Who were the Marauders in Harry Potter and how did the group get their name? The notorious group consisted of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The Marauders were known for being troublemakers but as they got older, the group had a bigger purpose.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter founded the Marauders in 1971 during their time at Hogwarts, long before the events of Harry Potter. The four students were all Gryffindors and had a passion for breaking the rules. They built a strong friendship during their time at school, especially when Remus struggled with his werewolf transformations. Each month during his transformation as a werewolf, his three friends would use their Animagus form to control Remus.

The Marauders secretly explored the school grounds and nearby areas during their nighttime adventures. They also took on new names during their Animagi transformations. James turned into a red stag and was known as Prongs, while Sirius became Padfoot, a shaggy black dog. James and Sirius were large enough to control Remus, a.k.a Moony, during his werewolf form. Peter took on the name Wormtail, after transforming into a grey rat.

In order to wander around Hogwarts without getting into trouble, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter created the Marauder’s Map. The special map was enchanted, showing the locations of all Hogwarts staff and students. This allowed the mischief-makers to safely do as they pleased without consequences. Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch later took the map before Fred and George Weasley got their hands on it. The brothers later gave the Marauder’s Map to Harry Potter.

The Marauders remained friends after their time at Hogwarts came to an end. The foursome became official members of the Order of the Pheonix around the First Wizarding War. Peter then backstabbed his friends and changed his allegiance to Lord Voldemort. He was also the one who gave up James and Lily’s location, causing them to die at the hands of Voldemort, as we discovered in Harry Potter. Sirius was then pinned as the traitor and sent to Azkaban but he later escaped by using his Animagus form as Padfoot. Peter spent over a decade as his Animagus, portraying the Weasley pet, Scabbers, until he was revealed by Sirius and Remus.

Keeping Harry Potter safe was one of the main goals of the Marauders especially after James was killed. Remus held up his end of the bargain after becoming the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. After he resigned from the position, he joined Sirius and became members of the new Order of the Pheonix. They continued to protect James’ son, as well as the rest of the population during the Second Wizarding War.

By the end of the second war, all members of the Marauders were dead. Sirius was killed by his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Peter didn’t kill Harry when he had the chance due to the life debt but the hesitation caused the former Marauder’s death at Malfoy Manor. Remus met the fate of his old friends during the Battle of Hogwarts as he tried to fend off Voldemort and the Death Eaters alongside his wife, Tonks, in the final Harry Potter book.

The group never actually referred to themselves as the “Marauders” in the Harry Potter books. Due to the name of the map, the name stuck to the group of friends. Their legacy lived on at Hogwarts due to the wild stories passed down about their wild adventures. In French, the word “Marauder” meant someone who roamed and got into mischief. Not only were the Mauraders memorable figures in the wizarding world but they also inspired Harry in a number of ways.

Next: Why Harry Potter Is Set In The 1990s

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