The Heart Of Marauders

Chapter 7

The next morning, all of Hogwarts was shaken awake by the loud bellowing scolding of Lily Evans. Connor groaned in his bed as he heard his sister say, "JAMES POTTER! YOU ARE AN ARROGANT TOERAG! WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO YOU! IT'S ONLY THE FIRST DAY!"

James looked at her sheepishly. He hadn't meant to *accidentally* hit Severus with a Colloshoo hex, but in James's defense, Snape hit him with an Anteoculatia hex. And in front of Sirius too, which James knew would cause Sirius to begin antler related jokes. 

James replied in kind to Lily saying, "MERLIN, LILY! HE FREAKING STARTED IT! WHY DO YOU THINK I HAVE ANTLERS ON MY HEAD?"

"POTTER, YOU EGGED HIM ON!"

"I DID NO SUCH THING!"

"YES, YOU DID!

"NO, I DID NOT!"

At that point, all the Gryffindors were in the common room watching the fight. A sleepy Marlene walked up to them and said, "Alright you two, all of Hogwarts is awake. Let's go. Move along. There's nothing we can do now." She pulled Lily away from James and then they went up to their room.

Sirius walked over to James and put his arm around James's shoulders, "James darling, would you be a deer and come sit with Remus, Peter and I."

James glared at Sirius and followed him over to a couch. Remus asked how James knew the Colloshoo hex, finding out that James practically memorized a harmless hex book that summer. Then the four of them left again to try to get to the Great Hall as they had been interuptted by Lily following them the first time.

When they got there,  Sirius, secretly under the table, initiated Part One of the Marauders' plan, and shot sparks in the air, close to Lucius Malfoy, who had a look of disgust on his face. Then Remus shot one near James, to eliminate them as suspects. Peter shot one towards the teacher's table, near Flitwick because the boys didn't dare target McGonagall. James then shot one towards Ted Tonks and Sirius shot another towards a Ravenclaw.

"Whoever is dispensing these unfavorable discharges from their wands, please do not hesitate to stop it," McGonagall said, unable to pinpoint the location of origin. James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus hid their smirks well and felt joy fill their hearts as a rogue spark hit Severus's behind.

Lily, after seeing this, knew exactly who had begun the spark-shooting. However, the boys had done so well in disguising themselves, she had no proof, which naturally infuriated her. Connor and Daisy also knew exactly who had done it, as they were sitting right next to the 11-year-olds. Both were greatly amused, Connor whispering, "That was brilliant." and Daisy nodding in agreement, "You just say that because you weren't a target like you were when Arthur Weasley did the same thing to you last summer after you hit him with the Curse of the Bogies." 

Connor grimaced. He and Arthur had had a prank war for a few days last summer when they were both visiting the Potters. It was epic, but they both were pretty battered by the end of the trip. Arthur's fiance Molly Prewett found out and forced them to stop. 

"You know Arthur Weasley and Molly Prewett?" James said with enthusiasm. Daisy smacked his head. "Of course he does, you idiot. He met them last summer remember, when Mum and Dad had them over to find out all the details for their wedding." 

James nodded, rubbing the spot she had hit and began talking to Sirius about the proper ways to set off a dungbomb. Connor and Daisy stood up and Remus asked them where they were going. They replied saying that they were going to help McGonagall hand out the schedules. IT was a tradition they had started their second year when McGonagall had accidentally dropped the schedules on the floor.

McGonagall handed them each a stack of schedules and they began handing them out. Daisy began to fret when she saw the first name: Rudolphus Lestrange. Courageously, she made her way over to the Slytherin table. She quickly scanned the classes he had and made a note of how where and when they were so she could avoid him. 

"Ah look the blood traiter is here. Come to apologize for betraying our family?" Rudolphus said, earning laughs from the other Slytherin. 

"Shut up Lestrange." She said and mumbled about being a proud blood traitor as she gave him his timetable. 

"What did you say to me? Did you just tell me to shut up? I really should punish you for that. After all, we faithful purebloods have richer blood than you filthy blood traiters." Rudolphus said. Instead of retaliating, Daisy turned her attention to the next two papers, Snape's and Lily's.

"Severus, you will be glad to know that you and Lily have Potions, Herbology, and DADA together once a week." she said with a smile, which he didn't dare return in front of Rudolphus. 

Daisy left to go give Lily her timetable, but just as she gave it to Lily, she felt a sting on her leg and asked Marlene to scoot over so she could see what had happened. She saw a red welt on her leg and sighed. She asked Alice if she could pass out the rest of the schedules while she went to Madame Pumfery. Alice gave Daisy a sympathetic smile and took the papers. 

When Daisy stood up, she found out she could barely walk because of the pain from her brother's stinging hex. Lily and Marlene jumped up and helped her get to the hospital wing. Madame Pumfery had a bed ready for Daisy, who laughed, "Expecting someone were you?"

"You always seem to be in here on the first day of classes. Poor dear. What is it this time?" Madame Pumfery asked. 

"Stinging hex I think," Daisy said as Lily and Marlene helped her over to the bed. The two then left after Daisy thanked them and Madame Pumfery shooed them out. 

Madame Pumfery had the problem fixed in moments, giving Daisy enough time to run back downstairs and meet Connor, who had her schedule. He asked her what happened and she told him between angry swear words. He hugged her and told her James was very concerned when Daisy left the Great Hall limping. Daisy sighed, knowing she'd have to tell the Potters now. Nothing was going to get passed James this year. She just wasn't sure how much he would keep secret and how much he would tell their parents.

*~---~*

James saw Lily and Marlene helping Daisy out of the Great Hall. He stood up and asked Connor what happened. Connor, not knowing what to say, told James he didn't know. Sirius then jumped on James's back and began chanting "Come on Rudolph let's go! Ho ho ho!".

The whole great hall then began laughing at the pair as Andromeda shot a spell at Sirius making him look like Santa Claus.  James then galloped around the Great Hall and out the door, making his way to the Gryffindor common room, all with Sirius on his back.

"My, my, Rudolph that was quite the-ouf! Blimey, mate you could have let me down nicer!" Sirius said as James dropped him near the Fat Lady. James then saw Sirius's costume and burst out laughing. 

"How -are the- elves- Mr. Claus?" He asked between breaths.  Sirius glared at him, resulting in James laughing even more, "My goodness, have I been naughty this year?"

"Pipsqueak," Sirius said, opening the door and running up the stairs to the common room. James continued laughing behind him until he saw Daisy enter the room. Then he walked up to her and looked at her in a way that she knew exactly what he was asking. He was demanding answers.

"Okay! Rudophus does this every year. He tries to hurt me in some way, shape, or form. It's never deadly though. Just enough for him to tell me that he hates me. " She said, with her hands in surrender. 

James had a look of fury on his face. "That idiot is going to pay! No one hurts my sister!" He said and dashed up the stairs. Daisy tried to run after him but he was too fast for her. Daisy saw Remus and Peter rush into the common room and upstairs too. She sighed. Those four were absolutely perfect for each other. She couldn't imagine the trouble they'd get into.

She went back downstairs and saw Connor sitting there with Marlene. She went and sat down next to them, rubbing her sore legs and ignoring Connor's concern. She was used to her brother's fury. She felt lucky to have James as an honorary brother.