Pleading Innocent

Chapter 1

She was told that the Marauders were like brothers, scratch that, in her first year at Hogwarts and their last, she could see how each of them would die for each other. From the moment she set foot in the Gryffindor common room after the sorting ceremony, she discovered tales of the Marauders, the saga of the headboy and headgirl falling in love and become power couple, and everything in between.

Remus and Lily would often help her with essays and exams, she knew of James and Sirius as her home was just opposite to the Potters'. She wasn't really sure about the Pettigrew guy but he seemed harmless too.

The only thing she enjoyed more than their pranks were their stories. How they pranked almost the whole castle including the professors and how they got away with them to the secret passageways, she used to puppy-face the Marauders into telling her everything well ofcourse except for the explicit parts.

It was needless to say that Sirius Black along with Remus Lupin, were her duo. To her naive mind, they were just the guys who used to tell her stories using voices and imitations, crack jokes, help her with studies and give her chocolates all the time.

The lot of them had saved her numerous times from prejudiced bullies. They always stood up for the younger students so as to protect them from the harsh pending of the looming doom.

She had seen how Sirius would spend his vacations at the Potter mansion. At the bare age of 9-10 it obviously confused her as of why someone from the Sacred 28 pure blood families would spend their vacations with a 'blood traitor' as the others would phrase instead of their own family.

Every month she would wonder, upon seeing new scratches and scars added to the previous ones on Remus' body, what mysterious task were they upto. Numerous times she had offered him her bag of sweets after noticing his tiresome behaviour.

But those old, chipped, yet strong walls of Hogwarts knew as many secrets as the rest of wizarding world. By the time third year rolled around, the Marauders had already graduated a year ago and you knew almost everything about them. So naturally when towards the end, the news of 'Sirius Black- sentenced to Azkaban for life under the charges of murdering James and Lily Potter along with Peter Pettigrew and 12 muggles' came out, she was doubtlessly one of many people who were shocked upon hearing this.

The entire third year had passed by but still, something about the whole ordeal didn't fit right with her. So she went home with the determination to unravel the truth. She asked her parents what they knew about the relations between the Potters and the Blacks. Although they didn't know much, she at least got a start in the correct direction.

By now, she had matured. She knew what feelings meant, what love felt like, what it was like to want something yet not being able to get it. She found herself remembering the particular two Marauders at night more than she would like to admit. They were pure thoughts of concern. Wondering where would Remus be, wondering how Sirius would be surviving that cruel place. These thoughts, these sleepless nights were her motivation.

For the next two years she collected witnesses and information from Professors at Hogwarts during the school year and in Godric's hollow from their neighbours during vacations about James, Sirius and the other Marauders. Many looked at her strangely, many thought that she might have lost her mind?many professors were also in-cooperating. Especially for professor McGonagall it was really traumatising reminiscing about her favourite students who were now either dead or just lost.

During her sixth year at Hogwarts, Snape had joined as the Potions teacher. Though he was still very bitter as he had actually applied for the position of the DADA professor. She knew about Snape's history with the Marauders and Lily and how the lot hated him with a burning passion. She would often try to ask him about them but he would brush her off quiet rudely. It was a task in itself to get Snape to confess or even talk about the group. It seemed almost as if he felt guilty for something he had done, for something he wasn't able to stop.

Somehow reluctantly but she had managed to collect Snape's statement and indulge him as a witness.

"For the last time, Miss. (Y/l/n), I'm not having this discussion with you any further. You should consider yourself lucky that I'm not assigning you detention, anymore!" Snape snarled at her.

"And professor you should consider yourself lucky that you're getting a chance to help prove a man innocent. You get to save a life professor. You might not have been able to save Lily but maybe this will make upto it. She would've wanted you to do all that you can to help you know." She argued and added some dramatics as to rope him in and after concluding the conversation, she started retreating. She took slow carefully calculated steps as if giving Snape time to consider it.

And she was right, "Inform me when the trial is and meet me after detention tomorrow to note my statement." Snape muttered in his stoic voice and left with the extravagant flair of his cloak.

Once again vacation had come around. It was now time to put all hands on deck. She started her intense search about all the muggles that were said to be killed that night by Sirius Black. She took help from unreliable sources, even bribed people into telling her the truth.

But between all this hassle she had forgotten to most the most important loose end. Remus John Lupin, the only marauder left alive and well.... sane. She dug out his address from her seniors. As she stood knocking on his door, thoughts swirling about how elated the lycan would feel about someone taking stand to free his best mate and clear his name, she definitely wasn't expecting a hoarse voice of the same male to tell her off. It seemed strange and unlike him.

"Remus it's me, (Y/n) (Y/l/n), from Hogwarts! You used to tutor me during your last year remember?" She asked through the door.

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(A/n):- Hey guys, please follow and vote and feel free to comment or ask any questions <3