The Marauders and The First Detention
The Marauders and The First Detention
The Marauders’ story doesn’t begin with instant camaraderie. Instead, the group forms after an inter-house confrontation that takes place before the first month of school has even ended. James Potter is still in Gryffindor, Peter Pettigrew also in Gryffindor, while Remus Lupin and Sirius Black are in Ravenclaw. Lily Evans, a Hufflepuff, is already a close friend to Severus Snape, a Slytherin, though their friendship remains mostly under the radar.
It all begins when Severus is mercilessly mocked by two of his Slytherin peers—Rolph Avery and Wulfric Mulciber. The two start making cruel jokes at Severus’s expense, targeting him for being a half-blood. They jeer that the Prince family must have been embarrassed by him, using the fact that Severus wasn’t known to the wizarding world until he was ten to suggest that he was somehow less worthy of being noticed. The insults cut deep, as Severus is already painfully aware of his place in the wizarding world.
Lily, who has been searching for Severus to study together, overhears the bullying and rushes to his defense. Her protective instinct kicks in, especially since Severus has always been a close friend to her. She steps forward, offering her own explanation to Avery and Mulciber. She claims, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, that Severus’s family simply wasn’t as public about their magical heritage, but many families—including her own, the Prewetts, the Macmillans, and even the Shafiqs—had known about him for years. She’s stretching the truth, but she doesn’t care. To her, Severus is like family, and she’ll defend him no matter what.
Avery and Mulciber, growing irate at Lily’s intervention, sneer and mock her. They call her a “Mudblood,” dismissing her arguments and attempting to belittle her for “claiming” pureblood status. This insult stings, but Lily holds her ground, refusing to back down.
James Potter, who has been quietly trailing Lily, watching the exchange unfold, steps in to defend her. He can’t stand the idea of anyone calling Lily such an insult, even though they aren’t yet friends. He steps up with a sharp retort aimed at Avery and Mulciber, unwilling to let them get away with it. His defense of Lily is immediate, and for the first time, his bravado aligns with a cause that isn’t self-serving.
Peter Pettigrew, James’s roommate and fellow Gryffindor, watches from the sidelines, his usual tendency to blend into the background more apparent than ever. He’s unsure of what to do, silently observing the confrontation but not daring to take action himself.
The exchange escalates quickly. The shouting between James, Lily, Avery, and Mulciber grows louder, attracting the attention of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, both of whom are roommates in Ravenclaw. Remus, ever observant and compassionate, knows that Severus’s mother is Eileen Prince, the Potions Mistress of the marginalized witches and wizards of the wizarding world. He can’t just stand by while Severus is being attacked, especially when Eileen has been so kind and helpful to his own family. Remus’s sense of loyalty to Eileen compels him to step in and intervene.
Sirius, who is quietly listening to the dispute, also feels a strong pull to defend Lily. As the heir of the Black family, he knows full well that Lily’s claims about Severus’s family are accurate. The Prince family is not only well-known but respected by other wizarding families—especially those who, like the Blacks, may not speak publicly about such matters. Sirius has been raised with a deep understanding of magical families and their histories, and he sees Lily’s defense as both justified and important.
Severus, for his part, doesn’t care about the insults thrown his way. He’s heard them all before. But what stings more is his promise to Petunia Evans—to look out for Lily, even if it means enduring these cruel exchanges. While Lily is standing up for him, he knows he must also protect her, even if he doesn’t outwardly show it.
The fight reaches its peak when Professor Slughorn, who oversees Slytherin House, arrives on the scene. Seeing that there are more Slytherin students involved than any other, and knowing the extent of the commotion, Slughorn immediately steps in. As the head of Slytherin, he is forced to give detention to the students involved in the brawl: Lily, Severus, Avery, Mulciber, James, Remus, and Sirius. The detention, as a result of the many Slytherins involved, will be held under his supervision.
This detention marks the beginning of the unexpected camaraderie between the group. Forced into a shared space, the students—who would normally never interact outside of their house affiliations—are compelled to get to know one another. James, Sirius, and Remus begin to understand Lily’s loyalty to Severus, while Lily and Severus, though not yet fully accepting of the Gryffindors, see that James and Sirius have some redeeming qualities. The clash between houses breaks down some of the barriers between them, and slowly but surely, the group starts to form.
James and Sirius, both outspoken and proud pureblood Gryffindors and Ravenclaw, realize that they have more in common than they initially thought with Remus and Lily, even if they come from different houses. Remus, the more thoughtful and empathetic Ravenclaw, begins to see that the bravado of James and Sirius can have its merits when directed toward something positive. As for Severus, he’s still wary of the Gryffindors, but the situation forces him to acknowledge that not all of them are as bad as he’d thought—especially if they’re willing to stand up for him, even in their own way.
The detention was the last place anyone expected to find camaraderie, especially after what had happened earlier that day. James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Lily Evans, and Severus Snape had been called together for a brawl that broke out in the hallway. The fight had started with Avery and Mulciber—two of the nastier Slytherins—using the word "Mudblood" in reference to Lily, and it escalated quickly.
Now, the six of them found themselves in the dank, dimly lit dungeon, scrubbing ancient desks as their punishment. James fidgeted with the sleeve of his robe, glancing across the table at Lily, who looked deep in thought, scrubbing a particularly stubborn spot on a desk.
"I still can't believe we got detention together," James muttered under his breath, leaning back in his chair and casually tossing a rag onto the table.
"Tell me about it," Sirius said, not even looking up from his task. "This is... weird. At least Mulciber and Avery are with Filch instead of here with us."
Meanwhile, Remus, trying to keep the peace, leaned over to James and whispered, "Maybe... just focus on the work? We’ll get out of here faster."
Lily shot James a warning look before turning back to the desk she was working on. "Maybe it's time we all just act like we’re in detention and do the work," she said, voice unusually calm.
Sirius shot her a cheeky grin. "Now that’s something I never thought I'd hear you say, Evans. The world must really be ending."
James gave Sirius a sharp look, but before the situation could escalate, Peter piped up, his voice squeaky with uncertainty. "What if... What if we just, you know, make the best of it? I mean, we are stuck here, and maybe if we just get along for a bit, we’ll get through it faster?"
There was a moment of silence, and then Remus laughed softly. "You know, Peter, as ridiculous as it sounds, I think you might actually be right."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you agreeing with Peter? Remus, you're losing your touch."
Remus just shrugged. "I mean, it’s not like any of us have anything better to do than bicker. Maybe it's time to stop."
The others exchanged uncertain glances, but then Lily offered a small smile, the first real one since the fight had broken out. "I think Peter’s onto something. Look, Potter, I know we don't exactly get along I don't like your arrogance, but... I appreciate what you did back there. You defended me and Severus against Avery and Mulciber. You didn’t have to, and I didn’t expect it."
James blinked, caught off guard. His expression softened—just a bit—though he didn’t quite know how to handle the compliment. “I... I didn’t do it for you, Evans. It was the right thing to do.”
"Yeah, whatever, James like you weren't trying to be the hero to defend the damsel in distress," Severus muttered, though it was more out of habit than malice. He has noticed that James was attracted to Lily his eyes always following her and blushing.
Peter looked around the room. “Hey, but maybe... maybe we could actually work together? I mean, we're stuck here anyway.”
Sirius looked at James. "I hate to admit it, but... it could be fun. Just for tonight."
The group fell into a strange kind of rhythm. Remus, always the peacemaker, managed to get them focused on the task, while Sirius and James started telling ridiculous stories from their past—ones that had everyone laughing, even Lily, who hadn't smiled so much in ages. Peter, usually too shy to speak up, offered his own little anecdotes, and though Severus tried to act aloof, he couldn’t help but be pulled in by the occasional sarcastic comment or snide remark that everyone found funny.
By the end of the detention, they had all made significant progress on the desks—partly due to their shared efforts, partly because they’d spent so much time laughing that they forgot they were supposed to be working. James and Severus had even exchanged a few civil words—nothing spectacular, but enough to make things feel less… uncomfortable.
Lily chuckled, a sound that made the room feel lighter. "Who knew that getting along with you lot would actually make detention… bearable?"
Sirius smirked. "Don't get used to it, Evans. We’ve got a reputation to uphold."
"That’s true," Remus added with a laugh, "but maybe we don’t have to fight every time we’re in the same room. I think we’ve all learned something."
Even Severus looked thoughtful for a moment before muttering, "I still don’t know if I like how conceited your are, Potter. But... I suppose it wasn't as terrible as I thought."
James grinned. "It’s a start. I will win you and Lily over."
As they all left the dungeon, they couldn’t deny the strange feeling of something shifting between them—a bond formed not just from the shared experience of fighting against the Slytherins, but from finding a way to work together despite their differences. Maybe it wouldn’t last forever, but that night—just for that night—they had become something different from the house rivals they once were. They were just... people. And that, in itself, was a small but remarkable victory.
By the end of the detention, the seeds of a surprising alliance are planted, though it will take time for the group to truly bond. The Marauders, as a group, have not yet fully formed, but the foundation for their friendship is set, all due to an inter-house clash that no one could have predicted. Their journey from rivals to best friends is only just beginning.