Today I came to the realization that there is obviously a correlation between the Marauders and the main characters in the canon books.
Obviously, Harry is James "Prongs" Potter. No need to explain the connection to you (I hope).
Next, we have Sirius "Padfoot" Black. Who could possibly be the slightly mischievous best friend to our Potter? Answer: Ronald Weasley, a.k.a. Ron "red head arachnophobic" Weasley, best friend of our Harry Potter. The connection is nearly as obvious as Harry is to James.
Next, we move on to Remus "Moony" Lupin, a.k.a. the smartest student in the Marauders generation, best friends to the mischievous best friends Padfoot & Prongs. And who fits that description perfectly? Miss Hermione Granger herself.
These three main characters fit the molds of the Marauders perfectly, so obviously there was a connection in Rowling's head, yet there is one more thing we must consider. Peter. Peter Pettrigrew, a.k.a. "Wormtail" was known for being very timid, shy, and more cowardly than the rest of the Marauders, yet he was a Marauder nonetheless. However, it is known that Peter turned to Voldemort in the end, causing Lily & James' death. Being the 4th in the group of Marauders, he does not fit anyone perfectly in the group of the main canon characters. However, he does have a bit of a correlation with Neville & Draco, starting his story with being timid (like Neville), but leaning more towards the evil side, causing in a loved ones death (like Draco). The correlation between Peter and the other characters is not as strong as the others, yet a correlation still exists.
It's important to remember that while there is a correlation, that does not necessarily mean that is the causation, or the point of the author. Perhaps it is a mere coincidence, perhaps not, which we will never truly know. For now, I would simply like to point out the correlation, which can be used at a later time.