First Prank
Sirius and James were hidden behind an armour, looking towards a door with grins on their faces. There was a bucket floating above the door. A few seconds later, the door opened and professor Flitwick walked out. The bucket quickly flipped around and a green liquid poured all over the short man. He jumped slightly before he started looking around with angry eyes. The boys grinned to each other, before they turned around and dashed away from the scene. Behind them, professor Flitwick was shouting something about vandals and ungrateful brats. Sirius and James laughed. But, just seconds later, they both fell silent when they crashed into professor McGonagall. She looked at them with stern eyes.
“Mr. Black. Mr. Potter. Would you like to tell me why you are running around in the corridors?”
James glanced to the other boy. He was visibly nervous. Sirius smiled charmingly at the woman.
“We’re just in a hurry, professor. We promised Remus and Peter that we would meet them in the library to study.”
Professor McGonagall frowned.
“If I remember correctly, the library is that way.”
James dragged in a breath, but Sirius didn’t let himself get moved off track.
“We were taking a way around the castle to get Peter’s bag. He left it somewhere in the Great Hall.”
James glanced at him with wonder. Professor McGonagall seemed to believe him, until a very green professor Flitwick ran into the hall. He was waving his wand wildly. The boys looked at each other and almost burst out laughing again. The woman looked from them to the short wizard and then back to them again. Understanding appeared in her eyes and her stare turned stern.
“You don’t happen to know anything about this, right boys?”
James shook his head quickly, looking way too guilty for anyone’s liking. Sirius glanced over at him, rolled his eyes and then turned to the woman with his charming smile back in place.
“No, professor. We don’t know anything about this. As I said, we are on our way to the library.”
Professor Flitwick came even closer.
“Don’t try. I saw the two of you running away.”
And James cracked.
“It was just a joke, professor. We didn’t mean anything bad with it.”
Sirius’ shoulders tensed up and he took half a step to put himself between professor McGonagall and James. The woman looked at them with a disapproving stare.
“You two will come with me. We need to talk. Filius, I’m sure Albus will help you with lifting the colour off.”
And she marched off, the two boys following her quickly. When they had passed a few halls and there was distance between them and the woman, Sirius leaned closer to James.
“Let me handle the talking. I might be able to get us out of this.”
James nodded and glanced towards McGonagall’s back.
“Think we’ll get detention?”
Sirius shrugged.
“I’ll try to make it so we don’t. But I can’t promise too much.”
The rest of the walk was spent it silence. McGonagall led them to her office and opened the door. Quickly, they stepped inside and stopped in front of the desk. The woman sat down behind it and frowned.
“There is no reason in trying to lie your way out of this, mr Black. I am well aware that the two of you are behind this. What I want to know, is why you did this.”
For a few seconds, the boys were just staring at her. Then, sudden understanding appeared in Sirius’ eyes.
“Oh. It was nothing like that, professor. I swear. It was just a joke. We didn’t mean anything bad by it.”
James still looked confused. Professor McGonagall sighed.
“You boys must understand that this could be filed as violence against a teacher. I will talk with professor Flitwick and see what I can do, but I don’t think that it will end without your parents finding out.”
Both boys paled considerably.
“You can go now. I will call for you when I have talked with professor Flitwick and we have decided what to do with the two of you.”
They nodded and left quickly. As soon as they had left the room and closed the door behind them, James turned to Sirius.
“My parents will kill me when they find out.”
Sirius rolled his eyes.
“No they won’t. They are too attached to you.”
James frowned.
“You’re awfully calm. Won’t your parents flip out?”
He shrugged.
“I have no idea. But there is no reason in worrying now.”
James hesitated, before he nodded.
“Alright.”
And they walked away.
The clip ended but, before anyone managed to say anything, another one started.
The four boys were sitting outside. James was playing chess with Peter, while Sirius and Remus were talking over their homework. Suddenly, James noticed that everyone around them have quieted and he looked around. His face got white and he quickly punched Sirius’ arm. Grey eyes looked up at him in irritation.
“What?”
James just nodded in the direction of the castle. There, walking towards them with quick steps, were Orion and Dorea. The woman looked furious, while the man was wearing his everlasting calm expression. They stopped before the four boys and just glared down at them. Slowly, Sirius stood up. He was pale, but calm.
“Father. Mrs. Potter.”
Dorea nodded at him, before she turned back to her son.
“James Henry Potter. Care to explain to me why I was called into the headmasters office?!”
James got even whiter, however that was possible. Meanwhile, Sirius and Orion were just looking at each other. The man made a small movement with his head and Sirius nodded. Without a word, they started walking away from the others, just as Dorea’s voice rose to a shout. They stopped when they got to the edge of the lake and Orion looked out over it.
“I still remember when we used to come here to relax.”
Sirius glanced up at him.
“Father?”
Orion looked at his son.
“I’m mad at you. But I’m not going to say anything, until you tell me the entire story.”
Sirius turned back to the lake, while his father kept looking at him.
“We were going to play a joke. I levitated a bucket of green paint over the door to the teacher’s room. When professor Flitwick walked out, I flipped the bucket and poured it all over him.”
The corner of Orion’s mouth twitched.
“There is more right?”
Sirius nodded slowly.
“Yes. I used a permanent sticking charm on the paint.”
Orion actually smiled at that.
“I sensed your magic in that spell. Very well made.”
The boy’s eyes widened.
“Father?”
“Neither Dumbledore or Flitwick managed to lift the green paint and had to ask me for help. I remembered teaching you that spell when you were younger.”
For a long moment, Sirius was just staring at him. Then he turned fully towards his father and raised his eyebrows.
“You’re not mad at me?”
Orion shook his head.
“Why not? Dorea was furious.”
An odd expression appeared on Orion’s face.
“Dorea and I are not the same person. I’m not angry at you for playing a prank on a half goblin who acts like a wizard.”
A hard look appeared in Sirius’ eyes.
“So that’s what it’s about. You’re not mad, because professor Flitwick isn’t a human.”
The man frowned.
“Would you rather have me get mad and punish you? Because I wouldn’t see that as right.”
Sirius shook his head, before he did something that seemed to shock Orion. He turned around and walked away from his father towards where Dorea was still shouting at James.
The clip stopped and everyone turned to Sirius. Minerva was frowning.
“Orion and Dorea assured us that they would deal with you two. I saw that Dorea dealt with James, but I don’t understand why your father took it so calmly.”
Sirius rolled his eyes.
“Professor Flitwick is half-human, half-goblin. Did you really think that my father would stand on his side?”
Orion smirked from his portrait. Hermione tilted her head.
“Were you punished for that?”
Sirius frowned.
“For what? The prank?”
The girl shook her head.
“No. Walking away from him like that.”
Sirius glanced over to his father, before he shook his head.
“No. Not that time. As I said, he saw nothing wrong with what I did.”
Remus leaned closer to Sirius.
“That was the only time I had seen Dorea really mad.”
Sirius nodded.
“Yeah. Same here. But, that was only because of what could have happened. To be honest, I’m not surprised. We could have gotten expelled.”
Harry frowned.
“But… I heard much about the pranks you pulled in Hogwarts. Why was this one so much worse?”
Sirius sighed.
“It was our first real prank. It was before everyone knew that we didn’t actually mean anything bad with them.”
Snape made a disbelieving sound.
“Didn’t mean anything bad with it?”
Sirius and Remus exchanged a look, before Sirius nodded towards the wall.
“Let’s keep watching. We have many more memories ahead of us.”