Of Deer and Flowers

Chapter Five

The Prank

October 15,

Dear Kate,

I still can't believe what happened! I can't even believe Remus helped! Well I think Remus helped. Yesterday one of the Prefects told me Remus was waiting outside The owl for me, but when I went to look he was gone. I just can't believe this . . .

"Run!" leading the small group James raced a side corridor.

"Left," Remus instructed.

"It's a dead end!" Sirius shouted.

"Socrates." The owl jumped aside, and the four boys barely made it through in time.

"Whew that was close," Peter sighed with relief.

"James what did we bring?" James set the bag down and began to sift through it,

"Let's see . . . we have Biting Tea Cups, Frog Spawn Soap, Silly smoke, one Never Full Pitcher, and twenty packs of Exploding Snap game cards." Sirius grinned.

"Give me the pitcher and soap." James handed them over and watched as his friend disappeared down the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Remus took the cups and started replacing the real ones while James grinned at Peter.

"Alright here's what we're going to do!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Bang! Pop! Lily leapt out of bed and hurried to the common room. There covering the floor were several burst capsules and thousands of smoldering playing cards. She stepped back to avoid getting burned. Choking on the colored smoke she looked over her shoulder to see Stanton Black rushing up the stairs with a pitcher full of water. The prefect was apparently unaware that it was leaking every where.

"Who could have . . ." she was cut off by a shriek from the Girls' fifth year dorm. Another fifth year, by the name of Cassandra Clark, rushed over and grabbed Stanton's collar.

"Your brother's done it this time! The bathroom . . . it's covered with frog spawn!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Back in the Gryffindor common room James and Sirius were explaining their genius to Jon and Clark.

"Well I replaced my brother's water pitcher with a Zonko's Never Full."

"While Remus planted the Biting Tea Cups."

"Ravenclaws will find that one latter!"

"Anyway . . ."

"I replaced the soap with Frog Spawn Suds."

"You know the ones that explode when they come in contact with water?"

"It's amazing to see it done!"

" Is that it?" Jon asked leaning forward eagerly.

"Nope," Sirius answered as James continued.

"We then placed Exploding Snap cards all over the floor . . ."

"And with pinpoint precision . . ."

"Added Silly smoke on top."

"Have to be extremely careful,"

"Otherwise the whole lot blows to soon!" Clark burst out laughing,

"Next time prank a Slytherin!" Sirius and James only grinned.

Two days later a Slytherin by the name of Severus Snape would find himself with feathers instead of hair. That would be the beginning of the boy's rivalry. Many other Pranks would be pulled on random students. Lily (like most of the Ravenclaws) would spend the rest of the year avoiding the quartet of troublemakers . . .