James became a tad more social as time went on, although he never took his cape and hood off except when he went to bed, so he physically remained a mystery. Wild rumours floated around that he was some sort of dragon or goblin, or he'd been maimed in an accident. Of course no one really believed them except the Hufflepuffs, who were ninnies any way. James seemed not to be bothered by the taunts or the rumours that were flung his way, instead politely dismissing them with no comment at all and walking calmly away. 

Although sometimes James could be cold. Really cold. An eerieness floated off of him at times, and nobody wanted to be near him. Fortunately these moments were sporadic, abut then James would float into the person he had been when Harry had first met him. But he didn't have much time to consider that, since he was rushing about with his homework and Quidditch. However, Alica Spinnet had graduated from Hogwarts, leaving her position as Chaser, a main scorer with a large red ball, about the size of a soccer ball, called a Quaffle, which she was supposed to get through one of the three hoops of her oppenents. Of course everyone was a buzz and prepping up their skills in anticipation for tryouts, that were to be held at the end of the week.

Ron sat, furiously polishing the handle of his broom stick. His was a hand-me-down from some brother, although Ron couldn't remember which. The bristles stuck out in odd directions, and he was muttering about having to repair those later. Harry, however, kept studying, as his place on the team was assured, since no one was a better Seeker than him. Hermoine was in there with them, helping Harry study. James was, well, being James, behind his curtain. They figured he was studying, since there were two piles of books on the floor, and one was getting shorter while the other was getting higher as he placed books down on it. Harry swore that James studied twice
as much as Hermoine.

"Ughhh... I hate this History homework!" Harry groaned as he slammed his history book shut and shoved it off his desk, hoping that it'd disappear down some sort of magical black hole, like the ones that steal Muggle pencils and other small, but important, items. "Why do we have to learn about a group of funny looking people, that nobody's ever seen or known about, except to know that they are funny looking, they seem to provide NOTHING to modern magical practices, or even historic magical practices. Nobody's seen these supposed Jelly-ick-lees, or at least got proof that they do." Harry snarled. There was a gasp and a clatter as James' book fell to
the floor.

"Don't... I mean you shouldn't say that." James said, as if trying to control an emotional outburst. "Just because they don't seem useful, doesn't mean they weren't, and aren't. And it's pronounced Jell-ic-le, not Jelly-ick-lees." James said in a pompous tone before picking his book off the floor.

By this time, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine were all staring at James' bed.

"How can you be so sure? There's nothing mentioned in the book about what they've accomplished, nothing at all." Hermoine snapped, sounding rather frustrated with the lesson herself. Of course Hermoine was a pretty logical person, and the lesson escaped logic.

"What if, let's just say, these Jellicles decided to keep their existence a secret, much like wizards and witches do, for their protection from Muggles? And they have a pact with the wizards and witches that who they are and what they do a secret from everyone." James snapped back. The three outside of the two curtains decided to back off. After all it did make sense, they did the same thing around Muggles.

Ron and Harry decided to go practice their broomstick riding, and Hermoine decided to watch. 

When they came back, however they saw the velvet curtains in shambles, as if cut by huge claws. The wood and been clawed as if by a very large cat. Books lay scattered across the floor with nip marks in them. Then they heard Percy's shriek. They ran to the main room and found the Gryffindor flag, which was above the fireplace, ripped to shreds and lying in maroon an gold pieces on the floor.

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE AND WHO DID THIS!!!!???" Percy yelled on the top of his lungs, everyone fell silent, and not even Fred and George had something
witty to say. Percy held up the remnants of the flag. "WHO WAS IN HERE WHEN
THIS HAPPENED??" Percy bellowed. Everyone shrugged. The door opened and
James appeared, when he saw the flag he gasped. 

"What happened?" He asked loudly. Percy glared at the crowd.

"Exactly what I'd like to know." came Professor McGonagall's stiff voice. She apparently had come in right behind James.

"Exactly what I was asking Professor." Percy replied. Everyone stood in a silence.

"I don't know, but Harry's dorm room was destroyed also." Hermoine offered. Harry and Ron would have confirmed that, but they were too busy looking around for guilty faces. Harry's scar began to hurt with a fury and he placed his hand over it, trying to ease the throbbing. Ron kicked his sneaker and motioned him to look to the floor. The flag was beginning to catch. Harry yelped and jumped on it, putting out the flames. Percy and Professor McGonagall stared at him.

"It was on fire." Harry offered, showing them a corner that had shriveled and was blackened.

"Probably just the fireplace. Stray ember fell on it." Percy mumbled, before collecting the scraps off the floor. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.

"Right. Now, if I find out who committed this act, let me assure you, that their wand will be smashed, and they will be kicked out of Hogwarts. I MIGHT be easier on you if you confess to me right now." She paused, and no one came up. "Alright, have it your way. If any of you know who's done this, my office is open for you to confess. But until I get a confession, it's fifty points for Gryffindor." She said before disappearing through the wall.

"Alright, everyone back to their dorms, this instant." Percy growled. Everyone nodded and walked up the stairs, not saying a thing. James appeared by Harry's side silently, causing him to startle when he spoke.

"Down right odd isn't it. When I left it was perfectly fine, our dorm and the flag, I wasn't gone five minutes when I heard Percy's screaming." James said softly, confusion evident. "Whom ever did it, had to have been quick."

"Why'd you go out? Pardon my asking, but you know, we've just lost fifty points for Gryffindor, and I really want to know who it is, so I can knock their teeth out." Ron growled. James shrugged.

"So would I. I was going to go see Snape about some potions, because I think I might have mixed them up, but I wasn't even half way there when I heard Percy's shouts and so I came back. Nobody saw me on the way to Snape's, but Professor McGonagall must have seen me when I came back." James offered. Ron grunted. Harry wondered how James might have heard the shouts, since Snape's room was on the other end of the castle, in the dungeon, but made no comment.

"Could it have been Mrs. Norris, still trying to repay you?" Harry said softly as headed up the last steps to their room.

"No that was catnip, and ONLY catnip, it couldn't last more than an hour." James said clinically. He gasped as he entered the room. Immediately he scooped up his books and examined the marks, as well as the marks on the curtains.

"What are you looking for?" Harry asked, as he began collecting his books off the floor also. Seamus and Dean still hadn't arrived yet.

"I'm not looking for something, I'm studying these marks." He stared at them a few more moments, and then stared at the wood for a second before letting out an, 'Ah hah!'

"Ah hah what?" Ron asked grumpily as he picked up his broom, who's bristles had been re-arranged by the intruder, making them stick out worse.

"Whatever it was, it was a type of cat." James said simply. "The bite marks, and the claw marks absolutely point to it." He studied the curtains some more. "A large cat."

"You're telling me some large pussy cat just came in here and ripped up our stuff?" Dean said as he entered. He groaned as he saw the dimples in his soccer player posters. "Dang, and those were going to be worth money too. Maybe I'll find a fixing spell in one of the books later." Dean groaned as he flopped on his bed, the curtains had been torn off and now lay on the floor.

"Essentially, yes. I don't know he could have gotten in, I guess it was Macavity." James mumbled as he placed his books inside his trunk.

"What? Who's Macavity?" Seamus asked, interested as he folded his robes, which had been scattered on the floor.

"You would think it's silly. You'd laugh at it, trust me." James offered stiffly.

"Trust me, we need a pick up." Ron moaned.

"Okay, just don't laugh at me until it's over." James said nervously. He looked to his feet, before looking at a point in the wall.

"Macavity's a mystery cat,
He's called the hidden paw.
For he's the master criminal,
Who can defy the law.
He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard,
The Flying Squad's despair.
For when they reached the scene of crime,
Macavity's not there!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity.
He's broken every human law,
He breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation,
Would make a fakir stare.
And when they reach the scene of crime,
Macavity's not there!
You may seek him in the basement,
You may look up in the air.
But I tell you once,
And once again,
Macavity's not there!

Macavity's a ginger cat,
He's very tall and thin.
You would know him,
If you saw him,
For his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined in thought.
His head is highly domed.
His coat is dusty from neglect.
His whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side,
With movements like a snake.
And when you think he's half asleep,
He's always wide awake!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity.
He's a fiend in feline shape,
A monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street,
You may see him in the square,
But when a crime's discovered then,
Macavity's not there!

He's outwardly respectable.
I hear he cheats at cards.
And his footprints are not found in any file,
Of Scotland Yard's.
And when the larder's looted,
Or the jewel case is rifled,
Or when the milk is missing,
Or another Peke's been stifled!
Or the green house glass is broken,
And the trellis past repair.
There's the wonder of the thing,
Macavity's not there!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity.
There never was a cat of such decitefulness and suavity.
He always has an aliby,
And one or two to spare,
Whatever time the deed took place,
Macavity wasn't there!

And they say that all the cats,
Who's wicked deeds are widely known.
I might mention Mungojerrie, Rumpelteazer or Griddlebone,
Are nothing more than agents for the cat who all the time,
Just controls the operations,
The Napoleon of Crime!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity.
He's a fiend in feline shape,
A Monster of Depravity.
You may meet him in the by-street,
You may see him in the square,
But Macavity's not there!"

James' voice was obviously made for singing, since it carried a tune rather nicely.

"You know who it is, it's this Macavity fellow isn't it! You should go tell Professor McGonagall!" Neville cried from his bed. He must have just entered in the middle of the song. Everyone, except James and Neville cracked up.

"It's just a myth...Neville" Ron gasped as he grabbed a post of his bed to steady himself. "James was telling us a sort of boogie man story from where he comes from, although how Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad's involved I don't know, in a ways of explanation for what happened, because he thinks it a giant cat. Isn't that right James?" Ron said, breaking to giggle everyone so often.

"To you, yes, he's a boogie man." James said with a hollow tone before disappearing in his bed. Everyone stared at the bed before shrugging and continuing to clean up their space.
*O*O*

At dinner, Hagrid joined Harry, Hermoine, Ron at their table.

"Heard wha' happened, tha's a bum, tha der is." Hagrid said as he sat. Harry looked up from his chicken pot pie and nodded.

"Yeah, Percy and Professor McGonagall were pretty steamed."

"Yeh, I 'eard. You got any er ideas on who done it?"

"No, but James there thinks it was a giant cat." Ron said, jerking his head in James' direction, who looked up immediately.

"I never said it was, I said it was a possiblity." James snapped.

"O' course it mighta been Mrs. Norris. Tha' ol' git Finch brough' 'er to me complainin' she'd wen crazy an' destroyed the main 'all." Hagrid said, sniggering. It was no secret that Hagrid and Filch didn't exactly like each other. James groaned.

"I swear! It was only catnip I gave her. Plain old Muggle catnip." He moaned. Hagrid stared at him.

"Catnip? Whatcha be doin given Mrs. Norris a plant?" Hagrid said. James groaned again.

"Catnip, is like a hallocenogen to cat when they eat the leaves. I had some dried and crushed leaves on me, and so I gave her some and told her to go trash the main hall, so that way, Harry and I could sneak past Finch and get to the dorms without getting in trouble because it was raining and we were covered in mud. There is no way that the catnip could have lasted over two weeks!" James said in an exasperated tone before continuing to eat. "You make it seem like I drugged her something, which is what I did, but the cat liked it, I swear." James grumbled between bites. Everyone stared at James, before returning to their plates.

"Catnip eh? I'll 'ave to git me some o' dat, migh com in useful." Hagrid said with a grin. "But I never heared no big cats hanging around here in England. Asia, Africa, da Americas, bu' no England." He said before nibbling on his slice of bread, getting crumbs in his bushy black beard. Soon the cat was forgotten, and Harry, Ron and Hagrid were talking about Quidditch plays of the century, Hermoine occasionally interjecting some historical note.

*O*O*
Late, late that night Harry was awakened by a whimpering sound. As he sat up, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, it became more defined, whimpering, choked sobs, and muttered words. Someone was having a nightmare. It wasn't from Ron and it wasn't from Dean, who were on the beds beside him. So it had to be Seamus, Neville, or James. Throwing on his bathrobe, Harry stood and walked past Seamus' bed, nothing, not a peep. Next was Neville's, but all he heard was snoring. So that left James. Lighting a lamp nearby with his wand, Harry threw open the curtains and yelped.

Chapter 6