The Marauders: What Could Have Been

Learning Lessons

As the following day dawned, Lily was woken by the sunlight slowly creeping over her face and gently warming her. As it was a Sunday and there would be no lessons, she had intended on having a quiet morning relaxing in her dorm.

This dream was shattered, however, when simultaneously in every single dorm room there was a loud explosion which woke every student in the entire Gryffindor house. Just as they had all regained their composure and were thinking about rolling over to have a snooze before breakfast there were cries of disgust accompanied by retching. The entire student body of Gryffindor dressed extremely quickly and hurried into common room, someone had set Dung Bombs off and to ensure that no student could remain resting peacefully it was 3 or 4 in each dorm room.

Although the common was large, there wasn't enough space for every student to have a seat so some of the students elected to get an early breakfast. Lily was among this number but had to fight her way across the whole room to reach the portrait hole – the only downside to having the top floor dorm, everyone seemed to have beaten her into the common room.

Just as Lily reached the exit, there was a shriek from the far side of the room. This cry was suddenly echoed all around the Gryffindor Tower as a swarm of at least a 100 Fanged Whizzbees appeared seemingly out of thin air. At first Lily was confused as to why what looked like normal muggle frisbees would cause such panic. It was only as one flew just in front of her face, she realised that they weren't ordinary at all. Each Whizzbee had a row of 2-inch fangs around its edge, which snarled and snapped in attempt to bite chunks out of anything within reach. Indeed, Lily noticed that several tapestries now had long tears in them, and students were missing chunks of clothing and/or hair. Realising that most students would rush towards the exit as it was almost certain the dormitories were still uninhabitable, Lily quick left the common room and began the long walk to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Lily had calmed down by the time she had descended the marble staircase and was just thinking about attempting to find the library after a leisurely breakfast. However, the sight that might her eyes as she entered the hall pushed all thoughts out of her mind, there at the Gryffindor Table sat 3 rather smug looking boys.

Why the sight of them annoyed her so much she didn't know. Was it that they didn't bear any signs of having recently suffered a dung bomb attack? Was it the knowing smiles on their faces as to why their house mates looked distressed? It was at that point comprehension dawned on Lily's face and she knew, without knowing how, but she knew those 3 boys were responsible for this morning's shenanigans.

Lily sat down away from the young boys and started helping herself to toast. At this point the rest of the house arrived, all looking distinctly worse for wear in the outfits thrown on in a hurry in the aftermath of the dung bombs and several of the teenage girls looked absolutely mortified at the thought of having to face the school without having had the chance to do their hair.

Lily had just finished her breakfast when she noticed Arthur Weasley in conversation with Professor McGonagall, she guessed he was explaining the appearance of her students (Arthur had told her she was head of Gryffindor House on the way to the tower last night) and why they were emitting a faint yet foul odour. During this time most students from all houses had now arrived and were eating breakfast.

Once Arthur had finished his recollection, McGonagall surveyed the Gryffindor table until she noticed two, black haired first year boys and immediately rearranged her face into a grimace and stood up, clearly frustrated at having to deal with such antics so early in the academic year. However, as she had raised herself out of her chair, the most bizarre thing had happened.

Almost as if mirroring her actions, the Slytherin table and benches began to rise. She stopped half out of her seat and they froze in mid-air. Sighing to herself, she drew herself up to her full height and the table and benches rose again, finally coming to rest floating 15 feet above the floor of the Great Hall. McGonagall made a beeline straight towards James and Sirius but as she closed in on them the benches began to move again. This time however they weren't going straight up or down, the only way Lily could describe it was as though each bench had turned into a mechanical bucking Bull like she had seen at a funfair with her parents several years ago. As McGonagall lessened the distance between herself and the boys the benches were bucking more and more furiously, there were several Slytherins holding on for dear life and plenty of others looking like they were about to see their breakfast for a second time.