1st Year: The Begining

It was a hot, sticky day when students, newcomers and old, gathered themselves in Platform 9 and three quarters. Through the thick crowd of fawning mothers, nervous children and haughty prefects, a single, untidy-haired, bespectacled boy navigated himself through the crowd leaving his chatting mother, going ahead. He was already wearing his wizard robes since he got to Hogwarts by side-along apparation instead of the usual Floo Powder and Knight Bus route.

He excitedly stood in front of the scarlet train feeling extremely excited. Hogwarts. His father told him stories about it: the scrumptious food, exciting spellwork but what he was the most excited about was Quidditch. He was staring dreamily into space when he suddenly felt something hard hit his back.

He spun around, angry for a moment but it was later gone as boy his age looked at him sheepishly. He was dressed in muggle clothing that looked extremely dirty and shabby and he looked very tired.

"Sorry mate," he muttered sheepishly.

"S'okay," he said stooping down quickly to pick up his fallen books to avoid the boy's flushed cheeks.

"You off on your own too?" he asked.

"What?" James asked curiously.

"Oh...no...I just meant...," the boy said looking very embarassed,

Suddenly his mother appeared from behind the boy. She was a tall dignified looking witch but although she dressed extravagantly she look very kind.

"James Potter! I was worried sick! I thought you were lost or...."

"Calm down mom. I'm fine," James said looking utterly embarassed.

"Making friends already? Well that's good. Now who are you dear?" she said looking at the boy who was slowly starting to move backwards.

"Moooom! I think I can ask a question like that on my own!" James said annoyed.

"Well I'm sorry dear but I don't know his name. Yes, dear who are you?" she asked.

"Remus. Remus Lupin," the boy said.

"A fine name son. Where are your parents?" she asked kindly.

"They're off...at work," Remus replied looking flustered.

"Oh. Well I'm sure that they're very hardworking..."

Suddenly there was a loud whistle and James who saw that his mother was making Remus highly uncomfortable gave her a quick kiss and grabbed Remus's arm.

"Let's go mate," James said.

"Bye dear! Don't forget to brush your teeth..." his mother called out as he entered the train.

The moment all doors were closed and the train started moving he and Remus started looking for a compartment.

"She's a nightmare. Honestly...," James muttered.

"I thought she was sweet," Remus said.

"You try living with her. Nah just kidding. She's great," James said.

"Where does she work?" Remus asked.

"Ministry. In some boing department. Both she and dad are heads," James said.

"My dad works in Gringotts and my mother in the ministry. She isn't a head though so that's why she can't see me off," Remus said as if explaining why he came to the Hogwarts Express alone.

"It's pretty cool though, Going off on your own. How'd you get here?" James asked.

"Portkey."

"I've neve tried a Portkey before."

"It's okay," Remus shrugged.

"How did you get here?" he asked.

"Side-along apparation," James said.

"Really? Cool."

"It's okay," James shrugged.

"Would you mind placing my bag in a compartment. My bladder is killing me," Remus said suddenly looking flustered.

"Sure."

And as Remus lumbered away to find a bathroom James found a compartment that was very empty. It only had one boy there sitting slumped against the window with a bored expression.

"You mind?" James asked.

The boy turned to him and he was very handsome. He shrugged and gave a quick nod before James heaved the bags in and sat himself at the opposite seat.

The boy looked at James with a critical eye and said arrogantly, "Name?"

"Potter."

"As in the Potters?"

"If you mean the all-important ministry heads."

"No. I was talking about my mother's lackey."

"Come on mate. Is that all? You've got to think better than that?" James said with a tone of pompousness and arrogance.

"And what's your idea hmm...? Go on. Ask my name," he said still examining James with a critical eye.

"Name?"

"Black."

"Funny. You don't seem fit to wear that bad guy name. How 'bout something that suits your pretty boy image. Like Perry?"

"That was stupid. I didn't even feel insulted," he said before breaking into a wide smile.

"Sirius Black," he said streching his hand out.

"James Potter," James said shaking it.

"You're all right mate," Sirius said with an appraising eye.

"Watch this," James said arrogantly.

He flicked his wand and muttered soemthing low. Water spurted out from the tip of his wand wetting Sirius.

"Oh real classic. How about this?"

And after Sirius yelled something and jets of flame leaped out landing on James's robe.

"Oh damn!" he said trying to put it out with water from his wand.

"You're done..."

"No you're done...."

"Oh yeah?"

"Ha-ha!" And Sirius shot something cold at James. Suddenly Sirius felt soemthing hit the back of his head and he turned around to find a shabby-looking boy with a stouter one cowering behind his back.

"What was that?" James asked his face looking very reminiscent of Frosty the Snowman.

"A sinple spell that shoots out nuts," Remus shrugged.

"Wonderful. Splendid," James said gleefully.

"Who's that James?" Sirius asked eyeing Remus with the same critical eye.

"Remus," Remus said holding his hand out.

"Sirius Black," Sirius said shaking it very quickly.

"I've never seen him yet," James said nodding in the boy behind Remus's direction.

"His name is Peter...and I was wondering if any of you have pants to spare because...."

"Oh-HO! He WET HIS PANTS!" Sirius said with a wicked glint in his eye. And sure enough as Peter went forward (prompted by Remus) his pants looked wet.

"Why can't you give him some of yours?" James asked now smiling

"Because I don't have any," Remus said exasperated.

"Don't worry Petey old pal. I know just the right kind of charm to do it," Sirius said leaping up.

"No, don't let an amateur do it. I know," James said.

"I'm not sure that we should be using magic...," Remus said nervously.

"Nonsense Remus," James said taking his wand out.

"What better way to start the school year with some hardcore rule breaking?" Sirius asked sarcastically twirling his wand.

"It's agreed then. I, James Potter, the handsomer, smarter and more competent will undertake the task of drying Peter's pants," James said jumping up.

"Handsomer? Smarter? More competent? You are very wrong in the head. This is how it is done..."

And as the two boys waved their wands and said something out loud sparks began to fly everywhere. James and Sirius yelled at each other while Peter yelped. But after awhile they all ahd so much fun that they were laughing, eating the cakes and candies James and Sirius bough that even Remus who looked extremely worried and dissapproving began to smile. Peter's pants indeed dried. James and Sirius engaged themselves in arm wrestling and thumb wrestling while Lupin cheered on and Peter helped himself to some more cakes.

They were having so much fun that they didn't notice a tear-stained girl and a greasy haired boy enter their comaprtment.

...

"See ya later, Snivellus," James called while Sirius tried to trip Snape.

"I think we're in for a good year mate," James said knuckle touching Sirius.

"Oh definitely," Sirius nodded.

"We should come up with a name," Peter said suddenly.

"What?" James and Sirius said in unison.

"Well you know to...make it more exclusive and...and..." Peter stammered under the mocking eyes of James and Sirius.

"That sounds extremely corny," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"No, I think it's quite good," James said.

"Oh don't be a prat. What will we call ourselves? The Fabulous Four?" Sirius snickered.

"Not bad. I mean we are fabulous. Except for Peter."

"Hey!"

"Kidding."

"I think we shoudl call ourselves Marauders," Remus piped in.

"Huh?" the three others said confused.

"They're like you. Troublemakers," Remus said.

"Trouble makers? I'm offended?" Sirius said.

"No I prefer the term stubborn individual...," James said.

"Well if you want to go with fabulous four....." Remus shrugged.

"Okay who says that we were going to have a name?!" Sirius demanded.

"Ok, ok, no name. But I'll keep Marauders in mind," James said taking a bite from a choclate frog.

"Why?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

"Who knows? We might need it."