To Have A Home

Chapter 5

     Sirius' felt a huge sense of relief now that he had told Remus, and Remus had promised not to tell anyone else. He didn't have to hide his secret from all of his friends anymore, and he didn't have to worry about his parents knowing he'd told — it was the best of both worlds. His new sense of relief returned his behavior back to normal, and even seemed to reduce James' suspicions.
     The most pressing issue on Sirius' mind had turned into pulling a big back-to-school prank. He and James had hexed a few people in the halls, but the Marauders had not yet collectively done one massive prank. And when they overheard a conversation on their way to Charms class, they found the perfect targets.
     "Another couple of Mudbloods were killed the other day, did you hear?" sneered a sixth year Slytherin named Nott.
     "Good, they got what was coming to them," replied Lucius Malfoy, a seventh year. Three others standing with them (Mulciber, Avery, and Macnair) laughed and continued to make more jeering comments as they walked in the opposite direction of James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter.
     "They make me sick," said James, a look of pure hatred in his face.
     "I know!" said Peter. "What are they thinking? Who could ever support such evil people..."
     "I'm sure they'll be lining up to join the Death Eaters the moment they get out of school," added Remus. Sirius, however, was grinning after the group of boys.
     "Why're you smiling like that? It's creepy, mate..." said Peter.
     "Because I know the subjects of our first big prank, Petey... those sniveling Slytherins are gonna eat their words."
     They spent the evening planning like madmen. Even Remus, who could be hesitant when it came to pranks, was going all out with this one. They arrived at the Great Hall extra early the next morning, getting ready to enjoy the show.
     Nott, Malfoy, Mulciber, Avery, and Macnair entered the Great Hall together and began to walk to the Slytherin table, but before they could get any further, they were swept into the air, hanging by their ankles from several well aimed Levicorpus spells. They then came crashing back to the floor, only to have their hair turned pink, their robes an awful flowery pattern, and the word 'bigot' written on each of their foreheads.
     "And that," declared James, standing on the Gryffindor bench, "is what happens when you are, as we so kindly pointed out on your foreheads, a gigantic, Dark-Arts-obsessed, bigot."
     "Remember, children," Sirius, now standing too, said to the Hall at large in a mock-responsible voice, "blood status doesn't mean shit. You're very welcome for this entertaining reminder." And, as planned, Peter and Remus stood as well, and the four took a large bow before bursting into laughter. They all got a detention with McGonagall — as they knew they would — but this was not a prank they wanted to do anonymously. However, Sirius did not notice his brother pull out a quill and some parchment immediately after the prank and begin to write a letter with a grim and regretful look on his face.
     It was two mornings later in the Great Hall, and the five Slytherins' hair was still a faint pink. The Marauders were full of glee at their prank, and laughed as they talked it through again for the thousandth time. Sirius' bark-like laughter ceased immediately as he noticed the letter that had been dropped off in front of him. It was no ordinary letter — it was a Howler. And it was from his parents. Hands trembling, heart pounding, he opened it and braced himself for the worst.
     "SIRIUS ORION BLACK. HOW DARE YOU PULL SUCH A CHILDISH AND ILL INTENTIONED STUNT. HOW DARE YOU TARGET CHILDREN FROM WELL RESPECTED FAMILIES LIKE OURS AND MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE FOOLS. THE ONLY FOOL IS YOU, YOU DISAPPOINTMENT OF A SON. YOU DEMONSTRATE NONE OF OUR VALUES AND SHOW NO RESPECT TO THOSE WHO MATTER. YOU DISGRACE! YOU SHAMEFUL, SHAMEFUL SON!" the voice of Walburga Black echoed through the sudden silence of the Great Hall. Sirius felt his face redden and tears threatened to leak from his eyes, so he said dryly to his friends ,
     "Well, screaming at me has always been one of my mother's favorite hobbies," before promptly exiting the Great Hall. Once he was out of the doors, he began to sprint down the corridors until he reached an abandoned room far away from all the other classrooms.
     Meanwhile, James, Remus, and Peter were exchanging concerned looks.
     "Should we go looking for him, d'you reckon?" asked Peter. Remus shook his head.
     "I think it's best we leave him alone for a while. We can drop by after dinner."
     "Are you mad?" asked James. "We need to go right now. You want us to leave him alone all day?"
     "James we have to go to class, and there's no way we can convince him to come today.  Besides, I think it would be easier to comfort him if he's given plenty of time to calm down by himself first. I also think we should start with just one of us talking to him." Lupin responded thoughtfully.
     "Alright, fine. But I'm gonna be the one to do it," said James, and his tone indicated that it would be pointless to argue against him on this.
     Several hours later, James, with the help of the Marauder's Map, found Sirius alone in an empty classroom. He was sitting against the wall hugging his knees and shaking with silent sobs. When James walked into the room, Sirius looked up, his eyes red from crying. James walked over and sat beside Sirius, throwing his arm around his shoulder.
     "Are you alright?" he whispered. "I mean I know you're not right now but... will you be?" Sirius sobbed even harder and shook his head.
     "James... things with my family... they're worse than I've let on," Sirius managed to say. He wasn't ready for James to know the full story yet, but he at least deserved part of the truth.
     Sirius pressed his face into James shoulder, and the two sat like that for a long time before James gently suggested that they go to the Gryffindor dormitory. Sirius agreed, although he looked hesitant.