As Christmas was drawing near, there was a great state of excitement in the castle.

One evening, when James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were coming back from visiting the giant squid, Bellatrix Black stopped them.

"Your parents told me to tell you that you don't need to bother coming home for the holidays," she told Sirius sneeringly.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Bella," Sirius assured her, and continued on his way.

"They think you would have a bad influence on Reg!" she called after him.

Sirius's face changed. He turned to face Bellatrix.

"They can't say that," he said in a low voice. "They don't have the right to say that."

Bellatrix cackled. "They have every right to. It's good that they're keeping Reg away from you. We don't want another blood traitor!"

Sirius stepped forward. "Reg will be Gryffindor too," he said fiercely. "You see if he doesn't!"

"Oh nooooo!" said Bellatrix, putting on a baby voice. "Little Reggie will not follow dear brother Siri's footsteps..."

James saw that Sirius was rapidly losing his temper. He pulled at his friend's arm.

"C'mon, Sirius, she's not worth it," he said. Sirius allowed James to drag him away. Bellatrix yelled insults behind them.

"You sure you won't go home for Christmas?" asked James.

"Of course I won't," said Sirius.

"Then I'll not go either," said James.

"No—don't do that," said Sirius protestingly. "I'll be all right here."

"Alone?" asked Remus skeptically. "James is right—we will all stay here. Peter?"

"Of course I will stay too," said Peter.

"Look," said Sirius in a reasonable sort of voice. "I know all three of you are dying to meet your parents. There is really no need—"

"You will shut up now," said James firmly.

And when Professor McGonagall asked the students who wanted to stay back to sign on a paper, the four of them signed up together.

Sirius was in a very good mood. He knew this was going to be the best Christmas of his life.

On the morning of 25th December, they woke up to find plenty of presents stacked all around the room.

"Say, James, your mother is wonderful!" said Sirius. Mrs. Potter had sent all of them a homemade Christmas cake.

"Sirius, this book is brilliant!" cried Remus. "I always wanted to read this!"

"LOOK!" yelled James suddenly. The other three turned sharply. James was holding up a misty cloak.

"James...is it really an Invisibility Cloak?" whispered Remus incredulously.

"Yes—yes! My dad told me long ago, we are descendents of Ignotus Peverell...so you see, this cloak actually belongs to us," said James.

"Put it on!" cried Peter.

James obliged, and the others exclaimed in delight as James' entire body except his head became invisible.

"Just think of the adventures we can have under this cloak," said Sirius in awe.

"We'll try it tonight," said James.

The Christmas feast at Hogwarts was great, but the four of them hurried through it, impatient for the night to come.

Finally night did come. They put on the Invisibility Cloak and sneaked out of the common room.

"Where are we going?" whispered Peter.

"I know a place," said James, wickedly. "But I won't tell you now."

"It can't be a place we don't know about, Potter," said Sirius much too loudly.

"Hush!" said Remus.

"Actually it is, Black. My father told me today in his letter."

James took them to a door with a bowl of fruits painted on it. Then he went and—of all things—tickled a pear.

The door opened.

"Seriously?" muttered Sirius. "Is this the kitchen?"

"Yes!" said James. "Come on!"

The house elves inside were excited and eager to bring anything they wanted.

A little female house elf called Millie took a special liking to Sirius. He was thrilled.

"And when you compare them with the gitty elf we have back at home," said Sirius, his voice dripping with distaste.

They stayed there for hours, feasting and talking with the little house elves.

Since then every other night they sneaked out to visit the kitchen.

"We do have such nice times, don't we?" said Peter after one visit. "Marauding around under the cloak—just the four of us..."

Sirius laughed. "Yeah, marauding. We are marauders. The Marauders, isn't it?"

And that name stuck with them forever.

A/N: Please don't forget to vote!