Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
August 20, 1995
"Fred?"
"Yes, dear brother of mine?"
"How long do you think it will take us?"
"To finish cleaning this house?" Fred looked at his twin, "If mum could make us, we would be cleaning until we graduated." Fred looked around the room he and George were currently cleaning at 12 Grimmauld Place.
"That's not what I mean, Fred, and you know it," George continued to dust a table as he glared at Fred.
"Of course I know it. You're talking about the Marauders." George had asked him the same question for years in a desperate hope. Ever since they found the Marauders Map, Fred and George had been tirelessly searching for the identities of their heroes.
In first year, they had asked every professor if they knew about the Marauders. McGonagall groaned and told them that there was no way she was giving them more ideas. Flitwick smiled fondly in remembrance and told them that the Marauders always helped lighten things up during the war, but if they wanted to find out who they were, they would have to figure that out on their own.
Fred and George had even asked Professor Snape. That was a mistake. He yelled at them to get out and never mention the Marauders in front of him again. The twins, of course, skipped potions the next day.
Every year after, they would ask the new Defense Professor if he knew the Marauders. They had no luck until fifth year with one Professor Lupin.
When they asked Remus Lupin about the Marauders, he smiled sadly and told them that, yes, he did know them. In fact, they went to school at the same time.
When they excitedly asked who they were, Remus shook his head and told them that if they could figure out what the nicknames meant, he would tell them who the Marauders were. The twins had left his office with sad faces, but were determined to find out what the nicknames meant. They had, of course, tried to prank Professor Lupin for not telling them the identity of the Marauders, but they had been foiled, just like every other time they had tried.
They searched tirelessly to find out what the nicknames meant. They thought that maybe Prongs had something to do with forks. That is what the pointy part at the end was called, right? They didn't think it would make much sense, but maybe Prongs liked to use forks a lot in his pranks. Moony obviously had something to do with the moon. Maybe Moony really liked astronomy? Did Padfoot have really big feet? Did Wormtail have a pet worm?
Even after all that searching, there was still nothing that related all the nicknames together.
So, here they were, sitting on the floor of a very dusty bedroom in 12 Grimmauld Place, all thoughts of chores forgotten.
They were brainstorming again when Remus Lupin (also known as Moony, though they did not know that) walked into the room.
Remus raised his eyebrows at the two boys who were conversing in whispers, "What are you two up to? Planning another prank?"
Fred and George looked up at their former professor.
"Of course not,-" George started.
"-Professor,-" Fred continued.
"-We are talking about something-"
"-Far more important-"
"-Than just pranks,-"
"-The Marauders," they finished together.
Remus smirked and crossed his arms, "Have you figured out what the nicknames mean yet?"
The two boys on the ground shook their heads.
"Can't you please-"
"-Give us another-"
"-Clue?"
Remus thought about it for a moment, "I guess another hint wouldn't hurt."
Fred and George cheered and ran up to hug him.
"Okay, okay," Remus looked down at them, "You can let go of me now."
They quickly let go so as not to aggravate Remus too much.
Remus smiled and tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Let's see. I remember one of the Marauders saying once that Moony thoroughly despised the full moon," Remus chuckled, "Ironic given his name, huh?"
He looked back at the twins who appeared to be deep in thought. Remus smiled, "Well, I'll just be going then. I need to go tell Sirius something. See you." He walked out of the room.
"Moony hates the full moon," George muttered.
Fred finished his brother's thought, "What is the full moon related to?" They looked at each other then raced down to the Black library.
Meanwhile, Remus Lupin was heading up another flight of stairs to tell Sirius, or Padfoot, as his friends had called him, about the twins' quest.
"Sirius," Remus knocked on the door to Buckbeak the hippogriff's room and quietly opened the door, "I know you're in there. Just because you are a black dog right now doesn't mean I can't see you." Sirius Black had been hiding himself away with Buckbeak for hours at a time ever since his Godson, Harry Potter, had been acquitted in his hearing.
Sirius didn't look at him. Remus sighed, "Come on Padfoot, get out of your animagus form and come with me. I have something to tell you that might cheer you up."
Sirius' head perked up slightly, "If you come with me, I'll get you some cake," Remus bribed Sirius. Sirius suddenly sat up and changed back into a human.
"Well, I do love cake," Sirius smiled slightly and followed Remus out of the room. They went into the kitchen and as soon as Sirius was happily munching down on his piece of cake, Remus began.
"Fred and George have been asking me for help in finding the Marauders."
Sirius swallowed a bite of cake, "What did you tell them? Come to think of it, how do they even know who the Marauders are?"
"I was curious about that too," Remus replied, "I talked to Harry and apparently the twins were the ones who gave him the Marauders Map."
"Really?" Sirius straightened up and smirked mischievously, "Yes! We helped a new generation of pranksters!"
Remus nodded, "But here's the thing, I didn't tell them that we were the Maruaders, and apparently, neither did Harry."
Sirius cocked his head, confused, "But why not?"
Remus smirked, "Think about it, Padfoot. Wouldn't Fred and George would love it if they got pranked by the infamous Marauders themselves?"
Sirius grinned, "So what do we have to do?"
Remus smiled evilly and the two pranksters started conversing in whispers.
"Hello, boys," Sirius walked into the Black library where Fred and George where *gasp* reading.
The twins looked up from their books and greeted Sirius, then went back to reading about the moon.
"So," Sirius smirked, "Remus tells me you are searching for the famous Marauders?"
Fred and George snapped their heads up, "You knew them?" George asked excitedly.
Sirius laughed, "Of course I knew them, I went to Hogwarts with Remus, remember?"
Fred asked, "Will you tell us who they were?"
Sirius shook his head and sat down, "Nope. But I will tell you a little about them."
Fred and George put down their books and listened intently.
"Prongs was the leader. He was so arrogant and he could never get his hair to lie flat. He was also amazing at Quidditch."
George snickered, "Sounds like our Harrykins, minus the arrogant part."
Sirius smiled and continued, "Moony was the quiet, smart one, but don't let that fool you. He was the mastermind behind many of their pranks and always seemed to be able to talk their way out of multiple detentions. That was, of course, until Minnie caught on and stopped believing him."
Fred asked curiously, "Minnie?"
Sirius grinned, "That was what my friends and I called McGonagall."
Fred and George grinned, thinking about McGonagall's reaction when they called her Minnie next time they saw her.
Sirius spoke again, "Wormtail," Sirius spoke with such venom in his voice that Fred and George jumped back, slightly afraid, "He was the weakest of the group. Always having trouble with classes and asking the others for help," Sirius took a deep breath and continued in a cheerier voice, "Padfoot was of course the best looking, most intelligent—"
"Yeah, right," Remus' voice came from the doorway.
Sirius glared at Remus, "Ignore him, boys. Padfoot was the best of the group."
Remus smiled innocently at Sirius, "Personally, I think Moony was the best, but you know that's just me."
Sirius ignored him, "Anyway," he turned back to the twins, "Padfoot was a ladies' man."
Remus snorted, "Now that is true."
Sirius glared at him and continued, "He was very handsome and was the best looking of the Marauders."
Remus smirked, "You're not telling them the whole story, Sirius." Remus sat down, ignoring Sirius' glare, "Padfoot had a new girlfriend, and I use that term lightly, every week. He must have snogged half the girls in the school by his fifth year."
Sirius pouted, "Yes, well, Moony was the worst at keeping secrets."
"Padfoot was the most annoying," Remus retaliated.
"Moony didn't know how to have a good time."
"Padfoot procrastinated so much it's surprising he graduated."
"Moony was nowhere near as talented as Padfoot."
"Padfoot slept with a teddy bear."
"I did not!"
Fred and George, who had been watching the argument with amusement, suddenly snapped their head toward Sirius at his exclamation.
Remus responded, "Yes, you did, Sirius, there's no use denying it."
"Why do you have to be so mean, Moony?" Sirius pouted.
"Because, Padfoot, I'm the smart one, remember?" Remus stood up and left the room followed by a protesting Sirius, leaving two dumstruck redheads behind.
"Gred?" Fred looked at his brother.
"Yes, Forge?"
"I think we've been pranked."
"That we have Forge."
"And do you know who pranked us Gred?"
"That I do, Forge. Though, they're not as sneaky as they thought."
"It's a good thing we set up that prank when they were talking in the kitchen."
"That it is Forge, that it is."
Meanwhile, in the sitting room, "What just happened?" Remus asked. Both he and Sirius were covered with purple polka dots and their hair had just grown five feet longer.
Sirius picked up a card that was sitting on the table next to an extendable ear, and read it aloud, "To the Marauders, courtesy of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."