Musical Notes

CHAPTER 2

Wednesday, October 6

-So what's McGonagall lecturing about today?

-The theory behind Vanishing Spells.

-Moony, you're going to waste your life taking so many notes, you know that?

-Prongs, could you hit Padfoot for me?

-Moony says lay off, Padfoot.

-Hey, why's everyone against me? I was just stating a fact, that's all.

-I think what Moony was trying to suggest, Padfoot, was that you stick your facts somewhere else. Is that right, Moony?

-I'm not sure I would've said it that way, but the general idea is the same. And I saw that Padfoot, now give it back.

-Saw what?

-You know good and well what I'm talking about. Now please, give me back my notes.

-Hate to say it, but I think he's ignoring you, Moony.

-Thank you, Prongs.

-What did McGonagall say about the similarities between Vanishing Spells and Conjuring Spells?

-Ask Padfoot. He's got my notes.

-Huh?

-Padfoot and Moony are having an argument currently.

-Well, why don't you just ask for the notes back?

-There is so much wrong with that question, Wormtail, I don't even know where to begin.

-What'd I say, Prongs?

-I'm not even going to bother.

-Padfoot, I'm warning you. If you don't give me back my notes, I'll tell James where your secret stash of chocolate frogs is.

-You have a stash of chocolate frogs?!

-Fine, here you go, your werewolf-ness.

-SIRIUS, DON'T PUT THAT IN WRITING! ARE YOU MAD?! I-

"Mr. Lupin," Professor McGonagall sharply interrupted Remus' retribution of Sirius, "I have never seen any student write notes so vigorously." Professor McGonagall glared at Remus suspiciously.

"He's very interested in this topic, Professor," Sirius fibbed, barely containing his laughter. Remus, staring at Sirius indignantly, had no choice but to nod curtly so that McGonagall would continue her lecture. Slowly and despairingly, he returned to the piece of parchment on which the incriminating statement was written.

-Why me?

-Okay Moony, I'm sorry about that. Please forgive me? Here, I just scratched it out, see?

-I forgive you, just don't do it again, alright? And I'm going to start a new piece of parchment.

-Okay, that's better. Now what were you asking me, Wormtail?

-I asked what McGonagall said about the similarities between Vanishing Spells and Conjuring Spells.

-I don't think I heard that part. I must've been begging Padfoot for my notes at that point.

-Moony the Magnificent doesn't know something?! Oh, the horror!

-Padfoot, are you asking me to tell Prongs where your chocolate frogs are?

-No! Please don't! You won't go looking for them now, will you Prongs?

-Why isn't Prongs responding to my note?

-He's busy Lily-watching.

-Wormtail, you're closest: hit Prongs for me, will you?

-I did. It didn't work.

-Must you always be the Master of the Obvious, Wormtail?

-Well, you asked me to hit him for you, so I was telling you what happened. What's wrong, Padfoot?

-Padfoot, I'd suggest that you stop hitting your head on the desk. You might hurt the poor desk.

-Now that's reassuring, Moony. Thanks for your concern.

-You're quite welcome, Padfoot.

-Hey guys, may I borrow this parchment?

-Prongs! You're back! And why the hell do you want the parchment?

-Trust me, now may I have it?

-Uh-oh, anything that Prongs writes that starts with "trust me" always lands us in detention for a week or more.

-Shut it, Moony. I didn't think McGonagall would suspect that it was us who set off those dungbombs in the dungeons last month, alright?

I was thinking more about the time when you convinced us to paint the statue of Salazar Slytherin Gryffindor colors, but yours works too.

-Well, that doesn't matter now, so may I have the parchment? Please? Please?

-Moony, just let him have it, or else he'll never leave you alone.

-You're right Padfoot. I never thought I'd say that, but you are.

-I'll ignore that.

-Okay Prongs, just don't do anything stupid.

Hey Evans,

What's up? Listen, why don't you go out with me? It'd be fun. You know you want to! Write back with your answer.

James Potter

As James finished writing his note, he picked up the parchment with a determined air about him. Sirius, Remus, and Peter exchanged skeptical looks. These quickly changed into looks of horror as they witnessed their best friend leaning over his desk and placing the parchment on Lily's desk. Remus' eyes were as wide as saucers as he gaped at James, Peter let out a small gasp, and Sirius actually leaned across Peter to hiss at James, "What the hell are you playing at?!" But James just leaned back in his chair, frowning slightly at Lily as he watched her closely. He brought his right hand up to his head and ran his fingers though his already messy black hair.

Lily spent a minute reading the parchment, her scowl growing more pronounced as her eyes traveled down the parchment. Suddenly, her hand was up in the air, still clutching the parchment, and she was saying, "Professor McGonagall?" Sirius was wearing a murderous look on his face, while James watched Lily, terrified of what was about to happen.

Professor McGonagall turned around to face Lily. "May I help you, Ms. Evans?"

"Potter and his friends have been writing notes to each other during class," Lily recited automatically, offering the parchment in question to the professor.

Professor McGonagall reached out and took the parchment from Lily, and held it up in front of her square spectacles. Her eyes moved swiftly right and left as she skimmed the parchment. Finally, with a grim expression etched on her face, Professor McGonagall turned to the four guilty Gryffindors. Each of the Marauders' faces was a slightly different shade of purple, magenta, and green mixed together.

"I think that three nights' detention would do you all well," the professor pronounced coolly. "You will come to my office tonight, tomorrow night, and Friday night at five o'clock. If you are late, plan on another three day's worth of detentions."

* * *

"A month's worth of planning!" Sirius howled in the fifth year boys' dormitory later that night. "A month of listening to the damn ghost blubber in the girls' bathroom-"

"-We know, Padfoot," Remus said heavily as he sat on slumped over on his bed, picking at the large callus he had obtained from clenching one of the brooms they had used to sweep the castle floors. "You're positive the potion will only work if Snape's hair is added tomorrow night?" he questioned Sirius tentatively.

Sirius wailed loudly, "I'm sure! A perfectly good prank, shot to hell! And what for?" he continued, throwing an exceptionally dirty look at James, who looked thoroughly miserable. "So that Prongs could ask Evans out again!"

At the mention of Lily, James, Remus, and Sirius groaned agonizingly in unison. The only bed that remained silent was Peter's. He had somehow knocked himself out with his sweeping broom during the detention, and now he lay unconscious with his mouth hanging open on his four-poster bed.

"Well, it's no use worrying about it this late at night," said Remus, glancing down at his watch and yawning widely. "We'd better go to bed."

And with that, the boys said a gloomy goodnight and leaned back into their comfortable beds, where they spent a while mulling over the day's events before finally dropping into an uneasy sleep.

"We wouldn't have had to do this if it weren't for you and your bloody hormones, " Sirius said sharply to James as the four boys sat around a circular table in the Hogwarts library the following Saturday. Because of their detentions, the Marauders were horribly behind on their homework. Remus had pointed out this fact to the others during breakfast, and as there was no way of escaping Remus' Voice of Reason, they had grudgingly agreed to spend the rainy Saturday in the library. Unfortunately, spending a day locked up in the library was getting on Sirius' nerves.

"I can't find one damn thing about moonstones in here, " Sirius announced as he snapped his book closed and turned to stare at James. "We wouldn't have had to do this if it weren't for you a-"

"-Shut up Padfoot," James seethed through gritted teeth. He was staring resolutely at an unusually thick book, holding his ears in a futile attempt to block out Sirius' constant reminders that it was his fault they were there in the first place. His eyes seemed to be burning a hole into the book as he glared at the same spot on the page he had been studying for ten minutes.

Remus leaned back in his chair and looked fixedly at Sirius with his eyes slightly narrowed, apparently annoyed. "Padfoot, if you have something you'd rather do, then go do it, but please, let us work in peace!"

"I'll tell you what I'd rather do," Sirius growled as he stared into space. "I'd like to find a prank to get back at Evans with. It's got to be a good one..."

"I think what Moony was trying to say," Peter piped up cautiously so as to avoid sparking Sirius' temper, "was that if you want to do that, then go do it." He glanced at Remus for reassurance, and found him nodding at Sirius.

"You're right Peter," Remus said, still nodding his head.

Sirius sat perfectly still for a moment before pushing his chair away from the table and stalking off to the nearest shelf of books. The others turned back to their books in blissful silence, now able to concentrate. At least for a few minutes.

"I'VE GOT IT!!" Sirius bellowed into the silence of the library several minutes later, causing the rest of its inhabitants to jump in surprise.

"NO SHOUTING IN THE LIBRARY!!" shrieked the uptight librarian, Madam Pince, in a level of volume that may have even surpassed Sirius'.

Sirius ceased his shouting, but the maniac grin that had spread across his face did not disappear as he practically sprinted to the table, holding an open book. In fact, as the table where his friends sat drew nearer, his smile grew wider. Sirius now had the prefect plan of revenge on Lily Evans.