As first-year exams loom, the Marauders spend more time studying than scheming, with Sirius and James turning everything into a competition. Peter struggles under pressure, especially with whispers about squib ancestry, while Remus quietly dreads both his worsening transformations and his looming return to St Edmund’s. Sirius opens up slightly about his own family tensions, and James warmly invites both boys to stay for the summer—an invitation neither can accept. When an injury from Remus’ last full moon starts to bleed in front of his friends, Sirius walks him to the hospital wing, asking no questions but offering quiet loyalty.