Potter | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 72

Mr. and Mrs. Potter were gone for the majority of the last week of summer vacation and James and Jenna had finally given up where they kept going to.

      The twins were rather worried, because each time their parents returned, they looked tired and worn-out, not to mention anxious and stressed out.

     But of course they wouldn't let it show as far as they could help it, joking around and laughing each chance that they got.

     Dumbledore's reply to Jenna's final letter had arrived throughout that week as well, stating that he would give Jenna private lessons throughout the school year, yet didn't mention what kinds of lessons.

     Jenna was dying to talk to someone about it, perhaps Lily, or her mother or even James. But she was banned from doing so just yet.

      She spent hours a day thinking about what kinds of lessons she would be receiving from Dumbledore; perhaps powerful jinxes or hexes to defend herself.

     It was the night before their return to Hogwarts as Jenna and Sirius had joined James in his room for a game of Exploding Snaps.

"So you guys never said how you came up with your Animagi nicknames," said Jenna, putting down her cards after they were done with the third game.

James and Sirius gave each other a grin and shrugged. "We kept suggesting names until one of them sounded the best," said Sirius. "Like how we came up with the name Crookshanks."

"Yeah." James nodded, but then he smirked, saying, "Although there was another name I suggested for Sirius."

"Don't." Sirius gave James a look, but that only made Jenna more curious.

"Ooh, tell me!" she said excitedly.

"Prongs," said Sirius warningly.

"I thought it would've looked cute on him if we called him Snuffles," said James and Jenna chuckled.

"Actually, come to think of it," she started, "I have heard that name before. You know, you called him Snuffles when Sirius had jumped at me in his dog form before I knew about you guys."

"Yeah, he paid for that one later," said James grimly, narrowing his eyes at Sirius who gulped, looking away.

"So how's the map going?" she asked, trying to distract the boys.

"Oh, the Marauder's Map?" James grinned. "We finished it at the end of last year."

"Really? Ooh, I wanna see!"

"Sirius has it," said James, looking at him.

"No, I don't." Sirius shook his head.

"Of course you do." James frowned. "I gave it to you on our way back to Hogwarts Express, remember?"

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did! You have it!" said James angrily, standing to his feet.

"No I don't. You have it."

"YOU LOST THE MAP!?" James roared, watching Sirius in horror who sat there calmly on the floor.

"I didn't lose the map. I never had the map."

"Oh, Merlin..." said James in a hollow voice and quickly left his room to go into Sirius's, probably to search his trunk for it.

The moment James was out of sight, Sirius grinned and dug into his jacket's inner coat and took out a piece of parchment.

"Don't tell me that's —"

"Shh."

     Jenna was saying, but was hushed by Sirius who sent a wink at her.

He then quickly got to his feet and ran across the room where James's trunk was already packed for tomorrow and hid the blank parchment beneath his clothes.

As they heard James's rushed footsteps nearing the room again, Sirius hurriedly sat back on the floor next to Jenna, busying himself with the cards.

"The map wasn't there!" said James, his eyes widened in horror.

"Told you," said Sirius with a casual shrug.

"Then where is it!?"

"Dunno."

"Oh, no... oh, no..." James made his way across the room, searching all his drawers and looking through all his books in case it was between their pages.

Meanwhile, Sirius and Jenna only grinned at each other every once in a while as they watched James panicking.

"HERE IT IS!" James shouted, finally taking the piece of parchment out of his trunk and sighing in relief. "Thank Merlin. We found the map."

By that, as Sirius and Jenna glanced at each other again, they uncontrollably broke into a silent chuckle.

But the moment James turned on them sharply, they stopped and pursed their lips together to stop themselves from laughing.

James narrowed his eyes down at Sirius. "You put it in here, didn't you?"

"I certainly don't know what you're talking about," said Sirius in mock surprise.

"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated," said James bitterly.

"I'm finding it quite amusing, actually," said Jenna with a grin.

"Why, thank you." Sirius winked at her.

James glared down at both of them. "Okay, since when do you two team up against me?"

"Come on, J.P," said Jenna. "We're just messing around. Now why don't you show me the map?"

"Fine." James rolled his eyes, taking his wand out of his trunk and sitting on the floor with the other two.

"What's the wand for?" Jenna questioned. "You can't to magic outside of school. We're still undera —"

"Relax," said James, breaking her off. "This won't count as actual magic. We've put a charm on the parchment before. It just needs a password."

"What password?" Jenna raised a brow, looking between the two boys.

"Prongs," said Sirius with a grin, "if you will."

"Right you are, Padfoot," James returned the mischievous smile and with that, tapped his wand on the map, saying, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."