Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter Fifty-Nine

:)

As it was her last year, Hannah Finchley was growing desperate to win the International Gobstones Championship this year. On her way out of Ancient Runes, Silvanna found herself pulled aside, having been ambushed, as Hannah bombarded her with details.

"It's at Koldovstoretz this year," Hannah was saying, sounding frantic. She kept running her hand through her mousy brown hair, and Silvanna watched as it fell to frame her face, before she brushed it back again. "So it's going to be really difficult. They don't want to lose again, not after last year, so they'll probably make us uncomfortable. McGonagall says they normally fill the room up with spectators - it's really popular over there. Could you start bringing your friends? We need to be able to play under pressure-"

Silvanna cut across her as the bell went, signalling she was late for Transfiguration. "It'll be fine," Silvanna said, hurrying up her pace. "At least, it will if you can calm yourself down enough to focus." And with that she darted into the classroom, attempting to take her seat without being seen. She failed. Lily tutted.

*****

For Remus and James's birthdays, they decided they would share it. One party between the two of them - that ended up with a cushion being set on fire and Peter lobbing it out the window - and one prank.

Silvanna didn't realise it right away. She was too sleepy when she first woke up and showered, and she didn't visit another bathroom until lunch, in between Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. When she did, she jumped upon seeing something written on every single piece of toilet paper. At the top it read:

Snivellus quotes here:

, followed by an arrow pointing to the centre of the sheet. When you folded it, the arrow moved. It really was a rather ingenious prank. And of course, her brother bore the brunt of it.

"I mean, really we've got you to thank," said Sirius as she took her seat in History of Magic. "You and your brilliant Potions knowledge." Silvanna shot him a confused look, and Remus sighed.

"Peter remembered that essay we did for Slughorn," Remus explained. "The one about the confusing concoction?"

A sudden wave of realisation hit Silvanna. "Properties of scurvy grass include laxative effects," she murmured so as not to provoke Professor Binns.

"Yup," said Peter proudly.

"So, Moony, our darling boy," said James, reaching up to ruffle Remus's hair, "He was the one that remembered it was scurvy grass you were talking about, we juiced a few plants, and slipped it into his morning pumpkin juice." He grinned smugly. Silvanna rather thought one of their favourite parts of the pranking process was how they got to explain their genius and show off.

At dinner that night, Severus was there, but we looked very clammy and obscenely angry. Lily too, was very quiet, and kept firing filthy glares down the table at the boys.

Silvanna made her way up to the library after that, eager to find a good book on Transfiguration. She was almost there when she heard a shout.

"Fumos!" She recognised that voice. Severus.

"What?" She recognised that one too. Sirius. The pair of them in combination could never be good.

"Vermiculus!" Severus again. There was a clattering of wood.

"Hey!" Oh, thank Merlin, James was there too.

"Oscausi! Orbis! Vermiculus!" Severus. Another wand dropped.

"Diffindo!" A new voice. One she knew but wasn't so familiar with. It was followed by a yelp and a roar of rage. "Expelliarmus." The sound of wood against stone once more.

"Ebublis!" This was from Sirius, and was followed by the clanging of armour.

"Vermiculus!" Severus again. The final wand dropped.

Silence as Silvanna finally reached the corner. The whole corridor was filled with smoke, and she couldn't see a thing. She heard a groan from a few feet away.

"Avis," said Severus, just as close. Silvanna heard the twittering of birds. "Oppugno." There was a great cry of pain, joined by hearty laughter.

"Ventus!" cried Silvanna. At once the billowing smoke swept away down the corridor like a tide retreating and leaving the remnants of the battle between the sea and the sand. The very first thing she saw was the gleeful faces of Severus, Avery, and Mulciber, shortly followed by a bloodied Remus being attacked by a flock of birds.

"Evanesco!" The birds disappeared. Severus's face formed into a snarl. "Attacking in the dark?" said Silvanna, pointing her wand at her brother. "How very cowardly. How very you."

He shot a hex her way which she deflected. "Come on," he muttered to Avery and Mulciber. They were very hesitant.

"It's one girl," spat Avery, looking her up and down.

"How's your stunning spell coming along?" asked Silvanna coolly.

"I can do much worse than a stunning spell," he snarled, stepping forward and beginning to raise his wand.

"Entomorphius," she said calmly. At once, there was a beetle where he'd been stood. Mulciber bent down and scooped him up, along with his wand. With one last scathing glare, Severus swept away down the corridor, Mulciber striding along behind.

"Are you alright?" asked Silvanna, rushing over to where Remus had gathered his wand from the floor a few feet away.

"Nothing Madame Pomfrey can't fix," he said with a grimace. "Might need McGonagall for those three though." He indicated the floor, where, unseen until now, three worms were wiggling around next to their wands.

"Nah, we won't," said Silvanna. "Reparifarge." She flicked her wand and one of them turned into James, lying on the floor. She did the same for Sirius and Peter.

"Slimy git," spat Sirius as he climbed to his feet brushing himself off. "No offence," he added to Silvanna.

"He really shouldn't have conjured that smokescreen," said Silvanna. She should've hexed him too, instead of just Avery.

"Eh," said James with a shrug. "We're fine aren't we?" The others nodded in approval. Remus let out a shaky sigh. "Aren't we?" asked James, looking at Remus with concern.

"Moony?" asked Peter, stepping forward.

Silvanna remembered. "He used a cutting charm, I heard it." Remus looked at her and nodded wordlessly, mouth slightly agape and his skin pale and clammy. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell to the floor. His hand slumped beside him, covered in blood.