parents after all

chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Potter Stinks

Dumbledore's deep, sonorous voice echoed in the Hall.

'Harry Potter.'

The Marauders gaped at the Harry: James and Sirius exchanged confused looks, both staring at Harry openmouthed; Lily paled immediately, a look of utter horror on her face. Remus pinched himself on the thigh, but the shots of pain told him that he was not dreaming; Peter's mouth opened so widely that he didn't notice his pudding falling out.

'I didn't – I never – ' Harry stammered, looking from the Marauders and Lily to Ron and Hermione, who despite Harry's pleading gaze, remained silent. 'You know very well I didn't – ' Harry gesticulate wildly, but his found himself unable to form coherent sounds.

'Get up, Harry,' promptly Lily recovered from her frozen state, her hand on Harry's shoulder. 'You're supposed to go to the chamber,' she stuck her chin towards the direction of the chamber behind Dumbledore.

As Harry got up slowly, the Hall began to boil up. The Slytherins made loud booing voices, some Beauxbatons students shouted and pointed accusingly at the messy-haired boy. Even the teachers did not take the news well, for Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff were looking furious and shaking with anger.

'Oi Potter, you said you were only looking!' said a tall boy with curly brown hair from the Ravenclaw table. James recognised immediately that he was the boy he met in the entrance hall the night before. 'You cheated! How did you get past the Age Line?' he yelled, but his protest was drowned by angry accusations and shocked gasps. Lily looked from the boy to James and Sirius, who were eyeing each other and communicating in sign language only they understood. She squinted, her green eyes glowing more dangerously every second.

'James Potter and Sirius Black, you did NOT put anything in the Goblet of Fire!' shrieked Lily angrily, her face flushed red. Arm crossed, hair tied into a messy bun, Lily stood in front of the armchairs; James and Sirius squirmed in their seats.

'You did NOT put our names in, nor did you do anything with Harry's!'

'Well ... we... ' James recoiled under her penetrating gaze.

'Don't say you don't know,' snarled Lily, 'three years of living under the same roof with you has taught me well enough about you and your stupid pranks. Was that you the Ravenclaw boy ran into, Potter?'

'I, I suppose so,' breathed James, his hair standing up even more unruly now.

'When?'

'Erm, last night, I... we...' James stammered. 'Sirius and I ... went for a midnight expedition...in the entrance hall...Sirius wanted us to enter - '

'We didn't know we could go through the circle –' said Sirius, earnest to ease Lily's anger.

'HAVE YOU GOT BRAINS AT ALL?!' Lily flared, her fist thumped on the table with a loud 'bam'. 'You sent us to the future, fine! You got Harry into a week of detention with Severus, fine!' She pointed at James and Sirius accusingly, 'but you put Harry's name in the Goblet and got him into a dangerous tournament, and that's NOT FINE!'

'I most certainly did not put his name in!' shouted Sirius with exasperation. 'Look, I might've-' Lily whipped around, and Sirius swallowed, 'fine, I did put our names in, but I never got time to put Harry's in before someone else entered the Hall!'

'Oh God,' Remus stood up from his chair, his pale complexion reflecting the golden firelight, 'you really did put our names in? Did you know how dangerous this could be?'