For Hogwarts, Muggle History Task #1 (Write about an individual or group fighting for equality)

Word Count: 2,223

the essence of friendship

It was a rather calm day in the Gryffindor Tower, undoubtedly because of the fact that exams were getting closer and closer everyday and consequently an increasing number of students realized that they should probably study.

While they were in no way as strict as the ones of Ravenclaw were rumored to be, Gryffindor, too, had rules about people disturbing what qualified peace and quiet in the common room. If someone wanted to be loud, wonderful! Just somewhere else, please. And thus most Gryffindors were outside while the fifth and seventh years, as well as a few motivated students from other years.

There were a few people in every year who helped enforce them, because there were always people who took their studies more serious than others did and their priorities weren't usually on the social side anyways.

They had been suspicious when Remus and his friends had joined them, because the for of them were often found goofing off while the rest of their year worked—what these people didn't know, of course, was that their homework was usually already done at that point due to Remus inisting to do it as soon as possible and their group being underestimated by more than a few people—but when they just worked quietly on their project, no one paid them any real mind.

Then, suddenly, the door of the common room flipped wide open and banged against the wall.

In the doorways stood Lily Evans, a third year Muggleborn that had a reputation for speaking up when things bothered her.

She stomped over to the table of the Marauders—who quickly turned the pages of the advanced transfiguration books that James' father had gotten for them to something completely random and completely unrelated to their actual project—and planted her hands on the table.

"You four. Library. Now," she ordered. She only spoke through her teeth, as if she was unsure she could stop herself from screaming otherwise and she was so red in her face that the only reason her head did not look like it was on fire was that her hair had more of a brown tinge than an orange one.

"O-o-o-of course, Lily," James replied. He was blushing heavily—always a fool in Lily's presence—and already starting to hurriedly pack his things.

"Now hold on for a moment," Peter interjected, looking at Lily quizzically. "Why should we help you? You don't exactly like us."

"He has a point there, you've gotta admit it, Jamsie." Sirius poked his best friend in the side at these words, only for James to reply with a smack that Sirius managed to duck.

"Don't call me that!" The stated was followed by a string of words that

"What shouldn't I call you, Jamsie?" Sirius taunted.

"Anyway, ignore these fools, Lily," Remus addressed the girl as James tackled Sirius. "Sometimes that's the only way to cope. But what Peter said is right. Why should we help you?"

Lily took a deep breath. She was still enraged, but the antics of the two seemed to have calmed her down ever so slightly. "Don't get me wrong, I still think the bunch of you are immature fools, but I've realized that you know how to focus when you really want it. And I'm hoping it's the case for this. I have had enough of the comments I get because of my blood status. I am done with it and from now on I am going to fight for everything I deserve. I mean, I was talking to Professor McGonagall about what I may want to do once I graduate and she said that I wouldn't even need to apply because they wouldn't take me anyway!" She took another breath. "I can't blame her for that, she was merely the messenger, but wow, that makes me so angry! Like argh!" She simply made a noise of frustration at that point and let herself fall onto the chair that had been Sirius' before he had moved to the ground directly before the fireplace.

The boy in question was still ringing with James, so he couldn't even protest. Though that fight seemed to be nearing the end.

"I am done with this bullshit," Lily declared. "I will fight back and, to be frank, I don't know anyone better suited to that than you that will actually help me."

Remus had been about to ask about Snape—because surely the Slytherin had some experience with prejudice as well, hell, the Marauders were probably misjudging him to a point—but it sounded like she already had that conversation and it had not gone over well.

Like, at all.

And Lily was right, Remus realized, looking around his friends.

Wizards liked to pretend that they were long over the prejudices of the non-magical world, when in reality it were the Muggles who were starting to make actual progress, if what his mother told him was at all true.

James had Indian roots that many people still had an issue with for some reason—hell, it was the reason that their family hadn't been included in the Sacred Twenty-Eight—and Peter, who was a bit on the chubby side as well as Sirius being judged for things his family had said and done.

Not to forget himself. There was the obvious thing to anyone in the know and there was also the fact that he wasn't exactly from the richest family and wasn't willing to become a charity case for Sirius and James.

Yeah, Remus could see where Lily was coming from. Going by the expressions on his friend's faces, so could they.

"What do you have in mind?" Sirius asked, finally ending the scuffle between him and James—that in Remus's private opinion, James seemed to have won.

"I don't just want some sort of petty revenge—although at this point, I am willing to consider doing that as well—but really, I want something more. I want something big. I want something that will change everything so much, that no other generation has to go through this shit every again."

"That's...certainly an impressive goal," James commented after a few seconds to process.

"I think we may need a few more people for that," Peter theorized after that.

"We'll the the support eventually," Sirius waved off the concern. "What we need to figure out now is how to start."

"Which is why I suggested the library," Lily reminded them as she stood up. "There we will have all the information we can possibly get today to help us plan this. So are you on board?"
James nodded repeatedly and enthusiastically, Sirius nodded exactly once—but very firmly—and Peter muttered something like "I guess" as the four of them gathered their things and followed Lily to the library.

Remus himself was hoping that his response sounded more determined than he actually felt. Because he wanted to do this, yes, but he couldn't help but think that it all would be for nought, that they would work hard and receive no results.

But on the other hand, with these people working on it, at least something had to happen.

He just hoped it would be a good thing.

"This can't be true!" Lily all but yelled in frustration. "This can't possibly be true! Or at the very least I hope it isn't," she added, deflating visibly.

"What can't be true?" James asked, throwing three books from the table as he attempted to turn around quickly.

"This!" Lily exclaimed rather unhelpfully, motioning to the book she had been reading.

Remus looked over to her workspace in an attempt to see, but a small tower of books to her right prevented him from reading it himself.

"Apparently Asian, African, and South American communities have zero issues with Muggleborns. And they value different people, like, some value werewolves and the Indian ones especially honor people who can speak Parsel," Lily informed them.

Remus perked up. "Really, show me?"

"Here," Lily moved the book towards him and indeed, what she had said was written there black on white. It was kind of devastating, seeing how his life wouldn't be the way it was had he lived somewhere else.

"Told you India is awesome," James gloated over in Sirius's direction. "Bharat Mata Ki Jai Ho."

The other boy simply rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm sure there are still some forms of discrimination."

James threw his arms in the air. "I mean, yeah, but you can tell me that's not the case in England. That's kind of why we're even here, you know."

"Let's get back to the point, shall we?" Peter proposed.

"Good idea," Lily approved. "What I was thinking is that—as step one—we have to find some way where an Asian systems is more advanced because of Muggleborns and find a way to make sure no one else takes credit for it."

James grinned. "My time has come. Regarding the first part, I mean. I have no idea whatsoever for the latter."

"Perhaps there is a charm or something that would help us?" Remus thought out loud. "And even if there isn't, there's no harm in looking for one."

"If not we will simply have to repeat it often enough that they will acknowledge it only for us to shut up." Peter grinned devilishly. "Though it does work better if there are more people involved. Like, adults."

"My Mom and Dad will help," James inserted without delay. "There's no way they wouldn't. And I bet that they could get a few of their friends to do it as well. Dad has good contacts and Mom isn't exactly a hermit either."

"I'll write them," Sirius proposed, much to Lily's visible confusion. "I have to ask them about staying for a part of the holidays either way."

"You know the only question is which part, right?" James questioned. At Sirius's unimpressed expression he added, "Okay, just checking."

At this point Lily seemed to have reached the decision not to ask.

"I'll look for a charm then," Peter proposed, already moving to the direction of the shelves again.

Remus didn't even think to argue, because Peter had a really effective searching technique that he was treating like a state secret.

"I guess we'll just continue with what we were doing?" he proposed instead, looking at Lily.

"We might as well," she agreed. "It isn't like that is even close to the only issue that exists on this planet."

"I don't think I ever heard anyone ever say anything containing this much truth ever before," Remus muttered. And wasn't that terrible in so many different ways?

A few days after their first meeting in the library—there had since been a few that—Remus found that he couldn't hold his curiosity.

He needed to know what exactly was the reason Severus wouldn't help Lily.

In a way, Remus was glad he didn't, because this way Lily had come to them—and they actually seemed to warm up to each other somehow?—which likely wouldn't have happened without it.

Still, Remus had to know, because Lily appeared to have been hurt by this.

He waited until he had a moment to slip away and looked for the Slytherin. It wasn't hard to catch him alone, as the only one he really spent time with was Lily—which was kind of sad, really. Right up until one realized that he had started to seek comfort—or something—with the very people trying to kill everyone like Lily.

Then it was something so disgusting that Remus had yet to find a proper way to impress.

Anyways, Remus managed to hold Severus back alone.

"What do you want?" Severus snarled.

"To know why you won't help Lily."

Severus raised an eyebrow, completely unimpressed. "With what exactly?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "You know with what. Fighting for Muggleborn rights, among others. Changing the world for the better."

"Because it won't work and they have enough rights the way it is. Is that all?"

Instead of waiting for an answer, Snape simply walked away, leaving Remus standing alone in the hallway.

He could definitely understand why Lily had been saddened by this sentiment. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised to find out that their friendship was now in the past.

But it was okay. Sure, it would hurt, but Lily had other friends, not only the new ones she had made in the Marauders—at this point, James had almost gotten to the point where he was able to hold a somewhat normal conversation with her.

Speaking of his friends, he should probably get back to them. After all, they had two mayor projects now—one of them being sorely for his benefit—so he should really get back and help with at least one of them.

It was only fair. Plus, this way he got to spend more time with them, something that he would not get tired of in the near future, even if he frequently claimed otherwise.

His friends were breathtakingly amazing—like, really. Not only did they stay at his side after finding out that he was a werewolf, they were actively working on making the whole thing more bearable for him, which was more than Remus had ever dared of hoping for.

And Lily deserved friends that would do as much for her. If Severus wouldn't want to do that, maybe the Marauders could.

I asked Celinarose for a patriotic Hindi sentence. She didn't read this story, but 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai Ho' is what she provided.

Thanks to Guest for correcting the spelling in that.