Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this except the storyline and my original character, Chastity Maxwell. (I may have to add original teachers because I'm not sure who taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, etc…I only know Flitwick was there… and maybe/probably McGonagall…)

A/N: Hi!! Well, I figured I'd post something new because no one reads my other stuff… ^^" Anyhow, enjoy! I wrote this because I thought I'd bring back the Marauders. ~~This fic is dedicated to Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Sirius black. ~~(I don't like Wormtail… the dirty little traitor…)

[Written by Teo of Hana no Bishou]

Note: I wrote The Sorting hat song!! Sorry if it wasn't great… I tried!!

Prologue: The Marauders

Sirius Black looked out the window of the Hogwarts Express and pushed his dark hair out of his eyes. His expressionless yet handsome face was staring at the rain outside the glass, which poured down in sheets. The train had come to a halt, and through the thick downpour he could see the distant, shimmering lights of Hogwarts castle. He would be soon be returning to the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his sixth year.

He tore his glance from the dismal outside to the anxious face of Peter Petigrew, who shared the small compartment Sirius sat in. Peter had a rodent-like face, with small, watery eyes, mousy hair and a pointed nose. Sirius didn't like Peter as much as his two friends Remus Lupin and James Potter. He was very clingy and easily amused, but Sirius decided to discuss new secret passages and adventures they would participate in for the year despite this.

If James or Remus had seen him, it would have been obvious exactly how bored he was.

After a few minutes of discussion, Peter had become quite annoying. He gasped in awe at every idea Sirius had and occasionally clapped at the especially brilliant ones, as if he were watching James play with his golden snitch (which he had nicked last year).

Despite the weather and his rather annoying company, Sirius was happy to be coming back to Hogwarts. It was a big improvement over his own home, which he had recently left.

'At least,' He thought, 'being at Hogwarts is never boring. It's a better home than I have on summer holidays… this is my real home.'

He smiled again. The sliding of a compartment door interrupted his thoughts as a boy his age with a somewhat shabby appearance poked his head through the door and grinned at them.

"Moony," Sirius spoke in a mock-serious tone and grinned.

"Ah, Mr. Padfoot… Mr. Wormtail…" He nodded to each of the boys in turn with a smirk, suggesting his formality was not to be taken seriously either.

Peter waved as Remus took a few steps forward and entered their already cramped compartment, which was filled with trunks (most of which belonged to Peter). He pulled two particularly large ones off the racks above their heads and opened them, tossing pointed hats and long black robes into the laps of his fellows.

Sirius noticed Remus had already changed into his worn school robes and pinned his shiny prefect badge for Gryffindor house on them.

Sirius caught the clothes his friend had thrown at him and snapped his trunk shut. (Peter dropped his robes and fumbled around for a bit before finally grabbing them from under his seat.)

"I do believe we have arrived," Remus looked out the window at the castle, wearing the same grin Sirius had worn earlier. He continued to speak in a professionally pompous, yet non-serious voice. "I trust I don't have to remind you to change into your school robes before entering Hogwarts." He chuckled and looked at his two friends.

"I see you've found the food cart." Remus was suddenly distracted as he picked up a chocolate frog from Peter and unwrapped it, tossing him the wrapper and the card. "It's Dumbledore again…I have 13 of these." Peter sighed. "I have twenty-five…" Sirius let out a small bark-like laugh. "Well now you have twenty-six. Quit whining." Remus popped the chocolate frog in his mouth before it could hop away.

"Excuse me… Remus?"

A girl with startling green almond eyes and dark red hair that brushed her shoulders slid open the door to their compartment.

"Ah… Yes Miss Evans?" He smiled.

"We should be going now…" She looked around the compartment as though searching for someone, but stopped quickly when Sirius gave her a curious glance.

"Yes of course… See you in the Great Hall, mates!" Remus Lupin left as quickly as he had come.

~^

As Sirius entered the Great hall, he was soaking wet from head to foot. Some girls eyed him in longing as they passed him, but he was too wet to notice. He began to navigate his way into the Great Hall when Wormtail grabbed the sleeve of his robe and tugged on it.

"What?" Sirius yanked his robes away from him, looking slightly annoyed.

"Look," Wormtail pointed to a greasy-haired boy shuffling his way towards the Slytherin table. His twitchy walk resembled that of a spider, and he was slightly round-shouldered.

Sirius's head turned. He wore a look that resembled a hunting dog that had just spotted its prey. He grinned.

"Snivellus." He said rather loudly and chuckled.

The greasy-haired boy turned as he heard this and glared at the person who had called him by his hated nickname.

His eyes narrowed as they settled on Sirius Black.

He shoved his hand into his robes, pulling out his wand as if he had been expecting Sirius to attack him at any minute. He drew his wand with the same great speed that he had the year before, right before James had disarmed him.

Once again, he was not quick enough.

Sirius raised his wand casually as he neared the boy and pointed it at him. "Snivellus" began to flick his wand and hex him, but Sirius was quicker. The rest of the Marauders turned to watch as they heard Sirius yelling, "Stupefy!"

The boy with the greasy hair heard the spell at the last minute and started to shout "impedimenta," but he was too late. His oily locks swung in his face, as he was caught mid-speak with the spell. He keeled over, motionless and unconscious.

Sirius grinned in satisfaction at the boy, who fell into a goblet as he landed on the Slytherin table. This left a red mark on his forehead that stood out on his pasty face like make-up on the face of a clown. Padfoot grinned and a light flashed from the tip of his wand, making Severus Snape fly up into the air and land once again with a satisfying "THUD" on the Slytherin table.

Sirius laughed softly continued to make his way through the hall as he spotted the head of Slytherin house coming to investigate, his mood slightly improved. Snivellus was such an easy target…

Padfoot dodged out of the view of the Slytherin table and re-entered the Great Hall. He approached Gryffindor table quickly, sitting in his usual seat between James and Remus.

"Why Padfoot," A boy with hazel eyes grinned in mock-concern, making his ebony hair, which stuck up in the back of his head in an odd way, even messier than usual by giving it a slight ruffle with his finger tips. "Did you get caught in the rain? You look like a wet dog."

Remus, Peter, and the boy with the hazel eyes, James, laughed. Sirius, who was in a good mood because of earlier victories, let out a bark-like laugh as well and shook his long, wet locks. His mates were showered with tiny rain-droplets. Peter grimaced as he received a face full of water, much to the other boys' amusement.

"Excellent show by the way," James continued, looking highly amused. "We watched you provide Snivellus with a beginning of the year welcome from all of us."

Sirius let out another bark-like laugh, smirking over at the Slytherin table where Severus was being dragged up to the hospital wing.

"Well," said Remus with a chuckle, "it looks like The Marauders are together again for another year in Hogwarts."

The boys grinned simultaneously.

~^

A sudden silence engulfed the room as Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall carrying a wooden stool and a large hat. The hat was ancient, heavily patched, and worn with a wide split near the frayed brim. A group of first-years with familiar looks of horror, excitement and anxiousness followed her in a thick, slowly moving line and hesitated a few times, as if taking one more step into the Hall would seal their doom.

Professor McGonagall placed the hat on the stool in front of the Hall and stood back. The ripped seam in the hat moved as the hat began to sing:

I may not look too flashy, but here's a guarantee

There will never be a hat more helpful than me

You may wear a wizard's hat but that won't help your educational quest

But I help sort you into houses where you'll learn the best.

So try me on and listen close

You can't hide your thoughts from me

I'm very good at reading things (including minds) you see

I'll tell you the house in which you belong

All require special qualities of which I'll discover you have before long

You might be placed in Gryffindor, the house for the gallant and brave

You might be placed in Hufflepuff if you don't mind working like a slave

(In school that is...)

You might land in Ravenclaw for intellect quite stunning

Or if you're sent to Slytherin you must be very cunning

So have a seat and worry not

I do this every year

For next year you'll watch the new school tots slip me over their ears

Soon McGonagall was calling frightened looking students to sit on the wooden stool.

"Anderson, Gerry!"

A frightened looking boy with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes walked forward, shaking slightly. He looked very nervous, as if he thought the hat might suck his brains out of his ears if he put it on. He sat on the stool and it wobbled a bit as he shook harder.

Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on his head and stood back. The hat was silent for a few minutes and then shouted, "Hufflepuff!" in a booming voice.

Gerry Anderson looked like he might faint from relief as he jumped off the stool and joined the table of cheering Hufflepuffs.

Soon the line thinned and few first-years remained. Finally, the sorting ended as "Ziegler, Winona!" was sorted into Ravenclaw.

The Professor then collected the hat and stool and carried it out of the Hall, returning just in time.

Professor Albus Dumbledore stood up at the head of the staff table. The noise in the great hall died down.

"I usually have something to say to you all before the feast, whether it is long or short. This year, I'm afraid I have no reason to keep you from you food, as I trust you are all very wet and very tried. Dig in."

A grand feast of potatoes and turkey and pies of all kinds appeared before the Hogwarts students. Sirius, Remus, Peter and James ate heartily and happily, telling jokes and laughing as they did so.

James took a blank piece of worn parchment from his pocket and looked around at his friends.

"Tonight, we're going to celebrate our return to Hogwarts," he grinned at the interested looks the boys wore.

"Tonight, we're going down to the shrieking shack." He smiled as they exchanged looks. They all knew that there was supposed to be a full moon later that night.

Remus Lupin did not look as excited as the great of his friends as he gazed at the ceiling of the Great Hall.

"Cheer up, mate!" James smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, James is right," Sirius grinned, "It'll be fun."

A/N: The first night and they're already planning mischief!! Heh, figures… I revised this chapter because I forgot the sorting and it was too short… I hope you like the new, revised-four-times story!! R&R!!