Mischief Not So Managed

One Year Down

"Ah Mr Potter, Mr Black, Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew. Take a seat in four separate corners please."

The candlelit classroom had tall stone walls and architecture dating back to at least a few hundred years, towering over them. Wooden benches and tables were lined neatly in three columns. They took their seats in four corners of the room and after a few moments of silence Peter decided to speak up.

"What do we have to do Professor?" he asked.

"You'll be writing lines," replied McGonagall, not taking her eyes off the stack of transfiguration essays she was currently checking, "'I will not cause any ruckus in the halls and turn Professor McGonagall's life into a miserable hell.'" 

The boys snickered. They had grown very fond of the transfiguration professor for she possessed a great sense of humor and she too had found a liking toward them. 

"That's not too bad," said James.

"One hundred times."

Sirius facepalmed while James just let his drop onto the desk causing a very loud bang. Having hit his head on the sturdy wood, he now massaged the bruise with a pained face. They took out a piece of parchment and pulled out a quill and bottle of ink from their bags. 

After a few whines and murmurs, they wrote their lines in silence.

"Mr Black!"

"Yes Professor?" Sirius jumped up from his seat with a salute.

McGonagall fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Is that an enchanted quill?"

"Uhh..." 

"Hand it over. You've just been pretending to write while the quill worked its magic. Start again."

"AW C'MON MINNIE!" Sirius whined. He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth with wide eyes. The four boys had made it into a habit to call her Minnie whilst talking amongst themselves.

"I-I MEANT PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL! I AM SO SORRY!"

The four boys stared nervously at their professor, waiting for some kind of reaction. No longer being able to keep a poker face, McGonagall's face broke into a soft smile. 

Sirius sighed in relief and mumbled a "sorry" as he walked up to her desk to hand in the quill.

Much to his displeasure, Sirius was not excused and had to write the lines from the beginning again.

After almost half an hour they finished their detention and were once more free to cause their mischief. 

-

The next afternoon had produced a lovely weather, soft sunlight and cool winds amidst the rainy days of June.

James was laying in a starfish position in the grass and looking up at the clouds with Sirius hanging upside down from a tree like a possum. After several miserably failed attempts of climbing the tree with Sirius, Peter was now stomping round in the grass and knocking around tree trunks in hopes of spotting a Bowtruckle. Remus after having finished reading his book, found nothing to do and decided to pick up a branch and poke Sirius with it.

"REMUS! STOP POKING ME WITH THAT STICK! WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF I FELL DOWN AND BROKE MY NECK?!" shrieked Sirius dramatically.

"I hadn't thought of it like that..." said Remus as he paused his actions and his expression fell, before forming into a devious grin "Oh well, all the more reason to continue."

"STOP I'M BEING SERIOUS."

"But you're always Sirius. Nothing new," said James in a matter-of-factly tone.