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CHAPTER THIRTY - 🍂 ୧ injuries, talks. . .
& pranks ও🦌

JAMES'S MIND CONSTANTLY revolved around thoughts, and once he became acquainted with any piece of information, it would remain stuck in his head, refusing to be erased or forgotten. It was a trait he disliked about himself.

Over the course of the past few weeks, James found himself increasingly worried about Elliot's well being. He paid closer attention to his friend's demeanor and noticed that he seemed different, as if something was weighing on his mind.

The concern for Elliot's well-being was steadily mounting within James. He longed to extend a helping hand, to ask if he needed assistance. Still, he couldn't bring himself to do it, leaving the Slytherin to grapple with his troubles alone.

It was rather painful, for James, to witness his friend struggle in silence, and he longed to offer support. However, the thought of potentially overstepping boundaries or causing discomfort prevented him from speaking up.

It seemed as if no one else had noticed the change in Elliot's mood. Neither Autumn, Raven, nor even Lily—who held significance in Elliot's life—"had noticed anything.

James didn't quite understand the nature of Lily and Elliot's relationship. They appeared to get along well, but the nature of their connection was unclear. They were close, that much was evident, but there was no official label to their relationship, leaving James confused.

In quiet moments, thoughts of Elliot's transformation would persistently swirl through James's mind, refusing to be shaken off.

This preoccupation proved to be a costly error on the night of the full moon. James, Sirius, and Peter stood beside Remus as he grappled with his transformation.

Peter transformed back into his human form and exclaimed, "BLOODY HELL, JAMES!!" in a state of panic. He quickly hurried over to the wounded James lying in a pool of blood.

Sirius purposefully moved away and positioned himself to distract the transformed Remus. Peter crouched down beside James, tending to his injuries.

Peter transformed back into his human form and exclaimed, "BLOODY HELL, JAMES!!" in a state of panic. He quickly hurried over to the wounded James lying in a pool of blood.

Sirius purposefully moved away and positioned himself to distract the transformed Remus. Peter crouched down beside James, tending to his injuries.

James was different from his peers in this regard, refraining from the same level of carefree behavior. Despite his desire to join in, his mind was preoccupied elsewhere.

The events unfolded as the boys began their journey to their destination, with the full moon overhead. However, James had remained behind due to falling asleep accidentally during the afternoon and awakening later in the evening.

Before the unfortunate incident that had consumed James's thoughts, he walked under the cloak of invisibility, en route to the shack. There, he had seen something unexpected. He had observed Elliot engaged in a secretive conversation with Regulus and Severus.

The scene involving the group of Slytherin boys alarmed James, whose concerns for Elliot had heightened. His thoughts were solely focused on this matter, making it impossible for anything else to divert his attention.

This state of preoccupation led to him being hurled into a tree, where a branch gashed his arm.

Peter tried his utmost to tend to the injured James, but the extent of his injuries coupled with the shock resulted in James becoming unconscious.

With the night still young and the urgent nature of the situation, Peter now faced the responsibility of bringing his friend to a safer location.

...

James was extremely grateful for Peter's determined actions in handling the situation. He had hoped to keep his injury a secret, which was completely understandable, as he did not want to worry his friends, particularly Remus, who already felt guilty, despite James' reassurances. Remus genuinely believed that everything was not fine, causing James to conceal it from everyone outside their small circle.

James had been closely observing Elliot's behavior for some time now. Long before he saw Elliot engaged in conversation with Snape and Regulus, he had already noticed something amiss.

Finally, he managed to put the pieces together and recall the various times Elliot had inexplicably departed during their group outings.

This mystery bothered James a great deal. He had also observed how Lily had started to pick up on Elliot's habit of disappearing at odd times. He longed to inform her of what he knew, but somehow, he sensed that doing so without first having a conversation with the Slytherin might be a grave mistake.

He yearned to forget everything—the knowledge that weighed heavily on his mind, and the constant worries that had plagued him. All he wanted was to return to the simpler days of his old lifestyle, when his thoughts were unburdened by anxiety.

He had remained patient for some time, and now longed for a reprieve from his racing thoughts. The situation was consuming all his energy, impairing his ability to spend quality time with Autumn, or even focus on his plan.

The relentless thoughts finally led him to decide that there was only one course of action: address the situation as soon as possible. With determination, he resolved to rise early and venture deep into the dungeons in search of the Slytherin.

James had to brush aside the scoffs and disapproving looks from the Slytherin students as he made his way towards their common room. Undoubtedly, they harbored little respect for him, but he pushed forward undeterred.

Finally spotting Elliot, he called out to him, "Elliot." The Slytherin swiveled around, his brows furrowing at the sight of James.

"James?" Elliot approached him, his confusion evident. "What are you doing here?"

James looked straight at his friend, his voice firm. "I have something important to discuss with you, something that requires privacy."

James's expression held a certain seriousness, causing Elliot to pause. The Slytherin hadn't seen James like this before.

James led Elliot towards a secret passage away from the other students. Hoping to secure their privacy, he believed the secluded spot would suffice for their conversation.

Elliot followed, his expression laced with suspicion. He wasn't sure what exactly he was getting into.

Once they reached a secure location, James took charge, pacing back and forth in front of the silent Slytherin. The Gryffindor pondered for a moment, unsure of how to begin the conversation.

"Look," James started, "I saw you with Snape and Regulus last week, and I know something's not right. You've been acting differently these past few weeks."

Elliot winced and pleaded, "James, please, trust me."

James, looking tense and serious, waved his hands in frustration. "Mate, I can't keep quiet any longer. I need to get this off my chest. So, please, just tell me what's going on right now." He turned to his friend, his voice filled with concern.

Elliot stood in silence as James ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll only speak about Regulus, since he's Sirius' brother and hasn't done anything bad to any of us. But what about Snape? You know what he did to Autumn, Raven, and Lily, don't you? Especially Autumn..."

The Slytherin leaned back, sighing deeply, before shifting his gaze back to James. James stood in place, awaiting an explanation.

"I can promise you one thing, James," Elliot stated firmly. "I am doing this for the girls, and I swear it's nothing that will harm them, particularly Autumn. Not after she's been through." He swallowed hard, his smile now a tight-lipped expression.

"Can you please trust me on this?" he paused, but his next words came out clearly and firmly, "No questions asked."

James took a moment to ponder Elliot's words, his brow furrowing. He eventually nodded slowly in acknowledgment. "Just remember," he replied, "If you end up hurting them, you won't just have me to deal with. You'll have all of us in our group." He paused briefly, letting his words sink in before continuing with a stern tone, "Understood, Winters?"

Elliot nodded, placing his hand over his chest as he spoke with conviction, "I swear, I will not allow anything to lead to their harm. If need be, I'll even risk my own life to prevent it."

James squirmed, visibly uneasy at the thought of Elliot putting himself at risk. He paused for a moment before responding, "Mate, try not to go that far. You're our friend too. Just promise me you'll be careful, alright?"

Elliot chuckled softly, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He struggled internally with keeping his plan a secret, and his smile faded, replaced by a small frown. "Yeah, I'll be careful then..." he mumbled, as if to himself. It was evident he disliked concealing his actions but acknowledged the risks involved. The weight of the situation and the potential consequences of a single mistake loomed heavily in his thoughts.

With the changing seasons, a shift in the atmosphere was in the air. October was coming to an end, and Halloween was fast approaching. For James, there was only one event this month that truly mattered to him, but a second one had now captured his attention – the birthday of Autumn.

James sought to make Autumn's birthday a significant event in its own right, free from the shadow of Halloween. To achieve this, he decided to speak with their friend group and devise a birthday celebration worthy of their special friend. As he thought about her upcoming birthday, his excitement grew, and he began mapping out plans to make it as

Since his conversation with Elliot a few weeks back, James had made a conscious effort to put the matter to rest. He resolved to trust his friend and let him do what he needed to.

With the decision to stop worrying about the Slytherin's secret plans, James became less consumed by the mystery. He opted for a hands-off approach, trusting Elliot to handle his business independently. Whatever Elliot was up to, James had chosen not to involve himself and allowed the Slytherin to pursue his goals without interference.

With the distractions caused by Elliot's secret plans no longer occupying his thoughts, James was able to focus his full attention on Autumn once more. Over the past few weeks, she had shown him several hidden areas and secret passages within Hogwarts that he and the fellas had previously overlooked.

James and the boys were starting to realize they needed to up their game when it came to uncovering secret passages. After being shown some hidden routes, the reality began to sink in: they likely wouldn't reach the level of secret passage hunting excellence of Autumn's group. They grudged to admit, there was no denying that her group had found passages they'd completely overlooked.

The long-anticipated, intense prank war between the two groups had finally recommenced, and there was no slowing it down. The pranks were becoming increasingly convoluted and ingenious as each side vied to outperform the other.

One memorable prank, pulled off during dinner, had the whole school talking for days. Autumn, Raven, Elliot, and Lily had truly outdone themselves, orchestrating a prank that involved the entire student body at Hogwarts.

An explosion thundered through the Great Hall.

Sirius was the first to react, his voice booming, "MY HAIR!! MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR!!"

Remus took a more reserved approach, sitting quietly bewildered as the food splattered on him. Peter, however, found the situation amusing, managing a painful laugh as he cleaned the food from his face and sported a rueful smile.

Among his fellow Marauders, James was strangely silent. The others were startled by his unusual reaction, as they expected a more passionate response from him to their pranks. As he rose and looked across at the four Gryffindor students, his friends noticed a shift in his expression. His eyes narrowed, and his features took on a sinister edge as he smiled with dark intent.

James was just about to speak up, but before he could utter a word, the food encircling the four boys at the Gryffindor table suddenly detonated, causing pandemonium for those caught in the chaos. The girls and Elliot reacted swiftly, distancing themselves from the commotion, striving to salvage their clothes and evade unscathed.

Despite their efforts, the girls and Elliot weren't entirely spared. James chose to join the fray and hurled some of the detonating food towards them. What started as a slight issue quickly spiraled into a full-blown food battle once he struck an innocent bystander, sending a chain reaction of angry students tossing food at each other, leading to complete bedlam.

The food fight unleashed havoc among the students, with a mix of reactions: some hid away, some enthusiastically engaged, and others frantically avoided getting caught in the crossfire. The professors initially stood frozen in shock, turning to the Headmaster for guidance. Dumbledore, usually composed and unruffled, now observed the mayhem unfold with a mixture of intrigue and delight. It was truly an extraordinary situation.

Dumbledore watched the unfolding pandemonium with keen interest and amusement, a smile playing on his lips. The complete chaos of the food battle brought a grin to his face, and he was content to let it run its course for a bit. He knew the rivalry, judgement, and acrimony would return once the event subsided. Yet, he also recognized this as a rare moment of unfiltered joy and unrestrained escape, and he wanted to grant the students the chance to let loose and relish in it.

Professor McGonagall discreetly leaned towards the Headmaster, her voice a whisper. "Professor Dumbledore?" she hissed. "What should we do about this madness?"

Dumbledore smiled and nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, his gaze still fixed on the rampant food fight. "Just a little longer," he murmured faintly.

McGonagall cast a glance at the other professors, who were itching to intervene, but she gave them a subtle head shake, signaling them to hold back.

James smirked as he dodged a flying treacle tart, and as he looked up to pinpoint the culprit, he found himself locked in an intense gaze with Autumn. She let out a soft squeak and tried to flee, but little did she know, James, as the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, had endurance beyond her wild imagination. He quickly bridged the gap between them, his agility no match for her lackluster stamina.

As James grabbed Autumn, encircling her torso, she let out a surprised cry. Before she could complain, he snatched a plate of food and smeared it all over her face, and the mash plastered her cheeks and forehead.

James chuckled as he let her go, and as she hurriedly wiped the mash off her face with her hands, he couldn't help but notice a playful glimmer in her eyes.

Autumn blinked, adjusting her vision once more to take in just how near James's face was to hers. She quickly retaliated by smearing some of the mash still in her hands onto his face, eliciting a chuckle from him.

As James tried to step back, the slippery floor due to the food coating it caused him to lose his balance, plummeting and pulling Autumn down with him. She landed on top of him with a little more force than intended, causing him to groan as she inadvertently pressed more into him.

As they lay there on the floor, separated by mere inches, a momentary calmness settled upon them amidst the bedlam. But it was soon shattered as Dumbledore's voice rang out, abruptly ending the food fight.

James and Autumn got back on their feet, their movements marked by a subtle hint of awkwardness. However, smiles graced their faces, shared in that brief but telling moment before the Professor's descended upon them, scolding them for their rowdiness.