❝ FOR FREEDOM.
FOR T R U T H.
AND FOR LOVE. ❞
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍.
1978. Where a squib and a mischief-maker cross
paths at the crux of a war that would eventually
tear apart everything - and everyone - they...
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AFTER MUCH CHAOS, the Hogwarts Express had finally left the Hogsmeade station an hour ago. Most of the seventh years had leaned out of their compartment windows to watch the turreted castle grow smaller and fainter until it all but disappeared from view.
As they moved from the Highlands and into the rolling fields of England, breezing past a blur of lush countryside and gray, rain heavy sky, the ungodly summer rain continued pounding against the window of the compartment where the Marauders sat along with Lily, Marlene, and their friend from Ravenclaw, Aspen Kane. The seven of them just barely managed to fit into the cramped compartment, and the thought made Sirius smile as he reminisced about the first time he'd sat in one of these compartments, the way seven children had then comfortably lounged around playing exploding snap and exchanging chocolate frog cards.
"Well, well, well," a strange, silvery voice said, rousing Sirius from his reverie. He whipped his head around to find that the compartment door had slid open, and a bunch of older Slytherin boys stood just beyond the threshold. "If it isn't the so-called Marauders and their girlfriends playing exploding snap. Reminiscing about your childhood?"
They were, indeed, halfway through a round of exploding snap. James had remarked how he and Sirius had played the game on their way to Hogwarts back in their first year, only to learn that the rest of them too had passed time playing the volatile card game. Blaming nostalgia, Marlene had pulled out a deck of cards and soon, the seven of them were engrossed a ridiculously competitive game of exploding snap. No one revealed this bit of information to the short Slytherin boy who had spoken: Lazarus Mulciber.
"Is there something you wanted?" asked Remus, his tone devoid of any emotion. "I fail to understand the reason behind this disruption."
For an instance, Sirius thought he saw a flash of anger in Mulciber's eyes, but then he blinked, and Mulciber looked as unperturbed as ever. Sirius noticed, a little more gleefully than was strictly appropriate, that Mulciber's dark hair had thinned over the years, making his angular face appear even broader and unsuited to his stature.
"We were walking back to our compartment when Amycus here," Mulciber pointed to a tall boy on his right whose skin looked thoroughly weather-beaten, "said something that made me stop and want to say hello."
Sirius raised his brow. "I'm sure we're all flattered by your presence, Mulligan."
"Mulciber," corrected the boy named Aziel Avery before Mulciber could stop him.
"Yes, that's what I said: Mulrooney," replied Sirius, grinning at the sound of mingled laughter that came from behind him. "But remind me again, what was it this dolt said that made you stop?
