Blood Status || Marauders Era

Chapter 77|| June

After everything that had happened at the Quidditch party, it seemed that the only people that could remember what happened was Remus, Aafiya and me. Everyone else was too drunk and too busy having fun to even notice. It seemed that even Sirius was going around like nothing had happened, which, for him, it probably hadn't. In the whole of the Gryffindor house, I had heard nothing about it. 

Which was good for me of course.

On the other hand, we had heard about Death Eaters starting a riot in Northern Ireland, but they had blamed it on the current conflicts going on in the country. Little did the poor Muggles know that the 'IRA' also had Death Eaters within their ranks, but they blamed in on their branch of religion. There were plenty of newspaper articles coming out that a dark force was getting stronger, and we should prepare ourselves of invasions.

In fact, Euphemia and Fleamont had sent James a letter that told him to stay safe, even going out to Hogsmeade, he couldn't stray out alone. They had also told him a secret he wasn't supposed to tell anyone else, that Dumbledore had gathered a group of people to plan something and that this year and probably next year, he was planning on recruiting Hogwarts students to help out too.

Sat in the classroom, writing a theoretical exam paper for Transfiguration was quite relaxing, it was calmer than in the Great Hall, where the fifth years would be now. The Seventh years do their theoretical papers in the afternoon, and it was 11 am now. We only had a Transfiguration practical examination this afternoon and then all exams would be over. Then, we could have fun and go to Hogsmeade tomorrow.

The hour was up, and our group of students were walking to lunch, quizzing each other on how they thought the other did and testing their friends spell casting skills for multiple different Transfiguration spells. There was the sound of chatter and enjoyment rolling through the break, first years nervous about their first exams, seventh years relaxed even though they were just about to leave Hogwarts for good.

It scared me, leaving Hogwarts, I knew what I wanted to do but I didn't know if I wanted to do it. I would have to constantly leave my friends, maybe not speak to them for days or weeks if we were all so busy. We could keep in touch of course, but who would hang around with Remus on a full moon? Who would break up manic battles between Sirius and James? Who would console Marlene that she was worth it after her rejection?

"Thea, what's the enlargement spell again?" James asked. He ripped me out of my trance, and I saw his worried, yet confused gaze and I told him, "Engorgio." He grinned and whispered something to Sirius which made the latter laugh, then he drank some pumpkin juice like nothing had happened. "Who are you going with at Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Peter asked me, and as the girls hadn't planned anything, I decided to spend my day with the boys.

The next day, I was harshly awoken to a scream and as I jumped up in bed, I saw Marlene and Alice stood on the nearest bed, Aafiya popping her head out of the bathroom, Lily frozen on the spot and Mary rolling her eyes. "What's going on?" I asked sleepily, it seemed like a horrific sight, but it couldn't be too bad if nobody had their wands out. "There's a spider," Alice whispered. I didn't like them, not sure why, but I didn't.

After Mary had removed said insect, and we had all changed, the girls made their way to breakfast while I waited for the boys to join me, we were going together so I may as well stick with them. Remus came down first, dressed in an old beige sweater, doc martens laced up, and scars ever present. Peter was next, flared trousers and a brown leather jacket, a smile on his face as he talked to his friend about his parents.

We ate breakfast rather quickly; it was just toast and cereals this morning as we all wanted to get out into the sunshine and have a longer day out in Hogsmeade. The walk was calming in the sun and the gentle winds, having good and interesting conversations with the Marauders, also known currently as the targetable bachelors of Gryffindor house. Apparently, there was no other males better looking than the four.

"Are we going to Zonko's first, then Honeydukes and then Three Broomsticks? Nowhere anyone else wants to go? Shrieking Shack maybe?" Sirius asked, heavily leaning on the last part and side eyeing the only werewolf in Hogwarts, presumably. The boy sighed, saying sarcastically, "It's not like I don't get enough of it during the full moon, isn't it?" This caused the black-haired boy to laugh.

We did go in the order Sirius suggested, lightening our pockets in Zonko's and buying first hand all of the wonderful equipment we need to challenge the caretaker Filch and his brand-new cat Mrs Norris. Sirius and James had already had many run ins with these two in the last two years and they were scared to have any more. I didn't really know him well, but I knew enough to know he didn't like children.

There was then a stop off at Honeydukes and that was always a wonderful experience. The shop always smelt delicious and the number of sweets there was in the place overwhelmed me, I usually bought many different variants of things whenever I came in, each time there could be a new flavour or a new product to try, and I mainly always did try.

Finally, we arrived at The Three Broomsticks where a new barmaid had just started a job here, she was called Rosmerta and she made us all refer to her as Madam Rosmerta, just to be on the polite side. Sirius and James now had a new game of trying to catch her attention or win her over with a horrendous pick-up line, one which myself and Remus would always gag at, whilst Peter would laugh. 

"She's an interesting woman, I'll give her that," James said as he flopped onto a stool, "but nothing, no one, tops my Lilyflower." The rest of our table gave James a strange look, because since when did he call her 'mine'? But the majority of us let it slide, since we never knew what to expect when it came to James and Lily. "My Lily, you have to be joking," Sirius said.

"What's wrong with that?" James asked, defensively, and from there, it turned into a battle of who had the last word, but there was some interesting insults and a particularly enthralling comment that the brunette made which Sirius slapped a hand over his mouth before anyone could say any more. I only knew that the beginning of the sentence started with, "But you like-"

So, as we were on the move back up to the castle, Sirius had stopped behind for a bit to tie his shoelace and, that was where I made my move and pestered him about the thing that James had said. "It was nothing Thea, he was just being James, stop annoying me," the boy had said, and then he walked quickly to catch up with the other boys, leaving me behind.

The only other thing that happened on our walk back up to the castle at three pm was that the rain started to fall rather heavily and me, thinking I didn't need a jacket as it was warm, getting cold and very much rained on. I was starting to wonder whether I should run for it and dry myself off with a drying charm back at the castle as I saw Remus was his jacket over his head, Sirius with his hood up and James with an extra jacket on from who knows where.

Suddenly, the rain stopped pouring on my head, but it was still lashing the ground that I walked on, and so it started to confuse me. "Here you are," I heard Peter whisper. I looked up and saw Peter's brown jacket being held over my head, Peter squeezing under, next to me. "Thank you, Pete," I said, it seemed like I needed to shout as the rain overshadowed my voice. He muttered something but I couldn't hear him.

"Hurry up you two, get in here," Sirius shouted, he was stood with James and Remus, under the canopy of the entrance to the Great Hall and the three were waiting for us to come inside. He also sounded rather bitter, but he was still probably annoyed from my constant questions. "Shall we run the last bit?" Peter asked me. I nodded and we ran, surprisingly in sync, as we reached the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Fantastic teamwork guys, and Thea, if you see the others, tell them practice is cancelled tonight," James told me. He was heading towards stairs that lead to the Hufflepuff dormitory and the kitchens, Sirius following behind him, scowling. As Remus, Peter and I were walking up the marble stairs, I asked, "Why does Sirius seem so annoyed?" Remus and Peter shared a look but shrugged. I was not getting anywhere.