October 5, 1977
The Marauders were having their lunch in the Great Hall when Moody burst in.
"You have to stop this, Albus! There has been another attack. At Ottery St. Cathpole!"
"We will talk in my office, Alastor." Albus commanded, and they both strode away. McGonagall followed the two men.
As one, James, Remus and Sirius nodded towards Peter.
~*~
"Thirteen people, including five wizards, three witches, two children and three Muggles have been killed, Albus. The Dark Mark was set above the entire village."
Wormtail was listening in on their conversation from his hole in the wall. Every time there was a secret meeting, he was sent here by the Marauders.
"There may be one way." Dumbledore took out a locket from his pocket and opened it. It was a large square locket with a family crest he assumed belonged to the Dumbledore family engraved on its surface. Inside, there was a photo, but Wormtail could not see the pictures in it. On the other side, there was a small mirror.
"This," Dumbledore said, "is the Mirror of Erised. It reflects nothing more or less than our heart's deepest desire. Right now, my deepest desire is to see Riddle defeated. There is a small possibility that I may be able to see how he is to be defeated within it. It is unlikely, but not impossible."
"Then do it now, Dumbledore." Moody said.
~*~
James was standing over Voldemort's lifeless form. Sirius, Remus and Peter were standing behind him, grinning widely. His father looked at him proudly. Just then, Lily entered, looking more beautiful than ever. She looked admiringly at James and kissed him.
"Move over, Prongs. You have been standing there for 5 bloody minutes looking like a bloody, sappy idiot," Sirius called, pushing him over, "So what did you see?"
James told them all.
"Yeah, dream on Prongs. Even if you manage to kill off that bloody idiot, Lily will never be yours." Sirius slapped him on his back playfully.
"Come on, Padfoot. Lily has stopped thinking James is a complete idiot since they became Head Boy and Girl," Remus whispered.
James ignored them and stepped back as Sirius looked into the mirror.
It had taken them five days to find out the Mirror, even with the Marauder's Map and Invisibility Cloak.
~*~
Sirius was sitting with the other Marauders in the Dining Room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Mr. And Mrs. Black and Regulus were there as well, laughing along with everyone else. A fire was roaring in the fireplace and the room was nice and warm.
"Oi, Padfoot. You have been there longer than me," James poked Sirius in the back.
"And what did you see?" Remus enquired.
"I…I was with…with three beautiful girls, all of 'em in bikinis and we were… on the beach," He quickly invented.
"Yeah right. And Peter is going to be the next Minister for Magic," James smirked. " Now, what did you really see?"
This time Sirius told them the truth, knowing that he would never get away by lying to James. None of them laughed. They knew that whether or not he was willing to admit it, Sirius truly wanted his family to accept him and his friends and to stop believing in the Pureblood nonsense they had spent their lives obsessing over.
"Your turn Moony," Sirius said, after a long pause.
~*~
It was full moon. But Remus was…Remus, not Moony. His face and hands were scarless. Behind him were James, Sirius and Peter. Not Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail. All of them were grinning widely from ear to ear.
Remus related his vision to others. They were not surprised. Remus stood aside to make way for Peter.
~*~
Peter was tall and strong. He towered even over Sirius who was the tallest of them. A beautiful girl was in his arms. The other three Marauders were looking up at him admiringly. Peter said something and the others all laughed loudly at his joke.
Peter told the others haltingly what he saw. He had never been able to lie convincingly. The other Marauders were roaring with laughter, forgetting to keep their voices down.
"I would have loved to see it. I have a hard time imagining a tall and strong Peter," Sirius managed to say between his laughter.
"Yeah, and imagine us laughing to a joke Peter has cracked. That hasn't happened since …I don't know…NEVER!" James was gasping for breath.
"I wonder how we would look? Imagine his expression on our faces!" Remus was rolling on the floor.
There was a noise outside. "Ssh! Quick. Under here." At James' command, Peter dove under the cloak with James while Sirius and Remus quickly cast disillusionment charms over themselves.
The door of the room burst open and a girl with flaming red hair stormed in. James drew in a sharp breath.
~*~
Lily was very angry with James. He was supposed to be patrolling the corridors with her.
But after half an hour, she had at last decided to forget about Potter and was patrolling the corridors on her own. She was on the fourth floor when she heard some laughter. She froze. Was it some harmless student wandering after hours or something more sinister? After all, Voldemort's Death Eaters had been attacking every place. How long would it take them to break into Hogwarts? Lily began to feel the first inklings of fear creep up her spine. Then she heard someone call out "NEVER!" Her fright turned into rage. She was sure that it was that arrogant berk of a Head Boy. She stormed towards the room from which the sound came. She heard a bit of a scuffling inside and then quiet.
She pushed open the door and stormed in. She thought there was a small gasp from the corner but didn't see anyone there. She didn't find it surprising, as she was sure that Potter and his friends could cast a powerful Disillusionment Charm on themselves. She was sure that it was Potter. She would recognize that charming voice anywhere. Where did that come from? Lily wondered. How many times had she heard that haughty voice- that's more like it - asking her on a date, to a ball, to Hogsmeade; every year at least once without fail.
A movement at the other end of the room caught Lily's attention. She turned to look and saw that it was just a mirror reflecting her. The mirror was oddly enchanting and Lily was immediately drawn towards it. One second, the mirror was reflecting her and the next; the mirror was crowded with people.
Lily let out a small shriek and looked around her to make sure that she was alone. She again glanced into the mirror. She was standing right in the center. But she looked older. Perhaps 20 or 21. Petunia was holding her arm and laughing and joking, like the old days. Both her parents were standing behind them, proud of their daughters.
Was the mirror showing the future?
But how could it? Her mother was dead. Killed last year in the Great London Massacre while she had been shopping. Yet there she was, smiling, her green eyes sparkling with delight - alive as ever. Tears sprang to her eyes. But she fought them back. Perhaps, there was some truth in the rumours going round in the school. Maybe it was that mirror, the one that showed what you wanted - your heart's desire. Now Lily looked to her other side. She was holding hands with- no! It couldn't be! -And then he looked down at her with those warm hazel eyes and kissed her.
Lily was shocked beyond anything. The mirror was lying! Of course it was! That toerag could never be her heart's desire. Or maybe it was a prank. She thought angrily. That Potter and his gang must have put this up here. It was exactly the childish prank that they would play.
"Specialis Revelio!"
"Jinxus Profero!"
"Resero Pestis!"
Still nothing.
She tried a few more spells, but they had no effect on the mirror. She was now sure that the mirror was truly a powerful magical object and not something created by some prankster. She resigned herself to the fact that the mirror was real. But then, it was lying. Wasn't it? Of course it was.
Lily, then looking at the mirror burst out loudly - "Come on, Lily! It's enough. Stop pretending! You do not think that James Potter is a toerag. Admit it. You like him!"
She had been hiding her real feelings from herself for a long time, and to see the truth exposed like that had startled her. Since last year, James had become a bit more serious. Ever since he lost his father in the attack on the Ministry. He had become less arrogant and had been working hard. Or at least, as hard as James could.
Then this year, although he had asked her out again, it was more gentlemanly. He hadn't asked her out in front of the entire school, but during their patrolling duty. He had asked her when they were on the Astronomy Tower, alone. And for the first time in her life, Lily had considered it for a second. He had even stopped his annoying habit of running his hand through his hair to make it appear messy.
Lily's respect for James had also grown when she had learnt about Remus' lycanthropy last year when she and Remus were Prefects together. She admired Potter, Black and Peter for standing by Remus.
And so, Lily Evans had started falling for James Potter.
Forgetting that she was in a room where she had suspected James Potter was, she stated her true feelings.
She stared at the James Potter in the mirror. Those adoring hazel eyes, and the way his hair stuck up at the back and the silly grin he had on the face.
She turned. She stared at James Potter in front of her. Standing right in the middle of the room. Those adoring hazel eyes, and the way his hair stuck up at the back and the silly grin he had on the face.
~*~
James had been surprised to see Lily bursting in like that; and pleased. She looked so beautiful when she was angry. Her green eyes were glittering madly and her red hair looked even fierier. He could not help the gasp that escaped him. When she shrieked, James was all for going beside her and calming her down. But Peter somehow restrained him. Lily, staring in the mirror had been too busy to notice their scuffle. He would never forget the shocked look on her face after she had glanced into the mirror the second time. She had looked so vulnerable and cute.
He had been amazed when she started casting spells on the mirror. What the bloody hell did she think she was doing?
To say that he had been shocked at Lily's outburst would have been an understatement. She liked him! She really did. She had admitted it. She liked him! She liked him! He threw the cloak aside and stood up. The others were too shocked themselves to stop him. And then she turned.
~*~
James stared at Lily. Lily stared at James. James grinned wider. Lily smiled nervously.
"Lily, would you like to go out with me to Hogsmeade next weekend?" James asked Lily, perhaps for the fiftieth time, presenting her with a beautiful white lily he had just conjured.
"Yes, I would love to, James."