A.N.: I'm absolutely ecstatic at the reviews I've gotten. Although they've been fewer than the feedback I get when writing my PJO fanfictions, I still love hearing what you all think about my writing. It really means a lot. Anyway, I'm feeling so enthralled with the Marauders lately, so the inspiration is really flowing. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: As I said before, HP isn't mine… it would make an awesome, very late birthday present though.

Three: Home Sweet Hogwarts

"Finally," Alice declared gratefully. The train was slowing as it reached the Hogsmeade station. The sixth year girls were gathering their things, Marlene making sure she didn't leave her favorite red lipstick behind, Alice was double checking the textbooks in her bag while Lily; ever the prefect, picking up the rubbish they'd acquired from the sweets purchased earlier. Dorcas was, of course, lazing across the seat, having only just changed into her robes, while Mary coaxed her fat black cat, Odin, into his cage once more.

Marlene McKinnon couldn't agree more with her friend's gratitude. She stood up when the carriage ceased moving. "We'd better nab a carriage before they get overtaken by second years," she remarked.

"Agreed. Bollocks, I'm starving," Dorcas groaned, standing up beside her. The five of them slipped out of the carriage, bags slung over their shoulders, and in Mary's case, cat under her arm. As Marlene had predicted, the station was mobbed with students of all ages, most of which were younger than her. The first years were all crowded around Hagrid, the unnaturally large gamekeeper of Hogwarts. Marlene couldn't help but smile slightly at the familiarity of his raspy, deep voice calling out to the nervous eleven year olds on the platform.

"Hey, Marlene!" Craig Norton shouted from a carriage farther down. "Good summer, huh?"

Marlene curled her red lips into a smirk. "Norton." she acknowledged, nodding her head before turning and continuing towards the empty carriage that Alice had located. She could feel the eyes of boys and girls alike on her; filled with feeling ranging from lust to resentment. But none of it phased her in the least. Craig Norton was among many boys that had saluted her on the train that day. He was fit, sure, not to mention a prick. However, as a general rule, Marlene refrained from any sort of relationship where the personality of the bloke mattered. And so, whether or not Craig Norton was an arse was beside the point. Other things mattered. Mainly; his snogging technique.

The five of them squeezed inside the carriage, Marlene sandwiched between Mary and Lily. It rumbled beneath them as they began moving once more.

"Tell me you're not going to snog Craig Norton," Mary stated, giving her a sideways glance.

Marlene shrugged. "Haven't decided yet."

Dorcas snorted. "By the look he was giving you, you ought to make up your mind quick. He'll probably take you in the broom cupboard outside the Great Hall if he can."

Marlene snorted. "Please. I'm not going to be that girl. I'm not going to miss the feast for some bloke, even if he does have an awesome jawline."

"Only for the feast does she draw the line," Dorcas teased.

"I like my pudding, what can I say?" Marlene laughed.

"What do you reckon the Sorting Hat will say this year?" Alice inquired as she glanced out the window at the darkening sky.

"Nothing that matters. I don't think we need a magic hat to tell us that there's a war going on and that we need to be prepared," Lily answered her, grimacing as she tucked a stray piece of red hair behind her ear.

"If it tries to preach House unity to us…" Marlene scoffed with disgust. "It can stuff it for all I care. I'm not getting chummy with any slimeballs from Slytherin. Bloody serpents."

"Agreed," Mary shuddered darkly. A brief pause fell over the girls—no one knew better than Mary what the Slytherins were truly capable of. Last year, on her way back from the library, a group of Slytherins in their year ambushed her. To this day, Marlene wasn't entirely sure what, exactly, had happened that night, only that Mary had been tortured with Dark Magic. It wasn't exactly a topic that her friend enjoyed discussing. To make matters worse, Mulciber, Avery and Rosier hadn't been caught or punished.

Marlene put an arm around Mary reassuringly, giving her a small squeeze.

"I suspect we'll be at the castle soon," Alice commented, steering the conversation away from the war. As if on cue, the carriage rattled to a stop, and the door automatically swung open. Lily disembarked first, Marlene and Dorcas close behind while Mary and Alice headed up the rear. Smoothing down her skirt and adjusting her sweater, the chilly autumn air bit into her skin. Together, they joined the crowd of students headed through the gates and into the Entrance Hall.

They trickled into the Great Hall finally, securing their seats at the Gryffindor table. Although Marlene was in her sixth year, and had sat in the Great Hall more times than she could ever hope to count, she never ceased to be amazed by it. The ancient stone walls vaulted into what seemed to be the open sky above, and thousands of candles floated delicately above everyone's heads, bathing the room in warm light. Golden plates and silverware and goblets were laid out upon the tables, with space in between to accommodate the rich dishes Marlene knew would appear after the Sorting. Her stomach grumbled—there almost nothing in the world that could compare to the Hogwarts' house elves' cooking. Except maybe Mrs. Evan's famous sponge cake.

"It's so good to be back," Alice said wistfully, still looking at the enchanted ceiling.

"Indeed," Sirius Black appeared, dropping into the seat next to Marlene with casual grace that could only be attributed to growing up in a household where manners were a cutthroat affair.

Unfailingly, the rest of the Marauders joined him, James on the other side of Sirius, and Peter and Remus taking up the two seats opposite of them.

"Oi, Potter, you're Captain this year, right?" Dorcas asked, leaning over to inquire. It was fortunate, Marlene knew, that Dorcas and herself were seated closest to the Marauders, and that Lily remained on the other side of Dorcas. Distance was key in avoiding any bickering between her and James or Sirius; more likely the former.

"Yeah, I am," James grinned wickedly, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his badge. It was old and heavy; antique looking, emblazoned with a lion and a gold C. "I've already spoken to the Heads about getting the pitch booked this Saturday for tryouts."

"Good. We need to pummel Slytherin," Dorcas agreed with a firm nod of her head.

"Oh, we will, if Prongs here has anything to say about it," Sirius laughed, clapping his best friend on the back. "I reckon I'm lucky I'm banned for the time being—I won't have to put up with his insane, prattish antics."

James opened his mouth to protest, or more likely defend his 'prattish antics', but was cut off by Marlene.

"Wait, you're banned? From Quidditch?" she asked incredulously.

Black just smirked at her. "I am."

"Do I even want to know what you did to get you banned?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

He shrugged. "Honestly, no. And even if I wanted to McKinnon, I couldn't tell you. I have to preserve some of the mystery, you know. Makes birds crazy."

Marlene rolled her eyes.

The doors to the Great Hall opened suddenly, and Professor McGonagall entered, the heels of her boots clicking on the stone floor. In her arms, she held a scroll of parchment, and she was trailed by a line of nervous first years.

"Were we that tiny when we started?" Peter inquired dubiously.

"Reckon so, Pete," James drawled. "Some of us still are. Some of the time."

Instead of looking offended, Peter grinned at the exchange of some private joke the Marauders seemed to share.

McGonagall reached the stone steps at the front of the Hall and turned. The first years crowded about below her, fidgeting and fussing. All that lay before them was an old, tattered looking black hat, seated on a rickety stool. Marlene couldn't help but remember how worried she'd been at Sorting. Despite being a pureblood, the Sorting had still scared her. Having anything look inside your head and read your thoughts was just creepy.

Much to the first years' surprise, the Sorting hat opened its brim of a mouth and began to sing. Marlene was barely listening, having no cause to hear the qualities of each house listed for the sixth time. With the oncoming war, the hat had become more bold in suggesting that the Houses shouldn't truly divide Hogwarts. The students, however, had proven otherwise. The Slytherins were firmly pitted against the other Houses, and any occupants of Hogwarts who deemed to show that their sympathies lay with muggle-borns. Nothing any hat said, no matter how magical or wise, could change that.

"Abbott, Ainsley," McGonagall called, and a little girl with blond pigtails sat down on the stool as the Sorting Hat was rested on her head. It took mere seconds for the decision to be made—

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat crowed loudly, and the table to the left of Gryffindor burst into applause as Ainsley Abbott hurried to take her seat.

"I hope this goes by quickly," Sirius muttered next to her, fidgeting.

"Agreed," Marlene whispered back. Remus shot them a slightly disapproving look, and Sirius just grinned cheekily in response before turning his attention back to the Sorting. Boot, Andrew, had just been sorted into Ravenclaw.

Marlene watched as the first years trembled with anticipation. They all seem so small, so fragile. Had she been like that? Part of her hoped not, but she knew that the probability of her appearing as a small, pretty dark haired eleven year old was probable. A lot could change in six years.

The first new Gryffindor was a boy by the name of Dirk Creswell. Marlene applauded enthusiastically with the rest of her House; the Marauders whooped and whistled next to her. Dirk smiled and took his new seat next to some second years, clearly relieved at being Sorted into the scarlet and gold house.

Ten minutes later, Wickstrom, Riley, was sorted into Hufflepuff and concluded the Ceremony. Marlene drummed her nails on the table, feeling more than a little impatient. Professor Dumbledore, clad in his periwinkle robes, stepped up to the podium, his silver beard gleaming in the light of the Hall. Gradually, the chatter in the room faded until each and every face was turned attentively towards the Headmaster.

"It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you back for another year at Hogwarts," he began, his voice firm but kind as his mouth gave the crowd a slight smile. "A reminder that the Forbidden Forest is ironically, forbidden, and that the list of banned items is posted in every common room, as well as outside the Prefects Office. And now, the school song, shall we?"

He raised his wand to conduct, and Marlene and the rest of the students began to sing. It was a funny, humble little anthem that they all knew by heart. Marlene couldn't help but grin a little as she sang, exchanging looks with her friends and resisting the urge to burst out laughing. With another flick of his wand, Dumbledore concluded the song. The silence only lasted a second however, before the hall was overtaken by an explosion, followed by shrieks from many a first and second year.

Overhead, the sky had burst into fireworks, showering an array of glittering golden dust over everything, Out of one of the crackers, a magnificent lion manifested and roared; rearing its head back as it stalked through the air over the Gryffindor table. Similar enchanted crackers had resulted in the other three mascots lording over their appropriate tables; an eagle swooped low over the Ravenclaws' heads, while a badger walked proudly above Hufflepuff. A glittering green serpent looped and slithered over where the Slytherins sat. Marlene noted that, unlike the fine dust that seemed to almost evaporate in the air before hitting the tables and getting caught in everyone's hair, the Slytherin table had not been spared from the avalanche of glitter. They looked, much to Marlene's amusement, put off the Feast that had simultaneously appeared before them. Golden platters heaped with turkey and roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, bangers, steamed and buttered beans and carrots, mince pie, treacle tart, pudding, ice creams and petit fours.

It was an unspoken secret that the Marauders were undoubtedly responsible for the spectacle. It was significantly better than the Sticking Charms of last year. However, Dumbledore just smiled at the show, not bothering to shake the gold from his beard and hat as he gestured for the Feast to begin before taking his seat at the teachers' table.

"How did you do it?" Dorcas asked before taking a bite of mince pie.

The four mischief-makers exchanged looks. James smirked knowingly and shrugged. "A Marauder never tells."

"Besides, we can't spoil it for you," Peter added, helping himself to some tart.

"It must be a complex bit of magic, timing it like that. And there must be some sort of lasting charm on the mascots," Alice marveled, giving the still glittering lion an appreciative look.

"Glad to know someone appreciates our efforts," Sirius told her, before nodding towards the Slytherin table. "They don't look so thrilled."

"I reckon they wouldn't, with their feast being ruined," Remus pointed out, but smiling nonetheless.

"Please. The least we can do to put them in their place before term starts. Besides, the house elves will have that sorted out in a few minutes," James waved his hand dismissively. The green and silver table still appeared to be displeased, their golden platters having disappeared, the table remaining empty of food for the time being.

"Oh, Merlin, I've missed this." Mary sighed as she worked her way through her plate. "Mum's awful at cooking. Most nights it's takeout."

"Reckon I should have you over, Mare, my mother likes to try to feed people to death," Lily replied. "But even so, nothing compares to this."

"Lils, I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've tasted your mum's sponge cake," Marlene countered, brandishing a fork matter-of-factly, "and let me tell you, Muggle of not, she's a culinary genius."

"Oh, she'll be thrilled," Lily said. "Now I know what to get you for Christmas."

"Nice legs, McKinnon," Sirius commented, cocking his head slightly as he raised his goblet of pumpkin juice. "Toastworthy, I'd say."

"In your dreams, Black," Marlene rolled her eyes, unable to resist the urge to flirt. He was Sirius Black after all. They'd snogged before, in third year. Not that that said much about the relationship between them. Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black had each kissed more than their fair share of the Hogwarts population. More than kissed, a good amount of them.

"You know it." Sirius appraised her over his glass before taking a gulp and turning back to the Marauders' conversation. Marlene shook her head.

"Bloody hell, I'm stuffed," Dorcas groaned as they exited the Hall after the Feast. Swarms of students were splitting off, heading back to their respective House common rooms and dormitories. Lily had been held back by prefect duties, charged with leading the new Gryffindors to the Tower. The other four made their way up the grand marble staircase.

"Knackered," Mary agreed, her Irish accent thick. She yawned widely.

"Well, think of all the free periods we're going to have. At least you'll have the opportunity to nap if you need it," Marlene suggested, looping her arm through her friend's.

"I can't wait for our schedules," Alice squealed excitedly. "I dropped Divination, thank Merlin, but I hope we're still in most of the same classes."

"You know, Al, I think it's a sign of how much I love you that I'm not killing you for saying something that nerdy right now," Dorcas snorted. They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Anyone know the password?" Mary inquired.

"Flibbertigibbet," Alice answered automatically, and the portrait hole swung open. Marlene gave Alice a curious look, and the petite brunette simply shrugged in reply. "Lily told me before she had to go help the firsties."

"It's good to be home!" Marlene sang as they entered their dormitory. She sauntered over to her bed, at the foot of which her trunk rested, and flopped onto it, kicking off her shoes. She glanced up at the familiar ceiling, sighing contentedly.

"I really hate first years sometimes," Lily proclaimed as she entered, shutting the door behind her. "I know it's not their fault that they don't know anything yet, but I'm bloody exhausted. If one more of them had asked me a silly question…" Marlene laughed as the redhead opened her trunk and began searching for her pajamas.

"Perk up, Lils. This Friday is girls' night, yeah? Don't make any other plans," Alice reminded them. By some amazing feat, she was already in her floral jammies, clambering beneath the covers of her four poster.

"Marls, that was meant for you. No plans, no matter how fit the bloke is," Dorcas teased from across the room.

"Hey!" Marlene protested, halfway through changing into her pajamas. "Friends before fit blokes, from now until the end of time."

"We'll hold you to that." Mary's voice was muffled as she buried her face in her pillow.

"Let's all get some sleep, slags," Dorcas ordered loudly. "Night."

"Night," the four of them chorused back. Lily flicked her wand, extinguishing the torches, and Marlene drew her hangings around the bed and burrowed beneath her comforter.

"It's good to be back," she whispered, and smiling to herself, fell asleep.

It was long, I know, but I had to. It was really hard to get out the Sorting ceremony, since I didn't want it to be boring and unnecessary, but the feast did need to introduce you to the dynamic of friendship between the Marauders and the sixth year girls. Plus, I know the prank was less of a prank and more of a show, but I wanted it to be glitzier, more spectacular then cruel, because a sticking charm is more immature. They're getting older and more elaborate, but also, growing out of their crudeness. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, and thank you so much for reading! Love you all!

-xoxo NotsoSugarQueen