James, "What the bloody hell are you doing?"
James whispered, "Language Evans," with a smirk. "Kicking arse! What's it look like?"
Lily huffed and glared at him for the rest of the class. As soon as class was over Remus leaped up and started helping Professor Slughorn clean up and earned another 5 points. James groaned, "Why didn't I think of that?" As they made their way out of the dungeons, to their next class located in Green House number one.
Snape was looking quite smug as they were the first to arrive. "Careful Sev. Pride goeth before the fall." Remus lectured with a grin and then walked up to Professor Sprout and introduced himself and then asked, "Is there anything I can help you with Professor before class begins?" While Sirius walked up to her and said, "Good morning professor. Lovely day. Almost as lovely as your eyes."
"Why yes Mr. Lupin, please pass out these earmuffs to the students and five points to Gryffindor." She said with a smile and then handed half the muffs to Sirius. "Thank you Mr. Black. But you'll be graded on your ability and hard work, not on the flattery that rests on your tongue." She admonished the young first year with a bit of cheek. Sirius Jr. was not happy when his older self laughed at him over that. But it really was quite funny.
Sirius grinned at her, "Wouldn't have it any other way professor." Then started passing out the earmuffs. They received a thorough lesson and Remus received the most points with 20 for Gryphendor. Sirius finally got a measly 5 points for helping a student whose earmuffs weren't tight and when she started to faint Sirous lept and caught her before she could hit the floor. "Five points for quick reflexes Mr. Black." He grinned at James who was concentrating hard on the lesson and trying to impress Sprout with his non-existent green thumb.
Severus received 10 points for being able to tell which potions Mandrake root was used in, and James finally got five points when he offered to stay and help Professor Sprout clean up.
As they made their way to Charms, James complained. "I would totally be rockin' the lose the most points challenge."
Sirius nodded and said, "Yeah. You and I just scream untrustworthy. One look at us and they see trouble. Sev and Remus are gonna slaughter us if we don't get a little more creative mate."
James nodded and got a determined gleam in his eye.
Charms was unusual from what he remembered as well. The friendly competition was becoming fierce. Their group was first to arrive and sat at the very front of the class. Professor Flitwick was just as diminutive as Sirius remembered. All four boys' hands shot up like rockets when Professor Flitwick asked if any of them knew what the incantation was for the Levitation spell. He called on Remus who grinned and said, "Wingardium Leviosa." with the perfect pronunciation.
"Excellent Mr. Lupin. 10 points." He then handed out the feathers as he discussed the properties of the spell. Soon they were all practicing and it was Sirius who got it right first. "Excellent Mr. Black. Ten points to Gryffindor."
James not to be outdone pointed his wand at the professor and instantly the book he was standing on began to hover a few inches causing the professor to squeak and fall over only to be caught by Remus's strong levitation spell and placed gently on his feet.
"Oh my!" Flitwick exclaimed in excitement. "Very inventive Mr. Potter. 10 points to Gryffindor for excellent progress and strength. You could go quite far in charms Mr. Potter."
He then smiled at Remus, "And 10 points Mr. Lupin, for demonstrating such a strong levitation spell and keeping me from falling on my butt."
Remus winked at James who seethed a bit. "This means war Lupin."
The boys grinned and Remus looked at James and said, "All's fair in love and war." James looked at Sirius and asked what the score was.
At the end of the lesson Remus was in the lead with 80 points, Severus was hot on his heels with 50, and Sirius and James were tied at 35 points each.
Lilly walked beside them after class and asked them bluntly what they were doing and they explained the competition to her. She blinked at them and shook her head a bit, "Are all boys this mental?" She asked Marlene who laughed.
"No. Somehow I think these four are special."
As they were walking away Lilly said to Alice, "Bet you a galleon Remus wins."
"Remus huh? I'm thinking Severus is gonna win." Marlene smirked.
Sirius and James glared at the girls, "Desperate times call for desperate measures Potter." Sirius whispered.
James nodded, "I was thinking the same thing."
"You were?" Sirius asked.
"Yep. So what are we going to do?" James whined.
Sirius shrugged, "No idea. I don't think well on an empty stomach."
During lunch James managed to earn another five points by helping a teacher to her seat like a gentleman, figuring that if Sirius could get away with stuff like that he should be able to as well. Unfortunately, it earned him a lot of strange looks from Professor McGonagall. Her eyebrows practically disappeared up into her hat watching the first-year Gryph's acting so strangely. She looked over at the Gryffindor hourglass and gasped at the sheer volume of points her house had earned this morning. She'd never seen so many points earned on the first day of school. What in the world was going on?
She turned to Professor Sprout as she said, "I swear it's like a competition with those four. Never seen such an eager helpful group of young Gryphs in all my years of teaching. Not sure what put a fire under them."
Professor McGonagall smiled a bit, "Well I'm sure it's just first day nerves."
Throughout the rest of the day, their little competition became the talk of the school. In Defense, none of them were able to get a single point out of the professor. "I don't believe in giving you points for knowing what you should know. You'll have to do better than vomiting back the textbook at me Mr. Potter!" James almost lost a point right then but Sirius kicked him in the ankle just in time.
As they left the classroom which had to have been the worse class in the history of classes, James saw his opportunity to earn himself a victory in the form of one poltergeist named Peeves. The disagreeable beast kept throwing stink pellets at students and faculty alike and zooming overhead hurling rabid insults. James tossed Sirius a haughty wink and said, "Watch and learn."
Sirius nodded, "Okay." Curious about what James was going to do.
Just before Dumbledore became annoyed enough with the disagreeable entity to ban him from the Hall, James jumped up on the bench and yelled, "Yo Pee-Brain!" He pointed his wand at Peeves and cast a spell his father had told him about in some detail, "Langlock!"
A pink light flashed from Potter's wand and hit Peeves in the face. The ghost tried to open his mouth to make a raspberry at James but found he couldn't and flew through the wall in a great silent huff. The whole school began clapping enthusiastically and James took a gallant bow.
"Well done Mr. Potter. Well done." Dumbledore nodded, "Twenty points for a most effective and instructive spell."
James grinned at Sirius who grinned back at his friend. "Well played mate." He complimented.
Severus and Remus both managed to earn 10 more points each however by heading to Slughorn's office after dinner and offering to help him prepare the class ingredients for the next day, while James and Sirius earned five for helping Madam Pince shelve books.
When they tallied up the final count, Remus was the clear winner with 90 points, James came in a respectable second at 65, Severus came in hot on his heels with 60, and Sirius came in last at 40. He figured that losing was worth it. They had earned 255 points between them. It was a cause for celebration and Sirius didn't even mind being in debt for a favor to Remus.
Remus decided he would hold on to it and call it in for something worthwhile, warning it likely would be chocolate-related. Severus as well was placed in debt, but he didn't seem to mind. The competition had certainly been epic. James was already trying to get a rematch for the next day as they had all new teachers. But Remus reminded him that both Severus and he had extra lessons tomorrow so would have more opportunities to earn points. James conceded that point grudgingly.
That night before bed as he had promised Regulus and Arcturus he spent some time writing home, even though he would be there the next day, he felt as if he was keeping his word. He fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow and so did all his dorm mates.