Mischief Managed!

9.

James joined the Marauders at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall the next morning, to find the air around their small portion of the table highly expectant.

Sure enough, and soon enough, music could be heard to be approaching the Great Hall, and all of a sudden, the double doors burst open to issue a very grumpy Snape. The doors slammed shut behind him, and the boys winced as a great clanging of metal rang through the Hall. The noise abruptly halted and the music resumed soon after, and the doors were once again opened to admit a suit of armour, which appeared to be singing.

Lily had heard the tune from a reasonable distance (she had very good hearing) and had been surprised to recognise the muggle Christmas song "Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree". As the doors opened for a second time after Snape, however, Lily realised that the song was not, in fact, "Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree". In fact, it was very different.

"Oh Snivelly, Oh Snivelly,

Gryffindor won at Quid-ditch!

Oh Snivelly, Oh Snivelly,

Your Seeker cannot even find the Snitch!

Gryyyy-findor will win the cup,

And Slytherin will have to suck it up!

Oh Snivelly Oh Snivelly,

You are an ugly gi-it!"

The Hall was silent as the suit of armour finished, taking his place behind Snape at the Slytherin table. The teachers stared at the suit of armour in surprise, and Lily approved of the fact that their gaze was immediately redirected to the Marauders, who were busy trying to look as innocent, amused and surprised as the rest of Hogwarts.

Peter Pettigrew had never been a convincing liar.

"Why has it stopped?" Sirius hissed as the students were beginning to slowly leave the Hall, chattering and laughing excitedly some ten minutes later. "Wasn't it supposed to keep singing?"

"I put it on a twenty minute timer, Padfoot," Remus explained patiently. "Because I, unlike you, would prefer that we learn something today."

The golden suit of armour persisted in following Snape around for the duration of the day, much to the detriment of seventh year classes, which would be interrupted every twenty minutes for the armour to complete it's rendition of what had formerly been one of Lily's favourite Christmas carols. Professors Flitwick and McGonagall had attempted, to no avail, to remove the charm placed on the suit of armour, and when that failed Professor McGonagall had further attempted to transfigure the suit of armour into a rock. This also did not work, due to certain wards that Lily suspected James Potter must have laid on the armour to make it un-Transfigurable.

Professor Dumbledore had examined the armour himself in the morning break before announcing, quite contentedly, that the suit of armour had been placed under a particularly curious and wonderful piece of magic which he believed should be appreciated and admired. This, of course, displeased Snape to no end, and he became, if possibly imaginable, even more bitter and twisted than usual.

"Why don't we silence it?" Lily suggested finally, in Charms.

She was pleased to note the Marauders exchange stricken looks, and knew instantly that silencing would work. And so it did – well, kind of.

Unfortunately for Lily, the silencing charm required constant replacing. The charm developed a tendency to wear off at the most inconvenient of places, for instance that evening as Professor Dumbledore was speaking to the students before dinner.