Chapter Text
Who was the first person to look at a Wizard and think, “ahh yes… this is a functioning adult that I should let walk around without supervision… this person won’t mess things up or make up complete nonsense”? Well whoever it was was wrong… they don’t even have simple anti-theft purchasing systems… How simple is that?!
It was a Saturday morning at Hogwarts, James Potter woke up extra early this morning… not only was it Saturday, it was a Hogsmeade Saturday. The very first one of their 3rd year to be precise… which also meant it was his first ever trip to Hogsmeade. He was beyond excited. He’d seen older students as they’d come back with their treats. He, Sirius, and Remus, and he figured Peter’d probably come too, would get to go to Zonkos for the first time! He Wingardium Leviosa’d Sirius’s blanket off him.
“Sirius! Wake up.” he whispered aggressively at his friend.
Sirius groaned, sat up, and glared rubbing his eyes. “It’s too early for this… What time is it anyway?”
James shrugged “I dunno but it’s time to get up! It’s Saturday!” Somewhere between “Sirius wake up”, and “It’s Saturday” James’s voice had forgotten to whisper which woke up Peter Pettigrew.
The twitchy boy sat up rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Hogsmeade Saturday?” he asked, yawning. James nodded, not really interested in the fact that he’d woken the boy up as he bounced over to Remus’s bed closely followed by Sirius. The two bounced the poor werewolf boy and woke him up.
“Get up Lupin!” exclaimed James with a big grin.
Remus groaned “I know what day it is Potter… let me sleep…”
James glanced at Sirius who grinned back at him. “Either you get up, or we dump this glass of water on your head.”
Remus opened one eye and glowered at the other boys “You wouldn’t dare.”
James smirked at him “He would.” Sirius tipped the water glass just a bit so that the water dripped onto Remus’s nose a few drops.
Remus sat up quickly which upset the glass in Sirius’s hand ending up all over both boys. James fell off the bed laughing and Sirius was grinning mischievously. Remus glared at the two of them and got up. He did a quick spell to clean up the mess and left with his clothes to change in the bathroom.
“Was that too mean?” Sirius asked, watching his friend leave in a huff.
James shrugged, having already moved on to getting dressed hurriedly “He’ll be fine, he’s just grumpy in the morning as usual.” Sirius nodded with a shrug and got dressed.
Peter got up and got dressed too following what the other two boys were up to.
A few hours later, along with the other students 3rd year and up, the Marauders were standing outside of Hogsmeade ready to explore.
James grabbed ahold of Sirius and Remus’s hands leading them to Honeydukes first. This was because he’d seen Lily Evans drag Severus Snape inside and he wanted to see what they were up to.
Remus almost instantly went to find the chocolate. Sirius followed the boy while James went on his “incogneeto” mission to see what Snape and Evans were up to.
Lily was looking at the chocolate frogs and liquorice wands. She excitedly pointed out a few other magical candies to Snape, who seemed to only be paying attention to her, not really impressed with the candies as he’d seen them before.
James couldn’t help but notice how cute Lily was when she was excited. He wanted to be the one by her side looking at the candies… instead it was Sourpuss Snape and his greasy hair.
Sirius meanwhile caught a glimpse of Snape and Evans and he just had to interrupt them.
“Well if it isn’t Snivellus Snape and Lily Evans.”
Snape bristled. “What do you want Black?” he spat Sirius’s name with such tenacity and anger that if words could kill, Sirius may have been seriously wounded.
“I don’t really want anything aside from not having to look at your ugly mug.”
Lily stepped in between the boys. “If you’re going to fight please do it outdoors.” she said with a disapproving frown.
Snape stuck his nose up. “I’m too dignified to give a blood traitor like him a second thought.”
Sirius scowled at him. “Like you’ve got room to speak.”
Lily frowned at the two “Both of you out!” she shouted not even looking Snape in the eye… she was fed up with this whole blood purity conversation… once again Severus was taking the side of those new friends of his and she was fed up with it… Snape opened his mouth to respond when she shook her head “I don’t want to see either of you back in this store.” Snape obliged her by leaving the store. He waited outside for her hoping her anger would cool.
Sirius just stuck his tongue out at Snape and Lily then skipped off to find Remus looking at chocolates again. Lily resumed her treat shopping and picked out a few objects. She brought her treats to the counter to have them rung up… but when she reached the check out James was in front of her getting his bagged. James winked at her and got out of the way after handing over a Galleon and a sickle. Lily placed her purchase on the counter and was shocked to discover that there was no register… where would they put the money? Where would they scan the candies?
She opened her mouth to ask when the shop owner did a spell “Quanti Constat!” above the candies arose some symbols. The owner smiled, “10 sickles and 2 knuts.” Lily with eyes wide pulled out the money and handed it to him. He then bagged the purchase and handed her the bag.
James was waiting for her next to the counter.
“What do you want, Potter?” She asked rolling her eyes.
“Just to say hello. Never seen a store before?” he asked raising an eyebrow.
“Of course I’ve seen a store before…” Lily snapped glaring.
James smirked and put his face close to hers “Then why do you look so shocked?”
“I’ve just never seen a wizarding check out before… usually you have to scan the little…” she had pulled out a chocolate frog and was looking for something but couldn’t seem to find it. “There just HAS to be one…” she said furrowing her brow.
James looked over her shoulder “The frog is inside the box Evans.”
Lily elbowed him in the gut. “I know that! I’m looking for a barcode.”
James dramatically keeled over after she hit him. “What’s a barcode?”
Lily looked at him like he was an alien. “The little black lines with numbers under it… it’s on everything. So you can scan it to purchase it.”
James shook his head “Never seen that.” he said with a shrug.
Lily pulled out another candy and looked positively beside herself with confusion. “Do wizards not use barcodes? How do they keep track of what’s been bought? I understand the spell helps with dialing up the cost… but theft is too easy if they don’t keep track of purchases!”
Lily kept ranting about this as they left the shop and met Snape, Remus, and Sirius outside. Sirius and Snape were having a stare down and Remus was preoccupied with his chocolate frog that was trying to escape. Lily dragged Snape away gushing about the oddity of the lack of this code of bars.
James watched her leave with Snape and he felt a pinch in his chest… Sirius wrapped an arm around his neck pulling him down and ruffling his hair. “Hey, let’s go to Zonko’s.”
James laughed a bit and nodded “okay!” The three met up with Peter who’d gotten lost when James had dragged the other two away. James looked at Sirius as they walked “Have you ever heard of a barcode?”
Sirius shook his head “is it a code to get into a bar?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
James shrugged “beats me.”
Remus looked at his friends in disbelief “it’s how muggles determine the cost of their groceries quickly…” he said, shaking his head. “What brought this up anyway?”
“Evans. She was very confused to not find this code of bars on her chocolate frog.”
Remus burst out laughing at this. “It’s just a barcode… no code of bars weirdo… We should go shopping at a muggle grocery store… I’d love to see your reaction to this mystical barcode.”
James’s eyes lit up. “Could we?!” he asked, grinning. He could show Lily how cool he was buying things with a barcode! Sirius shrugged sounded like fun. They could prank some muggles. They’d be more likely to fall for some of their more simple magical pranks than wizards.
Remus chuckled and nodded. “Why not?” The four boys went into Zonko’s continuing their Hogsmeade trip with no more mention of the mystical codes of bar for now.