A/N: For the notes exchanged between the four, this is who's talking.

Charlotte

Isobel

Dean

Seamus

Chapter Two: The Beginning of a New Era, Marauders' Style

The other three Marauders were already sitting in their seats when Charlotte arrived on the platform. "Please, please behave." Samuel hugged her. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Dad." She finally got to her seat, the one across from Seamus, and unlocked the cage. Merlin jumped out, landing on her lap. "Guys, we were in Diagon Alley when Lockhart was signing his books and he's our new Defense teacher."

Dean and Seamus groaned. "Bloody hell."

"Really? Oh, good!" Isobel said excitedly. "He's gorgeous!"

"He's an idiot. Dad said so himself." Charlotte leaned forward. "So, let's prank Lockhart."

"Tonight?" Seamus asked.

"No, not tonight. Let's give him a couple days in class to see what would bug him the most, and then, we'll plan it."

"So, probably around next week, then?" Dean said thoughtfully.

"We can't prank Lockhart." Isobel interjected. "He's-"

"The Defense teacher. We already said we were going to prank the new one." Charlotte interrupted. "You don't have to, Is."

"Oh, fine. Just, don't be too mean, okay?"

"We're Marauders, not bullies, guys." Charlotte reminded them. "I'm going to find Harry for a minute, but I'll be back."

She got up and left, peering into the compartments, but, strangely, Harry didn't seem to be on the train. "Charli! Is Harry with you?" Hermione asked, sitting with a smaller, redheaded girl. "And, we can't find Ron, either."

"No. I was just looking for him." She smiled at the girl. "I'm Charli Potter."

"Ginny Weasley." She looked at her. "You yelled at Ron in Diagon Alley."

"Because he's an idiot."

"Yup. He is." Ginny giggled.

Charlotte grinned back. "What'll happen if he missed the train?"

"No idea." Hermione said worriedly.

"Charli!" The Weasley twins chorused, grinning at her. "The fireworks at the feast were awesome!"

"Thank you!"

"Need any help with a prank, just let us know. It's already getting around the school you and your group call yourselves the Marauders, and we'd be honored to assist."

She beamed. "Brilliant. Speaking of, I should get back. See you guys later."

Charlotte squeezed by the trolley on the way to her compartment, and sure enough, there were plenty of Chocolate Frogs and Pumpkin Pasties for all four of them, dumped into the seat between Seamus and Dean. "Find him?" Seamus asked through a pasty.

"Apparently, he's not here. Hermione was looking for him too, and Weasley's missing as well."

"Interesting." Isobel said. "They always manage to get in trouble together, don't they?"

Charlotte nodded, unwrapping a Chocolate Frog. "So, if everything goes the way I hope it does, I'll be on the house team."

"Brilliant! Which position?" Dean asked cheerfully.

"Dad's been helping me learn how to play Keeper, but if I can't get that, I want to be a Chaser."

"Why d'yah wanna play Quidditch so bad, anyways?" Seamus asked, a bit confused.

"Because of Oliver Wood." Isobel said slyly, laughing.

Charlotte's face turned red. "I also happen to like the sport. It's not just about Wood."

"But you think he's the cutest guy in Hogwarts." Her friend persisted.

"Because he is." Charlotte said matter-of-factly. "And, if I'm on the Quidditch team, he'll have to notice me."

Seamus frowned, turning out toward the window. "We could just prank him." Dean suggested.

"What? No!" Charlotte gasped. "Anyways, we should make new tradition."

"What?" Seamus asked curiously.

Charlotte pulled out a spare bit of parchment and wrote down three things.

1. Every year, the Griffin-claw Marauders will prank the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

2. Every year, the Griffin-claw Marauders will prank all the first-years. Collectively.

3. Every year, the Griffin-claw Marauders will prank the whole school whilst in the Great Hall.

"What do you guys think?"

"Sounds great!" They grinned and signed their nicknames to the parchment.

"Too bad we can't find a meeting place, where we can hang this up and not worry about people overhearing our prank plans." Isobel said, handing the parchment back to her.

"Maybe we can try to find a place this year and make it our official meeting room." Dean said. "But until then, we can meet in each other's common rooms every week."

"First meeting in Gryffindor common room, then, on Wednesday night before Astronomy?" Isobel asked, playing with Merlin.

After it was agreed, the four drifted off into their own thoughts, until the train started to slow down. They all quickly changed into their robes, Isobel handed Merlin back to Charlotte, and after she made sure the cage was shut and her broom was safe, they walked down to the horseless carriages and got in one together. "This, Marauders, is the beginning of an era filled with amusement and fun." Charlotte said dramatically. "By Christmas, every student will know who we are. Deal?"

"Deal!"

They jumped out of the carriage and walked, arm in arm, into the Great Hall. "See you two later!" Charlotte and Isobel stated, separating from the two Gryffindors and sitting down. "Harry's still not here." Isobel pouted.

"Cheer up. Lockhart's here."

She grinned, looking at the staff table. "We're sitting in the front row, okay?"

"Sure, why not?"

Gilderoy Lockhart's robes of bright aquamarine were making Charlotte's eyes hurt. She scanned the table, looking for Professor Snape. He, however, was looking for a student. As the first years started to file in, Snape disappeared. Charlotte frowned, but said nothing about it. "I wonder which ones are going to be with us?" Isobel asked.

Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on the stool and the ceremony began. "Creevey, Colin!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Charlotte began to think of a good enough prank for all the first years.

"Harper, Kieran!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Lovegood, Luna!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Charlotte cheered with the rest of her house, scooting over so the pale blonde first year could sit by her.

"Weasley, Ginerva!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Then, when McGonagall was rolling up the scroll, Professor Snape strolled in, looking absolutely pissed. He whispered something to McGonagall and Dumbledore, and McGonagall followed him, her mouth impossibly thin. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" Dumbledore said, smiling. "Let the feast begin!" And then he too left.

"What's going on?" Terry asked, scooting over to them.

"Probably something to do with Harry and Weasley, considering they're not here." Charlotte guessed.

"They've certainly got a knack for trouble, huh?" Michael added.

"They wouldn't if Dumbledore would make the rules apply to them as well. Just because he's the Boy Who Lived doesn't mean he should get a free pass on everything." Mandy grumbled.

"Good thing Voldemort didn't think like that, because Harry got a free pass on Death's rules, Brocklehurst." Charlotte snapped. "No, it's not fair, but Harry saved us last year."

"From what?"

"From Voldemort, you daft bimbo! He was possessing Quirrell to try and get the Sorcerer's Stone!"

"You-Know-Who was probably possessed by Nargles, if he thought he could find the Sorcerer's Stone." A soft, dreamy voice, Luna's, said seriously.

Everyone stared for a minute and then burst out laughing. "Nargles don't exist." Mandy said rudely.

"How do you know?" Luna responded, her voice having lost all dreaminess.

"I once thought trolls were incredibly stupid, but then, you're in Ravenclaw, so I was wrong." Charlotte taunted Mandy. "Just because you've never seen a Nargle doesn't mean they don't exist."

Mandy rolled her eyes but went back to eating. When Professor Dumbledore had gotten back and said his announcements, they were sent off to bed. While Charlotte was unpacking her trunk, she noticed a note from Seamus on their enchanted parchment.

Thinking of first years pranks now…

Me too!

Good. Talon and I will as well, Share ideas in meeting Wednesday night?

Okay. Night, Fang.

Night, Spike.

Isobel laughed, seeing the messages before they disappeared. "Well, at least we know they work from a distance, as well."

"Yup." Charlotte yawned. "See you in the morning, Talon."

"Night, Fang."

She drifted off into an easy sleep that night, glad to be back at Hogwarts.

That morning, they got their schedules and Ravenclaw had double Transfiguration with the Slytherins. "Good morning, class." McGonagall said, after everyone sat down. "We will begin by learning how to turn a butterfly into a flower. Get out your quills and parchment and take notes."

Charlotte and Isobel did as they were told, with Draco and Blaise sitting behind them. They wrote steadily until the hour was up. "Now, take a quick bathroom break, and when we come back, you will all attempt this spell."

It only took Charlotte fifteen minutes to turn her beautiful orange and black butterfly into an equally pretty Tiger Lily. "Fifteen points for Ravenclaw, Ms. Potter." McGonagall said, very impressed. "You may go."

Charlotte stuck the flower behind her ear and left. They had Herbology next, so she sat down outside the Transfiguration door.

How's Herbology?

Dirty and nasty. Transfiguration?

Going to be hard for you. Fun for me, though.

Seriously? What's McGonagall got you doing?

Turning a butterfly into a flower. Of course Fang got it within 15 minutes

Almost done here. Meet in Great Hall for lunch?

Okay.

Isobel yanked her up. "Come on, we've got Herbology." She had a white rose tucked into her red ponytail.

"Alright, alright."

Draco and Blaise walked beside them, sneering at the dirty Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs that passed. "Oh, I hate getting dirty." Isobel moaned.

"It's just dirt, MacDougal." Draco teased.

"Then I'll make sure to shove your face into it, Malfoy."

"Oh, that hurt." He laughed. "Lighten up. I was joking."

When they got there, they immediately went to a tray at the back of greenhouse three. "Morning, class."

"Good morning, Professor Sprout."

"Today, we'll be repotting Mandrakes. Now, who can tell me what the properties of the Mandrakes are?" Charlotte's hand shot up. "Potter?"

"Mandrake is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been petrified, transfigured, or cursed to their original state."

"Excellent. Ten points to Ravenclaw. Who can tell me why the Mandrake is very dangerous, though?" Once again, Charlotte's hand was the first up. "Go ahead."

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it."

"Take another ten points, then, Potter." Professor Sprout said.

Charlotte grinned. So far, it was turning out to be an excellent year.