The Marauders Are Born
The first year Gryffindors were in the middle of a lesson with Professor Dumbledore when they were interrupted by Headmaster Blake.
"Professor, I need to speak to Remus for a moment, if you don't mind," Headmaster Blake said.
"Of course," Professor Dumbledore said kindly. "Don't forget about that essay due on Monday, Remus!"
"I won't, Professor," Remus said.
"Please come with me, Remus. I have a matter to discuss with you," the Headmaster said.
Remus followed the Headmaster, his mind racing with all of the possible reasons he could be called to the Headmaster's office.
They reached a large statue of a gargoyle.
"Dragon blood!" Blake said.
The gargoyle standing in front of Remus leapt to life and revealed a staircase. Remus followed Blake up the stairs and into his office.
"Sit down," he commanded.
Remus sat.
"Now, as you know, tonight is the full moon- your first transformation here at Hogwarts," Blake said.
"Yes, sir," Remus said.
"Well, I just wanted to double-check precautions with you. Tell me exactly what you are to do tonight, just so we are all clear."
"Okay. I'm supposed to go to the Whomping Willow after dinner. I'll freeze the branches with a long stick or something and then lock myself into the Shrieking Shack. Then, the next morning, I'll just say I was sick or something."
"Good. However, I would like you to pretend that you are sick as soon as possible. Eat as much as you can at dinner, though, for you will not eat for another day or two. I will instruct Madame Pomfrey on the proper procedures you will need. I will also tell her to say that you are ill and not able to see any visitors until you are ready. Are you clear on exactly what you will do tonight?"
"Yes, Headmaster."
"Very good. Now go on to lunch."
"What was that all about?" Sirius asked Remus as he joined them for lunch.
"Oh, nothing. Just something about my grandmum. Nothing important," Remus said.
"Right. Well, James, Peter, and I have a little matter of our own to discuss with you tonight after dinner," Sirius said.
"Right," Remus replied, unsure of how to excuse himself. "Well, I'll be there."
"Good," James said.
"Right, well, we'd better get going. You know how McGonagall hates it when we're late. Besides, I'm not feeling too good," Remus said.
"Sorry to hear that mate, 'cause you won't wanna miss our little show tonight!" Sirius said.
Remus raised an eyebrow at his enthusiastic friend, unsure of how they were going to take it when he was absent.
The day seemed to speed by. It seemed like Transfiguration took only ten minutes instead of the full hour and a half. The double Potions felt like half of one class to Remus.
Before he knew it, it was time for dinner. The only problem was that the sun was already starting to set.
Remus decided he would get some food very quickly and then run to the Willow.
With no explanation, after he had stuffed his pockets full with food, Remus got up and ran as fast as he could towards the Whomping Willow. He grabbed a long stick and pressed the large knot in the bark. The swinging branches froze and Remus slid down the opening between the roots. He then sped down the tunnel and, at last, locked himself into the Shrieking Shack.
It was fairly large, but looked to be very old, even though Remus knew it to be brand new.
He walked into a large room. There was a huge four-poster bed with red sheets and a small cabinet. He put all of the food into the cabinet and then sat on the bed, waiting for the transformation.
After about twenty minutes, a beam of light from the moon came in through a crack in the high ceiling. Remus felt it beginning.
At first, his whole body ached. Then, the room started to look different, as though it was being seen from someone else's eyes. Then, he could feel the werewolf inside of him. He could see like one, smell like one, hear like one. And finally, it was as though the werewolf ripped through his skin.
He was no longer himself.
Back in the Great Hall, Remus's friends were quite worried about him.
"I wonder what made him just, run off like that!" James pondered.
"I dunno," Peter squeaked.
"I mean, here we are, in the middle of a civilized conversation, and he just comes dashing in here," Sirius said. "He sits down all nervously and shoves some food into his robes when he thinks we're not looking. And then, without even a single word of apology, he just dashes off into the sunset! What does he think he's playing at?"
"I dunno mate," James said. "Maybe he started to feel really sick or something."
"But then why shove the food down his robes?" Sirius questioned.
"Look, Sirius, you're just as confused about this as the rest of us. We'll just go back to our room and ask him. I'm sure he'll have a perfectly good explanation. We'll just have to trust him," James said soothingly.
"Alright," Sirius growled. "Let's go talk to Remus."
The three boys left the Great Hall and walked up to the Gryffindor tower, in search of Remus. However, when they reached their room, they saw that Remus was not there. He wasn't anywhere, it seemed.
"Where is he!" Sirius yelled. He was starting to become a little obsessed over Remus's location.
"Look, Sirius, you need to just calm down, okay?" James pleaded. "I'm sure Remus just isn't feeling good or something. Let's just leave it alone until tomorrow, okay?"
"Fine," Sirius spat. Hewent to bed reluctantly, waiting until the next day.
Remus awoke the next morning. He didn't know what time it was, but he did know one thing: that was one of the worst transformations he had ever experienced. There were numerous cuts all over his face, and a large gash on his left arm.
He was starving, so he ate some of the food he had hidden the night before. The bread was stale, but it was still very good.
Finally, when he felt he was himself again, he walked back up to the castle and into the hospital wing.
Madame Pomfrey was shocked at his appearance.
"Oh, dear, you look terrible! I'll get to work at once!" she said frantically. "You need some food. I'll send someone to get you some good food from the kitchens. And those cuts! Oh, dear, you poor child!"
Remus lay on the hospital bed and winced every so often as Madame Pomfrey healed his cuts.
After an hour of healing, a house elf came into the room with a platter of food for Remus. He devoured it while Madame Pomfrey watched disapprovingly, shaking her head whenever he took a particularly large bite.
"What?" he asked between bites of chicken. "I haven't eaten in twelve hours!"
She didn't answer.
"Where d'you reckon Remus is?" Sirius asked after an agonizing silence at breakfast.
"Sirius, I told you last night," James said irritably, "he's probably in the hospital wing. I'll tell you what. We'll go look after Transfiguration, okay?"
"Okay," Sirius said, "whatever."
When Transfiguration finally ended, Sirius dragged Peter and James into the Hospital Wing.
"What do you boys want?" Madame Pomfrey asked irritably.
"We wanted to know if our friend Remus Lupin is in here," James said.
"Yes, yes, he's over here. Keep your voices down, he's very weak," she ordered.
The boys followed her to a bed in a dark corner.
Remus was lying down, awake.
"Hey," he said wearily.
"Where were you last night?" Sirius demanded.
"Here," Remus lied.
"Why'd you run off like that?" James asked, his voice much nicer than Sirius's.
"Well, I'd been feeling bad all day, and then the sight of all that food was all I could take. I felt like I was going to throw up, so I ran for it. Professor McGonagall suggested that I come here, so I did."
"What was wrong with you?" Peter asked.
"The flu," Remus said quickly.
"How'd you get that scar on your arm?" Sirius asked suspiciously. He was positive he would've noticed it if it had been there before. It was huge and hard to miss.
"Oh, uh," Remus stuttered. "I tripped on my way up the stairs, and I uh, got this gash. Madame Pomfrey healed it for me and everything."
"Oh," Sirius said, positive that Remus was holding back the truth.
Remus sighed to himself. That was close.
"Well," James said, "since we're all here, I have some business to discuss."
He glanced at Madame Pomfrey to make sure she wasn't listening. She was busy cleaning something, so James shut the curtains and cast a silencing charm around them.
"Why so secretive, James?" Remus asked.
"Well, I've had an idea."
Remus and Peter groaned. They had only known James for a few weeks but had already figured out that it was never a good thing when he said that.
"Oh, come on! You'll love it. Okay, you know that greasy Slytherin, Snape?"
"Yeah!" Sirius said. "That git knocked all of my books out of my hands the other day and glared at me."
"Well, he's been giving me trouble too. I figured we show him who he's dealing with. What do you say?"
"Well, I dunno," Remus began.
"What do you propose we do, James?" Sirius asked.
"Uh, I thought I'd leave that up to you three," James said.
"Right. So you want to prank this kid but you don't know what to do," Remus said.
"I know!" Sirius said.
"Keep your voice down!" James hissed.
"Right. Well, you remember what I did to you?"
"Yes," James said, his cheeks burning at the memory.
"Well, let's do the same thing to Snape. I still remember how to make that potion. It's clear, so we could slip it into his pumpkin juice."
"How will we manage that?" Peter asked. "He'll see us if we put it in his juice, and he won't take anything from any of us."
"Ah, my dear friend, you've forgotten the resources that I have in an older brother. My dear brother, Regulus, knows his way around this place quite well. He told me where the kitchens are. The house elves will be ever so happy to help. We just tell them to put it in his juice. He sits at the same seat every meal, so it won't be a problem. It'll take me a few days to make the potion, but we can still pull it off."
"But we'll be seen! We can't just sneak into the kitchens! Someone will see us!" Peter said.
"No we won't!" James said.
"We won't?" Sirius and Peter both asked at the same time.
"Of course not. I completely forgot about it," James said. He looked around again. "I have an invisibility cloak."
"NO WAY!" Sirius roared.
"SHHH!" James and Remus scolded.
"My dad gave it to me before I left. Said it would come in handy. Boy was he right."
"So," Sirius said, "I'll make the potion. I'll even teach you. And then we'll sneak to the kitchens at night with your Invisibility Cloak. We'll tell the house elves which cup to put it into. We can say it's a present or something. They'll soak it up. And then we wait."
James grinned. Peter smiled awkwardly. Remus still looked worried.
"I don't know, guys-"
"It'll be fine, Remus. You'll have a blast," James said. "All we need now is a name."
"A name?" Peter asked.
"Of course. If we're going to become known around here, we need a name!"
"You mean like to call ourselves, like in that muggle story The Three Musketeers," Sirius said.
"Exactly."
The four of them thought for a few minutes. Then, Remus remembered something he had read as a child.
"How about the Marauders?"
Peter, James, and Sirius mulled over the name for a few minutes.
"I like it!" James said.
"Me too!" Sirius said.
"Me three!" Peter squeaked.
"Then it's settled. We're the Marauders!" James said.