So I hope you like this chapter. Please review and constructive critic is welcome. I know right now it might seem like the plot is kind of slow, but its getting there.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by someone else. These are just my thoughts on it.

Chapter 3- The Making of the Marauders

A group as finite as the Marauders doesn't just pop up over night. No. It was a continuously growing friendship. The structure was formed on their first train ride to Hogwarts, but it wasn't cemented until years later.

Perhaps it was when Sirius and Dorcas got in a fight with a bunch of Slytherins. As known from the previous encounter, since her first day at Hogwarts Dorcas had been in the Slytherin's bad book. Therefore, the Slytherin's had it out for her since day one. Because Sirius was also labeled as a blood traitor having been sorted into Gryffindor, he was in the same boat as Dorcas. Although perhaps it could also be blamed on themselves for the duo loved pulling pranks on Slytherins.

One day in their first year Lucius Malfoy had decided to take revenge. He and some fellow Slytherins had ambushed Dorcas on the way to Potions class. She was lost and desperately needed to get to class

"Well well! Looks like the little cub is lost in the dungeons." Lucius said in a sinister tone.

"Focus on the word cub you snake. We eat you for breakfast." Dorcas said boldly.

"Well will just have to see about that." Lucius said drawing out his wand ready to cause some serious damage.

Before he could however, Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter showed up. After noticing that she was missing from potions they went out to search for her and it was lucky that they did.

"You should know Malfoy as a Prefect that magic is forbidden in the hallways." Remus said.

"Yes I know that." Malfoy snapped.

"Well then you should also be prepared to sentence yourself to detention if you threaten our friend once more." James said.

Lucius realizing there were witnesses couldn't possibly harm Dorcas.

"One day we'll see who gets the last laugh." He said turning on his hell and leaving with the rest of his friends.

Or perhaps it was the day the five discovered their love of pulling pranks. It was one large uniting factor. The group's favorite target consisted of Filch, the grumpy care taker of Hogwarts. To them it appeared he loathed children and therefore his ultimate goal was to make them as miserable as he was. To the Gryffindors however that would just not to so they began pulling pranks on him.

And then of course there was also their hatred of Severus Snape. While he had never per say done anything to them, he was just so easy to hate. Snape was just such a know it all and a Slytherin to boot. Therefore, along with Filch, he became their second prank target.

What must have really done it was when Dorcas, Sirius, James and Peter discovered Remus' secret. Their good friend was to great surprise a werewolf. You see, for the past year and then some Remus had lied to them every full moon saying thinks such as he was leaving to visit a sick relative or his grandfather died. Eventually however the others figured his fury little secret out. Unlike how Remus thought they would react, his friends took it rather well. They did not loath him or find him disgusting, on the contrary, they wanting to help their fury little friend.

To go through the transformation monthly was a terrible experience. Locked up in the shrieking shack with nothing else to inflict damage on, Remus would hurt himself, an awful experience for one to go through, or more precisely, one that someone should never have to go through.

Remus also revealed how he became like this. "You see, my dad got into a bit of trouble with Fenrir Greyback. He's a werewolf." Remus explained. "And well Greyback is not one to be messed with." He added recalling the past. "So to punish my father he did this to me one full moon."

Between this horrid sob story and the pain Remus went through, the others knew they needed to help him so how, and find a way they did. The group would become animagus so they could help Remus and keep him company during his transformations.

The whole process took about three years, but by their fifth year, all, they were able to transform at will, a feat never heard of. It was nigh impossible as well as inconceivable for 15 year olds to be able to accomplish that. But indeed they did, and it became their little secret.

James, the up and coming transfiguration expert, transformed into a stag, hence the nickname Prongs. The equally intelligent Sirius became known as Padfoot because he was able to transform into a dog, very much like his cheerful fun loving self. Unlike the first two, Peter the not so naturally gifted, had a harder time learning to transform. He too however finally succeeded with the help of his friends to transform into a rat, hence the name worm tail.

Like Sirius, Dorcas was also naturally smart, and like James she too excelled in Transfiguration. Therefore, the process was as much of a breeze as it could be for a 15 year old student. There had always been something sly and cunning about her as the sorting hat said, so it came as no surprise to her when she transformed into a brilliant red fox. Like the others she received the distinguished nickname of redbrush, more commonly shortened to red because of her marvelous red tail.

Every full moon, the marauders convened. Remus would leave early with Madam Pomfry, and the rest would sneak out latter under the invisibility cloak belonging to James with Peter transformed already so they could fit better.

Once outside and away from the general vicinity of the castle the rest would transform. Gone were James, Sirius, and Dorcas only to be replaced with Prongs, Padfoot, and Redbrush. While most times Peter would do the honors of scampering past the whomping willow and hitting the knot on the trunk to stop its movement, sometimes he got a bit scared making it Dorcas' job to do so as she was the second to smallest in her fox form.

Once in the shrieking shack they would interact and play around with Remus as animals. Once comfortable with that, the friends would even leave the safety of the shack for the streets of Hogsmeade where they would just wander around under the cover of night.

Come sunrise, the four animagus would be back safely in their rooms exhausted but happy to have helped out their friends. Hanging with a werewolf wasn't exactly the safest of activities so as souvenirs of the night they would return with cuts, bruises, and the occasional scar, but it was all worth it because by doing so they were helping their friend. And besides, it was all good and fun seeing as they never got caught.

Dorcas, James, and Sirius especially bonded over their love of quidditch. While James played chaser marvelously, both Dorcas and Sirius played beater. Dorcas was not your typical beater for she was slight, but she made up for that with good aim, surprisingly hard hits, and excellent team work with Sirius. Needless to say, the three helped lead Gryffindor to the championships numerous of times.

So if one threatened the marauders with death or some other horrid punishment unless a date was chosen for when their friendship solidified, and for some reason the group decided not to retaliate, the five would without a doubt agree on the end of their fifth year. But that wasn't saying much for their bonds would continue to tighten for years to come.

And so their fifth year ended with a bang. OWLs were taken and aside from Peter the group was sure they had aced them. With that out of the way, they were free to just kick back, relax, and pull an extra prank of two.

Gryffindor had won the quidditch cup much to James, Sirius and Dorcas' joy, feeling that they really deserved it. Slytherin however won the house cup with Gryffindor in second place. Perhaps that had something to do with the exponential increase in Marauder pranks in which they often got caught resulting in docked points of detention. The mass of points they lost for Gryffindor might have caused the rest of their house to loath them if they were anyone else, but they were the Marauders and their house loved them and their audacity.

So with great sadness the group departed and each went their own way for the summer. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter back to their homes, and Dorcas sadly back to the orphanage. James had kindly invited her to stay at his house each year, but time and time again she was forced to reject. Under the orphanage's guardianship she couldn't possibly leave until she was eighteen, the muggle age of adult hood.

That summer things did not start off well for Sirius. He had never gotten along well with his family, but this summer was the last straw. They disowned him resulting in Sirius moving in with James and his family resulting in double trouble for the Potters. Needless to say, reunited, the two had loads of fun.

Remus was glad to be back home with his parents who loved him dearly, but of course there was the issue of the full moons. Without his friends to keep him sane his transformation grew more painful, and by the time the first transformation of the summer was over, he was almost begging to return to Hogwarts.

Peter was another story. He wasn't exceptionally close with his family. Both parents had important jobs in the ministry leaving him home alone often. Needless to say he was bored and miserable.

And then there was Dorcas who for all intensive purposes was locked up at the orphanage. While none knew she was a witch, over the years they had become all the more wary of her. It was a summer of loneliness, withering looks, and solitude. Not exactly her cup of tea. But that was how it was supposed to be until Mrs. Lupin, a muggle and Remus' mom, would pick her up to go shopping with her friends at Diagon Alley like she did every year.