Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Carpe Diem

Hogwarts Castle was lit up so brightly that Jessica was blinded by the sight of it. She and her friends got off their carriage and started to run towards the entrance. Rain was thundering against them, and Jessica had pulled on her raincoat at the last minute awkwardly as she stepped out. Lily slipped at least five times on the way. Clear bullets of rain hit their heads hard as cold silver- and Jessica wasn't sure she liked it. Cursing the thunderclouds, she ran with her friends.

The main gates were dirty with muddy shoe prints and slippery with rainwater. 

"It must be hard for the first years to cross on the boats," Lily said. "I imagine they must be flooding."

"Who cares?" Marlene asked. "We're already dying here."

"Imagine the giant squid coming out of the water to greet the students in the rain," Alice said as they finally reached the corridors, which seemed filthy enough to make Mr. Flich puke and gag and complain. "I'm starving. I hope they finish Sorting early today."

"Yeah, if the first years make out of it alive," Jessica nodded, throwing off her raincoat on the ground, fixing her dry clothes. They walked through the corridors slowly, trying not to slip on the muddy floor. "So hungry I could eat a hippogr-" Jessica's hair raised, and her eyes widened. "DUCK!"

A dozen slices of stinky, stale bread flew overhead and hit a few students behind the girls as they ducked in unison. A loud, shrill laughter echoed through the halls, and Jessica didn't have to guess who it was- "PEEVES!" she yelled angrily. "GET OUT!"

She dodged another slice of bread- "Can't do nothing unless you say please!" Peeves said haughtily.

"PEEVES!" Professor McGonagall came rushing into the corridor with her wand out. She flicked her wand and the armor around began to creak and open- and once the helmets had fallen onto the ground with a loud CLANG! a buzzing noise filled the air- several Cornish pixies burst out from the empty hollow armors and they made after Peeves, who had given a yelp of fright and floated down to the dungeons.  

"That was cool!" Alice said, looking at the bright flash of blue buzzing through the corridor in awe. 

"Yes, well, now, to the Great Hall before that poltergeist comes again," McGonagall pointed to the hall. They hurried down the slippery floor, careful not to fall and reached the large Great Hall, shining with floating candles and beaming stars. Jessica had always been in awe with that view of the sky- it reminded her of the dining pavilion at Camp. 

***

"You know, I just realized," Marlene said as they sat down, "how bland British food can be."

"Girl, we're known around the world for bland food," Alice said. "So much for colonizing spice routes."

Jessica laughed. "Finally putting all our Muggle knowledge to use, are we?" They sat down at the Gryffindor Table, thoroughly exhausted. She turned to the Slytherin table- Lucius Malfoy was not there... he had passed out of the school, Jessica realized. He had written his NEWTs the previous year. But there was Alecto and her brother Amycus, stupid fourth years, growling and glaring at Jessica and her friends. Rolling her eyes, Jessica turned back to the table. 

"Potter! Evans! Black! I want to see you four!" a voice called and Jessica looked up from the empty golden plates.

Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was so stern looking now that she reminded Jessica of Annabeth. Swallowing her worry with a gulp of water, she fought through the crowd of students entering the Great Hall along with Lily. "There's no need to look so worried -- I just want a word in my office," she told them.