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Were the Marauders really that popular?
NOTE: I can go more into spoil-free details on my headcanons for them, you just have to ask :)
TW:// contains brief mentions of abuse, mental health issues, mild swearing, smoking, brief mentions of homophobia, racism, ableism, transphobia. I think that’s about it.
I’m writing this long-ass Wolfstar fan fiction and based on my personal headcanons, here’s the answer:
Yes and No.
In my fanfic, and the way that I always see them in my head, we have an Indian (Gujarat) James Potter who’s stupidly in love with a plus-sized, snarky Lily Evans.
We have a half-Japanese, genderqueer and gay Sirius Black who’s well known for being a blood-traitor ever since their second year, not to mention that they’ve been leaving people awe-struck every single time she feels like a girl and dresses in a feminine way. They’re also deaf in one ear. He suffers from panic attacks and childhood PTSD. NOTE: His family dynamic slightly changes to fit the story. They’re still from an abusive home, but there’s a lot more to it than just that. Sirius’ relationship with his parents - particularly her mother - will be brought up and explained.
We have a heavily-accented Welsh Remus Lupin, who’s scrawny and awkwardly tall that lowkey scares the shit out of everyone. He knits, but his scars and unpredictable aggressiveness that comes near full moons is enough to keep people away. He’s unlabebed but madly in love with Sirius. He’s also depressed, anxious, has low self-esteem, and daddy issues. Also, I made sure to bring up his relationship with his mother because I just love Hope Lupin and I just think she’d be an awesome mom.
We also have Peter Pettigrew, who’s known for his fierce protectiveness for his younger sister, Jess (she’s a Slytherin, btw). He also probably has black lungs with the amount of cigarettes he smokes daily - he’s the reason why so many people even got cigarettes. He comes from a home where his parents are constantly at each other’s throats, so he’s never been able to see what love is supposed to look like when it’s healthy, but he’s working on that with a special Fem!OC. He’s depressed, has low self-esteem, and is constantly looking for someone to love him and prove himself to.
As mentioned before, Lily Evans is a snarky, plus-sized queen. She’s also really fucking hilarious and has so many awesome prank ideas once she befriends the Marauders. She also befriends Regulus, and their dynamic is the absolute cutest. She likes the academic side of school, but it’s not the center of her world, leave that to James. She likes sneaking around with her friends at night just for the heck of it, she’s never been caught.
Marlene McKinnon is a trans woman who’s basically a lesbian version of Sirius Black. She was actually the fifth roommate of the Marauders’ until her third year. She’s always baking but Merlin save you if you piss her off or any of her friends. She’s one of the best Beaters and duelist Hogwarts has seen. She and Sirius are the definition of platonic soulmates.
Dorcas Meadowes is a chaotic bisexual and also a raging feminist and activist that a lot of people don’t like because she’s “hard to talk to”. She’s loud, and bold, and constantly holding meetings with staffs so that they can improve the school to make it a safer environment for POCs students (and staff, too), LGBTQ+ folks, women, and literally every other minority.
Mary MacDonald is a Korean ballerina who’s been on a violent streak ever since that group of Slytherins cornered her and...did some...things to her (it’ll be explained in the story, don’t worry).
SO. Yes they were popular, but not in the way this fandom usually portrays them. They’re very well-known because they’re such an odd group filled with every possible outcast you could think of. Some of them (James, Lily, Peter, and Mary) are liked, but the rest are either feared or hated. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of people who genuinely like all of them and think them fun to be around, but Sirius, Remus, Marlene, and Dorcas are walking Change-That-They’re-Not-Ready-For and for a school that has so many homophobics, racists, ableists, and transphobics, it’s a struggle.
BONUS:
Regulus is a half-Japanese, Hemophiliac Slytherin baby. (For those who don’t know, Hemophilia is a blood clot disorder that causes spontaneous bleeding and also excessive bleeding when injured - a lot of European royals have historically had this as a result of inbreeding). He would meet his brother and friends in secret just so that they could preserve their relationship. Regulus actually loved the Marauders & Co. and vice versa. There’s more but I don’t wanna spoil too much. I just love him.