Title: Try to Hold On
Disclaimer: I own not anything in the Harry Potter universe. Am not profiting from this. Title is a lyric from Smashing Pumpkins song 'Try, Try, Try' and I use a verse as well. I will use some song verses to help describe the situation or the characters' relationships as a whole.
Summary: The First War against Voldemort proves tragic when James Potter and friends transition into the adult Wizarding world. Friendships and bonds are tested while characters try to determine where their loyalties truly lie.
Author's Note: It seems like every time I see a new Harry Potter film, it puts me back into my old obsessive ways. Reviews would be profoundly appreciated.
Try
to hold on
To this heart
A little bit longer
Try to hold
on
To this love aloud
Try to hold on
For this heart's
A
little bit colder
Try to hold on
To this love
1978
Everyone in Gryffindor Tower was in bed. Everyone should have been in bed because the Leaving Feast and Ceremony were in the morning. However, eight seventh year students found themselves to be a group of late owls once again, just like they used to be throughout their entire student careers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They were contemplating what they believed were adult thoughts: they were thinking about love, about their grown lives, about the war against the dark side and all the people they used to know who had succumbed to it. The only sound in the quiet room was the slow and steady crackle of the fire.
It was Lily Evans who broke the silence. "I can't believe it's all over with after tomorrow," she stated quietly from the security of James Potter's arms. They were curled up in the same armchair, just as how Frank Longbottom and Alice Prewett occupied the other.
"I know," Emmeline Vance agreed from the floor, her back against Remus Lupin's legs—Remus and Peter Pettigrew were on the couch and Sirius Black was in the floor with Emmeline. "I can't believe it's all about to end."
"Ah, but it's the beginning of the end!" Sirius exclaimed, struggling to wrench a Firewhisky bottle open.
Everybody rolled their eyes at their friend's loud demeanor.
"Sirius, you're going to wake the whole House up and McGonagall will come up here and—give me that!" Emmeline swiped the bottle from Sirius's grasp just as he was about to put his wand to it. Their friend obviously celebrated earlier on. She opened it without difficulty and Sirius stole it back and took a swig.
James leaned over and smacked his best friend in the head and took the bottle, "You've had enough, Padfoot."
"Aw, come on, Prongs! It's graduation!"
"Sirius, you're already smashed, mate. You're going to be totally knackered in the morning," Remus said, taking the bottle from James and putting it on a nearby bookshelf so that nobody would get to it. It was a horrible hiding place, but given the current situation, he doubted that any of his friends had the will to move from their current positions.
"I won't be!" Sirius argued.
Emmeline scoffed, "Yes you will be. Here's how the morning will go. You'll wake up and say, 'Oi! Prongs! Me head aches and I don't know why!'"
Everyone roared with laughter at the likeness that she portrayed.
Even Sirius was laughing.
Silence for a bit longer while they calmed down and then Peter inquired,
"Do you guys think that we'll still be friends after it's all over?"
They looked around at each other. Would they be? Or would they get too wrapped up in their new lives, in their new careers? It was James, their other leader, who spoke up.
"We will be. Sure we will be! I mean come off it, Wormtail. We've been mates since first year!"
Frank was nodding in agreement. "Yeah. It would be real shoddy if we just stopped talking because we graduated from school." His voice then dropped as he looked at his friends solemnly, "And besides. We are going to join the Order, aren't we?"
Everybody nodded vigorously.
"It's the best thing we'll ever do." Alice said, "Fighting You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters."
1980
Knocking came upon her door and she answered it, dreading something. She knew that something was wrong as she became face to face with Remus Lupin. Remus had been gone weeks now, spending his last transformation abroad in a wood somewhere while trying to recruit werewolves for their side.
"I have news. Terrible news. May I come in?"
She stepped back from the threshold, "Of course, Remus." She locked the door behind her.
His countenance was urgent. She noticed more healing wounds on his face and she wondered how many fights he had gotten into this time. Every time she saw her friend, she couldn't help but feel remorse for how someone so young should be cursed so horridly. He was only twenty, but still a man regardless of the fact they had only been in the adult world two years.
The two years had changed them all so drastically.
"What is it, Remus?"
"Fabian and Gideon Prewett are dead."
[Author's Note: I know it may seem a bit dragy, but if you stick with me, I promise that it will be worth your while. The story flashes back and forth from their school days up until the Fidelius Charm is broken. This is the story of how James Potter's generation turned good or bad and provides back stories and reasons as to why the bad went Dark. Reviews are deeply appreciated and if you have any requests or suggestions as to what you'd like to see in here, please feel free to tell me.]