James Potter and the New Marauders ~ A Harry Potter Fan-Fic

Chapter 22: In Which A Tricky Recipe Is Revealed ~ Albus ~

Of course I'm trying to trick you! That's the way of the world, Baudelaires. Everyone runs around with their secrets and their schemes, trying to outwit everyone else.

- Lemony Snicket

Chapter 22

In Which A Tricky Recipe Is Revealed

~ Albus ~

Albus had learned an important lesson that day. Never pierce the fruit of an Apalusian Grapefruit tree, or as Professor Neville had introduced it, Citrus occidalis. His nostrils had become accustomed to the stench, to the point he wondered why people ebbed away from him in the hallways. He also learned that way, that Professor Bedelin was allergic to the Apalusian Grapefruit juice and thus would excuse him from class instantly if he ever was in her presence covered in it.

He was relieved he didn't come across many people he knew on his way to the basements and blushed a little in embarrassment when the stone snakes guarding the common room's passage seemed to cower a little away from him. He was almost sure it had been his idea about the latter though.

He hurried past Eva Zabini, who was in the same year as James, and grabbed a clean change of clothes before going to the boy's baths. It was a joyous occurrence, where the water poured out steaming hot as it hadn't been used for hours. Albus indulged himself in an excessive amount of foam bath, which covered up most of the smell of the grapefruit. Unlike the citrus he had seen before, the Apalusian Grapefruit had a smell that literally drilled into Albus's nostrils and left a bitter taste in the mouth, even though he hadn't tried tasting it. He knew he hated it even before getting covered in it, but Neville claimed it had important medicinal properties and its seeds were used in potions that altered a person's perception of something, such as a scent altering smell.

If James had been in Neville's class when he said those things, he would have probably spit out something witty such as, "Of course it would, no one could smell anything else after smelling that!" but Albus usually came up with those kinds of responses about an hour later, when class was over and he was scrubbing away grapefruit juice for example.

With the hope there were no residues of the orange slime on him, he stepped out of the bath and dried himself neatly with his towel, then slipped into his pants and sweater and black and green cloak. His glasses' invisibility charm had worn off and they could be seen as he picked them up from a bench near the door. He couldn't help but notice how similar the colour was to Slytherin's deep, emerald green. He shoved them in his pocket.

Eva Zabini was still there when Albus came, this time fingers ready to pinch her nose shut once he got too close. She glared at him with deadly eyes and a sneer in her lips.

Just like her older sister, Adelaide, Eva wasn't at all fond of blood traitors, such as the Potters, the Weasleys, or her brother, Cassius, as a matter of fact, who had the fortune to be sorted in Ravenclaw. There was even a certain time when Albus and Rose were sitting with other Slytherin first-years that she had nearly thrown a tantrum as she blamed them all for socialising with scum like them. Very loving names were spat from her mouth and Rose's wand had almost ended up being stuck in Eva's eyeball, but she was fortunate enough the other first-years had intervened.

Felix especially had shown a great passion about how valuable friends Albus and Rose were and how it was best if they didn't let the other Houses win them in Quidditch just to spite Slytherin because they didn't feel at home next year. At that moment Albus had almost burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, as he had never considered sabotaging Quidditch for Slytherin. Felix was certainly not the brightest match in the bunch, but he wasn't as stupid as Quincy. Quincy Goyle was so slow, that Albus could hear the torturous turning of the gears clicking in his fat skull. He liked Ryan and Scorpius better than the rest, but all in all, they were a pleasant group after he got to know them.