The First Rise & Fall of Voldemort

Summary: AU-- Begins at the start of the Marauder's seventh year. What would happen if there was no prophecy proclaiming Harry Potter the Chosen One? Would Harry still be the one to defeat Voldemort? How would the wizarding world cope with the dark times and even darker wizards?

Rating: T

Author's Notes: This story is to begin the summer before the Marauder's and Lily go to Hogwarts for their seventh year. It will follow various points of view from the beginning to the end. I'm not sure when I'll end it yet, or how. Much work to be done yet…I'll try to stick to a steady update rate, but I can't make promises.

Disclaimer: However much I might want to, I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter. I am not the creator of the recognizable characters, places, ideas, and so on. Just had to get that little tidbit out of the way. Now, on to the story. Enjoy!

A/N: Okay, so I've decided to put the title of a song that I think coincides with the chapters. It won't be a perfect match of course, but I'll get them as close as I can to matching up with the chapter. I won't be putting the lyrics in though, so if you want those you'll have to seek them out on your own.

Chapter One: A Prank Filled Birthday; Part I

Song: The Boys Are Back In Town

By: Thin Lizzy

-Sirius' POV-

Sixteen-year-old Sirius Black awoke with a violent start. Outward appearances showed young Sirius muttering incoherently. However, Sirius Black was not one to be so rudely awakened and let it go so easily. He was already plotting his revenge on his best friend, James Potter, who had poured a bucket of ice water on Sirius; the morning of his seventeenth birthday no less!

"James! You PRAT!" Sirius yelled at his good friend. "What were you thinking?"

"Aww Padfoot," James replied, "you know me better than that. I don't think." James said this last with an all-too-innocent grin on his face.

"I assume you woke me from my beauty sleep for a reason?"

"Why, of course, it's your birthday mate…we've got to do celebrate somehow. Wormtail and Moony are downstairs being smothered with food by my mum."

"Well then, sod off would you. I need to get ready. I'll not be long."

"I knew you wouldn't…not once food was mentioned, anyhow," James said on his way down to the kitchen for second helpings.

While Sirius took a shower he contemplated the past couple weeks. They had gotten out of Hogwarts a month ago and Sirius had gone home, well, to his old home, Number 12 Grimmauld Place. After just one day he began fighting with his mother. A week home and he was fighting with his brother and at all out war with his mother. He couldn't take any more of it after the first week and a half so he ran. It took him two days to get to the Potters' as he had nothing other than a Comet 260, his very outdated broomstick, to get him there.

The Potters had immediately given him a room so that he didn't have to go home. After-all, he was like a second son to them. It was now a week since he'd arrived at the Potter's Manor.

Sirius finished his shower and began getting dressed. He put on some jeans and a muscle shirt. Sirius had decided to execute his plan for revenge later that evening when Moony could help. Sirius practically ran downstairs in his hurry for some of Mrs. Potter's excellent pancakes.

"See mum," James said, "I told you he wouldn't be more than ten minutes. That's a new record Padfoot, 9minutes 25 seconds," James said turning to Sirius.

"Happy Birthday dear!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed.

"Morning Padfoot!" Remus and Peter said simultaneously. "Happy Birthday."

"Mr. Moony, Mr. Wormtail, Mr. Prongs," Sirius said nodding to each Remus, Peter, and James in turn. "Mr. Padfoot would like to discuss a matter of utmost importance with Misters Moony and Wormtail as soon as this wonderful breakfast has concluded." Sirius finished, winning himself a smile from Mrs. Potter at the compliment to her cooking.

Sirius saw the look on James' face showing that he knew revenge was to be coming his way. This made Sirius smirk in James' direction.

Breakfast was rather uneventful, apart from Sirius opening his gifts from his friends and surrogate parents. Peter had gotten him a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans; Remus had gotten him some of Honeydukes finest chocolate, James had gotten him the most recent edition of Quidditch Through the Ages and a broom servicing kit, and Mr. and Mrs. Potter had gotten him a new broom. The newest on the marked in fact; a comet 3000!

"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed, still in shock from all the wonderful gifts he'd received. "Thanks guys. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Potter," he finally managed to say.

"No problem, Sirius," Mr. Potter said, "You deserve it."

"Sirius dear," Mrs. Potter queried, "How many times must we ask you to call us Henry and Harriet? I must have told you 50 times already!"

"I'd say 50 more should get the job done. You know how thick my skull is." Harriett just sighed and left for work at St. Mungo's while Henry laughed and started to leave for work in the Ministry's Auror Department.

"You boys behave today," Henry said before leaving.

"We're just going to Diagon Alley to get some stuff Dad. Honestly, you know us. Would we misbehave?" James asked his father with a mock hurt expression on his face.

"Of course I know you, which is why I'm telling you to behave." Henry said. "Lot of good it'll do though," he muttered on the way out.

"Right," Sirius started, "James can clean up here while Remus and Peter come with me to the sitting room." Sirius then proceeded to explain his brilliant plan to his fellow Marauders.

-James' POV-

James began to worry as they had been in Diagon Alley for an hour now and his friends hadn't sought their revenge yet. They were walking past Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlor when stuff started happening. The first thing he noticed was the sudden absence of Remus and Sirius. Peter told him to sit down and order until the other two returned. That got James' suspicions going. What furthered them was when Peter left to 'see what was taking them so long'.

James just sat there waiting for the inevitable to happen. He was really beginning to fret over his friends absence when Lily Evans walked over to his table her best friends Rosemary Pearl (Rose), Sandrine Stone (Rina), and Holly Davids in tow.

"H-hello L-Lily," James stuttered nervously, "c-care to sit down?"

"Sure Potter. Where're you cronies at?" Lily asked.

"Plotting revenge…on me." By this time, the other girls had also mysteriously disappeared. "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, just some business." Lily said this rather mysteriously.

"Really?" James asked, his suspicions coming back full blast. "What kind of business?"

"The kind that's none of your business. Gosh Potter, what do you want? My life story?"

"Sorry for asking, guess I'm a little paranoid right now. I wish Sirius would just get it over with."

"What'd you do anyway?" Lily inquired.

"Poured a bucket of ice water on him this morning to wake him up for his birthday." James answered her distractedly while continuing to look around for the other Marauders.

"Oh," Lily said in a confused manner.

"What's wrong?" James asked, now paying complete attention.

"Umm…I've gotta go. Sorry James." Lilly said this hurriedly, trying and failing to cover something up.

"Evans, what's going on?"

"What makes you think something's going on James?"

"The fact that you've just called me James twice."

"So?"

"You never call me James, it's always Potter. Now, just tell me what's up."

"Fine, I got an owl this morning--," she said trailing off, now looking ashamed of herself.

"And?"

"Do I have to say Potter?" Lily asked, putting particular emphasis on his last name.

"Yes Evans, you do." James answered, also emphasizing her surname.

"Fine. It said that if I came to Diagon Alley today to meet you…" she stopped again, now biting her lip. "…Sirius is the biggest PRAT ever!"

"Don't I know it. Now, what'd the owl say Evans?" James asked getting a little miffed at her reluctance to answer.

"Itsaidyouwouldaskmeout" she said in a rush of incoherent mumblings.

"What was that?"

Lily repeated, now blushing a very deep shade of red, "it . said . you . would . ask . me . out. THERE! Are you happy now?"

"Only if this means you like me." James said with a hopeful smile, "do you?"

"It doesn't matter because you're still to immature, so I wouldn't say yes if you asked me out anyway." She gave him a look that said but-I-hope-that-changes-because-if-it-does-I'll-definitely-say-yes.

"Oh," James said, suddenly depressed and utterly disheartened. "Well, bye then."

Lily began to walk away and James began contemplating how he could change. Suddenly, Lily turned around and said "screw it" and kissed him full on the lips. It only took a second for James' shock to wear off and for him to reciprocate the kiss with equal fervor.

When they finally pulled apart, James asked Lily, with a huge grin on his face, "does that mean you'll go out with me then?"

Lily thought for a moment before answering, "yes, but if you screw up even once…we're done until you grow up. Got it?"

James didn't say anything, he just snogged her for another five minutes before coming up for air and saying, "whatever you say."

James decided then and there that he could spend his entire life stroking her long red hair and looking into her emerald green eyes and he would be at peace with the world.

-Lily's POV-

When Sirius, Remus, and Peter returned Lily decided it was time for her to go and meet her friends. Lily wandered over to Gringotts, all the wile daydreaming about James' messy black hair and hazel eyes. She began to wonder why Sirius thought he could prank James that way. All she could think of was that Sirius expected her to turn him down and then he would rub it in somehow. Something just didn't fit.

A/N: OK, so that's the first chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. It's starting out strangely, I know. The prank may be confusing right now, but it'll be explained in the upcoming chapter. Also, keep in mind that it is an AU so it may seem that some of the characters are not quite right…it's supposed to be that way. Reviews would be appreciated.