Birth of a Legend
Chapter VI: Snape's Worst Memory!1
As the end of their fifth year was drawing to a close, Remus found he was more and more busy. His duties as a Prefect were put off, thanks to the happy arrival of their O.W.L.'s that they'd be taking in just another week. It the test that would let them know what classes they were good at and would help them make their choices for the classes they'd be taking for the last two years of their schooling. It was June first and they had exactly one week of nothing but reviews before the tests began. Remus had confidence in his skills, but honestly, he was beginning to think his friends would have one class a piece once their sixth year came around.
So, Remus had come up with an idea. He was going to tutor his friends as much as he could as well as anyone else who wanted the help. The flyer had been set up in the common room, announcing help for anyone who wanted assistance for the upcoming O.W.L.'s. It was half an hour after the appointed time he'd set up for a meeting time and not a single person had bothered to show up. This included Sirius, James, and Peter. There was a strange tick in his forehead from this knowledge and he was more than certain that they were probably off chasing girls or causing troubles, even as they knew they had a very set of important tests coming in the next week.
After forty-five minutes of just sitting around, Remus sighed and closed the book he'd been looking over and got up, murmuring a soft spell he'd come up with that would help him find his friends. An outline of one of the halls of the school seemed to glitter before Remus and three names floated together. At least the three of them were all together. Yet it was irritating how far away they were. He swore they were all going to be jinxed and left leg locked in place for the next week… if only because he feared for their grades and coming choices for the upcoming school year. James had joked about becoming an Auror. Sirius had agreed that did sound like a rather interesting job. Yet both boys needed to get passing grades in their DADA, Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration classes. While he was sure his friends would do fine in Transfiguration, he wasn't so certain about the rest of them. Not to mention they'd need one more class to round out their schedules for the next two years. And they'd need a minimum of five N.E.W.T.'s before the ministry would even look their way.
Remus paused in his thoughts, which he had been lost in as he made his way to the location of his friends, to double check the area he was at so he knew he was on the right path. Once he was certain it was right, he moved to keep on going, grumbling under his breath as he could hear the sounds of taunting and teasing reaching his ears. Damn the boys… could they just once not find enjoyment in teasing everyone on campus. Peter's nervous voice piped up and Remus was once more reminded of why he was a part of the Marauders. Peter worshiped James and Sirius… wanted to be like them… but honestly the boy was just too shy and nervous to ever be just as they were. So he went along with everything the others planned, even when he didn't like it. He didn't want Sirius and James to hate him because he was against their plans. Remus didn't hold these things against him. They made Peter who he was. Of course, Remus worried that Peter's follower habits would lead to the boy never having a mind of his own… but if he could keep James and Sirius from doing anything too terrible, then Peter, in turn, would also be safe.
"Padfoot, Prongs, Wormtail… what are you doing over here?" Remus asked as he came up behind them, his expression serious and upset.
James looked up from the students they were tormenting to freeze, his eyes growing a bit wide. "Um… Moony… why do you look like you want to hurt us?" he asked, which in turn caught Sirius' attention. With James and Sirius' focus off the students they'd been casting spells on, the two who had been victims were able to scramble away and out of sight before the two could return to them.
Sirius twitched at the look on Remus face and he tried to play his trump card. "Come now, Moony, why such an expression on your handsome face. You shouldn't put expressions like that on it."
A part of Remus liked hearing those words, but he wouldn't let his crush on Sirius sway his anger at the other men. "Don't try to sweet talk me, Padfoot. We're putting an end to your goofing off now. You were supposed to meet in the Common Room more than an hour ago!"
"Oh, Moony, was that today? I could have sworn that was supposed to happen tomorrow," James commented, trying to placate their upset friend.
"Don't give me that old line, Prongs. I know for a fact you knew it was today, just because I told you this afternoon… during lunch and you all swore you'd be there," Remus came back with, honestly ready to beat the living hell out of his friends. In fact, the way they were acting was serious getting on his nerves.
"Well… we did forget when we were supposed to meet up," Peter added, as if wanting to help James and Sirius and calm down Remus at the same time.
"Yeah, Rem, we totally forgot about it. So can you please… forgive us," Sirius commented, jumping on Peter's words to try to placate their friend.
James didn't even get to add a single word in. Before all three boys could blink Remus had his wand out and cursed Sirius and James with a Petrificus Totalus. Peter began to shiver, his eyes wide as he tried to hide behind the stunned and stiff bodies of his hero's. "M… Moony, come on now… calm down. I'm sorry we forgot. I'm more than certain Padfoot and Prongs are as well."
"Wormtail, are you going to come along willingly or do I need to do the same to you?" Remus asked his expression serious and very angry. Peter squeaked like the very animal he could turn into and without warning took his rat form and scurried up Remus' body to rest on his shoulder. He squeaked once more, as if to say he'd go where ever he wanted as long as he didn't cast a spell on him. He sighed, brushing his hair from his eyes. "Good. Now, Mobilicorpus," Remus remarked, swishing his wand and casting another spell on the petrified boys. This one levitated James and Sirius and caused them to follow Remus. Sure, he was on break as a Prefect, but he was still perfectly allowed to punish those who broke the school rules. It didn't matter that they were his friends. He was honor bound to deal with them if they were caught breaking the rules. At least, this is what Remus told himself as he marched them right back to their dorm.
Once they were back in the dorm common room, Remus removed both spells from the boys and pushed them into their seats, before casting Impedimenta on their legs, so that James and Sirius weren't about to be able to go anywhere. Both boys, themselves, looked repentant, neither one willing to anger Remus any more than they already had. Remus then looked to Peter, who was still in his rat form on his shoulder and his hazel gaze darkened. "Okay… now get down and sit as well, Wormtail… or I'll put jinxes on you as well."
Peter scurried down and over to a chair, changing back to his human form when he knew it was safe and sitting there as if he had always been there. "Teach us, oh mighty and powerful Moony!" Peter called out, hoping if he sucked up he wouldn't end up like James and Sirius, even if it wasn't what a proper follower of the others would do. With all of them properly settled, Remus began teaching their little group what he could.
On June eighth, the O.W.L.'s testing officially began. The first test the Marauder's had to face was Charms. For the next several days, they would have major tests in the main classes they attended. They had their written tests in the day time and practical exams in the evenings. On days they didn't have a class that was giving their O.W.L.'s the boys got to relax. Of course, for them, that break consisted of Remus teaching them more for the O.W.L.'s that were yet to come.
The morning of June eleventh brought the DADA O.W.L.'s. The written tests were held in the morning with the practical exams in the afternoon. Remus was still busy with one of the professors and they agreed to meet outside for some fresh air for their next study session. Yet James and Sirius weren't happy, especially when they saw the object of their unhappiness near the tree they usually relaxed against when outside. During the DADA O.W.L., Severus Snape had made several comments, all bad mouthing Remus, while waiting for their practical exams. They were all under his breath and mostly meant to go unheard, but they were as close to the truth as James and Sirius had ever heard and they certainly weren't happy about it. If he decided to get louder next time… there ran a good chance of Remus ending up under heavy suspicion, if not getting him instantly expelled. Putting Severus' earlier words together with his presence near the tree, and they couldn't stop their actions, even if they wanted to.
"Well, well, what have we here?" James commented, his voice haughty, arrogant. Sirius smirked, catching where James was going with this.
"Why if it isn't little Snivellus, out here on your own, are you?" Sirius asked, his voice just as taunting.
"Leave him alone," a young woman's voice remarked. Stepping out from the other side of the tree was Lily Evens, her red hair shining in the dim sunlight, her green eyes blazing emerald fire as she stared down James and Sirius.
"Come on, Wormtail, Padfoot," James called, wand out. He was already upset and not even having Lily angry at him was going to stop him. Severus pulled his own wand, only earning a smirk from James. "Expelliarmus!" he called out, sending the others wand far away from them.
"Nice one James," Sirius remarked, laughing at the look of surprise crossing the greasy haired young man's face. As well as the fear that began to show. Then, to ensure the other couldn't get his wand, Sirius used an Accio spell to have it sent to him; his eyes almost wicked in their intensity.
James then went on to cast Impedimenta on the man, keeping him from running away, as he had been in the process of doing. Lily continued to complain, telling James to stop, but without her wand, since she'd left it back in her dorm room, she was completely useless for the moment.
Sirius then used a levitation spell to raise Severus up off the ground and began spinning him around. He shared a look with James before glancing toward Severus once more. "You're a bastard, Snivellus and you're never to try to say something so callus about anyone ever again," he growled, watching the man.
"To stress the point… let's take off Snivellus' trousers," James called, a cold smirk forming as he'd glanced from Lily back to Severus. He knew she'd come to hate him, but he couldn't stop this. The man wouldn't learn unless they fully drilled it into him. He used a vanishing spell and as he was hanging upside down, the baggy and rather old pair of gray undershorts the other had been wearing was now quite visible for all to see.
Lily gasped, rushing toward Severus. "Hold on Sev, I'll help you," she remarked, planning on finding a way, even without her wand, to help him.
"I don't want your help, you filthy little mudblood," Severus snarled from his upside down position, despite the fact he really didn't want to lash out at her that way. Yet he was hurting and embarrassed and all he wanted to do was lash out at whoever was around.
Lily's eyes went wide and her cheeks showed a faint red of embarrassment, before she turned on her heel and ran off.
Of course, hearing those words from Severus toward Lily, who had been doing nothing but trying to help him, was the final straw and set James off. His eyes glittered with unhidden anger as he cast a Scourgify spell on Snape's mouth, washing it out. James then moved close to him, his lips curved into a frown. "Don't you EVER use that word again," he commented, before pushing at the prone body, making him sway in the air.
"Stupefy," Sirius hissed, completely immobilizing the Slytherin boy before letting him slowly fall to the ground. They hated him, but they didn't want him dead.
"Padfoot, Prongs, Wormtail, what are the three of you doing?" Remus called, running toward them, Lily in tow.
"Just dealing with a foul mouthed rat," James called back, glancing toward Peter. "No offense, Wormtail."
Wormtail shook his head, his eyes growing wide. "Oh, none taken, Prongs," the boy replied, slightly nervous and afraid of the look that still seemed to rest in James' eyes.
"Well, stop it this instant," Remus said, coming up to kneel before Severus, checking his neck for his pulse. He used the counter curse for the Impedimenta curse and knew it was just a matter of time till he awoke from the Stupefy. He sighed, using Mobilicorpus one Snape, shaking his head. "I'm going to take him to the infirmary. I expect all three of you to be in the dorm room studying for tomorrows exams by the time I return." His voice was so serious the other three knew they had better not get there after Remus did or they would be in worse trouble than they had been before. Rather, in worse trouble than it was obvious they already were. So, they headed back to the common room to study.
"Now… we won't ever tell Rem the real reason why we were really doing this, right?" Sirius remarked, his voice low and quiet as they walked.
"I agree. He doesn't need to know we got upset because of something said about him. He'd feel like it was his fault if we did," James answered, his voice just as soft.
"I agree as well," Peter pitched in, wanting to be included in the secret.
"Good, then let's go study and make Rem proud of us… and hopefully we'll never have to deal with Snivellus again." The boys all nodded in agreement and quickly headed back to the common room, hoping against hope that they made it back before Remus did.
Author's Note: Small note: The chapter title actually comes from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It was the title of Chapter Twenty-Eight and is used here because it was very fitting, both for the story and the content there-in. I am not copy-writing or putting anything else from the books into it than that… at least I don't think I am… and certainly am not using it to profit from it.
Due to getting a couple more reviews than I normally get… as well as ones that were glowing reviews, I felt I just had to put this up ahead of when I was planning to do so. I only have chapter seven done so far… life kind of kidnapped me and I'm barely beginning eight. Yet I feel the more people who let me know they want more, even if it's just to say they want more, then I'm sure to crank out even more chapters in the three days off from work I have this weekend. I already finished up seven just as I was getting ready to post this… and that's just from a couple of reviews. I'm sure the more people let me know they want me to update faster… the more I'll be eager to write more to make you all happy. Of course, I'm not expecting a ton of reviews… I just hope I can get twice as many as the last chapter pulled in. Perhaps more… who knows? Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed. I hope the story is still living up to your expectations. There will be Sirius and Remus at some point… I just firmly believe that good things take time, especially between these two.