Mischief Managed

Fire alert

Others pulled pranks too, but most of them weren't noteworthy. There were boring ones with stink bombs and jumping crackers, others leaked out before they happened. So, even though it was our goal to get more students to prank, it didn't really work out. Our pranks were the only funny ones and with the time we got incautious.

There was just one more week to go, and we were sure everything would work out in our favour, but our vanity nearly became a great calamity.

"Lucy, are you coming?" Sirius yelled from downstairs and I got up from my bed and put my book back on the shelf.

"Already there," I chanted, putting my arms around James and Sirius, whereupon some girls in the common room sent me a nasty look. I was in a mood so I kissed Sirius on the cheek and pretended to whisper something in his ear.

Natasha, a girl one grade below, shot daggers at me, causing me to wonder why all these girls were so obsessed with Sirius, even though none of them knew him. My little kiss didn't surprise Sirius at all. I don't know if it was because I did this then and now or because he was used to girls around him, but he stayed calm and didn't bust the fun.

James chuckled under his breath and the three of us left for the Great Hall, picking up Remus on our way. He had been, not surprisingly, in the library, working on another homework, whose existence James, Sirius and I had forgotten.

"You can copy it later," Remus offered and led us to a further corner of the room, where Peter wrote off the other essay Remus had written. I need to admit, while the boys and I had had fun down at the lake, dear Moony had sat in there, working for his grades. Sometimes I nearly felt guilty for letting him do it all.

"You're the best Moony," I said, instead of telling him. We now went to the Great Hall as a group, Peter hanging behind because he was still trying to make his school stuff fit into his bag.

Dinner was delicious as always, but a slight tension was noticeable among the students. The teachers realized that too and were more alert than normal; they were expecting a fight, I think.

We knew what was going on. The Prank Wars coming to an end and the winner would be announced tomorrow. All of our schoolmates were curious about it, even though we realized we would win.

More than half of the badges for participants had turned black, showing they had been disqualified. Half of the others, which were few enough already, had just pulled one or two little pranks, nothing that was worth more than a laugh at it. We seriously had no competition. So, technically, that was sad, we were the only professional pranksters at our school! It gave us an easy win, so why not?

When we were up in the common room again, the tension ceased a little, which gave me a weird feeling. Where had it been coming from? The boys didn't seem to share my concern andI was swept up in their party mood, Sirius had pulled some bottles of butterbeer from behind his bookshelf (obviously, there were no books in it) and we all had fun.

Until a loud voice was to hear in the common room.

"Students, please leave your common rooms and assemble around the Quidditch pitch. There has been a fire alert. This is not a drill." It appeared to be Dumbledore's voice, he sounded not just as happy and light as normal.

"I repeat, assemble around the Quidditch pitch. Do not spend your time seeking objects of value, leave the castle immediately." Panic had overtaken the Gryffindor common room, and the students crowded together at the portrait hole.

I remember to have felt a little fear back then; it was as if my heart had warmed down a lot. I remember Peter glancing around the room quickly, his eyes wide open and breathing heavily. James, Sirius and Remus were rather calm, but I'm not sure if they were just playing their poker faces.

Anyway, Sirius, being the tallest and the one to work out with the most success, was leading us through the crowd, pushing away other students. At the portrait hole, the whole thing got more difficult, since so many kids were eager to climb through it. Eventually, the boys were all gentleman and let me go first, Sirius as the last, because he stopped other kids from pushing through while we were in it.

It was when we were running through Hogwarts, just a few staircases away from the exit, that James facepalmed and turned to Sirius, sounding a little desperate.

"We don't have the Map or Cloak!"

"Oh, shit! - I'll get them, go ahead, I'll be there right away," Sirius replied quickly, his last words fading since he turned into a giant black dog. I smiled at him and patted his head ironically.

"Take care, please," I said. The dog went on its hind legs and licked me over the face, causing me to groan in disgust, but also fun. Sirius then left, hurrying for the Gryffindor common room.

The boys looked just as worried as I felt now. Their poker faces fell off the second their close friend turned to run back into a fire. But we still were all sure it was the right decision. Sirius was fast as a dog. He'd come back alive and well.

"Come on, we've got to hurry!" Remus shoved us into the direction where the great wooden entrance door was, getting us out of our thoughts and push ourselves to make it to the exit.

"Guys! - Guys!" A panting Sirius reached us shortly before we left the castle, his hands empty and his eyes glancing around excitedly, "I didn't smell fire."

We all looked at him in confusion, students pushing their way around us, yelling at us and seeking their friends.

"When I was a dog, I could not smell any fire. On my way to the common room I ran through the whole castle and I couldn't smell any fire."

"Are you saying-" Remus started slowly.

"Exactly. This must be a prank," Sirius interrupted him.

I came to realize, and so did James and Peter, that he was right. On my way here, I didn't see a single sign of fire; I didn't hear or smell anything. - But what if they were wrong? What if there was a fire, and we'd be stupid enough to stay in the castle?

"Uh, but guys, what if there is a fire?" They looked at me, confused, and I knew why. We were the Marauders, that was not something you said out loud, even if you thought it, "Guys if there is a fire, staying would get us in mortal danger!"

I could see through their eyes that they had the same going on in their heads. Sirius was the first to break the silence with a clear opinion.

"It doesn't matter. We cannot lose the Prank War on the last evening! - Moony will know a spell if there is a fire," he said, patting Remus' back. James nodded and took my hand, pulling me back into the castle.

We looked out of a window on the third floor, down on the students and teachers of Hogwarts, my hands trembling slightly, and so did Remus'. Sirius was in dog form, so he could smell the fire. If there was one.

Then, with a loud bang, It's a prank was written in the air. Fireworks displayed next to it, but Dumbledore cast a spell to make it all go away. He looked furious, but the boys and I were celebrating.

They sent all students back into the castle and we mustered our badges worryingly. It was their decision if we had been pranked or not because we had believed there was a fire for some time.

They didn't seem to turn black though. And we would find out tomorrow, who would be Prank King and/or Queen.

I still can't believe I went with the boys that night. I mean, we could have died. I guess it's the bad influence they have on me though.  :)

***

Word count: 1439

So, guys, this was a bit of a different chapter, since it wasn't their prank. Still, what do you think of it?

And, as always, I'm happy to hear from you, so, if you liked this chapter, please consider giving it a vote or leaving a comment. Also, I deeply appreciate every feedback you can give me. :)

-Tonks