Absolution: A Marauder's Tale

Absolution: A Marauder's Story

CH- 1: The Notebook

Harry was sitting in Dumbledore's office, quietly contemplating the reason he was there. It could've been because he wanted to discuss Harry's role as Head Boy, or it could be because he wanted to discuss what had happened during the battle last June. Whatever it was Dumbledore looked different than usual; he looked even more like an overgrown schoolboy in fact. His bright blue eyes were twinkling merrily and he was humming softly to himself. Harry had just enough patience not to beg to know what was going on.

Dumbledore finally looked at Harry and he placed a rather large muggle notebook on the table in front of him. "Hello Harry," he finally said and Harry began to relax, "I'm sure you are wondering why I asked you to my office at this time." Harry nodded and Dumbledore grinned wider.

"There are some things we need to discuss."

Harry said nothing; he wasn't one to question the Headmaster's demands if they were reasonable. Then Dumbledore began humming again and Harry had to ask the question that had been lurking in his mind for the past ten minutes.

"What is this about Professor?" Harry asked politely as he tried to keep his curiosity to a minimum. It wasn't working. His eyes kept straying to the large red and gold notebook, or composition book as Harry had learned when he was in a Muggle School.

"Your parents left this notebook in my care, to give to you when you began your seventh year. I am giving it to you now," he said and gestured to the notebook. Harry reached for it and took it in his hands; it felt very old.

"What is in it?" Harry asked as he touched the cover almost reverently. Dumbledore winked at him and then sighed melodramatically.

"I have no idea." He replied, but Harry sensed a playful lie in the Headmasters voice. "Why don't you find out?" Dumbledore said with the familiar twinkle dancing in his eyes. Harry grinned and then stood up preparing to leave the office, but he turned around to face the old wizard.

"Thank you Headmaster, this means a lot to me," Harry said and then he left.

When he returned to the Head's dorm, he saw Ron and Hermione locked in a fierce embrace on the sofa and he grinned trying to proceed quietly to his room.

He sat on his bed and opened the notebook. To his surprise a page fell out of the middle and he picked it up gingerly. It looked brittle and he was afraid that it might crumble easily if he didn't treat it with care. To his astonishment the letter was addressed to him. As far as Harry could tell it was done hurriedly, as if the person was writing it with death at their door.

Dearest Harry,

Mother

Harry felt the tears running down his cheeks and he wiped them away quickly. This was no time to cry, yet he couldn't help but feel depressed knowing that he was holding one of the only things his parents ever gave him. Yet, he was finally going to have the full story; everything that had happened to his parents. Eagerly he flipped the page and began to read the story, written in alternating penmanship.

"Chapter 1: How the Marauders Met"

Harry smiled at the title, written in his mothers beautiful penmanship and he was quickly engrossed.

All of these accounts have been documented as close to the reality as we remember and with the permission of (nearly) all the people in them. -L.P.

Harry, as I said before, this story is for you to share with all of the children that this pertains to. The day I first met your father was on the Hogwarts Express when he peeked in through the compartment door and embarrassed himself in front of me, Alice and Erin. The rest of the story I didn't learn until later when the boys decided to share it with me when I was creating this story for all of you. It is as accurate as possible and not all of it was written by me...

James Potter roamed around the train, peeking into compartments and saying hello to the people he knew. James wasn't used to staying in one place and he was to be damned if he would start when he was on his way to school. He saw Frank Longbottom sitting with a group of boys he didn't recognize but he stopped in for a short chat before continuing on his journey.

He passed by an open compartment door and did a double take.

Inside was the girl he had seen in Diagon Alley last week. She had long, thick red hair and the most beautiful green eyes he had the privilege of seeing. She was definitely the prettiest girl he had ever seen, but he doubted she would even notice him. No one noticed scrawny James Potter, with his glasses and messy hair. Suddenly, as if on cue, she turned and saw him.

"Hello, did you want something?" she asked in her sweetest voice. James just gazed with an open mouth at her. All she could do was smile wider.

"Hi, I'm James Potter..." he began and then he saw the other two girls in the compartment and he grinned at them, an audience, how excellent.

"Actually I did want something," he said and sat down next to the redhead, still beaming. "You see I saw you in Diagon Alley last week and I just wondered if..."

"Excuse me," she said briskly, "are you from a country where it's okay to just invite yourself into a conversation? Please return to it and inform the rest of your foreign friends that impersonating a Brit is not one of your talents." With that said she flipped her hair over her shoulder and brushed him off.

"I'll just be leaving then," he said miserably and the girl waved him away like and annoying insect. He walked out of the compartment and sighed deeply, that had definitely not gone well.

When he was a little ways down the corridor he sighed again and ran a hand through his hair unconsciously falling against the wall. He was mortally afraid of rejection and she looked as though she deserved only the best, and James was not the best under any circumstances.

Although the Potters were a pure blood family and fairly rich he felt as though he would be proven to be a nothing under her inspection. He didn't have the best self-esteem but maybe someday under different circumstances he could win her affections. He sighed again and walked back off down the corridor.

"Who was that boy?" Lily Evans asked as she turned back to her new friends. Erin Daniels, a petite girl with waist length black hair and sparkling blue eyes shrugged.

"I do not know, but he was kind of cute," she giggled and Lily rolled her eyes at her.

"So far Erin, you have said that about each and every boy who has passed by and you have talked about nothing but boys. We had to wring your parentage out of you," Alice Turner said. Lily grinned at Alice and then sighed. She thought Alice was simply adorable with her round face, pale blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. The girls all grinned at each other and then they began to giggle.

"Don't you think it's odd that we are all born from non-magical parents?" Lily asked and Alice nodded.

"I know, it's almost like fate," she giggled and Erin snorted loudly drawing the other girl's attention.

"Sorry, I can't help but snort," she said apologetically and we all laughed.

"I can't wait to start our classes, you know, get to use our wands," Lily said excitedly.

"I'm just excited about Transfiguration. I think it would be awfully neat to be able to turn someone into something," Erin added with a glint in her eyes

"I don't know," Alice said casually, "I'm really excited about potions. I'd love to be able to make healing potions and I read in..."

"That's so dull, Alice," Erin said with a yawn and Alice's face fell. To her Potion making seemed like the most amazing subject that she had read up on so far.

"What about the houses? I mean in 'Hogwarts: A History' it says that..." she began but Lily and Erin groaned.

"Here we go again," Erin complained, "Leave all the historical details for another time Alice, you don't want us to think you are tedious do you?"

"No, I don't," she said too enthusiastically and then Erin burst out laughing, Lily following right behind her.

"Oh Alice, I don't think you ever could be boring. There is too much life in you," Lily said and then she grinned. For the first time since Petunia disowned her, she felt right at home and she had friends.

Sirius walked down the corridor on the Hogwarts Express with a disdainful look his face. Every compartment seemed to be filled with students afraid of their own shadows. Every time he met a pair of eyes, he could see terror. All of them seemed to quiver with fear at the very sight of him, and they all seemed to be half his size. "Pansies the lot of them," Sirius groaned. "I can tell this year is going to be no fun."

He finally found an empty compartment and he flung himself down onto his seat, sighing almost painfully. If only his cousin Bellatrix hadn't decided to go to Beauxbaton at the last minute, then he wouldn't be alone. Bella was his best friend as well as cousin; they had done everything together growing up, and now he was on his own, away from Bella. She would make all sorts of friends in France and he wouldn't know any of them. For the first time in his life, he was on a different path than Bella and it hurt. He sighed again, this time more out of loneliness than boredom and looked out the window.

"Hello, may I sit here?" said a tired voice from the doorway.

Sirius turned to stare at the intruder and suddenly he felt guilty for his scowl. The boy in the door looked as though a strong breeze could knock him over, yet in his dark brown eyes he saw a determination that rivaled Sirius's own. A kindred spirit of sorts, he decided and then he nodded nonchalantly.

"The name is Sirius Black," he said and stuck out a hand. The boy walked in and shook it firmly. Sirius appreciated a good firm handshake.

"I'm Remus Lupin, thank you for letting me in," Remus said and Sirius just nodded again and turned back to the window. This boy looked as if he was someone Sirius didn't want to get too involved with. Weaklings didn't make good friends under any circumstances.

Remus stared at the boy named Sirius and for the first time in his life felt pity for someone other than himself. Sirius seemed lonely as if he didn't fit in; even with the people he loved the most. Sirius gave off an aura almost of self-loathing, as if he didn't want to be what he was. Remus tried to strike up a conversation with him.

"What house do you think you'll be in? I honestly don't know for myself," Remus said and then Sirius turned to him, his eyes full of sadness and imprisonment.

"I'll be in Slytherin of course. My family has been sorted in there since the school was founded," he said and then turned back to the window.

Remus felt as if he had hit the nail on the head. Sirius felt that he had no choice in his life, as if his fate had been decided for him. Remus knew from experience that that alone could make even the happiest people miserable.

James was walking down the corridor now, trying to find a place to sit when the compartment door in front of him opened and a small pudgy boy with mousy brown hair fell out at his feet, backing away from a looming figure above him. James turned to see a tall boy with silver blonde hair and a much shorter boy with greasy black hair and a hooked nose, both looking furiously at the chubby boy.

"We told you to get out of our compartment zit face, now you have to pay the price for disobeying a direct order," the short black haired boy said and he raised his wand menacingly. James had no idea what was going on, but to him it looked as if the other two were picking on the pudgy boy.

"Pick on somebody your own size," James said calmly as he stepped between the two boys and the boy crouching against the opposite wall. The greasy haired boy smiled nastily, pink creeping up his cheeks and pointed a long thin finger across the hall.

"Are you willing to be that somebody?" he asked with a voice as greasy as his hair.

James shrugged and looked at the boy huddled near the wall. "I will be that somebody if I need to be to save him from bullies like you. Do you have an actual excuse?" James was tired of watching people get hurt today, first himself and now this small boy. He couldn't reign in his fierce temper for much longer.

"He came into our compartment uninvited, and then he refused to leave," he began but the chubby boy cut him off.

"That isn't true!" he wailed and both the dark and the blonde boys turned their eyes on the small boy.

"How dare you lie in my presence," the blonde snarled and raised his wand also. James's eyes flashed with fury and he slammed the door in their faces and heard the clatter of wands as they were dropped to the floor.

James didn't particularly care for bullies and he knew that they wouldn't attempt anything on the train, not with the conductor in the next compartment up. He helped the boy to his feet and then ran down the corridor, away from the bullies and smiled at the boy before him. "I'm James Potter by the way."

"I'm Peter Pettigrew, your humble servant..." Peter said and bowed so low his nose scraped the floor. James sighed and pulled the boy up to face him.

"Don't grovel Peter, it doesn't become you," said a voice from the compartment behind them. A tall boy with sandy colored hair stepped out and smiled warmly at Peter.

"Remus!" Peter said excitedly and hugged the other boy tightly, elation showing on his face.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Peter?" Remus asked fondly, remembering the time they met.

"It was an amazing world cup," Peter said excitedly, and in his sudden exuberant state he promptly forgot James was there.

"Hello," Remus said turning to James and extending a hand, "I'm Remus Lupin. Thank you for helping Peter, he always seems to get into trouble."

"No problem," James said with a smile, "It feels good to help someone."

Remus looked him over for a minute and then decided the boy meant it. "You can come share my compartment with me. It feels lonely to be sitting by myself, or nearly by myself."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"You'll understand when you meet the boy in there; he is a little odd..." Remus said gesturing to the open compartment.

James and Peter agreed readily and then saw a bored looking boy with black hair staring out the window. "This is Sirius Black," Remus said and James frowned. As far as he knew Blacks were bad news all around. For centuries they had been in Slytherin, every one of them, and they were into the Dark Arts and the purification of the wizarding species.

"Talk amongst yourselves, I won't stop you," Sirius said in a bored drawl and made a hand motion that looked as if he were a king telling his subjects that they could continue whatever they were doing. James immediately knew why Remus had said that he was alone in his compartment.

"A bit thick, isn't he?" James whispered and Remus laughed merrily.

"You have it right James, Sirius is absolutely a Black," Remus whispered back and James stared at the dark haired boy; there was something about him that made him seem different to James. He didn't have to wait long to find out what it was either...