Harry Potter Isekai - Marauders Era

Chapter 2: Childhood friends

Chapter 2

Marlene's POV

It's been 5 years since I came to the realization that instead of a reincarnation, I was thrust into a book as a side character who will die early with the rest of her family. What's the word people use for these kinds of situations? Right, isekai. My life is an isekai genre. That's great. I can't believe that I died to be reborn to die early once more. But the good thing is that I know this work. If I play my cards right, I may be able to live out my days, won't I? It doesn't hurt to try. If I die, I know that I'll have no regrets. But I do want to do everything in my power to not die and save my parents. They are sweet. They are very different from my previous life's parents. They don't have high expectations of me. They just want me to be happy. That's a nice change. It makes me want to work even harder for them.

Life as Marlene McKinnon isn't bad. I start my morning with my parents before dad goes to work. He works as an auror for the ministry. It's no wonder we were targeted. I mean, other than the original Marlene also being in the Order of the Phoenix.

For the past 5 years, I have been formulating my plans once I attend Hogwarts as an 11 year old. I have theorized that as long as I don't get involved with the main characters or the plotline, I may be able to live life as my own. But there is a huge flaw in that theory: I am a pure blood witch. As a result, no matter what I will be sought out by the dark side. If I ignore them, I die anyway or worse, my parents die. So I have decided I need to do whatever it takes to eliminate all death threats towards my family. One, I will need to retrieve all of the horcruxes in order to defeat Voldemort. There are 5 at this time period so I'll need to get my hands on all of them:

I need to really get to know the castle and get to the room of requirement on the 7th floor so that I can get the first one: Ravenclaw's diadem

Become friends with Regulus Black (who should be 1 year below me) so that I can get the locket when Voldemort decides to hide it using Kreacher.

Convince Regulus to get Tom Riddle's diary from Malfoy's mansion when he goes to visit his cousin and her husband.

Track down the Gaunt ring from their abandoned house.

Get Hufflepuff's cup.... Somehow.

Now this all seems so impossible, especially since I would still need to find the means to destroy them. I can't get the basilisk venom from the Chamber of Secrets (I don't speak Parseltongue and I don't think I can even learn it). The only other way would be fiendfyre, which is an advanced spell so I'll have to just learn it. Harder than it sounds though. Honestly, what is harder is becoming Regulus's friend. Would I have to try to be in Slytherin? But that's even more dangerous. Who is to say I'll be put in Gryffindor like the original Marlene anyways. I couldn't plan any further than this.

My only other plan is to enjoy Hogwarts and do my best in school. Despite busting my butt off my previous life to get straight As and get through college, I do enjoy school. That's another thing my parents have noticed in this life. Other than practicing to speak and use a pencil with the new body I am in, reading and writing is child's play. That's when my parents deemed me as a "genius." I do feel bad about that, I mean, once I get to be my original age, there's nothing special about me anymore. I am not brilliant, just more developed than others at my current biological age.

Other than that, mum and dad are trying to get me to do 7 year old stuff like playing outside and making friends with other 7 year old wizards and witches – all of which I have respectfully declined. I can pretend to play outside but I can only do so much with a 36 year old brain. Making friends has always been a hard thing to do even in my past life and to make friends with actual 7 year olds feels kind of like babysitting to me. I have met the Prewett siblings who are older so they are more bearable than the rest of them. Gideon and Fabian are funny and sweet – cute too if I do say so myself. Molly is a sweetheart even at a young age. I enjoy their company as I hope they also enjoy mine. Their parents have mentioned how much more mature I was to kids my age which makes me wonder if I should pretend to act my biological age a bit more.

I met James Potter in passing at a gathering once – did not speak with him as I saw how he was with other kids and I have to say: JK Rowling really did not mess around with his character development. He is REALLY immature and spoiled rotten! I got to see Sirius and Regulus on the streets of Diagon Alley during passing one day as well. Their mother is a whole damn project. This woman is straight up a monster. She pushes her kids on the street like no one is looking – like it is the most normal thing to do.

_____________________________Flashback_____________________________

"Are you alright?" I cautiously ask as I offer my hand to the fallen boys. They don't reply as they stare at my hand with contempt. "I promise I'm not judging, I just want to help." I reassured the boys.

The older boy takes my hand and pulls me down on top of them. "What'd you do that for?!" I screamed. The three of us look at each other in silence for a moment and all burst out in laughter.

We all get up and dust ourselves off. "I'm Sirius and this is my little brother, Regulus." He holds out his hand to greet.

"I'm Marlene!" This is good. Now I can establish myself to the Black brothers, meaning making Regulus my friend a whole lot easier.

"Sirius! Regulus! Get in here! NOW!" Their mother yelled from inside the shop making us wince. We look at one another once more and giggled.

"Blimey! Is this a daily thing?" The boys grimacingly smiled as a response. "I hope to see the both of you around." I smiled brightly to show that I don't mind their situation before I head back off to my mother in the shop across the street.

Now who really surprised me was Pandora Lestrange. Gotta say, didn't realize she was a Lestrange. JK Rowling never mentioned her as anything other than a Lovegood. She is far different from her brothers that it makes me worry they would bully her. Seeing them all interact makes me realize that despite their views, the boys have a soft spot for their sister. She and I became fast friends.

_____________________________Flashback_____________________________

"Hello, my name is Pandora. What's yours?" Pandora smiles dreamily as she introduces herself.

"Marlene, Marlene McKinnon. It's a pleasure to meet you, Pandora." I smiled back respectively.

"Say, Marlene, have you ever heard of nargles?"

"Nargles?" Is this where Luna and her father get this idea? From Pandora?

"Yes, they are mischievous little things. They like to take things and hide them as a prank. Nargles often take my things from my room and hide them in my brothers' rooms." Sounds more like a prank from your brothers.

"Say Pandora, have you ever thought maybe it might be your brothers?" I asked carefully.

"Oh! I never thought of that! It makes sense now! My brothers are working with the nargles to prank me!" She exclaimed with such absolute that I became dumbfounded.

I giggled at her revelation. "That must be it." I smiled softly as I agreed to her conclusion.

"Would you like to be friends?" She looks into my eyes expectantly.

"Absolutely. The best of friends."