Unofficial Portkey Archive

AN- Thank you so much, everyone, for the compliments. I really appreciate the reviews, and I reply to everyone, so remember to check the reviews box. Also, I have a million ideas for possible challenges, could someone with some experience tell me how to post a challenge? I'd really appreciate that too. Anyways, that's all I have to say. And as of now, I AM ON VACATION! Thank you.

Disclaimer- why do we write these? I wonder if J.K. reads these fanfics. I mean, maybe she has several ideas as to what will happen, then reads these. That would explain how she always knows what we were and weren't expecting, I think. It makes sense. That's bout all I have to say, except that when I get my story published, I'm going to try to get people to write fanfiction for it, then I'm going to read it. But not for the same reasons as J.K. Just because I wont have to write a boring disclaimer like this.

Sirius-

"It's brilliant. And they'll never expect it, because you haven't done anything all year!" I whispered to James as he pulled out the Marauder's Map, saying words that could never be said too often, `I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good'. I would know, because I thought of them. Remus says it's a rare stoke of brilliance on my behalf, something I'm really proud of…hey! I just got that!

Moony's going to get it!

Anyways, the prank was our most brilliant so far. Normally, we made it only on Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, even only on Gryffindor… long as it wasn't on the four of us. But this was a full-scale attack on the whole school.

Well, what did they expect? Everyone was all tense about NEWT's and had been all month, even us. But now that that was over, the Marauders were graduating. It was one of the biggest days in Hogwarts history, something that would be remembered for it's extravagance…but just in case, we would make it memorable.

What is it? Well, we weren't sure what it was just yet. But it was full scale.

James was thinking of when the best time would be, but when we had all admitted that the leaving feast would be best…well, it left us only three days.

And tonight was a transformation.

"James, what are you doing?" I asked, as James shushed me.

" Snivellus is coming."

"Thought you were too good to hex Snape." I said, annoyed at the memory of him telling me off for doing just that. James smiled crookedly, and I saw then what was coming next.

"But Lily was around then." He replied, and I smirked as well.

"What's your idea?" I asked.

"You know how earlier, Trelawney spooked him?" James asked, and I nodded. It had been a rumor around the school, (started by me) that Snape had wet his pants when Trelawney had said she had seen his death coming. "Well…do you think Snape believes in the Grim?" James asked, and I smiled maliciously, nodding as I assumed my animal form. I never could've thought of that.

God I was glad he was back, and just in time. This was the Marauder's last month at Hogwarts. The last month before we step into the real world!

Think they're ready for us? I know Hogwarts wasn't. Nothing was Marauder-proofed. Is that even possible?

Michelle-

This may surprise you, but I have nothing against werewolves. Well, I admittedly have a fear of them, but that isn't what this was about.

This was about Remus and myself, and all of the secrets he had kept from me. There was no way, I told myself, that I could forgive him.

But then I got a little curious, and curiosity had overcome anger, and soon I had found myself researching werewolves, in the light of the full moon. I discovered a lot there that night, starting with all that humanity had done to werewolves. If Remus had admitted what he had been to me, and someone had overheard and told the ministry, he couldn't have gone to school. When he left Hogwarts, he couldn't marry, could have children, because besides the fact that they were illegal, they would die in a non-werewolf mother, and couldn't have any job within the ministry.

And now you've gotten me started on the few jobs. It now made sense, why someone so smart would have no future chosen already. He didn't seem to have a future. But I had heard from Sirius, James and Peter about the trouble they had undergone to become animagi, and in the end Remus would be fine.

Point behind my soapbox was, I couldn't stay upset with him for his secret, and it left me in a strange position indeed. Tonight was a full moon…what better time to overcome my fears?

So I brought with me as much silver as I could carry, in case… hopefully I wouldn't need it. I talked Lily into getting me to the door, as she was Head Girl, and from there went to the Shrieking Shack. I had to make an apology.

There was a large black dog, (I thought it was a bear at first,) guarding the willow, the entrance Remus had told me about. It growled at first, but softened when it saw who I was. Then, in a second at the most, Sirius Black stood, brushing his robes off.

"Michelle? Remus is pretty bad this month, I think you might want to get out of-"

"I know you're just trying to help, but if he's upset when he transforms, wont it make it worse?" I asked, I had read it that night, and realized what Remus could be doing to himself or his friends by himself. This had been a bad month, after becoming a member of the Order, (lily had told me,) and my reluctance to accept him for what… who he was.

Sirius nodded slowly, and I noted a tear in his robes at the knee. He saw where I was staring, and said, "It's not a bite, and I'm fine. Prongs… I mean James is trying to calm him down…but I'm not sure…" His voice drifted off, but he didn't need to say anymore. He wasn't sure how bad the damage would be after tonight, for all of them, including Remus himself.

"Could I see him? Please? I mean, I think it would calm him down, if James could just control him…" Sirius looked like he was about to object, then thought of something, and nodded, leading me towards the willow. He made a face, took three large steps from a certain tree, and then jumped up and down on the ground. Seeing my look, he said,

"The echo carries down to the Shack. Peter hears it, and freezes the knot, so we can get in." I nodded, understanding. There was no way to get around the willow, so that was how they got in. "I'm going to be protecting you the entire time, and don't think of telling me otherwise. And tomorrow, Remus will be pissed at you. Not me. Understood?" I nodded, silently laughing. Remus would indeed, be pissed at someone, because I could imagine him fairly protective of anyone in his wolf form…

Peter must have touched the knot, because Sirius grabbed my wrist impatiently, explaining, "We've only a small opening to go in." when I hesitated at the entrance, he said sympathetically, "you could do this tomorrow."

"No." I answered, knowing it was dramatic but true. "No, I couldn't."

The stag watched us enter, and I watched as James Potter's familiar eyes lit up when they found me in panic. The werewolf behind him was whimpering, and breathing hard. Glass was sticking out of it's back, the shard bloody, and I realized he had rammed himself into one of the windows.

Its grey and black fur was matted with a rusty blood, and it was slightly leaner than a wolf. The tail was tufted; like I had found out when I had researched werewolves, and it's eyes were clearly dilated.

But they were still Remus's eyes. And they came to life when they recognized me. He limped towards me, as the glass was embedded in his right shoulder blade. It was swollen, and the fur around there was twisted. That would hurt tomorrow when he woke up.

Sirius, who had been behind me and transformed, growled lightly and put himself between the wolf and me. But Remus lowered his head slightly, and whimpered again. Gingerly I walked around the big black dog to tough the werewolf's muzzle.

He snapped at my hand, but rather half-heartedly, and then walked around again, looking tired. James seemed to think it was safe, because the stag went into a tired position. Sirius, still standing in front of me defensively, noticed the same thing and he too lay down next to the wolf, panting. Feeling a little alone, I walked over to the area they were laying down in.

The werewolf came over to me, unsure, and I gently put my hand out, just as unsure. It looked like Remus was too tired to argue, and I slowly stoked his head, carefully. I pulled the wolf into my lap, and gently pulled out the glass, jumping back when the jaws snapped closed again, barely missing my wrist. Then, it seemed to looked at me as though saying `I'm sorry.'

"So am I." I said aloud, into the ringing silence.

Remus-

Someone was going to die. I wasn't sure whom yet, but the next person to talk to me was going to get anything they said thrown in their face.

My back was on fire. Pomfery had healed it in a minute, like she always did, but the toxin had burned, and still did, and at that moment, lying down wasn't a pleasant thought.

There had been a note folded into my hand, that I had found when I had woken up, saying that Michelle wanted to talk to me. But I couldn't remember much of last night, or what had happened at all, in fact, other than that there was a new scent, a pleasant human one. And I hadn't wanted this human hurt… not killed anyways. Some animal instincts you just can't kill fully.

Thankfully, she wasn't in the hospital wing, and hadn't been since she'd visited me earlier, according to Madam Pomfery. So when I left, I was determined to find her, scold her firmly for what worry she had put me though, endure her insults, and then throw them back at her.

In fact, I really was looking forward to the fight, because there was a lot I had to say that was on my mind, my defense, as it were.

So she had to apologize. "I'm sorry." She said, simply. She looked exhausted. "I was out of line, saying what I had." I swallowed every scathing word I had thought up, took a few deep breaths, thought of myself as Remus rather than as I, (as a werewolf I didn't think of myself as a human…I thought of myself as me, or I) and tried to comfort her. She was, needless to say, crying again.

"It's alright, you had every right to be mad. I shouldn't have kept that from you, and you grew up afraid of people like me." I replied, taking her in my arms, trying to smooth her long brown hair.

I could feel her shaking when she said, "But you're still people. And I didn't treat you like one." She kissed me, and I started to kiss her when I remembered something I had thought up before.

I pulled away, saying, "Michelle, this couldn't go anywhere. If you know anything about werewolves-"

She nodded, eyes red-rimmed, but face determined. " I know. But it can't stop us from being together. And, I mean, you know how good I am at potions…"

"You can't cure me." I cut in, knowing she was referring to a way to reverse the lycanthrope. Her brown eyes were lit.

"Maybe not. But I can try."

Lily-

I hate speeches. Ever since I've been little, it's been a fact. I can stand up to bullies, I can answer a question from a teacher under the eyes of an entire class, but on stage it's different.

A potion can't cure this. This is called stage fright.

James didn't have this problem. He had had a problem writing the speech, because both Head Boy and Girl were expected to give one. And I helped him with it, and did my own, and was fairly proud of it.

James came in as I recited it for the millionth time, memorizing it. Not that it would matter under the lights. "Lily, love, you'll do fine." He said, when he heard what I was saying. "It's a beautiful speech."

"It's not the speech I'm worried about." I replied.

"What then?" He asked, sitting at the table given for us in our rooms, and helping himself to a fruit. "The length? Because it is pretty long."

"No." I answered, annoyed. "But thank you, for giving me something else to worry about." I ran through it again, determined to take out a few unnecessary lines.

"Flower, than what…" James drifted off, and I saw comprehension dawn on his face. " You have stage fright." He said, and started laughing.

"It's not funny!" I persisted, annoyed at the easy laughter. My words just made James laugh harder, holding his stomach.

As angry as this made me, I noted how nice it was to see him smile, and laugh, and how his eyes twinkled with a light that I swore was magical, and how his lips were curved, and…

But that didn't mean I wasn't angry. Because I was furious. "James Potter, I'm not someone to laugh at! Do you remember the last time you laughed at me?" I had cursed him into next week and back, as it were.

"No. That was forever ago." He replied lightly. But at least he'd stopped laughing. "Come on, though. I mean, of all things to stop you, stage fright?"

"It's not just that." I replied, annoyed that he didn't feel the same. "It's that, when I give this speech, it means school's over, and we have to leave everything we've become so familiar with. I mean, we'll lose everything, and everything will be new, and…"

James sat down next to me and took me hand, face serious but eyes still laughing, and said, "Not everything will be different. You'll still have me." He continued to massage the palm of my hand, even as his smile came back. "And Sirius, and Remus, and Peter, and from what I heard and saw last night, Michelle." My eyes widened.

"What happened last night? She got me to take her to the door, but didn't tell me what she had planned. I thought he transformed last night."

"He did." James replied quietly.

"Then how… she saw him in his other form?" I asked, scared at the thought.

"Yeah. And after she did, she apologized, and this morning they're meeting to work the whole thing out." James caught my smile and said, "There, that's much better. Now, how about we take you out to Hogsmeade and get a butterbeer and some Honeydukes chocolate to cure your stage fright?"

Remus-

James stood up to a clapping crowd, smiling easily, and said, "Well, it's over, and the first thought that comes to mind is, `freedom!'" here everyone laughed, and James let them before continuing. "But Hogwarts became a home to many of us, and our best friends became our family, and the changes that have happened here, the hardships we've went through together, all of the times, good and bad, will be remembered, even out of school." I sucked in a breath, and thought of the last seven years, and saw the people around me doing the same thing.

"I'm Remus. And you are?" the boy with unruly black hair and a crooked smile gave me a little look. Through the window, I could hear a woman screech,

"James Potter, if I get one owl telling me you've destroyed Hogwarts the way you destroy home, I'll be off to tote you back home. You behave, understand?"

The boy stuck his head out the window, saying, "Yes, mam!" with that, he saluted the woman, and then offered me the hand.

"James Potter."

* * *

"Why is everyone staring?" I asked. James gave me a look. But his face wasn't one of shock, but of glee.

"Sirius was sorted into our house!"

"So?" I asked, knowing he was referring to the boy who had been before us quite a bit in the line.

"So Blacks are never sorted into Gryffindor. But he's my friend, and he's not like the rest of them." We sat stubbornly next to Sirius Black, who looked apprehensive, before seeing James. After whispering,

"I could hug you right about now," he said, "who's the new best friend?"

* * *

"How did you know?" I asked, shocked. Were they going to leave me? They did look angry.

"You blink too much." Sirius answered absently. Trust Sirius, I thought, to look at how many times I blink when I lie. James, breaking away from Sirius's grip, punched me square in the jaw, and I felt so bad after the transformation I didn't fight back. This was going to kill me. Not the transformation. Losing my friends.

"That's for lying." James said, spitting in anger. Then, he handed me a potion, and said, "but that's for pain. Take it, and sit down. Sirius and I have an idea, and Peter's going to do it too."

* * *

They were better friends than I could ever have asked for. Over the last seven years, we had lifted each other up, gotten each other through the hardship encountered by everyone else, made each other laugh, cry, but above all, taught each other. Because, God, we had taught each other so much, even more than all of the teachers in this school had over the last seven years. Forgiveness, love, acceptance, and so much more.

But then the moment of silence passed by, and James continued his speech, which was rather good, and along the same lines as my thoughts. He finally stepped back, and Lily stepped forward, welcoming the future.

It would be quite a future indeed, but I wasn't as interested in that as I was in the small notch in the corner of the room, where Sirius stood. It was almost time.

Sure enough, right as Lily's speech ended, while everyone clapped, the banners in the room, above every house table, fluttered, as though in a breeze. But there was no wind in the Great Hall. Then, the animal on every banner came to life, leaving it's position on the fabric to walk onto the table and make the noise it would if it were alive, the lion roaring and leaving all of the muggles with magical sons or daughters to scream.

Everyone who knew us, however, could only laugh. But the prank wasn't even over yet. A moment later, the Ravenclaws sprouted wings, pushing them from their chairs, the Gryffinors gained wicked golden tails, the Slytherins disssscovered forked tongues, and the Hufflepuffs found badger claws where fingernails should've been, making them unable to pick any food up.

And the four of us stood up, amide gales of laughter, and bowed, our prank complete.

And no one bothered to tell us off. Maybe it was because they were laughing too hard, or because they didn't have the heart to. Soon they would lose us, and the real world would have to let us in.

Poor real world.

AN- I'm aware that this chapter is somewhat short, and the prank wasn't a great idea, but I wanted to get something out o my last day before vacation, and it couldn't be too long, because I needed to edit it myself. Otherwise I wont get anything out for another couple weeks, you know why? I'M ON VACATION! But hopefully you'll be okay with this chapter. Next one will be pure humor, probably. James meets Lily's parents. Enjoy, and please, review!

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