Marauders, the next generation

The Mouse, the Potions Master and the Toilet (well, two out of three ain't bad)

I jumped up and prepared to grab something to hit whoever was there. I don't know what I would have grabbed; I just would have grabbed something.

I stared down at the sheets. A small brown mouse, frozen with terror stared back up at me. I made a grab for it. Surprisingly enough it didn't try to run away. I guessed that it was a pet mouse that belonged to one of the girls. I looked around the room until my gaze fell upon a small cage on Anya's bedside table. I put the small rodent in it and got back in the bed. But I couldn't sleep.

There was something attracting me, something pulling me. Something in my trunk, that my father had given me the week before. I had the biggest urge to get it out and use it. I tried to resist it.

Not yet, I told myself, Not quite yet.

But the pull was too strong. I, slowly, got out of my bed, opened my trunk and pulled out a small, thin packet.

***

When I woke up the next day there was movement around me. I pushed back the curtains and looked around. Anya was kneeling by her bed, connecting bits of wire caging together. The mouse from the night before was running free on her bed. Lucy had already stuck a poster of a sleeping kitten and baring the motto 'Wake me up in time for the weekend' next to her bed. Laura was nowhere to be seen. I guessed she must have been downstairs having breakfast.

"Nice mouse," I said to Anya.

"Oh," said Anya, looking up. "That's just Cat."

"Didn't look very much like a cat when it woke me up this morning."

Anya blushed "Sorry," she said, "She's just part of the uniform."

"Uniform?"

"Yeah," said Anya, "Everyone knows little orphan girls either befriend mice or take in an abandoned dog from the street. Just like everyone knows they stay up all night dreaming of what their parents are like and aren't bitter at all, even if they're abandoned. You should hear my rendition of 'Tomorrow'."

I grinned, so did Anya (thankfully).

"Does the uniform include mice called 'Cat'?" I asked.

"Not specifically Cat," said Anya, "Her real name is Catatonia because we thought it would be funny to give such a small animal such a long and fancy name. Us being so sad and all. Amazingly Catatonia was not picked for its nickname possibilities."

I quickly got dressed and was just tying the laces on my trainers when the first screams began. I went to run out of the room, then as an afterthought, dashed back to grab the empty packet underneath my pillow.

When I reached the common room my shoes were falling off but I didn't care; the scene that greeted me was worth losing my hair for. About seven girls of varying ages were running about, rubbing their faces and making sounds ranging from an all out scream to a 'I can't believe this is happening' squeak. Their faces were completely black as if they'd covered themselves with wet soot. Kind Gryffindors were leading the girls away to bathrooms or to bedrooms. The rest of the house were bent over laughing.

Desperately trying to keep a straight face, I watched the chaos from the safety of a corner. I knelt on the ground with the pretence of tying my shoelaces. Not exactly a pretence because that was what I was doing, but you get my point.

When I stepped out the portrait hole and wandered down to breakfast I saw several Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins still laughing. The black face epidemic had expanded beyond the Gryffindor house.

I paused outside the great hall to gather myself then walked in.

Over at the Gryffindor table Lucy was spreading pink smophisberry jam on two slices of toast.

Silently, I sat down next to her and reached for the Coco-pops.

Joseph appeared in front of us, chuckling.

"Did you see their faces?" he asked, sitting down.

"Yeah," said Lucy, "What did they do? Paint their faces black?"

This was just too much for me. I snorted through my Coco-pops, a very bad thing to do.

Lucy and Joseph stared at me as I got a tissue out of my pocket to mop up the chocolaty milk. I looked up at their faces and let out an unsuccessfully suppressed laugh. I reached in to my other pocket and tossed the empty packet on to the table. Just one item of the large collection given to me by my Father, without the knowledge of my Mother.

"Black face soap," acknowledged Joseph, nodding with approval. "Very nice."

"Let me guess," said Lucy, "Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Not that I'm allowed in there..."

I gave her a serious look.

"No," I said, "That's a Muggle trick."

"The key feature behind the black face soap trick," explained Joseph, "Is that when they see their face is all black they immediately try to wash it off with the soap. Thereby making it worse. Quite an idea eh?"

"Really?" said Lucy, "Wow. Those Muggles do come up with some good ideas don't they."

"They do," I agreed, "And I've got a doozy of a collection. Listen in."

I indicated for Lucy and Joseph to lean in, and we began to plan.

***

Monday couldn't have come any sooner. It was strange but I couldn't wait for lessons to start. Mainly I just wanted to find out what they were like. The first lesson was Herbology. Professor Longbottom spent most of the lesson glowing with pride over Samuel, who, of course, was easily the best in the class. At ten o'clock we had to go back inside and downstairs to the dungeons for Potions.

When we entered Professor Snape was checking his watch. He looked slightly disappointed. I think he was hoping we would be late. As he read out the register his eyes drifted over each of us, summing us up. I didn't get a very pleasant glance but the looks he gave Lucy and Samuel could have killed. When he reached Laura's name his eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment, but just a second before finishing with Gregory.

"Right," he almost hissed. "My name is Professor Snape and I shall be teaching you Potions. I taught most of your parents so I don't really expect much of you."

"My Father says he was his favourite teacher." Lucy whispered to me

"What was that Miss Malfoy?"

Lucy went bright red. I looked up. Snape was glaring in our direction.

"Lucy was just telling me how much she's heard about you." I told him.

"Did I ask you Miss Davies?" It was almost a growl now.

"No sir" I said, eyes watering from trying to out stare him. It was like trying to out stare a radiator. "But she wasn't going to answer sir because you're so overbearing and frightening. Which is why I'm going to be quiet now and listen attentively. Perhaps making a few notes along the way."

There was a shocked silence. Something inside me was begging me to pick up my quill, hold it over my piece of parchment and look at him expectantly. But I knew when not to push my luck. I looked straight down instead and didn't pick up my quill until he started speaking again.

I must admit I expected points to be taken from Gryffindor. They weren't, at least at my comment. Instead he whirled around and pointed at Laura.

"Potter," he said, "What's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"There is no difference sir," said Laura promptly. "Except the names. They are the same plant, the main ingredient in a wolfsbane potion which keeps werewolves at bay and also go by the name aconite."

We all stared at Laura, then turned our attention to Professor Snape. He was so angry he looked like he was going to blow his top, literally.

"I expect your father warned you of that?" he growled.

"Yes sir," replied Laura, "My Mother warned me of you too."

Snape's eyes were so glazed they were making me hungry for doughnuts. His face, however, retained its usual look of utter fury.

"Five points from Gryffindor," he snapped.

Across the class Gregory looked about ready to protest, but he didn't. My opinion of him went up a notch. He at least had a little sense.

We spent the rest of the lesson making a sleeping potion and ignoring Snape while he went on about the first year Slytherin class he'd taken at nine. They were apparently far better than us but then again, they were Slytherin weren't they. I began to think that Snape was the main reason for the Gryffindor/Slytherin argument. It made me angry just to think that people like Snape were responsible for people like Gregory picking on Lucy. But the very next morning made up for any anguish suffered by the class the previous day.

At breakfast the next day Snape swept in with his usual aura of smugness and his old black cloak sweeping along behind him with - and I'm not kidding here - it's own radiance of smugery.

He sat down at his usual place on the teacher's table at the front of the hall. But as soon as his large rear end touched the seat of the chair a large noise echoed round the hall. It was like someone had blown a huge raspberry except louder and no person at blown it. There was complete and utter silence throughout the hall while the echoes bounced themselves off the wall. Then, simultaneously, the entire student body burst in to hysterical fits of laughter. Even the teachers were chuckling. It was lucky the sound was as deafening as it was because, over at the Gryffindor table, Lucy let out a very loud "Yes!"

Snape went beetroot red and stood up. He turned around and looked down. He bent down and picked something up and held it to the hall. The laughter increased; if possible, as all the people familiar with the brick red item realised that Professor Snape had been pranked. It was a whoopee cushion.

"WHO DID THIS?!"

The hall gasped and went quiet. Professor Snape walked around the teacher table and looked daggers at the entire hall. I think only a few of us noticed Professor Longbottom at the teachers table pointing at Snape's back and silently giggling. Most of us were staring right in to Snape's red, angry face.

"COME ON!" Snape yelled. "WHO DID THIS!!!"

There was complete silence.

He glared at us one last time then walked out the hall. No-one's eyes left him until he had cleared the door. But that was a mistake. For in the drama of his exit everyone had caught a glimpse of the sign stuck to the back of Snape's cloak. 'He who smelt it dealt it'.

The hall erupted in to laughter again. Lucy, Joseph and I exchanged satisfied grins of a job well done.

"You think you're funny, do you?"

I looked up in to the face of Gregory Weasley. He was glaring at me with no less anger than Snape. But I could tell he'd been laughing along with the rest of us.

"No," I said, "I think we're hardworking, early rising and brilliant schemers."

"I think we're funny," volunteered Lucy.

"You have to admit," said Joseph, "That was a classic."

"Look here," said Gregory, "My father and uncle were the pranksters when they were here and I'm going to be the prankster this time around. Back off my territory missy. No-one uses Weasley Wizard Wheezes tricks around here except me."

"Oh no," I said, "That was a Muggle prank."

With a final scowl Gregory turned and walked away with almost as much unsuccessful drama as Snape. Once he was out of earshot, the Gryffindor table broke out in fits of laughter again. We waited until his blue and green flashing hair had vanished in to the darkness outside the main door before we took our bows.

"That," I told my adoring fans. "Was a Weasley Wizard Wheezes prank."

***

The next day at breakfast Gregory defined what he called his territory when half the Slytherin table turned in to canaries. I would have laughed it off like the rest of the hall except Lucy took a bite of her toast and she too turned in to a little yellow bird. There was much fluttering around until Lucy turned human again. I eyed my own cereal with great suspicion and pushed it aside.

"Gregory," I said.

"Hmm?"

He was sitting on the opposite side of the table a little further down. Far away enough so he didn't get grabbed but close enough so he could hear everything said without it having to be shouted.

"Why did Lucy just turn in to a Serinus Canarius?" I asked.

That was a technique my father taught me. If you're facing an opponent bigger than you, confuse him. Use long, complicated words. Don't ask me why I knew the official species name, I just did.

"Whur?" Gregory's face was blank, his forehead crinkled with too much hard thought.

"A canary." Joseph told him.

I gave Joseph a look that said 'spoilsport'

"I was trying to trick the Slytherins," explained Gregory, "And she's-"

"Urgh!" I cried as Lucy turned what I was beginning to come to call her 'Family Embarrassment' pink. "I thought we dealt with that at the start-of-term feast! Lucy. Is. A. Gryff-In-Dor. " I sounded out the last sentence in the hope that he might latch on to something "Not Slyth-er-in. Comprendre?"

"Oh come on," said Gregory, "You can't really believe she belongs here. I mean look at her family!"

"Yeah," I said, "Well, my father was a Ravenclaw but you don't see me sitting under the silver hawk, do you?"

"Can people stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" Lucy piped in. "I can speak for myself you know. I'm probably older than both of you. Stop treating me like a little kid!"

"Sorry Lucy," I said, smiling to myself about Lucy's fierceness. "I have a tendency to run

off with something I'm determined about."

"That's all right," said Lucy, "But you," she pointed at Gregory. "I have two words for you.

Shut. Up."

" Don't you tell me to shut up," said Gregory, "I'm twice the prankster you'll ever be. It's in my blood."

"You wanna bet?" I challenged.

Gregory finished his bacon and pushed his plate away.

"Let war commence," he said, and walked away.

Lucy, Joseph and I watched him go.

"Veni Vidi Vici." I muttered.

"Eh?"

"I came, I saw, I conquered," explained Joseph, "It's Latin."

"How do you know these things?" I asked, turning to Joseph.

"I read it in a book." said Joseph, "How about you?"

I simply shrugged

Our first lesson was double Defence Against the Dark Arts. A tall, female, silver haired teacher was already sitting on the desk when we walked in.

"Good," she said, looking up and smiling. "You're early. We'll just wait for the Slytherins."

Lucy groaned and flopped down in a seat at the side of the class. I bit my lip. Of course. It had said in the timetable. 9 o'clock to 11 o'clock. Defence Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin.

The Slytherins made their entrance, late of course.

"Could you please be on time next lesson or I will take one point off Slytherin for every minute are late," said the teacher.

On the other side of the class I heard Jane Jordan go "Oooooooh!"

The teacher read out the register but only got as far as my name before she looked up.

"Lione Davies?" she asked the class.

"Yes Ma'am?" I said, panicking slightly.

"Any relation to Roger Davies?" she asked, looking in my direction.

"My Father."

She looked me up and down, then nodded before moving on to Denise Holly.

"Right then class," she said, after Gregory had answered to his name. "My name is Professor Delacour and contrary to what was being whispered at the beginning of the lesson I have no intention to only last one year. I have been here for fifteen years and I have no plan to leave just yet.

"Now in this lesson we'll be learning about vampires. I'm sure you've all seen the rumours in the newspapers about people being found dead from immense blood loss so I'm going to teach you the truth behind the old tales of stakes, garlic and even the story about stealing their left sock."

My mind drifted off after that. I vaguely remember making notes, hearing about throwing poppy seeds and getting drunk before you go hunting vamps but aside from the actual information I remember nothing about the lesson. You'd think a lesson with the Slytherins would stick in my head wouldn't you? All I could think about was Professor Delacour's reaction to my name. How did she know my father?

Before I knew it I was in the common room, after having lunch and getting the books for my afternoon lessons.

As the portrait hole opened I looked up. Joseph entered. He'd gone to the library hadn't he? To look up the history of pranksters.

He came over as soon as he spotted us, one hand in his robe pocket.

"Er..." he said, "I have a problem"

I stared at the pocket containing his hand and looked back up at him.

"Do we want to know it?" I asked.

Lucy giggled. I stared at her, only just remembering she was there too.

"No!" cried Joseph, "This!"

He took his hand out of his pocket. A small piece of paper was attached to it.

"I can't get it off," he explained.

"Oh come on!" I cried.

I seized the paper and pulled at it. I couldn't get it off. Then I couldn't get my hand off.

Lucy reached forward and took the paper. She couldn't get her hand off either.

"Why does this seem familiar?" I asked.

"The golden goose," said Joseph.

"Do you remember everything?"

Joseph considered this for a while.

"Mostly."

Just then I was aware of laughter behind us. We turned our heads. Gregory was looking at us, laughing. He managed out a few syllables but no clear sentences or declaration of guilt.

"Oh don't try pretending you did this," said Lucy, "That's not your handwriting. I know your handwriting because I sat next to you in Herbology the other day. Your handwriting is far scruffier."

"What does it say?" asked Gregory.

He moved forward. Quick as a flash (well... almost) I grabbed his hand with my free arm and forced him to touch the paper.

"Hey!"

I smirked at him.

"It says," read Joseph, "'We are, and will always be, the prankster kings of Hogwarts School.'"

Both Gregory and I said, "Huh!" in protest.

"That's either very old," I reasoned, "Or stupid. I mean we are the new pranksters of Hogwarts School."

And the room filled with light.

A/N: Everyone keeps on telling me to stop leaving cliffhangers. I like cliffhangers. Okay, I don't like reading them but I enjoy writing them then hearing people protest.

I would like to thank my Beta, SilverDove for not only being fab but for entertaining my readers with her comments in the last chapter.

The Mods for not sending back my last chapter several times like they usually do.

My Rabbit for years of putting up with me

And finally, all the reviewers. It's you I do this for.