"We're NEWT students now," said Mary as the Gryffindors walked from Herbology to DADA.
"DADA is still with the Slytherins," said Marlene darkly. "Why does Dumbledore allow them in the school? They'll all be Death Eaters. They are letting 15-year-olds join, too!"
Lily looked at her sharply. "A Headmaster can't discriminate like that, Marlene! There is no proof that they'll join You Know Who."
As they entered the classroom, Rabastan Lestrange sauntered over.
"Hey, Lynn!" he called to Alice. "How does it feel to live in the charity of your boyfriend's family?"
Alice did not look remotestly disturbed by his words. It was hard to believe that she was the same girl who had almost been in tears before the Sorting.
But Lestrange's words did bother her, inside. Frank's family had accepted her like one of their own, and she really liked his parents, especially his powerful, short-tempered and kind-hearted mother, Augusta Longbottom. The Slytherin's word made her remember once again that she was living in charity.
They had an interesting class where the new DADA teacher, Professor Burrow, taught them about Inferi and ghosts.
After class was dismissed, when they were walking back to the common room, Alice felt a hand on her head. She looked up to see Sirius grinning down at her.
"It doesn't matter whether we are living in charity, does it, Alice—so long as they are people we care about and would do anything for?"
Sirius' words made sense to her, because she knew that she would even give up her life for Frank.
"I'm living with James too, now," he added, as she fell in step beside him. "Does it matter?"
"No...not really..."
"And think about those Slytherins—they probably haven't got a single person in the world they care about. You know they will willingly kill another of them if it benefitted them. What do they know about love and friendship?"
Alice smiled at Sirius, feeling a sudden affection for him. Those few words that day created a new bond between the two of them.
Lily, who had heard the entire thing, was shocked beyond words. She had never imagined that Black—who was such an arrogant and cruel person—could actually have concern and kindness for others.
But then, she reflected, she didn't really know Potter and Black.
--------------------
On the last day of September, the triumphant Marauders finally finished the map and they thought they would never get tired of staring at it.
"James won't, anyhow," said Sirius, as currently James' favourite past-time was staring at 'Lily Evans' on the map.
"Think of how we'll be able to spoof Filch now. Look, he is in the 2nd floor. Let's set off a Dungbomb on the 3rd!" said James eagerly.
"That is just childish, James," said Remus.
But they did exactly what James said. The dot labelled Argus Filch was moving swiftly up one of the staircases. Snorting with laughter, the Marauders darted down another staircase, and at Sirius' suggestion, set off another Dungbomb on the second floor now.
Filch's dot stopped. Apparently he was wondering whether he was imagining things or not.
At the exact same time, James and Sirius set off another Dungbomb each on the 2nd floor now.
Filch was now moving down again.
"Don't waste your entire collection like this!" said Remus, but he too, like the others, was doubled up with laughter.
Heedless of Remus' warning, the Marauders spent the next half hour darting up and down on the seven floors, gleefully setting off Dungbombs and watching Filch's dot trying to figure out what was happening.
The stupid sport ended when they abruptly came face to face with Albus Dumbledore on the 5th floor.
"Dear me, you four seem to have got Filch in a serious spot of bother," he remarked.
Peter was terrified for a moment, but Remus, Sirius and James saw at once that the Headmaster was not remotestly angry.
Filch was now at last on the correct floor.
"I suggest you leave quickly," said Dumbledore, and James could have sworn that he gave them a little wink.
"Isn't Dumbledore great?" said James when they were back in the common room, still laughing. "McGonagall would've given us detention for sure."
YOU ARE READING
The Ghosts of the Past (The Marauders' Story)
Fanfiction"We're friends. We're the Marauders. We stick together, remember?" "Yes, Moony. I remember." One of them was mischievous and brave and had the perfect life. Another of them was reckless and loyal and desperate to leave behind his family name. The th...
