The holidays soon ended and the other students came back to school,
disrupting the Marauders' quiet life. Lessons started again, Rhia and Lily
forcing the others to study within and inch of their lives for their
upcoming N.E.W.T.s. And before the others knew it, the semester was nearly
up and it was only a few weeks until the end of their time at Hogwarts.
"Here's to our last moon-spree." Prongs toasted one night as he, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail romped about the woods one full-moon night just before daybreak.
"Sad that we're going, isn't it?" Wormtail said, nibbling at a crumb of bread between his paws.
"A little." Padfoot replied. "I'll hardly have to work. My uncle runs the business and all."
"The sun..." Moony murmured as the sun rose over the hills and he transformed back into his human form, as did the others.
"Come on, we've got to get back in before everyone wakes up." James nodded to the doors.
"Doesn't look like anyone's coming." Peter said, holding out the Marauders' Map before they went through the doors.
Sirius grinned. "One last successful-"
"Tsk, tsk, seventh years!"
Peeves swooped down on them from the chandelier.
"Thought you'd been here long enough to know better!" he cackled.
"Go away, Peeves!" Remus held up his wand.
"Or perhaps..." Peeves grinned. "OH, MR. FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILCH!"
"Oh Peeves, no!" moaned Peter, looking around frantically.
"Peeves, what is it now?" they heard Filch just behind some door, and suddenly they were looking straight at him. "What's this?" he asked, surprised. "Head Boy and his faithful sidekicks roaming the school in the morning?" Filch peered at them closer, and his eyes widened when he saw Remus. "And...and the werewolf? Roaming the grounds with the werewolf?!?" He looked at them all, and took a step back. "Oh, the Headmaster will not be pleased! Follow me, you four!" He ushered them up the stairs, but stooped down to pick up a ratty piece of parchment lying on the ground. He looked at it suspiciously. This is one for the drawer, he thought, and pocketed it.
* * *
"I must impose upon you the dangers of your night out last night. Remus, I would have expected more from you, after everything we did to keep you here. And you too, James, as you are head boy." Dumbledore shook his head.
"This will not go unpunished, I can assure you!" McGonagall added angrily. Dumbledore held up a hand.
"Professor, please...I'm sure the boys know what they did was wrong, and extremely dangerous. But," he added, his eyes twinkling once more, "as it is only two weeks until they are gone from here forever, I'm sure they just wanted to have a little graduation fun. Don't you remember doing something of the sort right before you left Hogwarts, Minerva?"
"Never...in my life..." McGonagall sputtered, her face pale, and Sirius had to cover up his sudden fit of laughter with a particularly loud hacking cough.
"As it is, Minerva, if you could leave me with the boys for a moment longer, I should like to speak with them. I will send them down to breakfast when we are through." McGonagall nodded and left the room. Dumbledore turned to the Marauders.
"As you four will be graduating in a few short weeks, I feel that I should say this now, while I have your attention, for I may not get to say it again." The four listened with baited breath. Dumbledore chucked softly.
"We're not to play favorites, the teachers," he began. "Especially I, as the headmaster. But I must tell you that I have had no greater pleasure in teaching than these past seven years with you four at Hogwarts." The Marauders grinned, especially James. "In all my years of teaching, no students have been as eager, energetic, or, true, troublesome, as you four have. And I must wonder if I will ever teach a group of friends quite like you again.
"And now, with that said, why don't you get down to breakfast and eat up. N.E.W.T.S start today, remember?"
"Ugh, N.E.W.T.s." Sirius muttered as they strolled through the long halls on their way to breakfast.
"At least we didn't get expelled." Remus replied cheerfully.
"Let's find the girls, they can help us finish studying." James suggested.
"Where are they?" asked Peter.
"You've got the Map, you big bloke." James rolled his eyes. "Why don't you look at it and see?"
"Oh, yeah!" Peter's face brightened and he reached into his pocket. His happy face fell as he pulled out his hand...empty.
"Peter, where's the Map?" Remus asked, trying to stay calm.
"Um...I dunno." He bit his lip. "Maybe it fell out, or I, uh, dropped it or something."
"Peter!" Sirius cried. "You lost the Map?!"
"I didn't mean to!" he replied. "It just...happened."
"Yeah, well, my fist just might happen to hit your face!" he threatened.
"Sirius!" both Remus and James cried.
"We're all adults here...almost. Let's work this out." James ordered, trying to glaze over the fact that Sirius's eighteenth birthday was a month away. "Peter didn't mean to drop it, Padfoot, and we wouldn't have needed it in a few months anyways."
"So drop it, both of you." Remus ordered.
"There you are!" Lily ran towards them with Rhia at her heels. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"
"We're nearly late for History of Magic!" Rhia cried, dragging Remus and Sirius down the hall. "We've only got that and two other classes before our N.E.W.T.s begin."
They rushed into the History of Magic room, blabbering apologies for their tardiness, but stopped short. Professor Binns, their pale, balding, plaid- robe-wearing teacher was standing before them, transparent and colorless, not unlike Nearly-Headless Nick or the Bloody Baron.
"Five points from Gryffindor for your tardiness." He pointed to their seats. They sat, astounded at the change and finished the class in silence.
"What do you think happened?" Peter asked as they walked out. Sirius snorted.
"Obvious, isn't it?" Rhia said. "He's died."
"I heard he forgot his body this morning in the W.C.!" Jerrold Moore, a seventh-year Ravenclaw whispered during their Herbology class.
"I heard he threw himself off this very tower." Helga Schertz told them as they waited for their tarot cards in Divination.
"He fell asleep in the teacher's lounge." Lily confirmed that evening after their N.E.W.T.s "Left his body behind and went right on teaching."
"Cool!" Peter cried.
"Peter!" Rhia scolded.
"Let him have his fun." James said. "We're leaving in two weeks anyways."
"Alright." Rhia replied, looking at that day with incredible dread.
~*~
"And thus the school year ends."
Lily leaned her head on James's shoulder, her eyes matching the colour of her hair from so much crying.
"We've had many a glory." His eyes flicked to the Marauders. "And many a mishap. And I hope that all of you leaving our school will find yourselves well prepared for the world. Now, as for house points."
James beamed and sat straight up, proud of himself and his house.
"With 263 points and some of the highest Potions marks all year, Ravenclaw has taken fourth place."
The blue and bronze eagles clapped sullenly.
"In third place, Hufflepuff, with 297 points and top Herbology marks."
A few cheers broke through the applause.
"Slytherin, brought to a total of 361 points by their stupendous marks and gallant struggle for glory, is in second place."
The silver and green serpents cheered themselves half-heartedly and James nearly flew out of his seat from excitement.
"And in first place, with a very close shave of 373 points helped greatly by their terrific win in the Quidditch finals, Gryffindor, who wins the House Cup!"
The cries that erupted could have made the enchanted ceiling fall from it's lofty space. All were shouting for joy but the Seventh-year-girls, who were crying so terribly it was as if their hearts had been broken.
"Here's to our last moon-spree." Prongs toasted one night as he, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail romped about the woods one full-moon night just before daybreak.
"Sad that we're going, isn't it?" Wormtail said, nibbling at a crumb of bread between his paws.
"A little." Padfoot replied. "I'll hardly have to work. My uncle runs the business and all."
"The sun..." Moony murmured as the sun rose over the hills and he transformed back into his human form, as did the others.
"Come on, we've got to get back in before everyone wakes up." James nodded to the doors.
"Doesn't look like anyone's coming." Peter said, holding out the Marauders' Map before they went through the doors.
Sirius grinned. "One last successful-"
"Tsk, tsk, seventh years!"
Peeves swooped down on them from the chandelier.
"Thought you'd been here long enough to know better!" he cackled.
"Go away, Peeves!" Remus held up his wand.
"Or perhaps..." Peeves grinned. "OH, MR. FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILCH!"
"Oh Peeves, no!" moaned Peter, looking around frantically.
"Peeves, what is it now?" they heard Filch just behind some door, and suddenly they were looking straight at him. "What's this?" he asked, surprised. "Head Boy and his faithful sidekicks roaming the school in the morning?" Filch peered at them closer, and his eyes widened when he saw Remus. "And...and the werewolf? Roaming the grounds with the werewolf?!?" He looked at them all, and took a step back. "Oh, the Headmaster will not be pleased! Follow me, you four!" He ushered them up the stairs, but stooped down to pick up a ratty piece of parchment lying on the ground. He looked at it suspiciously. This is one for the drawer, he thought, and pocketed it.
* * *
"I must impose upon you the dangers of your night out last night. Remus, I would have expected more from you, after everything we did to keep you here. And you too, James, as you are head boy." Dumbledore shook his head.
"This will not go unpunished, I can assure you!" McGonagall added angrily. Dumbledore held up a hand.
"Professor, please...I'm sure the boys know what they did was wrong, and extremely dangerous. But," he added, his eyes twinkling once more, "as it is only two weeks until they are gone from here forever, I'm sure they just wanted to have a little graduation fun. Don't you remember doing something of the sort right before you left Hogwarts, Minerva?"
"Never...in my life..." McGonagall sputtered, her face pale, and Sirius had to cover up his sudden fit of laughter with a particularly loud hacking cough.
"As it is, Minerva, if you could leave me with the boys for a moment longer, I should like to speak with them. I will send them down to breakfast when we are through." McGonagall nodded and left the room. Dumbledore turned to the Marauders.
"As you four will be graduating in a few short weeks, I feel that I should say this now, while I have your attention, for I may not get to say it again." The four listened with baited breath. Dumbledore chucked softly.
"We're not to play favorites, the teachers," he began. "Especially I, as the headmaster. But I must tell you that I have had no greater pleasure in teaching than these past seven years with you four at Hogwarts." The Marauders grinned, especially James. "In all my years of teaching, no students have been as eager, energetic, or, true, troublesome, as you four have. And I must wonder if I will ever teach a group of friends quite like you again.
"And now, with that said, why don't you get down to breakfast and eat up. N.E.W.T.S start today, remember?"
"Ugh, N.E.W.T.s." Sirius muttered as they strolled through the long halls on their way to breakfast.
"At least we didn't get expelled." Remus replied cheerfully.
"Let's find the girls, they can help us finish studying." James suggested.
"Where are they?" asked Peter.
"You've got the Map, you big bloke." James rolled his eyes. "Why don't you look at it and see?"
"Oh, yeah!" Peter's face brightened and he reached into his pocket. His happy face fell as he pulled out his hand...empty.
"Peter, where's the Map?" Remus asked, trying to stay calm.
"Um...I dunno." He bit his lip. "Maybe it fell out, or I, uh, dropped it or something."
"Peter!" Sirius cried. "You lost the Map?!"
"I didn't mean to!" he replied. "It just...happened."
"Yeah, well, my fist just might happen to hit your face!" he threatened.
"Sirius!" both Remus and James cried.
"We're all adults here...almost. Let's work this out." James ordered, trying to glaze over the fact that Sirius's eighteenth birthday was a month away. "Peter didn't mean to drop it, Padfoot, and we wouldn't have needed it in a few months anyways."
"So drop it, both of you." Remus ordered.
"There you are!" Lily ran towards them with Rhia at her heels. "We've been looking for you everywhere!"
"We're nearly late for History of Magic!" Rhia cried, dragging Remus and Sirius down the hall. "We've only got that and two other classes before our N.E.W.T.s begin."
They rushed into the History of Magic room, blabbering apologies for their tardiness, but stopped short. Professor Binns, their pale, balding, plaid- robe-wearing teacher was standing before them, transparent and colorless, not unlike Nearly-Headless Nick or the Bloody Baron.
"Five points from Gryffindor for your tardiness." He pointed to their seats. They sat, astounded at the change and finished the class in silence.
"What do you think happened?" Peter asked as they walked out. Sirius snorted.
"Obvious, isn't it?" Rhia said. "He's died."
"I heard he forgot his body this morning in the W.C.!" Jerrold Moore, a seventh-year Ravenclaw whispered during their Herbology class.
"I heard he threw himself off this very tower." Helga Schertz told them as they waited for their tarot cards in Divination.
"He fell asleep in the teacher's lounge." Lily confirmed that evening after their N.E.W.T.s "Left his body behind and went right on teaching."
"Cool!" Peter cried.
"Peter!" Rhia scolded.
"Let him have his fun." James said. "We're leaving in two weeks anyways."
"Alright." Rhia replied, looking at that day with incredible dread.
~*~
"And thus the school year ends."
Lily leaned her head on James's shoulder, her eyes matching the colour of her hair from so much crying.
"We've had many a glory." His eyes flicked to the Marauders. "And many a mishap. And I hope that all of you leaving our school will find yourselves well prepared for the world. Now, as for house points."
James beamed and sat straight up, proud of himself and his house.
"With 263 points and some of the highest Potions marks all year, Ravenclaw has taken fourth place."
The blue and bronze eagles clapped sullenly.
"In third place, Hufflepuff, with 297 points and top Herbology marks."
A few cheers broke through the applause.
"Slytherin, brought to a total of 361 points by their stupendous marks and gallant struggle for glory, is in second place."
The silver and green serpents cheered themselves half-heartedly and James nearly flew out of his seat from excitement.
"And in first place, with a very close shave of 373 points helped greatly by their terrific win in the Quidditch finals, Gryffindor, who wins the House Cup!"
The cries that erupted could have made the enchanted ceiling fall from it's lofty space. All were shouting for joy but the Seventh-year-girls, who were crying so terribly it was as if their hearts had been broken.