An Interesting Ball
December 12th, 1971
The Yule Ball was only a few days away, and the anticipation buzzing through Hogwarts was palpable. Students debated outfits, discussed who was going with whom, and gossiped about the kind of music the band would play.
In the Gryffindor common room, James slouched dramatically on the couch, tossing a Quaffle in the air. “What’s the point of a ball if no one’s going to go with me?”
Remus, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his nose in a book, smirked. “Maybe it’s because you keep asking Lily like she’s obligated to say yes.”
“I do not—”
“You absolutely do,” Sirius interjected, lounging next to him.
“I just think,” James continued, ignoring them, “it would be nice if we went as friends. No pressure.”
“Not a bad idea,” Peter chimed in from the corner.
“Who asked you?” Sirius teased.
It was Lily who solved the problem later that evening. She and her friends, Mary Macdonald and Marlene McKinnon, were gathered around the fireplace when Lily overheard James’s dramatic musings about being dateless.
“Why don’t we all just go together?” Lily said, shrugging. “As friends. None of us have dates either.”
James’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. “You—you mean it?”
“Don’t get any ideas,” Marlene warned, smirking at James’s obvious excitement. “This isn’t some grand romantic gesture.”
“Right,” Lily agreed. “Just friends.”
Remus caught Sirius’s eye, and they exchanged a knowing look.
December 13th, 1971
Two days before the ball, Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the Great Hall during breakfast, her expression unusually frazzled.
“Students,” she announced, “I regret to inform you that the band scheduled to play at the Yule Ball has canceled. The event will still proceed as planned, but we may need to modify the music portion.”
A wave of groans swept through the hall, but Peter’s hand shot up before anyone could complain further.
“Professor!” he called out, his face alight with an unusual confidence.
“Yes, Mr. Pettigrew?” McGonagall asked, clearly skeptical.
“I could be the DJ! I’ve, er, got experience!”
“You do?” Sirius whispered to Remus, incredulous.
“Probably from those weird family gatherings he talks about,” Remus muttered back.
McGonagall frowned, clearly hesitant, but with no better options, she sighed. “Very well, Mr. Pettigrew. The success of the ball is in your hands.”
Peter beamed.
“This is either going to be brilliant or a disaster,” Sirius whispered to James, who nodded in agreement.
December 15th, 1971
The night of the Yule Ball arrived, and the Great Hall was transformed into a shimmering wonderland of lights, garlands, and floating snowflakes. Tables were pushed to the sides, leaving space for a large dance floor in the center. At one end of the room stood Peter, nervously setting up his DJ station.
“What is he even playing?” Marlene asked as the group entered together.
“No idea,” Sirius replied, looking both amused and apprehensive.
Peter’s first song choice—a rather scratchy rendition of a Celestina Warbeck classic—had the students exchanging confused glances.
“Brilliant,” James said sarcastically.
“Give him a chance,” Lily said, though even she was cringing.
Despite the rocky start, the ball soon descended into chaos—but in a way that was oddly fun. Peter’s “experience” turned out to be a mishmash of songs, some classical wizarding pieces, some muggle hits from the ’70s, and a few tracks that seemed entirely improvised.
At one point, he accidentally played two songs at once, creating a bizarre mix that somehow got everyone dancing.
“This is a disaster,” Sirius declared, laughing as he twirled Marlene around.
“It’s brilliant,” James countered, trying (and failing) to impress Lily with his dancing.
Remus stayed near the edges of the dance floor, content to watch the madness unfold. To his surprise, Mary approached him.
“You’re not going to dance?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Not really my thing,” he admitted, though he smiled when she pulled him onto the floor anyway.
The highlight of the night came when Peter, in an attempt to salvage the mood, grabbed a microphone and shouted, “Let’s hear it for the Marauders!”
The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers, though most of the other houses looked thoroughly confused.
“And now,” Peter continued, “a special song for all of you troublemakers out there!”
He fumbled with his equipment, accidentally triggering a sound charm that sent sparks flying across the hall. Students gasped as the sparks spelled out the word Marauders in the air.
McGonagall, watching from the side, pinched the bridge of her nose but said nothing.
By the end of the evening, the Marauders and their friends were sprawled in the common room, laughing about the night’s events.
“Peter,” Sirius said between bouts of laughter, “that was the worst DJing I’ve ever heard.”
“Hey!” Peter protested. “Everyone had fun, didn’t they?”
“He’s got a point,” Lily said, smiling. “It was fun.”
James grinned. “Best Yule Ball ever.”
As the group settled into comfortable chatter, Remus found himself quietly grateful for the friends who had turned what could have been a lonely, difficult year into something extraordinary.