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Ever noticed how Harry and Hermione have the same first and middle initials? Harry James and Hermione Jean are creations of JK Rowling, not mine.

Chapter Three- Steps One and Two

The rest of the summer lazed by. The Marauders spent as much time together as possible, trying to find suitable ideas not only for their customary start-of-term feast prank, but also for the train. They never tried pulling anything on the Hogwarts Express before, and wanted to catch everyone off guard on their last train ride to Hogwarts.

Most of the time, they lounged around at James' house because it was the biggest, and because his parents were hardly ever around. None of the Marauders' parents very much appreciated the hailstorm of owls that came to their houses every year. So there they sat in the empty Potter Manor, throwing ideas about.

"What if we ask the house elves to put Engorging potion in the soup?" Peter asked. James shook his head.

"No, no, we did that third year remember? Wish we'd saved that one for something big rather than wasting it on a normal dinner…" he answered. Sirius and Remus briefly discussed the idea of putting some Shrinking Solution into the treacle, but James shot that down too.

"Not everyone will eat it," he murmured, "besides, potions just aren't big enough. We need something that will put us in the bloody book!" he finished, voice rising by the end of his speech. Sirius looked thoughtful at his words.

"I've got it!" Sirius exclaimed, "Here's my plan…"

"Brilliant, Padfoot!"

"Bloody fantastic!"

"Aren't you going to lecture us on the rights and wrongs of this, Moony?" James inquired playfully.

"No way. You're my best mates, and I've always fancied being put into Hogwarts, a History before I graduated," Remus smiled at the thought. Sirius grinned maniacally.

"Well, if we've got approval from Moony, I reckon no one can stop us now!"

(James POV)

Padfoot can really be bloody brilliant sometimes. His idea works seamlessly from the train to the feast! Now we just have to make sure no one suspects anything on the train, or on the way to the castle.

The four Marauders loaded up their trunks and met at James' house on the September the 1st, ready to be bloody awesome and apparate straight into platform 9 ¾. People would be impressed. It would put on quite the show.

And they would be fooled into a false sense of security, thinking the Marauders had made their big entrance, what more did they need for the train ride?

How very mistaken they would be.

(Lily's POV)

Head Girl Lily Evans walked past the barrier between platform nine and ten confidently. This year is going to be absolutely brilliant, she thought to herself. She and the Head Boy (whoever it might be, though hopefully not a Slytherin) would work to make the school a better place. A prank free area. A Marauder proof fortress. She was confident in her powers this year. Her badge gleamed on her robes, and her beautiful eagle owl sat in dignified silence atop her cart. They poised for action.

She should have known that it would be much, much more difficult than that. She should have taken into account that dear old Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, would have a very different vision of 7th year from hers.

At exactly 10:45 a.m., the Marauders arrived to board the Hogwart's Express to Hogsmeade Station for the last time. And they made damn sure that everyone noticed, including her.

Four distinct CRAAACKKKS, each one right after the last, rattled every compartment window and had every owl hooting for their lives. This, accompanied by the massive Technicolor display of fireworks could send Lily Evans on a rant any day.

But today, what really made her upset was what the fireworks spelled.

WE WILL ALWAYS BE HOGWARTS LEGEND, AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT. THIS YEAR'S ENTERTAINMENT WILL, AS ALWAYS, BE PROVIDED BY MESSRS. MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT, AND PRONGS, WHO ALSO HAS THE PLEASURE OF BEING YOUR NEW HEAD BOY! HAVE A WONDERFUL YEAR FULL OF LEARNING.

When the smoke cleared, the four boys boarded the train to tumultuous applause.

They were stopped by a column of fire.

Oh, wait. That was just Lily- Alice, Marlene, and Dorcas laughing hysterically behind her- waiting to tell them off like no other.

(Remus' POV)

Holy hippogriff, did we get told off by Lily. She was bloody furious! I do feel rather badly about it though. We hadn't even gone on the train and we caused a load of trouble. I wonder how she'll react when we pull our prank on the train…? I better go find Marlene and ask her to tip her off.

(Sirius' POV)

That was bloody amazing! No one, and I mean no one, is going to top that anytime soon. Hey where does Moony think he's off to?

"Moony, where the bloody hell do you think you're going?" Sirius asked him, with all his usual tact, "we've got to set up phase two of the plan!" he yelled enthusiastically. Remus looked hesitant to answer.

"Well, Padfoot," he said, looking around guiltily, "I was off to find Marlene, have to say hello, you know…" he finished feebly, with a shifty smile. James looked at him suspiciously.

"Hey, I know that look, don't you Wormtail?" Peter nodded, mock glaring at his friend. James nodded at Sirius.

"Tie him up, Padfoot. He's off to go tell Marlene, so that she can tip Lily off," James was smiling by the time he finished, although his smile, Sirius thought, was more evil that caring. Sirius tied the unprotesting werewolf, and then went to go set up the rest of the prank, levitating Remus behind him all the way.

"Remus, Remus, Remus. How could you betray us so? You and Prongsie are so blinded by love that you would actually try and sell us out," Sirius chided while Remus looked abashed.

"Well, technically speaking, Prongs told you to tie me up for trying to sneak around to Marls, so he clearly isn't 'blinded by love,' as you say," at this, Sirius had to discern his friend's quotation marks for himself, because he had tied Moony's arms to his side.

Meanwhile, while Remus and Sirius were going off to one side of the train, James and Peter strolled to the other. Both parties were levitating their trunks in tow. (Well, Remus was levitating Sirius' trunk with his free hand, because Sirius was levitating Remus.)

They got many looks from different compartments, but the students of Hogwarts had long ago learned that asking questions was begging for a dungbomb in your bed. Only the four Gryffindor girls in their year ever dared question them, and even they were not guaranteed a safe pass.

But now, to make sure no one interfered, James sent Peter down to the girls' compartment to stall them if they caught wind of something.

"Wormtail, don't worry, you won't miss anything. We're passing right by! Just make sure that the girls don't see too much before we reach the point of no return. This is going to be the best prank in all of Hogwarts History," James reassured his friend. Wormtail looked hesitantly at him.

"If you're sure now, Prongs. I mean, as long as Lily doesn't hex me like she did last year for stalling at the end of the year feast…" he looked genuinely terrified for his safety. James sighed.

"I swear to you, Lily will not curse you today," he stated with conviction, and under his breath, "and if she does, I swear I'll find the counterjinx."

(Remus' POV)

Peter left to walk down to the girls compartment, which stood in the middle of the train. He got there only to find a bound and gagged Remus sitting outside of the girls' compartment, with the words 'SIRIUS BLACK WAS HERE' spelled in glittering red and gold letters across his forehead. A scowl graced his otherwise clear face, and his eyes clealy said 'untie me and let me kill Padfoot, please.' Ever the polite one, Remus mused about himself.

(Sirius' POV)

Well, I'll admit, it's not exactly a prank, but it's a huge stunt. People will remember this. No one pulls this stuff on the train. Don't want to get their wands dirty, I suppose.

Sirius took a quill out of his trunk, and transfigured it into a javelin. He then held up his wand again, and transfigured his trunk into a horse.

On the other side of the train, James did the same.

James' pocket got hot for a second and he pulled the mirror Sirius had given him.

"Ready, Prongsie?" Sirius' reflection teased.

"Oh Paddie, I was born ready."

(Remus' POV)

Any second now. It's nearly twelve thirty already. Oh Merlin, they are going to get into so much trouble. And here Dumbledore was thinking making Prongs Headboy would be good for him.

That's when he heard it. Galloping. He and Peter scrambled into the nearest compartment, which turned out to be empty. He opened the window facing the aisle, and saw with a small amount of gratification that all the other compartments had done the same, including the girls on the other side. Well, I am a Marauder at heart. He smiled sheepishly at Marlene, who beamed back. Dorcas looked about ready to burst with happiness. No doubt Sirius had stopped to tell her and probably snog a bit.

He then saw his two friends, on the backs of the source of the galloping. Going at each other with javelins. At the last minute, they took out their wands and both yelled at the top of their lungs, PROTEGO!

The two best friends bounced off each other, the horses turning back into trunks which landed with a thunderous crash, and the javelins turning back into quills. There was an amazing amount of applause, and even Remus couldn't help but go outside and bow and clap with his three insane friends. Sirius was grinning madly.

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WE'LL BE HERE ALL YEAR!" he roared to the clapping crowd.

And to think, they hadn't even put step three, their customary start-of-term-feast prank, into action.

This year is going to be wonderful, Remus thought, grinning ear to ear.

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