Hi, so this is kind of a weird story for me. I wrote this a few years ago and never even thought about publishing it online, but when I rediscovered it after Alan Rickman's passing, I figured I should. I would also like to warn you that I don't have Pottermore and didn't do any research for this outside of the books and movies, so forgive me if you're a hardcore Potterhead and I butchered your favorite part of the origin. This is my own retelling of the origin of Snape, Lily, and the Maurauders. This is also my only Harry Potter fanfiction, so feel free to leave constructive criticism!
Petunia Dursley was appalled at herself for helping her sister Lily carry her bags to King's Cross station. The rage had started fuming inside the wretched girl as soon as she found herself outside her door, after hours of her parent's chastisement. All the more anger at herself when she found herself doing this menial task seemingly out of goodwill! After all, who knew what Lily's kind carried around in their burlap, hand-me-down suitcases. The only bit of joy Petunia got from this was Lily leaving for the rest of the year.
Lily grinned ear to ear when they arrived at their destination, gesturing for her sister to leave her bags at the stop of the train station platform, between eight and nine. Petunia dropped the bags so prudently, you would have thought it was a bag of rattlesnakes. Lily picked the bags up and wheeled them to the wall behind platform nine.
"Here I go." Lily sighed.
"Here you go!" said Petunia, in mock joy.
Lily took a few deep breaths, a few gasps of both delight, and of anxiety. With one awkward leap, she stepped into the wall, the bricks magically diverging behind her. To Petunia, her sister was being symbolically swallowed up, out of her hair for a year. For Lily though, this was a new year of joy, her favorite place to be. When she had stepped through to the other side of the wall, and her basic vision had returned, she was in a daze. She would stand in awe at the moving trains and the bustling students, all carrying their own carts full of supplies; owl's communing about the roof of the train station. But for the time being, Lily would stare breathtakingly at the sign that marked a new beginning for all the witches and wizards that roamed the halls of the Hogwarts express. It was the sign that said 9 ¾.
-(o)-
Lily was known for her beauty by many of the students, though no one would say it when asked. Her brown-red hair was straight, behind her back. She never really cared much for aesthetics, though her general appearance would state otherwise. She stood out from a crowd. She stood out for her robes, decorated with souvenirs from her past experiences, for her luminous green eyes, but most of all for her personality. Lily was unusually kind, yet she was hopelessly introverted. The only friend she had that she felt comfortable around was a boy named Severus Snape.
In many ways, Severus was the opposite of Lily. His hair was long, greasy, and black like dirty coal, and his skin was ghastly pale. He was the most generic person you could possibly imagine, and he had no spectacular talents or aspects to himself to stand out in a crowd. He was shy, quiet, but in every way, he cared more for Lily than anyone else. The two were together constantly, and knew everything about each other.
Severus found Lily the minute she walked into the station. The two hugged each other. The two months away from each other had Severus absent-minded for the summer.
"Sev! My god, you have no idea how much I've missed you." Lily grinned.
"Well we get another year together don't we?" Severus said.
The two exchanged smiles, and were about to hold hands, if James hadn't tackled Severus out of the way.
James Potter was adored by the school. He had the admiration of his many peers, and was the bane of many of the Professor's existences. It seemed he had no enemies, if Severus didn't attend Hogwarts.
Severus hated James like nothing else on this earth. He hated his hair, his glasses, his face, and perhaps most of all, his relationship with Lily. Severus hated the fact they were meant for each other. Their hair was identical in color, their interests were completely compatible. On the other side of the spectrum, James was a spoilsport. He was cocky, arrogant, and it seemed like every one of James' pranks gone awry had befallen him. Severus didn't know why James hated him so much, but he couldn't stand the fact that someone like Lily could be attracted to someone like that.
"Looks like old Snivelly is back!" James chuckled. "Ready for another year with me?"
Severus ignored James. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Aw, come on Snivelly! Don't be so frosty." James said. "You don't want to embarrass yourself in front of the lady."
"James, you're making me blush." Lilly said. James picked up her hand, grinned, and kissed it. Severus would have punched him in the face if Remus didn't drag James away.
Remus was the flip side of James. Where James was reckless, undisciplined, and shallow, Remus was calm, collected, and complicated. He had curly brown hair to contrast to James' straight locks. His robes were always folded and orderly. He was the perfect person to keep James collected. Remus apologized to Severus and dragged James back to the train.
"Why do you always pick on Sev?" Remus complained, dragging James by the lapel of his robe.
"Come on Remus. It's just a bit of fun." James said. Remus threw James onto the train in a compartment next to Peter and Sirius.
James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius were a famous band of pranksters in Hogwarts. They were four best friends and the entire school knew them. Sirius Black, a curly-haired, black-eyed boy, was the nice one in the group. He always knew when to stop if a prank got too out of hand, although James wouldn't always agree with him. Peter Pettigrew, the fat, long-haired one, was the group's ballast. One could call him James' sidekick. He always followed around James, Sirius and Remus. He would do whatever James told him, and James made him the butt of many of his jokes. The only reason he was part of the group was that Sirius was too nice to watch James torment him.
"These Professors are getting old and soft." James smirked. "Someone has to keep them on their toes."
"C-couldn't agree m-more." Peter stuttered. He always stuttered like that when he talked to someone.
"I say the day we get back, we all head over to Zonko's joke shop for some puking pastils. I'll buy. Old Mr. Filch is missing us." James put a sly face on, grabbing a chocolate bar out of his robe pockets and stuffing it in his face. Mr. Filch, the grouchy school caretaker, was James' favorite target.
"Hey, what did you say to old Snivelly back there?" Remus said, looking out the train window at Severus and Lily.
"Why do you always assume that whenever I talk to Snivelly and Lily, it's always to say something mean?" James grinned, feigning sympathy.
"Because you like Lily." Sirius suggested. Remus burst out laughing.
"I have never… physically… said that." James said, pretending to blush. It wasn't a well-kept secret, but it was one he pretended to care about keeping.
Outside, after a few exchanges, Lily grabbed Severus' arm and dragged him into the train. It would take off in a few moments. The lights were dimming in the station.
"Let's grab a seat next to the front." Severus said, meekly.
"No Sev. There's a seat in the back where the concession lady always walks by. We could grab some snacks." Lily smiled. Severus tried not to cave, but Lily was so persistent. It was Severus' own misfortune that Lily's seat caused them to walk past James'compartment.
They tried not to talk, but James called them over.
"Well, hey there Lily. Snivs." James said.
"Hello James." Lily said, to Snape's dismay. "Who are your friends?"
"My name's Sirius. Sirius Black." Sirius smiled. "These guys are Remus and Peter."
"And on behalf of James, I'd like to apologize for anything he did to you, Sev." Remus said.
Severus' curiosity was peaked. As far as he was concerned, they were all arrogant show-offs. He just wanted to remark at something to one of James' crew.
"Thank you Remus. They have another name for you, don't you know? In Slytherin. Moony, isn't it?"
To Severus' pleasure, Remus' eyes went down. That was true though. Due to Remus' habit of mysteriously disappearing some nights, he had earned the nickname Moony by many of the students. James, Peter, and Sirius knew better than to mention it to him. At one point, they thought that Remus was into midnight gambling, because every time he came back from one of these nights, he bore mysterious scars. No one could piece it together.
"Sev, the train's about to take off. Let's go to our seats." Lily said, dragging Severus to the back. Severus couldn't stop enjoying himself from Remus' sadness.
With a loud whistle, and the violent vibration of the train body, the train slowly got off its starting point, and chugged straight ahead along the ancient train tracks. Some of the students were cheering, and James' unmistakable hollers permeated the air.
"Why did you say that to Remus?" Lily asked, to a satisfied Severus.
"He deserved it." Severus said, confused at Lily's response. "It's justice."
"Don't be mean, Sev. They were just joking."
Severus remained silent. He didn't want to argue with his only friend. The vibrating train whirred past the plains they were riding through, and the endless trees and foliage were a blur.
James was consoling his friend Remus in a compartment next to Severus and Lily's.
"Don't worry too much about what Snivellus said." James whispered. "Why do you sneak out at night?"
"Have you ever called me Moony?" Remus asked.
James shook his head. "Never."
"Neither have I." Sirius and Remus said. Peter also shook his head.
"You couldn't begin to imagine how messed up I am." Remus smirked.
James smiled with him. "That's my bro."
The train bustled and whistled for hours, and James thought it best to raid the concessions cart and steal the train's supply of Bertie Bott's every flavor beans. Eventually, the terrain got less suburban, as the trees and buildings started to thin out, and replaced with rocks and concrete huts. The train stopped at a train station that was especially near Hogwarts, this one full of witches and wizards desperately navigating through the endless halls. Magic exploded like fireworks on the roof, and Lily stared in awe. She didn't see it very often, and Severus, clutching her hand, was seemingly just as amazed.
Two people appeared out of the chaos in the train station. The students could tell they were Hogwarts Professors since they were wearing the signature robes, like more eloquent versions of the student's. James crept up next to Lily, and had to remark, "Look. It's old Grubbly-plank."
Severus stared at James, with venom in his eyes. James smirked back at him, and went back to join Remus, Sirius, and Peter. The two Professors had gotten the student's attention, and started to speak.
"Hello students. My name is Professor McGonagall, and my colleague, Professor Grubbly-plank. We will be two of your numerous Professors this year at Hogwarts. If you will follow us, we will lead you to your boats, which will take you directly to Hogwarts. Please separate into groups of three."
Professor McGonagall had grey hair and eyes, and wore a green robe. She had the kind of stern voice that demanded the attention of a crowd. She seemed fairly friendly to Lily, though, and seemed to care. Grubbly-plank, on the other hand, wore black and gray robes, and seemed to be the quiet type. He was the kind of Professor that would let his students get away with a lot.
"We just got off a train, now we have to row a damn boat?" James asked, darting back to Lily's side.
"Do you not spend any time with Moony and Pete or them?" Severus asked, seething.
James ignored him. "So, groups of three? You, me and Snivelly?"
Lilly smiled, but didn't make eye contact with James, staring at her own feet. "His name is Severus." she murmured under her breath. James took that positively, and walked the entire way with the two. Severus was silent, as James and Lily exchanged idle comments, with James saying things he thought was clever, and Lily answering, but not able to keep up a decent conversation. James kept having to change topics.
For Severus, the boat ride was torture. Their small, wooden rowboat floated alongside Peter, Sirius, and Remus', laughing hysterically at James' constant attempts to both entertain his friends and flirt with Lily. Severus had tried to talk to Lily, but James never left a gap in his speech. After what seemed like hours to Severus, the boats finally got close enough to the small coast Hogwarts was located on for them to step out and hook the boats on shore. McGonagall and Grubbly-plank then led them inside Hogwarts to the main dining room. Hogwarts was a giant castle, seemingly made of smaller compartments. The outside looked grim in the limelight that shone over it, but the inside seemed warm and comforting. It was the kind of atmosphere you wouldn't mind living in.
Waiting at the brightly lit dining room was Professor Dumbledore, an obscenely old wizard that James always poked fun at for his scraggly beard and glasses. His bright red and orange bird Fawkes perched on his gold podium stand. Dumbledore had a warm expression on his face. He welcomed the students, letting them settle into their seats and eat a bit of the meal that was set out for them.
"Welcome, fifth-years, to another wonderful year at Hogwarts!" he said. "I hope you will learn much here, and forge new friendships with your peers. You will get stronger in every way, under the tutelage of our esteemed faculty."
The staff of Hogwarts, standing next to Dumbledore on the gold podium, stood. A few stood out in general, McGonagall with her green witch hat, a giant man in a brown trench coat, the scraggly Mr. Filch, caressing his tiny, orange kitten Mrs. Norris, all standing next to Dumbledore. There were other Professors, whom the students had marked out as gullible, and dull, among which was the introverted Professor Grubbly-plank.
After the students had eaten a gourmet dinner, Dumbledore allowed them to head for their usual houses. Hogwarts had divided its students into four houses, each taking refuge in a different part of the castle. The most notable was Gryffindor, for the brave, and loyal. Among the Gryffindors were James, Remus, and Sirius. The infamous Slytherins were all cunning, and determined. It was a curse to be put in Slytherin to the students, since every wizard who had ever turned to crime has somehow been related to Slytherin house, like the equally infamous Gellert Grindelwald, a dark and currently imprisoned wizard. Severus and Peter were both Slytherins.
Not that it was a confirmed stereotype, but Slytherins tended to be a trifle racist. Slytherins were typically purebloods, all wizards born to parents who were both wizards. Any other wizards, born to one or two non-magic parents were deemed as less to them.
Lily had found herself in Hufflepuff, for the kind and caring. She liked it there, where there was next to no dispute among its residents. Finally, was Ravenclaw, for clever and witty folk.
All of their bags had already been carried up to their rooms. When they got up to Gryffindor common room, James immediately tore apart his suitcase, checking that someone hadn't confiscated his goods. Remus bent down to pick up the clothes that James had thrown halfway across the room. Gryffindor common room was large, with many compartments. All the walls were riddled with the Gryffindor crest, a red lion.
James took his wand out of his suitcase, a thin maple wand with engravings on it, and chuckled silently to himself, looking at the other contents of his suitcase. Waiting until everyone else left, he called Remus and Sirius over, "You guys have got to see this."
Remus collapsed on the couch next to the fireplace.
"If it's a stink bomb, Sirius can have it." He smirked. James kept calling him over, and he finally caved.
"So you wanted to show us, what? The crappy parchment you cover your neighbor's car in?" Sirius asked, confused. James mock laughed back.
"This, this is the best thing I have ever bought. I-"
"If you're going to say, 'I bought it off another creepy old lady in a black cloak with a wand for a hand' then I swear-" Sirius started.
"First of all, she had a broomstick for a hand." James said, holding up the half broken broomstick his parents made him carry. "And second, she called it the Marauder's Map."
"It's blank. You got scammed bro. Is that what you spent the nine sickles I gave you on?" Remus asked.
"No, she said that if we say a special charm, and swear to use it only to play pranks and set off fireworks, it can show us a full map of Hogwarts and where everyone is, anytime we want."
"Okay then." Sirius said, half-convinced. "Then where's Lily?"
"Oh, we have to set it up a bit. All we have to do is cast a simple charm on every room in the castle."
Remus' jaw had already dropped, and Sirius had burst out laughing.
"Yeah, sure. Because Dumbledore won't mind us sneaking into all the restricted areas of the castle and casting your prank map spell at all." Sirius sneered.
Remus had pulled out his best Dumbledore impression, "James, you're a total scamp and nothing you've ever done has not ended in total disaster. Here, have my magic keys."
"Fine. Guffaw all you want, but I'm sure Peter would love my plan." James growled, puffing up his chest.
The next day, after a firm 'no' from Peter, James decided to enlist Lily's help during transfiguration, at which time both their common rooms had class together. She agreed over Professor McGonagall's droning voice, provided James never put her name on the map, and that he never told Severus what they were doing. Whenever they had the time, the two went into any room they could and cast the charm. The room, and the footsteps of anyone in it, would instantly appear on the map, at which point a rare, faint smile appeared on Lily's face, and James hugged her. On the map, Hogwarts now was an incomplete rhombus.
In the Slytherin common room, Peter and Severus pretty much left each other alone. Severus was alone again, without Lily to talk to. A couple of his peers mocked his shyness, and tried making him talk, feigning sympathy to get a laugh out of their friends. Some, though, legitimately seemed to want to be his friend. In Professor Grubbly-plank's potions class, two siblings, named Amicus and Alecto Carrow, asked Severus to partner up, and it turned out that the two had a lot in common with him. They were both outcasts. Amicus, the boy, had coal-black hair that lay straight down his forehead, covering half his eyes. Alecto, the girl, was Amicus' twin, and looked identical to him, except for the fact that her hair was slightly curled, and has in a disheveled ponytail.
"So you find an excuse to get all cutesy with Lily?" Sirius asked one day, in the Gryffindor common room.
"She agreed to help me, which is more than you did." James grinned. Sirius rolled his eyes.
"I have to go."Remus said, immediately after. He had taken a short glimpse at the window. It was nighttime, and the moon was the only light source shining.
"Is it going to be one of those nights?" James asked. Remus had already rushed out of the common room before James could say anything.
"Well, I'm going to go scout some rooms with Lily." said James, after Remus left.
"Oh, no you're not." Sirius said playfully. "I'm not letting you walk about with Lilly alone bathed in the light of the frickin' full moon. I'm going with you this once. Leave the girl."
James and Sirius slept for a couple hours, and James woke up Sirius at rest of Gryffindor was asleep, and James propped the door open with his broken broom. Remus still wasn't back, so they decided to go scout out the classrooms near Slytherin. They had snuck outside the common room, and were walking in the halls, illuminating it with their wands. James clutched the half-complete map in his hand, on the lookout for Professors.
"So, we just go around looking for rooms?" Sirius asked.
"Pretty much."
"This is what you and Lily do every night?" Sirius was seriously reconsidering his romantic images of James and Lily together doing this. James looked around and found the door to Slytherin common room. It was a door disguised as a portrait of a queen in green robes. The girl's bathroom next to it wasn't locked, so they decided to go to that first.
