The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

Unusually Large Things

Unusually Large Things

Next morning, the Marauders left their dormitory feeling as though they were on top of the world. The map was tucked into Sirius's robes pocket, and the way he and James swaggered along made other students turn to watch as the four of them went by. It was as though the lot of them were glowing with their new found powerful knowledge over the halls of the school.

"What's with you lot?" asked Frank Longbottom, looking up at them with a curious expression as they arrived, pushing Remus up to his spot at the table in his chair.

"Just having a bit of a brilliant morning," James replied, snatching up a couple pumpkin juices from the table and turning to give one to Peter, who looked surprised James had helped him.

"Yup, a brilliant morning," echoed Sirius, scooping up bacon.

"What's so brilliant about it?" demanded Andy Woodhouse. He looked at James, "Aren't you nervous? Tryouts are Friday. I'm not going to let people back on the team just because they were last year, you know."

James said, "Oi, let me have a brilliant morning without stressing me out!"

Andy smirked and turned back to his breakfast.

When the boys had finished eating, they headed up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor. Lily was already in the classroom, as was Professor Veigler. She was asking him questions about some of the homework he'd assigned the week before and he was chatting with her in a friendly tone as he set up what looked like a giant fishtank in the center of the room, complete with streams of bubbles issuing from the bottom. James looked at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. As evil as they now suspected Veigler to be, it was hard to deny that this looked like it was bound to be a very interesting lesson just the same.

"There you are!" said Veigler, smiling over at them as they entered, "Come in, come in - and close the door. We've got a very busy class today!"

They crowded around and Lily shifted away as James sat next to her, putting a bit more space between them and turning quickly to look at her notes. Sirius asked, "What's this tank thing?"

"This," Veigler said, "Is a tank for Grindylows."

"Grindylows!" shouted Peter, his voice pitching into a high pitched yelp at the end. "What've you got a tank for grindylows for?" he looked around nervously, expecting a grindylow to appear out of thin air.

Professor Veigler made Peter's fear a reality, waving his wand at a tall, curtain covered tank in the corner, he revealed a grindylow, floating in the small space. Veigler magicked the transfer tank across the room and dumped the grindylow within it into the much larger tank he'd just completed setting up along the wall. The grindylow swam a couple tight loops, his scales turning from a sick yellow-green to an unearthly bright blue-green. He pressed his webbed hands against the glass directly in front of Peter, and Peter promptly passed out.

"Oh dear," Professor Veigler chuckled, "I suppose grindylows aren't for the faint of heart... Ennerverate."

Peter woke up gasping and sat up, "Grindylows!" he said in a panic, "There's grindylows!"

"Yeah, we see'em, Pete, calm down," Sirius said, playfully punching Peter's shoulder, "It's in a tank, see, look, it can't get you." The grindylow was making faces at them, sticking out its tongue and waving its tail in a menacing sort of way while scrabbling at the glass with its awful super long fingers.

Peter looked at it with a horrified expression, nose twitching uncomfortably.

"Surely the lot of you have heard of Jenny Greenteeth," Professor Veigler said.