Harry Potter Imagines

21. James Potter

"Brilliant," I deadpanned as another tiny firework shot into the air and exploded above my head.

James barked out a laugh as he had been doing all morning. I pursed my lips to stop speaking considering that was the cause of the small explosions. Well, more strictly speaking, sarcasm was triggering the fireworks and I just happened to be dripping with it.

"It is brilliant isn't it Y/N?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows at me.

I rolled my eyes in response and another firework set off, "What?! That wasn't sarcasm"

It was difficult to hear even Sirius's loud voice over James's obnoxious laughter, "What you're forgetting is that I invented this spell. Hence it has been tailored to you perfectly for maximum results"

I narrowed my eyes at him, refusing to offer any sort of response that would merit a bang going off by my ear.

"Well whatever you've done I need it gone by tonight. You know I have that meeting with Olivander to discuss work after Hogwarts"

I had this interview set up for weeks now with the wand maker and I had received permission to meet him at Hogsmeade in the evening. It was my dream to learn the art of wand making after my schooling and who was better to teach me than Olivander himself? I had been fidgeting all week at the thought that tonight could make or break that dream and I was not about to let some stupid prank get in the way of that.

Sirius waved his hand at me in dismissal but I knew the charm would be gone by nightfall. He knew how important tonight was to me.

"Y/N don't you think Snivellus's hair looks great today?" James cut in, pointing at the Slytherin who was walking in front of us.

"Oh yes, nothing screams sex appeal like a bucket of grease"

James peeled with laughter as a pink explosion rained down around me.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Herbology was a great class to have after lunch on a Friday, I had decided after 6 and a half years of schooling. Professor Hornby generally recognised the post-lunch haze that came over us and ensured we had a relatively mindless lesson.

"Gather around everyone," he called as we entered the greenhouse, directing us to his desk where a shallow pool of water had been placed and in it a number of rocks. I squished in up to his desk between James and Marlene.

"These are Skittish Stones originating from Sweden. When placed in water they remain at ease and offer minimal response to contact," to demonstrate he nudged one of the rocks which remained unmoving, "but when exposed to air they become squeamish and destructive. The trick is, when relocating them from one body of water to another, to keep them asleep. This means no sudden movements and no loud noises." He made sure the class was silent before gently picking the rock up. It didn't respond and continued to look like a regular rock while he placed it into the other shallow pool of water across the room.

"Today I need you to transfer the Stones from salt water to fresh water to acclimatise them before they are taken to their new home. What I ask is that no one speaks above a whisper and everyone remains mindful of their surroundings. The Skittish Stones can be very destructive when awakened."

I nodded along with the rest of the class and joined the line to grab a stone.

"I wonder how you tell them apart from normal rocks," I whispered to the others.

"When you lift them up look at the base of them," James commented, pushing his glasses up his nose, "they have an indentation like a small bird foot"