The Marauders: Year One (female)

31. The Hallowe'en Feast

Jamie shifted around on her bench in the Great Hall, as she waited for Dumbledore to get on with his speech. It was the day of the Hallowe'en Feast, and the past few days had been absolutely hectic. The prank had gone fabulously.

Screams had filled the halls of Hogwarts, and students had been sent to the Hospital Wing for shock regularly.

Jamie tuned out of Dumbledore's speech, and stared at the decorations covering the walls. Thousands of live bats, Transfigured by the older years, floated about, oversized jack o'lanterns hung from the stormy ceiling, and gigantic spiderwebs were suspended from either side of the Hall to the other. Jamie even thought she caught sight of a many legged, hairy beast scuttling from one web to another. She shivered at the thought of enormous spiders roaming freely around Hogwarts.

Sirius elbowed her sharply, dragging her away from her daydreams. 'Wake up, you git,' Sirius hissed lowly. 'Dumbles is talking about--' she lowered her voice and looked about cautiously, '--about You Know What.'

'Huh?' Jamie asked, her nose wrinkling in confusion.

Sirius rolled her eyes. 'Just pay attention.'

Remus, Frankie, and Petra were also looking quite worried.

'I don't wanna be expelled!' Petra said frantically, as Remus tugged her down in her seat and put her hand firmly over Petra's mouth.

'Sit down,' she said firmly, 'And be quiet, or you're going to get us all caught, and then we'll really be expelled.'

Petra paled, and shut up, but she still looked nauseous.

Up by the podium, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled mischievously. 'It has come to my attention... that as of late, several pranks, which, I am entirely sure, were not done with malicious intent, have been causing disruption amongst both students and staff alike.'

Jamie grinned round at her friends.

Lillian glared at them suspiciously.

Dumbledore continued on a more serious note. 'However, despite the prankster's noble intent, I must ask that you stop and consider the consequences of such pranks. Poor Madam Pomfrey is running off her feet trying to procure enough remedy and treat students who have been exposed to these pranks.'

'I sort of feel really guilty,' Remus whispered.

'Don't be such a pansy,' Sirius hissed back.

Jamie swallowed, suddenly aware of Severa's cold gaze on the back of her neck. She turned around and made a face at Severa to cover her unease.

'What must also be taken into consideration,' Dumbledore continued gravely, his eyes passing over the Gryffindor table, 'is that a Boggart shows are deepest, darkest, and most desperate fears. These are things that we would not want others to know. And it is your right to keep these secrets from others; your right to privacy. By making these fears public, you are violating the sanctity and privacy of my students, and this is not something I will tolerate.'

Sirius shivered at how fierce Dumbledore looked. For once, the Slytherins were agreeing with Dumbledore, nodding along gratefully. They looked the most frazzled. Sirius frowned. Perhaps she and Jamie shouldn't have put so many Boggarts in that area. And Dumbledore did have a point. It wasn't fair to the students or Madam Pomfrey.

Remus sank down low in her seat, wishing the earth would swallow her up. She didn't know why she'd ever agreed to such a thing. Imagine what could have happened if someone had tricked her like that, and figured out her secret through the form her Boggart took. Perhaps other students had secrets to hide, too. Even secrets like Sirius's.