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 my version of it ends…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!).

Come on, you didn't really think I'd forget about his bike did you? I did have Remus remember a little about it in BotE, and had him tease Harry in Dormant too! And did you guess the quote?

I know no one asked this, but I thought I'd answer it anyway. As to why I put in the bit about Severus walking by…read Prisoner of Azkaban again. He may not know how to open it, but I reckon he would have some idea that it's a passage.

Chapter 12 – There Is No 'I' In 'Team'

Meanwhile, back in the Head Students common room, Sirius, James and Peter were becoming increasingly baffled.

"Is it just me, or is none of this making any sense whatsoever?"

"It's not just you, Padfoot. I've never seen his notes this…confusing before. None of it makes sense!" James answered.

Peter had already given up and was watching the other two trying to read Remus' assignment before he suddenly sat up.

"Oh, that prat!"

"What's up Wormtail?" James asked.

"Yeah, and who's a prat?" Sirius added.

"Remus is. Remember what he said before he left?"

The other two looked at each other and shook their heads.

"He said that he was sure we'd still be here. He must have charmed his notes so that we couldn't decipher them!"

James and Sirius shared a look before groaning.

"Great, this is perfect! How are we going to do the assignment now?" Sirius whined.

"I'll go and ask Lily if we can borrow hers. She's in the library" James said before getting up.

"Which is where Remus is. He'll have already told her, James" Peter replied and James slumped back into his chair.

"This is so not fair! I wonder what charm he used" Sirius scowled.

"No idea. Knowing Moony though, it'll be timed" James glumly replied.

"I s'pose we have to do this the old fashioned way then" Peter said before grabbing a blank piece of parchment and dipping his quill in the ink bottle.

James and Sirius nodded before doing exactly the same.

"I still can't believe you did that to your best friends, Remus" Lily said as the two of them made their way back to the common room.

"Well, I'm just hoping this'll teach them not to always rely on my notes to get them out of trouble" Remus said, defending himself.

"Oh, no, I'm not mad at you. Actually, I think it's a wonderful idea. Glad you finally managed to stand up for yourself" she replied as they reached the portrait.

Lily was about to speak the password when Remus stopped her.

"Um, I'm not really sure you should go in there. They'll hex as soon as the portrait opens" he told her.

"I'm counting on it. Because I believe it'll be Sirius who shoots first, and once James sees that he got me…" she smiled and let her voice trail off.

Remus grinned in reply. "He'll go ballistic at him. You are the devious one, aren't you!"

"Thank you, Remus. Coming from you, I'm taking that as a compliment."

Remus laughed before saying that he might go to the Gryffindor common room instead, and that Lily better tell him all about it tomorrow. Remus started to walk away as she spoke the password. He then heard her shriek, before hearing James' voice.

"Padfoot you twit! What'd you do that for!"

"I thought it was Remus, I swear! I didn't Furnunculus her on purpose!"

Remus stifled his laughs as he quickly made his way back to Gryffindor tower.

"You'd better tell us how long it lasts, Moony" James whispered as they spotted Remus sitting across from Lily in the Great Hall having his breakfast.

"Whatever are you talking about, Prongs?" Remus asked, amusement written all over his face.

Sirius glowered at him and pressed his face right up to Remus'.

"You know perfectly well what we're talking about, Moony" he hissed.

"I did warn you, you know. Besides, I heard you got Lily quite nicely when she came back."

That did the trick and Sirius' face paled a bit and he backed away.

"That's because I thought she was you, you git!"

"Why Padfoot, I'm touched! I never knew you found me attractive!"

Sirius glared at Remus, while Peter and James both snorted into their pumpkin juice. The Gryffindors that were close by gave them questioning looks, but shook their heads and went back to eating.

"Don't worry about it, Sirius. It'll only last for a day."

"A day! Did you forget that we have that transfiguration assignment due!"

"Of course not, why do you think I waited until yesterday to do it?" Remus answered smoothly as he helped himself to some more toast.

"B…but, we haven't finished it! We only managed to get half the required length for it!"

"Well, you should have thought about that earlier then. I'm not always going to bail you guys out, you know. Besides, you and James seem to be doing fine in Potions."

Sirius found himself with no reply to this, so he just dejectedly slumped into his chair before meekly sipping on his pumpkin juice.

Their latest Transfiguration class had finished, and everyone was packing their things away.

"Potter, you will stay behind," McGonagall said, allowing herself a small smirk as James shrank into his seat a little. "Don't worry, it has nothing to do with your last assignment" she added.

The rest of the class vacated, and James gave Lily and his three friends a look that said 'I'll tell you later' before slowly making his way to McGonagall's desk.

"Now Potter, I have some bad news" she began, and James could only guess what she was about to say.

"You may or may not be aware that Mr Lynch received one of those letters earlier this week."

James hadn't known that fact, and was sincerely hoping that the third year was alright.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Professor" he answered, not sure exactly where this was heading.

"He will be attending the funeral next weekend."

"And won't be able to play in the final against Slytherin" James said, finally piecing it together.

"Precisely. You need to find another player as we do not have any reserves."

"You know any decent flyers, Professor?"

"None capable of being seeker I'm afraid."

"What about other positions then?" he asked as an idea slowly began to take shape.

"Exactly what do you have in mind, Potter?"

"Well, with all due respect to the team, I have the best reflexes. I could play seeker…"

"And leave us a chaser short? I do not think that is a good…"

"No, no, I didn't mean that. Robinson makes a decent chaser…"

"But he's a far better keeper. That is his position on the team."

"I know that, Professor. But he also knows our moves. It'll be easier to chuck him in as chaser, than bring in someone new" James argued.

"We need a keeper, Potter."

"And I have just the person" James grinned.

"You want me to do WHAT!"

"Play keeper in our next game."

"I think you've lost your mind completely! You said I was hopeless on a broomstick!"

"You aren't completely hopeless. Look, all you have to do is fly around the goalposts and dodge any bludgers that head your way."

"And make sure you don't fall off. I hear the ground comes up quite quickly" Remus added with a smile, while James gave him his best shut-up-you're-not-helping look.

"Think of all the girls that'll be swooning after you!"

"But Wormtail, I…"

"Come on. You haven't even been out with anyone since we started this year."

"Yeah, but Prongs…"

"You did mention you wanted to charm your motorbike to fly, didn't you?"

"All right, all right, I can take a ruddy hint! Fine, I'll play keeper" Sirius scowled, throwing his arms up in surrender.

"Good, I'll owl my parents and get them to send my old broom for you to use."

Matchday dawned, and the time passed all too quickly for Sirius. For once he didn't feel hungry, but James forced him to eat something before the game and it was with a heavy feeling of dread that he slowly followed the rest of the team to the changing rooms and pre-game pep talk by James.

He didn't hear any of it, until James clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Nervous?"

Sirius glared at his friend as if to say 'what do you think?'

James gave him a smile. "You'll be fine, Sirius. Just remember everything from the last practice. Try to shut out the crowd as best you can. Keep your eyes peeled for any bludgers heading your way. I don't think I need to remind you that Slytherin don't normally play fair."

Sirius nodded before he and the team mounted their brooms and shot outside to the waiting crowd. Sirius settled himself directly in front of the middle hoop and didn't have to wait long for the game to start.

The only thought going through his head was 'what in Merlin's name have I got myself into?' before he was called into action. Both bludgers were directed towards him, and Sirius did his best to roll out of the way. However this opened up the goals, and Slytherin duly scored. Barely a minute had passed and they were already behind.

'This is going to be a long day' he thought as he passed the quaffle to one of his chasers.

"How do you reckon he'll go?"

"He'll be fine, Peter. Oh Merlin! Remind me to return that Defence book to the library once the game's finished, it's overdue!"

"Wonderful time to remember that, Remus. Hopefully James will catch the snitch before they get more than…"

Lily's voice was drowned out as Gryffindor scored, levelling up the game at ten apiece.

She, Remus and Peter all loudly cheered and were soon swept up in the action. It was going to be a classic game, they could just feel it.

James was thinking the same thing as he saw his friend make his eighth save of the game. The score was one hundred and forty to seventy in Slytherin's favour, and the match had been going for nearly two hours. Surprisingly, Sirius had been playing incredibly well for someone in his first game. James had been confused by the Slytherins tactics though, so far they had played remarkably clean. James had seen no sign whatsoever of the snitch, but had spent most of the game trying to shake off his opposite number.

Ironically enough, it was Sirius' younger brother, Regulus, who was the Slytherin seeker, and he seemed intent on blocking James every time he moved. He also had to withstand the barrage of insults Regulus had decided to employ.

"Hey Potter! You really think you can catch the snitch? You're not even a real seeker! Watch out for the quaffle, we wouldn't want you chasing after the wrong ball!"

'Ah, so he's finally run out of things to say about Padfoot' James thought. Turning around, he caught sight of a golden glint below him and started to dive for it. Regulus merely snorted before yelling after him.

"You must be seeing things, or you're trying to feint. I'm not stupid enough to fall for a Gryffindor's idea of a trick!"

Seconds later, James flew back up to where Regulus was, the snitch held firmly in his hand and a grin on his face.

"You may not be stupid enough to fall for a feint, but you are stupid enough not to go for this!"

As James flew away from a scowling Regulus, and amidst cheers from the Gryffindor stands, he was soon engulfed by Sirius. They spotted Lily, Remus and Peter with enormous smiles on their faces as they both slowly descended onto the ground, James with the snitch held tightly in one hand, and his best friends' arm in the other, both raised in triumph.

James looked over to Sirius and grinned. "See? Nothing to worry about mate!"