Understanding potter's struggles

04 | Marauders Reunited

Sirius and Harry flooed back to McGonagall's office both happy to be reunited once more. Harry hadn't told Sirius about his parents or that Remus had died. He hadn't even told him Voldemort was gone.

When they appeared in the flames, they were greeted by a room full of people. To say Harry was shocked would be putting it mildly, Sirius had to give him a nudge so he would move out of the fireplace.

Standing there looking at him was: Fred, Remus, Tonks, Colin, Lavender, Cedric, his parents, Dumbledore and a beaming McGonagall.

"Blimey," was all he could say to which they all laughed especially Fred who was grinning from ear to ear.

"They all came back Potter!" exclaimed McGonagall in jubilation.

"Don't forget about me," came a gruff voice from the fireplace.

"Alastor!" shouted Tonks as her smile widened even more.

Harry looked around at them all grinning, his eyes fell on Remus who had Tonks on one side of him and the Potters on another. Turning to face Sirius, he could see a look of nothing short of astonishment across his face. "Prongs!" Sirius exclaimed, "is that really you?!"

"Yeah its me Padfoot," replied James with a huge grin across his face, "Moony's here too and Lils." If it was even possible, the smile on Sirius' face stretched even wider as he ran towards him and flung his arms round his old friend.

"Wait a minute," said Sirius as he detached himself for James, "I thought you said everyone in here had died," he looked confused especially at the presence of Remus.

"We all died Padfoot," said Remus, "well except McGonagall."

"Should've known nothing could take out old Minnie here," he said with a laugh.

"Minnie?" said Fred bursting out into laughter which caused the rest of the room to laugh except McGonagall who was smirking.

"Missed you too Black," she said with a laugh, "you too," she looked over at James and Lily.

"Good to see you again Minnie," James laughed, "the marauders are back!"

"Marauders?" said Fred, "as in Messer's Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs?"

"You discovered the map then," James said smirking, "yeah, Remus is Moony, Sirius is Padfoot, I'm Prongs and Peter is Wormtail," he said the last name bitterly.

"Yeah me and George discovered it in first year, nicked it from Filch's office" he said then he quickly realised something and turned to face Harry, "did you know who they were?"

"Yeah I found out in third year," Harry said sheepishly.

"And you didn't think to tell us. I can't believe one of our professors, someone who broke of Azkaban who I spent Christmas with and my brother's best mate's dad were the marauders!" exclaimed Fred.

"Don't forget Peter was the pet rat Scabbers," Harry said with a chuckle causing Fred's face to become even more shocked.

But James wasn't laughing anymore he was thinking about what had just been said and was looking at Sirius, "You went to Azkaban?"

Sirius turned to face his best friend, "yeah, I went after Peter when I realised, he must have betrayed you. But when I found him, he shouted to the street how I betrayed you blasted it all killing 13 people cut off his finger and transformed. I was taken to Azkaban without a trial but I escaped 12 years later." James felt physically sick, his best friend had gone to Azkaban when he was innocent.

"You escaped?" he said, "really? No ones ever done that. I suppose you always did like to stand out." A small smile was back on James' face as Sirius tried to brush the whole matter aside.