A Second Chance at Fate

In their second year at Hogwarts, the Marauders—now a close-knit group—are at the peak of their mischievous glory. Their pranks become more elaborate and daring, and they start to target not just individual students but the entire school. The students in the Great Hall are no longer safe from their antics, with the Marauders turning the food into rubbery blobs and enchanting the suits of armor to dance in the halls, causing chaos and laughter wherever they go. Even the teachers become unwilling victims of their pranks, though the Marauders always make sure their jokes are harmless and never too cruel. There’s a fine line they walk, but so far, they manage to keep things lighthearted.

Lily Evans, ever the rule-abiding Hufflepuff, has fully accepted that she’s part of their group, but she continues to be the voice of reason. Though she’s often exasperated by their antics, she can’t help but find amusement in their cleverness. Lily insists on having a say in all major decisions, arguing that as the only girl in the group and a Hufflepuff, she should get three votes in any group decision and serve as the tie-breaker. The boys begrudgingly agree to this arrangement, though James and Sirius sometimes bicker over it. Regardless of their protests, it’s clear that Lily’s natural leadership and ability to keep the group grounded have earned her this authority.

This year also sees the arrival of a new member to their group: Regulus Black, Sirius’s younger brother. Regulus is a Slytherin in his first year, and though he initially keeps to himself, it doesn’t take long for the Marauders to notice his quiet intensity and sharp wit. Sirius, while still harboring a deep resentment toward his family, can’t help but feel a strange sort of responsibility for his younger brother. Over time, Regulus becomes a reluctant ally to the group. Though he doesn’t fully embrace the chaos of the Marauders’ pranks, he has an appreciation for their cleverness and a hidden sense of humor. Regulus’s involvement in their schemes is limited but significant, particularly when his slyness and knack for subtlety help them out of a few sticky situations.

Despite their growing friendship and pranking success, there is a dark cloud hanging over their group: Remus Lupin’s curse. The Marauders, having grown closer, begin to notice changes in Remus’s behavior, particularly around the full moon. He becomes unusually withdrawn, his energy drained, and at times, his temper flares without warning. Though Remus doesn’t fully transform into a werewolf, the curse affects him severely, making him ill, exhausted, and prone to bouts of self-inflicted aggression as his magic and the curse fight for control. Remus, ever the secretive one, does his best to hide his condition, revealing only to his closest friends that he’s battling something dangerous and painful.

Concerned and determined to help, the Marauders begin researching ways to alleviate Remus’s suffering. They eventually conclude that the only way to help him might be to find a way for him to control the curse through magic. This leads them to their boldest idea yet: to become Animagi. If they could master the transformation and become Animagi themselves, they believe they might be able to help Remus control the animalistic side of his curse. Though the task seems nearly impossible, the Marauders—now more united than ever—are determined to succeed. They spend countless hours studying and experimenting, with Regulus offering a surprising amount of insight into magical theory, especially when it comes to complex transformations.

As the year progresses, the Marauders grow not only in their mischief but in their friendship, loyalty, and determination. Though they face challenges—both personal and magical—they remain a tight-knit group, united by their shared experiences, their support for each other, and their commitment to helping Remus find a way to control his curse. Through laughter, pranks, and research into magical transformations, the Marauders begin to realize that their bond is something far stronger than mere schoolyard antics—it’s a brotherhood that will define them for years to come.

Year 3: Mapping the School

By their third year at Hogwarts, the Marauders are deep into their Animagus training. James, Sirius, and Peter are making slow but steady progress, but the journey to mastering the transformation is anything but easy. The hours spent in the library studying obscure texts and the constant trial and error with magic have them all exhausted, but their determination is unwavering. Alongside their Animagus training, they take on their most ambitious project yet: mapping the entire school. Their goal is to create a magical map that reveals every secret passage, hidden room, and even tracks the movements of professors around the castle. This new project becomes an all-consuming obsession, and by the end of the year, they’ve mapped nearly every inch of Hogwarts, uncovering more secrets than they ever expected.

Lily Evans, ever the pragmatic one, remains skeptical about their Animagus endeavor. She worries about the dangers and consequences of the transformation—knowing all too well how magic can have unexpected results. In her concern, she reaches out to Petunia, hoping that the family’s connections to other magical traditions might offer a different perspective. Petunia, now settled into her house in Mahoutokoro, sends Lily and Severus a difficult but powerful potion that accelerates their Animagus progress. The potion pushes them forward in leaps and bounds, granting them greater control and a deeper understanding of the process, though it also presents new challenges. While Lily remains cautious, the potion proves invaluable to their progress.

Severus, who has grown closer to Lily over the past year, becomes increasingly intrigued by the idea of Animagus transformations. Though he remains cautious and reluctant to fully embrace the danger of the process, his curiosity gets the better of him. He spends hours researching, both alongside Lily and in his own studies, becoming an unlikely but important ally in their endeavor. As Severus grows closer to the Marauders, particularly after learning of their plans to map Hogwarts, he begins to see the group in a new light. His initial hesitation starts to fade as he observes their determination and loyalty to one another, slowly finding a sense of belonging with them despite the differences between their houses.

Meanwhile, Remus’s transformations continue to grow more difficult to manage. Each full moon brings with it an escalating battle between his curse and his magical control. The changes are becoming harder to hide, and as the moon nears each month, Remus’s behavior becomes more erratic—exhausted, withdrawn, and often in pain. The Marauders, especially as their Animagus training progresses, become increasingly determined to complete their transformations in time to help Remus. They are convinced that their Animagus forms will not only help him control the more animalistic side of his curse, but will also offer him a way to manage the turmoil within his own body.

Though Regulus’s quiet and calculating nature is a stark contrast to the more boisterous Gryffindor personalities, he brings a fresh perspective to the group. His sharp mind and his understanding of complex magic—especially his talent with defensive spells—proves invaluable as they continue their Animagus training. Regulus, while still largely distant from the Gryffindors, starts to bond with James, finding common ground in their shared ambition and their growing camaraderie.

The Marauders may have started as a group of misfit pranksters, but as the third year comes to a close, they are more united than ever. The success of their Animagus transformations, the completion of their magical map, and their commitment to helping Remus with his curse have forged a bond of deep friendship and trust. As they head into the next chapter of their school years, they know that their collective ambition and loyalty to each other will carry them through whatever challenges lie ahead.

By the end of the year, the Marauders have made incredible strides. James has successfully transformed into a stag, Sirius was mid way to complete the change into a flat-coated retriever, and Peter into a rat. Remus completed his transformation, becoming a Siberian husky—his Animagus form offering him the ability to move through the transformation with far greater ease during the full moon. Lily, though still not fully transformed, is nearly there with her own form—a red fox, graceful and intelligent, just like her. Regulus, a Black Bombay cat, is set to complete his Animagus transformation by his third year at Hogwarts. Known for his sleek, dark fur and mysterious presence, Regulus’ transformation is a reflection of his own complexity and hidden depths. By his second year, he’s well on his way to mastering the transformation, and it’s in his third year that he will fully embrace the magic, marking a significant milestone in his journey. Severus, who had initially remained distant from the idea of completing the transformation himself, begins to show signs of progress, though he remains cautious about fully committing to the change.

Year 4: The Animagus Transformation

In their fourth year, the Marauders are on the brink of completing their most ambitious and life-changing project yet: mastering their Animagus transformations. James, Sirius, Peter, Lily, and Regulus have perfected the art of shifting into their animal forms. Their training has not been without challenges, but they are now able to seamlessly change shape at will, the process second nature to them. The true test of their success comes when they use their Animagus forms to help Remus Lupin manage the turmoil of his curse. Their presence during the full moon—each of them in their animal form—provides a sense of stability and peace that Remus desperately needs. The magic of their forms seems to ease the internal battle between Remus’s magic and the curse, giving him moments of respite. But it’s still a constant struggle, and the Marauders know they are not yet done in their mission to help him fully.

As the others near the completion of their transformations, Severus Snape remains on the outskirts of the group, unsure about his place in this shared journey. Though he’s grown closer to Lily, and even tentatively to Regulus and the others, he’s always been cautious about taking on magic he doesn’t fully understand. Severus’s careful nature has kept him from rushing into the Animagus transformation, despite the encourage and support from his friends, who all believe it will allow him to join them in their mission to support Remus during his monthly transformations.

But as the others finish their transformations and begin to see the benefits of their magical prowess, Severus finds himself torn. He doesn’t want to be left behind. He wants to help Remus just as the others do. He wants to prove himself, to be part of the group that has become his true family. And so, despite his reservations, Severus makes the fateful decision to attempt the transformation.

The Marauders are gathered in the Room of Requirement late one evening, watching Severus with anxious but hopeful eyes. The air is thick with anticipation as Severus stands in the center of the room, his face set in concentration. Lily watches him closely, worry creasing her brow. “Sev, you don’t have to do this if you’re not ready,” she calls softly. “We’re not rushing you.”

But Severus, with a tense nod, shakes his head. “I’m ready,” he says, his voice betraying his determination. “I want to help.”

He closes his eyes and raises his wand, muttering the incantation under his breath. The others hold their breath, waiting for the magic to take shape. They’ve all done it—there’s no reason Severus can’t too.

His voice is barely a whisper as he mutters the incantation, his focus narrowing on the magic at his core. The transformation begins, the air around him crackling with dark energy. His body shifts, his form flickering between human and animal. The Marauders watch in awe—until, without warning, something goes terribly wrong.

Severus’s magic, tied deeply to his Prince family lineage, reacts violently. His core, still unstable from years of suppressing his family’s powerful and ancient magic, begins to fight against the transformation. The pressure builds rapidly as his magic—ancient, untamed, and raw—fights to release itself, pushing against the transformation with an intensity Severus is not prepared for.

His body contorts unnaturally, twisting in an agonizing dance between his human form and the dark, mythical creature he was attempting to become—a phoenix with black feathers and striking blue markings. But the magic surges out of control, and the moment of transformation pushes too far. Severus’s magic, drawn from generations of Prince blood, triggers the devastating self-combustion abilities that are a dangerous, untapped part of his family’s heritage.

The room is flooded with light—a blinding, scorching burst of fire and raw magical energy. It’s like the sun itself has exploded in their midst. The Marauders are thrown backward by the sheer force of the blast. The walls of the Room of Requirement shake violently, and a wave of heat surges through the room, scalding their skin. The smoke is thick and choking, making it impossible to see.

“Severus!” Lily’s scream cuts through the chaos, her heart pounding in her chest as she tries to fight through the haze. Her eyes dart frantically around, searching for any sign of him.

But there’s nothing. The space where Severus had been is nothing but a mass of scorched stone and dark, smoldering magic.

James, his face pale with shock, stumbles to his feet. “We need to find him,” he says urgently, his voice hoarse. But his words are drowned out by the ringing in their ears.

Sirius, still reeling from the explosion, shakes himself and starts to move, his face hardening with resolve. “He can’t be gone. He’s got to be here.”

Lily, her chest tight with panic, pushes past them. “Severus!” she calls again, her voice trembling with desperation. She refuses to believe he’s gone.

As the smoke begins to settle and the heat fades, they see it—an eerie glow, faint and pulsing, rising from the center of the room. The light is a deep, unnatural blue, and it shimmers like the final remnants of a fading flame.

The Marauders freeze. Their wands are drawn, their breaths held, as they watch in stunned silence.

The figure in the center of the room begins to take shape.

But it’s not Severus—not as they knew him. His form flickers in the dim light, a shadowy silhouette, the shape of a creature none of them recognize—something both familiar and impossibly strange.

Lily takes a step forward, her heart racing, her voice barely a whisper. "Sev?" Her eyes widen as the creature’s form solidifies, revealing the twisted and fractured outline of a dark phoenix with blue markings.

But this isn't Severus. Not entirely.

The creature’s eyes, glowing with an eerie blue fire, meet hers, and for a split second, it’s as if the creature is looking through her—into her.

And then, it lets out a sound—a sound that isn’t a cry of anguish, but something darker. Something wild.

The Marauders are frozen, their wands held tight, as the phoenix begins to move.

And in that moment, they realize something terrifying: Severus might not be gone.

But whatever this creature is, it’s not the boy they knew.