Mischief Managed

It was a warm October morning when James awoke to find the dorm room empty. Empty, that was, save for his three friends, all of whom were still very fast asleep. Frowning, James stood quickly and dressed himself in a white shirt, t-vest, scarlet and gold striped tie, and some stone gray dress pants. He shifted through his school bag and made sure he had enough quills, ink, and parchment for the day before...

"It's Saturday." He frowned. That was why everyone was gone. Students were no doubt strolling around the outside grounds, soaking up what they could of the sun before winter dropped it's first snowfall. "Brilliant, Potter," James grumbled, sitting on his bed somberly. A snore reached his ears. He looked up to find Peter about ready to fall out of his bed. Sirius was tangled in his sheets, comforter strewn about the floor and Remus was buried beneath everything on his bed. Pillows, sheets, blanket, comforter, even a few books and school robes. "My friends," he laughed, standing and circling the beds like a hungry hawk. "Lazy bums. This won't do. Won't do at all."

James slyly conjured up three levitating buckets, each filled to the brim with ice cold water and floating meticulously over one of the sleeping lads' heads. With a whisper and a snort, he let the buckets flip over and drown the victims lying underneath. Sirius was the first to awaken, choking and sputtering as though he had just had his head taken out of a full tankard of water. He was now very much awake.

The others were also now sitting up, eyes open and bulging from their sockets, soaked to the bone and quite chilled. All three were glaring scornfully at the dry and very warm James. He grinned and waved his hand in their direction. Sirius was the first to take action.

"YOU BUGGER!" he hollered, leaping from his bed and tackling James to the ground. Remus was up as well, conjuring his own bucket of icy water while Peter, still shivering, dried his hair in his sheets. James looked pleadingly up at his two tired and wet friends.

"C'mon guys," he pleaded, noting how very large that bucket was compared to the ones he had used on them. "It was just some innocent fun!"

Sirius grinned. It was his infamous, evil grin that told everyone he had a very sneaky idea growing in his head. Of course, there was nothing sneaky about this attack. James was very aware of what was coming his way. "I'm sure." he smiled. "Just remember, James, while you're being soaked witch icy water, so-is-this." He turned his head. "Remus?"

The young man nodded slightly and allowed the bucket to release it's contents upon James. Sirius had released him, of course, but running was no easy task. The bucket was charmed so that it followed James around the room ,down the stairs, and into the Common Room. Then, as he stood in the center of the empty chamber, shuddering and coughing, it dropped onto his head dead-center so that when the trio had come down to join their equally soaked companion, he appeared as though he were simply a bucket that had sprouted a torso, arms, and legs.

"You look better that way, mate," Sirius commented.

James turned his head in their general direction (from what they could tell since the bucket moved on his shoulders). "Shut up!" he hissed. It echoed humorously into the metal; slightly muffled but otherwise understandable.

"Well it doesn't do us much better," Peter grumbled. "I look like a drowned rat!"

Remus moved to help James get the bucket off of his head. He apology for it having fallen on him, but James was not convinced about it's sincerity. Sirius turned around and grinned wickedly in Peter's direction.

"Well, you are a rat if you think about it."

Peter shot Sirius that 'Don't go there,' glare, and Sirius was quieted other than a few snorts and sniggers at the sight of James still with the bucket on his head.

"Ow! That hurts!" James snapped.

"Then quit fidgeting!" argued a very agitated Remus.

"There's a bucket on my head! Don't tell me not to fidget!"

Remus let go of the bucket. This sent James flying backwards into an overstuffed chair, the pail still on his head. "Fine!" he snapped. Turning on his heel, Remus stomped up the stairs and shut the dorm room door behind him.

James stood uncertainly and tried to slip the bucket off his head once again. "What's his problem?" he grumbled. Sirius moved to help his comrade out.

"I think you've ticked him off, mate," Sirius frowned. The bucket seemed to have shrunk, because it was not budging from James' head. "Hold still." He stepped back and drew his wand. "Lerasse!"

Immediately the bucket expanded. James threw it off so fast that he did not think of where he was aiming, and ended up hitting Sirius square in the nose. His eyes widened in shock of what he did, as well as Sirius', who could not quite believe what had happened.

"Damn! Mate, I'm sorry!" James pleaded, standing as though petrified.

Sirius stood transfixed for many minutes before;

"OOOOOWWWWW!!!!"

Peter drew out a tissue and held it to Sirius' nose which was now bleeding profusely. In a panic attack, James ran upstairs and tried to find his wand.

Confused, Remus looked up in bemusement from putting away a few of his textbooks. "What have you done to him, Prongs?"

"I think I broke Sirius' nose."

Remus winced. "How did that happen?" he stopped when he saw what James was walking out with. "WAIT!" he stepped in front of his friend. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to-"

"Blow his nose off," Remus finished the sentence. "Take him to the hospital wing."

James frowned. "I can fix it!"

"No, you can't. You're smart, James, but you don't know anything about healing yet. Take Sirius to the hospital wing before you blow his nose off! Or worse!"

"What could possibly be worse then that?"

Remus crossed his arms in front of him. "How good do you think Sirius would look without his head?"

The look on James' face went from bitter anger to realizing shock.

"I'll take him to the Hospital Wing," he muttered. Remus followed after, and the trio walked a dizzying Sirius to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomphrey, who asked few to no questions of any of her patients, went quickly to work. Sirius returned a few minutes later with no evidence of a broken nose save the bloody tissue Peter still had in his hands.

James, feeling both guilty and awkward, approached Sirius stiffly. "Feeling better, Padfoot?"

"Sure am, Prongs." He grinned brightly. James' face finally broke a smile, and the four of them made their way to the Main Hall for an early breakfast.

---

The four made their way to the Great Hall, but suddenly, James' head birthed a scheme.

"Hey, guys," he hissed, dragging them all into a corner. "How far are we from the kitchen entrance?"

Remus frowned. "It's just up the next corridor I think."

"Why?" Sirius grinned.

Smiling, James turned his head to his left and right to make sure no one was approaching. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial.

Peter leaned in for a closer look. "What is that?"

The other two blinked in amazement at what James was holding. A small vial containing nothing more than a few ounces of violet liquid that seemed to shimmer in it's own radiance. Finally, Sirius started to laugh. Hard.

"Gas draft?!"

James nodded.

Remus groaned. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm not."

"I am."

Rolling his eyes, Remus slapped Sirius on the back of the head and then turned to James. "What does this have to do with finding the kitchen?"

"Do you need to ask?"

"No. No, I don't," sighed Remus.

As shadows they made their way to the portrait of a bowl of fruit. James reached up and, tottering on the tips of his toes, tickled the pear. It giggled. The portrait swung open to reveal a great number of house elves running about to and fro, trying to get the breakfast ready for that morning.

"And who isn't going to see this?" Peter asked skeptically.

James just smiled and slid right in. No one said anything. Sirius followed, and then Remus. Peter took up the rear, wringing his hands nervously.

"Hello, Mr. Potter!" greeted a very energetic but haggard looking house elf. He grinned brightly, revealing crooked teeth. "How might we be helping you this morning? Desiring a sweet roll? A donut? Frosty cake? An extra pint of pumpkin juice?"

The others could easily see that James had done this before. Sirius shook his head, impressed. Remus merely rolled his eyes. Peter's own were darting everywhere, as though he were fearful one of the elves might leap out of a cupboard and start gnawing at him.

"No, Dippy. Thank you. I'm just giving my friends a tour of your, er, lovely kitchen."

Dippy bowed low, "Why thank you." He then turned and smiled at James' group of friends. "Good, kind Mr. Potter. Always so complementary!"

Sirius could not help but snort. James cast him a warning glare, then curiously poked his nose into a boiling pot. "What's this, Dippy?"

"That would be this morn's breakfast, sir! Would you care to try a taste?"

James smiled. "Oh, that's quite all right. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for myself." As he said this, James brought his wand up behind him. With a flick of his wrist, he set a small loaf of bread on the other side of the kitchen on fire. Immediately Dippy turned around, and with a surprised cry moved to set it out. The rest of the house elves flew into hysterics, and this gave James just enough time to do what he needed.

Slipping the vial out of his pocket, he dumped the full contents of the glass bottle into the bubbling pot. He then quickly ushered the others outside, grinning evilly.

"You do realize what you've done, don't you?" Remus scolded.

James winked. "Yes, Moony. Why don't you and Peter head to the Main Hall. Don't try the main course. Sirius and I have one more thing we want to do before we come in for breakfast."

Grinning, Sirius turned his head around the corner before they went their different ways. "Save us seats," he called over his shoulder.

Remus rolled his eyes, and with Peter at his side they moved downstairs to the Main Hall.

Sirius turned to James. "So, what are we doing?"

"You'll see."

James lead the way up a flight of stairs and then headed, in what Sirius assumed to be, was the direction to the Owlery.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "What will we be doing to the poor creatures? No maiming, I hope!"

Frowning, James turned his head. "Do you think I'd stoop that low?"

Sirius shook his head and fell silent, watching James do his dirty work. He cast a spell over the windows, then turned to his partner in crime.

"Any owl that flies through here will turn either a putrid green or a very vibrant pink, depending on gender that is."

Nodding, Sirius smiled. "And what of those still in the owlery?"

James nodded his head, and Sirius understood. Each turned to face opposite ends of the owlery and started their jinxes.

They were out in five minutes, running to the Great Hall to enjoy their handy work.

---

"That place cannot be entered," lectured Remus as James and Sirius approached him. He and Peter were standing at the entrance to the Great Hall, their robes pulled up over their mouths and noses.

Sirius frowned. "We missed it?"

Remus nodded.

"Well, not all of it," commented James. The scent of bodily produced gases had reached his nose, and he was now covering the lower half of his own face with his robes. Sirius followed in a like manner to prevent the scent from reaching his own nostrils.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

James only grinned.

Hardly any time had passed between the arrival of James and Sirius before the owls started to flock in, all of them in different assortments of colors. Greens and pinks were a definitely common sight, but some flew in as bright oranges, yellows, reds and blues. One poor second year's owl had accidentally been turned completely invisible! He stared in shock as his owl stood before him. An envelope from home was flapping in it's beak, but all he saw was a prancing bit of white paper with a fancy seal.

"Where's my owl?!?" he cried in fear and anger. Sirius and James sniggered. Peter chuckled lightly, and even Remus could not help but laugh a little at the situation.

"Mischief managed," Peter stated happily.

James laughed. "At least for this morning."

Remus groaned.

---