Point of Order: "The Marauders"

[hp_lexicon]

No: HPFGUIDX 53406

Regardless of whether anyone thinks the name "Marauders" is a 
fitting one for James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus, that fact is that 
there is no evidence whatsoever that they were ever called that. The 
name of the map can't be considered proof of anything--in fact, the 
most reasonable way of looking at the title of the map is that it 
doesn't refer to more than one person and hence DOESN'T refer to the 
group.

This is, pure and simple, a fan invention. 

If we want to call them something, we could call them the "little 
gang," since they are actually called that in PA. But that's not a 
very exciting title. Also, clearly McGonagall didn't mean that to be 
an actual name for the group. It doesn't make sense from the 
reference. Note, however, that calling them The Marauders because of 
the title of the map makes no more sense than calling them "The 
Little Gang" because McGonagall did. In fact, it makes a lot less 
sense.

It is, however, a fan convention, and it is unstoppable. For all 
intents and purposes, that's what they're called. I have to catch 
myself from using that term in the Lexicon, even though you'd think 
it shouldn't be a problem for me. After all, I get that same shiver 
of dismay whenever I read it, what with my manic obsession with 
canonicity and all. It's just so darn handy to have a nice quick 
name for that group that it's hard to get by without using it. And 
what does it hurt, really? We all know what we're talking about. I 
think we can all agree that the books don't support using that term. 
We can also agree that saying "James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus" all 
the time is cumbersome and JSPR isn't as much fun. So Marauders it 
is.

Now we need to come up with a nice, simple name for HRH that has 
some tenuous connection to the books. That would be handy too. Then 
I can try to keep myself from using that in the Lexicon too.

Steve Vander Ark
The Harry Potter Lexicon