Authors Notes. This story more or less fits in with what we find out up to and including Book 4 but not many details from Book 5 are used, so it is more or less spoiler free. This could end up as quite a long story so there maybe some continuity problems but I will repost the chapters it affects and tell you in the A/N if there any mistakes. I know that there are some details that we know didn't happen but this is how I would like to see the characters. PLEASE REVIEW. Please review and tell me what you like and what you don't. Reviewing tells me what you guys, the readers, want and I'll do my best to give you a great story. Feel free to criticise. I'll try to keep the A/N's down. Thankyous to reviewers will come at the end or in a special chapter.
Disclaimer; anything you recognise in this story is probably not mine and will belong to JK Rowling. There are couple of characters I own but you'll work it out.
The Marauding Days of The Marauders
Chapter One, Meeting on The Big Red Train
Muggles, or people with the magical talent of asparagus, milled round Kings Cross station, going about their daily business, completely unaware of the way in which people were disappearing through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10.
On the other side of this mysterious and seemingly inconspicuous wall lay a world that muggles only dream about. A large red steam engine sat on the rails, waiting patiently whilst hundreds of magical students prepared to board the train, the Hogwarts Express, and depart from Platform 9 ¾ to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.
A young boy, slightly skinny looking, was struggling to load his trunk onto the train.
"Hey, you want some help with that?" another young boy, pale and also skinny, said with his head inclined towards the troublesome trunk.
"Uhh, yeh! Thanks!" the other boy replied as he shoved his glasses back onto his nose.
The boys lifted the trunk easily with each others help and it was soon stored in the luggage compartment.
"Thanks!" said the boy with glasses a he ran a hand through his very messy hair.
"No problem! I'm Remus Lupin by the way, you a first year too?" he seemed nervous and shy no that his services now longer appeared needed.
"I'm James Potter. Yeah, this is my first year at Hogwarts. Do you want to go and find a compartment on the train?" he held one of the train doors open for Remus, who seemed surprised he was still being, willingly, talked to.
The two boys shut the door behind them and located an empty compartment near the end of the train.
Not long after they had sat down a head poked itself through the opening in the door.
"Can I sit with you? It's full everywhere else." Said the head, which sported a great deal of shaggy black hair.
"Yeah, come in. I'm James Potter and this is Remus Lupin." James moved along on his seat to let the boy sit down.
"Cool, hey! Didn't we meet in Diagon Alley last week?" said the newcomer, and added the last part to Remus.
"Umm, yeah. You were buying an owl right?" Remus replied.
"Yeah, nasty bugger he is too!" He said, rubbing his fingers nefore adding to James. "Hey, your dad is an auror isn't he? I think my mum worked with him once, she said he had a son, or daughter, couldn't remember which! Ohh, I'm Sirius Black." He said in one long, rushed sentence.
"That's where I heard the name, I've heard of your dad too, James. But neither of my parents do anything as exciting as being aurors!" he said quietly so not to intrude on the other two.
He looked surprised again when Sirius started to talk to him too.
"So, what do your parents do?" he asked interestedly as James wondered why Remus looked so shy and surprised that they wanted to talk to him.
"My mum studies interesting creatures all over the world and dad does something in the ministry, dunno what mind." He said, but felt this wasn't good enough and quickly added, "But he coaches Quidditch too, in his spare time, for the Teeside Terrors!" He chewed his lip nervously, hoping for approval.
"Wow, that is so cool! The auror thing isn't that cool. Dad never tells me anything, it is all top secret, if you know what I mean." James said, totally impressed.
"So cool, bet you're dead good at Quidditch!" Sirius said enviously.
"I get to watch the matches but I dunno if I am any good. I love playing though. Do you two play?"
"Oh, yeah. We have a field at the back of our house that has trees round it so I can practice loads!" Sirus said, wide grin on his face now that they were on his favourite subject.
"I play in our old barn, so no one sees. You can't go very fast but its still fun!" James said, grinning too.
"What position you gonna try out for on the house teams next year?" Remus asked.
"Chaser, that's what I'm best at!" James replied. "I would love to be seeker though!"
"I'm gonna go for beater, that's what I always practice!" Sirius added enthusiastically.
"Me too!" Remus said, "I'm, err, stronger than I look." He added quickly when he saw the surprised looks James and Sirius gave him.
"I'll say, that trunk was dead heavy and you just picked it up dead easily!" James said, more as proof to Sirius and himself than to Remus.
The boys continued to talk about Quidditch and their other favourite things until a girl slid through the door.
"Hi!" She said. "My cat ran off, have any of you seen her?"
"Hi Lily! Nope, sorry, no cat!" Sirius told her.
"Ok, according to the prefects we are nearly there!" she said helpfully as she looked at Remus and Sirius' muggle clothing, James had arrived the wizarding way and already adorned is robes.
She slid back into the corridor to search for the missing feline, with call of 'Here Kit'.
"How do you know her?" James asked curiously.
"Helped her onto the platform and to get her trunk on the train." He explained. "She only found out about magic a month or two ago."
Remus and Sirius changed, a task that had involved a lot of moving about in the cramped cabin, and elbows and legs had been thrust in all directions. This increased in difficulty particularly as Remus didn't seem to be thrilled at showing bare skin to the boys who were still relative strangers, the reason however remained unclear to all but Remus himself. Everyone came out of the muddle (even James had been dragged in) unscathed and the conversation continued.
"What house do you think you'll be in?" James inquired as he flattened his black hair but to no avail.
"I just hope I am not in Slytherin, wouldn't it be cool if we were all in the same house!" Remus said quietly, but flushed pink when he realised the other two had heard.
"Me too, I hope we are all Gryffindor!" Sirius said, easing Remus' discomfort.
"I wanna be in Gryffindor, definitely not Slytherin!" James added emphatically. "Although, I have been told that I am very sneaky." He didn't seem to know whether to be pleased or insulted at this.
"Sneakiness is useful for pranks and is, therefore, a good thing!" Sirius said confidently.
Remus nodded, "I could cope with Ravenclaw, but doubt I would make a good one. Even Hufflepuff, don't think I am nice enough though. I guess that leaves Gryffinndor cos there's no way I want to be put in Slytherin!" Although secretly, he was terrified that he would be put in Slytherin for reasons he really had no, or never would have, control over.
And with this announced hatred of Slytherin the boys, unknown to each other, swore to hate all Slytheins who put one slimy toe out of line. The train had stopped, so the three new friends exited the old fashioned train, just a little surer than they had entered it.
A/N Not very well written I know, but it SHOULD get better.
Please review and tell me what you think. I am always open to suggestions and criticism. If there is anything you would like to see in the story, tell me and I will try to incorporate it. REVIEW.