Do I really need to say this again? J K Rowling IS Harry Potter. If you recognise anything from any movie, TV show, book or whatever else, it's probably because it is from them. If you want my 'full' warning, you can check out either 'Dormant Power' or 'Beginning of the End'.
If you've read both those fics, then you know how I made it end…but how did it begin? Again, only some names are mine, everything else is not! I've based this from the Marauders perspective so…well you'll know the story when something happens to a certain someone, even though I don't write about it in this one! Also check out 'The Apprentice', it has some info you won't find in my other two stories (wink, wink!).
The story JK Rowling has said she won't write about (if everything I've read is accurate...but I really hope she does). Many on this site (and on numerous others) have written about it, with the vast majority of them being immensely enjoyable. The younger days of a loving couple, a family outcast, one with a horrible curse, and (if this doesn't rile you, nothing will!) the smartest of the five...and yes that does pain me to write that since I like Remus the best!
But…I mean that, I honestly think Peter was highly intelligent. He kept his secret of being a spy so well hidden, that the only reason he got discovered, was because his picture was taken in Egypt…over a decade later. What odds that the only living person who knows the truth, just happens to see that particular article?
Think about it…somehow, someway, Remus and Sirius suspect each other, but not Peter. Yes, Voldemort would have gotten quite a few werewolves on his side, but come on, we all know Remus would never do that. So why didn't they suspect Peter? I reckon he was feeding both Sirius and Remus info about the other. Reminding Remus about Sirius' betrayal in their fifth year, while telling Sirius that Remus never really trusted him like he did before that event. I kind of tried to capture that in my one-shot I did about Sirius.
This story will take place in the school year 1976-1977 (with the only exception being the epilogue) purely because that's just the way I see how it fits in. I've even gone to the extreme of finding out when full moons occur for this time (just if they were early or late in the month, I don't care exactly what day they occurred on). Oh yes, I've tried to make this as serious as I can, while allowing for the general humour…fine, havoc, that we know those four would cause.
Well, well, who would have believed it? My prequel is done! My other stories have been 'prepped' for this one…meaning I've made some slight mods to them. The hardest part of this? Trying to remember that Peter is still good, and writing him accordingly. That and writing the pranks, funnily enough (they're quite tricky to write down!). The easiest bit? Putting in subtle hints as to what we actually know that happens…and the first is in this very chapter (kind of)!
Just a few things; since Half Blood Prince is near enough to being out, all of my fics are AU (but you knew they would be anyway). I've also decided that Lucius, Bellatrix and Narcissa have all graduated, and elected to have Walden Macnair be Severus' main friend in this. The reason? Quite simple really; he's the 'creature' executioner, and there's a certain werewolf in this story…it just kind of made sense.
You wanted me to answer your question, LMD, so I shall; you'll see in ch…15 I believe (you're close, but not quite right though)! My style is amazing! Well…um…thanks very much!
Destroyer, what ships do I have? I tried not to have any in them, in an attempt to get more people to read them! I will probably end up having pairings in the sequel…but they won't be the ones you mentioned!
This chapter is unbeta-ed as such…but shall be updated accordingly. I just thought I might get a few chapters out before Half Blood is released. I shall endeavour to update once a week. Don't worry Sonic and Matt, I just want people to know that I wrote this before HBP…and any ideas that may be similar in it are purely coincidental. I'll only get about 3 chapters out before it's released anyway, then I'm not going to update for a month, ok.
Oh, one more thing; The Marauder's Map…I base its creation on what Remus says in the Shrieking Shack of the Prisoner of Azkaban book.
Right, I reckon that's probably enough stalli…ah, background. I suppose I should actually start this thing. So, I bring you…'The Definitive Year'; enjoy (I hope)!
And remember; everything that has an end, has a beginning (yes, Tux, I am quite aware I put it back to front!)…
Chapter 1 – Summer Days, Drifted Away
September first dawned with a magnificent golden glow encompassing Caversham Court. A spectacular sight for most, including those living inside number 11. That house was home to the Potter's; Harold, his wife Danielle, and their only son, James. There was also another who called this place home; James' best friend, Sirius Black.
Sirius had moved in with James and his parents last summer, after leaving his own home for personal reasons. Sirius and James attended the same school as each other, and both were eager to see their other two best friends, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin. Today was the day school started up for the year, and this time next year, the four of them would graduate.
The school was called Hogwarts. An unusual name to some, but not as unusual as what they were taught. For Hogwarts was no ordinary school, its correct title was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. James' parents were both magical folk as well, while Sirius came from a pureblood wizarding family.
Upstairs in one of the bedrooms slept one of the young wizards. A pair of glasses could be seen on the bedside table as an unruly mop of black hair started to stir. James Potter slowly blinked open his hazel eyes and let out a groan as the morning light pierced the gap between his curtains. He wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but knew he had to finish his packing. He reasoned that that could wait until after breakfast though.
He got out of his bed, grabbed his glasses and stretched before heading downstairs. As was normal for this time of morning, he was the only one up. His parents had both left for work earlier, and had written a note reminding him and Sirius to not be late for the train, like they nearly were last year.
James smiled and helped himself to some bacon that Danielle had left for them. Since he had turned seventeen a few months ago, James was able to use magic without the restrictions that the Ministry of Magic previously had in place. As he flicked his wand to get his toast ready, he could smell the bacon tingle his senses. He quickly ate his breakfast before grinning to himself. He opened the kitchen door, allowing the pleasant aroma of bacon to waft through into the living room. James then settled himself at the table and waited.
Exactly ten seconds had passed when a black whirlwind blew into the kitchen. James may have been worried, had he not already eaten, as the blur then proceeded to consume every remaining morsel of food before coming to a stop. A quite tall teenager with longish black hair and grey eyes stood in the blurs' place. As Sirius Black looked over at the table and noticed James' smirk, he instantly became rather cautious.
"Ok, Prongs. What did you do?" Sirius asked, quite warily.
"Nothing, Padfoot. Nothing at all."
"I don't believe you. You'd better not have switched this again like last time!"
"Hey, it's not my fault you decided to eat dog food!" James defended himself.
"Rubbish, of course it was your fault! It's always your fault!"
"I'm not the one who betrayed Moony, Padfoot."
Silence followed this comment, and Sirius' eyes flashed with anger, and also sorrow.
"I thought we agreed to never speak of that again. We swore on it!" Sirius growled.
"You swore on it, I was too busy watching Wormtail's reaction."
Sirius scowled but let the matter drop. He remembered what he did that night, the night his stupidity nearly cost the lives of three people. If James was Sirius' best friend, then Severus Snape, also a final year student this year, was his bitter enemy. James, Sirius and Peter had finally figured out Remus' secret that he'd hidden from them since the first day they met each other.
Once a month, Remus would disappear, only to be found the next day in the hospital wing. At first, Sirius and the others had shrugged it off as Remus being incredibly unlucky, but eventually his excuses started to become more and more farfetched. After finding out that Remus' absences always occurred the night of full moon, they came to the correct conclusion; Remus was a werewolf.
Remus had not told his friends as he'd been scared that they would abandon him. The four of them were inseparable, and were known throughout the school as pranksters. Collectively, they called themselves 'The Marauders'. But they were careful enough to not be caught in the act. Unfortunately this proved quite difficult at times, and the four of them had spent more than their fair share cleaning rooms for their detentions, James and Sirius particularly.
Remus had been most surprised when his friends dedicated themselves to the task of becoming animagi, or someone that can transform into an animal at will. Knowing that werewolves are only harmful to humans, they reasoned that by being animals, they could be with Remus and help him try to relax during this time. They finally achieved the feat around two years ago, in their fifth year, a further two and a half years after finding out about Remus' condition. The process was an arduous one, which took a lot of concentration and dedication, but they finally achieved their goal.
Peter would transform into a rat, Sirius' form was that of a large black dog, with James having the ability to change into a stag. They had given themselves nicknames based on their transformations; Remus could only have been Moony, Peter was given Wormtail, Sirius gave himself the title of Padfoot, and James had been called Prongs.
The quartet prowled the grounds once a month, and quickly decided to make a map detailing where everything was. Remus, being the cleverest of the four had put most of the charms on the map, protecting it from unwanted eyes. If anyone tried to read the map, which they called 'The Marauder's Map', without the correct password, the piece of parchment would insult them. Such was the way their young pranking minds worked.
Becoming animagi was an impressive achievement for three fifteen year old wizards, but not quite as impressive as their ability to keep it secret from everybody. Animagi, by wizarding law, are required to be registered, but Sirius, James and Peter had decided against doing this. And Remus certainly wasn't going to force them to register, as he didn't want his condition being listed as the reason they underwent the whole process in the first place. Only two other students knew about Remus' lycanthropy; a fellow Gryffindor final year, Lily Evans, and also Severus Snape.
Lily had found out on her own, even before Remus' friends did. She, like the others had not been put off by knowing this, and really felt sorry for Remus. Lily had also decided to not inform anyone about it, something which Remus was very grateful for. Severus had found out about Remus late in their fifth year, but it wasn't by himself.
Severus and the Marauders, James and Sirius in particular, had not seen eye to eye since the day they arrived at Hogwarts. This wasn't helped that they had been sorted into Slytherin and Gryffindor respectively, the house rivalry between the two was infamous. The three of them had been in more than a few scuffles with each other, but that was nothing compared to what happened that near-fateful night around a year and a half ago.
Sirius had been fed up with Severus' continuing snide comments, and eventually snapped. He told Severus that if he wanted to see something interesting, then he might want to check out the Shrieking Shack one night. Severus had no idea that this was the place where Remus was taken for his transformations. He found out to his detriment, when Remus, in his werewolf state, attacked him.
Well he would have if it weren't for James. James had been horrified when Sirius told him what he'd done, and had risked his own life to drag Severus away, something Severus hated him even more for. Because when one wizard saves another, they are inextricably linked with a wizarding bond. Severus had been told, by the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, to never inform anyone about what he saw that night. Something which he found difficult to do, but he had honoured the Headmasters wishes.
Remus himself had been absolutely furious at Sirius after finding out what really happened. Had he killed Severus, Remus would have wound up in Azkaban prison. But since he was a Dark creature, he most likely would have been terminated faster than you can say 'werewolf'. It had taken Remus until midway through his sixth year to begin to trust Sirius again.
James got up from the table and headed back upstairs to finish packing his trunk. He was midway through it, when a highly annoyed Sirius came into his room with his wand drawn, a gesture James soon returned.
"That does it, Prongs! Where did you hide my mirror?" Sirius asked.
"I'll let you know once you hand over my cloak, Padfoot" James coolly replied.
"We have exactly two hours to get to the platform. When we arrive, you'd better have given me my mirror back!"
"And I'd better have my cloak!"
They then glared at each other, before reluctantly lowering their wands.
"Your cloak's under my bed."
James nodded. "Thank you, your mirror's in my trunk. You're right though, we'd better get ready. Good thing we both got our Apparition licenses this summer, Sirius. This'll be way easier than last year!"
"I know that, James. Should be safer too. I find it ridiculously funny that you had to go to Ireland for your test though!"
"Shut up, Padfoot. It was a piece of cake. At least I actually got to go somewhere interesting, unlike Moony who ended up at Hogsmeade."
"True. Speaking of Moony, I still can't believe they did that to his parents. How atrocious" Sirius said, with a shake of his head.
James nodded, before continuing to pack his things into his trunk. "I know. Remus sounded pretty cut up about…"
"PRETTY CUT UP! They killed both his parents, James! What else is he supposed to be feeling, happy!" Sirius nearly screamed.
"Calm down, Padfoot, I just meant that I hope he's alright. He didn't say much in his letters."
Sirius snorted, "he's probably been studying all summer for the NEWT's."
James laughed, "I fear you may be right! Anyway, you ready to go yet?"
Sirius nodded, "yep, I'm all packed. I'll just grab your cloak from under my bed."
Sirius made to leave the room, but found himself flat on the floor instead. He rolled over, and saw James laughing at him, his wand outstretched. Sirius got up off the floor and raised his wand.
"Don't even try it, Padfoot. You don't think I forgot to silence you, did you?"
Sirius glared and slowly backed out of the room. Once he got into his room, he dived under his bed and pulled out a shimmering cloak. This was no ordinary cloak though, it was an invisibility cloak.
"Ruddy Prongs. I don't believe I fell for…" he stopped as he realised he could speak, and that James had lied. He then grinned evilly as a plan formed in his mind. He quickly pulled James' cloak over himself before slowly making his way back to James' room.
James has happily humming to himself, congratulating himself on a prank on his best friend well done. He was blissfully unaware of the invisible person slowly making his way to where James had his trunk open. Sirius spotted his opportunity when James went over to his walk-in wardrobe to grab some more clothes. Sirius quickly threw the cloak over the trunk and slowly made his way back outside. He was nearly back to his room with James' trunk, when he heard yelling,
"PADFOOT! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"
An further hour passed, during which time both teenagers had managed to wrestle with each other more than once. They had finished packing and were preparing to apparate to Kings Cross Station to catch the train to Hogwarts. The summer break had gone by far too quickly for their liking, and James remembered the best moment of it.
James had spent the last three years trying to convince Lily to go on a date with him, and she'd finally agreed towards the end of their sixth year. This had led to an excursion to London with his friends, Lily and her younger sister, Petunia. As James was lost in the moment, remembering how beautiful Lily looked, Sirius had to go and ruin it for him. In Sirius' eyes, James had violated the 'Marauder code' and had told Lily about them being animagi.
"I still can't believe you told her about us!"
"Why not? She already knew about Moony being a werewolf. Hell, she even figured that out before us!"
"But still, did you have to tell her that we're animagi!"
"Padfoot, we've already been over this. I'm Head Boy, and she's Head Girl. She's going to notice me not being there once a month, and she'll get really annoying."
"But you told me last year that she already was annoying!"
"You know what I mean. She'll wonder where I go every full moon, and I'm not having her think that I'm a werewolf too! And I don't recall me saying that at all, thank you very much!"
"You said it just after she turned you down for a date. How many times was that anyway?"
"Do you want to visit a muggle hospital this time, Padfoot?" James gently asked.
Sirius' eyes widened and he quickly waved his hands. "Ok, ok, I'll be good! I still can't believe you did that to me!"
"Well, I did warn you…"
"No you didn't!"
"Yes I did, countless times actually. It's not my fault you weren't listening before I hexed you!"
"Was so"
"Was not"
"So"
"Not"
"So"
"Not"
"So"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, I'm not playing this game again!"
"Ha, I win!" Sirius said triumphantly.
James scowled, and then sighed "how does Moony do it, Padfoot?"
"Do what, Prongs?"
"I've been chasing Lily for the last three years, and the first time her sister sees him, she's all over him! I thought we were the good-looking ones?"
"You mean that I'm the good-looking one. You can only get dates because for some odd reason, witches think you can play Quidditch!"
"Hey, it's not my problem that girls want to run their fingers through my wild, untamed hair!"
"Oh Merlin, I think I'm going to be sick!" Sirius said, putting both hands over his mouth as he pretended to throw up.
He then grinned, "besides, they'd much rather be with me, Prongs."
"You! Ha, don't make me laugh, Padfoot!"
"It's true. I've been with way more girls than you!"
"That's because you spend more time on your hair than they do!"
"Hey, that's not fair! I like to look good for my adoring fans" Sirius said, proudly bowing to his friend.
"I never knew Snivellus was on that list."
Sirius stopped mid-bow and glared at James. "Oooh, how low can you get! That hurts, Prongs, it really does."
"Whatever. There's one person you haven't been with though, and that's Lily."
"Technically, you haven't been with her either. One date doesn't count I'm afraid."
"Does to!"
"No it doesn't. Maybe you should ask Moony about it" Sirius replied with a grin.
"Why?"
"Well, he's with her sister now. I'm sure he can find out some things about Lily from her for you."
"Hey, great idea! He didn't seem interested in her though."
"Of course he didn't, he's a werewolf remember. He's afraid of committing himself to anyone like that through fear of rejection. I've heard werewolves can become quite animalistic and feisty around the time of full moon."
"Really? And exactly how would you know this, Padfoot?" James asked with a grin.
"I read, Prongs. Moony might be able to tell you about it sometime" Sirius retorted with a glare.
James smirked maliciously before responding "tell me what? How to read, or what he and you…"
"SHUT UP, PRONGS! I SWEAR, IF YOU FINISH THAT SENTENCE, I'LL BE IN AZKABAN FOR MURDERING YOU!"
James was struggling to contain his mirth as the two of them made their way into the living room. Just before they apparated to the designated Apparition point at Kings Cross Station to wait for the train, James turned to Sirius.
"Incidentally, I didn't know you could read!"