Only Time

Chapter Two

After getting off the Hogwarts Express, James Potter climbed into one of the carriages (which Remus and Sirius claimed were drawn by thestrals, but since James had never seen a Thestral, he wouldn't know) along with his best friends, and stared out the window once the doors closed and the carriages started moving.

"James? Jaaaaaaaaames!" Sirius was calling, and James looked away from the window just in time for Sirius to give him a noogie, messing up his hair even more than usual. He glared at his friend as he tried to flatten it again, with his usual lack of success.

"What is it, Padfoot?" James asked, not even trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Sirius grinned, not at all put off by his best friend's tone.

"So sorry to interrupt your thoughts, your Head Boyship, but we needed your input on the matter of this year's Sorting Feast Prank," Sirius said, bowing mockingly at James from his seat, who waved his fist mockingly back. James gave an outward sigh, but permitted himself an inward grin.

"We should play it on the new Defense teacher," James suggested.

"New Defense teacher?" Peter asked, looking confused. "What about Professor Dreyer?"

"Do you pay no attention to the Daily Prophet, Peter?" James asked. "It said there was an attack on his hometown during the summer and he was killed. Therefore, Dumbledore must have found us a new Defense teacher, and what better way to break in a new teacher than to play a prank on him?"

"Or her," Remus felt obliged to say, not taking his eyes off the book he had been reading since they left King's Cross that morning.

"Or her," James conceded, then leaned forward with a grin. "So what's it to be, mates?"

"We could just set off fireworks," Remus said, nose still buried in his book. Sirius grinned and snatched the book from Remus's hand.

"Moooooony, no reading while prank-planning!" Sirius said, tsking.

"Give me my book back, you prat," Remus said, reaching for his book, but Sirius held it just out of his reach. Holding the book with one hand, he took out his wand with the other and conjured a book mark, sliding it into the part of the book Remus had been reading. He then handed it back to Remus, who glared half-heartedly at him, but put the book away. James felt like either laughing at the antics of his friends or banging his head against the window in frustration, so he just settled for a really disturbing expression.

Once Sirius and Remus stopped glaring at each other, Peter cleared his throat. "About the prank, guys..."

"I still think fireworks would be fine, especially if they were coming from the Slytherin table," Remus said. "That way the new professor would think it was them, not us, since he or she doesn't know about us or our reputation yet."

"But fireworks are so...so tame!" Sirius complained. "I think we should turn all the Slytherins' food into butter and rocks just as they were about to eat it."

The other three Marauders looked at him incredulously. "Butter and rocks, Sirius? Where did you come up with that?" James asked, blinking owlishly.

Sirius shrugged. "Dunno, just came to me. So how about it?"

"You know, Sirius, that's not playing a prank on the new professor, that's just playing a prank on the Slytherins," Remus pointed out.

"Oh, and like your idea is any better! It's just fireworks," Sirius retorted, huffing. James thought privately he looked a lot like Padfoot right then.

"We could charm the fireworks to stick around the new teacher," Remus replied, still looking calmly unflappable.

"How about we do both?" Peter suggested, and flushed as everyone in the carriage turned to look at him. "We could charm the Slytherins' food and the fireworks, playing a prank on the Slytherins and the new teacher at the same time!"

"Good idea Pete, but if we want the new professor to think the fireworks came from the Slytherins, we shouldn't charm their food," James pointed out, and Peter deflated.

"Well, what do you suggest then?" Sirius asked James irritably.

"I personally like Remus's idea," James said mildly. "If we can get a professor to dislike the Slytherins right off the bat, then I'm all for it."

Sirius grudgingly conceded his point, and the rest of the carriage ride was spent charming the fireworks green and silver and making sure they would stick around the new teacher. They finished just as they pulled up to Hogwarts, James and Sirius hiding the fireworks in their robes until they were ready.

The boys got out of their carriage and walked through the entrance hall into the Great Hall towards the Gryffindor table. They sat down in a group at the end nearest the staff table, and immediately Sirius and Peter stared morosely at their plates, obviously wishing for the food, and Remus took out his book again. James, however, let his eyes wander around the Hall until they reached the teachers. Once he was looking at the staff table, James blinked, and nudged Sirius, who was sitting next to him.

"Sirius! Get a look at the new teacher!" James hissed, and Remus and Peter looked up as well. When they looked at the person sitting between the two empty seats of Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, they blinked too.

"...Doesn't he look...a little young to be a teacher?" Remus asked, voicing all their thoughts. He had a young-looking face, shoulder-length black hair with a single silver streak running through it, and looked like he would be rather short when standing...probably around James's height of 5'8. And the silver streak in his hair did nothing to detract from his apparent youthfulness, merely emphasizing his features.

Their musings on their new teacher were cut short as Professor Flitwick came out with the Sorting Hat, and soon after, Professor McGonagall with the first years, who stood at the end of the Hall in a huddle, most blinking fearfully. But soon the Hat burst into song, and the faces of the first years began sprouting smiles.

A long, long time ago, in fact,

A thousand years and more

Four wizards founded this here school

And here they'd teach their lore.

These wizards founded houses, too,

For me to put you in.

Gryffindor and Ravenclaw

Hufflepuff and Slytherin.

Bold Gryffindor would never have

Accepted any knave

Only those with chivalry

And who are always brave.

Then there was good Ravenclaw

Who ruled over the wise.

She wanted only clever students

Who always would try.

Sweet Hufflepuff wanted those

Who would help each other.

They would work hard and

Treat all friends like a brother.

Ambition was wanted

For those of Slytherin.

Work hard and then you'll be

Admitted to their kin.

So put me on, don't give a shout

And don't creep like a mouse.

I'll look inside your head at once

And then you'll know your house!

Applause burst out all over the Great Hall, and many of the first years looked relieved. Professor McGonagall began calling them up to be Sorted, and soon Gryffindor had four new girls and three new boys. Soon after the last student had been Sorted into Ravenclaw, Professor Dumbledore stood up, clapped his hands, and the feast appeared.

Sirius and Peter fell on to the food as if they hadn't eaten for years. Remus and James just rolled their eyes and smiled, eating their food much more neatly and calmly. In the middle of his potatoes, James looked up at the teachers, only to see the new one staring down at his plate, just picking at his food. Professor McGonagall said something to him, and he smiled slightly and shook his head. After that, he ate a bit more, but soon put his fork down and just stared at his plate. James looked back over his own table, where desserts were now appearing, and thought nothing more of their new professor's eating habits in the wake of treacle tart.

Once everyone finished and the plates were all cleared, Professor Dumbledore stood up again, beaming.

"Hello, and welcome back to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! A few start of term announcements to you all...first of all, the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students..." his eyes flicked in the direction of the Marauders, who just smiled cheerily and waved.

Dumbledore continued on with his announcements, while James said in an undertone to Sirius, "Let's set the fireworks off just as Dumbledore introduces the new teacher."

"Got it," Sirius said back.

They turned their attention back to Dumbledore just in time to hear him say, "...this year's Head Boy and Girl--James Potter and Lily Evans!"

James noticed Lily Evans standing, and belatedly realized he should stand too, so he got up, flushing as he heard several people chuckle, and flushing harder when Evans leveled a glare at him. James just smiled cheekily at her, and they sat down.

"Now, I'm sure we shall all miss Professor Dreyer, who we lost just this summer, but I'm proud to introduce this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Patterson!"

Unnoticed amidst the applause, James and Sirius took out their fireworks, pointed them at Professor Patterson, and with a tap of their wands, set them off. They immediately began sizzling with green and silver sparks, and then they flew off towards Professor Patterson, who raised an eyebrow, and then in the blink of an eye, got out his wand and murmured something James couldn't hear. Unfortunately, whatever Professor Patterson muttered had the effect of reversing the path of the fireworks, so now they were going after those who had set them off. James and Sirius first looked surprised as the green-and-silver fireworks rocketed around them, but soon they started laughing, and everyone else joined in. Even some of the teachers were chuckling, including Professor Patterson, but not including Professor McGonagall, who had just risen from her seat and was now coming over to the Gryffindor table, a stern expression on her face.

"Potter, Black, detention!" she snapped. "Potter, I'm surprised at you! You're Head Boy now...what an impression to make on the new teacher..."

"But Professor, he seemed to deal with it well enough," James said, just as a firework went rocketing past his face.

"Yes, well, I daresay he did," Professor McGonagall said. "However, that doesn't excuse your actions. See me after class tomorrow and I'll tell you what your detentions will be." She walked away back to the staff table, and the fireworks finally died down.

"What was that he did to repel the fireworks, anyway?" Sirius asked James as they were leaving the Great Hall with Remus and Peter. James shrugged.

"A variation of a shield charm," said a voice behind them, and all four boys wheeled around to see Professor Patterson standing behind them, a small smile on his face, idly twirling his wand.

"A shield charm? But I thought those only repelled magic. Where'd you learn it?" Remus asked, a bit confused. James smiled a bit and shook his head softly. Ah, Moony. Ever the scholar.

"Made it up myself," the professor replied, and James blinked.

"You made up a spell yourself? Cool!" Sirius exclaimed.

Professor Patterson shrugged. "It was necessary. I've been in battles where sometimes enemies actually physically attack you, knowing that you're expecting magic. I've had to compensate for those times," he explained.

Peter's eyes were wide. "You've been in battles before? Were you an Auror before you came? Why did you come?"

"I needed some rest from the war," the professor replied. "Speaking of rest, shouldn't you boys be getting to Gryffindor Tower?" With that, he strode past them and up the stairs, all four Marauders watching him go. Then James's eyes widened.

"Shit!" he exclaimed. "I have to go set the password! Dammit, I'm already doing a crappy job of being Head Boy...no idea what the hell Dumbledore was thinking..."

Remus laughed. "Welcome to the world of responsibility, my friend," the prefect said, slinging an arm over James's shoulder. "Don't worry about it though. Lily always leads the first years on the long way. You'll beat her to the Fat Lady if you take the passage behind the statue of the three nuns up to the seventh floor. And wouldn't it make a good impression on her if you appear to be taking your responsibilities seriously?"

James blushed and set off running for the statue of the three nuns, Sirius, Remus, and Peter following him at a more sedate pace, all three chuckling appreciatively. James ground his teeth and ran, hoping that he would get there before Lily. He really wanted to make a better impression on her. It was his last year at Hogwarts, and if he didn't get her to go out with him by the end of the year, he didn't know what he'd do.