"You got one to." Marlene said as she walked into Sirius' dorm.
"We all did. Lily too." Sirius nodded.
"What do you think he wants?"
"I don't know. Dumbledore's an odd one, but he's only asked seventh years of age from what Remus has been able to nose out. Let's grab some dinner and then we can head to his office."
"Right."
They sat in Dumbledore's office with a handful of other students. Peter, Remus, James, Lily, Dorcas Meadows, Emmeline Vance, and Benjy Fenwick waited with Sirius and Marlene. They didn't need to wait for long. Dumbledore came in followed by McGonagall and a worn looking wizard with an eye patch.
"Excellent. I see you all got my message." He said coming to sit in his chair. "I understand you must all be wondering why I asked you here today. I will not let you wonder longer. I have formed a group to battle against Voldemort and his followers. I have been watching your progress in your Defense Against the Dark Arts classes and I feel you are the best of your class. I am offering you all positions with this group to fight Voldemort and put an end to him. I will give you the evening to decide, and if you will simply write your answers on the invitation I sent you by tomorrow I will receive your answers."
"I don't need the evening, Professor. Count me in." Sirius said.
"My answer is also yes." Marlene smiled.
"Do you kids think this is some kind of game?" The wizard in the eye patch growled. "You're agreeing to be on the front lines without a second thought."
"Alastor," Dumbledore started but Marlene cut him off.
"Do you think we're so sheltered?" She demanded her anger showing on her face. "I'm well aware that this is dangerous and I've made peace with death. I'm not concerned about dying; I'm concerned about stopping a mad man that will kill me anyway if he isn't stopped. So don't insult me by saying I haven't thought this through. I've been planning on this since the Hogsmead attack." And she stared him down challenging him to question her further.
Alastor stared at her for a moment before turning to Sirius. "And you boy?"
Sirius grinned. "I'm already a dead man. See sir, I'm a disowned Black. They'll be looking to kill me the moment I step off the train. I'm hoping to take as many of them out with me as I can." Alastor grunted, and then whispered something to Dumbledore who merely smiled.
"Unless any of the rest of you have something to say now, I think you all ought to return to your common rooms."
No one spoke.
"Very well, off you go."
Quietly they filed out of the office and back to their common rooms.
Lily and James sat in one corner talking quietly. Sirius and Marlene sat with Peter and Remus by a fireplace.
"Do you think it's a good idea to jump into the war like this?" Peter asked. "I mean, I really don't want him to win, but I feel like joining You-Know-Who's arch enemy is kind of asking for it."
"Wait." Remus said. "Don't you tell me that you've started calling him that?! His name is Voldemort, Wormtail. You need to keep him grounded in reality."
"Moony he's killed almost 1000 muggles, witches, and wizards in less than a year."
"No." Marlene interrupted. "His cronies have. He's actually only killed a handful of people."
"Whatever. Dead is dead."
"Pete." Remus put a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. "It's ok to be scared. But being scared shouldn't stop us. Use your fear as a motivator to face the darkness. You fight well, and we'd be lucky to have you."
"So you're joining?" Sirius said with excitement.
"Yeah. It'll be hard and all, but I'm going to talk through the complications with Dumbledore. He obviously thinks those things can be overcome or he wouldn't have asked me in the first place."
"What complications?" Marlene asked.
"His mother's health." Peter and Sirius responded in unison.
Remus however, looked thoughtfully at Marlene. "You're definitely joining Dumbledore?" He asked her seriously.
"Of course."
"Then it might be good for you to know as well."
"Remus," Sirius cut in. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"Do what?" Marlene asked, now feeling a bit on edge.
Peter looked on nervously as Remus contemplated.
"I have a secret that currently only James, Peter, Sirius, Lily, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Madame Pomfrey know. I would like to include you on this secret so that you and I can work better in this war and help with the logistics if Dumbledore decides not to tell the others in his group. Are you willing to help me and keep my secret?" Remus asked.
"You're my friend Remus. Of course I'm willing to help you however I can." Marlene laid a hand on his shoulder.
Remus took a deep breath. "I was bitten by a werewolf when I was four years old, and suffer the same condition."
Marlene gasped. "That's horrible!"
"Well I've had good friends to help, so it's not nearly as bad as it could be." Remus smiled at Sirius and Peter.
"You're secret is safe with me Remus." Marlene said recovering from the initial shock.
"No questions or revulsion?" Peter asked her.
Marlene gave him a cold stare. "I'm not as shallow as that Peter. Remus is a good man, and this doesn't change that."
Remus smiled at her. "Thanks Marlene." He choked, visibly moved by her words.
"If more people were like you we wouldn't have to hide Remus' furry little problem." Sirius said as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
Just then James and Lily joined them. "So we're all in then?" James asked their little group.
"I am." Remus nodded. "Pete?"
They all turned to him, waiting as he looked at them with a level of apprehension they'd never seen in him before.
After a long moment he sighed. "Yeah, I'm in."