Lovely Chapter Image by kjp at TDA
“Ready?” James Potter asked, eyeing his best friend Sirius Black, who sat across from him. Sirius flashed him an impish grin, before allowing his eyes to dart onto a bowl of gravy.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Sirius breathed, his wand poking out from under his sleeve. James grinned before looking over to Remus Lupin who sat beside him. James studied his friend who was eying the plate of chicken legs quite warily.
“And you Moony? Are you sure you want to do this? It will cost you your prefect badge you know? You can leave now if you want.” James badgered teasingly, watching Remus scowl, his head shooting upward to face the boy with untidy black hair.
“If you can lose your Head Boy badge, I might as well lose my prefect badge. I haven’t served my duties completely like I should. Besides, what’s a better way to remember your seventh year?" Remus paused, half expecting for James to call him out. James raised an eyebrow mockingly, not thoroughly believing his ears.
"And I am a Marauder too, you know!” Remus added pointedly. When James nodded satisfied with Remus' answer, Lupin flashed a devious grin to his best friend. James thumped him hard on his back. Leave things to Remus to make things sound innocently reasonable. What was Dumbledore thinking, making Remus prefect since 5th year?
“And how about you, Peter?” James said, looking over to a boy who sat beside Sirius. “Are you ready to shower lovely Narcissa with some lovely fondue?” Sirius sniggered at the sound of his cousin’s name and Peter let out a malicious grin and nodded feverishly, his curtains of dirty blonde hair swinging in his jubilance, blue eyes shining eagerly.
“Well then, on my count.” James whispered, eying Severus Snape, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Three.”
“Two.” Remus breathed. Using his wand, he was levitating a chicken leg, ready to send it soaring to seventh year Hufflepuff, Javier Smith.
“One.” Sirius and James whispered simultaneously. And at that, the four Marauders stood up on their seats and cried out in war like voices,
“FOOD FIGHT!”
There was a sudden scream from Narcissa, who was covered in fondue. The thick cheese sauce was dripping off her hair, her nose, her face. “You blithering little worm…!” She shrieked, and raised her wand at Peter. There was a jet of blue light, but Peter shielded himself with a goblet full of pumpkin juice. The goblet exploded, its liquid contents raining down on nearby students. Peter grinned at them all encouragingly, and they too had raised their wands to join.
Meanwhile Sirius was able to bewitch the bowl of gravy and had it hurling itself onto Slytherin table, tipping slightly onto other students’ heads. He watched gleefully as the bowl dumped it’s scathingly hot contents onto his younger brother Regulus’ head. Sirius threw his head back and barked in laughter. Scowling, Regulus levitated a platter of pot roast in the air, having it zoom speedily over to Gryffindor table.
Sirius however, expected this, and with a lazy flick of his wand, he had the platter fall on top of Barty Crouch Jr.'s head. Barty Crouch, a 5th year Ravenclaw, turned in his seat and scowled angrily, sending a hex over to Regulus.
Remus, who had successfully hit Javier’s head with the chicken leg, was dancing on top of his seat, chucking rolls at everyone he could see. He had to admit, this was probably the most bad-ass thing he had ever allowed himself to do, and the students around him were watching, greatly astounded by the sight, Remus was always the more preserved and softer of the Marauders.
A boiled, hot potato then soared from someone of Hufflepuff table, hitting Remus squarely in the eye. It seemed from then on, the fun of being a troublemaker went rolling downhill.
“Argh, bloody fucking hell,” He cried, clutching his face. It was rare that he had cursed this way, but the potato was still boiling hot, and it hit him full blast in the eye. As he staggered blindly, he knocked over James who was, until at the present, sending a multitude of fat sausages to a scowling Severus Snape.
“Moony! We’re not supposed to hit each other!” James yelled angrily, as he picked himself off the floor, glowering. The Great Hall was in complete chaos, and it seemed as if it was every student for his or herself. Food and jets of lights danced across the room and none of the staff was there to stop it. Well, they were there, but they just couldn’t stop it.
“Someone hit me!” Remus cried, chucking the potato which hit the back of Narcissa Black’s blonde head. “They hit me square in the eye, so I was knocked off balance and—ARGH! JAMES, WHAT THE HELL? GET OFF ME!” Remus cried as James wrestled him onto Gryffindor table. The two rolled all over each other, screaming and punching, crashing onto plates and bowls.
Who couldn't ask for a better way to spend their first night back home?
~*~*~*~*~*
Hagrid led the seven into the castle, only to hear the assorted sound of screams, laughter, yells, crashes, and bangs. The teenagers all looked up at Hagrid, their eyebrows raised for an answer.
“Dumbledore would be in his office. He didn’t stay for the sorting ceremony tonight.” Hagrid said, trying to speak above the loud commotion coming from the Great Hall. “And don’t ask me if the noise is normal, ‘because it really isn’t.”
As they approached the Great Hall, the tumult became more pronounced, and the seventeen year olds (with the exception of Loki, who was sixteen) exchanged a look of eagerness. Whatever was going on, their teenage instincts were engaged, and they each had a desire to take part of the fun.
“Oi, ‘Agrid!” Said a voice. They all turned around to find a tall, broad-shouldered, young man running after them, trying to catch up. He looked about their age, seventeen, and he was wearing a padded uniform of ruby-red and gold. His cloak had an embedded lion on it, and he was carrying two broomsticks. Thor seemed to admire this young man’s attire, for it looked somewhat similar to his own—well the cape at least...
“‘Ello Wood!” Hagrid boomed cheerily to the guy. Turning to the seven, he beamed proudly.
“This here’s Wood. Ajax Wood. He’s the Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.” Hagrid said, pulling Ajax into a side hug.
“Quidditch?” Steve goggled in interest. Tony rolled his eyes. There goes Steve, trying to take interest, pick up, and excel in any sport in the world of sports…
“You’ll learn at some point.” Hagrid nodded. Turning back to Ajax he said, “so, off to the feast, are ya’? There seems to be a hell lot of commotion in there.” But Ajax only grinned puckishly.
“Commotion? Well, professor, that commotion is actually the work of James and his crew, but that isn’t such a surprise isn’t it, knowing Potter and Black? I’m supposed to be part of it you know. In fact, I’m supposed to make a grand entrance right now.” Ajax said, looking down at his wrist watch. “Blimey, James might kill me! I have his broomstick still! Care to watch for a minute?” He asked with anticipation. The teenagers turned to Hagrid, their eyes glowing wondrously.
So yes, they have seen Loki and his magic, but this was different!
“Oh, alright I suppose.” Hagrid said gruffly. “But none o’ ya’ tell Dumbledore that I’m not stopping Wood ‘ere for mischievous activities.” He said winking. Ajax grinned and took off running for the Great Hall’s entrance, his cape billowing behind him. The others ran after him and peered into the catastrophic Great Hall.
The sight that awaited them was indeed appalling. It was chaotic. Students of young ages to seventeen were throwing food at each other, casting spells, and plates exploded in mid-air. There were boys wrestling each other on the floor, and two boys rolling on the table, sending plates and goblets shattering on the floor.
In front of the Great Hall stood a stern looking woman, her mouth agape from such a sight. A food fight! Why, never in Hogwarts history had there been one!
“Best you all stand back.” Ajax advised, as he had backed up against the wall. Obliging, the teenagers stood back eagerly. It was all too much. Earlier that day, they were saving the world from an army of aliens, and now it was just as bizarre. They were adults in their kiddie form and watching witches and wizards attack each other with food. It was nothing but a dream. A rather splendid bizarre dream.
They watched as Ajax mounted his broomstick. Then with a hard kick he took off forward with a loud ‘
BANG’, soaring smoothly into the air. His fingers laced around his wand with James’ broomstick bobbing after him.
“Oi, Potter. Fancy seeing me?” Ajax cried from above, circling around the Great Hall with great speed. They noticed a boy their age with messy black hair and lopsided glasses stop rolling with the other boy on the table. He had a proud, boastful air about him and a goofy smile on his face. It was no mistake that he was the prime ringleader for everything.
“Never thought I would, Wood!” The Potter boy hollered back. “
Accio broomstick!” He cried, and when the broomstick came hurdling towards him, he jumped on without further ado.
They circled the Great Hall a few times, raining down brilliant, golden sparks before reuniting at the center. With their wands raised above their heads, a show of brilliant fireworks of red, gold, blue, silver, green, and yellow were emitted into the bewitched ceiling. A display of a badger then blossomed and transfigured into a soaring raven, which transformed into a great, roaring lion, and whizzed into a coiling serpent.
Once the serpent exploded into nothing, there was a deafening applause and roars of victory.
“BEHOLD THE CLASS OF 1978!” Hollered another boy of seventeen. He had a haughty air that hung about him as well, like the Potter boy on the broomstick. He had long, shaggy, black hair, good looks—and despite his black robes being splattered with food, as well as the crumbs and bits that clung to his hair, he had an air of ‘casual elegance’.
He was standing on top of a table, waving his wand around. ‘1978’ blasted from his wand tip and it too, faded into the bewitched sky. There was another sudden cheer, and many others too had raised their wands, sending sparks flying in the air.
“Well, better to take you lot to Dumbledore now.” Hagrid said, prying his eyes away from the boy, who was grinning down at them all. There was no doubt however that there was a burning pride in Hagrid’s eyes. Scurrying after the giant, the teenage Avengers departed the Great Hall’s entrance and could hear a woman’s shrill, stern cry of frustration.
“POTTER! BLACK!”
Thor, Clint, and Tony winced at the woman’s shrill tone and Hagrid chuckled to himself. “Looks like mayhem’s over for them.” Hagrid said, shaking his head. As they made their way to a separate tower, the met face to face with a stone gargoyle.
“Pepper Imps.” Hagrid said, and with that the Gargoyle leapt aside, allowing the startled teenagers to follow Hagrid into the headmaster’s office.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“POTTER! BLACK!” Shrieked Professor McGonagall. Her face was snow white and livid as she approached James who had landed gently next to Sirius. The Great Hall was now watching in silence, as the Professor looked up into the two trouble makers’ eyes. “Explain yourselves!” She barked with her hands on her hips. Her tight, pursed lips quivered, looking as if she wanted to yell some more.
“Professor, we just wanted to have a little fun.” James said, sounding a little aghast. “We wanted to make this a dinner both seventh and first years will never forget. A dinner no one would want to forget.” James said. He was walking around the table, eyeing every witch and wizard that stood close below him. Remus rolled his eyes. Count on James to pull a dramatic speech from the top of his head.
Charisma. Used. Wrong.
“I wanted the first years to start their Hogwarts journey with a little pizzazz,” James continued, eying a Hufflepuff first year that looked up at him with admiration. “And I wanted our graduating seventh year to embark our final year here with a little glamour.” He eyed a Slytherin seventh year, who snorted. “It was all in good heart professor. I wanted something to go down in Hogwarts history. The very first food fight.”
“Well, Mr. Potter. As gallant and humble of a gift you bestowed upon your fellow peers, I’m afraid I’ll be docking off 200 points from Gryffindor!” There was an eruption of groans, and snickers. James looked crestfallen, his mouth agape.
“Now, Minnie,” Sirius piped up, jumping down from the table. The stern woman’s nostrils flared. “Don’t you think 200 is a bit, unreasonable? What about docking 100 off?” There was a sharp intake of breath, particularly from the Gryffindors as they listened to Sirius’ bequest. Never call an old woman, who’s your professor, by her first name, and NEVER tell her what to do.
“Well, that’s another 200 from you Mr. Black, for the use of inappropriate charm and questioning a teacher’s methods! You will also be doing lines and grading papers with me for the rest of the month!” Sirius’ jaw opened, feeling perplexed, while another collection of groans and snickers arose. Now that was unfair! Suddenly, Sirius’ face brightened hopefully.
“How about we strike a deal? You can deduct 50 points from James and—”
“No, Mr. Black, I will not accept any deals!” Professor McGonagall snapped furiously. Sirius’ mouth snapped back shut, clearly disappointed.
“Professor, it’s not their fault, it’s mine.” Said a voice from the crowd. People turned heads, and shuffled around to allow Remus Lupin to face the fevering woman.
“Remmy?” Sirius blurted out, half in surprise, half in admiration. Never had Remus took the blade for punishment. He always just sort of stood there and took it without arguing. There was a collection of whispers amongst the students. Remus Lupin, standing up to a teacher? Impossible!
“That’s right.” Remus continued, squaring his shoulders. “I knew all along of their little scheme, and being a prefect, I should’ve stopped it but I didn’t. In fact, I encouraged it. So if anything, all this is my fault.” He boldly declared. There followed more muttering. Remus hated it.
“Don’t listen to him.” Sirius said after Remus finished. “It was really me and James’ idea, and James is Head Boy, therefore it’s our responsibility more than Remmy here. Remmy’s just being a chivalrous soul who—”
“Yeah, Remmy had nothing to do with—” James piped up, but Professor McGonagall interrupted.
“Enough! It does not matter whose fault it is, and who takes the blame. Tonight, I want all students to clean this mess. There will be no magic usage!” She declared. With a snap of her fingers, she conjured three dozen soapy pails and a number of mops and rags. Glaring dangerously at them all, each student turned to go to work, not bothering to complain out loud. Only James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter remained standing. Each warily looking at their professor. Each muttering soft apologies to their peers who brushed angrily past them.
“As for you four, I expect you to march up to Professor Dumbledore’s office. I’m rather sure he can have some use of you all.” She eyed them all sharply, especially at James and Sirius. Pointing out the Great Hall, she watched as the Marauders exit, side by side. It’s a wonder why she trusted them leaving alone, but as angry as she was, she couldn’t help but feel a great awe for their magnificent fireworks.
Author’s Notes:
Chapter two revamped. All characters belong to their rightful owners. Only Ajax Wood and Javier Smith are mine. And my laptop's up and running again! I squealed with joy when I found out none of my files were deleted. Anyways, I hope yall are happy with the story so far.
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