If you hate to read through explanations of fics, disclaimers, and all that good stuff, I suggest you proceed to the next chapter before either: a) deciding it's worth your time and reading for a bit :), b) skimming first sentence before seeing there will be no slash or what-have-you and returning back to your results page, or c) not even getting there because the mere thought of someone putting a full 'chapter' worth of explanations and etc puts you off that much. Either way, I hope you enjoy either: a) this story, b) your story with whatever you were looking for, or c) a story without lengthy details. :)
Start-of-Story-Schmere
Disclaimer: Unless by some odd chance J.K. Rowling has multiple personality disorder, and I happen to be- by some odd chance- one of those personalities, I can assure you that I do not own any of the magnificently created characters, plot, or etcetera we know as being Harry Potter. This goes forth for every following chapter or piece of writing in this story (so I won't have to say it over and over again- I tend to get a bit lazy… blushes).
Synopsis: Follow the lives of James Potter, Lily Evans, their fellow Marauders, and members of the Order from the summer after their graduation to the days leading up to Lord Voldemort's initial defeat. Each of them will have to face trials of life and death, mistrust from those they thought they knew, and the troubles of starting life amongst the chaos the Dark Lord brings. With backstabbing traitors, evil wizards, and young children on the loose, the dream team will have to work hard to stay sane in these hard times. Just how did James and Lily defy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Just when did things start to fall apart? Just how far will the boundaries of good and evil go? If you really want the answers, what are you sitting here in this Start-of-Story-Schmere 'Chapter' for? Get reading! (Wow, this is unnaturally cheesy. Forgive me…)
Rating and Reasons: I'm putting a lovely K+ sign on here for now, but the rating may change according to your input. Honestly, I don't think most readers pay much attention to the rating on here, but in case you do, it's rated this way because of (pretty much mild) language in upcoming chapters, dark themes, and um… yeah, that's pretty much it unless I change something later.
Ships/Warnings/Etc.: There is some inevitable Character Death that will be going on, there is definite Lily Evans/James Potter going on, and there are switching Points Of View (sort of- ish), and um… that's about it as far as the PFFAs Popular Fan Fiction Acronyms go. To make things less confusing as far as time in the story, here's a brief "history lesson" according to research found on the Lexicon and such. The Marauders and crew graduated from Hogwarts in the summer of 1978 (annotated in the chapters as being Year 1), and the Potters were killed in the fall of 1981 (annotated in the chapters as being Year 4). Use your common sense and the annotations I put in chapters to discern what year or time the scene takes place. I promise not to jump around too much- just a bit at the start…
Me- The Writer: Well, if you really would like to find out more about me (the writer), I'd suggest my user profile thing. As for how I'm actually doing this, I'll lay it to you flat. I've been researching my stuff for this story for a while- meaning, basically, everything in here is as close as it can get to my resources- the books themselves, and the HP Lexicon. If anything gets confusing, I'd suggest checking it out there. Oh- and don't worry. There will be no more intense 'me (the writer)' updates at the start of each chapter. This is the most I'll babble on about this stuff for a long time, no worries. As for my writing habits? My chapter lengths tend to vary on importance of the scene and time I have to write them- so don't expect a constant stream of words all the time. And, well, I can't promise a steady updating pace. Life is demanding, I'm sure you well know. But I really want to do an excellent job on this one- I really do. So………
You- The Reader: Constructive criticism is welcome times fifty thousand! Anything I can do to improve, it is your job to let me know! Personally, I believe flaming is incredibly immature and pointless, but if my story is honestly THAT bad (as in: you end up wanting to Obliviate your mind from ever having seen it before you try to kill yourself from its awfulness), go right on ahead. I really do hope you like this, though. Your patience and reading time is lovely- and any tips you are willing to give are greatly appreciated.
What is this…? No more start-of-story-schmere? Yes! Now, my dear reader, please feel free (if you have not already) to proceed to the next chapter (unless my sarcastic manner, lengthy descriptions, or the sound of the story in general has decided you against it). Once again, enjoy!