Portraits of a Flower in Bloom | Jily

1: Teenage Rebels

~ Sunday 4th September, 1977: Morning ~
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The crimson train sat calmly in the centre of Platform 9 and 3/4. Children were yelling and crying, holding their parents and siblings saying goodbye for another year at Hogwarts. Parents held on a little tighter to their children than they had done previously, war was looming and uncertainty hung greedily in the air. And although Hogwarts had a well-deserved reputation for being impenetrable, everything was now possible. Only last week, You-Know-Who broke into Azkaban to release some of his most formidable allies, to join his every growing army. However, life must go on and children must learn, and so a sea of children were still heading back for another year.

Among those who were going back were four infamous boys, now in their final year at Hogwarts. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew: the Marauders. They were already sat on the train, having wished farewell to their parents; well, all except Sirius who had wished farewell to the Potters, his best friends parents, and, at this point, his own parents too.

Remus sat next to Peter, and James and Sirius sat opposite. They never discussed where they sat, it had been an unspoken rule that that is where they would sit. Ever since the first time they ever stepped on this train and, by happenstance, sat in those exact spots.

"I say, Padfoot," James spoke in a mockingly inquisitive voice, like that of a 1930s radio presenter, "what do you have in that bag over there, my old friend?"

"Funny you should ask, my dear chum," Sirius replied matching James' slightly deranged energy, "it would seem that I have a bag full of different things that could be used for, oh i don't know... say... some pranks?"

"Oh excellent, my beautiful accomplice," they were holding in laughter by now as they both ramped up their strange impressions, silently daring each other to outdo the other, "I say! Here's another one too! Conveniently placed right at my feet."

Remus rolled his eyes, chuckling in amusement, as James pulled out an identical bag packed so tightly that the zip looked ready to burst open. James and Sirius couldn't take it anymore and started laughingly obnoxiously loudly. They were glad to be reunited with their 2 other friends which, unfortunately, made them ten times giddier than usual.

"Go on then," Remus started, resigned to a conversation of pranks and mischief before he was called to duty in the Prefects' cart, "what do you have planned for this year?"

"My dear Remus, you could not possibly comprehend the mayhem we shall cause this year," Sirius announced.

Remus raised his eyebrows, and Peter looked up from his copy of Quidditch Monthly. Their interests had been engaged.

"Oh?" Remus raised his eyebrows, "well, do go on then."

"All in good time," chimed in James, "this one is too good to share in such a public place, but let's just say... we're going out with a bang."

"Hmmm," Peter was now stirring nervously, "my mum says I should try to stay out of trouble this year. You know what with the war and all. Plus I need to look 'presentable' so I can get a job."

"Oh, Wormtail there's no need to worry about that," James leaned back on his seat, unwrapping a chocolate frog, "we just won't get caught. Simple."

Peter shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, but acknowledged that there was probably no way out of this one, so it was just best to ride the wave and deal with the consequences after.

After a short pause between them all, Remus looked to James, "so, come on James, any news on the Lily front? Have you seen her yet today?"

James instantly flushed, and his eyebrows furrowed, "well..."