The beginning of a new era at Hogwarts: the first year of the Marauders.
When James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew arrive at Hogwarts, none of them are prepared for what awaits them in their first year. For each of them, this...
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Autumn, September 1969
Autumn had arrived in Cokeworth, dragging the wind through the park's entrance and carrying away the dry leaves falling from the trees. Lily was there, alone, sitting on the old merry-go-round. Each time she stopped to push herself, her feet sank a little deeper into the damp earth, making the spin slow and lazy.
She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, until suddenly, she saw two old shoes in front of her. She froze for a moment, holding her breath before raising her head. There stood the strange black-haired boy who had called her a witch. That word hadn't left her mind for weeks.
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"You again," said Lily, with little enthusiasm, and pushed herself on the merry-go-round without even looking at him.
"Hi," he replied, somewhat hesitantly. "Er... I wanted to apologise for the other day. It didn't go as I expected."
She said nothing, ignoring him as the merry-go-round turned slowly, as if Severus weren't even there. He remained silent for a few seconds, watching her, before gathering the courage to speak again.
"My name is Severus Snape," he finally said, his voice barely a whisper.
Lily glanced up just a little, feeling a pull of curiosity. For several nights, she couldn't stop thinking about what that strange boy had said: witches and wizards? However, she decided not to give him the satisfaction of a response. With a small push, she tried to make the merry-go-round spin faster, though it didn't do much. It was old and heavy.
Suddenly, the boy moved his hands, and the merry-go-round stopped right in front of him. Lily looked at him, now a bit more interested.
"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the merry-go-round.
With her lips slightly pursed, she nodded, but watched him with curiosity when he sat facing the centre of the merry-go-round, crossing his legs as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works," she said, raising an eyebrow and brushing a strand of red hair away from her face.
"Of course it is, if you're a wizard," Severus replied with a slight smile, now more confident. Then he added, looking towards the centre, "Although, if you think you'll make it spin with both of us sitting on it, good luck."
