The Marauders Rise (II)

Snape and the Marauders

September 1, 1973

The Marauders pile into a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. SIRIUS immediately jumps on the seat.

SIRIUS: (raising an imaginary sword) This is it, gentlemen! Our lives begin today.

JAMES: (pushing SIRIUS down on the seat) Yeah, yeah.

REMUS: (throwing his trunk on the top rack) God, it's bloody hot outside.

SIRIUS: Come on, you arses, get excited! We're off to Hogwarts! Free of parents, free of responsibilities-

REMUS: (smiling) You do realize we will be taking classes and studying most of the time, don't you?

SIRIUS: Only some of the time, my good Remus. The glass is always half full, in my book.

PETER: (anxiously) You think classes are gonna be loads harder?

REMUS: I bet. They say third year is always the one that-

JAMES: Oh, enough talk with classes, Remus. Peter will have a nervous breakdown before we even get to the bloody castle-

The compartment door opens, revealing LILY, who gives the group a disdainful look.

LILY: (turning to MARLENE and MARY behind her) Never mind. Looks like this compartment's filled to the brim.

JAMES: (getting up from his seat) Oh, we can make room, Evans.

LILY: (smiling) I seriously doubt that. These compartments are only designed for four people, we'd be sitting on each other's laps-

JAMES: (flirtatiously) And would that be the worst thing in the world?

MARLENE: Oooooooo!

LILY: You must think you're pretty clever, don't you-

At that moment, SEVERUS begins to walk past them towards the Slytherin compartment with several others. JAMES, seeing his opportunity, sticks out his leg and trips SEVERUS, who falls to the floor. Behind them, SIRIUS bursts out laughing.

LILY: (shocked) James! What in Merlin is wrong with you? (She bends down to help SEVERUS, and quickly gets up and pulls out his wand).

SEVERUS: If you think I'm taking any more of your rubbish this year, Potter, you're a fool.

JAMES: (pulling out his own wand) Oh, yeah? What are you gonna do, hex me?

SEVERUS: Watch me.

LILY: That's enough, you two! Sev, stop, please put down your wand-

JAMES: (laughing) Go ahead, Snivelly. If so much as a spark flies out of that wand, you're expelled from Hogwarts. And suddenly, what was once a beautiful castle becomes even better-

SEVERUS: (continuing to brandish his wand) You think you're such a big man, huh? You and your cronies back there-

JAMES: I don't need them, Snivelly. It's just you and me- go ahead, just one hex. Come on, I want you to do it! Hex me!

LILY: I said that's enough! Both of you, put your wands down now!

SEVERUS: You better watch yourself, Potter. Believe me, Azkaban is a paradise compared to what I'm capable of doing-

JAMES: Is that so? Then do it! Come on, now!

SEVERUS begins to mouth an incantation. At that moment, JAMES points his own wand, preparing to defend himself. From behind them, a group of older Slytherins appears, including NARCISSA and LUCIUS.

NARCISSA: (sharply) Hey!

NARCISSA stands between SEVERUS and JAMES, and slowly a crowd begins to form around them. 

NARCISSA: And just what the hell is going on here? 

JAMES: (lowering his wand) He was threatening me-

PETER: He was, we saw it-

NARCISSA: Doesn't matter.

LUCIUS: Narcissa, come on, relax. They're just kids fooling around-

NARCISSA: (to JAMES) What it looks like is you holding a wand as well, and if I hadn't just come in here, we'd have a breach in the Restriction of Underage Sorcery, wouldn't we?

JAMES: (laughing) Come on, I seriously doubt-

NARCISSA: (coldly) Oh, you doubt, do you? You better watch yourself, Potter. (She holds up her silver Prefect badge) You got lucky here, but the next time I see you threatening another student, I won't be so lenient. Is that clear?

JAMES, acknowledging defeat, nods solemnly.

NARCISSA: (glancing towards SIRIUS) Get back in your compartment, Sirius, and stay there. (She puts an arm around SEVERUS) Come with us, Severus. The rest of you, in your compartments, now! The train will be leaving any minute!

NARCISSA leads the Slytherins to their back compartment. The crowd gathered around the scene slowly dissipates. LILY gives JAMES an angry look before she, MARLENE, and MARY retreat into their own compartment.