Blood Status || Marauders Era

Chapter 15|| A big welcome back

The first full day back was set to be eventful, the boys were planning a welcome back prank, saying it had to be big enough to be noticeable to nearly everyone in the school, but not so bad that they could be expelled or in serious trouble. 

I had only sighed, that left a lot of grey area in the middle, and none of it was exactly sensible, but on the other hand, it was all quite fun.

Remus was the definitely the brains of the operation, he was the one correcting their spells they had to learn and telling them what might or might not work. James and Sirius were going to execute the plan, they were the ones that cared least about getting into trouble. Peter was the distractor and the bringer of things, he would create something so big that the teachers and students noticed nothing. 

Peter would also bring the items necessary, so if there was anything needed, he was the man. Peter was good at that, he had a different specialty to the other boys, and even myself, but it was useful nonetheless, and I appreciated it greatly.

They had all asked if I wanted to be involved, but my answer was the same: only if I was not named in this prank, if I was incognito, someone who helped but was never revealed. The cause of this: the boys had an amazing idea that this would also be the naming ceremony, showing the whole school that they were indeed called the Marauders. 

As I had wanted before, I wanted to be kept out of trouble if ever in the future they said the Marauders did it, I wasn't tied with the name.

So at lunch, when we had breakfast, and had been in four classes already, Transfiguration, Potions, and double Herbology, we had break to execute the plan. The idea was that we were going to charm everyone's drink to make them float in the air for two hours, and it would only wear off after then, there was no counter-charm, and then James and Sirius would set off a mass of fireworks, they'll charm to spell out the word 'Marauders'. 

Therefore announcing themselves as: The Marauders.

I planned to drink the drink too so as not to look suspicious, but the four boys would stay down and not drink anything, revealing themselves as the people who planned this commotion. The plan was almost fool proof actually, and the boys had outdone themselves on the creativity level, I would have never found the charm that Remus did. I did help with charming the drinks but that was my share.

Walking into the Great Hall for lunch and waiting as everyone took a seat to eat or drink, myself and Remus muttered the catalyst to the charm and watched as thereafter, everyone who drank floated two metres of the ground. I resolved to drink out of the goblet too and it didn't matter what anyone drank, water, pumpkin juice, or even if there was fire whiskey, it would work for all. 

We then all turned to the teachers and saw many teachers in the air including McGonagall with an irritated expression but a hint of a smile threatening to crack through the stiff upper lip. Then to Dumbledore who didn't hide his smile but was laughing, his eyes crinkling, tilting slightly as he floated, and looking around for the students who may have done this. 

After probably everyone in the Great Hall barring the four Marauders were floating, including murderous Slytherins, James and Sirius set off the fireworks which spelt 'Marauders' and took a bow as Dumbledore and I applauded. It seems that many students were enjoying floating in the air (Fabian, Frank, Gideon and Leon were actually swimming in the air). 

Though, there was many - like some of the Slytherins and Lily - that wanted to know how to get down immediately. They couldn't, of course, but it was fun to watch them struggle.

James shouted, "I'm sorry everyone but there isn't really a counter-curse, it'll wear off in two hours give or take." McGonagall wanted to go over to them but after trying to move further, she gave up and asked, very loudly, "What is the Marauders and why did you do this?" 

Peter answered, "It's our group of us fiv - four and we planned this to show everyone that we're the pranking Marauders." Sirius felt the need to say something, as he does every five minutes if he was silent, "Enjoy Minnie! I hope you're proud of our spell casting!"

Dumbledore shouted over the noise in the room, "Yes, everyone quieten down, you heard the boys, there's only an hour left of classes and I'm sure we can miss just one, we'll all come down in two hours. You can learn to move like Mr Prewett over there or you can stay here." McGonagall was probably going to open her mouth and give the boys a punishment but Dumbledore, with a twinkle in his eyes, shook his head and mouthed to let them off this time.

"I can't believe we got away with that!" James exclaimed, half walking - half swimming out of the Great Hall and up the stairs. "Neither can I James, neither can I," Mary was going up the stairs too, trying to shake off Alice who was holding on for dear life. We was all on our way up to the common room which was better than floating for an hour in our classroom. 

I just couldn't believe that it was only our first full day and already the Marauders had caused chaos. I felt a little bit sorry for the new first years, their first day and probably looking forward to new lessons and the last one had been cancelled, it would be a good story to tell in the future though. Fabian and Gideon were gliding upwards, matching our pace and laughing at each other. 

"Nice one James," Fabian shouted, surpassing us, Gideon putting his thumbs up and winking as he too went past us and around a corridor corner. I heard Alice talking to herself and grumbling but at the same time, there was a look about her that enjoyed this and enjoyed the little bit of trouble the boys had caused. 

She spoke up after a while of struggling, "Hey boys, you said that you now call yourselves the Marauders, right? A cool group name. So do you have code names or what?" Remus and Peter turned around in the air but the other two idiots had to be extra and somersaulted, facing the rest of us.

Sirius answered her question, "Alice, that is a question for later on, as of yet, they are in the works." When his back was turned, I shrugged, confused at Alice who resigned to believing they were crazy. 

Peter looked very thoughtful and then said, "I have good code names for us all, there's the oddity, smarty - pants, rich boy and me, the normal one." Mary, Alice and I giggled at Peter but the three boys glared at him, trying to work out who was who.

James said, "Look Pete, I know I'm rich boy because Remus is smart and Sirius is weird. So, thank you but let's keep trying, yeah?" Sirius turned around to us and raised an eyebrow, putting on his dramatic offended face. "I am not weird." I agreed to disagree with him on that one.

Getting into the cosy, Gryffindor common room, I started looking around for anyone that might have made it back this far but only found the people I came in with and a tiny first year, staring up at the Marauders in awe and judgement. I assumed that the energetic Fabian and Gideon had gone zooming around the school, taking in what they could while the charm was still in affect. 

I couldn't blame them, if anyone could fly for two hours and take advantage of all the positives, it would be them two. They would also enjoy the sudden feeling of not knowing when to fall when the charm wears off, because that's just what they are like.

With the boys going up to their common room and Mary and Alice being smart, going to float above their beds so when the charm wore off, they would fall onto something soft, I was on my own. I hovered above an armchair, which was red and puffy, I glanced once at the embers of the fire and then at the tiny Gryffindor first year. I spotted him being sorted yesterday at the sorting but only glimpsed at him, so his name was unknown to me.

I didn't bother asking either, I just knew from first look that he would be trouble, I think his last name started with a V. He had black, curly hair and very dark brown eyes they almost looked black. It was rather like he could stare into people's souls. The boy also had a smirk on his face which could be viewed as a cruel smirk, as though he knew that he was bringing pain but he liked the pain he was causing. 

He suddenly talked, his voice oddly cold and sharp, like knives, "My name's Sawyer Vaughn and stop looking at me, you're being creepy." I coughed and looked once more at the fire, thinking about him and feeling a gut feeling that I didn't like this boy and he was going to do something in the future which would not help his case. 

I jumped out of the chair in surprise, escaping my thoughts, as the door to the common room swung open, the portrait talking loudly, and Leon and Frank stepping in, still two metres above the ground.