Eclipsed

The Marauders' impatience Halloween, and more specifically, their Halloween prank, was palpable, almost as much as the evening’s magic crackling in the air. The Marauders were ready for their first mischief-making-mission of the term, even Remus, who although he was initially hesitant to partake in the festivities, found himself equally swept up in the excitement. He’d managed to stay out of most of the planning and preparation stages, but the Marauders were a four-person operation, and at the end of the day, Remus was as much of a prankster as any one of them. After all, what's a bit of harmless mayhem among friends?

The evening before, James and Sirius had set the final stage of their prank in the kitchens, spreading a precise amount of the Translucence Elixir over the ingredients for the feast’s desserts, so all there was to do during the feast itself was cause external chaos. While James, Sirius, and Peter had taken over the brewing and distribution of the elixir itself, Remus’ part in the plan was causing the actual chaos. 

Having a talent for charms and magical theory, Remus spent some of his newfound post-moon free time researching for a spell to reverse gravity inside the Great Hall, which combined with the elixir, would give the evening a spooky, silly vibe. He wasn’t able to find exactly what he was looking for, but instead, as he always did, set about crafting his own spell, weaving together incantations and wand movements with the skill of a seasoned professional but the motivations of an roguish teen boy. While he hadn’t always been able to test them out himself, especially in years past when he’d been ill or in pain for most of the month, Remus’ original spells usually worked pretty well, and the Marauders had always been able to count on him to put the finishing touches on any prank. Of course, perfecting a spell wasn't without its challenges. The Marauders' dormitory had become a testing ground for Remus over the past two weeks, with furniture and belongings drifting lazily through the air in various states of anti-gravity. Yet, through trial and error, Remus honed the spell and the counter-charm, ensuring that their prank would go on (and off) without a hitch. 

As the Great Hall buzzed with excitement, the Marauders found themselves nearly bursting with anticipation. Peter's nervous energy was palpable, his leg bouncing like a jackhammer beneath the table. Beside him, Remus maintained an air of calm, his gaze fixed on the empty plate in front of him with a practiced blank expression. Meanwhile, Sirius and James were both horrible liars, their stifled giggles threatening to erupt into full-blown laughter at any moment.

Marlene sauntered over, her grin as mischievous as the Marauders'. "So, what nonsense have you cooked up for us this time?" she teased, sliding into the seat next to James, her eyes dancing with curiosity.  Mary followed, settling down next to Peter, and Lily on her other side. The other fifth year girl, Isabelle Oakes, waved to her roommates and continued on, where she sat farther down the table with her friends, who were mostly sixth and seventh years. 

"Nonsense?" Sirius exclaimed dramatically, leaning forward with exaggerated innocence. "Us? Never!" He clutched James’ arm. “Isn’t that right, Prongs?” 

James chimed in, his grin wide and infectious. "Absolutely, we've turned over a new leaf thanks to Remus, our most dedicated prefect. Pranks are a thing of the past- haven’t you noticed our absolutely angelic behavior this year?"

Across the table, Lily couldn't help but scoff.  “Yeah, sure, and tomorrow you’ll tell me the sky is green and the Giant Squid can fly.”

“Well Evans, if you want the sky green, I can certainly make that happen, just for you,” James replied cockily.

“And I know for a fact that Agustus can’t fly, but that too can be arranged,” Remus added primly, having become well acquainted with the squid under circumstances that he preferred to keep to himself. 

Lily rolled her eyes, and before she could respond to their sassy remarks, Dumbledore was standing at the head table, and a hush fell over the room. 

"Happy Halloween, everyone! Please remember that Halloween is when we are most in touch with our magical cores, and that we should treat this holiday with the reverence, and fun, that it deserves." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes scanned the room, a grin playing on his lips as he raised his goblet. "Cheers," he said, uncharacteristically brief, before the feast suddenly materialized on the tables.

For the next half hour, a cornucopia of delectable dishes replenished themselves in the serving dishes—soups, roasts, pot pies, and more, with ample vegetarian options of course, which James thoroughly enjoyed. Just as the savory feast wound down, the dishes vanished, replaced by an array of tempting desserts, and kick-starting the execution of 1975’s Halloween Prank. 

“Libera-pondus,” Remus whispered under his breath, his wand moving discreetly from left to right, then slowly up, from beneath the table. James and Sirius discreetly mirrored his actions, their eyes alight with mischief. With a sly grin, they began indulging in the sweet treats just as the spell took effect.Slowly but surely, the benches, tables, and desserts themselves began to float, followed by the gradual translucence that everyone’s skin began to take on. 

While floating in the air translucently could’ve been a terrifying experience, Remus had ensured through specific wording, that the spell not only lifted gravity but also lifted spirits. Floating in mid-air, transparent but jubilant, almost everyone embraced the whimsy of the occasion.

"It seems the mischievous spirit of Halloween has struck once again," Dumbledore proclaimed through his wand, now serving as a makeshift microphone as he floated around the room. "A round of applause for our mysterious pranksters, who have kept Halloween alive and well at Hogwarts for the past five years." As he passed the fifth-year Gryffindors, he raised a knowing eyebrow, and they saluted right back.

“Potter, Black, I know it was you!” Lily's voice echoed through the floating chaos, her efforts to stay upright hindered by the spell’s whimsical effect. James and Sirius bobbed toward each other, linking elbows like otters and adopting exaggerated expressions of innocence—though they truly fooled no one.

“Evans, we're flattered you think we're capable of such advanced spellwork!” Sirius quipped, his pureblood accent dripping with mock sincerity. “I thought you considered us imbeciles!”

“Clearly it was Lupin with the spell. I know you and Potter did this ghostly part— and... no offense, Pettigrew, but I can't see where you fit in here- But you all ought to be ashamed, especially you, Lupin! What if someone gets hurt? What if someone gets crushed by a table or has an allergic reaction? You're all so thoughtless!”

Remus drifted by, an expression on his face that bordered on frosty. “Firstly, Evans, since apparently we’re no longer on a first-name basis, Peter’s intelligence and involvement in any hypothetical pranks pulled is none of your concern. Secondly, it’s rather audacious of you to assume that I, as a Prefect, would actively participate in such a flagrant breach of school rules. And thirdly, if hypothetically involved, I would have certainly devised a counter-charm that seamlessly reversed the effects of the charm itself, applying the theoretical basis behind the tergeo/reparo spells as a blueprint to restore gravity to their original state, if properly cast.” Remus’ personality had been steadily returning as his health was improving, and it seemed that Lily hadn’t been made aware, as  her cheeks flushed crimson at his quippy reply. 

“Oh, sod off, Lupin! We’re supposed to be on the same team!” she snapped, her frustration evident as she angrily drifted away, her friends stifling giggles as they floated toward the Marauders.

“Wow, James!” Marlene exclaimed, pulling him away from Sirius momentarily as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “This is almost more fun than flying on a broomstick!”

“Well, credit where it’s due—this part was all Remus,” James replied quietly, his lips close to her ear to prevent their conversation from being overheard by any passing teachers. “Sirius, Pete, and I handled the Translucence Elixir.”

“Is that what it is? Brilliant!” Marlene beamed, James’ arm slipping comfortably around her waist as they floated. Despite the enjoyment of her nearness, James couldn't shake a sudden bout of self-consciousness, aware of Lily's judgmental gaze from across the room, where she had joined Snape in a dimmer corner, his unsavory companions conspicuously absent.

All at once, James and Marlene began to descend slowly to the ground, their skin returning to its usual state of opacity, and true to Remus's word, everything gently floating back into its proper place.

“What do you say we head back to the common room?” James whispered to Marlene, who eagerly nodded, taking his hand and pulling him up from the bench. “See you later, lads,” he called over his shoulder, waving as he followed Marlene through the doors into the corridor, joining the other students starting their own early celebrations, chatting as they made their way through the corridors.

“Thanks, James,” Marlene said as they neared the portrait of the Fat Lady guarding the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

“Thanks for what?” James inquired after giving the password to the Fat Lady and squeezing through the portrait hole.

“For hanging out,” Marlene replied, flashing him a pretty smile that sent a pleasant flutter through James's stomach. “You know, you’re pretty different without your friends around.”

“Different in a good way or a bad way?” James teased, earning a laugh from Marlene. He hadn’t noticed her dimples before.

“Definitely in a good way,” she affirmed. They felt frozen in time before Lily, followed by Mary and the rest of the Marauders, burst into the common room. 

“Jamie, Prongs, you should’ve seen it!” Sirius gasped, clapping James on the shoulder and interrupting the moment between James and Marlene. “Somehow everything went back exactly as it should’ve been, except for Yaxley, that Seventh Year Slytherin; his goblet somehow returned to him upside down on top of his head… It was beautiful seeing him spitting pumpkin juice everywhere and crying because his robes were “ruined.”

“Like he’s never heard of a washin’ machine before,” Mary laughed, skipping ahead towards the girls’ dormitories.

“Well, he shouldn’t have been picking on a muggleborn first year then,” Peter replied smugly. “I caught him while I was in stealth-mode.” To Peter, stealth-mode = rat-form. 

“Wormy, was that you?” Sirius exclaimed, pulling Peter into a rare hug. “I’m so proud!”

“We’ve raised him well,” Remus joked, wiping away an imaginary tear. James smiled,  giving Peter a congratulatory pat on the back before feeling a tap on his arm.

“I’d better go, James,” Marlene motioned to the staircase, where Mary was waiting for her. “See you at practice tomorrow morning?”

“See you then!” James called after her, as she followed her friend upstairs.

“Whatever happened to Lily’s the only one for me?” Sirius teased after Marlene was safely out of earshot.

“Marlene can stand to be around me for more than two minutes before threatening to hex my balls off… plus, she’s pretty, she loves Quidditch, and she thinks I’m funny. What’s not to like?”

“Fair point, Prongsie, fair point.”

Although they all received a week’s worth of detention, it had been a fun night, for more reasons than one, and the Marauders drifted off to sleep that evening in a better mood than they’d been in for a long time.