James looked at his friend. He titled his head from side to side and pursed his lips thoughtfully before annoucing, "Sirius, you look like a grim."

The dog cocked its head puzzled. Minutes later, Sirius Black sat on his haunches where the dog once was. He stood and stretched and turned to his best friend. "Well you look like a prat," he retorted, "so that makes us even." He turned to his other friend. "Come on Pete. You're next."

Peter hung his head. "Are we sure this was a good idea?" he squeaked.

Sirius and James looked at him with expectant eyes. Peter took a deep breath and transformed. A tiny rat formed on the floor and started to scuttle about. The rat looked at the two boys engaged in conversation turned about once more and then started to change back.

"No, no. I'm serious, Sirius." James shook his head. "You really do look like a grim!"

"I do not," Sirius shot back out of relex. He forehead crinkled in contemplation. No sooner did Peter get his bearings that Sirius hooked an arm behind his neck and pulled him close. "Petey, my good friend," he started in an indiscreet stage whisper. "Um... what's a grim?"

"You know, those dog things we have to study for divinity. The most famous death omen."

"Sweeeeeeeet."

"Oh, so now you believe me."

"It's actually a little disturbing Sirius." Peter frowned nervously.

"It's useful, Peter." Sirius grinned.

James did not like the sound of that.

"Death omens are not useful, Sirius."

"Of course they're not useful, Petey. What we're talking about is masquerading as a death omen. Completely different thing." Sirius turned to James for support. A smile began to tug at the other's boy's lips.

Peter looked back and forth between his two friends. Then he looked down at his feet. "This is not going to involve making ravenclaw girls scream, is it?" That, after all, would be too easy.

"I didn't even think of that one. Sneak into the showers... you know, you might want to put some thought into that one Petey."

"Achem... the grim? Can we focus?"

"Just cause you've got the ball and cha--"

"Sirius..." Warning rang through James's tone.

"We'll talk later, Petey."

"Oh, joy." Peter sighed to himself.

"You know it kid. So onto more important matters..."

"1000 and one fun things to do with death omens?"

"Precisely," Sirius grinned.

"What exactly are we talking about here?" James asked.

"Snape?" Peter asked.

"Snape," James nodded.

"Snape." Sirius grinned evilly. "He's never going to see it coming."

"One would imagine," Peter shook his head. It was time, however, to shelve his worries. "Are we just going to surprise him or..."

"Oh no," James shook his head. "This requires a plan."

"Definety. Planning. Strategy. Research. Preparation. Dedication--"

"All of which you've never applied to your studies."

"--Organization. This'll be the prank to end all pranks if I do say so myself."

"Are we going to tell Remus?" Peter asked quietly.

That drew Sirius and James up short. Sirius fell into contemplation while James muttered distractedly to himself.

"If we tell Remus then we can't surprise him... unless we do it early... but if we do tell him it wrecks the surprise and... Hmmm...."

"He probably wouldn't approve..." Not that Peter himself approved, but he knew that Remus's disapproval held more weight with the other boys.

"He'll be upset if we leave him out," James reminded.

"Pete's right though. He'd go into lecture mode. 'Now really Sirius, it's one thing to levitate homework, it's another to try to give Snape a heartattack' blah blah blah..."

"Well it is an entirely different thing," Peter pointed out.

"Scaring the life out of Snape is more fun than levitating homework," James barely suppressed his grin.

"Prescisely my point, Mr. Potter."

"Why thank you, Mr. Black."

And Peter felt distinctly left out. "So if we're not going to tell Remus... then what are we going to tell him?"

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked confused. "We've been able to sneak away to practice transfiguration haven't we?"

"Well yeah," Peter nodded. "But when Snape starts going off about the grim and you two start laughing, you don't think he'll notice?"

"But see, that's why we have you Peter. You're the brains. James's is the... well he's something."

"I am too the brains," James objected. "Peter's the..."

"Worrywart?" Peter supplied.

"And Remus is the spoilsport." Sirius nodded content with the roles he'd thought up.

"And you are?" James arched ay eyebrow at his best friend.

"Moi?"

"Sirius, you are not the leader."

"You're the troublemaker" Peter suggested.

Sirius scoffed. "Thanks guys. Just when you think you know who your mates are--- ow!"

James smacked him a top the head. "You deserved that."

"True, but did you have to hit me so hard Jamie?"

"You've stopped responding to lesser attacks."

"It's cause of your thick skull Sirius."

"Okay. I get it. Can we end the pick on Sirius day now?"

"Do we have to?" James looked mock-pathetic.

"Yes."

"All right then, planning begins." James grinned, switching gears easily.

"Well it goes without saying that Snape's the only one that can see it. Otherwise there's no point."

"So you want to drive him crazy before you scare him to death." Peter frowned a bit.

"Nothing like overkill."

"I'm so glad that you're my friends," Peter swallowed nervously.

Sirius ignored the comment. "I'm going to have to practice. How long does it take me to transform now James?"

"A few minutes, why?"

"Not stealthy enough."

"Well if we can get Snape into a secluded enough area, is stealth really going to be an issue?" James countered.

"And we can use other spells," Peter added, for the first time helping with the plans. "Vision spells and mirror tricks. It doesn't always have to be Sirius he sees. Maybe even a few good sound spells too.

"Mood music?" The side of Sirius's mouth quirked up.

Peter scowled. "I was thinking a few howling spells. Not those cheesy muggle effects."

"Ooh. Creepy." James nodded. "Good. Okay now what else?"

"I wonder if there's anyway to get the divinity teacher to do a chapter on death omens." Peter was in full planning form now. "Y'know somehow speed up the paranoia."

"This is gonna be great," Sirius added.

"I think we could get a lecture on death omens if we tried the right way..." James looked thoughtful.

"Poor little Peter Pettigrew tells his dearest Divinations teacher that he's always afraid he's seeing death omens and he doesn't know what to look for?"

"I always have to be the idiot," Peter grumbled.

"Well she'd never believe me. I'd just get the 'Nice try Mr. Black but that homework is still due' thing."

"And she knows I'm ahead in the readings." James frowned.

to be continued

~story index~