Disclaimer: Nuh-uh. Don't even try to blame me for this.
"Where'd they come from?" Lily asked.
"You really don't want to know," Sirius said, grinning.
"You're probably right," Lily said. "See you all later," she added, pulling her trunk down and dragging it out the compartment door. The others followed in a straggly line, but Lily saw her parents quickly, and with a last wave good-bye, headed off to start her summer.
James watched her leave with a goofy smile on his face. "Bye, Lily!" he called loudly, drawing a few stares from those in the crowd who weren't used to him.
"Way to be subtle, mate," Sirius said. "I don't suspect a thing. Of course, she's a lot brighter than I am..."
"Right, right," James said. "I always forget."
"Details," Corrie said. "Don't worry; she knows."
"Knows what?" James asked.
"That you're hopeless," Corrie said.
"I am not," James said.
"Yeah, you kind of are," Corrie said. "There's my mom; I'm off. See you."
"Adieu, sweet, sweet Corrie," Sirius said. "Parting has never been such a cruel blow..."
"She's gone," James said.
"Kay," Sirius said. "So where are your parents?"
"They'll be here," James said. "Oi, Moony! There're your parents."
"Great. Bye, guys," Remus said, hopping off the train.
"Where's Wormy?" Sirius asked.
"Dunno," James said.
"He said something about meeting up with other friends," Alice said.
"Ah," James said. "I guess we'll see him over the summer, then." Alice shrugged.
"Guess so. Have you guys seen Frank?"
"No," James said. "Why?"
"Is he picking you up?" Mary squealed. Sirius winced.
"Yeah," Alice said, blushing. "He's just Side-Along Apparating me home, though. The timing was bad for my parents, and I'm not seventeen yet, and Frank -"
"We get it," Mary said, giggling. "Hey, look!"
"Is it Frank?" Alice squealed.
"Er, no, sorry, just my da."
"Oh. RIght," Alice said, blushing again.
"July," Mary said, clambering down.
"Alice!" came a voice from behind them.
"Frank!" Alice called happily, jumping down into the arms of her boyfriend.
"Ready?" Frank asked.
"Yeah, just let me grab - oh, thanks, James," Alice told James, who'd just handed her her trunk.
"Yeah, see ya," James said as Frank Apparated her away.
"And your parents are..."
"Late," James said. He frowned - it wasn't like his mother to be late for anything.
"That's odd," said Sirius, clearly echoing his thoughts.
"Let's get off the train, at any rate," James said. "We're blocking the exit."
Sirius and James lept causally off the train and dragged their trunks closer to the wall that marked the door to the Platform.
"Should we go through?"
"Nah, if they Apparate, they've gotta come here."
A few minutes later, Sirius looked at James worriedly.
"What's taking them so long?"
"I dunno," James said slowly. "Erm...there's nothing we can really do but wait." He looked around at the rest of the Platform, which was quickly clearing out. Nearly everyone was gone already.
"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black," came a voice from behind them. Both boys spun around quickly to see Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster.
"Hey, Albus," Sirius said casually. James rolled his eyes, but knew that Dumbledore wouldn't get mad - the Marauders actually knew the headmaster alarmingly well from how often they'd been sent to his office.
"I didn't know you came to the Platform," James said.
"I usually don't," Dumbledore said. "But I'm afraid I wasn't able to catch the two of you before you left. Your parents, Mr. Potter, are waiting for the two of you at Hogwarts. I have some interesting information you all might want to hear."
James almost groaned at the thought of another long train ride back. Dumbledore smiled, though.
"I can Side-along Apparate you to the gate," Dumbledore said, stretching out his arm. James took it, Sirius following his lead quickly. Dumbledore twirled, and James gasped as he was sucked into a long, tight tunnel. His eyes saw nothing but warped strands of black, which didn't seem as though they should be distinguishable from the surrounding blackness. He landed before the gates and leaned against them, gasping for breath.
"It's easier when we do it alone," Sirius muttered.
"It's also easier when there's only one person Side-along Apparating," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Step lightly, now, we don't want to keep Mr. and Mrs. Potter waiting too long."
James and Sirius exchanged looks, then followed Dumbledore to a waiting carriage.
"James! Sirius!" called James' mom as she ran out to hug both boys. "I'm glad Professor Dumbledore was able to find you so quickly," she said.
"Do you know what he's got to tell us about, Dors?" Sirius asked.
"Not exactly," Dorea hedged.
"Mum?" James asked. "What aren't you telling us?"
"She doesn't know, exactly," James' father said.
"Charlus..." Dorea said warningly.
"Clearly Professor Dumbledore was going to tell them anyway," Charlus said. "And besides, knowing them, they probably aren't entirely clueless."
"I do hope I'm not interrupting anything," Dumbledore said, "but when you're done, please make your way to my office. The boys know the password, I think."
"Jelly Slugs?" James asked for confirmation.
"Indeed," Dumbledore said.
"We're done, I think," Charlus said. "Dorea?" he added, offering his arm to his wife, who took it automatically. James and Sirius hurried to pass them, following the well-known path to the headmaster's office.
"Jelly Slugs," Sirius told the gargoyle, who allowed them to enter the staircase.
"You certainly know your way around here," Dorea said, almost suspiciously.
"We're probably the students who've been here the most," Sirius said proudly.
"Sirius..." Dorea sighed.
"What? Some of it wasn't entirely our fault."
"Oh, okay, then," Charlus said, throwing the boys a wink when Dorea's back was turned. "Hello again, Professor Dumbledore."
"Sit down, please," Dumbledore said. "Lemon Drop?"
"No, thanks," said the Potters, while Sirius took one.
"Now, you're all wondering why I asked you here," Dumbledore said.
"Uh, yeah," Sirius said.
"Let him explain," Dorea said.
"Thank you, Dorea," Dumbledore said. "You've all heard about someone who calls himself Voldemort, haven't you?"
"We have," Charlus said.
"He's infiltrated the Minsitry of Magic," Dumbledore said. "The Aurors aren't effective against them. The Ministry's methods of protecting against him and his Death Eaters aren't effective. I've formed a group, The Order of the Phoenix, to fight against him."
"Why are the boys here, then?" Dorea asked.
"Because they both have reasons to fight," Dumbledore said.
"What reasons?" Charlus asked.
"Voldemort is trying to purge the Wizarding World of Muggle-borns," Dumbledore said, looking at James. James stared back at him for a moment before he understood. His mouth fell open, and he grabbed the edge of the table with whitened knuckles. Lily was muggle born.
"And many of the people who support him are old pureblood families like the Malfoys...Lestranges...Averys...Blacks," Dumbledore said, looking at Sirius. James looked up from the table he'd been glaring at to look at Sirius, who had a determined expression on his face.
"We need passionate young people, or our future is doomed," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort is recruiting young people. In order to fight back, we have to do the same."
"But they're children," Dorea protested. "They've not even graduated Hogwarts!"
"And they won't fight unti they have," Dumbledore said. "What I would like them to do is keep an eye out. As I said, Voldemort is recruiting young people. I want the boys to tell me if they see any signs of Voldemort's work in their peers."
"Just us?" James asked. "I'm sure Remus and Peter would, too. And Lily's a muggle born herself. You'd think she'd be especially concerned."
"I will be talking to Miss Evans as well," Dumbledore said. "But after, I think, she comes back to Hogwarts. As it is, she is vulnerable in the muggle world. Mr. Lupin already knows -"
"What?" Sirius yelped.
"As a werewolf, Mr. Lupin was under great risk of being approached for recruitment by Voldemort," Dumbledore said. "I made sure he was aware of the situation. Mr. Pettigrew is in a similar boat as Miss Evans. As a half blood, he is in danger until he returns to Hogwarts."
"And Corrie, Alice, and Mary?" Sirius asked.
"Miss Prewitt knows about the Order," Dumbledore said.
"No bloody way," Sirius said.
"Language, Sirius," Dorea said. Dumbledore just smiled.
"Frank Longbottom is one of our members," Dumbledore said. "Miss Rivers, I believe, is planning to leave for France after graduation."
"Corrie's doing what?" Sirius yelped.
"Sirius, let him finish his sentences," James said.
"Right, sorry," Sirius said. Dumbledore smiled at him.
"Miss Veratine's situation is similar to Miss Evans'."
"So...what do we have to do?" Sirius asked. "Sign a paper or something?"
"Actually, yes," Dumbledore said. He pulled out a long scroll and opened it to somewhere a third of the way down. "Sign below here, please."
James watched his mum and da sign the paper first, then Sirius, who signed with a flourish. James took the quill last, signing below where Sirius had left his invisible signature. After he signed, though, it wasn't invisible anymore - and neither were any of the other signatures.
"Nice," he muttered.
"Why, thank you, James," Dumbledore beamed. "If you boys would like to head down to the kitchens for a bit of dinner - I'm sure you know where it is - I would like to have a word with James' parents."
James and Sirius left the headmaster's office, walking the strangely deserted halls to the portrait of the fruit. James tickled the pear and they walked into the kitchen.
"What can I get the Masters?" a house elf asked squeakily.
"A roast beef sandwich with a side of potato salad would be great," Sirius said.
"I'll have the same, please," James said. The house elves bowed and hurried away. One of them led the boys to a small table in a corner.
"The Masters' food will be here soon," the house elf squeaked, and hurried away after its fellows.
"So...Voldemort, huh," Sirius said.
A/N: My reviewers are the best eva. No, really.
