The Marauding Five - Year One

The Marauding Five : Year One

Chapter 11: Platform 9¾ Again

James was walking down the seventh floor corridor with Sirius, Remus and Lily as they turned to the mirror and entered their secret room that they had found two weeks before. Sweets were strewn everywhere and the broomsticks were doing some sort of a funny jig when they entered. Tired, Lily waved her wand without a word and everything cleaned itself up.

They flopped onto a bed each and stared at the ceiling.

'Lily?'

'Hmmm?'

'How are we suppose to-'

'Get rid of the girls? I'm thinking here...'

'They followed us almost everywhere.'

'So did Dan and Thomas.'

'Come to think of it, why?'

'Bet it's because they find us useful for giving them exam tips and homework helps.'

'You think everyone's like you, Sirius?'

'Yeah. Why not? I'm a human, so are you, so's everyone else.'

They sighed.

'Results?'

'Excelled. The professors sure are surprised! I mean, we kept on playing tricks and all...'

'And it's thanks to Lily we all excelled. Hey, how'd you know all those questions?'

'Short story.'

'We're all ears.'

'Just one sentence.'

'Eyes opened, brain checking for sleepiness. Report: None.'

'Only one word.'

'Say it already!'

'Psychic.'

'Aha! And...?'

'Seer.'

'Wow! You're lucky. Psychic and Seers are rare these days.'

'And if McGonagall finds out, I bet she'll drag me to Dumbledore and ask him to perform a spell on me so I can't use those powers any longer. I just learnt how to use them. Mother taught me.'

They sighed again.

'This conversation's pointless. How about holidays?'

Everyone started looking thoughtful.

'Speaking of them, don't you think we should leave a little goodbye present?' James said, grinning as he sat up on his bed.

'What do you mean?' Remus yawned as he started to snooze, tired out. The transformation the day before had definitely gotten him.

'You know, plant Dungbombs in the Slytherin common room, annoy that stupid cat, annoy Filch, send a total of ten howlers - each - to Snape on tomorrow's feast...' Lily ranted on and on about what they're going to do.

Suddenly, Sirius clapped his hands to his forehead.

'What? You got a flobberworm in your head?' James asked, concerned. 'No! I'd just recall the list Remus and I had done before coming to Hogwarts!! And yes, there are flobberworms in my head. How did they get there anyway?' Sirius said sarcastically.

Remus pondered this for a while. 'You know, you're insane, so there ought to be flobberworms in your head,' the boy replied thoughtfully. 'Prove that to me,' was Sirius' remark.

'Smart, aren't you? Well see, here's one. It's dead though, poor thing,' Lily whined pitiously at the dead flobberworm that she'd just pulled out of Sirius' long hair. 'Look! Here's another, Sirius! Really, there are flobberworms on your head!' James added in an amused tone before pulling out another dead flobberworm. 'May their souls rest peacefully, though I think not, looking at the fact that they died in Sirius' hair. Ugh, wouldn't want to die in there,' Remus added with a shiver. Sirius' face boiled furiously.

'Forget these worms. Now, where'd you put that list?' James said, tossing the flobberworms aside.

'Actually, um... Remus, you continue,' Sirius said, fidgeting uncomfortably on the bed. Remus took a small gulp. 'Uh, we'd sorta, uh...' James and Lily looked expectedly at them, nodding their heads, saying, 'Umhm, go on.' The other other gulped again. 'Forgotten all about it,' Sirius finished, his nerves shaking. They waited. They looked at James and Lily's face. Everything sunk into Lily and James and it dawned before them.

'You WHAT?!' Lily screeched in her high-pitched voice.

They nodded meekly.

'What actually did you do in the holidays? Lily and I had been slaving for spells and information and you two were suppose to list down everything!' James cried out in distress.

They gulped again.

'Well, we sorta, uh, sleep?'

'You SLEPT? Remus, I thought you could control Sirius! I don't expect you to go with him,' Lily continued with a frown.

'Yeah! Aw, forget this. You'll just pull all the pranks we'd devised last night and get our detentions,' James said as he dismissed the subject. Lily automatically looked calm as though she had never been angry before. 'Yep. Try not to lose any house points. Dumbledore's giving the house cup tomorrow,' Lily said with a nod as she thrust a list in Remus' hands and shower Sirius with the needed tools. The 'brains of the Marauders' walked out with a smug look on their faces, arm-in-arm, leaving Remus and Sirius to survey the list on their own and start the pranks.

'You know, they make a good looking couple together. They had the same personalities and the same smugness,' Sirius said, turning to Remus who's staring at the list.

'We've to give the Slytherins the nose-biting teacups for tomorrow's feast, add Filibuster's Fireworks in the Slytherins' turkeys, poison the Slytherins' pumpkin juices, give Severus an Engorgement Charm, make Severus' yellow teeth grow longer and destroy Severus' trunk. After that, we have to paint Mrs Norris blue, finish Filch off with water-balloons, send Dumbledore another pair of socks, paint Severus' robes with the invisible paint, decorate the Great Hall with scarlet and gold ribbons, charm the Hufflepuffs' food all into Croakroach Clusters... the list is endless!' Remus heaved some air heavily. Sirius had started sorting out the showered tools and jokes and was already heading to the kitchens to poison the Slytherins' food and pumpkin juice. Water balloons were held in his hand, ready to be thrown at Filch and he is already practising the charm to turn Mrs Norris blue.

Remus groaned. This is going to be one busy day.

**

The next day, the Hufflepuffs were clutching at their throats after eating Croakroach Clusters, planted by Sirius the day before. The Slytherins all had red noses, Mrs Norris was an aqua-marine blue shade and Filch was greeted with water balloons as soon as he stepped out of his dorm. It seemed to be a terrible day for them, but to Snape, it was the worst day ever. Fourty Howlers had found its way to him and he had to open all, all containing nasty remarks and dangerous hexes, his yellow teeth grew longer until it hit the floor. Madam Pomfrey wasn't pleased about tending students on the last day, so she left him that way until a seventh year Slytherin had taken to cure him himself, earning Snape a milicentimeter left of what were his teeth. Lily had used Diffindo and Snape's trunk burst open, scattering his underwear (all spotted with hearts and dabbed with "I Love My Teddy and Mommy", courtesy of James). Remus painted all of Snape's robes with the invisible paint, sending laughters all over. A pair of socks found its way to Dumbledore and the wizard looked happily for the sender, wishing to thank him. Snape got the full blast of the Engorgement Charm on his face, making his already big nose bigger than ever.

All but the Slytherins laughed at this.

Finally, it was time to announce the winner of the House-Cup. Lily sat rooted on her seat, fidgeting nervously. She could feel Sirius jumping non-stop (a way to show his anxiety), Remus biting on his nails nervously and James shaking. 'Ssh!! I want to hear! Sirius, stop hopping around! I'll give you the leaping frog hex if you don't!' Lily hissed at Sirius, who was still jumping. 'I can't! You know how I am whenever I'm nervous,' Sirius said, still jumping frantically.

Dumbledore sat up as he announced the points.

'As usual, the house cup will go to the house with the most points. I shan't beat around the bush much longer. Fourth place goes to Hufflepuff, with a total of five hundred and sixty two points. Third's Slytherin, with a total of five hundred and sixty seven points - close call there - and Ravenclaw, with seven hundred and fourty five points, and the winner, Gryffindor with seven hundred and eighty eight points.'

The Gryffindor table cheered and roared. For the first time in so many years, they'd won the House Cup for Gryffindor, sending Slytherin from it's glorious first place to the third.

The Marauders hugged each other happily, glad to have won the house cup, as Snape stared coldly at them from his beady eyes full with loathing. Sirius and James, being too excited, had sent Snape off with the very same spell Lily had used on her first Howler to him. So when Snape walked up to Gryffindor table to sneer at them and tell them that Slytherin's reign isn't over yet, he burped slugs out, sending another roar to the school as they remembered the faithful first day when Severus Snape received his howlers.

Angry, Snape stormed out as calls came after him from the Gryffindor seventh years.

At last, it was time to leave. The Marauders sadly pulled their trunks into Hogwarts Express, taking their last glance at Hogwarts castle before the train pulled away.

'Well, end of a year at Hogwarts. I wonder what are we going to do now,' James said gloomily, staring sadly at the scenery outside. Lily patted his back lightly.

'C'mon James, don't be too sad. Remember, we still have a victim at home!'

'Yeah, I just remembered Petunia! Thanks Lil'! Now we can hex her as much as we want to and did you bring extra fireworks or Dungbombs or any of the tricks?' Sirius asked happily. Remus patted his pockets fondly. 'Sirius, I'd all of them! I sneaked some from Filch's office. He'd sorta confiscated them from other students, but I got them all back,' Remus grinned happily. 'Now, how about plans for Petunia?' James said, brightened up.

'Remus'll do it. If we leave anything with Sirius, you can bet that he'll pull Remus to snooze again,' Lily said as she dragged her trunk into Platform 9¾ when the train halted to a stop.

Sirius shrugged as he, James and Remus pulled their things outside. The four crossed the barrier calmly.

Mr and Mrs Potter and Mr and Mrs Evans were standing at the other side, waiting to greet them. Mrs Evans hugged Lily tightly as she proceeded to embrace the rest of them. Lily winked at Mrs Potter, indicating that all their tricks were successful as the Potters and Evans climbed into the Evans' car. The kids rattled cheerfully about their year events, tricks pulled, exams results and every detention they'd got. The Evans frowned slightly when they heard that their daughter had been to the Forbidden Forest, but relaxed when they hear that pixies, fairies and unicorns had helped them. They offered to throw a party, when they heard all four had excelled in their subjects without a problem, and that was taken in happily by the Potters, who were also glad that every prank pulled were successful.

The Marauders just grinned at them.