A/N: And here's chapter 3. I'm currently writing chapter 14 so as soon as one chapter's validated I'm going to submit the next one. Did anyone figure out what R.A.G. stood for? Enjoy the chapter!
Miss Radcliffe
Chapter 3: Operation R.A.G.
"Cloak?"
"Check."
"Map?"
"Check."
"Wands?"
"Ooops! I forgot mine! It's in the dorm where we were practicing!"
James and Sirius cracked up while Peter scurried up the stairs to the dorm the Marauders shared in search of his wand.
"This is not funny guys," replied Remus. "Wands are the most important things for the prank because without them, there is no prank!" At this point Peter ran down the stairs at such speed that he tripped and fell on the bottommost stair. James and Sirius howled with laughter.
"Shut it," Remus barked while he helped Peter to his feet. "Prongs, it's time to check the map."
"Right," said James as he calmed himself down. He pulled out what looked like a blank piece of parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" Instantly the parchment was filled with the work of the four mapmakers designated above as Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. James flipped over a piece of the parchment and scanned it.
"Looks like they're all in their dormitories," James grinned. "Lets go." The four friends slipped under the invisibility cloak with James in the lead, regularly checking the map. They came to a statue in the dungeons and James saw himself on the map tapping the statue and saying "Royal." As James put this into action, the wall to the left of the statue opened, revealing a curved entranceway. Peter giggled in excitement.
"Take it Wormtail," whispered James as he handed Peter the map. "Remember if you see so much as anyone coming close to us, let us know so we can get under the cloak." Peter nodded his head anxiously. James, Sirius, and Remus tiptoed out into the room leaving Peter to keep watch. James transfigured anything that looked even remotely like a snake into a lion while Sirius and Remus whispered the spells "Rutilus!" and "Croceus!" turning the walls and anything else that was green, red and gold.
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Lily hurried down to the Great Hall the following morning to try and catch some breakfast before her first class. As she rushed down the stairs in the Entrance Hall, she saw a very angry McGonagall leading Potter, Lupin, Black, and Pettigrew to her office. Potter and Black looked quite proud of themselves while Lupin and Pettigrew in particular looked very nervous indeed. Lily scowled at them. James ought to know better. He was now Head Boy and it was his duty to set an example for the prefects as well as the rest of the school. She sat down across from Alexis and Joanne and grabbed some toast.
"What did they do this time?" Lily asked half-bored.
"Well, if the rumors are true, the four of them snuck into the Slytherin common room last night and painted everything red and gold," Alexis recited. "How they did undetected, no one's got any idea." Lily rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, you'd think that he would take his responsibilities as Head Boy more seriously!" she exclaimed.
"I'm still puzzled as to why Dumbledore gave him the title," pondered Joanne looking up from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
"Who knows?" Alexis answered. "Joanne, what's up with you and that book? You haven't put it down since we got on the train!"
"Well, I've got a bit of a theory. You see-,"
"Here's your schedule, Miss Evans," grumbled Professor McGonagall. She still had a scowl drawn all over her face and something told the girls that she had just finished yelling at four troublemaking boys.
"Thank you, Professor," Lily chimed. Professor McGonagall handed each of the other girls their schedules and marched over to another student, all the while muttering something about detention.
"Looks like Potter and his friends are in some serious trouble," Alexis chuckled.
"What else is new?" asked Lily. "We'd better get moving. Looks like we have Transfiguation first and we don't want to be late. McGonagall's in a bad mood already and breakfast isn't even over."
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"That's a record, Padfoot, three detentions by the first day of term!" exclaimed James. As he, Sirius, Remus, and Peter climbed through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room.
"Quiet, Prongs," said Sirius. His eyes were screwed shut in concentration. "I'm trying to memorize the look on McGonagall's face when she explained to us how 'atrocious this behavior is' and 'how serious your actions are'!"
"Operation Red and Gold is now complete as well as the 'First-Day-Of-Term-Prank'," reported Remus.
"But we have so much homework and it's only the first day! I'm never gonna be able to keep up with it if I have to do detentions!" sighed Peter.
"Don't worry about it, Wormtail. We'll help you out with homework and I still have some of that Polyjuice Potion we made last year, so we can do detentions for each other if need be," James assured him. "Which reminds me, can someone fill in for me on Saturday? I have detention in the trophy room at the same time I have to meet with Lily."
"Detention in the trophy room? I'll cover for you, Prongs," said Sirius as he plucked a hair out of James' messy head. "I love messing with ol' Pringle."
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James turned a corner and headed towards the library on Saturday morning. He glanced down at his watch. 9:45.
"Excellent," he thought to himself. "I won't be late and Lily won't be disappointed in me and.."
"Hello, Potter," scowled a certain greasy-haired boy from the shadows of the corridor.
"Snape," said James through gritted teeth.
"I've never seen you willingly near the library," sneered Snape.
"I've got a meeting with Lily," James said as he forced himself not to draw his wand.
"Lily? Since when have you been on first name terms with Evans?" Snape shouted disgustedly, or was that jealousy?
"Since she asked me to," said James proudly. He was bragging in front of his enemy; how satisfying.
"Well I always did have my doubts about the filthy mudblood anyway."
"Don't you ever call Lily a m-a-that!!" yelled James now restraining his wand arm with his left.
"Oh, you mean a mudblood, Potter?" And Snape's sneer grew larger.
"Fervio!" James shouted. Snape was hit square in the chest by a purple light. Snape snickered when nothing physical changed on his body while James walked away. James had chosen a jinx that wouldn't appear physically until the next day. He knew that Sirius was covering a detention for him with the Polyjuice. He couldn't get caught buffing up Snape or both him and Sirius would have another 5 detentions each. James checked his watch again. 10:12. He was late for Lily.
A/N: Thanks to my esteemed betas Madam Bones and dramaangelsj for their countless e-mails. Also, the words Rufilus and Croceus mean red and gold in latin. While translating online, I found out that Rufus also means red in Latin. Does a certain Minister ring anyone’s bell? Reviews are appreciated!
Here's a spoiler for the next chapter:
“Well good, because I really didn’t want to end up doing this by myself, it’s a huge responsibility and “,” but James heard no more. He was mesmerized by the way she was talking animatedly with her hands as her auburn hair swished gracefully behind her. Her emerald eyes shone with enthusiasm and life. She was perfect and he longed for her with a dissatisfying passion.
“James? Hello! Earth to James!” Lily was waving her arms frantically in his face and James snapped out of his hypnotic spell.
“Sorry, what was that?” he stammered