Snow balls where flying when the front doors to the castle opened; all the staff was gathered around and looking at the sight that lay before them.
Covered in snow, The Marauders and trio turned to the door. Silence endured for a moment before Sirius called out, "Gryffindor's against all!"
Lily quickly broke from the swarm of teachers and ran towards her husband, transfiguring her cloak into a Gryffindor one along the way.
By time she reached them and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, McGonagall had joined them along with Dumbledore. Both now were wearing Gryffindor cloaks. All the other staff had joined up across from them, about hundred feet.
"I knew it!" James cried.
Dumbledore smiled while his eyes twinkled. "Severus, are you not going to join us?" He called up to the doors where a figure in black stood, scowling down upon them all.
"I think not, Headmaster."
"Oh come on Snape! What's a little fun going to do to you?" Sirius called, forming a snowball.
"I am not in the mood for childish activities Black."
"Well, you're certainly acting like a child."
Snape huffed.
"Severus," The headmaster said in a warning tone.
"Oh, very well," Snape sulked off to the staffs' side of the teams.
Quickly the teams started to build their own walls of defense. Dumbledore, Harry was surprised to find out, was very adept with molding snow.
Hermione, Lily, and McGonagall were busy charming snow into even, well rounded balls.
Half an hour later the teams were ready for combat.
Hermione, with some odd spell that she had picked up from whom knows where, had put the Gryffindor seal on the front of their wall.
Remus grabbed a snowball and flung it at the other side with all of his werewolf strength, instigating the start of the snow war.
They watched the first ball fly over the wall and heard it hit someone on the head.
"Lupin!" Snape shouted.
Oh this would be fun.
Snow was flying from both sides. Dumbledore had quite an arm, even at age 152. McGonagall too was surprising them with her charm that kept the snow forming balls by its self while they rest of them worked on destroying the rest of the staff.
Harry swore that he heard Hermione mutter; "Have to ask her what spell that is."
James, Sirius and Remus seemed to take this very seriously. Looks of concentration were on their faces while throwing the balls.
Lily was laughing at them as a hug snowball came over the wall to divide into three smaller ones and fall, un-ceremonially straight down on their heads.
"Flitwick!" The Marauders yelled out.
After a quick instruction from Hermione, Harry and Ron were pointing their wand at a snowball and mumbling some spell and a name, then throwing the ball, watched it sail over the wall and heard it land on someone's head.
What must have been two hours later, the staffs' wall full of gapping holes, and a white flag was waved in the air. Snow stopped flying as both teams immerged. One looking slightly more hazarded then another.
Snape was covered in the white stuff. Before he muttered a cleaning spell and staked off to his dungeons.
Dumbledore clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
Breaking off their conversations about the fight, all turned to the headmaster who was still happily clad in his Gryffindor cloak. "The house elves will be told to bring hot chocolate to your quarters. Dinner is at 6 tonight, to give you plenty of time to get cleaned up," he said with a twinkle directed at Professor Sprout who had snow all over her hat.
Laughing, they all treaded snow up to the warm castle.
Days passed till it was Christmas eve and Harry found himself learning more and more about his parents, even Sirius and Remus.
At the moment Sirius, Remus and James were telling them all about the time they changed the Slytherin common room to red and gold, the sheets to scarlet and spelled out, in red sparks that refused to fade for two days, GRYFFINDOR RULES!
"So we get back here, whip off the cloak and start towards the stairs when someone comes down the girls staircase and stops us." James said.
"Potter! What have you been up to?" Lily quickly said before any of the marauders could twist her words, from 20 years ago, around.
"Evans! I'll tell you, only if you go out with me." James said, playing along with it.
"If that's what it takes to find out what you have been doing, sneaking around during the middle of the night, then I don't want to know."
"Oh, but you have yourself quite a problem Evans." James said with a wicked smile.
"And what's that?"
James pulled Lily onto his lap. "You married me, you can't get ride of me now."
"And who said I wanted to?" Lily smiled and leaned down to meet her husband's lips.
"Merlin, get a room." Sirius said throwing a pillow at them.
"Oh Padfoot's just jealous" James smirked.
"Yeah, sure that's it." Sirius looked around; Hermione was sitting on the opposite end of the couch, absorbed in her Ancient Runes book. "But what you don't know is that Hermione and I are secretly dating." Sirius picked up Hermione and placed her in his lap.
James and Remus had wide eyes, for a split second that is.
Harry and Ron were deaf to all of this, involved in a very close chess match.
"Isn't that right, 'Mione?"
"Yeah," Hermione said, turning the page in her book, oblivious to what was going on.
Sirius slung an arm around her shoulders as she got adjusted to her new seat.
"Um Hermione?" Lily said. "Hermione."
"What?" Hermione's eyes tore them selves from her book to focus on Lily.
Lily nodded her head downwards.
Hermione looked down and saw a pair of legs that she appeared to be sitting on. Looking around her face came with in about a foot from Sirius's smiling face and blue eyes.
Hermione turned back to Lily and asked; "What's the problem?"
"Oh, err, nothing at all. You want to go for a walk?" Lily got up and moved towards the door.
"Sure." Hermione marked her page in the book before closing it and placing it on the table. She gave Sirius a quick peck on the cheek. "I won't be long, love."
Sirius smiled. "Have fun."
Lily shepherded Hermione out of the door.
As soon as the portrait closed the marauders looked at each other and started to laugh.
"I must say I did not know Hermione was such a good liar." Remus said, wiping away tears of laughter a minute later.
"How long before Lily figures it out?" Sirius asked.
James smiled, "Five minutes, tops."
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK!"
"Or less,"
Lily came stomping back into the common room with Hermione following, trying to hide her smile.
"That was not funny!"
"Sure it was."
"Oh yeah, hearing that your son's best friend his dating your husband's best friend. And there's about a 20 year age difference!"
Ron tore his eyes away from the chessboard to look wide-eyed at Hermione, who had picked up her book once again, to Sirius who was smiling at Lily.
"Hermione's dating Sirius?"
Sirius winked. "That's right."
Ron shrugged. "That's nice, break her heart Harry and me will have to break your neck." He said turning back to the chessboard as Harry said;
"Agreed, and Checkmate!"
"WHAT!"
"That means I win Ron."
"I know what it bloody well means! How'd you beat me?"
Harry winked, "Magic."
"You know your wink has gotten scarily a lot like Sirius's." Ron said, re-seating the chess pieces.
Unseen to all, James' smile dropped form his face and a look of jealousy came over his face.
The fireplace erupted in neon green flames and three figures rolled out of it. Namely Fred, George, and Ginny Weasley, they had brought quite a lot of ash and soot along with them too.
"Sorry about that, Thought we would come up for Christmas, everyone else is to busy with the Order." Fred said, dusting off his robes.
"People keep coming and going, no ones there for more then a day." Ginny said, mimicking her brother's efforts to clean off her robes. "It's gotten quite boring really."
George looked up from brushing him self off and spotted Sirius. The twins looked at Sirius then at each other and back to Sirius. Then raced over to him and rung his hand up and down.
"Sirius!"
"Your back old boy! Knew you had it in you,"
Finally they released Sirius and looked at the others in the room. "Lupin!" the twins proceeded to shake his hand, while Ginny went over to give Sirius a hug.
"So good to see you!"
"Is Ronnie-kins giving you any trouble?"
"Or Harry-kins for that matter."
Remus laughed. "No trouble with me."
George looked shocked and rounded on Harry. "Harry! What are you thinking! Or are you? Didn't we give you that map for a reason? You're supposed to sneak out late and get into trouble! The Marauders would be heart broken!"
It was all the group could do to keep strait faces. "Only Sniviless is giving us trouble." Harry said.
Confusion was written on Fred and George's faces. Then "Snivilles? . . . . Snape!" Then burst out laughing. "Merlin, that has the Marauders names written all over it! Did the map tell you that?" Fred asked.
"In a way," Harry answered, shrugging his shoulders. "How did you get the password for the map anyway? Never did ask you."
Ginny sat down next to Hermione and let the twins share the spot in front of the fire.
The twins put on a faraway look and started to speak in a dreamy voice.
"One day when we were innocent first years."
Remus, Sirius, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione snorted.
George promptly ignored them.
"We set one-"
"or two-"
"or six-"
"Dungbombs off in a corridor that bothered Filch for some reason,"
"Still haven't figured out why,"
"Anyway, we were hauled off to his office and given the usual-"
"-detention-"
"-disembowelment-"
"-and we happened to spot a drawer of one of his filing cabinets marked 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous.'"
The undiscovered Marauders began to grin.
"So my partner-in-crime set off one of our –"
"-many-"
"-spare Dungbombs. And I reached in the cabinet and grabbed it."
"Then, later that night in empty common room in front to the fire we sat trying to discover the parchment's wonderful secrets."
Fred and George's First Year
"What do you reckon it is?" Fred asked, sitting across from his twin with the parchment lying between them.
"Don't know." George said.
Fred pulled out his wand and touched the parchment lightly, "Revelisteo!"
The parchment stayed blank.
"Well, it's not written in invisible ink what ever it is." George said. "Maybe . . ." He took out his own wand and tapped it to the paper. "George Weasley." He said hopefully.
"Now what would that do?" Fred asked.
George shrugged and gave it another go. "Fred and George Weasley, the best pranksters to ever come to Hogwarts ask if you would be so kind as to show your selves." He said tapping the parchment again lightly.
What happened next made the twins gasp.
What looked like an invisible hand was writing on the parchment.
"Mr. Prongs would like to ask Mr. Weasleys what makes them so confident in themselves that they are the best pranksters every to grace the halls of Hogwarts."
"Mr. Padfoot agrees with Mr. Prongs."
"As does Mr. Moony."
"And Mr. Wormtail."
George and Fred looked at each other and back at the map.
"Ah . . ." Fred started.
"Well, we've never heard of anyone being as bad as us and we just kinda assumed . . ." George trailed off.
"Mr. Padfoot would like to register his shock that no one ever told you about the Marauders."
"As would Messrs. Prongs and Wormtail."
"Mr. Moony would like to add that we never told anyone about the Marauders."
"Mr. Wormtail agrees with Mr. Moony."
"So, um, Mr. Prongs?" Fred said, understandingly, slightly unnerved to be talking to a piece of parchment, "What exactly is this."
"Mr. Prongs would like Mr. Weasleys full assurance that they will only use this tool for the aid to pranks and causing mischief before he devolves the great Marauder's secret weapon."
"As does Mr. Padfoot."
"And Mr. Moony."
"And Mr. Wormtail."
"Mr. Prong would like to ask his fellow mischief-makers if they must follow everything he says with 'as does' and 'as would'?"
"Yes"
"Yes"
"Yes."
Fred and George chuckled. "We swear that we will use this tool in the best way to our knowledge in the way of pranks and other what-not."
"Mr. Padfoot would like to know if this is good enough for every one."
"Mr. Prongs agrees."
"As does Mr. Moony."
"And Mr. Wormtail."
"Mr. Padfoot would like to state that Mr. Prongs is right. It is annoying to be followed with 'as does'"
"Mr. Prongs would like to remind Mr. Padfoot that Mr. Prongs is always right."
"Mr. Moony would like to try to get back to the original topic."
"Mr. Prongs agrees asks Mr. Weasleys to repeat after him, with wands on parchment. 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'"
The twin's eyes widened even more as ink lines spread out from the tip of the wand. At the top were these words:
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
Are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP
The twins eyes' raced around the map. Every room in Hogwarts was on it. And to their amazement, little black dots labeled with the name of a person who was walking around.
Filch was stalking the 4th floor with Mrs. Norris. Dumbledore was pacing his office and Peeves was in the trophy room, more then likely wrecking the glass cases.
After a few minutes, much to Fred and George's disappointment, the map disappeared and was replaced with the original conversation.
"Hey!"
"Mr. Moony would like to ask Mr. Weasleys to calm down. You can get back to the map by using the said saying by Mr. Prongs above."
"Mr. Wormtail wishes to tell the newly christened mischief-makers how to clear this parchment so unwanted eyes can not discover it. Simply tap the map with your wand again and say 'Mischief-Managed.'
"Mr. Padfoot asks if there are anymore questions."
"Can you tell us your real names?" Fred asked hopefully, almost already knowing the answer.
"No"
The ink started to fade and soon the map looked like an old piece of parchment that looked as if it needed to be introduced with the dustbin.
But Fred and George knew better.
The twins looked around the room, then locked on to the adults.
"Shit." Fred muttered
"Can we pretend you never heard that?" George asked with a weak smile.
Remus had a serious face on. "No I don't think so."
They looked at Sirius who shook his head also. Then too James, whom that had just noticed.
"Who are you?" Fred asked rather ruddily.
James stood up. "Ah I don't think we have met in person." He extended his hand. "Mr. Prongs."
The color drained from the twin's faces.
"What . . . ?"
"No . . . can't be . . ."
"Never"
"Lying"
"Trying to trick us"
When they were able to put sentences together;
"So you three are . . ." Fred whispered.
"The Marauders?" they finished together.
James, Sirius, and Remus looked at each other, to the twins and nodded, then started to laugh at the looks on their faces; like they were let lose in Honeydukes and told they could have anything and everything they wanted, for the rest of their life.
George rounded on Harry, "You knew, you knew this whole time and you never told us!"
Harry just shrugged and laughed on the expressions on the twins' faces.
Finally Fred and George shook James's hand in a kind of daze.
Fred looked at Sirius and Remus, "You two!"
Sirius leapt to his feet and swept a ridiculous low bow. "Mr. Padfoot," Sirius jerked Remus up out of his seat, "And Mr. Moony at your service."
"Moony . . ." Fred mused, then started laughing "I should have guessed! And Padfoot . . . you can turn into a big black dog!"
"Bloody Hell! You're really them, aren't you? We idolize you! You're our heroes! And Lupin! I never would have thought of it!" George said.
"We should have. Remember first class we had with him, took away every trick we had before we could play it on 'the new teacher'?" Fred said.
"Moony! How dare you!" James said.
"Come on Moony that wasn't nice." Sirius said
Remus crossed his arms defiantly. "But I believe I gave you them all back at the end of class and when you told me you had potions next and that I did not want to see those exact tricks around again."
Sirius smiled. "That's ok then."
"I'm surprised you did not match my writing on you homework with one the map." Remus mused.
"Well, we hardly expected to be taught by the Mr. Moony." George said.
"Could you help us with our pranks, they need a teeny bit of help" Fred said, but then yelped when George smacked him 'round the head.
"You don't ask the Marauders just like that! You idiot!"
"Oh right!" Fred and George quickly got down on the ground.
"Oh, great Marauders, please help us with our pranks! We know that we aren't worthy, but we are the next generation of law-breakers and in desperate need of expert help." They said, waving their arms up and down in a worship stance in front of the three.
Everyone burst out laughing. The Marauders stood shoulder to shoulder facing the twins. "Get up young law-breakers, we will teach you, do not fear"
Fred and George both leapt to their feet.
James, Sirius, and Remus were beaming as the twins went on and on about how great they are, and everything they did because of them map.
"Great, just inflate their ego's some more." Lily muttered.
Hermione smiled sympathetically at her.
George turned to Lily, "And your name, fair lady?"
"Mrs. Prongs, pleased to meet you."
"Likewise," George said, bending to kiss Lily's hand.
Fred un-ceremonially shoved his twin aside. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am," Fred said, repeating the action of George.
Lily giggled and bent to whisper in Ginny's ear. "Are they always like that?"
Ginny nodded sadly, "All the time."
Then Fred said something that made the whole group cringe and draw anger to there faces, "Wasn't there another one? Wormy, Tails?"
"Wormtail." Sirius spat it out like the word tasted bad.
"Yeah! What about him, Where is he? Who is he?"
"Scabbers." Ron said just as venomously.
"I thank you for the answers, could we have some that are a little longer then one word?" Fred said.
"You know how Scabbers turned out to be Pettigrew?" Ron said
"Yeah," Ginny said, coming into understanding.
"That rat's nickname was Wormtail." Remus finished.
"That- that . . . rat!" George spat out.
"For lack of a better word, yes." Harry said.
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Mrs. Fawkes
