I must say, I wouldn't have thought to incorporate the Zodiac Killer into the story, but if anyone can pull it off, it's you. However, I noticed you haven't updated in a while. I hope that life hasn't pressured you to stop writing. I know that it gets a little stressful sometimes. :)

In case you're in a creative rut or just in need of some motivation to continue the story, I thought I'd share a few ideas and some concerning questions that might steer you into your own ideas of where the story should go. Of course, you don't have to use any of them, it won't hurt my feelings. Like I said, if anyone can pull it off, it's you.

The Zodiac killings have inspired many novels, movies, and televisions shows. What makes them interesting is the author's perspective and how the story is told. So, what I guess I'm trying to say, is that it must be unique, which I don't think will be very difficult given the nature of the story, though I would strongly suggest either...

A. loosely basing the story of the murders on facts (since we don't actually have many. The crimes were unsolved) and adding your own magical twist to them. A few things I noticed, which I'm sure you did too: the famous cross circle symbol looks like an astrological zodiac or a compass, which are both used to depict time and place, sort of like a map, which the Zodiac Killer, for the sake of the story, could have used to hide the locations of his victims or where he planned to kill next. This is all awfully depressing. Anyway, it's set up so that the marauders would make a similar connection if, lets say, they were studying Zodiacs or star charts in Astronomy or even better, in Divination. Also, How is MACUSA reacting to all of this? Especially since the Zodiac Killer is you know, a No-Maj? I bet there would be a lot of tension within the magical community between those devoted to the stature of secrecy and others who believe in protecting the nonmagical world.

B. focusing on Mr. Van Dort. He's such an interesting, eccentric character, but we hardly know anything about him! Why did he come to America? How does he know Dumbledore? I think, if you really wanted to, the Zodiac Killer plot could be less about the murders and more about him. Maybe his fascination with the newspapers are more complex than the marauders first think. Maybe he worked for MACUSA before teaching at Hogwarts. If he did work for MACUSA and for some reason defied magical law, exiling him from society, this would explain why he came to Europe. Sadly...

I hope this helped. It was really fun for me. :)

I can't get over how good this story is.

please update soon. I really need another good fanfiction to update.

Just finished another readthrough, and I'm happy to report that I still adore this story, and chapter 92 still makes me cry every time, and Sirius and James' snark, especially in later chapters, is one of the many things that make me laugh. I still love your original characters and the way you bring life to the ones we all know. I love your dialogue and I love the vocabulary used by our young Marauders. I hope you're doing well-I hope that you're not still wasting away in Bibliographyville, but that you've at least been getting on well with whatever academic writing you're doing, and of course I hope that the near future provides you with the time and energy necessary to write for pleasure, but even if it doesn't I hope you aren't too stressed by everything, and that the coming holiday season will be full of joy for you! Much love and many thanks for all that you do here.

Whew! Took me 2 weeks to read all the chapters, but it was totally worth it! I love the way you write and the progress of the story. In my opinion you could include this in the real HP series :D Everything fits, down to mentioning the names of characters who sometimes show up in Rowlings work.
I truly, truly love this fanfic. I hope you won't abandon this sometime soon, cause it's a real gem among the other fics!

Please update again soon! I love this story and you're such an amazing writer. I can't wait to read what happens next.

Just managed to get through all of this...and loved it! I'm especially enjoying watching Remus grow as the years pass. Can't wait for you to continue!
Blessings,
Sophia the Scribe

Very nice chapter. I like how you’ve included students who aren’t necessarily malicious, but still say things that would be considered derogatory. It shows how family upbringing can really matter. I also enjoy that Sirius is there to confront those comments head on!

This is such an amazing story! Ive read the whole thing in four days and my soul was crushed when I came to the last published chapter...

Hello there!
It's the first time in all my fanfiction-reading experience that I have felt compelled to leave a review.
I want you to know that I absolutely love your writing, I haven't been able to read anything else since I started last week. You just know how to give all the characters enough authenticity and you manage to fill in blanks in the Marauders' life so beautifully.
I'm a sucker for angst, and you do Remus' thoughts so well. The relationships between the boys are so precious, it makes it so much harder to know what's going to happen when they become adults.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a good story! I look forward to the next time that your words will make me smile or bring me to tears.

I hope you're not having too hard time in the Real World. We're waiting for you to get back to this story, but don't worry; it's so brilliant it's worth waiting for! Easily in the TOP5 fanfics I've ever read. Your charecters are so realistic and likeble - even those, who really aren't very nice. Keep up the good work!

Do you know how long it takes to read this story (and all of your missing moment addenda)? About a week. With breaks to ease headaches from too much screen. And now I have to wait for chapters like the regular chumps. - which is all my way of saying that I had to keep reading it. Good thing no one really called me in to work, or it could have take twice as long!

I love this story. There are a few small things that don't quite sit right - things that I know I've struggled with too at times - like, how soft and lovely you write boys. They're fictional characters, so I know they're not going to be exactly the same as the average boy (and they're set in a different time, so the average modern boy is out, too) but there's so much holding hands and rubbing backs that I can't tell if it's going to turn into a boylove story or not. I don't think that's where you're angling it though. I think you're just trying to show a close friendship, and these are the ways you're showing it.

The other thing that doesn't quite sit right with me is the behaviour of students in class. Students acting up the whole time, then the teacher says, "stop that" and they stop T_T I wish that's how it was. When Lupin used Accio to get the Slytherin wands, a part inside of me broke. If only I could do that with students' mobile phones. And have them actually co-operate with it and end up learning instead of going on about how confiscating their stuff is theft. So envious of those classes. My average classroom isn't that different to your Slytherin classroom T_T

But to have read through your whole story and only have those things stick out to me admidst my delighted devouring of your work is awesome! You write wonderfully, as always. I'm looking forward to when they draw up the map. Seems like that's something that will take a long time to get to, since there's still so much of the castle undiscovered!

I hope this week goes well for you.

To: stoplight delight
Hey! Great job on the story. Keep it up. I just wanted to ask, when will they make the marauders map? And also, isn’t james and Sirius supposed to have that little glass / mirror thingy that they used to communicate with each other ( not sure what it’s called. Sirius gave it to Harry remember?) . When is that coming. For now I’ll assume u know what I’m talking about. U can introduce it into the story by saying that James and Sirius nicked it from Mr Filch ‘s office. Thanks again for writing this fanfic. Please update!
-biggest fan ever

I've read the whole thing through once, and am halfway through my second time, and this fic is hands-down the best Marauder fic out there. Probably the best HP fic. Certainly better than some of the original HP books.

Points in favour:-
1. The writing. Oh, the writing. Remus' thoughts, sad and melancholy and bitter and downright miserable at times, are perfectly written. And I mean PERFECTLY. Most writers who write sentimental scenes or thoughts end up sounding silly or melodramatic (like me, for instance). It's very difficult to write even a couple of lines like that, but you pull off a whopping 850,000 words chock-full of that kind for stuff and it never gets weird. That's real talent there.
2. The Marauders. Lovely. Hilarious. Sirius is WONDERFUL (of course, he's also my favourite character so my judgement might be a bit skewed.) Peter is portrayed rather well, considering he's a VILLAIN. Most people portray him as stupid and silly and idiotic coz they hate him, and so did you (sort of) but you also made it very realistic. James is wonderful. I still don't think it'd take him as long at it did to come to grips with Remus' werewolf-ish-ness, but then, tis your fic. Remus is, of course, Remus. And we love him.
3. Other characters. McGonagall, Dumbledore, Severus, Lucius, Narcissa, Lily, Bellatrix...every single character is portrayed wonderfully. Every interaction between them and the Marauders is brilliant.
4. Sirius' fascination with Muggle things. Especially the fascination with motorbikes.
5? Professor Meyrigg. For an OC character, she's ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

Problems:-
1. Just a bit slow. I mean, 134 chapters and still in third year? It's always interesting so I wouldn't complain too much, but still.
2. Remus is rather too spineless at times, especially at the starting. I get that he's a werewolf and so he's very very shy and reticent, but honestly, he's always speaking in soft voices or mumbling or being quiet or shuffling along quietly. Rather like Severus. And he's not like Severus. Remus Lupin's portrayal in PoA and OotP was rather different, I think. He was quiet, certainly, but nobody could say he lacked a spine. Ever. (Yes I know about the thing with Tonks and the running away, but I don't fault him as much as most fans, or even Harry Potter himself, did.)
3. Can't think of anything else.
...still nope.
5. Maybe emotional stuff is portrayed a bit too much?
6. AHA! GOT ONE! WHY THE WORLD ARE THERE NO UPDATES? I mean, seriously. I read the whole thing through, only to be sadly disappointed that you hadn't updated in a while. Then when I popped in some months later to have a look at AtM, I saw the updates and so decided to go back and read the whole fic all over again, just to familiarise myself with everybody again, only it's been WEEKS and you still haven't updated? Please stop killing us! Especially after the thing-with-Sirius, you know, the-finding-out-of-what-was-going-on-at-his-house, you can't just stop now! Talk about cliffhangers!
Please update soon, and keep updating till, I don't know, their last year and induction into the Order, maybe? Pretty please with a cherry on top?
And Severus. I want more Severus.

PS. I was actually going to write reviews on all my favourite chapters but then I read something about your not having enough time to read all your reviews (heh. There's people who don't have enough to read, and then there's Stoplight Delight, who gets waaaay too many. The world's weird.) So I decided to clump it all in one not-as-massive-as-I'd-expected review. So if you don't update, I'll be going back and posting reviews on EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER. That's 134 reviews for you. I can do it too, Sirius' dogged determination inspires me.

Oh my goodness! I just learned that the Centralia mine fire is a real thing! I love it when real things are used in books! This is the coolest Marauders fanfic EVER!