The Marauders: Year Seven Part Two

University Nostradamus of London

"Perhaps he's asleep," Lily muttered, yawning, "Although it's his own fault if he is tired - it's us who ought to be having a lie-in."

Remus sighed, "I don't like it when he's not around like this. It's ominous."

"Especially since Dexter, Ollie, and Wally are missing, too," Peter said around a mouthful of breakfast.

But as though the names had summonsed them, the lot of them walked through the door at that very moment, Sirius in the lead and the younger lads laughing at something he'd just said. Sirius glanced at the Marauders, as though gauging if they were listening or not, and started cracking even more jokes - jokes that were clearly inside jokes he had with DWO because Renus didn't understand what was so funny about porkchops and applesauce and Dexter seemed fit to burst over the phrase.

James rolled his eyes.

Sirius and the DWO settled onto the bench far enough away to be construed as wholly separate from the Marauders, but also close enough for the boys to hear the loud laughter and jokes passing between Sirius and his new mates.

The owl post arrived then and letters were dropped into their recipients laps. Sirius received two owls, which he glanced at and cast aside on the table without even opening them. He promptly asked if DWO wanted to see him eat a whole platter of sausages and time him at it.

James meanwhile was unpacking a parcel sent to him by Dora, who had baked him his favorite butterbeer cookies. Lily was opening a letter from her mum, and Remus unrolling James's copy of the Daily Prophet while James was busy with his package. Peter, however, was clutching an roll of parchment, just staring at it with wide eyes.

Noticing Peter's silence, Remus glanced at him.

"What do you have there, Wormy?" he asked.

Peter blinked very hard, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm - I'm accepted."

Lily and James both looked up. "What?" Lily breathed, barely daring to assume he meant what she thought he did.

Peter was shaking so hard the letter in his hand was vibrating crunchily.

Remus reached for it and gently plucked it from Peter's hands, cleared his throat, and read, "Dear Mr. Pettigrew, We at University Nostradamus of London have been expecting your application, having forseen your acceptance to this institution in our more recent journeys into the beyond. We will welcome your arrival on 29 August, and know you will have a safe and comfortable journey."

Lily screamed and leaped up, running around the table and collapsing with a huge, zealous hug upon Peter. "Oh my stars, Peter, I just knew - oh I'm so proud of you, and so happy for you. Oh you'll be a brilliant seer!" She kissed his head and Peter's face flushed deep and red hot.

Down the table, Sirius glanced over as James, too, hurried to hug Peter. Sirius's fingers twitched over the envelopes on the table beside him and his jaw tightened as he diverted his eyes from the celebrating Marauders. James was shooting confetti like a cracker from his wand and people were turning in their seats to see what the fuss was about, and they were shouting happily for Peter. As even Dexter, Wally, and Ollie got drawn into the happy moment, Sirius got up, abandoning breakfast as a nonstarter, and hurried from the Great Hall.

It was unnerving, they all agreed, when Sirius s had not turned back up by their first class of the day. His seat was vacant in Charms, and when the Marauders were asked where Sirius was, they shrugged and honestly said that they did not know. Flitwick seemed itritated, and sent a message to McGonagall, but started his lesson without Sirius, which was just as well as Sirius never came.

Wheb he wasn't present in McGonagall's classroom a couple hours later however, there was a thick air of anxiousness rattling among the boys. James sat fidgeting, looking at the clock with nervous energy coursing through him, willing the door to open and for Sirius to come loping in before McGonagall arrived from her office and find him missing.

"He wouldn't seriously not turn up for Min, would he?" James murmured to Remus, leaning back to look 'round Lily at him.

Remus, who was feeling the pending effects of the full moon due the very next night, had sunken eyes and a weak demeanor, like one who was just getting over a terrible illness. "Dunno," he said in a sore tone, and he clutched his jumpers around his shoulders.

"He'll end up in trouble by Minnie, much more than he was by Flitwick," James said, "Loads more. Maybe detention."

"Good. Let him get it then. He deserves it the way he's been acting," Remus snapped.

James was about to continue worrying on it when McGonagall came into the room. Her eyes swept around the desks. "Where is Mr. Black?" she asked, her tone clipped. She let drop a large crate she'd been charming to follow along behind her, which had a large coral-red mark across the side that read LIVE FLAMINGOS. Loud squawking bird noises issued through breathing holes in the sides of the crate.

James shrugged, "We don't know, Professor."

McGonagall snuffed and turned back 'round, leaving the room.

James, Remus, and Lily exchanged glances. "Oooh," Lily murmured, "She's going to get him."

Remus lay his head down on the table, using his arms as a pillow. He closed his eyes.