I solemnly swear that I am up to no good:
The Marauders


Since we came across 3 of the 4 Marauders in the third book of the Harry Potter series (Prisoner of Azkaban), we have all wondered about that group of people. We knew they were friends, troublemakers, well known by the professors, and they weren't very fond of Severus Snape. But who was The Marauders? How could 4 underage wizards master the fine art of animagus, create such an genius thing as the Marauder’s map and still have time for pranks and other misdoings? The Marauders was probably one of the main reasons that Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew became a 'Dark Wizard' (If you can call him that). So, who was the Marauders? When was The Marauders? Why was the Marauders? Where was the Marauders? Well... come along, chant this song, The Mauraders will not live for long...


Remember-all:

* Stay on topic.
* Be respectful.
* All SS rules apply.

Yay first to post I like the idea Btw Emil....well I think that Sirius came up with the idea of the Marauders map when they got caught in detention and James said let's do it Remus planned it and Wormtail...just sat there.As for when did they call them selfs Marauders I guess after mastering their patrounases and all and about the pranks part...I really don't know that is still a mystery to me

I really have no idea what to think about that. I do like what BlackGirl wrote though. I agree with it. I never thought about it, but now that it is brought up, I really don't know.

Second to post

I love this topic idea, its very interesting. . . As for the Marauders, they always have been interesting to me. I believe it was Sirius and James that started the Marauders. As for when they became the Marauders, I believe it most likely happened when they all considered themselves a group. We know that the patronus' were mastered to be able to hang out with Remus when he transformed, so I feel as if they had called themselves the Marauders before they did master the patronus', sorry BlackGirl for disagreeing with you. Anyways, I don't know, there's too much not known, but that is what I believe at the moment.

yeah and maybe they planned their pranks while they were in detention.I think they started to hate Snape when he was a know it all in potions and when he called Lily a mudblood thats when I think the hate started cause I remeber a part in Ootp when Lily shouted at James to leave Severus alone and he replied I don't need help from a mudblood Hating what Severus said they hated him all together and plus he was easy to prank

no it's okay everyone have their own theories and besides I like the way you think it never occured to me what you have just said...

Well... For the Marauders question.. here's the link for Dictionary.com on the word Maurader.. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Marauder

Take a look an that.. see what you think.. does it fit??

I don't think it had anything to do with their animagus knowledge or their Patronus'es... I just think that's what they thought they were.. well kinda' was..

welll.... of course they were smart otherwise they would never have mastered the Animagus stuff. well Wormtail you can't exactly call smart but still. they had time to wreck havoc because they had an invisibility cloak and were out afterhours.... of course

EDIT: up there^^^ are you people calling their Animagus forms their patronus' or am i just being confused?

I agree, they did have time to sneak out at the middle of the night but they also did pranks in the morning...I think Peeves helped really

Ug, I messed up. Replace all the patronus' with Animagus'. . . Anyways, yeah. I believe that they may have been the misfits at first, honestly. I mean Sirius didn't believe in his families beliefs, James just remind me too much of Harry and we know that Harry is considered a misfit. Remus was a werewolf so I think he'd be distant, and then Peter we all know he was a misfit. I think they all relized this and then started to slowly become friends because of this similar things. And I think that the Marauders were most likely started at the end of the first year or the beginning of the second. *shrugs* Who knows. . .

Okay correct me if I am wrong here:

The Marauder's Map was created by of course, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter. It produced anyone in any shape or form, including if they were under the invisibility cloak or in animagus form. If I am correct, the map was created during their 2nd year at Hogwarts with one minor room left off, the Room of Requirements (which was not found until Harry's 6th year when he was following Draco). I believe this map was used so that they could not only create their mischiefs and pranks but to also accompany Remus during his werewolf adventures.

Obviously if this map was created during their 2nd year at Hogwarts, then they already knew their nicknames, unless it was added at a later time along with the appearing and disappearing of the rooms. I am sure that they used it to sneak off to Hogsmeade during some weekends which now brings me to another question/clue. They must have started the map during their 2nd year and did not complete it until a later date. You cannot tell me that a 2nd year student could perform that many spells at the age of 12 but then again, this is Sirius, James and Remus we are talking about. I bet anything they started the map then and continued to add as they came along something new.

Now don't forget the the Room of Requirements was never added to this map which means that they did not find everything with the walls of Hogwarts. I wonder if there is anything else that they overlooked? One ponders on that question for a bit.

Also, with Peter, don't under estimate the "slow" yet "different" people. Yes he turned out to be bad and yes he was nothing but a follower of a strong leader but Peter was also a very smart wizard. No matter whether James, Sirius and Remus helped him perform his animagus form or not, you are still considered a talented wizard if you can accomplish this form. Yes I am sure that they demonstrated the ways of the animagus form, but it was something that consisted of consentration and skills which obviously Peter had (somewhere in that pea brain of his).

I believe that Peter turned against the Marauders because he saw that the Dark Lord, Voldie the Baldie, was a wee bit more powerful in his standings. As I said before, Peter was a follower of a strong leader and saw that in Voldemort. To keep himself protected from death, Peter turned the Potters in and probably did not expect all that to happen but once it did, there was no turning back. Also if you look at the things that Peter did later on after he became the servant to the Dark Lord, he performs powerful and difficult spells to bring Voldemort back to life. I am not trying in any way to stick up for this so-called wizard, I am just pointing out the fact that sometimes the quiet ones are the ones that you have to watch out for. They are the ones who are more willing to strike than the others.

I will write more later for there are plent of things to point out for the Marauders!! Sorry it's so long!!

I <3 the topic, Emil. Nice thinking. Very.

First off, I must say that James and Sirius probably became best friends in their first year at Hogwarts. Remus would have become a friend not long afterwards and once James and Sirius got into their stride [Read: Showed their true colours ] Peter would have started clinging to them. I would guess that by their third year at Hogwarts, the "Marauders" had come into action.

They probably learnt about Remus = Werewolf = Ouch in their third year. They spent two years learning how to become Animagi and by their fifth year, all could transform and help Remus. Whilst helping Remus and wandering about the school at night [out-of-bounds, may I add], they would have discovered many of the school' secrets. So they would have decided to "preserve" their findings and create the Marauders' Map.

Stacey, as far as I know the Marauders' Map was created in the Marauders' sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts – That is, their last two years at Hogwarts. If that is so, it would be quite safe to say that after they learnt their animagus form in their fifth year at Hogwarts, they discovered many of Hogwarts' secrets – So in their sixth year, they decided to create the map – Which was finished, eventually, in their seventh year.

I wonder if Lily knew about the map.

Maxie

well i really think they must have decided about making a map in their detention and professor trealway predicted "one night they shall come twins whose hair are red they shall pass down your secrets to your heir"so may be they decided on writing the marauders map

wow Stacey.. I agree with what you said about PEter.. First of all, about their name Marauder, after reading Emil's link to what it means, I find it a bit barbaric.. what a word to describe them.. for me it was a bad name of course. I think, they're not really being Marauders in school, but I can say, yeah they do sometimes act like a marauder but not all the time. I'd like to think that they decided to be Marauders to have a strong group name and be cool in a way, I guess. And maybe to scare someone in case the map falls to wrong hands? ..

James and Sirius probably became friends at once then Lupin and Peter joins afterwards. Byt the time of their second year, they probably knew that Remus is a werewolf and thats the time, they decided to make the map mainly to learn/practice being an animagus without being caught. Misdoings are a habit now At their third year.. the map is working I guess, but not finish yet and after discovering the Shack and maybe the secret passages.. they add the details to the map, completing it. And I guess they all are an animagus now at the end of the year.. and go wild and playful everytime they're at the Shack

in theory

I tend to agree with Maxie luff here. Since Sirius, James and Peter managed their transformation in their 5th year, I reckon it must have been much easier discovering further secrets and hidden pasageways [more than they could with the help of James' invisibility cloak, that is --though we don't know for sure when it was that he received it from his father]. My guess is that the map was created in the interval 5th-7th year at Hogwarts. Actually, the book itself states so:

Hope that settles part of the Marauder's Map issue.

Okay right now I feel like a big ding dong!!! You both have to be correct on that one!!!

I know that something happened their 2nd year of school....was that when they found out about Remus??

Yes I believe that James and Sirius were instant friends being that they are a lot alike in many ways. I believe that the other two did not come into the picture until they began to know each other by staying in the same dorm room. *sighs at her Marauder men*

I've always wondered why Wormtail joined the group...four is kinda a weird number as the group tends to become separated into pairs. Obviously James and Sirius paired off...but Remus and Peter? I dunno...it doesn't seem right...

We know the Peter wanted power...but James and Sirius were more show offs that powerful...and Remus was bright, but quiet and hardworking...keeping himself to himself cos of his 'problem'. It is a weird group...but maybe they found peace here because they were different...

I think the title marauders was problely very approperate. I think that they nipped down to the kitchens and got food from the house elves. I thinking that it was more exciting to say that pilfered it. The name marauder could be a play on pirates who were and still are romantisied in England especially on the coast simiral to cowboy in America. I think that James and Sirius may have known each other before they ever attended Hogwarts. Both of their parent were pure bloods even if their politic were different. As Sirius said in Order of the Phoenix most pure blood family are related. Sirius and James maybe even Peter may have met at social events.

Remus Lupin was in Gryffindor so they knew each other and they must have been intrested as to were he went every month. Remember everyone agrees that Sirius and James were smart, so like Hermione they may have guess some of what was going on. I betting that Remus was fasinating to them.

As for Peter who ever said Peter was not smart. He had to be a talented wizard to blow a hole in the middle of the street kill 12 people and make it look like Sirius did it.

Why did Peter go to the dark side because he wasn't brave. Someone (a death eater) may have befriended Peter. Peter didn't relise a first that this person was a death eater. Peter may not have had a clue untill he was brought to meet Voldemort and Peter took the easy way out. Death or betray your friends.

Back to the marauder and their map. I think they may have made the map in their 1st year. Sirius and James were brought up in wizarding houses and with wealthy parent they were most likely give a lot of leaway maybe aloud to do some magic (they can't tell which person perform the magic only that it was at a certin residence). I suspect that at least James, Sirius, and Peter visited Diagon Alley and other Wizarding shops. Remus had a wizard parent they may have went to places like St Mungo and other such places looking for a cure or aid for Remus.

The fact that the marauders came from wizarding family put them at an advantage for some of the things they could do.

As for wandering around after dark and were you don't belong look at the Weasley Twins and we only know about there exploutes in passing. How about after Harry get the cloak.

I think that they were tipical middle school kids who would do extentsive reseach for some mischief and they had an Idea of what they could do.

I'm sorry this is so jumbled I hope I got my point acrossed.

Very nice points, Judy.

However, as to what concerns the Marauder's Map, the Prisoner of Azkaban book tells us it was made after their 5th year [see my quote above], as Lupin states it came to be created after James, Sirius and Peter had achieved their transformation [5th year].

And I guess they were more than just typical middle school kids. One can just look at Sirius or James and realize they were quite above average, in more than one domain. Lupin was exceptionally hardworking and studious, meanwhile Peter seemed to gravitate towards those more powerful than him; perhaps even the most powerful he could reach at that time.

I agree completley. It would explain how Wormtail came to be with Voldemort...unless I have all my dates wrong, Tom was at Hogwarts at the same time as the Marauders. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) So, if he saw Tom was getting powerful, he'd do anything to be with him. This is probably how he came to be with Sirius, James, and Remus as well.

I believe Voldy was born in 1926 and was at Hogwarts in 1938 - 1945.
This would make him going on 80 (he was born Dec.31)

Sirius was born in 1959 or 1960 and was at Hogwarts in 1971 or there abouts
This would make Sirius 45 - 47 depending on what day he was born.

If I have my dates correct Tom Riddle could have gone to school with Sirius's parents I didn't check their birthdays. If this is true then they would have problely been in Slytherin at the same time and maybe Sirius's parent thought highly of Tom Riddle.

Alright, thank you for clearing that. In this case, I doubt Wormtail would ahve met Voldy directly, but he probably could have had a good chance to meet a death eater...possibly Snape.

Sorry guys I've been a little off topic, but in my opinio the Marauders were a group of young wizards that somehow got together.

Its undeniable that Sirius, James and Remus got a lot in common. They were all three brilliant minds, and Peter must have admired that maybe he was that kid of kid that didn't had friend always stalkin' them and they ended up opening their arms for him, cuz they were kind and good hearted people!

About the Marauders map, I believe that Peter must have helped in the construction of if but I think that the main work was donne by the other three.

Abt the animagus transformation, ok. They were little genious for their ages! That's true! And Peter? I don't know, I still find it hard to believe that he was able to transforme himself without serious help from the others.

(:*

First off, in order to understand how the Marauders were able to accomplish amazing feats of wizardry and magic, we must first understand who we are talking about.

The Marauders, as we know them, were a group of four wizarding students, all in Gryffindor. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. (This may seem irrelevant and pointless, but you will see near the conclusion my reasoning for stating the obvious.)

Let's start with James.

James Potter: obviously athletic due to his amazing quidditch prowess. Strong-headed leader. And, due to Harry's keen magical abilities, we may gather that Harry got at least half of them from his father, so James must have been above average with his magic. Learns best by doing.

Sirius Black: Comes from a prominent Dark Wizard family. Loves James very much. Loyal and cunning. Apparently has a strong will about him as well, as is shown in his adult years. Good looking. (yes, that is probably the only part of this post that is entirely irrelevant...but I had to say it. XD ) Also learns by doing.

Remus Lupin: Werewolf. Intelligent and annalytical. Although he is not the 'leader', he is very influential. Learns best by reading.

Peter Pettigrew: Insecure. Seeks affirmation from others. Not a free-thinker; must be encouraged to do anything, for the fear of doing something on his own and then failing. Learns best by tutoring.

There. Now we a very concise piece of each individual Marauder. These are the keys to what makes them "The Marauders". Now, singularly, they are of nothing of great consequence. A+ student, athlete, stud-muffin (ok, second irrevelvant thing) cunning one, and the runt. We see people like this in our school systems all of the time. What makes them so extraordinary is how they work together.

Because Remus was a werewolf, and his friends were extreemly loyal, we can see them all searching for an answer on how to rid him of his lonliness. I can see James thinking of what would be best for Remus. Sirius would be willing to do anything, no matter the risk to himself. Peter, shaking in the background (whether from nerves or the excitement of being around James and Sirius no one really knows) willing to do anything to please his ultra-cool friends.

Let's suppose that being raised in a dark wizarding family gives one an 'edge' on all things naughty. So, perhaps James thinks of the animal idea. Sirius definitely agrees, but suggests becoming a patronus, rather than using a temporary charm. Afterall, you would have more control, and the perks of doing something outlawed were always fun. Remus, after being persuaded for a while I imagine, would have provided them with the text knowledge. Afterall, why would any of the teacher's care if a werewolf checked out restricted books on animagi? It wouldn't do him much good. And I'm sure it wouldn't be the first book Remus had checked out of the restricted section.

Now that they have the information, they would need practice. The room of requirement would afford the perfect place for four young boys to practice magic. Peter would of course lag behind in the learning process. But I think James would probably like to have been his tutor. Sirius would, but only to prove he was better. I think James generally would have liked teaching. Maybe it gave him a sense of something bigger than himself. (Reminds me of Harry, how he enjoys saving the world...) At any rate, one of them had to be the teacher, and I doubt it was Sirius.

Eventually, they all learn it. Now you see how all of their characteristics fit together to allow them to become animagi. I pointed out the reasons I see coming into play while they were trying to learn this, but later I may use the same points to show why I think Peter became Lord Voldemort's slave. But that's all for another day. I hope this was helpful. And it is all my opinion. Agreements and dissagreements all welcome!

All of these are awesome points but I have a question if they had known about the Room of Requirement when they where in school then why was it not included on the map? A room such as this one James and Sirius would have wanted to be able to keep and eye on. Also if they had known about it then why didn't Peter just seek it out and use it for a hide out all those years he was in hiding? He would have been taken care of the room would have seen to that. He could have snuck in and out of Hogwarts as the rat to gather what information he could not garner from the room itself and to allow a bit a freedom so that he would not get cabin fever. James and Sirius along with Lupin would have wanted that room remembered just like all the secret passages if they had known about it. Think of all the things that room alone would have aloud them to do. Pranks, you open the door everything you could possibly imagine would be there for the taking. Need to hide in wait for Severus then not only would it have provided shelter but also foe glass so that they would know when to jump out and get him. I think that they accomplished so much in there short lives but I just don't see them having found the Room of Requirement at least when they were students. They could have found it though when they were older and reporting to Dumblerdore during the first war. I like this the possibilites are endless. The Marauders are fabulous