Absolution: A Marauder's Tale

CH: 3- Friend or Foe

Harry stood up and grabbed a glass of water from his bedside table. For some reason he had always assumed that his father and Sirius had been the very best of mates, but apparently he had been wrong. He also had believed that his mother didn't like his father but he was wrong about that too, she had hated him from first sight.

With a sigh Harry looked at the book and wondered what other illusions of his would be shattered once he finished their story. Determined not to dwell upon it he turned the page and began the next chapter.

"It all started when James woke up the next morning..."

It all started when James woke up the next morning. He began to go through his normal morning rituals (brushing his teeth, taking a shower, getting dressed, etc.) when he noticed something in his bed that flared the infamous Potter temper.

"BLACK!" he roared and every single one of his roommates were instantly awake.

It was hard for an eleven year old boy to roar, but James did a fantastic job of it. Indeed, Frank had never seen his friend lose his temper quite like that before and they had known each other for their entire lives.

"What do you want Potter?" Sirius sneered as he got out of bed. He walked by James and looked into his bed with a malicious grin. "Oh, you received my gift then?" he asked and strode past him to the door. James blocked his way out and Sirius saw the fury in his eyes.

"What in the hell is it?" he demanded and Remus came over to look at it. He looked up at Sirius furiously and stomped over to them, his fists clenching.

"You could have killed him Black, what are you playing at?" Remus asked and at his words Peter and Frank ran over to the bed to look at it.

"It looks like a really big egg," Peter said and Remus turned and pointed at it, his finger shaking with rage.

"That is a dragon egg, you probably thought it would be funny if the egg hatched with James's body heat didn't you Black?" Remus accused and Sirius let out a laugh for the first time since they had met him. It was cold and malicious, almost as if he would breathe ice into the room.

He walked over to James's bed and picked up the egg and slammed it into the ground. Peter screamed while Remus, James and Frank tackled Sirius to the ground. Then they all realized that it bounced.

"It's a rubber egg," Sirius calmly explained, "the joke is on you Potter," he said and stood up and walked out of the room, with the other four boys staring after him.

Things got worse before they even hinted at getting better. A war had begun between Sirius Black and the other four boys in the dorm. Anyone who could sense the hostility and tension between the five boys could tell where it was leading. Someone was going to be badly hurt before it was over.

"What are we doing again?" Peter asked as the boys sat down in Transfiguration. James sighed and ran his hand through his hair. If this was any indication to the next seven years of their lives Peter was going to grow up to be a half-wit.

"We are switching Black's wand with a fake one Peter," Remus said gently. A sudden rush of remembrance flooded Peter's eyes and he nodded.

"What am I supposed to do again?" he asked. Remus, James and Frank exchanged looks and sighed.

"You need to be his partner and distract him while we change the wand. Do anything you like short of causing a fire," James told him and Peter nodded. James could tell he felt important and he repressed the bad feelings he had had about him earlier.

"This is not going to be tough," Frank said and he showed Peter the fake wand. Peter looked at it for a moment before looking at his wand and then he grinned mischievously.

"I have it all taken care of," he said proudly and James couldn't help but be worried at his confidence in himself.

James shouldn't have been worried, once Peter was on a mission he completed it to the best of his abilities (which wasn't that great in magic but was exceptionally good in mischief making). Peter tried unsuccessfully to transform a match into a needle for several minutes, doing everything from lighting it on fire (James groaned loudly) to making it soft like a noodle. Sirius put out the fire with a sleeve of his robe and then James switched the wands quickly.

"Mr. Black, I would like to see the progress you have made with your match," Professor McGonagall said as she strode to his desk. Sirius gave her a wide cocky smile and raised his wand and said the incantation. His eyes widened in shock as the wand became a rubber chicken and flopped on the desk. Professor McGonagall eyed him coolly.

". I would hope this serves as a lesson to you to be serious during your classes," she said and swept away to a group of Ravenclaw girls.

"The joke is on you Black," James said in an emotionless voice and he produced a perfect needle from his match. "Too bad you don't have a better wand."

Throughout the next week James and Sirius were given numerous detentions, most of them together and each time James was finding it harder and harder to dislike Sirius because inadvertently he revealed something about himself. Sirius on the other hand began to hat James more and more because he could feel that James pitied him and he wanted no one's pity. This caused even more tension and dislike between the boys and it seemed that nothing would ever be able to fix the problem.

When Erin, Alice and Lily came down to breakfast on Friday morning they realized that something was terribly wrong and it didn't take long to figure out what.

"Our dorm isn't big enough for both of us," James was shouting at Sirius. Lily groaned and led her friends to the opposite end of the table.

"Our dorm is not even big enough for you and your ego Potter, it is a wonder that the rest of us fit in there at all!" Sirius yelled back. Erin watched Sirius with interest; he seemed like someone who didn't put up with any crap from anyone. She thought it was very wonderful of him.

"I think that Black boy is right," Lily said as she put bacon and toast with marmalade on her plate. "James Potter is much too arrogant for his own good."

"Quiet please Mr. Potter, Mr. Black," Professor McGonagall said as she walked by their table. James and Sirius sat down glaring at each other and then they both reached for the pumpkin juice at the same time and knocked it over.

"Look what you did Black," James accused and Sirius's eyes flashed menacingly.

"I am sick of you already Potter, if you say one more word to me I'll..." he stopped, words failing him.

"You want to hit me go ahead, I can't wait to see you try," James said. Remus stood up just then and pulled James and Sirius out of the Great Hall and outside into the courtyard.

"If you are going to kill each other please do it outside of teacher supervision. We have been here for less than a week and I would hate for you both to be expelled or lose even more house points than you already have over a fist fight," Remus said and let go of both of them. Sirius wrenched his arm away from Remus and glared at both of them.

"Don't worry Remus; I wouldn't waste my time on a pathetic person like him," Sirius said and spit on the ground in front of James.

"I can't believe it; the infamous Black is backing down from a fight. It is all right though, I'm sure his mummy would sue my hardworking parents for everything we have if I put a blemish on her perfect child's skin," James said and Sirius stepped up to him, eye to eye, staring him down.

"Say that again Potter," Sirius demanded but neither of them got to finish the fight because an owl swooped down and delivered a letter to Sirius. He stared at it for a moment and then ripped it open.

James watched in disbelief as Sirius's face fell and tears began to cloud his eyes. When he was finished with the letter he threw it at James, "You don't know everything about me Potter, I actually envy you," he whispered and left, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

James bent over to pick up the letter and when he read it, he couldn't believe what it said.

Sirius,

You father and myself were very disappointed to hear of the house you were sorted into. I suppose we were wrong about you this whole time. Bellatrix informed us that she couldn't possibly be related to a Gryffindor and she no longer knows anyone by the name of Sirius Black. Please do not write to us until you have figured out a way to right this terrible blemish upon the family name. You are not to come home for the Christmas Holiday either. Regulus hasn't come out of his room since we told him the news; you should be ashamed of yourself.

James stared open-mouthed at the letter and then handed it to Remus. "They didn't even leave a bloody signature," he said in outrage. He couldn't image his parents disowning him, even if he had been sorted into Slytherin. Sirius must have had a hard life living at home with his parents forcing their beliefs down his throat. James could already tell how proud he was and how hurt he must have been to be disowned by them.

"What have I done to him?" James asked and saw Remus's face. James and Remus were both horrified at the way they had treated him, he might have been a prat but it seemed all he really needed was a friend.

"We have to find him," Remus said and he had James ran back up to the castle, the letter clutched tightly in James's fist.

Sirius was in the boy's dorm, sitting on his bed and looking out the window. His face was devoid of all emotion, something James was surprised to see. Even the angry smirk was gone and left with a hollow sort of void. "What do you want?" Sirius asked without looking at them.

"I didn't understand Sirius," James said as he walked over and sat by Sirius on his bed. Still he didn't look at them, but his carefully constructed wall was starting to crumble around him because James saw a tear form in his eye.

"I'm an only child," James whispered and Sirius finally turned to him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked heatedly, as his anger started rising. The door opened and Peter walked in cautiously, looking around at all of them and then joining everyone on Sirius's bed.

"I'm an only child too," Remus said and Peter echoed this phrase.

"What are you talking about?" Sirius demanded and James cracked a rather crooked grin. He turned to Remus and Peter who both silently nodded in agreement. Even though Peter had no idea what this was about he seemed to feel whatever the others were feeling and he knew that whatever they were about to do was right.

"I need a brother Sirius, I've never had one before and neither has Peter or Remus it seems. If you'll accept us, we can be your family. Brothers until the end," James said and stuck out his hand. Remus and Peter laid their hands on top of James's and they all looked at Sirius. He hesitated for a moment and then laid his and on theirs.

"Brothers," Sirius whispered and the other boys cheered. Remus looked at his watch and then groaned.

"Class starts in about half an hour and we need to get our stuff together," he said and they all began to gather their things.

"James," Sirius whispered and James turned around and smiled at his new friend.

"What is it Sirius?" he asked.

"Thank you," he said and suddenly there was nothing else needed because a bond had been formed, and no one could ever break it.