Exams are over and there is a total of four days left at Hogwarts. Second years are required to meet in the Great Hall just before dinner so they can choose their electives for next year. The Marauders are the last to enter, and James makes a beeline for Lily. He plops down beside her on the bench and starts talking right away, "Hello Evans, I've just realized I haven't made you laugh yet."

Sirius slides onto the bench beside James, "Does laughing at your face count? Because I bet she's done loads of that."

Lily giggles and turns her head to try and hide it.

"Really? He made you laugh?" James asks in disbelief.

Lily offers a fake sympathetic look and says, "Sorry, Potter. Our sense of humor is different."

James slides on a cocky grin, "Oh really?"

Marissa, who is sitting across from Lily joins the conversation, "I agree with Lily, I've heard your jokes on the Quidditch pitch and you aren't as funny as you think." Remus, Sirius, and Peter stifle laughs at James's crestfallen look.

But James doesn't stay bested for long, a couple seconds later he collects himself and says, "Jennings I think you're forgetting I've had a watchful eye over Evans since Christmas. I've learned what she likes and doesn't like."

"So you're a stalker now?" Lily asks. "I found it odd how long you've been leaving me alone. I see you've resorted to hiding behind suits of arms and tapestries then?"

Sirius coughs up his water in laughter and Remus promptly hits him on the back.

"I'm not stalking you. I'm protecting you," James says, puffing out his chest a bit in pride.

"Because you're exactly what I need for protection. May I remind you I don't have anything I need protecting from. From what I've seen people should be on the look out for you two." She waves a finger between James and Sirius.

"What about them?" Sirius asks in protest, pointing at Remus and Peter.

"Peter's too quiet to cause any trouble and Remus actually follows the rules," Lily says.

James chuckles, "Remus only looks innocent on the outside."

"He's a wolf in sheep's clothing." Sirius winks dramatically and nudges Remus. Who his shaking his head in disbelief.

Professor McGonagall walks over to the group of second year Gryffindors. "Settle down please." She holds a stack of papers and starts to hand them out. Each student receives a list of the courses they can sign up for and what days and times they will be scheduled next year. Sign up sheets for each class is left between the group. "Each of you need to sign up for at least two of these classes and I don't suggest taking more than three due to the workloads required for each class."

After glancing over the list Remus nudges Sirius and nods for James and Peter to follow. The four boys move farther down the table so the girls can't hear them as they talk amongst themselves.

"I'm going to take Arithmancy, it'll help with your Animagus training," Remus says.

"Smart thinking," James says. "I really wanted to take Divinations."

"Why?" Sirius laughs. "It's all a load of crap."

"It sounds fun," James laughs.

"Someone needs to take Ancient Runes too," Remus continues. "It might be useful later on in the training."

"Why don't you take it too?" James suggest.

Remus frowns at James, "I'm not becoming an Animagus you are. Arithmancy will be hard enough I'm not loading Ancient Runes into the mix as well. Plus I want to take Divinations too."

"I'll take Divinations," Peter says. Remus, James, and Peter look at Sirius questioningly.

"Fine I'll take Divinations too, why not," he says. "I don't want to take Ancient Runes, I'd fail."

"What other class will you take then?" Remus asks. Sirius glances over the list.

"Screw it," Sirius says.

"You'll take Ancient Runes?" James asks hopefully.

"No way in hell, I'll take Muggle Studies." A sly grin slips onto Sirius's face.

"Have you gone mad? You're parents will-"

"Let them be mad," Sirius says, cutting James off. "I'm going to take Divinations and Muggle Studies and they can deal with it."

"They'll disown you," James says.

"So," Sirius shrugs. "Come on James you have one more class to fill, make it Ancient Runes."

James glances back over the list frowning, he ponders his options a moment. "What if I take Care of Magical Creatures. That's sure to come in handy for our training, right?"

Remus shrugs. "That leaves Ancient Runes for Peter," Remus says.

"I don't know if I'd do well in Ancient Runes," Peter admits.

"There's no spell work," Remus explains. "It's all book work and memorizing Runes."

Peter shrugs, "I guess I could take it."

They all grin and walk back over to the girls, James picks up the Care of Magical Creatures sign up sheet and grins down at Lily when he sees her name on the list. "Care of Magical Creatures will be fun won't it?" James asks her.

"You're taking it too?" Lily asks. "I suppose it just got a lot more interesting then."


Four days later everyone is packed and climbing into the carriages to make their way down to the Hogwarts Express. As the Marauders pass a carriage holding some of the Slytherin Quidditch Team James waves to them and plasters a wide grin on his face.

"See you next year," he calls in an overly friendly tone.

They all fix James with angry glares as James strides off and toward an empty carriage. They Marauders climb into the carriage and wait for it to take off toward the train. James reaches down into his bag and pulls out the notebook with their map drawings in it, he passes it to Remus.

"I thought you were keeping it this summer," Remus says.

"You take it, figure out how to map out the tunnel under the Whomping Willow better. Only you've seen it, and just last night you were saying it wasn't drawn right. Take the summer to fix it."

Remus shrugs and puts the notebook into his bag. The carriage starts to move forward on its own and the boys turn to watch the train come into view. When it does they all feel a mix of emotions.

James turns to Sirius. "Are you ok?" He asks.

"Of course," Sirius says through a forced smile. "The summer will go quickly."

They climb off the carriage and make their way onto the train, they are happy to find their normal compartment empty and settle down inside it. They watch as other students move around the aisle outside their compartment and as a few stick their heads inside to see if it's empty, only to move on when they see the four boys. At eleven o'clock the train pulls out of the platform.

The snack trolley comes around quickly, and the four boys get enough snacks to hold them over the entire ride. Once they know no more interruptions are coming they talk about the Animagus training.

"Don't forget you have to recite the incantation when Camelopardalis is in the northwest sky early June," Remus says. He looks directly at James.

"Hey I passed Astronomy this year, I know how to find Camelopardalis."

"I'll write you and remind you to look it up on your Astronomy chart," Remus says. "That goes for you two as well. If you miss it in June you won't be able to recite the incantation again until next June. That would put you an entire year behind on your training."

"We'll get it, Remus," Sirius chuckles. "Don't worry. If I didn't know better I'd say you were as excited about this as James and I are."

"I still think it's a really bad idea," Remus says.

"You never said you weren't excited," James grins.

"June," Remus says sternly. "Camelopardalis. Incantation."

"You can only deny it so long," Sirius smirks before tearing into a box of Bertie Botts Beans. He pocks a finger around inside the box for a moment then pulls out brown bean and offers it to Remus. "Coffee?"

"I know good and well that isn't coffee," Remus says. Sirius shrugs and pops it into his mouth. He continues to offer the potential bad flavors to his friends for the rest of the train ride, and by time the Hogwarts Express pulls into Kings Cross they are all laughing and pelting each other with Bertie Botts Beans.


AN: The end of year two! I never thought I'd make it this far. It's even more amazing to me that so many of you have followed and favored this story. I know it has it's flaws and I really am trying to improve my writing as I go. Thank you so much again for the amazing support you have given me. I'd still love to hear Animagus training ideas if you'd like to share!

Chapter One of Year 3 will be up Wednesday!