Date Posted: 25th June 2010

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

"That bastard!" screamed Lily, "How dare he! *scratch*I'll boil him! And then I'll skin him! Then burn *itch*him at the steak! And then I'll throw his remains *scratch* for the Giant Squid! I'll-"

"Calm down Lily!" placated Alice.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? I'll show him calm down! I castrate him and gut him, calm down!"

"You're not calm at all!" shouted Euphie.

"I don't want to calm down! I don't have to calm down and you can't make me!"

"You're acting like a petulant child!"

"I want to act like a child and you can't make me stop!" She stomped on the flooring and thrashed her hands around like Godzilla.

"You're supposed to be mature!"

"I don't want to be mature! "

"But you're so loud!"

"I'm allowed to be loud once in a while, everyone is!"

"You don't have to be so annoying whilst you're at it!"

"I want to be annoying! I'll be annoying all I want! The stupid Marauders are always loud, annoying and immature and I don't see you complaining!"

"You're acting like James!"

That did it, Lily stopped her tantrum, sat down and sulked.

"I'll never act like James! I never want to be put in event the same sentence him! I hate him!" she cried, banging on the table.

"Yes, yes Lily. We get you. Now stop banging on the table! You're spilling all the apple juice."

"Apple juice? Where?" she shot up instantly like a meer cat. Lily loves apple juice. She rarely got to drink any at Hogwarts because they preferred to serve pumpkin juice or other kinds of weird fruit of the magical world.

Ten minutes later, after much coaxing from Alice and Euphemia, Lily had finally calmed down and was currently seated on a chair, swinging her legs and sipping her apple juice like the good little girl she was.

"Phew! Now all we have to do is just make sure James doesn'- James!"

That drew Lily's attention, and rekindled her rage the moment she saw James enter the Great Hall.

"Brilliant! Just brilliant! That's right! Ruin ten minutes of my hard work! Ten minutes of my hard work spoilt in a single second. Just great!"

"POTTER! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU IN THE MOST PAINFUL, LONGEST, MOST SUFFERING WAY POSSIBLE! I'LL-"

"I'm sorry Lily," sincerely apologised James.

Much of the hall was really surprised. Right about now, James should be doing something stupid again like flirting with Lily and getting her even angrier.

"Sorry? YOUR'RE SORRY? I'LL MAKE YOU SORRY YOU POOFTER! I'LL HEX YOU INTO OBLIVION, I'LL MAKE YOU SORRY!"

At saying this, Lily shot a string of powerful curses and hexes designed to make James' life, especially his married life, difficult.

Luckily, James and Sirius were rather proficient with defense and being purebloods, they were trained to always be prepared, much to the relief of majority of the female population of Hogwarts.

"Lily! Calm down! Where are your prefect manners! You're setting a bad example for the first years!" shouted Euphie.

Lily looked around and noticed all the first years cowering from her, some were even crying (trust me, Lily is very scary when she's angry.)

This made Lily quite down and stop making a scene.

"This isn't over Potter. We'll settle this later," Lily hissed in the coldest and most venomous tones before stalking away.

"Prongs, you are royally stuffed."

"Nice to know Padfoot. Nice to know," sighed James with his head down.

"Don't worry James. That was an improvement," patted Remus. It was a slight lie, but at least it was an encouraging one.

"I don't know about this Remus. Lily seems to really hate me even if I tried to apologise to her."

"Talk about the understatement of the century," added Padfoot.

"Thanks. Very encouraging. I needed that," stated James dryly.

"Are you guys going to eat breakfast or what? We're going to Hogsmead in 20 minutes," reminded Alice.

"C'mon. Let's hurry," sighed James.

"Hey Rosmerta. You're looking especially pretty today. Did you do something to your hair?" flirted Sirius as he walked up to the bar with Remus in tow. Peter was off around Hogsmeade doing something on his own.

"Not particularly, but I did put on some make up just for you," humoured Rosemerta, the bar keeper of the Three Broomsticks.

"Why really? I didn't notice. Either I'm blinded by your beauty or so beautiful you're outshining my make up. I'm personally leaning towards both," exaggerated Padfoot.

"Nice try Black. But I'm more interested in your friend over there," she said.

"What? Who dares to outshine my sexiness?" he dramatised.

"Not in those terms, or is all you think about shagging every waking minute of your life?"

"Not only when I'm awake, but in my dreams too, he stated as proud as a peacock, "In fact last nigh-"

"Pads, I seriously don't want to listen to your dreams," interrupted Remus.

"Fine. Be that way," pouted Sirius.

"So," started Rosemerta, "as I was saying, what's up with Potter?" Gesturing her head at James, who was slumped in a chair back at the tables with a sad distance look in his eyes.

"Lily rejected him," informed Remus.

"That's not anything new."

"But you know James, he has to sulk over it every single time he's rejected, and that's about 12 times a day!" said Sirius.

"Wow, James' pretty serious about her isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's one track minded when it comes to Lily. If I didn't know him better, he'd be a creepy stalker or something," said Sirius.

"I don't even know why he's so into her anyway. Did you know, he rejected Monique Greengrass when she asked him out to Hogsmeade yesterday?" said Sirius incredulously, "I mean, everyone knows Monique Greengrass has-

"The biggest set of racks, yeah we know, we know," sighed Remus. Rosmerta just rolled her eyes.

"How did you know I was going to say that? Are you a legimens?" asked Sirius, they rolled their eyes again.

"Everyone knows you want to date her. In fact, I bet you're planning on asking her out tonight or something," said Rosmerta.

Sirius stared at her in shock, "How did you know? We've been together all this time and you never told me you were a seer? I'm so hurt!" he feigned, dramatically pressing his palms to his heart.

"Seer? What are you on about? And what do you mean together? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I only date older guys."

"C'mon, give me a chance? You won't regret it."

"In your dreams Black," she replied.

"You know, I only dream when I sleep, and I sleep in bed. Care to join me?" he whispered the last part in her ear, smirking.

"Didn't I tell you I only date older guys? Maybe when you're...bigger," she replied.

Both Remus and Sirius raised their eyebrows.

Rosmerta mearely smiled.

Life was like hell. Why does Lily hate me so? Whenever I try to apologise to her, she gets angry. When I try to help her, she either mistakes it or think I'm after something. Can't I be nice to her without her trying to kick me? If only I was Jasper, she would never treat Jasper like that. I don't get it at all. All I usually had to do was sincerely apologise and maybe a box of chocolates to help, and she would always forgive me. Why can't the same happen with James? It's like she's deliberately finding some excuse to hate me.

"Still crying over Lily?" teased Padfoot, with the butterbeers in hand.

"I do not cry over Lily!" I retorted.

"Oh yeah? Then care to explain to me why there are tears in your eyes?"

I took off my glasses to check. He was right, my eyes were watery.

"I just got dust in my eye!" wiping it away.

"Oh right," he said sarcastically, "after all, dust can go straight though the glasses' lenses and right into your eyes."

"Put a sock in it Pads," I said.

"Ew! That's disgusting!" squealed Padfoot.

"I didn't mean it literally! It's muggle for shut up!" exclaimed Prongs, whacking Sirius at the back of the head.

"Oi, watch it! You could give me brain damage."

"And he needs every brain cell he has in that empty box of his," joked Remus.

"Were you just instintuating that I was unintellectual?" said Sirius.

"Sirius, you mean insinuating and there's no such word as unintellectual. It's just stupid. Need any more proof?" corrected Remus.

"Fine. You're smart. What do you want me to do? Giving you a, World's-Nerdiest-Walking-Talking-Furry-Encyclopaedia/Dictionary prize?"

"That's just stupid Pads," I said, "So anyway, not that you guys are done calling each other names, what are we going to do at Hogsmeade today?" sipping my beerbutter.

"I need to replenish my stock of chocolate at Honeydukes," said Remus, always the chocolate addict.

"I want to visit Zonko's to get more prank supplies," said Sirius excitedly.

"I was actually thinking, that we get our costumes done for Halloween. It's in a few weeks after all."

"Oh yeah, forgot about that," said Sirius, "That means we have to find something to spike the punch with."

"Padfoot! You will not be doing that!" berated Remus, "Do I have to remind you that I am a prefect and have to actually plan this ball too? I put a lot of effort into this ball, and I am not about to let another one of your stupid ploys spoil it!"

"So what prank are we going to pull?" asked Sirius, totally ignoring Remus.

"We can't discuss it here! What if people over hear us? Then the whole prank would be spoiled!" whispered James, "Discuss this in the Marauder's Den."

The Marauder's Den was what they nicknamed the secret room they found back in second year.

Flashback

The Marauders were sneaking around the Armoury Gallery with James and Sirius goofing around, Peter worried about being caught and Remus rolling his eyes at them trying to read his book.

"Hey, Pads, check out these statues of armour!" whispered James, gesturing towards them. Each was strictly line up against the walls facing inwards.

"Yeah," he replied, "look at that one!" Sirius pointed towards an armour, superior to the rest. It was a flamboyant suit with a large royal blue plume protruding from its helmet. The sword and shield was gilded with gold and studded with precious gems. On the shield was a lion heraldry, a sign of royalty. It stood tall in between the two lines of knights at the far end of the wall.

"Would you two quiet? We're not meant to be here remember?" whispered Remus standing next to them with Peter tagging along.

"C'mon live a little Moony! Salutations, your royal highness," James ostentatiously mocked bowed to the king's armour, Sirius doing the same.

"I seek liberation from you idiots!" Remus uttered.

To their shock, the knights animated and raised their swords in canon forming an arch corridor. The king moved his arms into an 'Egyptian mummy X' and a runic portal opened at the arch before magically morphing into the appearance of a double wooden door.

"Woah!" was the only thing that could come out of their mouths.

They gingerly headed towards the door and opened it.

They stared in awe at the room. It was lavishly furnished with a roaring fireplace, four comfortable armchairs in the colour of the houses and four detailed paintings of the founders on the walls. It was like the quarters from a palace. Crystal ornaments, exquisite paintings and gratifying decor decorated the room - definitely fit for a king.

"Wow. How did we do that?" asked James.

End Flashback

After some experimentation, they figured that if you bowed to the King and spoke, 'I seek liberation' the door to this room would be revealed. Remus did some research and discovered it was actually the Founders' secret lounge room where they could relax and enjoy themselves as friends.

From this room, you could access every house; Gryffindor Tower, Hufflepuff Basement, Slytherin Dungeons and Ravenclaw Tower - and vice versa. To do this, you simply had to tap a small X mark on the bottom right-hand corner of the correct portrait with your wand (Slytherin common room = Slytherin portrait etc) and say, revenio (I return in Latin).

Doing this would lead to you transporting yourself behind the portrait of the respective founder that hung on the walls of each common room (ie you tap the corner of Godric Gryffindor's portrait in the room, say revenio, get transported behind the portrait of Godric Gryffindor hanging in the Gryffindor common room) Here, behind the portrait, you could see what was going on in the common room, but they couldn't see you - very useful for spying on other houses and your own.

You can also just walk out of the portrait as from behind, it is intangible. You can also access it the same way from the common room, except the spell is venio (I go in latin). Obviously, you walking visibly straight out of a portrait would lead to attention and everybody finding out about it, but it's nothing a disillusionment charm can't fix as the process didn't involve any flashing lights like some other spells.

This secret room and its sneaky access had been very useful to the Marauders for their entire Hogwarts life. How else would you get to prank the other houses in their own dorms?

"It's so sad how we can't plot that room on the Marauders Map," said James.

"Sorry, but no matter how many spells we go through, the ink just disappears straight off the parchment when we try to draw it on the map. The Founders must have charmed it to be unplottable like the Room of Requirements," said Remus.

"We haven't been there since our last major prank," Sirius pointed out, refering to when they turned Lucius into a girl and made Snape wear a tutu.

"Yeah, we really need to go back there soon, I think I left one of my books there," said Remus.

"You read too much mate, but regardless, we have to go plan our prank there anyway," said Sirius.

"You better be leaving the Halloween Ball along! I'm telling you, I worked very hard on it!"

"Yeah, sure, sure, whatever!" Sirius brushed off.

"That stupid ponce! Sorry! SORRY? I'll show him sorry! Probably another ploy to trick me! He made me shout at him and embarrass myself in front of the entire hall!" screamed Lily down the streets of Hogwarts.

"Lily! Quiet! You've been on about this for the past twenty minutes! My ears are bleeding here!" complained Alice.

"Blame Potter! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be complaining," Lily huffed.

"C'mon Lils. He's not that bad, he even apologised this morning. He usually wouldn't even extend such courtesy and just ask you out again or something," said Euphie.

"I bet it's some new plot of his to get me to date him."

"Do you have to think so badly of him all the time?" asked Alice.

"I wouldn't think negatively of him all the time if he wasn't bad," she retorted.

"But he wasn't bad this morning. He apologised to you, sincerely might I add. He's changed. He hasn't even hexed Snape unprovoked since the beginning of the year."

"So? At the end of the day, he still hexes Snape. Normal people don't hex him at all!"

"But he's changed Lily. He's improved so much! Why is it that you're the only person who can't see that?" exclaimed Alice, defending James.

"That's not enough. He still asks me out and pulls those annoying pranks of his," countered Lily.

"If he asks you out so constantly even though you always reject him, doesn't that just mean he really likes you? His pranks don't do any permanent damage on anyone. He usually only targets the entire school unless they particularly deserve it, and you have to admit, you've thought of them as ingenious at least once," argued Euphie.

"I have never thought that," Lily lied.

"Yes you have. Don't deny it, Lils. Everybody has. Heck, even McGonagall most definitely has. Admit it Lily, you have biased opinions about Potter," said Alice.

"I do not! He's just incredibly obnoxious!"

"See?"

"No I don't," Lily denied.

"Sorry to disrupt, but could we just end this discussion? As much as I would like to talk about Potter all day, if you haven't noticed, it's really cold outside and I would love to have a drink," pointed out Euphie.

"Let get inside the Three Broomsticks, hopefully we won't see Potter in here," said Lily as she swung open the door.

"I wouldn't hope too soon," started Euphie.

"He's right there," completed Alice, pointing towards the table of Marauders.

Oh just great!

"Come on, let get a seat far away from them," said Lily.

"Er...Lily? I don't think that's possible," Alice said uncertainly.

"Why would that be?"

"You see," started Euphie,"the Three Broomsticks is full."

All the other students had the same thought and came to the Three Broomsticks to dodge the cold. Not as single table was empty, all were jam packed with as many people as you could fit in them - all tables except the Marauder's, who could still fit about three more.

"There's enough space on the Marauder's table to squish us in," suggested Alice.

"C'mon, let's go to Madame Puddifoot's instead," said Lily as she headed back to the door.

"Madame Puddifoot's? Are you bonkers? I hate that place. It's so lacy and frilly and cramped and steamy and just awful," protested Euphie.

"Lily, you are not forcing us to Madame Puddifoot's just because of your distaste for James," said Alice.

"Distaste is a bit of an understatement really."

Alice and Euphemia just looked at her as if waiting.

"Fine!" Lily rolled her eyes, "But don't expect me to talk to them or anything."

The two just nodded and dragged her off towards the Marauders.

Something tells me, this will be anything but just another simple Hogsmeade trip.

So how was it? If you don't understand how to get into the Founder's Secret Lounge (aka Marauder's Den) or don't understand how to use it to get into the common rooms, just PM me and I'll try to explain.

Here's a bit of a simple instruction of how the Armoury Gallery Entrance to the Founder's Secret Lounge works.

Basically:-

1. person stands in front of king
2. bows to the king
3. says 'I seek liberation'
4. the knights and king become animated
5. knights form a kind of arch by raising their swords in pairs (like you see in movies)
6. king's arms go into an egyptian mummy X
7. Portal starts forming at the last arch
8. Runes around the portal light up
9. portal takes the appearance of a large, double wooden door
10. walk towards the door and open it

Voilà, you've entered the Founder's Secret Lounge.

Can I make it any clearer?

I have noticed not many people review and I'm frankly quiet upset about it. Could you please review? It would be much appreciated. If you can't give me a 100 reviews like I would want, can you at least try and get the number of reviews this story has up to 25? That's a reasonable number don't you think? I'm not like some other author's who threaten not to update, but still, could you please review? Please try your part and review. It would only take a little while. I'm not asking you to write a 50ft essay. Pretty, pretty please? It would make me so happy.

Thank you, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and will read future updates :)