Chapter 1. Surprising First Day

September 1st, 1976

Hogwarts castle looked as majestic as always, with its tall towers and intricate design. The students excitedly exit the train and make their way to the carriages, the first years being led to boats by a rather giant and burly looking man.

It was a short ride to the castle, with a few bumps here and there; everything seemed to be going smoothly until several relatively high pitched squeals filled the air. The squeals were followed by laughter and then a loud, rumbling boom. The students turned to the source of the sound and paled a little bit at sight.

"What is going on out here!?" An angry Minerva McGonagall walked towards the students, seemingly out of breath, "What is the hold-up? Students are waiting for the sorting, and none of their upperclassmen are there!"

A group of girls, sixth years, walked towards the fuming professor, grabbing her attention and interest. From the looks of the girls, she could tell what had happened. Before any of the girls could open their mouths, she waved her wand, and the slimy mess that covered them from head to toe was gone.

Minerva sharply scanned the crowd of students before asking, "Where are Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew!" Her voice was audibly filled with a resigned annoyance; she just knew this year was going to be a long one.

Four boys walked forward, stifling their laughs, and smiled at the thin-lipped teacher. One of the boys ran a hand through his hair and fixed his glasses before winking at the teacher. "It is lovely to see you again, professor Minnie. You look put together as always. Now before you say anything, I would like to apologize for what had happened."

This surprised everyone in the vicinity, "What happened, Mr. Potter? And you better not lie to me, or the detention you and your group of hoodlums are getting will be doubled. Now speak." Minerva can feel the migraine beginning to form and made a mental note to go to the hospital wing and ask Poppy for a migraine reliever.

James Potter let out a small laugh, looking at his friends, then back at the professor. "It is all just a big misunderstanding. You see, we were fooling around with a spell that we learned over the summer. Our target would never be my sweet little lily-flower; it was the Slytherins. We accidentally aimed at the girls and covered them with slime. I sincerely apologize."

The Slytherins hissed at the pranksters as they laughed, and the girls glowered at the boys. Minerva sighed before fixing the boys with a glare. "The four of you will receive one week of detention. Now, all of you head inside; the sorting is already late. We must not keep the first years waiting." With a quick look at the four boys, Minerva headed towards the crowd of anticipating first years.

Lily Evans huffed, sharing a look with her best friends, Alice Prewett and Marlene McKinnon. The three of them head inside, glaring once more at the four boys. Once everyone settled down at their respective tables and the teachers were in their seats at the head table, the sorting began. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew watched the small first years walk-in, and Sirius made a joke about how they kept getting shorter and shorter every year. Both Lily and Marlene shushed the boys, watching as a small blonde girl was sorted into Ravenclaw. However, James and Sirius only had eyes for the two girls, diverting their attention when the sorting was over and the food appeared.

With desert coming to an end, the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, stood. This action effectively halted all summer holiday conversation and talks about what their lessons would hold for the upcoming year.

The headmaster was an older man with a long silvery beard, and his blue eyes twinkled so brightly they could be seen at the back of the Slytherin table. Headmaster Dumbledore cleared his throat and began his yearly welcome speech.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts, and if you are new, I hope you enjoy your time here, learning about magic and exploring your own abilities. Before I get into the exciting part of the message, I would like us all to have a moment of silence for those who have not returned to us for another year. Let us remember Susan Palmer, who would have been in her last year here. Let us remember Edgar and Nolan Clarke, a second and fifth year respectively. Let us mourn for little Maisie Lexington, who would have been an incoming first year. Let us mourn for those that we have lost and for those that we could have known." Dumbledore let out a deep sigh, his gaze drifting from the sorrowful badgers to the quiet ravens. He felt his heart clench at the look of grief on his lion's faces. His snakes were also silent, most had their heads bowed in a show of respect, but some, like Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange, had a look of wicked glee and pride on their faces. Dumbledore was aware of what was going through their heads, but he could not force them on the right path; they would have to find it themselves. However, that did not mean he couldn't give them a small nudge.

Dumbledore cleared his throat once more, blinking away tears, and gave the children a small smirk. "Now onto more exciting news. Over the summer, I came across a most curious room on my routine check of the castle. This room was one I had never seen before. It had what any academic could ever want. There was a library filled with a multitude of books in varying subjects, from art to history, math to literature. Some were books that I have only seen in my travels to other countries, such as Japan, Germany, France, and the United States. There was a potions lab stocked with any ingredient you could think of, a dueling area equipped with many weapons, both magical and muggle. Lastly, there was a seating area, one that had a comforting aura. It was very soothing and quite a relief for my feet, as I was standing for five hours straight, making sure the castle was properly warded."

Professor McGonagall let out a small cough, which amused Dumbledore quite a bit. "Anywho, while I was examining the room, a book flew out of one of the many selves and opened up in front of me. The page the book landed on had an ancient but powerful spell written on it. This was a spell I have only heard mention of, one that people discussed but did not believe was real. It was a spell that Merlin himself invented."

The great hall was filled with shocked and excited students, many of whom asked questions or gossiped with their friends. The teachers looked at Dumbledore, intrigued. The noise only lowered when McGonagall shushed the students and turned towards the amused headmaster.

"You never mentioned this at the meeting yesterday Albus." Minerva was shocked that he had kept a secret from the staff,

"Please forgive me, Minerva, but I wanted this to be a surprise for the staff as well as the students." The old man seemed to falter under the glare of his friend and colleague, much to the student's amusement.

James and Sirius shouted out to the head table from the Gryffindor table, "Just tell us what the spell was!" Many students voiced their agreements with the two boys, the Slytherins only nodded in thanks, unable to verbalize anything positive to the two lions.

Dumbledore let out a soft laugh, and with a glance at Minerva, he continued where he left off.

"Now, where was I? Oh, I remember! Merlin invented, as you all know, many spells. Some we know of, while others have been lost to time, this was, as we all thought, one of those spells." He paused to take a sip of water, chuckling at the groans the students, and some of the teachers, let out. "This spell, if cast properly, can allow apparitions of people from the future to be seen by those in the past."

There was a long silence before Sirius let out a confused sound and stared at the headmaster. 'Am I supposed to understand what he said or...'

Lily shyly raised her hand and blushed when Dumbeldore said, "Yes, my dear?"

Pushing down her nervousness, Lily asked the question on most people's minds, "Sir, when you say the spell shows apparitions of people from the future, do you mean that if you were to cast the spell now, it would show future students?"

The whole hall was quiet, waiting for the powerful wizard's answer. "Yes, that is correct."

Lily seemed to have another question, "Would the spell only work on Hogwarts grounds?"

"The spell would only affect the area that the caster would think of when casting the spell."

"How long would we see the apparitions?"

"I believe the apparitions will appear for a little bit and then disappear, then reappear somewhere else at a different time."

"Will it play the same moment in time, or will it be different moments?"

"The description states that it will be different moments."

"Sir, I have one more question."

"Just the one?"

At that reply, most of the hall burst into quiet laughter.

Lily blushed but sat up straighter, "Sir, could you read the full description of the spell. It might answer every other question I have."

Dumbledore seemed to be thinking for a few seconds, and just as Lily was about to apologize for asking, he stretched out his arm and held his hand open. For a second, everyone was confused, and then a blur went past them. Now, in Dumbledore's previously empty hand, there was an old and tattered brown book. He flipped to the page the spell was on and cleared his throat.

"The spelleth of precognition. The one who is't casts this spelleth shalt beest able to seeth those who is't has't not yet been b'rn, events yond has't not taken lodging, and the consequences of current actions. to did cast the spelleth, bethink of how far thee wanteth the charm to affect. The spelleth shall lasteth until the counteth'r spelleth is releas'd 'r the did cast'r's objective hast been hath met. beest did warn; the spelleth hast a mind of its owneth. At which hour did cast, 'twill focus on one p'rson in the future, someone who is't charm deems w'rthy. Useth this spelleth with caution, and doth not taketh what thee seeth lightly."

This only made the students more confused; however, Lily brightened, seemingly able to understand what Dumbledore read. "The spell of precognition allows the person who cast the spell to pick where the spell affects. The spell shows a future where we hadn't cast the spell and just went on with our lives. It shows the results of our decisions and what we would have become. The spell lasts until the counter spell is cast or the caster's objective has been fulfilled."

James and Severus, a sixth-year Slytherin who was friends with Lily, both looked impressed with her ability to understand what Dumbledore had read. Sirius, on the other hand, snorted, "Oh, is that all?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"No, there is a warning," Remus stated, flicking Sirius's forehead, "According to the description, the spell has a mind of its own. The magic in the spell will pick a person to focus on, someone it deems worthy. It also states that we should not take what we see lightly."

At the Slytherin table, the seventh year, Bellatrix Black rolled her eyes and scoffed, playing with a strand of her perfectly curled hair. "What kind of spell is sentient? I've never heard such a ridiculous statement in my life."

Headmaster Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes twinkling merrily, something that annoyed the Slytherins, not that they showed it, "I fear that I will have to correct you, Miss Black. All magic is sentient. We can control it, yes, harness its power to do our bidding, but it is alive and has a will of its own. This is not something we cover in school; however, it is something that most wizards end up learning later in life. The castle itself is sentient, filled with its own magic and bits of magic from everyone who has ever stepped foot in its corridors or on her grounds. It takes a lot to keep this castle running, and the house-elves are certainly not doing all the work by themselves; there is only so much they can do."

This information had surprised every student in the hall. Was their magic alive? One look at the other teachers confirmed what Dumbledore had said.

Lily, once more, raised her hand. "Sir, I was wondering, are you going to cast the spell?"

Now Dumbledore laughed deeply, enjoying the looks of excitement and anticipation on the student's faces, 'I want them to keep that childhood innocence, for however long they can. As long as they are within these walls, they should never have to worry about war.' He looked at his fellow teachers, and with a smile, he stood once more.

"Are there any opposed to me casting the spell?"

"I am." Minerva stood, leveling Dumbledore with a stern glare, "What are you thinking? We have no clue what this spell could do! And what of our classes? Are we supposed to put the student's teaching on hold because you want to cast this spell!" She looked at Albus as if he had grown two heads.

"Now, Minerva dear, I never said we wouldn't teach the children. Of course, we would. Moreover, I have no intention of casting the spell if the students would not like me to. This could be an excellent teaching tool, but if the students feel as though they will not be able to handle class and see these apparitions, then I will not cast the spell."

James and Sirius decided that they would be spokesmen for the students, standing up on the table and gesturing to their fellow students. James spoke first, "We can handle going to classes and keeping up with the apparitions. I mean, look at me, I was made the captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team last year, and I was able to keep up with both schoolwork and quidditch. I'm sure that if we all just help each other out, we can cast the spell and still be able to complete our work." He made his argument seem noble, but the truth was, he wanted to see if he and Lily ended up together or not. If they had, then he would be the happiest man in the world, but if they hadn't ended up together, he would be able to figure out who stole his lily-flowers heart and steal it back.

Sirius nodded along to what James was saying, "And don't forget, Minnie, there is the spell that stops the apparitions. If you feel like we are not doing the same as we normally would, then you could just cast the spell and be done with it." Sirius also wanted to use the spell for selfish reasons. He wanted to see if he and Marlene had ended up together or not. He didn't doubt it, he was irresistible, and he knew it only a matter of time before she fell for his charms.

All the people in the great hall stared up at Sirius and James with wide eyes, even Remus and Peter. Dumbledore nodded his head lightly, still in shock of the reasonable and sensible plan the boys came up with; he looked at Minerva and inclined his head towards the boys, "They are right, Minerva. If you feel like the students are not living up to their full potential after one month, then we can put an end to the spell."

Minerva huffed lightly, not willing to look in the headmaster's eyes, knowing that if she did, she would give in. Unfortunately for her, she looked out at the students, many of whom were sporting pouty lips and puppy dog eyes. With a heavy sigh, she looked at Albus and gave a stiff nod.

The hall burst into cheers, James and Sirius being the loudest. Once everyone settled down, Dumbledore picked up the old book and looked at the students. "Now remember, you all must be able to keep your grades up and help each other, or else the spell stops, and we go back to a normal school year." He smiled as he saw all the students nod their understanding.

He glanced down at the spell, memorizing it at a speed that most people his age would not be able to do. Albus lifted his wand, closed his eyes, and began uttering the words for the spell. All those in the room tried to pick up the words he was saying, mostly Bellatrix and her group of Slytherins.

As Dumbledore continued to cast the spell, the air in the room began to thicken. Every person in the room could feel the magic pouring out of the headmaster; it felt like pressure was being put on them. Then it felt like a piece of their magic was being taken, something that worried the students, especially the purebloods and the first years. Some of the first years began to cry, confused and worried. Their fellow housemates grabbed onto them, whispering words of comfort, but the person who brought them full relief was the headmaster, who was still concentrating on the spell, "No need to panic, none of your magic is being taken from you. The spell is just trying to identify who you all are; that way, the apparitions won't play for anyone other than the people in this room."

His words calmed the first years down, as did the lack of pressure. The spell was almost complete. With just a few more words, Dumbledore completed the spell, and the room went back to normal. The first years thanked their housemates and laughed at their overreactions.

Lily stroked the hair of the little girl she was hugging and looked up at the headmaster, "Is that it?"

All the teachers and students looked at Albus and cheered when he nodded. He sat down and took a sip of water, "The first apparition should appear sometime tomorrow. Remember, not all of us have to be present for an apparition to appear. Only the spell can decide who gets to see and who can't. Now off to bed, I read in a new issue of 'Weekly Magical Medicine' that children grow the most when sleeping, so best sleep as long as possible before class tomorrow."

The students laughed at the headmaster's words, many comparing his statement to one their grandfathers would make. Prefects led the first years to their common rooms, with the other years trailing behind them, gossiping about the apparitions.

"I bet we will see our kids lily-flower!" James yelled out to the prefect, who had paused to glare at the messy-haired boy.

"What do you mean "our'' children?" She replied indignantly, "If I were to have a child, it definitely would not be with you! I could never be with a bullying toe-rag like you!" Lily stomped back to the front of the line and gently guided the first years forward before turning back around and looking back at the downtrodden boy. A part of her felt bad for being rude, but she swore that she wouldn't get involved with those boys after what happened last year.

James was hurt by how quickly she dismissed the idea of them having children, but a foolish, or perhaps hopeful, part of him thought that she had changed her mind when she turned around. However, she looked past him to his friend, Remus, and asked, "Are you going to help me with the first years or not? You are a prefect Remus; it is your job."

The three boys looked at Remus, who had glanced at them briefly before sighing. "She is right, I am a prefect. I'm sorry, guys."

"It's fine, Moony, just don't forget that you have to get snacks for tonight," Sirius barked out a small laugh at the look of annoyance on Remus's face.

Peter nodded his head, laughing along with Padfoot and Prongs, "Padfoot is right, I got the snacks last year. Now it's your turn."

James snickers, clearly enjoying the situation, "Good luck with the elves, Moony!"

Before Remus could reply, Lily called for him once more. He nodded at the boys and made his way upstairs and to the enraged redhead and wide-eyed first-years.

Once everyone made it to the dorms, and the tour was done, The three boys sat on the couch near the fireplace while Remus left to get the snacks.

"Do you think that you and Evans are going to end up together?" Sirius questioned.

James got a faraway look in his eyes, and a small smile made its way to his face. Even a blind man could see that he truly loved Lily Evans. "I do. I could never be with anyone else. I won't settle for anyone other than Evans." He glanced at Lily, sitting at one of the tables near the windows with her friends. "What about you and Marlene, Padfoot? Do you think you two will end up together?"

The aforementioned had a goofy smile on his face that quickly changed to a smirk, "I'm sure we will, after all, who wouldn't fall in love with me?"

"Anyone with eyes and half a brain." Remus jokes, he had arrived, his arms loaded with a multitude of snacks. Once they split the snacks between themselves, they head to their dorm room and rush to their beds.

Peter watched as his friends split a box of Bertie bot's every flavor beans, laughing when Sirius got earwax instead of toffee. He couldn't imagine being in any other house, even though sometimes he did not feel like a brave and courageous lion. He just hoped that he would never lose his friends; no matter what happens, he would not fail to be by their side, just like they would not fail to be by his side.

When all the candy and baked goods were devoured, the boys got ready for bed. One by one, they took showers, brushed their teeth, and put on their pajamas, making light conversation. The discussion topics were pranks; of course, they are the marauders, after all, upcoming quidditch matches, girls, and finally, the apparitions. They were in bed when Peter brought up the topic, saying that when Dumbledore had cast the spell, it felt like his magic was being pulled on.

Remus nodded, "I didn't think Dumbledore had it in him to cast a spell that powerful."

"He is pretty spry for someone his age," Sirius grinned, "I was afraid he was going to collapse after casting that spell."

James laughed but looked down, deep in thought. "Do you guys think we might see our kids?"

The others were about to laugh but froze when they saw the look on James's face. He seemed to be vulnerable, looking for a proper answer. Peter and Sirius turned to Remus, their eyes begging him to say something. Remus looked down for a minute, then he looked at James, smiling, "I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to have kids, but I think it is likely that we will see little Potters, Blacks, and Pettigrews." Towards the end, Remus's smile became a bit more cynical, self-loathing clear on his face.

Sirius put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure there is a girl out there for you, Moony, one who will accept you and your furry little problem."

"Yeah? I wonder where she is right now?" Remus questioned in a dismissive tone.

James laughed a tad bit, before chucking a pillow at Sirius's head, "Maybe she just came to Hogwarts? Or maybe she might show up next year?"

Remus paled a little at the thought that his future wife could be six years younger than him. Sirius, on the other hand, was laughing loudly, chucking two more pillows at James, "Maybe, she hasn't been born yet?"

If Remus was pale before, he was as white as snow now. He couldn't handle the thought that his wife could be sixteen years younger than him!

"Come on, Padfoot, we all know that if that were true, Moony wouldn't even ask her out! She would have to make the first move, and even then, he would shut her down, too scared to 'taint her innocence' or something just as noble."

Sirius let out a large sigh, "Imagine being that old and still have a girl half your age vying for your attention; that would be awesome."

Peter laughed, James smirked, and Remus felt like throttling them.

"All I can think about is the conversation with the parents of that poor girl, "Yes, sir, not only am I twice the age of your daughter, I also turn into a carnivorous monster once a month, but don't worry, I promise she is one hundred percent safe with me." I don't think it would go well." Remus shook his head ruefully.

James took this as an opportunity to throw a pillow at Remus, who caught it and hurled it at Sirius before it could hit him, "Calm down, Moony, you're the nicest guy I know. You care about the little things; you keep everything nice and tidy, you get perfect grades, you're a hard worker, you even iron and fold your socks! What kind of man wouldn't want you to be with their daughter?"

Remus looked aggravated, his eyes flashing a warm yellow before switching back to normal, "Would you?" At the three boy's confused faces, he let out another sigh before explaining, "Let's say, hypothetically, none of you knew me. You guys have a daughter; you love her to the moon and back. One day, she comes up to you, and she says, "Daddy, I met a guy, and I like him!", you would automatically hate this boy, right?" He paused for an answer and continued when he got three nods back, "Now imagine, she brings him home, and it isn't a boy. It's a grown man twice her age. Would you be comfortable with him dating your daughter?"

It was James who answered first, "No, I wouldn't be. Honestly, I think I would strangle him." Sirius nodded his head, "To be fair, I would probably strangle any guy that even thinks about dating my daughter." Peter shook his head at James and Sirius, "But, you're not some stranger, Moony, we know you!"

This seemed to make Remus even angrier, "So you three are saying that if your daughter liked me, one of your best mates, and I liked her, you would allow us to go out?"

Now the three boys were utterly silent, something that both satisfied and hurt the werewolf. "See! It's easy to talk when it's not your daughter."

James stood, walking over to Remus. For a second, Remus thought he would punch him, but instead, he was hugged.

"I know you, Remus, I know what kind of person you are. If I had a daughter who loved you and wanted to pursue a relationship with you, I would be weirded out initially, but I think I would be okay with it. Hear me out, if she loved you and you loved her, then who am I to come in between you two? I know you would treat her right. So there is nothing to worry about." James patted him on the back, then strolled back to his bed.

Sirius agreed, "Prongs has a point, if anything, that would make life so much easier. We wouldn't have to worry about her getting hurt or anything; knowing you, you would take care of her every whim."

"We trust you, Moony, and we always will." Remus smiled at Peter, wiping away the tears that had fallen during James's mini-speech. "Alright, I feel better now, but just so we're clear, I will be trying to avoid falling in love with anyone more than three years younger than me, just to be on the safe side."

Sirius snorted, "As long as you're happy, Moony, now good night! I don't know about you guys, but I would like to wake up early tomorrow. I don't want to miss any apparitions." The boys agreed, shutting the lights off and drifting to sleep.

That night, James dreamt about Lily. She was a bit older, more mature-looking, but still breathtaking. In her arms was a small girl with red hair, just like his Lily's; her eyes, however, were hazel, just like his. Suddenly, a boy ran into the room, he looked just like himself, but he had Lily's gorgeous emerald eyes. James never felt such a powerful yearning before, and he so wished that this is what his future held for him. The rest of the night, James had a smile on his face, and that is how he would wake, beaming like a fool, a fool in love.