It was a chilly October night, and the biting winds of fall whispered through the stone corridors of Hogwarts, rattling the ancient windows. The flickering torchlight cast long, shifting shadows on the walls, making the castle feel alive in its own mysterious way. James Potter tugged his woolen scarf higher, covering the lower half of his face.
Only his mischievous hazel eyes peeked out from beneath the wool as he stalked silently through the halls. He felt like a spy on a covert mission, and the thought filled him with a smug sort of delight.
The library, vast and echoing, was deathly silent at this hour, the kind of silence that seemed to amplify the faintest sound. The clock had long since chimed midnight, and James relished the thrill of breaking curfew. This wasn't his first late-night escapade into the labyrinthine shelves. By now, in his second year at Hogwarts, he knew the library's layout as well as he knew the Quidditch pitch. Every creaky floorboard, every shadowy alcove—he'd mapped them out in his head during many a clandestine adventure.
But tonight, wasn't about harmless wandering or sneaking a peek at banned spell books with Sirius. Tonight, was about the ultimate destination: the Restricted Section. Tucked away at the farthest, darkest corner of the library, its black iron gate loomed like the mouth of some forbidden treasure trove. James felt his heart quicken at the thought of what secrets lay beyond.
As he approached the towering bookshelves, he stepped lightly, avoiding the usual squeaky floorboards near Madam Pince's desk. The librarian, though strict and eagle-eyed during the day, was not known for her vigilance after hours. James smirked. Still, better not risk it, he thought.
Reaching the Restricted Section's gate, James paused, his breath clouding in the cold air. The heavy iron lock glinted in the dim light, a challenge he'd prepared for. Slipping his wand from his robes, he muttered softly, "Alohomora."
The lock clicked open with a quiet, satisfying snap, and James felt his grin stretch wider. With one last glance over his shoulder to ensure he was alone, he stepped into the shadowy enclave of forbidden knowledge, the thrill of discovery igniting his every step.
James crouched low, his wand illuminating the dark corners of the Restricted Section. His hand trailed along the dusty spines of forbidden books with each title more foreboding than the last. Sirius would have had a field day mocking their melodramatic names—Hexes of a Forgotten Era, Curses That Cut, The Undying Flame—but James had one goal tonight: inspiration for their next prank.
"Come on, there's got to be something good here," James muttered, eyes darting to the corners of the library. His ears strained for any sign of Madam Pince, or worse, Peeves.
His fingers brushed against a massive book, hidden behind others, its cover obscured by shadows. The moment he tugged it free, it slipped from the shelf and crashed to the floor with a deafening thud.
"Bugger!" he whispered sharply, freezing in place. He listened intently. Nothing.
Relieved but annoyed, James bent down to pick it up. That's when he saw it—the Hogwarts crest, but... different. It looked older, rougher, as if drawn by hand. Above the crest, a single word gleamed in faded gold: The Marauders.
James frowned. "That's… odd."
With a quick glance around, he tucked the book under his arm and slipped out of the library, his mind spinning.
****
Back in the Gryffindor dormitories, James dropped the heavy tome onto his bed with a dull thud. Sirius, lounging on the opposite bed with an air of effortless mischief, raised an eyebrow.
"Oi, there you are. Where've you been sneaking off to, Prongs?" Sirius drawled, lounging lazily on his bed, wand spinning effortlessly between his fingers. His mischievous grin widened. "Pilfering sweets from Filch's secret stash again? Or perhaps masterminding our next grand escapade into detention?"
"Library," James replied nonchalantly, flipping open the book with a focused determination.
Sirius sat bolt upright, mock horror spreading across his face. "The library? Merlin's beard, what happened? Did McGonagall curse you? Or worse… is it that Lily girl?" He gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "Prongs, don't tell me—are you dying? Should I fetch Madam Pomfrey?"
"Oh, do shut it, Paddy," James muttered, his eyes glued to the ornate lettering on the first page. His hand moved to brush a thin layer of dust from the parchment, and his brow furrowed with fascination.
"Shutting it would be easier if you didn't go sneaking about and coming back with ancient tomes like some brooding scholar," Sirius retorted, leaning forward with intrigue. "What's so riveting, then? Found some ancient curse to prank Snivellus with?"
"Not quite," James said, his tone unusually serious. He ran his finger along the edge of the text, reading silently before glancing up. "I think I've just found something incredible."
James opened the thick, red, leather-bound book with a reverence he rarely displayed. The worn pages within carried the unmistakable scent of aged parchment, tinged with a faint trace of mold and dust. Yet, despite the evident passage of time, the text was remarkably well-preserved, as though the book itself resisted decay.
His eyes fell on the first page. Written in bold, elegant handwriting, unmistakable in its clarity, were four names:
Godric Gryffindor
Helga Hufflepuff
Rowena Ravenclaw
Salazar Slytherin
James froze, his breath catching in his throat. The weight of history seemed to settle around him, pressing down with a quiet intensity. His fingers hovered over the names, not daring to touch them.
"What's that?" Sirius, suddenly intrigued by James's stunned silence, swung his legs off the bed and sauntered over, his usual swagger momentarily subdued by curiosity. Leaning over James's shoulder, he peered at the open page. "What's got you so shocked?"
James didn't look up, his voice quiet, almost reverent. "Sirius… this isn't just some dusty old book. Look." He pointed to the page with trembling fingers.
The boy's black eyes followed James's gesture. His brow furrowed as he read the names aloud, his voice uncharacteristically serious.
His usual smirk faded as the weight of the names sank in. "Bloody hell," he muttered, straightening up. "Is this what I think it is?"
James nodded slowly, the weight of his discovery pressing down on him like a heavy cloak. With a steadying breath, he turned the page. The faint shimmer of the words beneath the flickering light of his wand caught his eye, almost as though the book itself was alive, waiting to reveal its secrets.
He began to read aloud, his voice low and steady:
"To those who come after us—brave of heart, loyal of spirit, wise of mind, and ambitious of soul—these are the chronicles of our youth. Long before Hogwarts stood tall, in a land far removed from this one, we were not yet founders but simply friends. Adventurers. Dreamers.
This is the story of us. A tale of Excalibur Academy, and as you turn these pages, remember us—not as the legends you may know, but as who we were. Remember what we gained, and what we lost. Remember our triumphs, and our failures. Of those who survived, and those who did not.
Remember the laughter and the tears, the victories and the heartbreak. Remember everything.
For this is not just our story. It is yours as well."
The words seemed to linger in the air, echoing with a solemn weight.
"Signed… The Marauders," James finished, his voice tinged with awe as he grinned from ear to ear. "Sirius, can you believe it? It's their story. The Founders. The actual bloody Founders of Hogwarts."
Sirius raised an eyebrow, his brow furrowing as he processed the name. "Wait a minute—The Marauders?" he repeated, the words dripping with incredulity. He let out a snort, leaning back with his arms crossed. "Seriously? That's what they called themselves? What were they, ten? Bit juvenile, don't you think?"
James rolled his eyes. "Says the bloke who insisted we name ourselves The Knights Of Black. 'Sides, I think it's brilliant. It makes them feel… I don't know, real. Like us—having adventures, causing trouble, making names for themselves."
"Well," Sirius said, leaning back with a low whistle. "Looks like we've just cracked open the story of the century. Who knew they had a whole other life before Hogwarts?"
James nodded, his hands gripping the edges of the book tightly. "This… this changes everything."
Sirius smirked, his dark eyes gleaming with intrigue. "Alright, Prongs, ole' boy," he said, leaning forward with a mischievous glint. "You had my curiosity. Now you officially have my attention. So let's crack this wide open and see what secrets these old coots have been hiding, shall we?"
James eagerly flipped through several pages, each turn of the parchment unveiling a world unlike anything he had imagined. The words seemed alive, weaving tales of breathtaking duels echoing through the hallowed halls of Excalibur Academy, daring escapes from the shadowy depths of the Mirkwood, and clashes where swords and spears met wands in a flurry of sparks and magic.
His eyes widened as he came across detailed descriptions of airships soaring through the skies and strange, fantastical machines sketched in the margins—contraptions unlike anything he had ever seen, with intricate gears and glowing runes humming with power. The book was more than just a record of history; it was a glimpse into a world where magic and ingenuity intertwined in ways Hogwarts' history lessons had never hinted at.
And then, there was Godric Gryffindor.
James paused, captivated by the depiction of the man whose name adorned his house. This was no stoic, untouchable figure enshrined in legend. The Godric in these pages was bold, reckless, and brimming with life. He leapt headfirst into danger, driven not by duty alone but by an unshakable loyalty to his friends and an unyielding desire to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. Far from the static, almost saintly image presented in history books, this Gryffindor was flawed, raw, and undeniably heroic.
"Blimey," James muttered under his breath, his fingers brushing over a sketch of young Gryffindor wielding a gleaming sword against a towering foe. "He's… so different from how they made him out to be."
James read on, his voice tinged with excitement and amusement. "Listen to this bit:
'Rowena had warned us not to touch the fountain, but of course, Salazar couldn't resist. By the time we dragged him out of the water, his hair had turned the most obnoxious shade of green you can imagine. Helga nearly fell over laughing, and I… well, I still say he deserved it.'"
Sirius chuckled, shaking his head, his grey eyes sparkling with amusement. "Classic. Sounds like something you'd get up to if you weren't so busy trying to keep up appearances."
"Me?" James shot him a playful glare, adjusting his glasses. "You're the Salazar in this story, mate. No question about it."
"Oh, don't be daft." Sirius smirked, leaning back with an exaggerated air of superiority. He nudged James with his elbow. "If anyone's Salazar here, it's you. Always the one with the dramatic flair."
"Right, because you're so humble," James shot back with a grin.
Sirius took a deep breath with an eager gleam in his eye. "Well then, if we're going to stick our noses into the lives of legends, we'd better start at the beginning, eh? No point in half-measures."
James raised an eyebrow, his own smirk forming as he leaned over the book. "You seriously want to snoop through the life and times of the four greatest witches and wizards in history? Don't say I didn't warn you when you get obsessed."
"Oh, please," Sirius said, waving a hand. "You're the one who dragged this book out of the restricted section. I'm just along for the ride." He settled comfortably on the edge of the bed. "Unless you've got something better to do." His grin widened.
James rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his own excitement. "Alright, fine, but just for a bit," he said, taking a seat next to his friend and flipping to the first page. "And for Merlin's sake, don't wake Remus or Peter." He glanced toward the two sleeping boys in their beds. "I don't need Remus grumbling again about being tired all day."
"Relax," Sirius said with a wave of his hand, leaning in closer. "They won't even know we're here."
James shot him a skeptical look but didn't argue. Instead, he turned the yellowed pages carefully, his fingers brushing over the faded ink. The title of the first entry gleamed faintly under the dim light.
As the two boys leaned back against the headboard, the room was filled with a hushed sense of anticipation. James took a steadying breath, then began to read aloud, his voice low and reverent.