The Chronicles of Sirius Black

The Chronicles of Sirius Black

Prankster and Lover Extraordinaire

Chapter 4

Dungbombs and Bertie's Beans

Sirius woke early the next morning. While the summer had been better due to the absence of his mother, he had felt out of place. Sirius was eager to be back at Hogwarts. He put on a gray muggle shirt and some blue pants. He quickly checked his hair in the mirror.

"You look fine," the mirror grumbled.

Sirius smirked and darted next door. He reached deep inside his pockets and pulled out two dung bombs. He placed one just under the crack of James's door and another outside Remus's. A loud burst was followed by foul vapors seeping underneath their doors.

Sirius held his nose and stood nonchalantly at the end of the hall. Within moments, James came running from his room gasping for air followed by a green faced Remus.

"Sirius!" James shouted.

"No, James. Wrong reaction. I think we are supposed to thank Sirius," said Remus dryly.

"Huh?"

"I couldn't have asked for a better way to start off the school year." Remus began waving his arms and fanning the air exasperatedly.

James had not lost his desire to strangle Sirius, but he was not yet awake enough to do so. He yawned, but receiving another whiff of the rank air began to cough as he returned to his room.

"If you aren't downstairs for breakfast before the air clears, you'll be getting another blast!" Sirius shouted before flying down the stairs.

~*~

The Potters, Lupins, Pettigrews, and Sirius were gathered on Platform 9 and ¾ saying their last good-byes. Despite having done this five times before, the parents were still just as teary-eyed and mushy. The boys stood, fidgeting awkwardly and ready to get away, but Sirius was glad when Mr. and Mrs. Potter gave him a warm hug.

"Come on, Mum! We won't get a good compartment if we take any longer!" James whined as he grabbed his trunk.

"Oh, alright," said Mrs. Potter and she shooed the boys towards the train.

Remus, Sirius and Peter seized their trunks and followed James onto the last car which turned out to be packed. Chatter filled their ears. Students lined the halls. Girls giggled. A few smaller students struggled to push their trunks into their compartment.

All the boys couldn't help but grin.

"Sirius!"

A tall boy with strawberry blonde hair was waving from the other end of the car. It was one of their fellow sixth years, Gideon Prewett, and he was standing with his brother Fabian who looked strikingly similar but was in the seventh year.

"How goes it, Prewetts?" called Sirius.

"I got an empty compartment!" squealed Peter.

Waving to Gideon and Fabian, the four boys left the noise in the hall and packed into the empty compartment with their trunks. James helped Remus lift his trunk and stow it away. Sirius settled in and began a game of Exploding Snap with Peter.

"I'm hungry," said Sirius.

"We just finished breakfast an hour ago," said Remus.

Sirius shrugged. "Does that change the fact that I'm hungry?"

"I'll go look for the treat trolley," said James.

~*~

As James slid open the door of their compartment, he saw that the hallway was notably emptier than it had been just ten minutes before. There were only a few straggling students peeking through windows for an open compartment. James headed down the corridor towards the front of the train in search of the goodie-bearing witch.

Three cars down, he found the plump, elderly woman. He waited patiently as she served some surprisingly scrawny boys who must have been first years.

Behind James, a compartment door slid open.

"Marlene, do you want something off the trolley?" a familiar voice chimed.

"Oh! Can you get me some Chocolate frogs?"

"Sure!"

"Thanks, Lily!"

James's head whipped around and he was face to face with Lily Evans.

Lily scowled.

James gulped. "Hello, Lily. How was your summer?" he asked.

He began kicking the ground nervously with his shoe. He had not been ready to see her so soon. He made a mental note to make Sirius get his own snacks in the future.

Lily sighed. "My summer was fine. How was yours?"

"Pretty good."

The first years in front of them scuttled off down the hall, stuffing their faces as they went.

James stepped aside, and ushered for Lily to go ahead of him.

"No, it's alright. Thank you," Lily said stepping backwards and bumping into the wall. "You go on and order."

James frowned and stepped up to the witch. He bought some Chocolate frogs, Pumpkin Pastries, and two bags of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Lily watched him pay, and felt a wave of guilt for not being more pleasant. He hadn't done anything wrong.

Lily cleared her throat and piped, "I love Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. They're my favorite."

James turned back around to face her. "Really?"

"Yup. They remind me of muggle jelly beans. Those were my favorite before I knew I was a witch."

"Would you like one?" James said, offering her the bag.

"Sure!" Lily smiled and held out her hand.

James carefully poured a few beans into her hand.

She picked up a bright red one and popped it into her mouth. James watched as her bright green eyes began to glisten. Her face became flushed and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Hot chili peppers!" She yelled. She gulped and began fanning her mouth.

"Have another one! Maybe it will get rid of the taste," James suggested.

Without looking, she ate another bean that happened to be a solid black.

She chewed vigorously and then started spitting at the ground and screaming.

"Eww! Eww! Eww! Motor oil! Blah!"

James could not help but laugh at this point. But this was the wrong move as it only made Lily more livid.

"OH! JAMES!" she shrieked.

The compartment door Lily came from slid open and four girls poked their heads out. At the sight of a fuming, red-faced, spitting Lily and a flustered James, the four began to giggle.

"Do you need help, Lily?"

"We're hungry."

"What's taking you so long?"

"Did James distract you?"

Lily glared at them, stomped forward, and began to talk very fast in such a shrill voice, that James could not understand what she was saying. She kept shaking her finger in their faces and would not even pause for breath.

"I'll be going then," James said quietly before racing back down the hall to escape the raving lunatic.

~*~

After 12 games of Exploding Snap with Peter, Sirius was both hungry and bored.

"Another game?" asked Peter.

"Nah. Maybe after James gets back with the food."

Peter shrugged and began to clean up the game.

"So, Remus, how's our map?" asked Sirius.

Ever since the boys became Animagi, they'd set out on an intense exploration of the Hogwarts grounds. In order to keep track of their progress, they'd begun the creation of a map that would cover the extensive castle grounds. Remus had been sitting quietly working on the map as Sirius pummeled Peter in Exploding Snap.

"I read several books this summer on magiacal parchment enhancements and modifications. I thought I'd give the map a few new special features."

Remus pulled the map from underneath the book he had been examining. Sirius snatched the parchment from Remus's hands, eager to see the new changes.

"Err. I think you made a mistake. This parchment is blank."

"Remember how we were worried the map would fall into the wrong hands? Well, I solved that problem."

"By erasing the whole bloody thing?!?"

"Yes, Sirius. I erased over a years worth of work," Remus said rolling his eyes.

"I dunno. You are sort of loony."

"Get out your wand."

Sirius reached in his belt and pulled out his wand. He tapped the parchment.

Nothing happened.

"Show me the map," he said tapping the parchment again.

Frustrated, he frowned at Remus.

Remus took the map back, and tapped it with his own wand, while saying, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

As he said those words, ink began to spread over the page to reveal the makings of a map.

"Oh!" said Sirius and Peter.

"And to erase it, you simply tap it again and say 'mischief managed,'" said Remus as he wiped the map clean.

He grinned at Sirius and Peter.

"Wicked job, Moony," said Sirius.

"Really splendid!" said Peter.

At that moment James entered the compartment laden with treats.

"James! Finally! I was about to eat your trunk!"

"Shut up, Sirius. You can get your own bloody food in the future."

"Prongs. I have some bad news," Sirius said with a surprisingly solemn face.

"What?" James asked as he threw the snacks at Sirius.

"Remus was making some minor modifications to the map, and, err, erased the whole thing."

James whirled to face Remus.

"I knew we shouldn't have let you take it! Why'd you mess with it? Now we'll have to start all over!" a red-faced James yelled.

Remus leapt from his seat and opened his mouth to defend himself, while Sirius waved the blank piece of parchment behind him.

"Remus didn't erase it," Peter piped up.

"Oh really?" James turned to Peter and gave him such a look that Peter wasn't sure he should continue, despite the fact that he knew he was right.

Sirius began howling hysterically with laughter. Remus grabbed the map from Sirius and walked calmly over to James. He held out the map, tapped it and recited, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

"Oh," said James, half in awe and half sheepishly.

"I actually improved the map. This way, not just anyone can use it. When you are done, tap the map again and say 'mischief managed.'"

"Nice job."

"Thanks."

"Can I have a chocolate frog now?" whined Peter.