Some Fun
Despite losing five points for his house for his house on the first day of classes, James’ start at Hogwarts had been nothing short of a magical whirlwind.
He sprinted back to Gryffindor tower to grab his wand just in time for his second class of the day, charms.
Peter had saved a spot next to him and he slid right in before Professor Flitwick began class. Today's agenda included a levitation charm, the first bit of magic James would be able to intentionally do. Of course he had done magic before, showing signs at nearly 6 months by levitating six petal white flowers above his head, watching as they spun and whirled, dancing and leaping through the bars of his crib and giggling all the while; of course James had no recollection of this memory but apparently it was one of his mum’s fondest.
Similarly to his first experience doing magic being levitation, his first experience doing magic. On purpose. Would be levitation. Hopefully this would mean he would be an expert and all the confidence in the world filled his chest.
Flitwick instructed them on a swish and flick motion which Sirius sniggered. Then they were told to just have a go at the feather in front of them.
“Wingardium Leviosa” James swished and flicked his wand in seemingly perfect rhythm but his feather lay sadly in front of him.
The entire group seemed to be fairly similarly poorly, but James truly couldn’t wrap his mind around why his feather wouldn’t even twitch.
The first breakthrough happened two minutes after Flitwick had set them off to work, a slight red headed girl had commanded her feather up and was now spinning it overhead.
“My my my this is the fastest someone has levitated their feather in my many years” Flitwick said appraisingly. The girl giggled and dropped her feather before casting the charm and letting it dance once again.
Sirius was next almost in tandem with James. James closed his eyes and imagined the feather lifting up, he felt a tug from his heart down his veins and into his finger tips.
Swish and flick
And when he opened them his feather had risen a meter off the desk. Sirius tried to direct his feather towards James’ and knock them together. James hit his feather back like a sword fight over Peter’s head.
Peter on the other hand pushed back in his seat frustrated, his feather twitched and shook back and forth but did not rise up to meet James’ and Sirius’ which were slowly being joined by Remus’. Remus was dialed into his feather, slowly pushing it up like he was afraid it would lose balance and come crashing down.
“Come on Petey, just try and imagine it lifting up.” James said while pushing Peter’s hand closer to the feather.
“This is pointless, who even wants a feather to fly! If it wants to fly so bad it should have just stayed attached to the bird!” Peter exclaimed, shooting his wand towards the feather.
The feather rippled for a second and Peter looked hopeful but instead fire shot out the other side nearly catching the same greasy haired boy from the sorting ceremony aflame.
Classes ended quickly and James saw Remus pocket his feather just before they rushed out of the room following older students down onto the lawn to lay in the sun for a while.
They completed their homework, ate another feast, and tucked into their own beds that night. The heater still cranked high and curtains drawn James laid under his covers and took off his glasses. The room smelt strongly of coals and Peter’s snoring was obnoxious but James couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else. He dreamt of flowers and feathers dancing through his mind lifting him up and flying away together. Such was James' first week at Hogwarts at magical dancing dream.
Sunday September 5th, 1971
Saturday had passed and James had slept nearly the whole day, exhausted by the adjustment of only child to boarding school mate, sharing with three other growing tweenage boys.
It hadn’t been all dreams and sugar plum fairies, Peter snored too loud; Sirius stole the toilet for at least an hour every night; Remus was dangerous to sit next to at the breakfast table, eating an entire tray of each kind of food and refusing to speak before having tea.
However it was time to adventure, it was time to begin his Hogwarts legacy, it was time to do something super ace.
It was time for Remus to get super ill.
James woke up Sunday morning to the disgusting noise of vomit hitting the toilet bowl.
“Mate you gotta stop eating all that at meals” Sirius yelled from beneath his covers.
“Shut … up” the voice from the toilet yelled back angrily.
“Let’s go get some tea eh?” James hollered from behind his curtain rising and throwing a tee shirt on from off the floor.
All four boys made it down to breakfast in various states of undress and mess. They sat slumped over tea waiting for the bright lights of the morning to wake them.
Remus was a shade paler than normal so James pushed a plate of danishes his way; Remus grabbed chocolate, raspberry, and apple.
The news owls came swooping overhead suddenly, dropping papers and letters throughout the hall. James’ family owl landed beside him giving an affectionate bite and extending his leg containing a letter from his parents. James took the letter to read in private and sent the bird off with a sausage in claw.
“Who's that from Sirius?” Peter smiled, opening his own letter.
Sirius shrugged nonchalantly and shoved the letter into his pant pocket before clapping Remus’ sleeping head, stirring him.
“Lads, I have the most ace idea. Truly.”
***
“Tenebris lapsus”
The boys crowded around the statue of a humpback witch, hiding. The spot on the floor just next to them only looked slightly off if one was truly searching.
A Slytherin boy and Gryffindor girl were coming closer and James slapped a hand over his mouth the other over Sirius’ to keep from laughing.
The boy was a stride ahead talking about some book or other and just as he turned back to look at the red headed girl beside him he stepped into the dark spot.
Slip
Slide
The four Gryffindor boys roared with laughter as their spell worked causing the now identified greasy boy from class to slip down into their dark, tar like puddle, covering his robes in the goop.
“Oh my god what did you do! Severus are you okay let’s get you up” the red head cried while doing her best to avoid the guck.
“Piss off Lily, I'm fine!” The boy cried back attempting to stand before falling again.
“No need to yell at your girlfriend” James struggled to say through his laughter.
“Piss off you barmy git” the boy said finally rising only slipping slightly. He began to stock forward, and raised. James pulled out his own but didn’t raise it, waiting to see what he was doing.
“Locomotor Wibbly” Severus turned at the last second to Peter and James watched as his legs turned to jelly and he fell forward attempting to catch himself with his hand but mostly landing on his face.
Severus raised his wand again towards Remus but James cried out “Aguamente” , a spell he had frequently seen his mother use but was yet to try himself until this moment.
Severus was blasted backwards by a tidal wave of water.
“See mate, you’re all clean” Sirius yelled before grabbing Peter under the arm and beginning to run in the other direction.
James and Remus sprinted after roaring and hollering, albeit James much louder than Remus. The boys laughed themselves all the way through Gryffindor tower to their dorm; where Remus continued to run. All the way to the toilet. Where he threw up again.
“What time is it?” He called out.
“Nearly four,” Sirius yelled back.
There was significant rustling and then Remus reappeared pale, probably from just throwing up his breakfast and lunch James thought.
“I’m going to the hospital wing” he announced and walked quickly towards the door.
“Let’s all go. We’ll see if anyone else takes a swim in the tar!” James said following Remus closely.
“No!” Remus barked sharply.
“Sorry, I just thought you’d want some company eh Remus?” James said shocked at the sudden shift of tension in the dorm.
“Well I don’t and if I did I would have asked” Remus hissed before turning on his heel and fleeing.
James, stunned, sunk down onto his bed. He tried to recall the last time a friend had yelled at him, his parents, anyone with significance and couldn’t. He must have done something seriously wrong.
“Well he was a right prat about that,” Sirius asserted finally.
“Dinner?” Peter offered. They went down but James couldn’t eat.
***
The moon was full and high, James watched it from his big window. Remus still hasn’t returned and it was well past curfew. James couldn’t even fathom where he went so wrong, from a fun prank with his new friends to being yelled at and now Remus was gone. Thankfully Peter’s snoring was drowning out many of these thoughts.
The curtain to Sirius’ bed opened slightly, “you awake?”
James replied with a quiet confirmation, assuming he was being too loud. Sirius however rose out of his bed and padded over to James’.
“Can I come in?” He asked.
“Sure”
Sirius slipped inside and cast Lumos quickly, before pulling out his letter from earlier.
“My brother, he sent it to me.”
“Lucky. I wish I had little siblings, you can totally make them your best friends. When I’m an adult I’ll have a million kids and they can have their own quidditch team!” James declared his dream of a family was well known to all who knew him. Though most adults laughed at his confident assertion James was certain about his future at the mere age of eleven.
“Sort of, more like I wanna help him and keep him safe. When I was younger I told him I’d find a spell that would let me keep him in my pocket. He cried so hard because he didn’t want to be short” Sirius laughed before sobering up slightly.
“When is he coming to Hogwarts?” James smiled at the thought of Sirius’ little brother joining in a prank or finding a spell to truly make him pocket sized.
“Next year but I don’t think he’ll want to hang with us” Sirius replied, almost reading James’ mind.
“Why not we’re totally brilliant!”
“His letter; he said he’s disappointed in me for being in Gryffindor.” Sirius and James both looked down to stare at the envelope.
“You’re still family no matter what!” James exclaimed a bit too loudly as it seemed by Peter stirring slightly.
“Every Black ever has been in Slytherin”
“Welp not anymore and I’m glad for it” James reached over and ruffled Sirius’ hair.
The boys smiled and Sirius padded back over to his bed softly.
In the morning Remus’ bed was still empty but James' heart felt a little more full than when he left.