The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Tricks or Treats

"TRICKS OR TREATS, MINNIE!" Sirius shouted, banging obnoxiously on her office door. 

James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily stood in the hallway outside of McGonagall's office - Sirius holding up his rucksack, the others standing a couple paces back because - well, this was Sirius's idea and they were only along for the walk about the castle.

The door opened slowly and Minerva McGonagall peered out at them, her eyes taking in their costumes slowly. Her lips moved as she read the name Snuffles on Sirius's collar and she opened the door a bit wider. "Good evening Potter, Lupin, Black... Miss. Evans," she said. "On your way to the feast, are you?"

"Yeah," Remus answered, and he started to say more, but Sirius cut him off.

"TRICK OR TREAT, SMELL MY FEET, GIVE ME SOMETHING GOOD TO EAT!" Sirius sing-songed, dancing a little jig.

"Nobody wants to smell your feet, mate," James said.

Sirius grinned up at McGonagall and shook his rucksack at her expectantly. "I love treats, Min." He stuck out his tongue and held up his hands like little paws at his chest, miming a begging dog.

Minnie looked at the rucksack, then studied Sirius for a long moment, settling into a most disapproving expression. "Mister Black, there will be plenty of treats at the feast this evening, which I am most sure that you will gorge yourself on, as is tradition."

"Yes, but, will there be tricks?" Sirius asked, grinning.

"With you there, I have no doubt of it," she replied, and she ducked back into her office and closed the door as James, Remus, and Lily laughed uproariously.

"She had no idea what to do with you, mate," James wheezed, near to tears. "The way she stared at you, oh, I'd pay a galleon to have taken a photograph of that look!"

Minnie was not the only professor utterly uncertain what to do with Sirius's shouted greeting. Professor Flitwick shooed them off, and Professor Clearwater already had a notice on her door that she would not be providing and treats and to kindly make her trick green as it was her favorite color. "Well bloody hell," Sirius said, looking at the notice, "She really can see the future!" And he made sure to oblige her request. Neither Garm or Frek responded to the banging on their door at all, which set Sirius to grumbling that he didn't really want to trick-or-treat to them anyhow, as they went on to visit all of the other professors all over the castle.

Only Professor Sprout managed to produce a treat - a tray of ghost-shaped cookies with bright orange candy eyes. She smiled as the four of them eagerly took up a cookie each - two for Sirius, and James requested one for Peter. "See you at the feast!" she called, waving to them, and Sirius skipped her door when setting their tricks, the taste of that delicious cookie still in his mouth.

"You would've been much more successful if you'd set this up with Dumbledore," Lily said. "And we wouldn't be the only idiots walking about knocking on the professors doors."

Sirius grinned, "But then they'd be better prepared and there would be far less tricks!"

McGonagall was looking into a mirror on the wall, just finishing up getting ready for the feast, when a loud banging came upon her office door. She turned about in surprise, glancing at the clock on her mantle, and crossed the room to open the door.

The corridor was empty.

She glanced up and down the hallway, but there was no one to be seen. Her mouth set in suspicion, but she ducked back into her office, and closed the door.

No sooner had she reached the mirror and been about to put the next pin into her bun than another knock came upon the door. She sighed and crossed back over, opening the door to find - yet again, nobody was there. She leaned out again, looking about. "Peeves?" she called. But there was no response from the Poltergeist, who surely would have shown himself at her request. McGonagall's eyes narrowed, and she closed the door again, though this time she waited beside it.