Once upon a time
Nearly two decades ago
Four young men attended Hogwarts
Their names, you surely know.

One came from a noble house,
Though agreement he did lack
With the rest of his family,
Was the young Sirius Black.

The second one was brave and true,
And only once did not
Immediately get what he desired
This boy was surely James Pot...ter.

And then the third, unsure of himself,
Bore a horrible curse.
Young Remus Lupin didn't think
His life could get any worse.

Then there was young Peter Pettigrew.
He didn't think he would fit in.
But he met these other three
Who showed confidence in him.

They were close as could be,
And even when their bond was strained,
The four stayed strong together
And paid no heed to darkness or rain.

Of course there was Lily Evans,
Who never knew of magic.
She never regretted a day of her life
Although her end was tragic.

Severus Snape, last but not least,
Didn't quite belong
With the Marauders (being a Slytherin)
And they did not get along.

With laughs and joy
And plans and pride
They took that magical world
And flipped it on its side.

On that first day, James met Lily
And didn't take long to decide
That, with her stunning beauty and brains,
She would one day be his bride.

After six years, sadness set in
At that they were leaving in one year.
But the Marauders' believed that
They would meet again, never fear.

It took seven years, but he finally won.
Lily saw the light.
She said yes to James, who had asked her out
Since the first year, first night.

The day they thought would never arrive
Came quickly and with no warning.
Their graduation was a wonderous affair
Taking place in the morning.

James, surprisingly, as Head Boy
And Lily Evans as Head Girl
Gave their final school speech
And set students' heads in a whirl.

After the ceremony, a date was set
For the wedding of James and Lily.
Sirius made jokes about Lily's frequent rejections
Which James didn't think were too silly.

Just three years later, horror struck.
In the midst of the war,
James and Lily Potter were struck down by Voldemort,
To see their friends no more.

Snape had begged Voldemort,
Previously known as Tom,
Who agreed with Snape,
And would kill all but Harry's mom.

James was killed first,
Trying to save his wife.
Lily defended her son with such strength and love,
That it didn't work when Voldemort tried to take Harry's life.

Peter betrayed the Potters,
But no one knew.
Sirius was marked as a traitor,
And Remus's thoughts blew.

My friend, a killer? he thought with horror that grew deeper.
That doesn't seem right, but he was James and Lily's Secret Keeper!

Sirius was sent to Azkaban, attempting to kill Peter,
He thought it was his fault, the death of his friend,
And he was willing to be handed to Dementors
And suffer a miserable end.

When they were eleven, they never thought
That their lives would be this full of despair.
But they had no regrets, for their lives were full
Of friendship, love, and care.

Harry Potter, the son of Lily and James,
Spent seven years trying to mend
The dreadful terrors
That brought the Marauders' and Lily's early ends.

He won in the final battle,
No more were lives full of despair.
The Marauders could now rest in peace,
This much, I solemnly swear.