Chapter 5 - The Marauders Blood Signing
A few weeks after James found Lily crying, 3 months into the school term, the group was talking and James smiled.
"My birthday in a week!" he smiled. "Cannot wait…"
While he daydreamed of his coming of twelve years of age the rest of his friends froze in mid panic. James didn't notice his friend's reactions, but the other three turned to each other.
"I forgot…" mouthed Sirius.
Lupin pointing at himself. "Me too!" he mouthed back, Peter on the other hand still quivering smiled.
"Your gonna like my present James…" said Peter and grinned. Sirius and Lupin felt like strangling Peter at that moment, but it was their fault they'd forgotten in the first place.
***
That evening when James and Peter and the rest of the Griffindor students were asleep in their beds, Lupin and Sirius tried to think of a birthday present.
"What are we going to do?" said Lupin in a panic. "I always forget birthdays' even my own!"
Sirius laughed weakly. "I'm a fool of a Black…I'm usually good at this stuff…" he said, annoyed at him self "We could buy him something…"
"I barely had enough money to buy my school robes and wand…" whimpered Lupin sadly. "We could make him something," he said
"Like what…" said Sirius?
"A Hat, a cloak—" when he was cut short by an excited Sirius, a twinkle in his blue eyes. "THAT'S IT!" he said a bit too loud, and saw James turn over in his bed beside him.
"Sorry, I mean I have the best idea for James birthday present. We need to buy it but I'll but it anyway—we'll-- you'll see…what's James's favourite colour."
"That's obvious…Emerald Green like Lily's eyes," said Lupin pretending to flutter his eyebrows.
"Right," said Sirius, who then threw a pillow at him to stop Lupin's laughing. "How about we make him a emerald green cloak…"
"That it…" said Lupin disappointed.
"Not just any ordinary cloak my friend…" said Sirius and got closer.
"An emerald green invisibility cloak!"
***
It was the perfect plan. Sirius brought the cloak itself and then they enchanted it to become invisible. It was difficult, they even had to go into the restricted section of the library to find out how, but when they did it was worth it, They both spent every evening practising the spells and charming it to do what it wanted.
Lupin was close to quitting at one stage all of the spells weren't working and the day was getting closer and closer. When one evening, Lupin put on the cloak and he became invisible. He freaked out when he looked in the mirror and saw his head floating and his body gone. Sirius roared with laughter and almost woke all of Griffindor house up.
Sirius giggled. "At least we know it works…and it's unlimited invisibility too…" he said still laughing at Remus's floating head, "This cloak is going to make his day!" he said and Remus laughed too, who couldn't agree with him more.
***
James woke up in the morning, and saw a very peculiar sight. Sirius, Peter and Lupin were already up, and there were wrapped parcels covered in greens and blues, and to top it off. Owls were everywhere.
"You must have a very large family James…2 owls have left, and these 3 decided to stay for the gift wrapping…" said Sirius laughing at the puzzled look on James face.
"This is so cool," said James looking round the place. Peter came forward and gave him his parcel; it was small and wrapped neatly. James opened it and found a photo frame and inside was a picture of the whole of the Griffindor first year which a first year called Joey Creevy took for Peter the camera he'd bewitched to float in mid air and activate when they said cheese, Sirius thought he was a little strange but the picture turned out really well.
There was Arthur Weasly, real muggle lover with red hair, Frank Longbottom, the best in their class at Defence against the Dark Arts. Beside Alice Smith, whom James was sure that they were going out because they were holding hands. Lily was standing next to Alice and James noticed again how beautiful she looked. Then Sirius, Peter, Lupin and James were all huddled up in the middle laughing because Sirius had made a crack about their house leader, Professor McGonagall's hair.
James smiled. "Thanks Pete…It's great…"
Pete blushed and then Lupin and Sirius suggested him to open some other presents.
James got tonnes for his birthday; they were all quite small though too. There was dungbombs and over things from Devlish and Bangers shop from his uncle and aunt, he got a new chessboard off his parents and some Gobstones from his grandad and a load of sweets from The Griffindor first years!
When there were just two more parcels left. He saw the smallest one and picked it up. He opened it and his eyes were wide.
"Sirius, someones brought me a new chess set," said James, and the little prawns saluted him.
Sirius smiled. "Who from…"
James looked for a nametag or card but found nothing. When inside he found a small note. "Thank you for being you…" he read aloud, "A friend," he looked up and Sirius and Lupin and raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't did you—"
"Don't look at us!" chorused Sirius and Lupin. Peter shrugged not knowing either.
James shrugged, "Oh well" he said. "This is the last one…" and he ripped open the shiny green parcel to find the cloak, he gaped.
"WOW!" he said. "Cool." He said and then looked at his two friends.
"You got this for me…" he said, they both nodded.
"Yeah…" said Sirius smirking. "It's your favourite colour too…"
"Try it on," said Lupin trying to hide the surprise that was to follow. James slipped it over his shoulders and gasped when he looked in the mirror to see that his head was floating. Sirius smiled and came up beside him. "Let me introduce you to the cloak of invisibility…" he said bowing.
"You do not want to know how long we worked on this," said Lupin laughing.
James felt his eyes glaze over with joyful tears. "Thanks guys!" he said and gave all three of his friends a hug, though it looked his they were hugging thin air.
"Oh I put something in their aswell…" said Lupin, "Sirius did most of the work not me…So I though I do something—"
"Corny?" said Sirius laughing.
"No—Creative…" said Remus frowning at Sirius while trying not to laugh at sarcastic look on his face. "It's in the pocket, Sirius and Pete can look too if they want…it's just a short piece of writing, it's from my homeland."
"Where did you used to live…?" said James.
"Can't remember the name of the place but it was very cold there, I lived there with my mum and dad when I was about 5, then—"
"Then what…"
"Well a lot of things happened," said Lupin and he wasn't sure if he should become so personal. But he was ok speaking to them. "Firstly my mum had been pregnant with my twin baby brother and sister. She died giving birth to them…and they died too…"
James and Sirius looked horrified; Lupin had gone through so much.
"My mum being a squib and all…" said Lupin. "Then I was pretty sick and they couldn't help me over there. So my dad being a wizard, he took me here to get healed and I've lived since," he said sadly. Sirius put a hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry Remus…"
Lupin sighed. "Yeah, so far my life has been a living hell." He said, "But it's getting better" he said. "Hogwarts is the best thing that ever happened to me…'cause I met you lot." He said sadly.
James then reached into his pocket and read what it was written.
***
In the land of poor and the strong
Live 4 mischievous friends
They prank, they joke, they help they care.
They help their friends to whatever end.
They're known as the Marauders,
Best friends forever, fighters of good.
They look out for each other forever and and ever
Just like wizarding best friends should
Now in this land of poor and strong
These friends became closer than water with mud
They fought; they protected and even died
For there friends, for they signed there forever in blood.
They're known as the Marauders,
Best friends forever, fighters of good.
They look out for each other forever and and ever
Just like wizarding best friends should
Sirius read it over James's shoulder and smiled. "The Marauders…" he said. "I like that…" he said.
James nodded, "It's good," he said to Lupin. "You write this…"
"No, It's a legend in my old home." The brown haired boy said.
"There's four of us too," said Peter happily. "But what does Marauders mean…"
"Bandits, Jokers," said Lupin.
Sirius smiled. "I love it…" and then an idea like thunderbolt erupted through his body. He grabbed a quill and parchment in a frenzy and began to write out the poem again.
"Sirius what you doing," said Lupin confused
"Wait" Black, said rushing the quill across the page which looked like a spider had walked across it, and then wrote something at the bottom which (just about) read:
"We Sirius Black, James Henry Potter, Remus Joseph Lupin and Peter Petigrew swear to be true to this poem as "The Marauders" of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
We will fight and protect each other till death Fight for good not evil and never hide any secrets from each other. And if any of us are in trouble the others will help them no matter what…
Signed
Sirius passed took the quill and sliced the end of his finger, Peter shivered as Sirius bit back wincing at the sharp prick and pressed his finger onto the sheet. Signing with a S. B.
He passed the sheet along his friends. "Good idea."
Everyone but Lupin nodded. In Remus's mind he struggled and tore with the emotions and inner dark self. A silent battle of fear and friendship struggled within.
"Sign it boy, to sign for friendship is good."
"Yeah but that means you've got to tell them everything—"
"There you friends. They'll understand…"
"Right. When they find out they'll hate you! They'll think you're a monster!"
"They signed too and they signed to help each other…"
Remus Lupin then nodded agreeing with the last, they did sign to help and if he told them, they would, and he reached forward and pricked his own finger with Sirius quill pressing his bloody in a wobbly version of R.L. James and Petigrew with a J.P. and P.P. did the same and then Sirius nodded sincerely.
"Well put allowed of charms on it so it wont grow old only we know what it says.
The boys all nodded. "We are officially Marauders…well done Lupin," said Sirius, But inside Lupin's insides scream with fear.
`What have I done!'
***
