Blood Status || Marauders Era

Chapter 40|| April fools?

Today was the first of April, and I could guarantee that every who's anyone knows what that means - it's a day that the Marauders can pull some spectacle and get away with it. It is also a day, however, that the Slytherins can get away with tormenting people and saying terrible comments about them to their face or to each other. 

There was always two sides of the spectrum with Hogwarts, and I guess it was a day to be very cautious with both sides.

"Watch out Thea!" That was a voice from the other end of the corridor but I could already tell what was about to happen. I stepped to the side and sure enough, a few seconds later, a blast of water hit a small first year in front of me, and then the group of boys themselves came running past me, one winked at me at the same time and nearly tripped. 

I shook my head and grinned, looking once at the small child who had been hit with water and was not frozen still, all her friends surrounding her. The perfect start to what would surely be a very chaos filled first day of the month, so, as always, a normal day in the Hogwarts corridors. 

I heard a Prefect shouting, "No spells in the corridors!" It was no use of course, that wouldn't stop the boys, no amount of house points or detentions would stop them spraying water at a first year. I turned to the Prefect and said, "It's a bit late." It was very true, the boys had rounded the corner about a minute ago, laughing and on their way to cause mayhem.

I walked out into the grounds and down the slopes to get to the Herbology greenhouse three, seeing a wild Sirius chasing his three friends and casting water at everyone that wasn't his friend. I watched as he hit a Ravenclaw with water but some accidentally splashed on Marlene and the Ravenclaw that turned around was Dorcas, then the two girls teamed up to get back at Sirius. 

I loved my friends sometimes, especially when they're fighting together with water.

I got into the Herbology greenhouse and stood next to Remus who told me the boys planned to create a huge scene at lunch which involved Filibuster Fireworks, a cat, and a huge party streamer. I didn't even want to ask as he told me that Peter had the difficult job of encouraging McGonagall to turn into a cat a second before as that was the signal to set off the fireworks. 

It seemed like a very complicated and interesting prank to play but I didn't need to ask, I was already going to stand outside of the Great Hall for lunch.

It came to the time of lunch, and I spotted Peter walking up to McGonagall and talking to her, asking a few questions. I then asked Lily if she would help me with something outside of the doors to the Great Hall, telling all of the other girls to come with me, I didn't want us to get in the line of fire. 

Sure enough, about ten seconds after we'd stepped outside of the doors, there was a huge bang and a lot of shocked screams and then a few happy yells. Lily turned to me with an eyebrow raised and she didn't need to ask, as I was saying, "Remus told me their plan and I am sure it was to warn me to get out of the Hall, I just wanted to get you guys out quickly too." 

Aafiya thanked me as she poked her head around the corner to look and widened her eyes. 

I decided to look too, and saw a mess, McGonagall was still a cat, the teachers were all stood behind the table, students under the desk, the Marauders had hung up a huge banner, and there was a large Firework set off which looked strangely like someone. I said, "Correct me if I'm wrong but does that look suspiciously like Snape's face in firework form to you?"

As if in a comedic Muggle movie, one after another, all of the girls popped their heads around the corner and some laughed, some gasped. I was right, it was Snape's head, sparkling and orange, then I read the banner above it, Snape has a wonky nose. I laughed to myself, these boys really were creative, even if they were definitely getting detentions for this one, even on the day of jokes.

Sat in the common room two hours later, I was sat comfortably on an armchair, Peter in the next one, and Remus sat on a small stool near the fire, James and Sirius were sat on the rug playing Wizards Chess. 

It was silent for a minute or two until Sirius got his pawn hit by James' player and he said, "Exams suck, and Malfoy is an arse." Remus looked up from his history of magic book and looked in my direction, we both shrugged and shared a look.

Peter decided to be smart and sarcastic and commented, "Just caught on have you?" Sirius threw him a glare and surprisingly, James decided to try and keep the peace, "Not that I don't agree but, what makes you say that?" 

I was actually quite interested why he said that too. Sirius said, "Malfoy was threatening some second year Gryffindor when McGonagall had finished telling me about my detention. I caught him drawing his wand on the poor kid as I turned the corner."

Remus then said something I didn't expect, "Dick, I've always hated how he can get away so easily with that. But, what's up with your exams?" Sirius blinked in silence for a minute at Remus and then smiled slightly, suddenly remembering what he was saying and frowning, "I have to study." 

I scoffed, Remus looked at me and then looked down at his history of magic books shaking his head. "What a shame, it's not like 98% of the school does it every year, they've just made Sirius Black do it because he doesn't want to this year," I said, rolling my eyes at the boy. Sirius flipped me off and checkmated James, James scowled and packed up his chess set with the broken pieces. 

Sirius then turned to me and said, "Piss off, I wouldn't be whining if you or Remus would just let me copy your history of magic notes."

"Sirius, not to be a downer but, you're going to have to do it yourself in fifth year, and seventh, and I won't be around forever," Remus said to the black haired boy who gasped. Sirius then threw himself on the floor, fake cried for a short while and when he was getting no reaction except for a bunch of sixth years looking at him strangely, he sat up in a sulk. 

I'm quite sure that this teenager is bipolar sometimes.

Sirius then decided to speak up, "Who said you won't? And as for the exam thing, I have it covered, me and James are quite smart for idiots like ourselves." James' face showed a reaction of shock and fake hurt and said, "Hey that's not nice." Sirius shrugged, looking at one of his best friends, "April fools?" 

James then proceeded to hit the black haired boy with Remus' History of Magic book which Remus gladly leant to him free of charge for about ten minutes.  Peter was having a very fun time, the small fight was happening right in front of his chair so he had a front row view.

However, I felt the need to ignore them and looked into the fire, it was a bright display of light, the pyrotechnics in the steel grate was warm and quite comforting. That was one of my favourite parts of the Gryffindor common room, the blazing fire and a very cushioned armchair with the support to the arms. 

It was always a nice experience sitting here when the day was windy or raining and listening to the usual buzz of chatter or the rain falling down on the window panes at night. It injected a pleasant, cosy feeling inside of me.

"Hey Athena, I've found the way into the kitchens and, I've found another passageway in this castle, I swear Hogwarts is full of secrets we might never get told if we don't discover them ourselves." 

James' voice ripped me out of my gaze into the orange flames and I pondered his words, thinking about all of the passages and secret hallways or shortcuts that Hogwarts would have, a castle with tapestries at every corner, 142 staircases and suits of armour that talk would have many things not told, maybe even things Dumbledore doesn't know.

"How many passages have you found now then James?" Peter asked. James and Sirius shared a look, counted them off, and then Remus added the Honeydukes one they found a few months ago, "Five." I was impressed, they could get anywhere they wanted, even Hogsmeade in that secret entrance, I was interested in the kitchen comment however, maybe that was where Fabian and Gideon have been getting their food from for the parties we have. 

I decided to ask about the kitchen entrance. Remus answered, "There's a portrait down near the Hufflepuff common room but you just have to turn one corner near some barrels. Then, there will be a portrait of some fruit in a bowl and just, tickle the pear." Tickle the pear? 

Peter giggled and expanded on his comment, "The fruit for some reason will laugh and the portrait will swing open, just like the entrance to our common room, the kitchens are there and house elves will be working probably." Hogwarts has house elves? You learn something new everyday.