FIRST YEAR - Severus Snape
Over the next month as classes picked up. Having started with basic rules and introductions that many wizard born students already knew, and began breaking down the curriculum and what spells they would learn. Points were handed out like candy.
Lily although a muggle born had quickly made her way into the good graces of many professors and other Gryffindors who were pleased with how many house points she earned them.
The opposite was the case for Sirius who although did relatively well in written tests and practicals, talked back to the professors and rarely ever did his homework, resulting in a reduction of points and many detentions. He didn’t seem to care much. He only knew that he was making a name for himself as not being a teachers pet or pure blood supremacist.
Remus while handing in all of his homework and reading up on class work prior to lessons and seemed to get similar grades to Lily preferred not speak out in class and instead stay unseen by his classmates. Especially when Slughorn had excitedly explained to the class in potions one day that he had known Remus’ father as being a great duelist before he’d died a tragic death. Remus had paled to an almost transparent white and stayed on the edge for the remainder of the day.
Peter, like most other first years, completed homework the night before it was due, attempted to answer the occasionally question in class, otherwise stayed out of trouble.
James was the student that seemed to do it all. He would answer any questions the professor asked with ease and studied not only for him but if Remus was sick or struggling, as well as write extra notes for when Sirius decided he should read over them. James tried hard when it came to his school work but he’d never let any one know. As far as his house mates were aware, James Potter was a natural at anything he tried.
One evening as Lily and Remus who had bonded over their shared academic interests sat in the library discussing their most recent Potions homework. Parchment and textbooks were placed in a specific way to make everything quickly accessible. but to onlookers it the desk looked crowded.
On the table Peter, James and Sirius were sat at, stuff from paper to ink to food was scattered haphazardly across the wood. The three boys reaching over each other as they chatted about something of no interest to Lily or Remus. Occasionally Lily would catch James scaring at her but otherwise the two tables remained separated.
That was until, Severus Snape the greasy haired Slytherin who was never far from Lily at any given moment strode over to her, with his face grimacing further than its natural state, at the sight of Remus.
From where James was sat he couldn’t hear what was spoken but one moment Snape was growling to Remus and the next Remus had punched him in the nose and dragged him to the floor.
While Lily sat shocked, Sirius was first on his feet following Remus out the door.
“What did you say to him?” James snapped advancing on Snape with eyes burning. James hadn't needed to know what happened to defend his friend, that was the kind of person he was, and although it had gotten him into plenty of trouble growing up, he never stopped. Lily jumped between them helping Severus to his feet.
“Just leave it James.” Lily gave a sympathetic smile which only angered Him. James didn’t understand why a girl like Lily was protecting a guy like Snape.
“Yeah Potter.” Snape emphasized his name like a cuss, one hand to his nose to stop the bleeding. “Don’t go sticking your head into things that don’t concern you.”
“I swear to Godric,” James reached for Snape's tie. He usually wasn’t someone who got so angry but he was protective over his friends and would protect them however he could.
Lily intervened again, “don’t be an idiot.” At that moment the librarian came hurrying over, her face glowering with anger. Her hand tightly gripped around Remus’ shoulder who shrank as all eyes ran over him.
“What is the meaning of this?” Her voice was annoyance and whilst James had grown up not liking when he disappointed authority figures, in that moment he thought he’s mum would be proud he was standing up for his friend.
Not wanting to get into trouble both James and Severus played of the incident as nothing.
Back at the dorm room, after much convincing, consisting mostly of Sirius pestering Remus to tell them. Remus gave the boys an overview of what Snape had said. The gist being he was attacking Remus for being a Muggle born, he used a word Remus had never heard but given the way he’d said it and the reaction of all those in listening distance, it had obviously been an insult.
“He called you a mudblood?” Peter squawked getting a gentle shove from James.
Rather than admit that he had grown up using the word with no consequences, Sirius shifted the topic, an excited grin highlighting his face, "So, what are we going to do about it?"
Remus who James had yet to learn how to read seemed not to care about payback. He explained that he shouldn’t have aggravated Snape. Sirius wasn’t having it.
“He’s a Slytherin, that alone makes them all worthy of payback.”
“What are you suggesting?” Peter asked joining the boys at Remus’ bed. The four of them stood quiet for a moment as they contemplated their next moves.
“Honestly you should just leave it.” Remus repeated anxiety growing on his face, as he lifted his knees to his chin. Whilst Remus was prone to looking after himself, he wasn’t sure how his new friends would go about helping him. He had began to trust them, but there was still a long way to go before he looked for help fighting a bully.
“A prank!” Sirius surprising everyone as he jumped onto the bed, standing up as he declared his idea in a dramatic as always fashion. “We won’t hurt anyone,” Peter visibly relaxed as he continued, “but we will teach those snakes not to mess with us Gryffindors.”
James liked the sound of a prank, he had been a mischievous boy at times growing up when he tried to impress his neighbor or messed with local muggles.
James didn’t agree straight away though. Whilst the idea of showing up some bullies, especially if they were Slytherin's was enticing, his mum had always drilled into him, the same rule he assumed Sirius had learnt, about being a gentlemen and holding himself in a highly respectable manner. Whilst his parents were warm people they were still an upper class family that had a reputation to upkeep. The risk of ruining the family name made James itchy, he had been planning to be well known at Hogwarts but for being charming and a hero rather than a menace.
“McGonagall plans to teach us a color changing spell next week.” Peter supplied thinking that Sirius couldn’t do anything too dangerous with it.
“Ha-ha! Grab us your textbook.” Sirius ordered Remus who had gotten up to prevent getting hit by a jumpy and excited Sirius.
Remus stood beside James who was slowly coming around to the idea. He agreed with Peter, what’s the worse that could happen with a color changing spell. A few days earlier whilst James was waiting for his roommates to wake he did some extra reading and had read up on the spell. It hadn’t looked that hard and the thought of the Slytherin's walking around with Gryffindor ties was very tempting.
The the prank was planned quickly. They would wait until breakfast Monday morning and cast the spell. Remus was the only one not on board, he only had one tie himself and would be embarrassed if he was forced to wear another houses tie to any class.
Too much surprise of his mates, Sirius was first to nail the spell, he had spent the weekend practicing on each item of clothing in his closet. It was the most effort James had seen him put into anything all semester.
Monday morning all four boys were at the great hall early enough to watch as the Slytherin's walked in. Snape was speaking to a rough looking second year named Muliber, who’s stance and heavy sneer made James uncomfortable.
Once the great hall was full, Sirius winked to his friends who all burst in large smiles. The scene caught the attention of Lily and her friends.
Upon noticing, James winked to her, his smile becoming an obnoxious confidence.
Seconds later after a few quietly mumbled words from James, Sirius and Peter. The Slytherin table burst in chaos. It took a moment for everyone to work out what was going on but once the other houses noticed the red ties, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors burst into laughter as Slytherin's screeched and cried angrily ripping the ties off and running from the room.
Lily looked back to James who was cheering alongside his friends with a frown. She had to admit after what Snape had called Remus, who her rommamtes had explained to her after many not polite words, he had deserved a little revenge but such a childish prank was just that, childish. She had already tried to speak to him about being rude like an adult but he had just ignored her.
Remus also had to admit that watching Snape’s face go as red on his tie as he tried to tear the thing from his cloak was amusing.
The chaos only lasted until Dumbledoor called the hall to order. Students were sent to classes while he would go about an investigation into the perpetrators.
Sitting side by side as Professor Binns lectured the class on the irresponsible behavior of whoever cast the prank, James and Sirius were already planning their next prank.
“What about we…”
“Yeah, yeah, but also…”
“If you used…”
“Exactly.”
Remus stared concerned as James and Sirius read each others mind, their brains seeming to flow along the same wave. They reached a new level of friendship from dorm-mates to something stronger in front of his eyes.
It was only with this new found bond that come a month into the semester, when James knocked on the bathroom door late at night, did Sirius open the door.
Sirius had been the last into the bathroom, he was the one that took the longest in the morning when doing all his skin care and hair treatment that at night the pattern of James first and Sirius last remained the same.
That night Sirius had taken so long that Remus and Peter had fallen asleep before he’d emerged. James however had waited for an hour before gently knocking on the door. He hadn’t noticed anything different with Sirius during class or meals but James had just come back from a late study session with Remus so hadn’t seen Sirius for a few hours.
“Sirius.” James whispered through the door. He was met with silence.
James pushed his ear up to the wood, when he couldn’t hear anything part of him started to panic.
“Sirius, I’m coming in.” With a spell he and Sirius had taught each other in preparation for pranks, James unlocked the door.
Sliding his wand behind his ear, James entered the darkened bathroom, he went to turn the light on but a muffled sound dragged his attention to the corner of the room where Sirius was hidden beneath a sink.
Without a word James closed the door and sat down beside his friend in the dark. After a while Sirius’ head dropped into James’ shoulder.
Through slow and gently interrogation James got enough information from Sirius to discover two of his Slytherin cousins in the year above had cornered his on the hall and much in the same fashion as his mothers howler the first week, had grilled him about being a failure and disappointment to the family name.
“I’ve never seen Sissy so disappointed in me.” Sirius breathed into James’ chest at one point as he tried not to cry.