The Marauder's Tale [MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT, & PRONGS]

XXX. Success

"I found another hex we can use on Snivellus," James said as he and Sirius hurried down the hall to their Arithmancy class. "I just learned it last night. I haven't even had a chance to practice it yet."

"Where did you find it?"

"In your book, of course."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I should never have shown that to you."

"No, I'm glad you did! It's got a ton of great curses and hexes in it."

"Yeah, I know. It is a book of curses, after all."

"Shut it, you prat." James stepped to the side as a group of students approached him. "Why do we always pick the most crowded corridors?"

"Bad luck," Sirius replied. They dodged another group of students. "We need to learn a hex that will empty the whole hall at once."

"That's an idea," James laughed. "Where's Prefect Remus today?"

"He said he was going to meet us in class," Sirius replied. "He had to finish something in the library first." He rolled his eyes again. "He's killing me with all the time he spends in the library." A student bumped into him. "Honestly! Can't anyone watch where they're going?"

"Apparently that's all up to us," James said irritably. "Why do we have to keep moving for everyone?"

"Yeah, that's not fair! They should move for us." He grinned evilly. "Maybe we should make them move."

James raised his eyebrows. "Do you think so?"

"What was that hex you learned again?"

James gave a grin to match his friend's. "I'd be happy to show you. Maybe I could even participate in a duel to amuse you."

"That certainly would be amusing," Sirius laughed.

A seventh year Slytherin came running down the corridor, nearly taking off James' shoulder in his haste to get to class. James looked to Sirius, his grin widening.

"Perfect," he muttered. This would make for an interesting duel. He turned to face the Slytherin. "Hey!" he yelled. "Hey, you! Slytherin scum!"

The boy turned around, and looked at James. "What do you want?" he asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Do you realize that you nearly knocked my arm off my body just now?"

"Oh, was that you?" the boy asked.

"Yeah, it was me," James replied.

Several other students had stopped their progress to class to watch the fight. Excitement was running high in the corridor. Everyone knew that James Potter wasn't going to back down, and that the Slytherin, Steven Parkinson, was particularly sensitive about his reputation. James had no fear about taking on a seventh year, and his opponent had plenty to prove. It was going to be an excellent battle. Sirius grinned as he watched two students betting on who would come out ahead.

"Well, thank goodness it was a pureblood," Steven sneered. "Even if you are James Potter, and friends with people I wouldn't dream of talking to. I'd hate to think that I had to go all the way back to the dormitory to take a shower after knocking into . . . someone else."

"Someone else?" James asked with narrowed eyes.

"You know," Steven replied with a malevolent smile, "someone like a half- blood. Or, worse yet, a Mudblood."

The slight against his fellow students broke James' will to duel with the boy. The only thing he could think about was making him pay. Without even hurling an insult back at him, he raised his wand, muttering the hex he had so recently learned.