Burning Love

•Making Friends•

A week into school, the excitement of Hogwarts had settled into a whirlwind of classes, laughter, and a fair bit of chaos. The Great Hall was buzzing with chatter as students shared stories about their lessons, but a particular group of first-years was making quite the name for themselves: me,
Sirius, Remus, and Peter.

It all started in Potions class. Our Professor was droning on about the properties of dragon liver when James, sitting across from me, decided it was the perfect moment to test a new spell he'd learned. With a flick of his wand, he whispered, "Engorgio!" aiming it at a nearby cauldron. The potion inside bubbled dangerously, swelling to three times its size.

"James, no!" I hissed, but it was too late.

The cauldron exploded, sending a colorful concoction splattering across the classroom. Laughter erupted as the Professor turned, his face a mix of fury and disbelief. "Potter! You'll clean this up!" he barked, pointing a finger that seemed to radiate disdain.

"I didn't mean to!" James protested, a grin breaking through his mock fear.

As he raged on, Sirius couldn't help himself. "Maybe we should start calling him 'Potter the Potent!'" he called out, earning a fresh wave of laughter from our classmates.

After Potions, things escalated even further during lunch. We were all seated together, devouring pumpkin pasties, when Peter had the brilliant idea to sneak a few of the enchanted sugar quills from the table and pass them around. "These are supposed to make you talk in riddles!" he announced, excitement written all over his face.

"What if we prank someone with them?" Sirius suggested, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"Brilliant idea!" James replied, already plotting who to target. We settled on a couple of unsuspecting second-years sitting nearby, their heads bent over their own lunch.

With careful precision, we tossed the sugar quills their way, and soon enough, they were giggling uncontrollably and speaking in nonsensical rhymes. "Oh, the frog sings loud, and the cat wears a shroud!" one of them declared, much to the bewilderment of the surrounding tables.

The commotion drew the attention of several teachers, including McGonagall, who swiftly approached our table, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. "What on earth is going on here?" she demanded, though a hint of a smile betrayed her.

"Just spreading a little cheer, Professor!" James said innocently, trying to suppress his laughter.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow but couldn't help but chuckle at the chaos unfolding around us. "Keep the chaos to a minimum, or I'll have to assign you all extra homework."

"Yes, Professor!" we chorused, though I could tell none of us were really listening.

After lunch, the mayhem continued as we decided to explore the castle. The five of us found ourselves in a hidden corridor, which led us to a mysterious door. Without thinking, James turned the handle, and the door creaked open to reveal a dusty old room filled with forgotten furniture and cobwebs.

"Treasure!" Sirius declared, charging inside.

As we rummaged through old trunks, dust flew everywhere, and before we knew it, we were sneezing and laughing hysterically, creating a mess in our wake. Remus, trying to be the voice of reason, warned us, "We should probably leave this place as we found it, you know."

But it was too late. We were already in the middle of a full-blown treasure hunt, tossing aside dusty books and trinkets, reveling in the thrill of discovery. Just as we pulled out an ancient-looking goblet, we heard footsteps approaching.

"Quick! Hide!" I whispered, and we scrambled behind the furniture, stifling our giggles.

The door swung open, revealing a bewildered ghost who floated in, eyes wide at the sight of five first-years hiding among the dust.