Immature

Immature by Walkingcensure

Summary: Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter are seven years old, plump, cute, and innocent. Life for them is all about cake, ice cream, friendship bracelets, and premature vows of love. Humour, 8,713 Words.

Why You Should Care: Because it’s so cute! Mini!Marauders and Mini!Lily may just be the best things ever. There’s a wonderful ruefullness about reading this story, it takes you back to the dramas of being seven and all the crazy stuff you used to believe and it’s fun. Additionally, the author manages to keep all the characters pretty in character, and also passably young. It’s a nice gimmick, but done so well that it feels like more.

Why You Might Not Care: Vaguely AU. Also, small people are not everyone’s cup of tea. Plus, Lily/James.

Note: I haven’t actually been able to pin down Chelle about recs, but I guess I’ll just post as many as I can as often as I can until Chelle tells me not to…?

Death and King’s Cross

Death and King’s Cross by Sciathan File

Summary: Who was to know Death had etiquette enough to be personalized? Oneshot, 10,074 Words.

Why You Should Care: Because it’s my very favorite Harry Potter afterlife fic ever, I think.  It’s amazingly well characterised and considered, with each afterlife tailored to the individual.  It is completely canon, having been launched from the springboard of the King’s Cross chapter in Deathly Hallows, and it’s just really, really well done.  JKR would approve, I think.  Hedwig’s interlude especially made me smile.

Why You Might Not Care: If you dislike afterlife fics, that is all this one is about.  Otherwise, it’s really an excellent comment on the characters it covers.  Definitely worth the time to read.

A Marauder’s Map

A Marauder’s Map by Xylodemon

Summary: Seven memories found in Sirius Black’s pensieve, one for each of his years at Hogwarts. Oneshot, 7,076 Words.

Why You Should Care: Xylodemon always delivers something worth a read, quite frankly, and these seven pinches from Sirius Black’s school-days is no exception.  There’s enough character to keep the boys defined, though this fic’s focus is Sirius in particular.  My favorite bits are the pranks — good Marauder pranks are difficult to come up with, especially ones that mix magical execution with light-hearted, boyish goals.

Why You Might Not Care: It’s a little overly generic, to tell the truth, though perhaps it wasn’t back when it was written in September 2005.  Similarly, a splash of Remus/Sirius is thrown in and then never really developed or explained, which makes its inclusion — for me — a little pointless, though die-hard Remus/Sirius shippers will probably disagree vehemently.

Literacy

Literacy by Sin Fin

Summary: Sirius is an illiterate bastard, James doesn’t care for the Dark Arts, Peter just wants to pass Astronomy, and Remus is a werewolf.  Hogwarts, years 1 and 2. Oneshot, 6,000 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is not quite canon and also not quite the typical characterisation of the young Marauders, but there’s something about it that still just works in that way fics sometimes do.  The characterisations are solid enough that you get a feel for these boys as individuals, and tying the discovery of Remus’ lycanthropy into the theme of literacy is a nice touch.

Why You Might Not Care: It ends rather suddenly, I think because the thematic elements weren’t as tight as I wished they were throughout all the facets of the story — you’re left hanging because there’s the feeling there ought to be more, that the author hasn’t quite said everything she meant to say.  As a whole, it lacks… something.  It feels unfinished and loose.

Sirius Black, Super Genius

Sirius Black, Super Genius by Mistful

Summary: “A few weeks later with Valentine’s Day drawing inexorably nearer, it began to dawn on Remus that this did not appear to be one of the daydreams Sirius toyed with and then forgot about, like the time he wanted Dumbledore and McGonagall to get married and have superchildren.”  Humour, 8,953 Words.

Why You Should Care: I have no solid understanding of the precise agreed-upon meaning of the term “crackfic”, but if I had to describe what the word means to me, I would probably use this fic as Exhibit A.  And B.  Also C through Z.  This is one of those fics that zig-zags so violently across the line between comedy and parody that it becomes its own beast.  It’s completely over the top while still somehow managing to have a solid foundation under all that crack; this one doesn’t just bring the clichés, it practically invents new ones.  I can’t decide if Mistful is a genius or completely Sirius-Black insane.  Probably both.

Why You Might Not Care: I suppose it all depends on what you define as crackfic and whether or not you like crackfic.  I put forth only that in reading this I managed on several occasions to force hot tea through my nose in an attempt not to choke on my own laughter.

Seven Things That Didn’t Happen On Valentine’s Day At Hogwarts, Or Maybe They Did

Seven Things That Didn’t Happen On Valentine’s Day At Hogwarts, Or Maybe They Did by Pru

Summary: “At seven thirty-six AM on February fourteenth, the giant squid climbed out of the Hogwarts lake, dragged itself in front of a nondescript part of the castle, and began to sing “Daisy”. Before the encore performance and right after a glorious vibrato finale, the squid dedicated the song to Severus Snape, who had appeared at one of the nondescript windows at twenty minutes ’till eight.” Valentine’s Day over seven years at Hogwarts. Humour/Romance, 25,256 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is so funny — and so Marauder. Of course they would have prank wars on Valentine’s Day. As ridiculous as it gets — trust me, the summary is only the start of things — you never stop believing that it could have happened. It’s equal parts romance and humour, with just a little bit of angst towards the end to keep the saccharine from becoming overwhelming. A perfect fic for today.

Why You Might Not Care: Some of the formatting is a bit off, but that’s a minor irritation. One of the seven sections runs quite longer than the rest, but it never stops being amusing. Also, this is quite decidedly Remus/Sirius, and though about half of the fic focuses on the actions of all four Marauders, the ship does take over at the end. If you’re not interested, don’t read it, but I highly recommend that you do; I love this fic.

If I’m A Fool For You

If I’m A Fool For You by Esinde Nayrall

Summary: On New Year’s Eve, Remus Lupin makes a promise to Sirius Black. Five days later, Remus Lupin makes a promise to himself. If he keeps them both, it will be the hardest thing he’s ever done. Romance, 84, 000 Words.

Why You Should Care: It’s hard to write Remus/Sirius originally: it’s all been done before, but this fic feels fresh. The author has very clear characterisations of Remus and Sirius and they’re quite out of the norm, and yet they fit perfectly with the adults we know they will grow into. But this fic is more than heartbreaking (which it is, by the way. There’s a whole load of angst. I cried. I never cry at fic.). James and Peter are also really well characterised; these feel like real people and the way they react to different situations is also very real. Not to be missed.

Why You Might Not Care: There’s slash. Lots of slash. Some NC-17 slash. Quite a bit of NC-17 slash, actually. And also, angst that makes you want to die, just to stop it. And a rubbish attempt at using the Black Family Tree. As in, Sirius’ mother is Cassiopeia and his uncle Alphard is dating a guy called Marius. But yes. Read this fic, it’s fabulous.

Slaughter Dew

Slaughter Dew by Andromeda311

Summary: “The first time it happens, he is fourteen. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, Peter thinks of murder.” Peter and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Oneshot, 1,507 Words.

Why You Should Care: When I read this fic, it gave me chills. While I’m nearly certain it’s not the canon reason for Peter’s betrayal, it’s so well done that I was left with shivers and the question what if? It’s a realistic portrayal of the disorder, and Peter’s gradual shift in loyalty, with his constant justification, is both sad and haunting.

Why You Might Not Care: This is dark, and more than a little creepy; it’s even harder to take when you think of the people who really deal with this in their everyday lives. Don’t read it if you can’t handle it.

Awards: 2008 Hourglass Award, Best Angst Fic — Third Place

Map of the Problematique

Map of the Problematique by SullenSiren

Summary: “He’s going to make it a RULE.” Before they went their separate ways, Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail shared a flat. The flat had rules. This is how it went. Drama, 15,406 Words.

Why You Should Care: I feel like I haven’t rec’d a good, general Marauder fic for ages, so here we go: this is an absolutely smashing fic about the Marauders in their few years between Hogwarts and the fall of Voldemort, as accompanied and illuminated by a list of rules on taped-together pieces of parchment. It’s quite an underhanded tragedy, how the war and their work for the Order and Dumbledore slowly tears these four boys apart. We see them when times are still good and when they are as tightly bound together as brothers; then we see them slip away from each other and watch each of them fall by the wayside. The huge gaps of time missed near the end of this fic and the silence it brings with it is just as poignant as the moments SullenSiren does show.

Why You Might Not Care: There’s blatant Remus/Sirius, and it deserves at least an R rating, and maybe an NC-17, for it, so be warned: those who do not like slash will wrinkle their nose. That’s really about it, though.

Awards: 2008 Hourglass Award, Popular Choice — Best Multi-Chaptered Fic; 2008 Hourglass Award, Admins’ Choice — Angst (tied)

Thirteen Steps to the End of the World

Thirteen Steps to the End of the World by Thirty2Flavors

Summary: “The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.” Thirteen steps to the end of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Oneshot, 4,821 Words.

Why You Should Care: Well, Thirty2Flavors for a start. And she’s doing what she does best, which is to say it’s a fic about the Marauders during those moments that make all the difference. There are some fabulous parallels drawn between characters in this fic, and it’s Thirty2Flavor’s ability to dig just a little deeper and find something to show you that you’ve never seen before that keeps us coming back for more every time.

Why You Might Not Care: Perhaps not her strongest piece, by comparison. But well worth the time to read, especially for Marauder fans.

Awards: 2008 Hourglass Award, Best Drama — First Place; 2008 Hourglass Award, Popular Choice — Best Oneshot.

The Adventures of Icarus, the Invisible Poltergeist

The Adventures of Icarus, the Invisible Poltergeist by After The Rain

Summary: In which Mr. Prongs takes Muggle Studies, Mr. Padfoot has a crush on Professor McGonagall, Miss Evans demonstrates where her son inherited his CAPS LOCK tendencies, Mr. Wormtail discovers that his Animagus form is useful for petty theft, and Mr. Moony explains why none of this can possibly be construed as his fault. Oneshot, Humour, 7,610 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is a fantastically funny little Marauders adventure that doesn’t pretend to have any larger plot or point.  It’s something Remus and Sirius might have reminisced about one of those long nights at Grimmauld Place over glasses of gin and a comfortably crackling fire.  Molly would have padded downstairs at three in the morning looking harassed and demanded to know what could possibly have been so uproariously funny that they had to wake the entire house at such a ridiculous hour thankyouverymuch, and Sirius would have tossed back a fresh glass of liquor with a defiant smirk while Remus lowered his eyes and guiltily apologized while stifling an excess of chuckles.  I love Remus’ tone as the one telling the story, one of a slightly-too-pompous sounding sixteen-year-old, and each of the Marauders is nicely characterized.  The Muggle Studies class and the misconceptions about Muggles and Muggle technology by pureblood wizards is gold —  pure, JKR worthy gold.  Completely entertaining.

Why You Might Not Care: I dare say there isn’t anything remotely worth putting in this section.  This fic is 100% delightful.  Have at it, with my blessing.  I’m going to go read it again.

Shutter

Shutter by Andromeda311

Summary: There aren’t any rainbows anymore. [This is the way the world ends. Peter Pettigrew, sometime during DH.] Oneshot, 1,214 Words.

Why You Should Care: This takes Peter apart and shows you the pieces of him that are all that’s left of a man who made all the wrong decisions.  He regrets as much as he can, but when your life has gone the way Peter’s has, it’s impossible to regret too much for fear of not being able to go on.  Peter plods forward, as he has always done, and takes the easy way out.  A very beautifully told, sad character study.

Why You Might Not Care: This evokes sympathy for Peter Pettigrew.  If you want no part of that, then there is nothing for you here.

Here at the End of All Things

Here at the End of All Things by NotSoSoft

Summary: Here at the end of all things, she thinks absently, immediately confused at what brought about this fleeting, unprovoked musing. Oneshot, 7,999 Words.

Why You Should Care: Every time a class graduates, it is the end of an era, and the graduation of the Marauders is no different. NotSoSoft pens us a lovely introspective piece that takes each Marauder by turn and unfolds them at this pivotal moment. They each stand side-by-side on the edges of their own deep chasms, staring off into that terrifying thing called adulthood, and wonder where the will go and what they will do now. Peter, especially, is a remarkable version of himself here; surprisingly discerning and self-aware. He is truly a Marauder, but it is possible to see in him the things that make him lose his way, and his character study is especially revealing.

Why You Might Not Care: People who have not yet experienced the pang and nostalgia of graduation won’t feel this in quite the same ways those who have will, but it’s good regardless. Simple, quiet, and reflective.

Of A Sort

Of A Sort by FernWithy

Summary: A series of stories about the experience all Hogwarts students share: being Sorted into their houses on their first day at school. Novel Length (abandoned), 49,388 Words.

Why You Should Care: FernWithy says in her notes that she considers this idea of hers woefully overused, but I confess I have never read a compilation like this, so for me it’s quite original. It deals a little with sorting and a lot with how the first day of school can very much affect the rest of your educational life. The seemingly benign choices made on the Hogwarts Express have lasting repercussions, some of which we’ve seen even in canon.

Why You Might Not Care: This appears to have been abandoned as she began to attempt the sorting of the Trio Era characters, but I have rec’d it for the strength of the things I think are more valuable — that is to say, the fact that she’s already tackled the characters we haven’t seen being sorted. It’s been about a year and a half since an update, and I sort of wish she’d just ended it with the sorting of Tonks instead of trying to slog onwards. We’ve already seen Harry’s generation and their sorting, so I feel it’s unnecessary. Parts have since been made AU by new canon factoids offered by JKR, but it still stands quite well.

The Shoebox Project

The Shoebox Project by Dorkorific and LadyJaida

NOTE: The Shoebox Project LJ community has been hacked. The link that purportedly points to a “new” archive actually points to a keystroke-logging virus. Until the community has been restored, I’ve pointed the link to a place where you can download Shoebox chapters in PDF format.

Summary: A multi-media Remus/Sirius extravaganze, with plenty of James, Lily and Peter thrown in to make things extra-fun. Novel Length, Probably over 100,000 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is… this is the Remus/Sirius fanfic, people. There is no other better, no other more in depth, and no other that is more realistic. If it was canon, this is how it would have been. Dorkorific and LadyJaida never forget that these are teenagers in the 70s to whom the idea of homosexuality is not an entirely comfortable one, and the coming together of Remus and Sirius is achingly slow; at some places, they almost move backwards. But every section of this fic is so fantastically well written — like a huge collection of smaller stories that link together — that it probably wouldn’t matter if Remus and Sirius never figured it out, because there are plenty of other reasons to stay and read this. It is romantic, completely comical, but 100% real and I adore it. The characters are all fantastically written, and each has their own distinctive personality (which is often a difficult thing to find in Marauder fics) and I love it. Love, love, love it. There are notes between friends, diary entires, and dozens of fantastically drawn “photos” of the golden age of the Marauders. I love it.

Why You Might Not Care: It’s addictive. When you start, it’s very difficult not to stop. It’s also still a work in progress, and sometimes there are significant lags in between updates. But it the end it is all worth it, because this is easily one of the top five Marauder fics I have ever read. If you are one of the very, very few people who hasn’t already found this, make some time and get over there and read it for God sakes, in case the internet collapses in on itself and The Shoebox Project disappears forever. Go. NOW.

Awards: 2007 Hourglass Award, Best Overall — First Place.

True Gryffindor

True Gryffindor by Merle

Summary: “They were supposed to be Gryffindors, and one ended up hiding, running away; the other one was left alone, and believed that his other old friend was a murderer, while the latter made his best friends change Secret Keepers to save his own skin. How bold, how brave, how heroic they’d all been.” Drabble, 658 Words.

Why You Should Care: Oh, Peter... This piece dares to do what someone like Peter usually does, daring to blame everyone but the one person on whom the blame truly rests. You can see how easy it is to allow himself to believe it, how he manages to make himself a victim of circumstance rather than its pawn. This answers the question of how Peter manages to live with himself after betraying the Potters and how he deals with the guilt. Unsurprisingly, the answer is that he doesn’t.

Why You Might Not Care: Merle makes Peter a real person, trying to justify his own actions by blaming the actions of others. This sort of thing happens all the time in the real world, and some people with bristle at the implications of fault, hissing and snapping at Wormtail instead of feeling the deep, hanging sadness of this story of a good man who fell from grace and can’t fathom how to make his way back.

Smoke and Mirrors

Smoke and Mirrors by Andromeda311

Summary: Twenty somewhat related facts about the Marauders. And Lily. Drabble Collection, 1,761 Words.

Why You Should Care: It’s such a unique idea, so simple and graceful and straightforward, but these little tidbits and trifles manage to be more telling than a novel-length MWPP-era fic, and it deals with all five characters equally and by turns. Genius.

Why You Might Not Care: Because you’re lazy and stupid. Otherwise, you’d obviously read it.

Small Things

Small Things by NopeJr

Summary: Peter Pettigrew, as a battle is fought. Drabble, 1,000 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is a story about who Peter is if, in the end, he doesn’t turn out to be truly Gryffindor. Almost a story about cowardice. Yet I found I couldn’t be truly mad at a version of Peter than never did the right thing. Could you?

Why You Might Not Care: This is unashamedly Peter, and this story dares to suggest that not all men who fall find their redemption. Some just… fall.

Bargains

Bargains by Gehayi

Summary: Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew, both suspected of treachery by the Dark Lord, come to an arrangement. Oneshot, 4,400 Words.

Why You Should Care: This is the missing scene between OotP and HBP where Peter first shows up at Spinner’s End. These two characters are such interesting foils for each other, and Gehayi gets right into their heads. Peter is thoughtfully created: defeated, clever, and very self-aware. These two voices bounce off each other or cut into each other – sometimes in ways you wouldn’t expect but make perfect sense – and you’re left with a feeling that there has been some weak truce declared. Taken in context with the interplay between them in Chapter 2 of HBP, it’s quite an interesting truce indeed. This fic manages to be entirely about Peter and entirely about Snape at the same time.

Why You Might Not Care: If you are solidly in the “We Completely Hate Peter” camp, his quieter moments won’t affect you as they should. This is primarily about Peter, and primarily about Snape; about the differences and startling similarities between the two. If you could care less about either of them, then you won’t get much out of this.