5

Chapter 5 Hebridean Tartan Dragon

The Marauders jeered at the puffed up Hufflepuff male prefects escorting them to the entrance of Gryffindor tower. It's not like they jinxed Alice Oakby.

Sirius, James and Peter were in fine spirits as they entered the Gryffindor common room. Remus knew that the Marauders had gotten away with much in the past, there was not much time left for punishments and Gryffindor was not in the running for the House Cup for the loss of points to mean anything. However, as a prefect, Remus knew that McGonagall was keen to punish whoever was casting those jinxes, and they had been the only ones visibly waving wands in the vicinity of the victims.

Peter was busy boasting of their victory to everyone left in the common room. "And you should have seen it as James just let him fall to the ground splat on his face," he emphasized with a pancaking hand motion. "There was a lot of blood, but his nose will probably be better looking now. It was so outrageously huge before – mum must be a real hag."

Sirius interrupted laughingly, "But someone must have been desperate enough to put a sack over her head, and do the nasty with her to get Snape."

"Yeah," Peter agreed with his own sycophantic giggle. "Then it was great because Sirius and James took all his clothes off. Totally starkers!" Peter started to choke on his own laughter, but got himself together enough to wheeze out, "And Evans … Evans … she looked at him like he was dog crap on the bottom of her shoe! Oh! Snape is just so ugly ..."

James agreed, "Absolutely grotesque! Great puddles of grease killing the lawn too." Mentally, he was smacking himself in the head - why hadn't he thought of looking at Evans, instead of that loser? The sight of Snape had been absolutely revolting.

"Oi! I don't need to be reminded just before lunch. The vilest fish and chips can't compare to Snivellus in terms of viscosity."

"Viscosity?" quipped James. "Now where would you know a ten-galleon word like that from, Padfoot?"

Peter asked distractedly, "Are they serving fish and chips today?"

Remus replied, "I don't know but I'd love to see how Sirius measures degrees of oiliness."

James joked while wagging his eyebrows as he led them out of the common room, "I hope Padfoot doesn't use it for lewd purposes."

Disdainfully Sirius commented, "I would never use any fluid from Snivellus, or even fish and chips, for those kinds of things." He followed, along with Remus and Peter, to go check out what was for lunch today.

The four were enjoying their lunch in the Great Hall. James and Sirius sat among their admiring crowd of Gryffindors, while Peter recounted their daring exploits at humiliating their foul, mortal enemy, the Greasy Git of Slytherin in another battle of their ongoing war.

"You'll notice he couldn't even show up for lunch 'cause of us," Peter crowed while waving his hand outwards towards the other end of the room where the Slytherins dined.

No one across the table shared Peter's amusement because their head of house, Prof. McGonagall had marched in and had just stopped behind him.

Her eyes flashed as she demanded, "What are the four of you doing here when Mr. Longbottom told you to wait in Gryffindor tower?"

"We were there, Professor," replied Black and he smoothly added, "He just didn't say how long we had to stay there."

"Besides," James said with a winning smile, "we got to keep our strength up. Got an important test this afternoon, Professor."

Peter nodded nervously in agreement.

Remus was the only one who let worry creep into his expression. James and Sirius's frivolous attitude was incompatible with McGonagall's narrowing eyes. "Very well, gentlemen, if you want to give me extra time to consider what to do with you lot. You will report to my office directly following your Defense practicals this afternoon."

"Sure thing, Professor McGonagall," agreed James.

McGonagall gave the Marauders and the entire group of Gryffindors surrounding them an angry glare before sweeping up to the Head Table.

Black joked, "Mighty big of her to allow us to take our test, eh Prongs?"