Chapter 2 The Marauders
Upon reaching Hogwarts, James was half amused, half frightened to see the gleam in Sirius' eyes had not left. "Firs' yeas' her'," a voice bellowed from behind them making Peter jump and look behind him in fright. There stood a man, if you could call him that, at least 10 feet tall with a chuckle across his face for scaring Peter.
He said he was the gatekeeper of Hogwarts and led the 1st years to the shore of a great black lake, or so it seemed in the dark. Sirius and James were talking loudest. If you had looked at the two, you wouldn't have known that they barely knew each other.
"What do you think is in the lake?" Peter squeaked in fright after everyone heard a great splash and something poke out of the water. "I hear it's a great large squid. Maybe you could do every one a favor and go take a swim with it and perhaps not come out?" said a voice from behind them. Sirius spun around. "Snivelus," muttered Sirius under his breath. James sized him up. There was something he definitely didn't like about him. There was a smirk across his face that made James want to throw a punch. His greasy hair stuck out in different directions, but had obviously tried to be combed, without much reward. He buttoned his robes in all the wrong slots proving he had either never worn robes or never buttoned anything.
"Why don't you do everyone a favor and go wash off your hair, you greaser?" Sirius asked and in one swift movement pushed Snivelus, or Snape (his real name) into the water. "Help! Help! I can't swim!" Snivelus screamed in his high-pitched voice, thrashing around, looking for a great squid. Lupin dived into the water in a second and pulled Snivelus out as quickly as he fell in. "Ah, Lupey, you ruined all the fun," Sirius said, pretending to look disappointed, but in reality holding back a laugh. Peter laughed along with Sirius and tried to copy Sirius by scolding Lupin.
James couldn't hold it back though, and dived to the ground bursting in laughter. Snape's hair hung from his head, soaked. A red-headed girl with bright green eyes ran in with a towel and asked him if he was all right. Snape shook her off and looked nervously at his buddies in his compartment. James squinted at the red-head wondering why she would want to help such a smelly thing.
The gatekeeper, introducing himself as Hagrid, didn't realize what was happening as he was talking to a very short professor, about a fourth of his own size. Even Peter was taller than him. "Gather' aroun', gathe' aroun'" he said. "Four of ya on eac' boa'" he said waving his arm at a collection of boats. "I'll be leadin' ya. They're bewitched to take ya all to Hogwarts." Sirius and James pulled a pleading-looking Lupin with them and Peter followed looking behind for perhaps a revengeful Snape.
When on the boat, Sirius asked them a fateful question. "What do you all think of pranks?" James immediately responded, "Hilarious," but quickly looked back over the edge for a squid. "Dangerous," Lupin responded, imitating James, looking for something in the murky water. "Why?" he suddenly asked, looking up. Sirius grinned at Lupin's question.
He then began to shake the boat viciously shaking off, first Peter, then, Lupin, with some strength, James, and then managing to capsize the entire boat sending him in too. Snape's boat knocked into their capsized one and overturned as well. It was like dominos. Soon all but one boat, Hagrid's, in the water with all the kids yelling for help. It took two hours to fish out all the student and by that time all the 2nd-7th year students' stomachs were rumbling as tradition said that the Sorting must be done before the feasts.
Sirius reckoned that one of the students had gotten lost in the water, hoping it was Severus Snape. They were all wrapped in towels shivering in cold, and a good majority had caught colds. James couldn't help laughing, Lupin kept shaking his head almost as if to say how he could have gotten into this mess of Sirius, and Peter was looked at Sirius with the utmost respect.
They entered The Great Hall. Peter gaped in amazement and Lupin frantically looked everywhere, trying to take it all in. There hung candles in the air, the sky was dark and rainy, yet no rain fell into the actual hall. Four major tables were set out; Slytherin, green and silver; Ravenclaw, blue and gray; Hufflepuff, yellow and bright red; and Gryffindor, scarlet and yellow, close to Hufflepuff's colors. Students were all looking very hungry and glared at the first-years. A hat was sitting on a stool in front of the whole school. Somewhere in the lower middle a rip opened and it began to sing, much to James' surprise:
Students, Students, I am the Sorting Hat
I can find out all of your secrets, open your mind
Open up to me, tit for tat
I can tell you where there is a strong bind
Are you in Gryffindor, where the bravest dwell at heart?
Or are you from Slytherin, where you are ambitious in every part?
Perhaps you are in Hufflepuff, where the kind and nice go?
Or maybe even Ravenclaw, where lack of intelligence is the ultimate foe?
These four houses, once united, are the future of magic
So I tell you one more time, I'll get you to a place where you for sure will stick!
The entire hall began clapping and James felt himself clapping too. Personally, James felt that he would prefer Gryffindor, because he didn't think kindness and cleverness were always that important as bravery. He definitely wouldn't go to Slytherin. There was not a single dark wizard who hadn't come from Slytherin, or so he was told.
In the middle of where the teachers sat, was a man with blue eyes and a wispy beard. He looked at the first years, smiling. Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher was to his immediate left. Next to her was a serious looking woman in black robes and a black hat like the Sorting hat, yet not as frayed; she was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Horace Slughorn, a blond, plump man smiled joyfully at them. Completing the left side was Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher and had a fresh white scar across her left cheek. She still smiled.
To the immediate right of Dumbledore was Pomona Sprout, the young Herbology teacher. Next to her was Hagrid, the gatekeeper, next to him Professor Vector, the Arthimacy teacher. Staring ahead and next to Vector was Professor Tilbots, the Divination teacher. Finishing off the right side was Professor Flitwick, the dwarf sized Charms teacher.
Professor McGonagall whispered in another wizard who seemed to be in her late 60's. She announced herself as Swatess Grobinhein. She began to rapidly say names, as you could tell she was hungry as well. Sirius smirked.
"Abkenhein, Jonah!" The Sorting Hat was placed on its head and the hat seemed to be thinking, if that was possible. After about 20 seconds, HUFFLEPUFF!
"Black, Sirius!" James whipped around and looked at an unsmiling Sirius. James raised his eyebrows at the infamous surname. Sirius shrugged and went to the front. The hat muttered, "Not another Black…" But when the hat was placed on his head, "No, this one is different. He has a spark. Plenty of humor and for sure detentions. Hmmm. Better be… GRYFFINDOR!" James cheered with the rest of the Gryffindor table, although on the side.
"Cepens, Allison! RAVENCLAW!"
"Derengens, Bartemus! RAVENCLAW!"
The red-head who had helped Snivelus, with bright eyes responded to Evans, Lily. She walked up with a strut and A few Slytherins murmured an offensive word, Mudblood meaning she had two Muggle parents. James looked at them scornfully. She ignored them and plopped the hat on her bright red hair, her green eyes shining. She became Gryffindor, to Sirius' dismay.
Ferengis, Jeremy became the third Gryffindor and Fumbler, Andrew, the first Slytherin.
"Lupin, Remus!" So Remus, James thought. The hat seemed almost puzzled for a moment, before screaming GRYFFINDOR! Sirius yelled, "2 for 2," over the clapping and Remus Lupin, with a face of fear, tried sitting as far away from Sirius as possible only resulting in being pulled by the arm by Sirius again to sit next to him.
"Pettigrew, Peter!" Peter swallowed and lumbered up to the front. The hat was placed on his head and was could be heard muttering things like, Interesting, didn't know he had it in him, must let fate play its part, but him out of all people? After a good 5 minutes (including many stomach growls; Sirius smiled at James from across the room) and too many surprises Peter became a Gryffindor.
"Potter, James!" James thought to himself, the moment of truth, as he walked up to the front where there were many smiling teachers, (all fake, as Sirius said later). Oh, a Potter. I see a dark future, oh very dark-"Just sort me!" James hissed under his breath. No need to talk, I can read your mind…Very interesting…I can see you doing well in Slytherin…or perhaps even Ravenclaw…No, not Ravenclaw, you would be wasted…Slytherin would be ideal, of course…NOT SLYTHERIN!James thought yelled. If you say so… Well not Hufflepuff…Oh you have a friend in Gryffindor… Ah, yes…better be, GRYFFINDOR!
James had not realized how long the hat was on, and was surprised when everyone around him said it had been more than 10 minutes. Frank Longbottom was muttering something about how dinner was 3 hours late, and kept glaring at a smiling Sirius.
Severus Snape became a Slytherin, looking longingly at someone at the Gryffindor table that James couldn't see. "He didn't even need the hat; anyone could see he was Slytherin!" Sirius whispered to James.
Finally Zerben, Gregory became a Ravenclaw and Dumbledore stepped to the podium. The Great Hall immediately became silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Dumbledore said, "I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Peculiar, Fancy, Blanket, and Mouse. Thank you!" Everyone looked at him in question, but then shrugged and laughed. Dumbledore sat down, and Swatess Grobinhein announced that the Forbidden- Sirius' ears perked up- Forest was off-limits, that no one was to enter to South Chambers as there was a vampire on the loose there, and to never listen to anything a certain poltergeist named Peeves who was new, and to always listen to the Head Boy/Girl, and prefects (Lucius Malfoy smiled). She also added that if anyone valued their lives they would not go near the Shrieking Shack, which was haunted by ghosts and wild spirits as well as not go near the Whomping Willow, a violent tree planted over the summer.
Dumbledore stood back up again, "Special thanks to Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew, and Mr. Lupin (Lupin's ears turned bright red) for creating the largest boat crash in all of Hogwarts history and getting the fastest detentions in all of Hogwarts history. Lupin turned pale, Peter looked at James and Sirius, Sirius boldly laughed, and James was laughing with him. The rest of Gryffindor looked at them in dismay. James looked at Dumbledore again and instead of seeing anger on the new headmasters' face, he saw Dumbledore catching his eye and winking. James stared wide-eyed at him.
"Eat up!" Headmistress Grobinhein told James. James looked at the before empty table now piled with all kinds of food. His stomach growled. Peter whispered, "I love magic." Before long, James was so full he fell he could have rolled to his dorm. James looked at Sirius who had just finished and wore his mischievous face, which James was getting used to.
In his hands, Sirius held five or six objects that looked like Muggle grenades. "Dungbombs," he whispered. In a quick movement he handed one to Remus and Peter, two to himself and two to James. They all smiled, except Lupin who was shaking in fear. "We've already got detention, might as well live it." Sirius said. "YOLO." said James, using a Muggle term that he had only heard before and unhooking one and tossing it onto the Slytherin table.
A mini-explosion and a bunch of gas which smelled a lot like Hagrid farting said Frank later. Teachers looked in surprise at the Slytherin table, Gryffindors looked in surprise at the four of them, and Slytherin looked in surprise everywhere for their assailants. "Bombs away!" yelled Sirius throwing both Dungbombs in opposite directions. Peter threw his at Slytherin, but his aim was so bad his went in the direction of the teachers. Lupin refused to throw it but, James and Sirius forced him to throw it at the Ravenclaws. James threw his last one right in the face of Snivelus.
No one knows who said it first. But someone must have said it. "They're marauders!" Word gets around quickly in Hogwarts. Everywhere they went people whispered and pointed. Sirius and James held their held high, Peter simply followed them, and Lupin tried avoiding them only to be dragged back by James and Sirius. This was the beginning of the group of friends known as the Four Marauders.