Of Deer and Flowers

Chapter Twenty Two

The Feast

September 1,

Dear Ann,

I never would have thought it possible for the Marauders to get detention on the first day, much less before the sorting had even started . . .

"You sure this is going to work?"

"Positive."

"So how are we going to pull this off again?"

"Haven't you been listening?"

Lily sighed, and trying to ignore the voices walked straight past the horse-less carriage they were coming from. If the Marauders were going to pull something, it was their own affair. Lily wanted nothing to do with it.

Soon after entering the Great Hall she learned her mistake. She had barely sat down beside Christy when the Marauders ran through the door. Sirius and James were apparently trying to hex the other two. In fact they were yelling at the top of their lungs, "No one pranks us! Especially not one of our own!"

Peter was jumping over the tables dodging the curses that flew past him to hit the candles hanging in mid air above. Remus however was making perfect use of a shield charm. The deflected rays of light also hitting the candles. Lily frowned, what were they up to?

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Professor Hawk roared as he entered the Great Hall. The room was suddenly quiet. "What is the meaning of this!"

"Please professor . . ." Hawk turned and immediately spotted Sirius and James. "YOU FOUR!" he roared as Remus and Peter joined them. "I should have known . . . No, don't try to explain yourselves, it can't be done. Sit down!" They sat. "Now you four will each receive a detention for this chaos, and that is the end of it" Hawk stormed up to the head table where he took his seat and was quickly joined by the rest of the Professors.

A moment later the first years were brought in and the Hat opened its brim to sing:

Danger lies before us

Peril lies behind

But if we stand together

We'll defeat it all in kind

Trouble comes upon us

But weather big or small

Unite all four houses

And we can conquer all

The founders they did know this

Together they were great

And working with each other

They could conquer even hate

Gryffindor the lion

Had a proud brave heart

And when danger threatened

He would never stand apart

Slytherin a serpent

In his ambition he was strong

He'd do what needed doing

And never did take long

Hufflepuff the badger

Was loyal through and through

If there was work to be done

She'd lend a hand or two

Ravenclaw an Eagle

Had a ready mind

If there was some trouble

A way out she was sure to find

So look at our four founders

You can learn from them

If we stand together

Our fate can not be grim

Come along dear students

Put me on your head

To your home within Hogwarts

You are sure to be lead

But to this one thing listen still

Together we must hold

For if danger does come to these walls

We'll win victory untold

Lily stared at the hat. Last year it had only hinted. This year it said it straight out. Stand together Hogwarts. Pondering lily was startled when the sorting ended and Dumbledore stood to address the school.

"I have a few announcement to make before we eat . . ."

"What do you think it meant?" Lily whispered to Christy who was beside her scribbling on a bit of parchment.

"What?"

"The sorting song, what do you think the last line meant."

Christy muttered something and lily frowned. It was obvious her friend was preoccupied. "Who's that for?" she asked nodding to the letter.

"Evan."

"Ahh." Absentmindedly she turned back to Dumbledore's announcements.

" . . . is of course forbidden. A few of our older students would be wise to remember that as well." Lily noticed McGonagall glaring at the Marauders. What were they up to?

"Now I think it is time to eat. Nib Goon Mara Gibe." Lily was perhaps the only person not watching the headmaster at that moment, and so she was probably the only one to notice Remus flicking his wand. The food of course appeared immediately, but at the same time the candles rearranged themselves to form the words Welcome to Hogwarts across the ceiling accompanied by an assortment of odd blats and whistles. That done they began flashing the school colors, at the same time shape shifting continuously into various house mascots. It wasn't exactly perfect though. Here and there you might find a yellow snake or a red eagle, not to mention the polka-dotted badger that was floating directly above her head.

Lily rolled her eyes as she spotted the headmaster grinning behind his fork. At least nobody had gotten hurt this time, and the whistles had thankfully stopped. Even if the candles were constantly changing, throwing odd specks of colored light across the room.

"Wow!" a first year girl beside her said. "Do they always do that?"

"No," Lily sighed, "that would be the work of the Marauders."

"The who?"

Helping herself to the mashed potatoes lily began to explain.