A/N: And here it is, the last chapter of the Marauders first year at Hogwarts. I know it's gonna be shorter than the others, but the last chapters of each year I've written as a sort of mini-epilogue to each year. Sorry if some of you don't like the way I've written it, but I can't have everything happen in the first year and have nothing for the upcoming years. On the Brightside, this means second year is coming up! And we're creeping ever closer to the all important seventh year (which I'm dying to get started on!) I hope my interpretation of their first year has been enjoyable, now we can get to the really good stuff!
A quick note, this story hasn't finished, simply their first year. The next years are still under this title, and the first chapter of second year will be up tomorrow
Review responses:
BloodMoonRising: Glad you liked it :D Lily is a feisty young thing, she wasn't going to stand for wha Vivian said! And as for Sirius' meeting with his parents, we won't find out just yet, it's part of a much bigger story line :D Thanks for reading, and I hope you like this conclusion to first year!
Vampfromthemountain: Here it is! Sorry I made you wait, I hope this was worth the wait! Thanks for reading and reviewing, enjoy!
quirky-as-alice: He'll be fine, trust me! I'm not going to have him suffer too much, I promise. There's much more to come for Sirius, both happy and sad, all of which I hope you'll enjoy! Thanks for reviewing and reading, and enjoy the next chapter :D
fairydustandcansofspam: We're not done with Sirius and his parents just yet, but Sirius always struck me as one not too talk about his feelings too much, well, at least that's not how I've written him. His meeting with his parents is part of a bigger storyline, and I can't give everything away just yet. Hope you liked it anyway, and I hope you like the conclusion to their first year too.
evershort: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! When I first wrote the Lily/Vivian scene, I had just been watching POA, and I couldn't resist! And Sirius will get his happiness, don't worry. No, I'm not stopping the fic. This is just the end of first year, second year will be up tomorrow, it's just new chapters And as for length, I find myself adding new things all of the time, and when I'm done it's always mega long, so I have to move things to other chapters and cut things out! I'm trying to keep it under ten pages for each chapter, I don't want it being so long people will get tired reading it halfway through. This chapter is a little shorter than the others though, I hope you don't mind, but it's more of a conclusion and re-cap, so to speak, it'll be like that for each year. Thanks for reading and reviewing, I hope you've like the first year!
Disclaimer: I'm writing fan fiction...clearly I don't own HP!
The Marauders Tale: The Hogwarts Years
Chapter Eight
The End of the First Year
The last Quidditch game of the season was between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff, even admitted by Jonny, had an exceptionally strong team this year, second only to Slytherin, who had beat Ravenclaw the previous week and taken home the cup. Gryffindor were now playing for third place, much to the disappointment of James and Sirius, who vowed that next year when they joined the team, they would ensure the cup was brought back to Gryffindor. James had already spoken with Jonny, who had told them there would be four free positions next year, as many on the team were seventh years who were now leaving.
Gryffindor won, 120-100, keeper Jonny achieving some spectacular saves during the game. Seeker Nina Walton caught the snitch after a neck and neck race with Hufflepuffs Amos Diggory, much to the annoyance of Amos (he could turn quite huffy when it came to Quidditch).
Jonny organized an after party in the Gryffindor common room to celebrate their 'third place' status, and promised the entire crowd they would bring home the cup next year. Whilst James and Sirius were adamant this would happen, James noticed several students seemed to be losing faith in the team. That would all change, in his opinion, once he and Sirius joined the team. Not to brag, but James was rather good.
~**~
As the end of James's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry drew ever closer, he began to reflect on all that happened since he set foot on platform 9 ¾.
He had made some amazing friends, friends he knew would be lifelong. Sirius Black, whom perhaps he was growing closest too, was most like him in attitude and humour. They were inseparable; it was almost as if they were joined at the hip. The two were slowly garnering themselves quite a reputation as pranksters, be it big scale, like the Valentine's day prank he and Sirius had came up with, which involved a tricky little charm James had found in a library book which caused the suits of armour within the castle to shout rather cheeky little messages to all the girls (and Snape) as they walked past. Despite losing Gryffindor fifty points apiece, receiving a good old shout at from Lily and a month's detention each from McGonagall, (Sirius had tried to sweet talk the Professor, but ended up earning an extra week for calling her Minnie), James could have sworn he heard tiny Professor Flitwick commenting to Professor McGonagall on how advanced the charm they'd used was, and that he was impressed that James and Sirius had managed to pull it off. Or be it small scale, like turning Nancy Dunn's hair green for an entire day and charming a group of second year girls' bags to refuse to open.
Since their little midnight stroll, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had taken to wandering the halls almost nightly, searching for any other hidden passages. So far, they had only discovered two, the one Peter had accidently fell into behind the mirror on the fourth floor, and one that led from the portrait of the screaming Banshees on the second floor to the bookcase in the History of Magic classroom on the first floor, ensuring they would never again be late for the lesson (not that they were bothered with being late to such a tedious lesson anyway). Sirius had taken to writing down all of their findings on a piece of parchment he kept under his pillow in their dormitory for 'future reference', adding it to the list of trick steps and hidden doorways they'd already found.
However the biggest thing to happen that year, and perhaps the worst, was the news they received on the fourteenth of May. Lord Voldemort, an advocate for the 'purification' of the wizarding world, and his Death Eater minions struck again, this time in a small village near the city of Manchester. However, it was an attack against wizards this time, which was what shocked their world the most.
Aaron Turner's grandparents, who were both Muggle borns, and were well respected throughout the Ministry after speaking out against the Muggle attacks, were killed. It was the first known attack on a wizard by Voldemort, and the entire wizarding population were extremely shook up by it.
Those who came from Muggle families were most affected, and even Lily had been seen to be rather jumpy during the morning post (although he didn't know it, after hearing about the attack Vivian Kendal's threat seemed more real), when the infamous black envelope from Ministry signalling an attack on a family member would arrive.
Fortunately, no further attacks against wizards or wizard's families occurred, however there were several more disappearances within the Muggle community, most likely the work of Voldemort.
Remus's mother, however, showed no signs of a speedy recovery, and Remus would leave at least once a month to visit her. James never did find out whether his mother had spoken to the Healers at St Mungo's, every time he mentioned it in a letter, the query would simply be ignored in the reply. James didn't forget about the incident, but out of respect for Remus, decided to drop it. Yet Sirius seemed to have noticed the disappearances too, and often commented that it was always once a month when he left. But he, like James, didn't want to seem nosy, or press into Remus' private life. If something was wrong, surely he would tell them in his own time.
Sirius still refused to talk about the meeting in Dumbledore's office. Whenever James brought it up, he simply said he made it clear he wasn't moving to Slytherin, and that was that. James expected to hear about the repercussions in some rather heated letters from Sirius over the summer, though. Someday, Sirius would tell him what had been said between the Black family and Professor Dumbledore, but James had come to learn Sirius wasn't one to talk about his feelings; he was more of an introvert when it came to such matters. James was willing to wait, and be there for Sirius when the time came.
Of course, the ongoing war between James and Snape showed no end either. James had been reprimanded on more than one occasion for hexing the young Slytherin; however the teachers never actually seemed to be around when Snape – or Snivellus, as Sirius now referred him to – was taunting James, most usually about Lily.
Lily never knew of the taunting either, and James had given up trying to make her see sense. He simply tried to get Snape when Lily and the teachers weren't around, with a little help from his friends and an invisibility cloak, of course. Sirius would often 'sacrifice himself' as he called it, by hexing Snape for James. Sirius didn't care how many point he lost, how many detentions he received, or how many glares he received from Lily, hexing Snape was a sport to him, one he sought to continue for life it seemed.
Peter seemed to have settled in with his friends very well. Though he was rather quiet alot of the time, he was slowly gaining confidence from his time spent with James and Sirius, and had taken to just going along with their little schemes, whereas Remus had established himself as a sort of authority figure within the group, often tending to steer Sirius away from any potentially dangerous ideas he had concocted, though he did participate in several pranks. Sirius often said there was a young troublemaker deep down within Remus, and he fully intended to unleash the beast. Remus found this comment to be both hilarious and slightly unnerving, given his condition.
As for Lily and her friends, they mostly kept themselves to themselves and were generally liked by most of their class mates, each of them very different, but seeming to balance each other out nicely.
Christina was mostly known for upbeat outlook on life and her outgoing, bubbly personality (not to mention her self-confessed 'boy obsession', which had only continued to grow as the time went by. She now had sixteen potential crushes, the last time she counted).
Holly was recognised for her sharp intelligence and sarcastic wit, many saying she must have surely been a candidate for Ravenclaw during the sorting. She also seemed to have developed quite a distaste towards Sirius Black, after he charmed her quill to write nothing but swear words for an entire Herbology lesson. Her disdain for Black was almost as strong as Lily's, though Sirius didn't seem to care whether Holly liked him or not.
Bridget was the kind, compassionate member of the group, the one who settled arguments and made sure Lily didn't wring James' neck every time she saw him.
And Lily? Well, Lily was the brain box, the voice of reason with a fiery temperament none wished to ignite. Lily had garnered a certain amount of respect amongst her peers, and was not afraid to speak up against James and his friends where others merely shrank back. After news of her tussle with Vivian Kendal got out, she had received more than a few pats on the back and congratulatory handshakes from many Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Jonny, Holly's older brother, even announced to the entire common room one night how proud he was of Lily, and how much he wished she could be adopted into the Knight family, and even though he was a prefect, declined from reporting the incident, and even offered to vouch for Lily should Vivian report to her head of house. Luckily she didn't, however she always seemed to have a murderous glint in her eye whenever Lily was around.
All in all, it had been a rather eventful, fun filled year. The initial worries of making friends and getting used to using magic were gone. Everyone seemed to have settled in, and it now seemed, the fun was really about to begin.
~**~
"We're free!"
Sirius bounded out into the bright sunshine, gambolling out of the castle and towards the lake. James and the others chuckled at his antics, and were quick to follow him.
They had just finished their last exam, and as three of the top students in the year, James, Sirius and Remus were confident they had passed with flying colours. Peter, who needed a little extra help here and there, was reasonably happy with his attempt, especially in Herbology.
After splashing themselves with water to cool down, they decided to sit under a rather large tree near the water's edge. James flopped himself down onto the cool shaded grass, and began trying to build a house of cards with his exploding snap pack. Sirius lay down in the warm sun, his head resting against the trunk of the tree, arms folded casually behind his head. Remus took out the current book he'd been reading, but wasn't as absorbed as he usually was. Peter took to watching James complete his card house, clapping every time James managed another row.
"So, we're gonna meet up in the holidays, yeah?" asked Sirius lazily.
"Yeah," replied James, "I'm sure my mum wouldn't mind having you all over for a couple of days."
"Cool," grinned Sirius, secretly hoping he'd manage to get away from Grimmauld Place for a few weeks at least. The four boys basked in the summer sunshine, knowing that in a few days, there first year of Hogwarts was over.
"I can't wait for next year, Quidditch tryouts," continued Sirius, "Your still trying out James, aren't you?"
"Course, wouldn't miss it for the world," he beamed, carefully placing the final card atop his card house. He raised his hands in triumph, and Peter began to clap loudly. The next second, the entire thing exploded, singing Peter's eyebrows.
"Sorry Pete," chuckled James, tapping Peter's eyebrows with his wand to fix them. Peter shook his head, a wide smile spread across his face. He always did that, even if something bad happened he'd have a big smile on his face. James thought it was a bit weird, but had a feeling it had something to do with feeling included.
~**~
Lily and her friends skipped out of the great hall, out of the main castle, and into the summery school grounds. The sun cast gentle warmth on Lily's face when they stepped out, and a mild breeze caused her vibrant auburn hair to flutter effortlessly behind her. Big, fat fluffy clouds hung lazily in the sky, and Lily couldn't remember when she'd had a more perfect summer's day.
Her first year at Hogwarts had been amazing. She had of course been very worried about the whole magical concept, and whether she'd be able to even do magic, however she had found she seemed to have a natural affinity for magic, and couldn't wait for her results.
She had made some amazing friends too. Holly, Bridget and Chris had quickly become like sisters to her, and she could tell their friendship was one that would last. And as well as that, she had probably made some everlasting enemies.
James Potter, namely. She really didn't understand that boy. One moment, he had been hexing Severus, the next, apologizing for it, and then going back to hexing him! The boy infuriated her, not only because of his bullying towards Snape and other students he didn't like, but because of his total disregard for rules, his arrogance, his stupid best friend Black...everything! Everything about him just annoyed her!
Luckily, Lily was a resilient young girl, and she would never show Potter how much he annoyed her, she'd merely speak her mind when she felt the need (and maybe throw a punch or two if he really got out of hand).
Lily led her friends to the water's edge of the great lake. The giant squid, which really was a docile thing, was swimming lazily, its tentacles occasionally reaching out of the water to swat at a passing owl or other bird. The four girls removed their shoes and waded into the water a little, revelling in the cool water lapping at their ankles.
"Wow, I'm glad that's over," Chris groaned, rubbing her head. In the sunlight, her hair shone a bright gold colour and her eyes sparkled with relief.
"It wasn't that bad," yawned Holly, kicking the water with a slightly bored look on her face, "I'm pretty sure I've passed. What about you Lils?"
Lily shrugged, and rolled her eyes at the snorts from Holly, Bridget and Chris.
"Okay, I guess I've passed," she mumbled.
"Guessed," Bridget snorted again, "You're top of our year and you know it."
Lily shook her head and laughed, soon joined by the other three.
~**~
"...and now, as another school year ends, I wish you all a pleasant summer. May I remind our younger students to refrain from practising their practical magic during the holidays, we'll know if you do," Professor Dumbledore, dressed in rather bright summery day blue robes and matching hat (which even had a pattern of little moving clouds on it), gazed at his students for the last time before summer holidays set in, "I hope you all have a wonderful break, and rest well for your next year. I myself will be travelling to sunny Mexico for a week or two," many sniggers broke out through the hall at the thought of their esteemed headmaster sunning himself in Mexico of all places, holiday shorts and all, "For those of you leaving, I wish you all the best in the lives you are about to embark on, and for those of you returning, I look forward to seeing plenty of hard work and dedication when you come back," James and Sirius in particular, snorted at this, "And now, it is time to announce the house cup results".
James and Sirius waited on bated breath as the scores were read out by Professor Dumbledore.
"In fourth place, with three hundred and twenty four points...Hufflepuff!"
The hall applauded the Hufflepuffs politely, and waited for the next result.
"In third place, with three hundred and forty nine points...Gryffindor!"
James and Sirius groaned in unison, and the pair distinctly heard Jonny, Fabian, Gideon and Simon cry out protests and demanding a recount. Dumbledore chuckled at this, and smiled apologetically.
"In second place, with four hundred and six points....Ravenclaw!"
"NO!" cried James, whilst Sirius let his head fall forward onto the table. That meant...
"And with four hundred and thirty five points, our winners are...Slytherin!"
The table next to Gryffindor erupted with applause. The Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and a few Gryffindor politely clapped for the house, James and his friends not included.
"You know why we lost," came a voice over the din that James instantly recognised, "Potter and Black losing all those points on Valentine's Day".
James pretended not to hear, and ignored the small twist in his stomach. Bugger her, he thought, it's wasn't always him!
~**~
The Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop in London's Kings Cross station, students immediately jumping down on to the platform and rushing to meet their families. The summer had finally begun, and James was relieved he'd have two months of freedom from homework and exams, before he had to go back.
The exam results had been given out the week following the exams, and to everybody's relief, all first year students had passed. Lily, of course came top of the year, and much to everyone's surprise (apart from James and Sirius), James and Sirius had been a close second.
James spotted his parents in the crowd standing with his aunt and uncle. After waving goodbye to his friends, and reminding them to keep in touch, he made his way through the jostling crowds towards them.
"James honey, we've missed you," Mrs Potter smiled whilst hugging him.
"I've missed you too mum, dad," James returned the embrace, and hugged his father.
"Come on, let's get home," started Mr Potter as the three bade farewell to Holly and her family, and headed towards the barrier leading to the Muggle world. Just as James was about to walk through the barrier, he spotted Lily and her parents chatting with Chris's mum and dad. James caught her eye, and smiled. Lily rolled her eyes, and turned back to her parents.
James sighed, and followed his parents through the barrier. Next year, he thought, next year she'll like me.
Any good? Or a load of old rubbish? Let me know.
Oh, and here's a little teaser for second year...:D
"Black, Regulus!"
There were murmurs throughout the hall, and more than one pair of eyes turned to Sirius. He ignored them, however, and focused on his brother.
A few moments later (though to Sirius, it seemed like hours), the sorting hat opened the rip that was it's 'mouth', and screamed...
"SLYTHERIN!"
The table beside James erupted into loud screaming and applause and James had to physically restrain his friend when he spotted Snape leaning over and introducing himself to the newly sorted Regulus.
