Forsaken

Five
In which history is created.

I was born 20 August 1957 to a family that learned to despise me, but on 20 August 1969 I saw yet another change in my life. I can say Quin was like a father to me, but I have nothing to compare him to. I suppose that he was. He took me as his full responsibility, letting me live as who I wanted to be, completely disregarding the wolf. He knew when I needed rare meat and he knew where I hurt. True, he put me in a shed, but only for the minimum time, often carrying me from the shed to my room. My room. It was the first time that I had one of my own. It had a bed and a desk with a bookshelf. We went, several times, to Diagon Alley and some Muggle stores to buy things to decorate it and to find some clothes for me.

For my birthday he gave me some books, some brilliantly decorated histories, both Muggle and wizard. And he gave me a quill and letter parchment. 'When I write to you, I would like it if you would write back.'

I had, in the span of weeks, found myself in a home. I had two homes, Hogwarts and Quin's London flat. I was almost reluctant to leave his tender care. And I told him that. He just smiled at me kindly. He had a kindness comparable to Dumbledore's, and a knack for making me feel truly wanted that so few have had in my life.

Platform 9³/₄ was bustling with my peers. I left Quin and found an empty cabin where I laid across the bench and closed my eyes. It had been a full moon and I was tired.

'He saved a cabin for us,' Sirius' easily recognizable voice piped as he opened the door. I half sat-up as my three year mates entered the room. James and Peter sat on the facing bench. Sirius moved my legs to the side to sit in the space they had occupied. Stubbornly I moved them back.

'You look horrible,' James commented.

'But I feel great,' I retorted honestly.

I felt his eyes on me. Again trying to understand me, trying to puzzle me out. I still didn't make sense to me. It was as if he tried to figure me out over the summer, maybe he had a solution, but it frustrated him all over again. I could feel it.

'Well I had a lovely summer. I got congratulated the whole time for being in Gryffindor and for my good grades. My parents were so very proud of me.'

'Your letters say otherwise,' James commented as if making a point, 'I think I remember something about having a dire need to show your favourite cousin, Bellatrix, how much you love her.'

'Oh but I do love her,' Sirius countered, 'so much that I want to fill her bed with leeches.'

'Brilliant mind you have, Sear, why ever didn't I think of that earlier? We need to show our devotion to your dearest cousin.'

'The only question, Jim, is how?'

Peter caught on to what they were talking about and groaned.

The juvenile delinquents planned for a few hours, until all that we saw were farms and sheep. I drifted to sleep, drowning out their voices as we moved along.

We arrived at Hogwarts and I absorbed the traditions as new. I saw the carriages and heard the Hat's song – things that I missed my First Year. At dinner, after the new First Years had joined our table and gotten their nepotistic back-pat or cheers and the like, I looked up at the Headmaster. Silently I thanked him. As usual, he just smiled, telling me that I was acknowledged.

In the room James and Sirius continued their plan. Insofar as I had gathered, they had figured out how to gather leeches, but they were stuck on how to get them into her bed. Peter sat in his bed wincing. Mind you, I'm not overly fond of leeches myself.

'Why has getting into their room an issue,' James whined.

The dungeon itself was avoided by Gryffindors, but to get into the dorms themselves. 'You can use your Invisibility Cloak… If they can't see you, you can just follow them in,' I started, my voice shaky. 'So if you find one you can, er, just follow? It couldn't be too hard to find Bellatrix's bed, could it?'

'You know, Remus,' James came over and patted me on the back, 'that might jut be the most brilliant thing I've heard all day.'

'It's not lights out yet,' Sirius crossed the room and pulled the Cloak out from James' trunk. He gathered up the supplies he needed and followed James out the common room (it looks rather foolish if doors open and close on their own, even in a wizarding school).

James and Sirius had both gotten substantially smarter over the summer hols and they decided quickly to include Peter and me in their scheming. It was about three weeks and five pranks later;

'Is there a reason we worked alone last year?' James asked Sirius.

'Not that I know of, and I have no intention of repeating it.'

'So a gang we shall form,' James declared, standing on a chair. He waved his wand about grandly. 'As of today the Second Year Gryffindor boys have formed the most proactive group to push the Slytherins back to where they belong – the dungeon!'

'And we shall be henceforth known as Hexers Limited,' Sirius agreed. James glared. 'Pranks Incorporated?'

'I think, Sear, that you read too many comics this summer.'

'I only have five.'

'Point made.'

'But we need a name, Jim! It makes up distinguished. Different. Unique!'

I bit my lip, wondering if I could talk. 'How about,' I began, 'the Marauders.'

'What?' the three asked.

'Well, 'marauding' is raiding or pillaging. So a 'marauder' would be someone that wreaks havoc on others.'

'I like it,' James declared.

'Me, too,' Peter whispered.

'It sounds like a legacy,' Sirius agreed.

And thus the Marauders were born. Together we four formed a bond that, in many other circumstances would be impossible. But this was just the beginning.