Sparks (Things We Lose Trilogy: Book 2)

All in Order

The late spring sun shone brightly onto the Hogwarts grounds. The birds flitted from tree to tree, singing and twittering happily. The giant squid swam playfully in the Black Lake. Seventh-years sat by the mass of water, soaking up the last moments of their Hogwarts years. And James Potter was screaming.

"Aaah!" he yelled, "That water's cold!"

He ran, closely followed by Sirius carrying Marlene on his shoulders, who was squirting water from the end of her wand and down the back of James's school shirt. It was the Friday afternoon of their second-last week at Hogwarts. Lily sat watching the spectacle from under the Marauder's favorite beech tree, laughing jovially. Remus sat next to her, reading his book, and occasionally looking up to smile and shake his head at his friends' antics. Peter hovered between sitting and standing, shouting encouragements to Sirius whenever he caught up, and to James whenever he got away.

"Faster!" Sirius heard Marlene cry from somewhere above his head, which he had fastened his Gryffindor tie around.

"Alright then", he laughed as he lunged towards James.

"Hey!" exclaimed Marlene, as she was almost thrown off by the sudden movement.

Sirius, however, ignored her and hurtled as fast as he could after James, who was still managing to outrun them by a few meters. Marlene sent another jet of water towards James.

"Ha ha Potter", she laughed, "You can't escape Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black. You- whoa!"

Sirius tripped over a clump of dirt and spun around, landing on his back, rather awkwardly. Marlene landed beside him.

"He got away", sighed Marlene, disappointed.

"Never mind", said Sirius, panting from the effort of all his running.

"Yeah, well, maybe you should run faster", Marlene smiled, before hitting him on the arm as she sat up.

"Oh really?" said Sirius, before he started to poke her in the shoulder.

"Hey stop!" she cried.

"No" said Sirius.

"Help! Lily!", she shouted, "This idiots is attacking me!"

"I am not an idiot!" said Sirius indignantly.

"I've yet to see anything to suggest otherwise", quipped Marlene, as she started to poke him back.

"If you are quite finished", said a voice near them.

They broke apart. Sirius jumped up immediately as he saw a disapproving Professor McGonagall standing a few meters away.

"Professor", he said, "What- ah- what were you saying?"

"Mr Black", she said, with strictness in her voice, "Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you."

"Oh..."

"And you all as well", Professor McGonagall said to the group at large.

Sirius straightened his dusty shirt and made to follow her. A confused looking James hurried over from the middle of the grass, patting madly at his wet shirt-back in an attempt to dry it. Lily, Peter, and Remus walked over from under the tree.

"Professor, what does Dumbledore want to see us for?" asked James incredulously.

"He will explain when we get to his office", snapped McGonagall, "Come now."

She moved off across the grass towards the castle, followed by the six friends.

"And Black", said Professor McGonagall abruptly, "Take your tie off your head, we are not running an institution for hooliganism."