[Author's note: Written for my dearest gem who is growing up fast. Hogwarts, 1976. Chaos has always had a four-man limitβuntil now. The world knew little of the Marauders, or it may well be that all that is left after the wizarding war are bones too bare to be pieced back together. What starts as an underground academic partnership quickly spirals into pure pandemonium during their seventh year.]
Also available on wattpad or read chapter two
Chapter 1 - The first experiment
This is a story long forgotten, years and years ago before the Wizarding World saw through its darkest days, a girl fell in love.
Everyone says love, dazzling and blazing, is the golden snitch everyone seeks.Β
It was a late winter night, a deafening storm of snow and wind hailed against the long castle windows. That very same night, the girl who was once promised love, learnt that love may not always be enough.
βSerena, I donβt want to do this either. But itβs a thorny path, and the riskβif anything were to happen to you... I can't live with that.β
Serena blinked her tears away while he paced in winding circles.
βIn no way are you to blame yourself, really! This mess is all on me, Iβm the idiot who should have known better.β
The boy who should have known better was Remus Lupin, one of the kindest boys Serena had come to be friends with, and that friendship bloomed into something more over time. Their relationship was a secret known only by their closest friends, and Remus had chosen to be honest of his βconditionβ with Serena right from the start.Β
He was, after all, a Marauder with a somber secret and that had been his greatest suffering. She had counted his scars as they multiplied and looked on helplessly as each lunar cycle tormented his mind. Yet all she could do was watch.Β Β
And now they were met with an inevitable ending. She knew he had turned this situation over in his head at least a hundred times, every ending imagined proving ever more dire. The boy thought himself cruel, yet she alone knew he was doing all he could to protect her.
She understood what he could not put into words, so she stood up to face him.
"Youβre right Remus, we had given it our best shot, didnβt we?" She shrugged off the ache and offered Remus a steady hand as if the conversation they just had was about the bad weather blazing outside.Β
"Iβd agree to your terms, in exchange, would you agree to continue being my friend?" She added with a taunting grin, "You still have friends, donβt you?"
Remusβs face contorted in unspeakable pain as he let out a dry, jagged laugh. Finally looking up with a broken smile, he met her eyes with a little more confidence. "Deal. Best friends, it is."
βRight, so you guys are no longer dating, and would willingly remain as best friends? Blimey, how do you stay friends with a girl you chucked?βΒ
Remus took a measured sip of his morning coffee before delivering a sharp retort. βThatβs what a mature relationship looks like, Sirius. Though I'd be surprised if you ever were able to do that instead with girls."Β
Sirius shot Remus a dirty look and threw his breakfast toast at him. Amidst the Great Hall humming with chatter as students eagerly feasted on breakfast and gossip, the toast simply rebounded off Remus and landed soundlessly on the table.
βWhatβs that supposed to mean?! Iβd have you know I am equally capable of doing just that! And I can have deep conversations with girls. Or, wellβa girl. Like Lily!β
Lily scoffed into her tea at the mention of her name. It was becoming a regular affair to find the Marauders holding court at breakfast alongside Hogwarts' most competent Head Girl, ever since James had exultantly won her fair hand. It had been seven years in the making, and the rest of the Marauders had often likened the entire courtship to watching a baby fawn learn to walkβpainfully agonizing and entirely lacking in grace. Needless to say, the moment Lily decided that James was indeed more dateable than the Giant Squid, the Marauders went into a full month of merrymaking, complete with honorary pranks to celebrate the historic milestone.
Lily suddenly sat up straighter, rummaging for her planner as if recalling critical intel. James watched his girlfriend, bemused; he knew by now that this was perfectly normal for Lily.
βValentineβs day is next week!β Lily gasped after confirming her hunch via her planner. βRemus, you planned it all didnβt you? Knowing how much more invested Serena would be if you were together for the day and it would only get harder to part after? Aww thatβs really sweet of you!β Lily gushed.
James and Sirius whipped their heads around to stare at Remus, who blushed a shade redder and began tending to his coffee cup with immense focus.
βWell, I donβt really care much for celebrating Valentineβs Day anyway,β Remus attempted an offhanded comeback.Β
βBlimey!β Sirius rubbed his temples dramatically and retrieved his forsaken toast. βThis school could use a laugh on Valentineβs Day.β
And true to form, Sirius made good on that promise come Valentineβs Day.
By sunrise on the fateful day, the castle was thoroughly invaded by bloated, speckled toads, each one tailored in a miniature corset bearing the embroidered word 'CUPID'. The amphibian intruders could be found everywhere from classrooms to broom closets and even the lavatories. Β They didnβt just croak aggressively to disrupt classes and confessions; every once in a while a toad would go launching itself from suits of armor to ambush unsuspecting couples.Β
This was the very misfortune that struck Alice and Frank. Right as Alice was leaning in for a tender, long-awaited kiss with Frank, a particularly ambitious, wart-covered toad came between them and darted a sticky pink tongue straight across the gap and onto Aliceβs pouting lips. Alice let out a blood-curdling shriek, burst into tears, and bolted down the stairs with a helpless Frank trailing behind.
Peeves, the resident poltergeist who thoroughly enjoyed the pure pandemonium set into motion by Sirius, had chanced upon the scene of a runaway Alice shrieking away. Peeves cackled with utter delight, and within the hour, immortalized the scene into a taunting new tune ringing through the corridors to sing about Aliceβs misfortune:
Oh, little Alice lost her head,
Away from the toad prince she fled!
Frankieβs loss of true loveβs kiss,
And all the future they shall miss!
The very next day, a wizard hunt for a certain Marauder named Sirius Black began and Alice was the leader of the pack.
βBlack, may I have a word with you?β
Sirius glanced around him sleepily, almost doubting his ears. The classroom was almost empty aside from the voice which spoke. Sirius had finally managed to dodge the livid mob of frog-traumatized girls and when he finally found an empty classroom on the seventh floor, he passed out in exhaustion.Β
Sirius found himself looking up at a girl with dark long raven hair framing a petite porcelain face, her equally dark eyes with long lashes radiating a sharp focus locked onto Sirius. There was also a smidge of darkened rings around her eyes.
Right. The girl Remus dumped. What was her name again? Celes? Stacey?
Sirius stretched lazily with a long yawn and sat a little straighter, βOh, sure. Is this about good old Remus or the cupid toads?β
Serena shook her head, βNeither. Though I did catch a glimpse of Alice storming over to the Quidditch field on my way over here.β
Sirius lifted his eyebrows, instantly looking around his surroundings with wild-eyed paranoia for a blood-thirsty Alice.
βMad toads aside, I have a favour to ask and youβre the only one I can ask for this favour." Serena continued.
Sirius scratched his head absent-mindedly, wondering where they were going with this, "Right. Oh if youβre looking for a revenge arc to get back at Remus, I happen to have this other prank up my sleeves and we can use it on-β
βBlack, am I right to say that you are an unregistered Animagus?" Serena interjected impatiently when Sirius started to ramble.
Sirius choked on thin air, dropping his bag and his jaw in shock. The Marauders may have always had a penchant for pranks, but their Animagus secret had been a sole non-negotiable conviction for all four of them. Sirius never would believe any one of his friends would let slip.
βRemus never said a thing about your lot being Animagus when we were dating,β Serena added hastily on seeing the shock on his face, βI figured it all out on my own. Well it really wasnβt that hard if you learned to read the patterns. The four of you vanish from meals during every full moon. James and you were asking Professor McGonagall all those questions on becoming an Animagus that one year. And lastly, the Maraudersβ nicknames were rather telling."Β
βR-right," Sirius managed only to stutter as he tried to keep up with the revelation. βOne only has to read the patterns, I guess.β
βSo.. if youβre really an Animagus, would you allow me to run an experiment on you?β
Oooh, youβre trouble, Sirius thought, a slow smirk spreading across his face. But this was someone who used to date Remus- someone who most likely enjoyed cracking puzzles and crimes in her free time. No doubt this was leading to something far more consequential yet unveiled.
"Oh Merlin! Are you trying to slip Remus a love potion?β Sirius backed away and narrowed his eyes at Serena, for he couldnβt decide whether her stash of intel made her a friend or a foe.
Serena rolled her eyes at the insinuation and crossed her arms indignantly.
βNot a love potion, though youβre right on the money that a potion is involved. The potion I am speaking of, is an improved variation of the wolfsbane potion. If I can get it to work, it would be the perfect remedy for those pesky symptoms Remus has to endure every full moon. Iβm sure youβre well familiar with what thatβs like.β
Serena stepped closer to Sirius as if daring him to look away, "Thereβs only one problem, Black.β Sirius actually lost his footing, falling back into the chair he had been dozing in moments before.
βI need a method to prove that it will work for Remus. But of course, our ever prudent Remus would never go along with my plan, so- Iβm looking for another volunteer to take his place and test the potion.β Serena looked poignantly at Sirius.
"Hmmm, so this is your plan? Most interestingβ¦β Sirius mocked a thoughtful look as a wild grin spread across his face.Β
βAnd I know remembering a girlβs name can be tricky, but the nameβs Serena. And here, take this book, it contains all of my research which ought to dispel any suspicions that the crazy ex-girlfriend is trying to slip a shoddy love potion into your friendβs morning coffee. Donβt take too long with your decision though; weβre nearing the next full moon soon.β
And in the manner of someone whose patience had been entirely consumed, Serena turned and marched out of the classroom leaving Sirius all alone to reel in all that had happened.
Sirius gazed at Serenaβs receding figure with renewed interest. Somewhere out on the Quidditch grounds, an angry mob of outraged lasses was probably hunting him down with metaphorical pitchforks, but he barely registered it. He looked down at the leather-bound notebook in his hand; Serena had just handed him an entirely new form of mischief. In all his years, no other girl had ever offered him a blueprint for chaos. Looking at her now, he wasnβt just looking at a clever Ravenclawβhe was looking at a fellow troublemaker. And beneath the sudden thrill of it all hummed the dangerous, intoxicating promise of a brand-new adventure.
And Serena was the girl holding the pen to that brand-new story.
First of, thank you for completing the chapter. That is all an author can hope for.
Next intent is to pen a few thoughts on this first chapter which introduces an OC who had no role in the original Potter-verse. But that is part of the story to be told, what if there was always a hidden element that could piece together the fragmented narration we got instead of the Marauders. What if you look a little closer, you could see the connecting thread between the original fiction and the fan's version? Well, that may be my wishful thinking but I did hide a few canon easter eggs in this piece. Hope you found them all.
Copyright Notice: All original content, OCs (Serena!), and narrative interpretations are Β©οΈ 2026 [hanabiaki]. Please do not steal, repost, or translate my work. Fanart and fan-made creations inspired by this fic are always welcomeβjust please credit and link back!
