There are a lot of notes here to explain the fic; I'd suggest reading them in order to understand better, but if you don't want to, just skip ahead. The prologue starts after the notes, and the first chapter is next.

Title: Forty-Eight Hours of Fabulous Fun

Rating: 15+

Main Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, Severus Snape, Doris Purkiss, Lily Evans

Minor Characters: Caradoc Dearborn, Marlene McKinnon, Emmeline Vance, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall

Pairings: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Severus Snape/Lily Evans, Peter Pettigrew/Emmeline Vance, James Potter/Doris Purkiss, unrequited!James Potter/Lily Evans

Genres: Adventure, drama, slash, romance, angst

Setting: Marauders Era, 1977 (Marauders' seventh year)

Summary: AU. A lot can happen in two days. Forty-eight hours of adventure, romance, danger and fun ensue when Albus Dumbledore and the Hogwarts staff design a scavenger hunt to promote teamwork and inner-House unity. Multiple pairings, Marauders' Era.

Challenge/Inspiration: The idea for this fic comes from a challenge posted on by thatssoninties. It called for a scavenger hunt setting with some specifics. The full details are at http://forums. This fic includes occasional offensive language, which is mostly the fault of Severus Snape. I've tried not to be too obscene outside of Severus' dialogue, but swearing suits him and he does it a lot. Please be advised. Slash (Homosexuality), though not portrayed in an extremely graphic nature, is a part of this fic. If male/male pairings trouble you, I'd advise caution before reading on. Gay and straight sexuality is a topic that I've included, though most of it is minor and not graphic (see pairings above). Alcohol consumption and intoxication is included in one part of this fic but does not play a large role in the overall plot.

A/N: First off, tremendous thanks to the Harry Potter Lexicon for providing a lot of canonical facts that have helped my writing a great deal!

Sources: The quote "I assure you my friends, I am cone sold stober" is from the book Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. "And when love speaks, the voice of all the gods makes heaven drowsy with the harmony" is of course from Shakespeare.

About animals: a number of fascinating creatures were taken from JKR's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It is definitely a must read and I suggest you rush out and buy it right away. I also included mention of the Vodyanoy, a Russian-Scandinavian mythological creature. More information on it, including the folklore, can be found at Wikipedia.

About the characters: I've tried to keep my characterization accurate but appreciate feedback of all types that will allow me to improve my representation. Some of the lesser known characters I am using are minor at best; they scarcely receive mention in the books, though they are all canon. The majority of these characters come from the list of 1970's Order members found at the HP Lexicon. These include Marlene McKinnon, Caradoc Dearborn and Emmeline Vance. Doris Purkiss can best be remembered as the witch who claimed Sirius Black was really Stubby Boardman, or vice versa. Since little is known of these characters, I've designed them as I see fit and randomly assigned Houses to them based on what I know of their character and appearance.

I've also decided to include Peter Pettigrew in this fic and give him as much "air time" as the other Marauders, in order to keep to canon. For accuracy, I have chosen not to dumb him down or write him as exceptionally evil. It has always been my opinion that JKR intended him to be understood as one who made a great mistake later in life, and not as a wholly bad character. I've decided to write in the friendship he once enjoyed with his fellow Marauders and I've tried to portray him realistically.

I've tried to stick to canon with the Marauders, Lily and Severus, though of course my view of the characters has been irreparably altered by numerous fanfics. Major elements of Remus' personality come from canon, especially PoA, OotP and HBP. James is a conglomeration of canon Harry -- as Harry is often described as taking after James -- and the memories presented in canon and a bit of SBP's portrayal of him. Lily and Severus are derived mainly from Severus' own memories as seen in canon, especially DH as well as the memories of other canon characters. As for Sirius, I can state with certainty that he has lost his mind. He pretty much wrote himself this way. I can only assume the pirate imitations and his occasional odd manner of speaking are related in some way to his Moony obsession, or are the result of a Bludger to the head.

Let's get on with it, shall we?

Friday, 19:15...

"Success!" shouted Severus Snape, his hoarse voice a mixture of pride and pain as it welled up from deep within. Despite finally accomplishing his unenviable task, he felt completely exhausted. His throat was sore and his head spun. He was lying flat on his stomach with his robes entangled uncomfortably around his body. Ignoring this, he raised himself onto his elbows and looked around, wondering where he had landed. They were definitely not in Hogsmeade anymore, that was for sure. There was cracked pavement beneath him and it scraped the delicate flesh of his arms. Severus longed to drag himself over to the lush, freshly-mown Muggle lawn just a metre away, but his body was devoid of all energy. He thought this could be a result of losing a great deal of blood; indeed, already a scarlet pool had formed around him, dampening the trousers and robes he was dressed in. It was most uncomfortable, sticky and tacky against his skin, seeping into the expensive fabric of his clothing. That stain is never going to come out, he mused darkly.

Dizzy, Severus ignored his discomfort and shifted onto his back, where he stared resolutely ahead, wondering who would come to his rescue and precisely how long they would waste taking the mickey before they would put him back together. There was not a cloud in the sky. Overhead, the sun was completing its slow arc across the horizon, sending down hot rays like daggers, all of which made directly for Severus' pale skin. He could feel himself burning already, even in the flickering, feeble glow of the twilight sunshine. His pale skin had never been able to withstand the sun's tortuous rays. It was not the most significant pain he felt, however. Severus' thighs smarted and stung, but at least they remained attached to the rest of him. What concerned him was that he could not feel anything below his calves; splinched, he remained absolutely still, torn between congratulating himself and shouting for help. Simply torn, he thought oppressively. Splinched like a common first-year Mudblood. To his left, someone chortled hysterically.

"Stop laughing, Black, you arrogant madman, and go find my feet," Severus snapped. He thrust his hand into his pocket, his fingers curling around his wand. "Go on, before someone sees them!" He pictured bewildered Muggles locating his severed limbs and sighed dramatically, hoping no one would make off with his disconnected feet before Sirius was able to locate them. "Useless fool," he added harshly, and then, when Black turned to go, "Take the fucking picture first you idiot Gryffindor."

Severus closed his eyes against the sudden flash of the Muggle-style camera in Sirius' hands, wondering why he had never bothered to take a course in elementary Healing. Severus supposed he could manage a spell to ebb the bleeding, if not put himself entirely to rights, but for the moment he merely savoured his victory, tainted though it was with the coppery fragrance of his own spilt blood and the rather horrific pain of being split in two. Only one item left on the list, he assured himself grimly. Above him, Sirius merely giggled like one who had suffered a head injury, snapping pictures eagerly. Severus rested his head against the hard stone of the driveway, feeling his veins leak substance onto the cement.

The game was nearly done.