The Shrieking Shack || The Marauders (Book 1)

14. SIRIUS

"Oh no, not happening," said Sirius exasperated. "I don't think I'll ever get it!"

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't get it the first time either," said Remus.

"But you did get it the first time."

Their first class that morning was Charms with Slytherins. Professor Flitwick, their Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard. So tiny in fact that he had to stand up on a pile of books to look over his desk properly.

"Wingardium leviosa!" said Sirius again, in vain. "How the hell did you pull it off in one try?"

Remus smirked. "But it wasn't my first try," he said. "My father home schooled me for a year, so I kind of already knew how to do it."

"That's not fair!" said Sirius, prodding the end of his wand into the feather as it refused to hover in air for him. Professor Flitwick had divided the class into pairs and Sirius had gotten Remus while James had Peter. "What did he home school you for anyway?" he asked Remus who had already won Gryffindor House ten points by doing a perfect hover charm within a few seconds after the class began.

"Oh, well-"

"Remember the wand moment everyone, swish and flick!" said Professor Flitwick as he took rounds.

"Wingardium leviosa!" said Sirius again, frustrated and to his surprise the feather rose into the air by a feet and stayed there for a moment before falling down on their desk again. "Did you see that?" said Sirius looking up at Remus excitedly.

"A few more tries and I bet you'll make it stay invariably."

Sirius looked at James who was having a very hard time as the feather on his desk kept bursting into flames every time Peter did the spell.

Remus elbowed him on the ribs "Look at Selena," he hissed.

Sirius looked at where he was pointing in time to see a girl with a black braid swish and flick her wand. Her feather rose in the air in a rather jerky manner and went straight into her partner's nostrils. They both burst out laughing.

"Ahem," Professor Flitwick cleared his throat. "Let's see you then," he said, narrowing his eyes at Sirius.

"Wingardium leviosa!" Sirius bellowed and this time, to his own surprise, the feather hovered two feet in air and stayed there. He looked down at Professor Flitwick, whose lips were pressed into thin lines. Flitwick nodded begrudgingly and walked away.

"I bet he was hoping to nick Gryffindor a few points," sniggered Sirius.

"I bet he was just annoyed to find us laughing shamelessly in his class," said Remus, shaking his head. "I think-" he continued, looking at James and Peter now "-we should go and help Peter before he burns this whole place down."

*

"What's next?" asked James after lunch.

They had had Transfiguration with Ravenclaw after Charms, which had proven to be much better. Professor McGonagall, their Transfiguration teacher, was strict, clever and a no-nonsense kind of woman. She had started the class with brief lecture about Transfiguration at large and then turned her desk into a dog. They all had been very impressed, but a little disappointed later to learn that they would only be turning matchsticks into needles. The task, however, had proven to be a lot tougher than they had anticipated and at the end of the class, James and Sirius had both earned Gryffindor five points each for being the only ones to do it successfully.

"Potions with Slytherin," said Peter, checking his schedule.

"Oh, no!" groaned Sirius.

The Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. All the Gryffindor first years waited outside with the Slytherins for the class to begin. Sirius noticed Lily Evans talking merrily to Snape and Remus and Peter in a conversation with the girl from Charms.