"How was your first Arithmancy class of sixth year?" Remus asked.

Remus and I sat in the Gryffindor common room later on that day. I looked up from the book I was reading to see him raising his eyebrows as he continued to speak and question me.

"I heard some other people in our year talking and they said that it was extremely difficult so far... that you all got a lot of homework and such... so?"

The truth was, N.E.W.T.-level Arithmancy had proved to be quite difficult, but it was still one of my three favourite classes and the harder a lesson got, the more interested I tended to become.

"It was fine," I replied simply.

"Fine?" he asked.

"It was good."

"Just good?"

"Moony, are you trying to get me to admit something was difficult for me?" I asked, feigning shock.

"Yes." He smirked at me.

"That will never happen," I said, lifting my chin in defiance. "Don't even try."

"Er... excuse me?" a young girl's voice interrupted our conversation politely. Remus and I looked up to see Isla Clarke, one of the first-years who had introduced herself to us at the start-of-term feast. "Can you help us with this spell? We've been having a little trouble with it in Charms class, and it's so annoying because everyone else seems to have gotten it!"

"Of course!" said Remus. "What spell is it? Oh... that one," he noted when he saw Isla and another girl sitting at the table, each of their wands pointed at a feather in front of them.

"Wait, what are your names again?" asked Isla. "Sorry, I'm really, really bad with names and I've just had so many to remember lately... I accidentally called Professor Flitwick 'Professor Flytrick' yesterday... Very embarrassing."

"Bianca and Remus," I said, smiling at her as I pointed from myself to Remus. "And you're Isla, right?"

She nodded.

"What about you?" I asked the girl sitting next to her.

"M-Muriel," she squeaked.

"Sorry about her, she's very shy," said Isla as Muriel blushed. "She was scared to ask older students because she thinks you're all intimidating and scary, but I told her that I've met you before and that you were nice—ouch!"

Muriel had hit Isla lightly on the shoulder with a book and gave her a stern glare, as though instructing her to stop talking.

"Sorry, sorry! Oops, I've said too much... Anyway, back to the spell," said Isla quickly, shaking her head.

"Try it again, let's see how you do," I suggested. "Then we can tell you what to improve."

Isla opened her mouth and pointed her wand at the feather once again, saying, "Wingardium leviosa."

The feather didn't budge.

"OK, so first off, it's all about the movement of the wand," I said.

Remus and I both pulled our wands out of our pockets and recited together, "Swish and flick."

"You've got to flourish your wand just the right amount," Remus explained patiently. "Don't keep it too still, but don't exaggerate the movement either."

"Ooh, what are we doing?" a voice interrupted.

Remus and I turned around to see Sirius, James and Peter walking over to us.

"We're helping them with the Levitation Charm," Remus replied.

"Can I help, too?" Sirius said eagerly. Without waiting for a response, he knelt down next to the two first-year girls and began instructing them. "First off, you've got to hold your wands between your middle and ring fingers."

"And you've absolutely got to hold the wand closer to the tip," James added, appearing on the other side of the girls. "It gives you much better control. The handles of wands are useless, really—mostly for decoration."

"Of course, you've also got to say this incantation like this: Wingordiam luviosuh. The 'suh' part has to be nice and clear, and it's got to sound like 'duh'," Peter added finally.

I gaped at the boys as Muriel began to attempt doing some of the things they said, while Isla looked unconvinced and grabbed the other girl's wand to stop her from listening to them.

Meanwhile, Remus banged his head on the table repeatedly.

"Don't listen to anything these three say," I told Isla and Muriel. "That is the absolute best advice I can give you if you'd like to survive Hogwarts for the next two years until they graduate. Do not listen to them. Ever."

"Bianca, you're scaring the children," Sirius scolded. "You're making us sound much worse than we really are."

"Leave," I ordered Sirius, James and Peter.

"Now, now, Bianca, there's no need to resort to ordering us around like we're a bunch of—" James began.

"Go away!" I growled, giving them a stern glare. They looked startled and grumbled as they walked off. "Sorry about those delinquents," I said, turning back to Isla and Muriel.

While Muriel looked just as startled as the boys had been, Isla beamed at me.

"Forget the spell—teach me how to scare people like that!" she said happily.

"Maybe sometime," I chuckled. "Anyway, as we were saying, you've got to flick your wrist like this." I pointed at Remus and he demonstrated.

He proceeded to give them both tips on how to execute the spell perfectly. The two eleven-year-olds listened carefully to everything he said.

"Can we see you do the spell?" Muriel asked quietly, looking from me to Remus.

"Yes, Remus should do it," I said. As he raised his wand and pointed it at the feather, I stopped him. "No, not on the feather."

He caught on quickly and realization swept across his face before he smirked mischievously. From across the common room, he yelled, "SIRIUS! Get your..." he glanced sideways at the two younger students, "...butt over here, we've decided that we do need your help, after all."

Sirius popped his head out from behind the couch. "Yes?"

"Get over here, mate. We need your help," Remus repeated firmly.

Sirius sauntered back over suspiciously and James and Peter followed him.

"What's wrong, Sirius? You look scared," I said, raising my eyebrows, unable to keep the grin from making its way across my face.

"I'm not scared, I'm extremely suspicious and also hungryー"

"Wingardium leviosa," Remus said quickly, pointing his wand at Sirius and flourishing it perfectly.

Sirius was caught completely off guard and levitated into the air, his arms and legs flailing about wildly. "Moony!" he shrieked as Remus, James, Peter, Isla, Muriel and I roared with laughter and a few other Gryffindors in the common room turned to look at him.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," I told James and Peter. "You two are next. I'll levitate you both at the same time."

James and Peter stopped laughing at once and bolted away, leaving Sirius hanging in midair.

"I think I get it now!" said Isla, making me return my attention to her. The young Muggle-born girl lifted her wand and pointed it at the feather, saying, "Wingardium leviosa."

She looked positively delighted as the feather levitated, even though it only remained in the air for two seconds before floating back onto the table.

"That was great!" said Remus. "Just remember the swish and flick, and you'll be a natural at this spell once you practice some more—"

"What are you looking at?" Sirius barked at a guy in seventh-year. "Can I be let down now?" he whined at Remus and I.

"Nope," said Remus.

"Now?" he asked.

"No."

"How about now?"

"Just a few more minutes," Remus told him, trying to hold back his laughter as he turned back to the girls. "Are you all right with this spell now, or do you need any more help?"

"I think we're good," Isla replied. "You're good teachers! Thanks so much! Also, I hope that one day I can levitate a person like that." She gestured towards Sirius, who waved.

"I'm sure you will," I told her. "You can ask us anytime you need help with any other spells. Just don't ask him," I added, pointing at Sirius, whose arms were crossed. He looked extremely bored and annoyed as he hung limply in the air, huffing and blowing a strand of hair out of his face.

"OK. Thanks again!" said Isla. Muriel quietly thanked us as well; then the two girls disappeared up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

"You're a good teacher, Remus," I said genuinely, hoping that one day he might be able to follow his dream and teach at Hogwarts, despite his lycanthropy. "I mean, Professor Lupin."

He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Thanks... I like the way that sounds."

It was entirely true. The way Remus talked to them—the liveliness in his voice as he explained and extended his knowledge to others—made me sure that he was destined to teach. There was nothing he wanted more than to be able to do just that, and I hoped that one day, Dumbledore would offer him a job at Hogwarts and he would no longer be held back by his condition.

Sirius cleared his throat, causing us both to turn towards him. "Can I please be let down now?"

Remus lowered his wand, letting Sirius carefully drift to the floor. Sirius dusted himself off and said, "Actually, that wasn't so bad. Besides all the pointing and laughing, it was quite pleasant... It felt like I was flying, except that I was completely stationary in the air."

"Right, Sirius," I said, rolling my eyes. I picked up the book I had left on the table. "Well, I've got to jump... I'm just going to retreat to the girls' dormitory to do some homework... so I'll see you guys at dinn—"

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold it," said Sirius, grabbing the back of my robes and pulling me back. "Why can't we come with you? You've been in the boys' dormitory countless times. I think it's only fair that we get to see yours..."

"Sirius, you have seen it," I pointed out, crossing my arms. "Remember end of last year? You came to talk to me and apologize after the end-of-term feast? Any of that ring a bell?"

"Oh yeah," he said. "I forgot about that... But those were some serious times and I think that it's only fair that we get to hang out in your dormitory."

"You do know how suspicious that sounds, right?" I asked him.

"It does sound suspicious, Padfoot, you're making it weird," Remus agreed.

"But... Moony, c'mon, remember the thing?"

"What thing?"

"The thing—oh, for the love of Merlin, there's just something we have to do," Sirius said to me. "Can you just get us in there?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea. "Fine," I said, "but first I've got to make sure Lily, Marlene and Alice aren't up there, because if they are, I don't think they'd appreciate me bringing you guys there."

"Trust me, we were counting on them not being there," he muttered under his breath, as though he thought I wouldn't be able to hear him.

"Why?"

"What? I didn't say anything. Are we going? Yes, let's go. Prongs! Wormtail!" Sirius called out to them, walking briskly towards the place where they stood with their heads together. "Get the Map and check if the girls are up there." He pointed up the stairs.

"Way ahead of you," said Peter, consulting the Marauder's Map. "Look." He thrust it towards Sirius and Remus.

Both boys looked at it. Sirius clapped his hands together and said, "Excellent! They're in the courtyard. That gives us enough time to..." He broke off, looking at me. "Can you just stand on the stairs while we go up, please? And I'd appreciate it if I didn't fall down a slide this time."

I narrowed my eyes at them. "I won't do it unless you guys tell me what you're going to do. You're up to no good."

"Well, we won't tell you unless you let us up there," Peter shot back.

"My, my, Peter, aren't we getting a little cheeky today?" I asked. "Oh dear, I'm at a standstill here..."

"Only solution is to let us go up," James said, pursing his lips.

"No."

"Then we'll simply have to force you," said Sirius.

"You can't force me!" I yelped.

"We'll use brute force," he replied.

"I will beat you."

"No you won't."

"I'll kick you in the—"

"WOAH, OK, we don't have to go there," Remus said loudly, holding his hands up.

"Aw," Sirius whined, "but Moony, I wanted to know exactly where she would kick us." He turned to me, waggling his eyebrows, his lips turned up in a satisfied smirk.

"Shut up, Sirius," I grumbled.

"We should count how many times in one day you say that to me."

"We should also count how many times you say stupid things that cause me to tell you to shut up—"

"We seem to have veered extremely off-topic," James interrupted. "Can you please let us up there?"

"No."

"Bianca, we promise we'll tell you exactly what we're doing when you let us go up," said Remus; the only emotion his face displayed was hopefulness. "Come on, we won't do anything that could put anyone in serious danger."

I sighed. Perhaps they were just going to pull a prank on someone, and all I could do was hope that it wouldn't be on me.

"Fine. But if you do something too bad, I will throw each of you down the stairs." I moved towards the stairs and stood on the first one, allowing each of the boys to happily brush past me and dart into the girls' dormitory.

"Why do you listen to Remus, but not to the rest of us?" Sirius asked me, placing his hand over his heart in mock sadness.

I followed him up the stairs. "Well, I guess it's because he's a prefect and prefects are always trustworthy."

"Who told you that?"

"No one. I made it up," I replied, shrugging. "It's not even true. I only listened to him because he wasn't threatening to force me to stand on the stairs."

I entered my dormitory, following the Marauders, and quickly ran over to my bed, hopping onto it.

"So? What're you guys doing? Why did you want to come up here? What are you planning? I need answers, people," I tutted.

Looking around the dormitory, I realized that it was nearly as messy as the boys' dormitory. The stereotype of boys being messier than girls clearly didn't apply to me, Lily, Marlene and Alice.

"I'm waiting," I said impatiently, drumming my fingers against the nightstand. "Remus, you said you'd tell me what you were up to as soon as I let you guys up here. I officially no longer trust you."

"Which one's your trunk?" James asked.

"That—wait, why? What are you doing to it?" I ran over protectively to my trunk, trying to kick it under my bed (though it wouldn't fit completely).

"Sheesh, someone's getting a wee bit paranoid," said James, crossing his arms. "We only wanted to make sure that you weren't affected by what we're going to do."

"But what—"

"Hey, Bianca, look!" said Peter quickly, pointing out the window with a shocked and alarmed look on his face. "Why is that Hippogriff attacking Hagrid?!"

"What?" I snapped, looking towards the window.

I looked away only for a second, but I saw James and Sirius opening Alice's trunk out of the corner of my eye.

"So gullible," Remus said with a smirk on his face, shaking his head at me.

I ignored him. "What are you doing opening up their trunks? What are you putting in there? Come on, can't I at least be in on it?"

Sirius and James looked at each other.

"You won't tell any of them, right?" Sirius asked. "We were just afraid that you would."

"Of course I won't!" I said loudly. "You guys are my best friends, not them. I was never really that close with those three anyway. I mean, unless it's a danger to their lives, I'll keep it to myself."

"Are you lying?" James asked disbelievingly.

"No, for God's sake, James, I'm not! I swear that I won't tell them about whatever you're doing—I solemnly swear at that. Besides, as if you wouldn't know if I was lying. I'm horrid at it, remember?"

"That's actually part of the reason we're so afraid to tell you. You'll just give it away from your facial expressions if they ask you about it," he said slowly, as though talking softly would soften the blow.

"Let's just tell her already! She'll find out either way," said Peter.

"Thank you, Peter," I said. "So tell me."

"All right..." said James. I suspected he was pausing for a dramatic effect. "Remember how we said that we were becoming a little too predictable and that we ought to prank some of our own to throw people off?"

I nodded in response, waiting for him to go on.

"It's been a while since we've pranked any Gryffindors," said Sirius. "Normally it's Slytherins, occasionally Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. That was how we came to decide to prank your roommates. We are simply putting some itching powder in all of their uniforms. It's quite a simple prank compared to many other more elaborate ones, but it'll make them angry enough and it'll be quite funny to see..."

"OK..." I said hesitantly, carefully moving towards my trunk and sitting on it to make sure they wouldn't be able to get to it. "And you're sure you aren't pranking me?"

"Of course not, you're one of us," said Remus exasperatedly. "You've really got to have more faith in us."

"We don't prank each other... usually," said Peter, smiling. "We only prank other people... together."