A few days later, after afternoon classes were over, the Marauders minus Peter were going to the grounds.

They saw Lucius Malfoy, a Slytherin Prefect and two of his cronies surrounding a few first-year Hufflepuff girls.

Sirius and Remus recognized one of them from the Quidditch pitch that day.

"If you don't say what we told you to, we'll lock you in that room," said Crabbe evilly.

Sirius stepped forward at once.

"You stop that," he said, taking out his wand.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle turned and saw the second years.

"What are you going to do?" sneered Malfoy.

James and Remus joined Sirius too.

As Malfoy was raising his wand, Sirius disarmed him with an Expelliarmus.

Crabbe and Goyle clumsily barged forward.

"Impedimenta!" cried James. Crabbe froze.

"Stupefy!" said Remus, stunning Goyle.

"Petrificus Totalus!" said Sirius, pointing his wand at Malfoy. He keeled over, rigid as a board.

"What happened?" Remus asked the first years.

"They told us to call her—" the girl from the Quidditch pitch pointed at another one of them. "A—a—" She was close to tears.

"A Mudblood?" asked Sirius quietly. She nodded. "You all did the right thing, not listening to them."

"Come, let's get you to your common room," said James, herding them forward.

The girl from the Quidditch pitch fell in step with Sirius.

"Thanks for saving us, Sirius," she said shyly, looking up at him with a hero worshipping look.

"How do you know my name?" asked Sirius, surprised.

"Surely everyone in the school knows you and your friends?" she said. "And Regulus also told me about you."

"You're his friend?" asked Sirius sharply.

"Yes, we're partners in Herbology," said the girl.

There was a silence. Then Sirius asked, "What's your name?"

"Onodera," she said.

They had reached the Hufflepuff common room.

While they were returning, they met Professor McGonagall. "You're not allowed to use your wand on others in the corridor, Potter, Black, Lupin."

"Did those stupid Slytherins complain to you, Professor?" asked James resentfully.

"That doesn't concern you," said the teacher.

"It does," insisted Sirius. "They were harassing the kids of Hufflepuff. Ask them, Professor."

"I know that, Black. The entire thing was reported to me. Detention for all three of you."

"Again?" James groaned.

Professor McGonagall glared at him. "Go to Filch, Potter. And you two can clean the trophy room."

Sirius and Remus parted ways with James, all three of them gloomy and indignant.

After fifteen minutes of the mundane job of cleaning trophies, Sirius felt a call on his two-way mirror.

He took it out from his pocket quickly, and he and Remus peered into it.

James' face was staring at them, obviously very excited.

"Sirius, Remus— I'm a stag!"

"What the hell is a stag?" asked Sirius.

"It's a kind of deer, Sirius," said Remus, rolling his eyes.

"How do you know it's a stag, James?" demanded Sirius.

"The same way you know you're a dog," said James crossly.

"Well...a stag's a pretty unusual creature..."

"A stag stands for leadership. And friendliness too," said Remus wisely.

"Oh...it fits then, I guess," conceded Sirius. "Now we've got to wait for that idiot of a Peter to see his animal."

"That's not fair, Sirius. He can't help being less clever than us," protested James.

"So what did I say?" retorted Sirius. "Even you agree he's an idiot."

"Stop bickering, you two," said Remus. "Look—Filch is coming back!"

"See you later, James," said Sirius, winking at him.

They continued their work.