The Shrieking Shack || The Marauders (Book 1)

JAMES

After spending days discussing it with Sirius and still finding no way around it, they walked toward Marks Mason nervously on Thursday morning as the Great Hall buzzed with excitement and anticipation about the upcoming Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match.

"Hey Mason, buddy!" Sirius began with what he probably thought was a casual way to greet a fellow Gryffindor fourth year who they were supposed to convince to steal.

"Uh..." Mark Mason looked at the pair of them uncertainly.

"How's it going?" James chimed in with an enthusiastic smile.

"What do you want?" Mason asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Want? We just want to ask our good old friend how he's doing this fine sunny morning, that's all." Sirius forced a smile.

Mason stood up smiling at them, then put his arms around their shoulders assertively and dragged them out of the Great Hall. He pushed them inside the first empty classroom that he could find and closed the door.

"Please don't tell me you did something horrible and stupid, again," he said, looking pointedly at them.

"We didn't do anything," James said, and then added-"yet."

Marks raised his eyebrows at them. "Well then whatever it is don't do it," he hissed. "We're already third, behind Slytherin and Hufflepuff this year, whatever stupid idea that you have in your mind- dump it!"

"It's not stupid," James snapped. "We have it all planned out. There's no way it will be tracked back to us."

"Look we just need a little help," said Sirius as Mark scanned them sceptically. "Well, more like a little bubotuber pus."

"Bubotuber pus?" asked Mark. "And what will you do with that?"

"Well umm... let's just say that we want to give dear old Filch a nasty little surprise," said Sirius, half smiling.

Mark bit his lips. It wasn't news that everyone hated Filch and longed to kick his annoying little cat. But James and Sirius knew that with Mark, the hatred was quite personal. Filch had recently made the entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team scrub the fifth floor corridor without magic for breaking curfew for Quidditch practice, which had resulted in a lousy practice the next day as the team-members were quite cranky and sleep deprived. As Hestia Jones, a Gryffindor Chaser had told James, Mark had always been rather particular about the team's practice schedule and was extremely fuming over Filch for screwing up his team's performance for the evening.

"And you're sure it won't be tracked back to you?" he asked uncertainly.

"We give you our word," James replied solemnly.

"But I'm not sure I can get you much-"

"Won't be an issue," said Sirius, smiling as part one of their plan seemed to be succeeding.

As the day for the first Quidditch match drew closer, they both grew evidently restless. They had decided to enact their plan during the match for they were sure that Filch would stick to his little office then since there wouldn't be much students in the corridors to bully.

"I can't believe you guys dragged me into this," said Remus, laying back into his bed the night before the match. It was a remarkably dark night and the lights of the castle were already out. Outside the window, clouds floated in the inky black sky and owls hooted eerily at each other. Their dormitory was only lit by the faint moonlight that escaped the clouds and entered their room through the closed window.

"That's the fifth time you've said that tonight and I'm getting sick of telling you we won't get caught! There's just no way," said James and threw his pillow at him. "Just calm down."

"But what if we do get caught?" asked Peter uncertainly, looking back and forth between James and Sirius from his own bed.

"We won't," said Sirius simply as he slopped down on his bed heavily.

"And if we do get caught," added James as he walked towards Peter who still looked unconvinced and sat beside him. "I'll take all the blame," he completed.

"There!" said Sirius, looking up at Peter. "Problem solved."

James threw another pillow which hit Sirius right on his face. "You were supposed to say you'd take the blame with me."

"I won't need to." Sirius shrugged. "We won't get caught... Though if it does come to that, of course I'll share the blame," he added, chucking the pillow back at James.

"It's not about the blame or punishment or anything guys!" Remus said irritably, "Its feels- it feels wrong."

"Wrong?!" exclaimed James.

"No. no. no. What Filch does is wrong- bullying students for sheer pleasure." Sirius stood up indignantly. "Only yesterday he threatened me with detention, disembowelment, flaying me alive-"

"Hanging you by the ankles from the ceiling, whipping you, leaving you among trolls. It's like his only dream is to torture little children, that's wrong," completed James.

"What'd he threaten you for?" asked Peter curiously.

"Oh I stepped on Mrs. Norris's tail." Sirius shrugged as if it was the most natural thing to do.

"But wait a minute, I remember you did it on purpose." Remus pointed out.

"Oh course I did it on purpose," said Sirius in a matter-of-fact tone. "But Filch didn't know that, did he?"

"And yet-" James walked towards Sirius and placed his arms on his shoulder "-he threatened the innocent little Sirius Black with oh-so torturous things that-"

Sirius shrugged his hands off his shoulder. "Who're you calling little?"

"Who're you calling innocent?" sniggered Remus.

"Oh I don't know, it does sound like a brilliant plan," said Peter, laying back on his bed.

"I think it's more on the lines of insane," remarked Remus.

"And that is t-th-the brilliant part, my friend." said James, yawning, as he crept under his covers.

________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. :) If you have the time, please comment and tell me what you thought about this chapter. I'm open to critique and/or suggestions. 

Also, please vote if you liked this chapter. :)