Ravens and Asphodels | Harry Potter Marauders Era (Regulus Black x OFC)

No Me Without You

September 1977

By the end of August, construction began on the orphanage. Soon, September 1st came along with the Hogwarts Express to take the Marauders, Lily, Mary, Alice, Severus, and Marleen to their final year and Regulus, Diana, Pandora, and Amira to their 6th year.

Over the summer, the incoming seventh years had received a shock. When Hogwarts's letter arrived with their final grades, James had also received two badges: the Gryffindor captain badge (which was expected) and the Head Boy badge. Lily almost passed out when she found out that she, as Head Girl, would be working alongside her well-known troublemaker boyfriend to keep order in the school.

The former fifth years had received their OWL grades over the summer. Diana had done well receiving O's on her Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, and History of Magic OWLs,  E's on her Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, and Herbology exams, and an A on her Astronomy one.

Diana had decided to pursue a career in politics after graduation, choosing to focus on her work in the Wizengamot. She planned to spend a lot of time working on charity projects and volunteering at the orphanage when not in session or working on legislation. Therefore, she didn't have to follow a set NEWT class schedule. Still, she decided to take six NEWT-level classes, including Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures.

When Severus heard that Diana would be continuing with NEWT level Potions, he gifted her his sixth-year Potions textbook with his modifications written in it. Diana smiled when she saw that he had labeled it 'possession of the Half-Blood Prince'. Diana was happy to see that Severus was claiming the Prince's name. She added a protective charm on the book that only allowed those with Prince blood to open it so that Severus's modifications wouldn't be stolen and claimed as someone else's work.

Regulus had scored O's on all of his OWLs except his History of Magic OWL, which he got an E on. He had decided to pursue a Herbologist NEWT track. He was, therefore, also taking six NEWT level classes, including Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Ancient Runes, Potions, and Arithmancy.

Amira and Pandora did equally well on their OWLs. Amira decided to follow Severus's lead and take a NEWT track that prepared her for a Potions Mastery, so she took five NEWT level classes, including Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, and Muggle Studies. Pandora was following Lily's lead in preparing to get a Charms mastery to become a spell caster. Therefore, Pandora was taken five NEWTs level classes like Amira, including Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures.

It was hard to believe that this year would be the last year Hogwarts would be graced with the Maunders presence. Maybe this thought occurred to the teachers at Hogwarts because the Marauders welcome prank was met with fewer detentions and scoldings than usual. Diana swore she even saw  Professor McGonagall smile as at breakfast on September 2nd, her pumpkin juice, along with all of the other liquids in the entire hall, turned into scented slime that stuck students' and staff's lips together as they drank it.

September 9th brought Peter's 17th birthday. As the last Marauder to become legal, Sirius and James had decided that the event was deserving of a massive party. Then again, James and Sirius thought everything was worthy of an enormous party. Last year Lily and Remus almost had to physically restrain James and Sirius from throwing a parade when James got an E on his Potions homework.