Hello, I abandoned this story long ago, but for some reason it sprang back into my mind recently and I've decided to continue it. Here goes.
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling's characters, not mine, except for any original characters that may appear.
Chapter 12
The Marauders are Born
James Potter was restless. The muggy night air of the common room made his head feel thick and stupid. He could not concentrate at all on his History of Magic essay, though he usually absorbed dates and information easily, he just could not concentrate on the task at hand. Not even the thought of his plan to throw Filibuster fireworks in the boy's toilets tomorrow cheered him. All his thoughts were on that bushy red-haired girl Lily Evans. He had tried a new hex he learned on Snivelus to impress her, but to his great dismay she had told him off. She said he was just a child, who would never take anything seriously. But he did take things seriously, he would show her…
Sirius, if possible, was even more restless than James. Where was Remus? He had been gone for two whole days without a word to anyone. When Sirius asked Professor McGonagall about Remus's absence she merely sniffed and told him to keep to his own affairs. James and Peter were concerned initially, but James seemed to have other things on his mind and Peter…well Peter was just…
Peter sat curled up on a cushy chair licking a melted Chocolate Frog from his fingers, looking as though he hadn't a care in the world.
Remus emerged from the portrait hole and nervously (and a bit woozily) approached his friends. When Sirius saw him he leapt from his chair, "Remus where have you been?"
"I-er—I found out my Granma Zelda is sick, she has—uh, cancer. So I rushed off to see her," Remus answered feebly.
Sirius did not know quite what to say, "Well, I hope she gets better," was all he could muster in the way of comfort. He cursed himself for not being able to find the right words. Curse his family and their cold hearts, it was their fault he was like this.
"Thank you," Remus gave a disarming smile while he thought desperately for a way to change the subject, but was rescued by none other than the brilliant James Potter.
"Ah Remus my dear boy," James said sweetly, "Just the man I wanted to see. I have a plan and I need you--"
"He's not going to help us throw fireworks in the toilets James, he's told us a million times," Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Ha!" said James, "What a childish idea. We're through with this kiddy mischief, gentleman. We are through with being immature n'er- do- wells!" said James with all the force of a general making a speech to his troops, "It is time…for some serious mischief."
Remus and Sirius stared blankly at James. Even Peter, who had scuttled after James in time for the speech, was not squeaking with excitement.
Finally Sirius sighed and humored James, "What sort of serious mischief?"
"Well, last night I decided to do a little investigating of the new secret passageway we found the other day behind the statue of Gregory the Gaseous," began James.
"Without me?!" Sirius looked insulted.
"Sorry my friend but you had to be compromised for this particular mission. Too busy pining of Reemmyy," James made loud smooching noises, ruining what military demeanor he had.
"James, first of all, you are gross. Second of all, you've been pining over Lily Evans since we got here. And third of all I can get more girls than y—well, Peter, can dream of."
James waved him away, "No more lists, lists will compromise the mission. Anyway, when I was about halfway to 'ol Gregory, Filch saw me and I tried to run back here…but, it's weird he just kept popping up wherever I was, no matter how fast I ran. I started to get desperate, I didn't want another detention of scrubbing slug slime off the Potions counters. I wished I could be invisible so Filch could never find me."
James took a breath, "And all of a sudden this door appeared, I never noticed it there before, but I hid in it. It was just this little stone room…with a coat rack. Here, c'mon," James ran up to the dormitory and motioned the others to follow.
The others waited, puzzled, as James dug through his trunk. Finally he pulled out a silvery, translucent cloak. James smirked as he threw it over his head and heard the others gasp.
Remus was the first to get over his astonishment, "Should you really trust something like that? I mean, you found it alone in an otherwise empty room—a room that should not exist," he lectured gently.
James ignored the cautionary Remus, "Do you know what this means Sirius?"
Sirius quivered, "We'll have free reign of the castle…"
"We'll be able to perpetrate some serious mischief," James smirked and told the others in a hushed voice about his plan.
Remus had to admit, as he drew on a corridor wall with his wand, James had thought of something rather sophisticated. He just wished he did not have to play such a big part of it. He was the best in the class at Drawing and Replication Charms. James had drawn an incredibly crude, yet political cartoon. Sirius practically exploded with joy when he saw it.
It was a caricature of Slughorn on his hands and knees, kissing the bare ass of a caricature of a representative of the Malfoy family, who was having tea with other big names in wizardry—the Blacks, the Goyles, the Bulstrodes—all snootily conversing in word bubbles.
"Blah, blah, blah Mudbloods."
"I'm better 'cause I wipe with diamond encrusted toilet paper."
"I'm a dumbhead." (That one was Peter's idea)
The wall sized cartoon was simply titled "Brownnoser." The characters did not move (they had not learned to Animate yet) but this did not make the work of art any less grand to the four boys.
"This is incredible," Sirius put his arms around the necks of James and Remus under the cloak, "Great work Remus."
Remus glowed, despite the illegality of the act he felt useful and liked.
/&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&/
The school was in uproar the following morning. Some were angry, but most laughed and were quite impressed. James puffed out his chest when he saw Lily giggling at "Brownnoser"
The mirth lasted until McGonagall stormed up the corridor and removed the drawing with a flick of her wand. She glared at crowd until it dispersed. The classes and common rooms were alive with discussion and the four boys enjoyed the feeling of anonymous celebrity.
That evening in the dormitory James called the other three to his side.
"We must christen ourselves. This is the dawn of something awesome. We are now a group of justice, a group of truth--"
"A group that steals cakes from the kitchens and terrifies house elves!" Sirius crowed.
Remus rolled his eyes, "I think this is a little much…"
"We need to call ourselves something and sign our acts of mischief with it," James's eyes were wide, "We'll be legends…how about The Crimson Vandals!" he waited for a reaction.
"That sounds like a name from a lame Muggle comic book," said Peter.
"How about The Slytherin Beaters?" suggested Black.
"Lame."
"The Trailblazers," said James.
"Lame."
"The Damned Dirty Apes!" said Sirius.
"Lame."
Sirius snarled at Peter, "Then why don't you think of something!"
Peter turned red and began to pick at his shoes.
"How about The Marauders?" Remus said quietly, pretending to be reading one of his schoolbooks, silently praying Peter or the other two boys would not denounce it as "lame."
"Rem," said James, "That's brilliant!"
Sirius nodded in agreement and Peter mumbled affirmation.
"The Marauders," said James with relish.
: ) And so, The Marauders are born. Review please!