Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter. This may not be my sandbox but I will build the biggest, baddest looking castle in it so that my pretend world can exist. I make no money from writing Fanfiction, in fact it is saving me money. I can work all of my issues out on paper and text and thus avoid therapy all together!

This fic is written as a submission to the Shrieking Shack Society's Halloween Challenge If you haven't yet, please go and check out Shayalonnie and her amazing stories.

Chapter 1

5:34 am Sunday October 31st 1971

They had been planning this prank for two weeks, spent hours in the library researching and late nights experimenting. Checking and cross checking until they were positive that they could get in, setup and get out undetected. The past week was strictly a reconnaissance mission and they learned more about their Professors habits than they ever wanted to.

Slughorn, for example, liked to sleep in. It was a rare sight to lay eyes on him before 8 am, and he enjoyed strong Irish cream in his morning tea. McGonagall was the early riser, first one up and prowling around. Most mornings she rose at 6:30 sharp and checked on her House before making her way down to the Great Hall. Dumbledore enjoyed a peaceful morning chat with Hagrid, who was always up at dawn. But perhaps the strangest morning routine belonged to Binns.

Naturally one does not become a ghost without being a creature of habit and Binns was no exception. While he didn't need to sleep, he routinely kept to his rooms from curfew until dawn. He did not patrol or issue detentions. In fact Binns rarely left his rooms for any reason other than classes. Except for at dawn that is. A quick peek into his classroom proved that the boring Professor enjoyed singing Opera. Loudly and surprisingly on key. From his vantage point at the door, Sirius had watched as Binns not only sang, but danced around the Classroom.

~oOo~

Hogwarts was silent as students and teachers alike slept. Well, most of them slept. Four extremely brave or extremely foolish, but they liked to think themselves the bravest of all, Gryffindor's crept through the slumbering halls. Safely huddled under an invisibility cloak and carrying their trainers they made no sound and left no trace of their passage. Down the shifty stairs, hopping over the vanishing step and sticking the landing. Hugging the walls of the wide corridors and looping toward the Great Hall.

Today was the day James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew cemented their friendship. Today they would be great. Today was their favorite holiday. They made quite the matching set, clad in dark red bathrobes and Quidditch pajamas.

5:40 am

Easing the heavy double doors open the boys paused for a moment as excitement bubbled through them. Before them, the House tables stretched as well as the possibilities. Hearts leaping they traded glances and stepped over the threshold in unison. As if sensing their presence a tray of toast and pitcher of pumpkin juice popped onto the Gryffindor table; complete with butter, jelly and cups. Grinning the boys threw off the cloak and hurried to devour their pre-prank snack.

Slathering his toast with butter and jelly Sirius watched James fold the cloak into an impossibly small bundle and store it in a pocket before joining them. Hazel eyes met Grey and sparked with mischief. On the opposite side of the table Remus and Peter grinned. Eagerly the boys wolfed down their food and set to work.

Remus crouched by the entrance to the Great Hall, angling himself just right to see and hear any approaching students. Peter shuffled off to the teachers entrance and pressed his ear against the thin door, ready to warn his friends of approaching Professors. James and Sirius stalked toward the Slytherin table wands at the ready.

"Epoximise!" Sirius said as he tapped his wand on the right bench. Swirls of translucent fluid poured from his wand and covered the seats.

Across the wide expanse of table Sirius watched as James did the same. Catching his eye Sirius smirked. Quickening his step, Sirius pulled ahead of James and barked out a laugh as James hurried to catch up. Faster and faster they tapped and repeated the incantation until both benches were covered in sticky glue.

Remus and Peter methodically glued all the silverware and goblets down on the Ravenclaw table using temporary sticking charms. Careful to place the forks, spoons and knives back in the exact same position. No need to alert the 'Claws that something was up.

6:00 am

Slytherin Complete, James moved on to the Hufflepuff table and glued all the pitchers, butter dishes and serving forks down. Moving quickly down the table and back, careful to get each utensil. Sirius tackled the Gryffindor table, after all it would be terribly obvious who was guilty if they left their House out of the prank.

Sirius generously spread glue on the rims of the serving dishes and goblets. He was a quarter of the way down the table when Peter joined him and Remus joined James. Together they finished setting up by 6:15 on the dot.

With only minutes to spare James whipped out his cloak and the boys disappeared beneath it. Heading back to their dorm to mime waking up. They couldn't wait to see everyone's reactions.

7:38 am

Minerva McGonagall was less than impressed. The Great Hall was in an uproar, students glued to their seats, plates, goblets and in some cases each other! Students yelled warnings to their Housemates and vague threats to whomever they believed responsible. Had it been one year previous she would have known exactly who was to blame. But the Prewett twins had graduated and the new culprits were as of yet unknown. That would change however.

Dabbing at her lips with a cloth napkin Minerva took her time arranging her robes, pushing back her chair and rising. Pinching her lips into a thin line she waited. Like a crashing wave a hush fell over the Great Hall. Raising her chin Minerva swept her penetrating gaze across each table, searching for the guilty party or parties. Instead several students looked at their hands or laps, guilt written clearly on their young faces, too many to have pulled off a prank of this magnitude.

Silence weighed down the Hall like a tangible force. Minerva allowed it to simmer for a few moments longer before at last breaking it.

"This level of Tomfoolery is unacceptable. While i have my doubts about whether or not some of you were born in a barn." she paused as weak laughter rippled through the ranks, "I know for a fact none of you were raised by wolves. Should those responsible come forward the consequences will be lessened."

Minerva let that settle over the students before continuing.

"However, should I be forced to search these marauders out, and make no doubts about it, I will find you. The consequences will be catastrophic."

At the end of the Gryffindor table four first years looked at each other and grinned. Today they did more than cement a friendship and pull off the most amazing prank. Today they earned their name:

The Marauders.