They first began
Four misfits
Walking halls of hallowed stone
Four boys
Four minds
Four ruined lives
Thought they'd never be alone.
The first,
So brave
So proud to be
A Gryffindor
Quidditch prodigy.
The second,
Ran away to roam
Cursing Pure-Blood names
Of Black
And home.
The third,
So lost
So weak
So sad
The shadow of the friends he had.
The fourth,
Of brains
And kindness plied
Yet...
Ravaged by the beast inside.
They four joined up
Their skills combined
Creating maps to leave behind
To those whose daring was the best
'Til their mischief too was laid to rest.
Wandless lay the first one
His child, the only one to live.
Ties of blood and malice
Killed the second who had naught to give.
The third held on to serve the dark
Convinced he'd cheated death
Yet hands of silver poison
Squeezed out his final breath.
The fourth was left alone to fight
The battle in the endless night
To protect his child,
His wife,
His life…
And as the wand of death ignited,
The four Marauders
Again united.
Their legacy lives on today
In stories they begat.
And they still run in our memories
The stag, the wolf, the dog, the rat