Chapter 5: A Walk in the Past?
Sirius scampered from the Gryffindor common room after speaking with Hermione. He found the secret passage which he and James had used during their times at Hogwarts, and ran through it. The passageway led into a small room, still on the grounds, which Dumbledore, the headmaster, had told him to stay. Sirius' name had still not been cleared; the Ministry was still looking for him. He sighed and transformed back into himself and flopped into a chair.
Harry reminded him so much of James. And Ginny, he had never noticed before today, was a spitting image of Lily without the stubbornness and temper. They were such hellions in their day. Sirius chuckled at the memories and his mind wandered back to the days of hell-raising at Hogwarts.
*~*
"Jamsey Poo, wake up! Time for school." Sirius jumped up and down on James' bed.
"Geroff me, Padfoot. I'm sleeping."
"Not anymore you're not," Remus Lupin, the third of the Marauders, chuckled as Sirius continued to bounce happily on James.
"Dumb prat, get off my bed! You bloody jerk off, stop it!" James swatted at Sirius hard. His feet fell out from under him and he landed with a hard bang on the bed. The last of the Marauders, Peter Pettigrew, shot up in his bed with a start.
James laughed haughtily, jumped out of bed and threw on his clothing. Sirius sat and rubbed his arse. Remus and James scampered from the room, Sirius chasing after them. Peter, always the last in everything, scuttled after them. The four Marauders trampled down stairs, out the portrait hole and down the stairs to the Great Hall. Giggling fitfully, the four sat down next to their female counterparts. James' arm shot around Lily Evans, his steady girlfriend and kissed her on the cheek.
"Did you boys have an exciting morning?" Arabella Figg asked, noticing the big smiles on all their faces.
"Don't we always?" Remus responded.
"Oh how right you are Moony my friend, how right you are," James laughed.
"As always, Prongs good buddy," Remus added.
The Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, stood up from the head table. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to make a couple of announcements. First off, in a response to a letter from Mr. Sirius Black, the Forbidden Forest cannot be renamed the Safe and Welcoming Forest Full of Happy Things." The Marauders burst out laughing. Professor Dumbledore chuckled at this attempt, but quickly straightened his face. "Secondly, -"
The Marauders stopped listening at that point.
"Where in the world did you come up with that name, Padfoot?" Peter asked, slowing his laughter.
"My own little noggin', Wormtail."
"Little being the operative word," Lily teased, playfully punching Sirius' arm. The rest of the group laughed uproariously.
*~*
Tears ran slowly from Sirius' eyes as he thought of the fun they had in school. Prongs, James Potter, his best friend, the one person who always brought a smile to his face. Moony, Remus Lupin, his friend since birth and his sole cover in the outside wizarding world now. And Wormtail, Petter Pettigrew, the slug who had betrayed their friends, causing Voldemort to find and kill Lily and James. Insisting that they make Peter their secret keeper, what a dumb mistake that had been. And Lily Evans, the most true and triumphant wizard he had ever known. Being muggleborn, she had flourished at Hogwarts and had turned into a great witch.
The Marauders, school legends, ministry legends, every one of them, for each their own reason. Sirius sighed. How he wished he could have them all back again. James and Lily dead, Remus killed not long ago by Voldemort, Wormtail working for Voldemort. All that was left was Arabella and an old friend from the Ministry of Magic, Mundungus Fletcher. Sirius' head fell to his hands.
Sirius scampered from the Gryffindor common room after speaking with Hermione. He found the secret passage which he and James had used during their times at Hogwarts, and ran through it. The passageway led into a small room, still on the grounds, which Dumbledore, the headmaster, had told him to stay. Sirius' name had still not been cleared; the Ministry was still looking for him. He sighed and transformed back into himself and flopped into a chair.
Harry reminded him so much of James. And Ginny, he had never noticed before today, was a spitting image of Lily without the stubbornness and temper. They were such hellions in their day. Sirius chuckled at the memories and his mind wandered back to the days of hell-raising at Hogwarts.
*~*
"Jamsey Poo, wake up! Time for school." Sirius jumped up and down on James' bed.
"Geroff me, Padfoot. I'm sleeping."
"Not anymore you're not," Remus Lupin, the third of the Marauders, chuckled as Sirius continued to bounce happily on James.
"Dumb prat, get off my bed! You bloody jerk off, stop it!" James swatted at Sirius hard. His feet fell out from under him and he landed with a hard bang on the bed. The last of the Marauders, Peter Pettigrew, shot up in his bed with a start.
James laughed haughtily, jumped out of bed and threw on his clothing. Sirius sat and rubbed his arse. Remus and James scampered from the room, Sirius chasing after them. Peter, always the last in everything, scuttled after them. The four Marauders trampled down stairs, out the portrait hole and down the stairs to the Great Hall. Giggling fitfully, the four sat down next to their female counterparts. James' arm shot around Lily Evans, his steady girlfriend and kissed her on the cheek.
"Did you boys have an exciting morning?" Arabella Figg asked, noticing the big smiles on all their faces.
"Don't we always?" Remus responded.
"Oh how right you are Moony my friend, how right you are," James laughed.
"As always, Prongs good buddy," Remus added.
The Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, stood up from the head table. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to make a couple of announcements. First off, in a response to a letter from Mr. Sirius Black, the Forbidden Forest cannot be renamed the Safe and Welcoming Forest Full of Happy Things." The Marauders burst out laughing. Professor Dumbledore chuckled at this attempt, but quickly straightened his face. "Secondly, -"
The Marauders stopped listening at that point.
"Where in the world did you come up with that name, Padfoot?" Peter asked, slowing his laughter.
"My own little noggin', Wormtail."
"Little being the operative word," Lily teased, playfully punching Sirius' arm. The rest of the group laughed uproariously.
*~*
Tears ran slowly from Sirius' eyes as he thought of the fun they had in school. Prongs, James Potter, his best friend, the one person who always brought a smile to his face. Moony, Remus Lupin, his friend since birth and his sole cover in the outside wizarding world now. And Wormtail, Petter Pettigrew, the slug who had betrayed their friends, causing Voldemort to find and kill Lily and James. Insisting that they make Peter their secret keeper, what a dumb mistake that had been. And Lily Evans, the most true and triumphant wizard he had ever known. Being muggleborn, she had flourished at Hogwarts and had turned into a great witch.
The Marauders, school legends, ministry legends, every one of them, for each their own reason. Sirius sighed. How he wished he could have them all back again. James and Lily dead, Remus killed not long ago by Voldemort, Wormtail working for Voldemort. All that was left was Arabella and an old friend from the Ministry of Magic, Mundungus Fletcher. Sirius' head fell to his hands.
