INSTEAD, james potter [1]

Chapter Nine

There was always something strange going on at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There was a week when a couple of Hufflepuffs once swore that they would only talk backwards for a week, or when three Gryffindors tried to make their friend float for a full weekend (when Lyra heard about it, it didn't take long for her to figure out who those four were).

Yet it still caused gossip when three of the four boys of the popular Gryffindor gang supposedly were taking a vow of silence for a month. Whispering echoed through the halls, wondering why they were doing such a thing. 

Sitting in the Great Hall, Lyra watched as Sirius, James and Peter kept elbowing Remus to do something but he looked quite reluctant, shutting his eyes and groaning every two seconds. She had to suppress a smile so the Slytherins wouldn't notice. 

In the end, the other boys won. Remus, who looked tired and annoyed, stood up on the Gryffindor table and started yelling. "Could I have everyone's attention please? It's important."

The Hall went silent, everybody staring up at the blushing, sandy-haired boy. He awkwardly scratched the back of head, as James, Peter and Sirius tried to give him clandestine thumbs up, but everybody could see it. 

"So, I'm sure you've all heard that my friends, Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, are taking a vow of silence for a month," said Remus, trying to avoid the burning gazes of the confused teachers, and the sparkling amusement in Dumbledore's eyes. 

"I am here to explain why they would choose to do something like this," Remus sighed before clearing his throat. "As a protest of the treatment of muggleborns and muggles, they have decided to take away their great humor and gifts to the world for a month."

Lyra couldn't hold back her giggles as the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and a few Ravenclaws started applauding. Regulus looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she tried to hold it back, but she couldn't stop laughing. 

Because she knew the truth, and she thought they would come up with a better excuse than that. They were trying to hide the mandrake leaves they had to keep in their mouths for a month to create the potion that would eventually turn them into Animagi. 

"Yeah, so that will be all, we'd appreciate it if you stopped spreading rumors about why they're doing this, because we've heard them all and they're all wrong. Thank you," Remus finished his little speech, hurrying to sit down. The boys patted his shoulders, grinning. 

The Great Hall was abuzz with new whispers, discussing the newfound revelation. Lyra looked over to the Gryffindor table and made eye contact with Sirius. She raised an eyebrow and he winked at her. 

"I understand why you started laughing, Lyra," said Rabastan Lestrange from close-by, looking like he wanted to laugh himself but he was always far too collected to do something like that. He wasn't really her friend, but they knew each other. Their siblings were married, after all. 

Lyra furrowed her eyebrows as she turned to the handsome boy. "You do?"

Rabastan chuckled lowly, making a few of the nearby girls, including Lucinda Talkalot and Emma Vanity, eye him strangely. "I mean, how stupid can they get? Look at Sirius Black. How the mighty has fallen."

Lucinda giggled, twirling her chestnut-colored hair. "I agree, Rab." She ignored the strange look she received for the nickname. "To think he went from a respected member of the House of Black to just another blood-traitor."

"Well, I have to live with him," Regulus muttered, making a few people laugh. "He won't stop talking about muggles and blood-traitors. He's always trying to convince me that we're in the wrong. He does the same with you too, right, Lyra?"