Chapter One

Steam billowed out from the scarlet funnel of the Hogwarts Express as it started to move slowly, the large clock hanging overhead indicating that the time was 11 o'clock. The students had already boarded the train, many of the younger ones waving excitedly at their parents who were beaming and calling out goodbyes just as eagerly.

However, the light atmosphere was broken by a sudden roar of, "Hey! Wait for me!" The seemingly solid barrier seemed to partially disappear as a boy stumbled from somewhere, a large trunk behind him and his normally dark elegant hair ruffled. His face was pink from running as he sped towards the moving train, dragging his heavy trunk behind him.

"Prongs!" he yelled, waving one arm ridiculously in the air even though he couldn't see his best friend anywhere. However, someone seemed to have heard because a compartment door suddenly slid open. The figure that had opened it stood aside as Sirius Black leapt onto the moving train, his trunk crashing down on top of him.

He groaned, pushed the trunk off from on top of him and sat up, leaning against a wall, breathing deeply. After a while it dawned on him that somebody else was there too and he looked up gratefully, his normal grin back on his face again.

"Thanks Prongs," he said gratefully, as James Potter reached out with one arm and helped him to his feet, grinning as well. The two were well known for being the biggest pranksters at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However the two always managed to either slip out of the reach of whoever who caught them or emerge from detention looking as though they had the time of their lives. Even when they were put into separate detentions the two still found a way to spend that time getting up to no good.

Sirius picked up his trunk and heaved it through the doorway into the compartment where the rest of his gang was already settled. Acting as though nothing had happened, he sat down opposite Andromeda Black, his cousin, who had her eyebrow raised so high that it was almost vertical.

"You missed the train again Siri-!"

"I only nearly missed it, Drommy. Nearly. There's a difference," he replied merrily, looking around at everyone in the compartment. His two other friends Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were there as well, along with Andromeda's best friend, Lily Evans. The two and James had had a little...misunderstanding last year because the boys had decided that it would be entertaining to humiliate Severus Snape, the greasy haired boy who was in the same year as they were, again. That obviously didn't go down too well with Lily who had shouted herself hoarse before Andromeda had to restrain her.

But later Lily softened up and forgave them with a lot of persuasion on Andromeda's part. She was still touchy whenever the subject of hexing Snape was brought up but the Marauders only jinxed him when she wasn't there. All in all everything was just peachy.

And whilst he was on the subject of Lily Evans, he was a little tired of the way James doted on her continuously. Lily...really disliked James and she had made it clear to him many times, though he never got the hint. He would always follow her everywhere like a homeless puppy, always asking whether she would go out with him, always there.

"So how did you all do in your OWLs?" asked Lily seriously. In the summer an owl had arrived with very pleasing results, but she was still anxious to see how the others have done. Deep down she knew that she had probably done well compared to her friends but...she still wanted to know.

"Let me guess Lily. You got all Os," said Andromeda knowingly. When she saw Lily's faint blush and nod she grinned. "I knew it. I got only six though. Oh well..."

"I did pretty badly actually," said Sirius, sighing. "Didn't get a single outstanding."

His friends looked at him in surprise. Sirius and James were easily the cleverest students of their year, and although neither of them paid any attention in class they always had excellent reports and results. Andromeda rolled her eyes, watching the disbelieving expressions on the others' faces. She was about to open her mouth when Sirius beat her to it.

"Fooled you didn't I?!" he yelled excitedly. "Of course I got outstandings! I got lots of Os! Eight to be exact."

The others congratulated Sirius whilst Andromeda sat back and rolled her eyes. Trust Sirius to make a big...'thing' out of his OWLs. It wasn't as if he particularly cared about his studies anyway, or so it seemed.

James grinned. "Same here."

Sirius put on a look of fake astonishment. "You got eight Os? I don't believe it! Oh, do you all want to hear what grade I got for each subject?" he asked eagerly. When nobody replied, he assumed it was just a silent way of saying 'yes'. "I got an O in Care of Magical Creatures, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Astronomy, Herbology, and Divination! Got an A in Muggle Studies though...no idea how I got it. Professor Wattle always said I was excellent at it. Oh, and an EE in History of Magic."

Sirius looked towards Remus who was pretty much silent throughout the whole journey. Was it nearly the full moon yet? "What about you Remmy?"

Remus raised an eyebrow at being called 'Remmy' but replied all the same. "I got nine Os."

Sirius grinned and ruffled his hair as a grown up may do to a young child. He was in a very good mood, even more than he was normally. Perhaps it was because he actually managed to get onto the train this time, unless last year when a very disgruntled Mr. Black had to come personally and take him to Hogwarts. That did not go down too well with Mrs. Black and the rest of his family.

"What about Peter-kins?" asked Sirius, literally bouncing in his seat. This...hyperness was unusual, even for him. The others were used to him always being light hearted and happy, but it seemed as if he had had too much sugar that day. Either that or something wonderful had happened to him, which, knowing the Black household, probably didn't. Come to think of it, where did he get all the sugar from?

"Erm...I got three Os," he mumbled, knowing full well that his intelligence was definitely a lot lower than that of his friends. They didn't seem to mind though which was what mattered the most. In fact he was very surprised that people who were as popular as they were agreed to take him as a friend.

Sirius got up and poked Andromeda on the shoulder. "Bet you I can beat you at Exploding Snap," he said. In the summer the two had taken to playing a tournament of Exploding Snap in order to pass the time. It was very close but Andromeda had won in the end, a fact which Sirius still couldn't get over. She grinned and pulled the pack of cards out of her trouser pocket.

Suddenly though, the compartment door opened and the figure of Bellatrix Black entered, her hooded eyes inspecting the small space. She was one of the most influential members of the Hogwarts Social Circle, or so she liked to believe. There was an unspoken enmity that went between the raven haired girl and the copper haired one. Although neither would openly say that they detested the very sight of one another, the constant sniping and sarcastic remarks were enough to give the game away.

The people in the room looked up briefly when she entered, but all of them immediately returned to whatever activity they were doing before she came in, an action which she was not very pleased with.

"Evans," she said, looking at Lily's turned back up and down. "Still alive. Such a shame."

"It's nice to see you too Bellatrix," she replied rather coolly, without turning around.

Bellatrix didn't say anything more but let her eyes rest on Andromeda instead who was currently having a rather heated game of Exploding Snap with Sirius. Bellatrix's eyes narrowed when she saw her cousin but she acted as if he wasn't there.

"So you are here, Andromeda. With your...fellow Gryffindors," she breathed, saying the word 'Gryffindors' as if it was something contaminated. "Why don't you come and join Narcissa, Regulus and me? Lucius Malfoy is there as well, along with Rudolphus and Rabastan."

Andromeda looked up only briefly from her game, preferring to stay with her cousin rather than her elder sister. She placed her hand over her mouth and coughed a little when she saw the expression on Sirius's face after Bellatrix said 'Rudolphus'. He was lapsing into silent giggles, not bothering to keep it discreet. "No it's ok," she replied with as much respect as she would give to just a general student. "I'd rather stay here."

Bellatrix looked as if she was about to say something else, but instead she flared her nostrils and turned around to leave the compartment. "Suit yourself," she muttered as she reached out to slide the doors open. But before her hands closed around the handle they were pushed open by somebody from outside.

Lucius Malfoy walked in elegantly, his black wizarding robes a huge contrast compared to his pale face. Of course, he would never wear muggle clothing. The very idea disgusted him. His blonde hair was sleeked backwards; not a strand lay out of place. He had his wand held in one hand, as if anticipating an attack. He stepped forwards, his watery blue eyes resting on each member inside the compartment, who, like they did with Bellatrix, were completely ignoring him. Finally his eyes returned to the person in front of him and the reason he had to search every compartment in the train.

"Ah, Bellatrix," he said softly, his voice silky and smooth. "You were about to leave? Good. Narcissa sent me to look for you." With that the two unwanted Slytherins left the compartment. As soon as the door clicked shut Sirius immediately burst out laughing.

"Rudolphus?! What kind of a name is that?"

Andromeda was trying to keep her face straight but failed dismally. "It's not as if you haven't heard it before, Sirius."

"I know...but...just never found it funny before. Rabastan! God their parents must be so weird," shaking his head from side to side. "And Malfoy taking orders from my dear little cousin!"

Andromeda had to admit that that surprised her as well. Lucius Malfoy was well known as one of the very popular persons in Hogwarts, although not quite so as much as the Marauders which was perhaps why the two hated each other so much. James and Sirius never had a problem of...dealing with him so they were fine really.

Soon – too soon it seemed – the train slowed down as it arrived outside the gates of Hogwarts. Compartment doors opened one after another as the students gradually filed out onto the platform outside, all clambering into the carriages.

"Look at all the first years!" said Sirius loudly, pointing. The few which heard and saw him gave him a terrified look and scampered away into one of the boats with Hagrid. "They're so small. I swear they get smaller and smaller every year."

"Sirius, don't point. It's not nice to be pointed at," Lily reminded, although Sirius never took any notice of her lectures really. It just made everything more fun when she had to repeat herself. Besides, she didn't mind...

Soon, the group entered the front doors of the Great Hall which looked just as magnificent as ever, the ceiling dark and cloudy. Candles seemed to hang in mid air just above the point where the tallest students couldn't reach. They seated themselves by the Gryffindor table, feeling tired and a little sleepy.

"I'm hungry," Sirius grumbled, picking up a fork and twirling it round and round, his head being supported by one hand.

His head turned though, so much like a dog's, when the entrance doors opened. He expected the feminine figure that entered to be McGonagall, but instead she was someone whom he had never seen before. Her height told him that she definitely wasn't a first year though. However, Sirius's fork dropped from his fingers when her face came out of the shadows.

It wasn't just him either. Several of the male students were also staring at her, mouths wide open and speechless. They had a good reason to. Her skin was pale but luminous, and her features were delicate. In fact, she could have been mistaken for a half-Veela if her hair wasn't a deep brown, tumbling down her back in curls.

Many heads turned as she passed, including that of Snape. However everyone simply watched as she walked past, until she approached the Gryffindor table where the Marauders were sitting.

"Hi!" called Sirius brightly and enthusiastically, swivelling around in his seat so he was facing her. "You're new aren't you? But that's alright; you can sit next to me!" He moved up slightly, creating space for this...female to sit down. "I'm Sirius by the way! You?"

A look of amusement fluttered across the lady's face as her eyebrow rose. A small smile played across her lips. "Professor Vaughn," she replied in a soft British accent.

"Ah," he floundered, thinking of something clever to say to the...professor. "But that's ok! You can still sit by me!"

"No it's fine, thank you. I have a seat reserved up there," she replied, gesturing to the teacher's table where Professor Dumbledore was sitting. With a small smile, she continued walking – almost gliding – and left an open mouthed Sirius gaping after her.

"Did you see her?" he asked, prodding James on the arm, all dignity gone now. "Did you see her?!"

Rolling his eyes, James moved his arm out of 'prodding range'. "Yes I did. She's a professor, Sirius! No hope for you there I'm afraid." With that he stopped talking and his eyes resumed to watching the same redhead he had done for quite a while now.

"Yes but still...wonder what she teaches though?" Sirius asked rather disappointedly as Dumbledore stood up, gesturing for the Hall to be silent. When the last of the chattering had died down, he started speaking.

"Welcome to yet another year at Hogwarts. Before we get started on our delicious feast however, I'm afraid I have a few announcements to make. First of all, I would like to introduce your new Astronomy teacher, Professor Alyana Vaughn." Polite applause rang out in the Great Hall as she rose gracefully. Sirius's clear comment, "It's her! It's her! Look that's her! My new girlfriend!" rang out in the air clearly despite the fact that the applause was so loud.

However, Snape's quiet reply of "In your dreams, Black," went by unnoticed and was drowned out by the clapping, most of which came from enthusiastic male students. It died down though as Dumbledore stood up again for another announcement.

"Next we have a new Divination professor, Vlad Steinenfrank." The hall was about to applaud when the professor gestured with his hands violently.

"I have a prediction!" he shouted, his speech hard to understand because of a thick Transylvanian accent. "I predict...that you will all address me as...Professor Steinenfrank," he finished dramatically as the entire Hall looked at him, some with eyebrows raised, others with a look of utmost disbelieve on their faces.

The silence was broken when Dumbledore stood up for the last time. "And finally, your new teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Dorcas Meadowes, who has taken a year off from working for the Ministry in order to teach at Hogwarts," he said, looking at the young Auror fondly.

When the applause had once again died down, Dumbledore beamed at the rest of the school. "Well I think that takes care of everything of importance. Let the feast begin!"

The group of Gryffindors gladly dived straight into the feast, especially Sirius, a huge grin on his face. Deciding to start some suitable conversation for once, he asked, "So...what do you all think of that crazy new Divinations professor?"

That brought the usual grin back to James's face, who had been mostly silent throughout the train journey, which was quite unusual for him. He was always the centre of attention – always. "Definitely mad. What do you reckon?"

Sirius looked deep in thought and was about to reply when Lily's sharp voice cut through. "No. No. You two are not going to prank a professor!" But when James gave her a look of innocence she seemed to have softened up a little and paused a little. She looked at Andromeda who was currently deep in conversation with Remus.

"You two are not going to involve her in your little pranks are you?" she asked, almost pleading.

"Well it depends really, Lillian," said Sirius, gesturing towards his cousin. "Most of the time she's actually willing to prank all the nasty Slytherins. So you're going to have to talk to her instead aren't you?"

"My name is Lily."

Sirius gave her a pat on the head and started eating his way through everything on the Gryffindor table. The feast was of high standards as usual, only he felt that all meals were ruined by a little thing called the Slytherin table where Andromeda's sisters, Bellatrix and Narcissa were seated. They always had this...thing against him, not to mention that his mother played a big part in constantly telling him and everyone else how bad a son he was. Regulus, the wonderful and much better younger son was there as well. Sirius scowled at him, his happy feelings dampened a little.

As the evening finally drew to an end, all students rose from their tables as everyone tried to get the front of the queue, not wanting to be the last left in the Hall. The professors also got up from their table right at the front. As Sirius caught sight of the Astronomy professor leaving, he grinned and gave her a wave which she did not return but he convinced himself that she had smiled.

"Well I'm definitely paying attention in Astronomy from now," he said, grinning as they left the Gryffindor table to return to their dormitories amongst the giant crowd of students.

"Yeah right, Black," said an oily voice.

Sirius, who recognized that voice immediately, turned around and found himself face to face with the hook nosed Slytherin. "What, you think you can do better?" he scoffed.

"Better than your pathetic attempts," Snape sneered.

Sirius opened his mouth to argue even more but one warning look from Lily was enough to stop him. If the two were going to carry on arguing, James would probably find himself getting the blame although how that worked Sirius couldn't quite work out. At any rate, he didn't want Lily exploding like she did last year. Hers and James's relationship was bad enough as it is.

He settled for an, "Alright then, Snivellus." Glad that he had got the last say, he and the rest of the Marauders continued to make for the Gryffindor tower. Besides, he was fully confident that Professor Vaughn wasn't going to fall for a greasy little Slytherin like Snape. Wouldn't she much rather go for a suave Sirius?

Well, there you have it. The Prologue and First Chapter.

We hope we've got a nice balance between the two moods and promise lots of excitment as the plots join together. There's going to be plenty of action on the Marauder front as well as Voldie and we hope the mad creations of our minds will make you laugh.

Next chapter get ready for the plot to thicken, we meet the Muggle Studies Professor (who happens to be crazier than Vlad) and so much more.

Boy, this sounds like a really cheesey commercial.

Anyway, please Read and Review. CC is welcomed and appreciated.

Emmy and Hoshi