The Ghosts of the Past (The Marauders' Story)

BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE

Remus was tired when he was going to Muggle train station Victoria station, where the new Order members had been told to wait. He saw that James and Sirius were already there.

Sirius had sent letters to him, Lily and Peter, informing them of James' parents' death yesterday night. Remus went and sat beside James, not mentioning anything, but offering a support. Sirius was leaning with his back against the wall, his eyes closed. Close by, Remus thought that Sirius looked tired, as if he hadn't slept in a long time.

After some time, Lily and Marlene came. Remus moved over to sit beside Sirius so that Lily could have James.

When Lily and James were exchanging greetings, Sirius opened one eye and studied Remus, and winced at the scars on his face and arms. The full moon had taken place a week ago, and there were no Animagi friends to come and help him now.

Over the next few hours, Alice and Peter came too. Finally a person, who was obviously a wizard dressed in Muggle clothes, beckoned them over.

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They were sitting around a huge round table in the main hall in Number 48, Orme Square, Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. There were some known people—Frank, Edgar, Hestia, Dorcas, Benjy. There were a lot of unknown people, all of whom scrutinized them as if they were a newly discovered specimen of an insect.

Dumbledore stood. "You all know why you are here today. You have been selected because I think you are loyal and brave, and worthy of taking part in this noble cause. Before we start the meeting, I would like you to introduce yourselves."

He looked at James. "James Potter," said James, standing up.

"Harold's son?" said a tiny weirdly dressed wizard.

"Yes, Dedalus, he is," said Hestia.

Lily stood up next. "I am Lily Evans."

"Evans?" asked someone.

"Yes, I am Muggleborn," said Lily. Almost all the people at the table smiled at her kindly.

"Peter Pettigrew." "Alice Lynn."

"Remus Lupin," said Remus, and added a little nervously, "And I'm a—er—"

"We know, Remus, don't worry," said a witch they knew to be Emmeline Vance.

"Marlene McKinnon," said Marlene. Her sister Doris and parents Robert and Cornelia, who were also present, grinned at her.

Sirius stood up at last. "Sirius Black," he mumbled, saying his last name as softly as he could.

"So you're the Black."

James and Remus turned around indignantly to look at the speaker. He was a heavily scarred man with sharp eyes.

Lily placed a restraining arm on James'—it was their first meeting and it wouldn't do to insult any of the senior members.

"I'm sure you'll soon find out, Mad-Eye, that for Sirius, Black is just a surname," said Frank pleasantly. James beamed at him.

After the introductions were over, Mad-Eye Moody stood up and told them that their training would continue over the next two weeks, in that house itself, and they'll go out to face the world later.

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Neither James nor Sirius was pleased to see the room allotments. They had been given two rooms on either end, Marlene beside James, Lily beside Sirius. Remus' room was between Alice and Marlene's, and Peter was between Alice and Lily.

"This arrangement is totally ridiculous," said Sirius in disgust. "Can't we—"

"No, you cannot switch, Mr. Black," came Moody's voice suddenly behind them. "You're not here to have a party with your friends. Go to bed immediately, you will need to wake up at four thirty."

No one dared to disobey the Auror, but Sirius was seething over it. Back in his room, he swiftly took out his two-way mirror and called James. James' face appeared immediately; apparently he had been waiting for it.

"That Moody bloke is a git," said James feelingly.

"I know, right?" said Sirius. "I thought the Order would be fun—we just have to fight, and not bother with this stupid trai—"

Sirius' door was thrown open. "Put that away NOW. This is not a place to chat with your friends," said Moody grimly.

"Bye, Prongs." Sirius put his mirror away, narrowing his eyes at the instructor.

"You can't fight Voldemort if you have these weaknesses, Black."

"What weakness?" asked Sirius at once.

"Friendship, love, that sort of thing."

"What?" asked Sirius incredulously. "We can't fight Voldemort if we have friends?"

"There's a difference between having friends and being ready to sacrifice anything for them. Voldemort is manipulative. He will use this to his advantage."

"Yeah, right," snorted Sirius. He was liking this person less and less every minute.

"Four thirty tomorrow." Moody slammed the door and went out, no doubt to berate James. Sirius settled down on the bed with a heartfelt sigh.

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Sirius woke up next morning on hearing a knock on his door and someone calling, "Wake up!" As he had not properly gone to sleep at all, he was out of the room earliest, and found Emmeline still trying to wake his friends.

"Go down to the 2nd floor, Moody is waiting," she said. He obeyed her.

"Do you know the Unforgivables, Black?" asked Moody.

"Heard of them," said Sirius.

"But you don't understand the magnitude, do you?"

"Meaning?"

Lily had just entered the room. Sirius thought he saw Moody flick his wand, and the next moment, he felt someone take control of him.

James and Remus came in, and stood transfixed in horror. Sirius grabbed Lily's forearms and bent to kiss her. Lily screamed and tried to pull away.

It was clear from Sirius' expression that he was undergoing a painful internal struggle, and at the last moment, he jerked away from Lily.

Sirius and Lily scrambled as far away from each other as the walls of the room would allow.

"That was completely inappropriate," muttered Sirius, through gritted teeth, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"It was an illegal curse, sir!" said Lily furiously.

Moody looked indisturbed by their glares. "Better me than someone else out there. I made you try to kiss her; they would probably make you try to kill her."

The tension in the room broke as James, Remus and Peter started laughing.

"It's not laughing matter!" barked Moody.

After the spectacular beginning, Moody taught them about Patronuses that day. James and Sirius, of course, could already do them. Marlene and Alice succeeded too, but Lily, Remus and Peter couldn't do it.

They had a late lunch, and had to go down in the evening for a meeting, where the members who had been posted outside reported their news.

It was almost midnight by the time they retired to bed.