The Marauders
Wednesday 15th September 1971
James and Sirius could hardly suppress their excitement and hurried their dorm mates down to breakfast the next morning. They were the very first students to enter the Great Hall, other than a couple of Ravenclaw seventh years, revising for their NEWTS.
“Superlative,” Sirius beamed at the empty seats, “Front row!”
“I’ll bet that no one shows up for an hour, at least.” Pete groaned, half asleep, leaning on his elbows.
“Oh, lighten up,”James said, pouring them all mugs of strong tea. “Don’t you want to see the results of our dedication?”
“Not at six in the morning.” Peter grumbled, supping his tea. Sirius cringed at the sound and pushed a plate towards him,
“Have some toast and stop whining.”
Remus took some toast to and cut it up into four triangles. He spread jam on one, marmalade on another, lemon curd on the third and butter on the last. He ignored the stares and looks of amusement that the others were giving him. Remus had never had so much choice as to his toast toppings before, and he was determined to try every one.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait much longer for other students to filter in. The first Slytherins arrived just as Remus was finishing his toast. Third years; three boys, two girls. They walked over to their table, very unaware of the four yearning Gryffindors watching them closely. For a few moments, nothing was different. Sirius sighed with disappointment. But then. The tallest of the boys squirmed slightly, scratching one arm. Another seem to be searching in his pocket for something, but Remus could see the was furiously rubbing his leg. The last of the lads was using his wand to scratch behind his ear.
“It worked!” James whisper-shouted, breathless with excitement. Even Peter looked happier now.
As more and more Slytherin’s began to trickle in, their problem became more apparent – and more hysterical. When seven o’clock rolled around, the Slytherin table was ladened with scratching, squirming, writhing boys, and alarmed, horrified, scared girls. A brawny sixth year eventually teared of his robes, jumper and tie to claw at his chest, which Remus could see was red raw with scratch marks. He almost felt sorry for them.
But then Snape came in. Whether it was karma or downright luck, Severus seemed to have reacted horrendously bad to the rosehip seeds. He walked with his head bowed low so his hair covered his face, but his nose was still visible and clearly very red.
“Oh Godric!” Sirius rasped through laughter, barely breathing. “Please tell me we got his face!”
“Oi, Snivellus!” James yelled, to get the boys attention.
Snape spun around, his head snapping up; his hair parted. The entire left side of his face was covered in a raging rash, leading from his temple to under his collar bellow his uniform. His left eye was red as well, the lid swollen and irritated.
“Looking good!” Sirius cheered, and all four boys melted into giggled of laughter as Snape stormed out of the room.
By the time breakfast was finished, the entirety of the castle was buzzing with rumours about what had caused the Slytherin boys‘ problem. Sirius and Jamie looked as though all their hopes and dreams had been granted, and even Peter’s spirits had lifted significantly, as he kept reminding them that he was the lookout, making the entire mission possible.
“It was all Lupin’s idea, though,” Sirius voiced, clapping Remus cordially on the shoulder,”What shall we do to celebrate, eh? Raid the kitchens?”
Remus shook him off, smiling.
“Well, whatevah ya choose, ya doin’ it wi’out me,” he replied, “Go’ double detention.”
“From Slughorn?”
“Yeh, and McGonagall. Flitwick too, bu’ that’s tomorrah. Then ‘erbology is over weekend.”
“Bleedin’ hell, mate,” James frowned, “You goin’ for a record?”
Remus shrugged. He was always in some sort of trouble or another at home anyway. Detention didn’t bother him, though raiding the kitchens did dound fun.
“Maybe you had better do your homework?” Sirius suggested. Remus rolled his eyes standing from the table.
“C’mon. It's Dark Arts first, thought yous loved that one?”
Remus was on his way to detention that evening when he ran into Lily Evans. He was perfectly fine to keep walking alone, but she smiled and fell into step with him.
“Hiya Remus.”
“’Ello.”
“Are you going to the dungeons?”
He gave a short nod.
“Same. I have to let Slughorn know why Severus can’t make his detention.”
“Oh, right.”
“Did you hear what happened to the Slytherins?”
“Yeh.” Everybody had heard by that point – it was all anyone could talk about all day, even in lessons. No one had a clue who had done it yet, thank god. It had been a good idea, attacking the entire house, who cloud guess who the target was?
“Mental, isn’t it?” Lily continued, “Poor Sev was allergic to whatever was used. Madam Pompfrey had to give him a sleeping potion so the swelling can go down.”
Remus tried to suppress a snigger, but failed. He looked over at Lily, who was looking back at him with a disparaging look in her green eyes. She shook her head.
“Look. I know that he wasn’t nice to you. In potions or on the train. He is... well he is a bit of a snob, okay?”
Remus snorted with laughter.
“But i want to apologise.” She pressed on, “ i need to stand up to him. I shouldn’t let him get away with it. He is actually really nice when you know him.”
“Whatever ya say.” Remus stopped walking. The had reached Slughorn’s classroom. The door was closed and their were raised voices inside.
“Horace, whomever it was, they had to have been a Slytherin!” It was McGonagall, “Who else would have the password?”
“Minerva, why would a Slytherin attack their own house?” Remus could tell that Slughorn sounded very agitated.
“You said it yourself, only the boy’s dorms were affected. Maybe it was the girls?”
“Really!”
“Who else? Peeves would never enter the common rooms – he doesn’t dare enter the dungeons for that matter. He's too scared of the Bloody Baron.”
“We should ban all Zonko’s items.”
“From what I've heard from Poppy, it wasn’t a Zonko’s product. Rather from the greenhouses, Rosehips.”
Remus felts a pang of fear seep down his spine. If they had figured out what was used, he knew it wouldn’t be much longer before they figured out who had used them.
“Rosehips eh? Clever.” Slughorn actually sounded wowed. McGonagall sighed,
“I guess that you would like to blame the Ravenclaws now?”
“I just wish i knew who it was!” He chuffed heavily. “Perhaps the truth will out itself soon. I suppose it does seem more than likely that is was a Slytherin girl than...”
“Than a gang of marauders slipping into the dungeons shrouded in the cloak of darkness, harbouring ill intent?”
Remus heard Slughorn’s chuckle at that.
“Quite, yes.”
“I must be going now.” McGonagall was saying as her footsteps drew closer to the door. “You will let me know if you catch the person, won’t you?” the door swung open. Remus and Lily stepped backwards, shamefaced. McGonagall looked down upon them through her glassed, “What are you two doing here, so far from the tower?”
“Please, Professor, me and Remus were only--”
“Ah!” Slughorn cut Lily off mid ramble, “Lupin, young fellow – and Miss Evans! Come to offer Snape’s apologies, have you? No need, my dear, no need. With everything happening today i think we can make an acception to countervail the boy’s detentions, for now at least.” he came to the door and peered at Remus sternly, “If i am understood, there will be no more fighting in my lessons? Or any lessons at that, eh?”
“Yes, sir.” Remus nodded, earnestly, trying desperately not to look too pleased.
“Brilliant.” Slughorn grinned, locking the door, “Then if can be excused, i have some questions is need answering.”
Remus and Lily had almost made it to the end of the hall when McGonagall called to him,
“Mr.Lupin?”
Remus’ heart dropped.
“Yes, Professor?”
“That doesn’t mean that your detention with me hasn’t been acquitted. Come on, we will start early, shall we?”
McGonagall made him do lines for a hour – which wasn’t too bad. He didn’t mind copying and repetition; it was relaxing. I will complete future all assignments. Perhaps he would repress his pride and ask for help next time. But he knew that they would want to know why Remus never read the texts. And if he told them, then they would want to try and help him more and get him to explain to McGonagall – they all had infallible faith in the teachers. Remus, however, had never met a teacher he had trusted. She would probably send him home at once. What good is an illiterate wizard?
When his detention was over, he clambered through the portrait hole and into the common room to be met with his three roommates waiting for him. Peter and James were subjected to a very serious game of chess ( where the pieces where moving, obviously. Everything in this castle moved. Remus thought to himself) while Sirius was listening to one of his records through a rather posh looking set of headphones. Remus was desperate to listen, but he had not yet worked up enough courage to ask.
He sat down next to Sirius, quietly. The long haired boy pulled his headphones from his ears at once,
“That was fast!”
“Only had to do one,” Remus explained, “Slughorn let me go, too busy trying to figure out the cause of the itching power thing.”
Sirius grinned widely, sinking back into the settee with his arms crossed over his chest,
“That prank is just the git that keeps giving, isn’t it?”
“Yah, it really is. Guess what, Snape was allergic to the hips and everything,” Remus smirked, “That ginger girl said that he’s bin in the hospital all day.”
Sirius burst out in laughter at this. His eyes growing wide and bright as he did, Remus had never seen anyone display such joy. It made you want to hit him and be his friend all at once.
“Which ginger girl?” James looked up suddenly,
“CHECK MATE!” Peter yelled.
“Y’know, the irritatin’ one, Evans.”
“I don’t think she’s that annoying.”
“Alright.” Remus shrugged.
“Let’s not talk about filles, shall we?” Sirius’ eyes rolled to the back of his head in annoyance, “This may very well be the most predominant day of our lives! This is the day we become legends; The day our bond was seared into existence by the scorching torment of itching powder!"
“They still haven’t figured out it was us, have they?" Peter murmured anxiously, clearing away his chess set. Remus offered a quiet, wordless shake of his head.
“Slughorn thinks it was was of the Slytherin gals. Or a gang of marauders.”
“Marauders!” Sirius abruptly pushed himself upright, “That's it! Glasses up, gentlemen!”
“We don’t have glasses.” James smiled at him.
“Well. Imagine we do,” Sirius shook his head with an exasperated sigh, “Henceforth, we shall be known as The Marauders!”
He delivered these words with such theatrical flair that the only possible response was stunned silence. James was grinning like Cheshire cat, Peter was looking to him for a sense of direction, only half grasping the situation. Remus doubled over, laughing uncontrollably.
“What kind of pretentious gang name is that?”