The Marauders: Year One (female)

38. Dungbombs and Diabolical Plots

Leaving Frankie behind with an apologetic glance, Jamie, Petra, and Sirius crept from the dormitory, their equipment in hand.

Frankie just smiled awkwardly at them and let them be. Jamie was grateful to have such a chilled dorm-mate, and she felt guilty about leaving her behind, but she just wasn't part of the sort of pack that the other first years had formed. If it weren't for Remus, Petra wouldn't have been either. But Jamie was glad, because Petra would be excellent at distracting the boys whilst she and Sirius ransacked the boy's dormitory.

They all scampered down the stairs silently, Jamie in the lead. Once they had reached the bottom of the stairs, Jamie performed the charm that would turn the girl's stairs into a slide. As she, Sirius and Petra slid down the slide gracefully, Sirius reached into a massive bag of Dungbombs Jamie had nicked off Gideon and Fabian, and she tossed three into the midst of the crowded and noisy Gryffindor Common Room.

'Instant chaos,' muttered Sirius with satisfaction, her voice muffled through the Bubble-Head Charm she had performed. 'Just add Dungbombs.'

The air was filled with screams and choking and retching sounds, as people milled about blindly in confusion through the thick green smog produced by the aged Dungbombs.

'How old were those Dungbombs, mate?' Petra whispered to Jamie as they swiftly navigated their way through the writhing mass of bodies, and up the stairs to the boy's dormitories.

Jamie was grateful that the founders of Hogwarts had been so stupid to assume that boys were less trustworthy than girls. For once, stupid stereotypes worked in her favour. 'I dunno,' she shrugged. 'Old enough.'

Sirius tried not to laugh as they staggered up the steps, removing the Bubble-Head Charms.

From the first floor, there were no particularly odd noises, but on the third floor, the sixth year boy's dorms, the whole lot of them were comparing how 'big' they were. Sirius sniggered as she watched one of them try an 'Engorgio' on himself, with disastrous consequences. He began screaming and toppling over. Jamie watched, appalled, as Sirius laughed.

Sirius saw her looking, and shrugged. 'What? I'm a Black. My cousins have all been shagging each other for generations. I've seen worse.'

Jamie puffed her cheeks and shooed a dumbstruck Petra and giggling Sirius away. She couldn't help but snort as she saw John Abotts cast a Shrinking Charm on a screaming Felix Cox. Suddenly the situation was a whole lot worse. The other boys began to magically photograph it. Jamie rolled her eyes and moved on, quickly.

The next dorm up was the dorm that Lillian, Alex, and Mason shared. Jamie pushed against the door quietly with her hand, and cringed as it creaked.

The three girls entered one by one,  Petra entering last. The room was quite neat, surprisingly, and it was quite roomy as it was only three students to a room rather than the standard five. This year, the Gryffindor First years were fewer  than usual.

Jamie guessed Lillian's area was the one with all the books on the bedstand.

'I'll take the trunk,' Sirius hissed, ordering Petra to help her.

Jamie decided to search Lillian's chest of drawers and bedside table. There were several photographs of him and some sour looking boy with lank blond hair and pale eyes. They were covered up by a stack of books. He also had photographs of him and Severa; they were both smiling, a look which seemed odd upon Severa's pinched face.

Bleeding Snivella, thought Jamie.

She rifled through his drawers, not even stopping to snigger at his mickey-mouse underwear, or the off Muggle books he had in there. After about ten minutes had passed in this fashion, Sirius shouted at Jamie to come over. She held the letter in her hand.