Written for the Ultimate Writer Challenge and the Ultimate AU Promptathon Challenge.
If there was anything Lily Potter did not want to wake up to, it was her eleven-year-old son screaming, "MUM WAKE UP! DO YOU KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS? IT'S ALMOST 6:00, WE COULD MISS THE TRAIN!" At 5:45 in the morning.
"We will not miss the train, Harry James, and I advise you to go back to sleep, you don't want to fall asleep during your sorting." Harry nodded, but she knew that he was most definitely not going to go to sleep, so after laying in bed for around a quarter of an hour, she finally woke up to face the day of her nightmares.
September 1st, the day where her little son would leave her and go to Hogwarts. The day where he would turn from her little boy to a respectable man. She was not ready.
"Good morning James," she said, smiling at the tired man. He had woken up at around five to let an overexcited Sirius Black and his wife Marlene in the house. Remus Lupin had stayed in their guest bedroom and Peter Pettigrew would come at a respectable time, with his wife Mary.
"Good morning sweetie," he said, leaning over to give her a small kiss, "I made pancakes."
Lily helped herself to a pancake and smiled at her overexcited son. Harry was their only son and was therefore much doted upon, although not to the extent that James had been.
As soon as she finished eating, she was pulled away by Harry so she could help him pack up his trunk, an event which took several hours due to Harry's constant second-guessing and worried state of mind.
Almost as soon as Harry finished packing, Peter and Mary flooed in, and James gathered them all in the sitting room.
"As the proud parent of a future Marauder," he stated, "I have decided that it is time we give you the tools to carry on your legacy as a prankster extraordinaire. There are two tools, that if used properly, can aid you on your way to Maraudership. First, I bestow upon you," he took out a folded piece of silvery material, "The Invisibility Cloak."
"I am going to kill him," Lily whispered to Marlene through gritted teeth. James Potter was dead.
"Next," he said, gulping a little at Lily's death glare,"I give you the Marauder's Map. It is a map that served us faithfully in our time, and it will serve you just as faithfully." He then handed Harry a piece of paper and instructed him on how to open and close it.
After that, the four Marauders all clapped and Lily rolled her eyes and levitated Harry's trunk downstairs.
They left the house early and flooed to King's Cross. When they got there, the platform was mercifully empty, except for a few families. That ended a few minuted later when the hideously large Weasley family entered.
"Hello Lily," greeted Molly, Lily and Molly were quite close, and Ron and Harry were good friends, meaning the families spent a good amount of time together.
"Hello Molly, are you ready for some peace and quiet?" she asked, smiling sympathetically at the woman.
"Definitely," Molly said, smiling at the younger woman, "Although I am sure that it won't be long until I get a letter outlining some of the mischief that Fred and George got into."
"I'm sure," Lily agreed, "Unfortunately the same might happen with Harry-"
She was interrupted as Sirius waved at his cousin, Andromeda, who came over with her husband, Ted, and her pink haired, seventh-year daughter, Nymphadora.
"How're your sisters," he asked smirking, in lieu of a proper greeting.
"Pureblooded and obnoxious as ever," she grumbled. Andromeda's relationship with her sisters, Narcissa and Bellatrix was tiresome, and a constant source of amusement for the rest of them. She had been disowned but was reinstated when Sirius became the Head of House after Orion died.
"Luckily, Bella still hasn't reproduced, but she is always spouting off some elitist shit about how I'm a blood traitor and am ruining the Black line. The only thing that we agree on is that we need to find Cissy." Andromeda complained
A few years after Narcissa had graduated Hogwarts, when her marriage contract was still being created, she had eloped with Severus Snape, after he finally managed to get over Lily. She hadn't been seen since.
"She says that Regulus is the only upstanding member of the family," Andromeda finished, drinking her nose to show what she thought about that.
"Well she isn't wrong," conceded Sirius, "You and Cissy ran, and I'm just generally unacceptable, technically, they are the only good little Black heirs left."
Andromeda had become quite close to the group, as she and Sirius had started the disowned Black club, which Narcissa was an honorary member of. She wasn't a full member because she married a "greasy git who is as obnoxious as my harpy of a mother", according to Sirius.
"How's Nymphadora?" Marlene changed the topic as the silence grew awkward.
"Tonks," Nymphadora said irritably, "Is fine, thank you very much."
"Nymphadora, be nice," warned Andromeda.
Nymphadora shot her a glare and walked away to talk with some friends.
"Teenagers," sighed Andromeda.
They then got into a discussion of their days as teenagers, and reminisced, with their other old Hogwarts friends joining in as they arrived.
They were in the middle of reminiscing about when James wrote a poem about Lily and posted it on the common room board when the train whistle sounded and they all jumped in surprise.
"Harry, you need to get on the train," she said, before suddenly hugging him with all her strength.
"Be careful," she said, "and concentrate in school. I don't want to get any letter's about your pranks and be nice. I love you no matter what, and I know that no matter what you have one of the kindest hearts I've ever known, so show it to others. I love you," she said and gave him a final kiss, before letting James say goodbye.
"Harry," he said, "If you prank, don't get caught, and don't put yourself in harm's way. Make good friends, and don't kill anyone. I'll miss you," he said, ruffling Harry's hair. Then, Remus, Marlene, Peter, and Mary also hugged Harry and gave him their love.
Sirius was the last person to speak to him before he got on the train. "I'll miss you pup," he said, "And if you get in Slytherin, we'll disown you."
"No we won't," shouted Lily, and tearily smiled as Harry grinned at all of them, waved, and got on the train.
"My baby's going to Hogwarts," she said to James, trying not to cry.
"I know," he replied, "I know."
