Okay, guys, I'm tired of the title of this fic. So here's where I need your help: when you review my story, I'd like you to include an idea for a new title. If I get lots of really good ideas and I can't choose, I'll run a poll next chapter.

So please, before you review, think of a good title for this fic that'll go beyond this year, 'til seventh year!

For example, the title of this fic will be: (title) Year One. Next one with be: (same title) Year Two. You get it?

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Seven

The Marauders Are Born

By PotterScar

January started cold and wet, snowing nearly every day. Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter would frequently participate in snowball fights with the other Gryffindors against other houses on the weekends.

One day was particularly interesting...

Sirius yelped as he dodged a snowball, ducking behind a wall of snow that the Gryffindors had built as their fort.

"We're losing!" he cried to James. James looked grim; they were losing to slimy Slytherins.

Several Gryffindors had been taken out by Crabbe and Goyle, who could each throw one hell of a snowball. Several more were frantically dodging charmed snowballs from Bellatrix Black, while trying to charm some of their own.

"I have an idea!" Remus yelled over the din, crawling behind the wall. Sirius and James said up straighter.

"I read how to animate inanimate objects in a book in the library!" Remus said, leaning in closer to the other two boys.

"Finally, Remus' excessive reading is paying off!" James whooped, and Remus shoved him.

"So what's the plan?" Sirius asked.

"We build a snowman, then animate him to throw snowballs at the other team! We could charm it to not come off when somebody tries to unjinx it!" Remus said, and Sirius' eyes lit up.

"Perfect," he said, smiling from ear to ear. "Let's get to work." Bending down, he began to roll up a large ball of snow for the base.

Ten minutes later, Gryffindor was almost completely out, and the snowman was nearly finished. "There!" James cried, sticking in the second arm. Remus pulled out his wand, waving it and muttering, "Ut Vita!"

Instantly, the snowman started to move, gathering up snow and packing it into balls at lightning speed, before chucking them at the other team. The three boys grinned at each other. "Now to charm it so nobody can take the jinx off!" Sirius said.

Remus pointed his wand at the snowman again and said, "Obduro!"

The snowman seemed to glow gold for a second, before fading back to normal.

The best part of the day, though, was later that evening, when McGonagall went out to try and stop the rampaging snowman that had been throwing snowballs at passing students for nearly five hours.

Remus, Sirius, and James gathered at the dormitory window, excitedly looking down on the grounds as McGonagall strode up to the snowman, her wand out.

The snowman spun to face her, smiling wickedly, before starting to throw snowballs at her.

McGonagall began to block them, and the snowman sensed this as it moved faster and faster.

Five minutes later, McGonagall was on the ground, sputtering, snow covering her face, while three Gryffindor boys were in hysterics in their tower.

Soon, though, January faded into February and the snow melted, taking the snowman with it, though occasionally, a rock that was laying on the nearby grass would fling itself at a student.

With February came pranks. Nobody knew who was pulling the pranks, but no students were spared. Many thought it was a Gryffindor or a group of Gryffindors, as Slytherins (especially Severus Snape and Bellatrix Black) tended to be the targets.

On the second of February was the charm that shocked you if you touched a certain doorknob. The next day, every student in the school who'd drunk pumpkin juice with breakfast was subject to a Floating Charm. It took McGonagall and the other teachers an hour to figure out how to get them down, and even so, the students afterwards felt lightheaded.

It went on like this for several weeks. Most students would say that the prank preformed on St. Valentine's Day was the best and most effective...

Students couldn't help but be shocked when they walked in the Great Hall and saw it colored pink, with a pink sky, and confetti streaming down from the rafters.

The teachers were just as puzzled as the students, though Dumbledore seemed amused while McGonagall was fuming.

It took the teachers nearly a week to get the pink off. Somebody seemed to be handy with Lasting Charms. They still couldn't get Severus Snape's hair its normal color again; it had been bright pink, and a week later had faded only slightly.

Remus, Sirius, James, and now Peter were all very satisfied with their work, of course. They spent hours in the library researching new ways to prank people, and their grades were beginning to soar.

Of course, when you spend a lot of time with somebody, you begin to notice things about them. For example, Sirius noticed that James loved Quidditch and chewed his food four times before swallowing (when asked, he denied doing this). Sirius also noticed that Peter tended to hide when Slytherins came about and that he'd taken an interest in a Hufflepuff second year. He also noticed that Remus tended to leave school a lot.

Apparently, Remus' mother had a chronic illness that could leave her dead at any time, so Remus went home to visit her about once a month. Sirius and the others felt rather sorry for Remus, though Sirius privately wished that his mother would get a chronic illness.

Soon, February melted into March, bringing with it high winds and freezing rain. The mood at Hogwarts was downcast and sullen, as students tried to escape the bitter winds. Quidditch matches were occasionally canceled, a usually rare occurrence, because when the students flew up more than ten feet in the air, they were promptly blown off their brooms.

It was also during this month that the group of pranksters decided that they needed a name for their group.

"We need a really good name," Sirius had said one evening, breaking the silence in the first year's dormitory. Remus, James, and Peter looked up curiously.

"What?" James had asked, confused, and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"A name for us. So we can take credit for our pranks, but technically not be blamed!" Sirius said, and Remus had nodded.

"That's a good idea... but what should we call ourselves?" Remus had asked.

So the crusade for a name began. Several suggestions had come from the other boys, such as "The Gryffindor Troublemakers" and "The Stupid Ones" (courtesy of James) but they had all been shot down.

Finally, a miracle happened when Sirius was passing the staff room, late for Charms (again). He paused, hearing McGonagall's voice. She was, apparently, talking to Professor Vector about the prank Sirius and the other Gryffindor boys had pulled off the day before.

"... I wish we knew who was causing this trouble!" McGonagall raved (her hair was still purple from the day before).

Professor Vector merely chuckled. "They're marauding for trouble, aren't they? Personally, I think they're rather bright."

The Marauders, Sirius silently thought, running as fast as he could down the corridors, towards Charms class. I like it.

He skidded into the classroom, nearly falling over. "Mr. Black, late again! Five points from Gryffindor!" Flitwick scolded.

"Thanks," Sirius said absently, jumping into his seat. Flitwick continued his lecture, but Sirius wasn't listening; he was too busy writing a note for James.

I think I've got a name. -SB

Really? -JP

Yeah, pass this on to Remus.

What have you got? -RL

What do you think of "The Marauders"?

James and Remus paused, before James scribbled something, and passed it to Remus, who also wrote something, before the note was slid back to Sirius.

It has a nice ring to it.

Sounds good. We'll ask Peter at lunch.

So, the Marauders were born. Soon, every prank they pulled would have a side note somewhere, saying, "Courtesy of the Marauders."

James was extremely happy with the name he'd made for himself. The Marauders were soon becoming the topic of discussion at school. After each prank pulled by the small group of pranksters, rumors of the troublemakers' identities would spread like wildfire.

Another thing that seemed to be multiplying in number was the number of attacks on populated Muggle and Wizarding areas. A group that called themselves "The Death Eaters" were beginning to attack wizards and Muggles alike. The students of Hogwarts found this alarming, and sometimes, a student would run out of the Great Hall in tears because they'd been sent a letter telling them that a family member was dead.

Sirius found himself, once again, not fully trusted by the Gryffindors, who'd, since winter break, had begun to warm up to him. Once again, Sirius found himself cursing his heritage.

But his three friends, who were almost like his brothers, stood by his side. Sirius found himself sinking back into seclusion, until James found a way to drag him out of it permanently. That way involved turning Bellatrix Black's hair bright green and pink.

Hard times meant that a good laugh was needed by all.

Well, did you like it? Don't forget about the title thing!

Lotsa love,

PotterScar