Chapter 1: Welcome to Hogwarts

Dumbledore sat on the edge of his desk peering thoughtfully down at the pictures systematically strewn across the floor below him. The portraits on the wall did the same, 'hm'-ing and 'humph'-ing as they considered each seventh year's portrait.

"The Heads must be talented in Defense Against the Dark Arts." Phineas Nigellus Black stated resolutely from his portrait. With a slow swish of his wand, Dumbledore vanished a handful of portraits from the floor.

"Their bodies must be as quick as their minds." Newton Scamander stated from his own portrait soon after. Another swish eliminated another group of portraits.

"And do not forget about where their true loyalties lay. They must believe in our cause and have a deep compassion for those around them." Armando Dippet piped up from his corner of the room. Dozens of pictures disappeared at that moment, leaving only a handful of portraits left.

Several minutes of absolute silence passed where Dumbledore scrutinized the remaining portraits. "I believe there is no competition for who your two Heads will be, Albus." Observed Eoessa Skandenberg gravely. "Only two of these students will be able to survive the position based upon your requirements."

Dumbledore bowed his head in reluctance before speaking for the first time that evening. "Bravery. Wit. Resolution. Devotion. Love. They need to compliment each other as much as they support each other."

"Which will come." Heliotrope Wilkins said confidently in her portrait. "Where one is responsible, the other is impulsive. Where one is brave, the other is cautious." At this comment, many of the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses shouted their support for the two portraits Dumbledore had been focusing on.

"They are both skilled!"

"Top of their year!"

"Incredibly talented!"

"Unafraid of confrontation!"

"But both incredibly stubborn!" Dexter Fortescue cut in, putting a stop to all of the incessant shouting.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in merriment. "Yes, indeed they are. I suppose we will need to simply nudge them in the right direction then." Dumbledore waved his wand and all portraits vanished save for the girl with bright red hair and startling green eyes and the boy with messy black hair and mischievous hazel eyes. He plucked the two portraits from the floor and returned to his desk. He methodically laid out two fresh scrolls of parchment, a quill, his favorite bottle of emerald green ink, and started to compose his letter welcoming his two new Heads of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; James Potter and Lily Evans.

The Hogwarts Express was already hissing when Lily pushed her cart through the barrier onto Platform 9 3/4. She anxiously kicked the cart away and lugged her heavy trunk towards the train. "Oh Lily-kins, there you are!" A voice shouted over the hissing from further up the train.

Lily smiled in relief and dragged her trunk up to where her best friend was. "Marlene am I glad to see you. Think you could help me with this trunk?"

Marlene McKinnon reached down to effortlessly pull the trunk on board while Lily was keeled over trying to catch her breath. Having a best friend on the Quidditch team definitely had its perks. "I was worried you wouldn't make the train!" Marlene said as she kicked Lily's trunk back to make room for her. The train was wheezing loudly and its wheels just began to roll when Marlene grasped Lily's wrist to help her on board. Once they stood face to face, Marlene pulled Lily in for a tight hug. "It's probably for the best that you came late." Marlene whispered. "I heard that muggle borns were being harassed as they crossed onto the platform."

"…Mary?" Lily asked worriedly. Mary Macdonald was the sweetest girl in the group and a muggle born like Lily whose family was killed in a Death Eater attack the previous year. Lily was fiercely protective of Mary and could not bear to see any more harm come to her.

Marlene shook her head. "No, Remus actually picked her up to take her here."

Lily breathed a sigh of relief. "That Remus is a good man. It's a shame he hangs out with the rest of the Marauders."

Marlene scoffed at Lily, tossing her long curly blonde hair behind her shoulder. "Lily-kins, you are the only one who has an issue with the Marauders. No, let me rephrase. You have an issue with just one marauder. Don't let your hatred for Potter affect your perception of his friends."

Lily frowned. "You can't blame me after the way he shamelessly grabbed me last year! That toe rag is so arrogant to think that every Hogwarts girl wants to be with him."

"That's because every Hogwarts girl does want to be with him." Marlene said matter-of-factly.

Lily waved Marlene's reply away. "Well not me! He can't just grab me and and stick his tongue down my throat and think that I'd just be okay with it! You would think he'd understand the first hundred times I turned him down." She was still raging mad about that, waving her hands angrily in the air.

"Still thinking about it, hm? Can't seem to let it it go, eh?" Marlene teased. She hoisted Lily's trunk easily into her arms. "Come on then, the girls are saving a compartment down this way." Lily bit her lip and silently followed suit.

When they arrived to the right compartment, Marlene nudged the door open with her hip and ducked inside with the trunk. "Oh, is that Lily's?" She heard what must have been Dorcas' voice given the low almost raspy quality. Sure enough as she rounded the corner she saw her two other best friends lounging inside the compartment. Dorcas Meadowes, with her long dark hair and wide smile, waved slowly by the window. Nothing Dorcas did was rushed, it was always methodical and graceful. But Merlin was she quick when she wanted to be, both physically and mentally. Across from Dorcas sat Mary with her long brown hair tied up in a pony tail. She smiled sweetly at Lily and stood up to give her a hug. Together these four girls made up the seventh years of Gryffindor House, best friends since their first day at Hogwarts and inseperable ever since.

"Well," Mary said, leaning back from their hug to inspect her jumper, "Where is it? Let me see that Head Girl badge!"

Lily beamed at her friends as she fished the badge out of her pocket. She was ecstatic to receive the news and immediately wrote to the girls. Telling her family was a different ordeal all together, one that caused her sister Petunia to storm out of the house and not return for 3 days. But her friends returned Lily's enthusiasm ten-fold, for they knew that no one had worked harder for that badge than Lily did.

"Would you look at that," Marlene grinned as Mary carefully pinned Lily's badge to her jumper, "It's very becoming on you, Lily-kins."

"Do you know who the Head Boy is yet?" Dorcas asked. It was the question all the girls had debated over the summer.

"I only just got on the train!" Lily laughed. "I haven't had time to investigate!"

"Well, no need to look any further, I have the answer for you." Came a tenor voice from the compartment door. Remus Lupin peeked his head inside and rapped his knuckles three times against the frame. "Can I come in?"

Mary blushed and waved Remus inside. Lily turned bright eyes towards Remus, "Oh is it you?"

Remus shook his head with a sigh and leaned his lanky body back against the wall. "No, it's not. But I know who is, and I wanted to brace you Lily for the answer."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?" She asked skeptically.

Remus hesitated for a moment, gauging the curious glances from every girl. "Because our Head Boy is James Potter."

"What?!" Lily shrieked. The other three girls were also in a state of shock, their jaws dangling open. "How?!"

Remus sighed and Lily got the impression that he was disappointed in her response. "It's about time we head to the meeting. Shall we go?"

"Better rid yourself of that sour pucker face, Lily-kins, else Potter might think it was an invitation!" Marlene chided. Lily bristled and took Remus' offered arm, leaving the three giggling girls alone in the compartment.

Remus bowed his head low towards Lily as they weaved around classmates to the very front of the train. "I should have you know, Lily, that James has changed. He really is trying to be more responsible and take his role seriously." Remus slid the Head compartment door open to reveal none other than James Potter himself, leaning over a couple of swooning sixth year girls ogling his flexing biceps. James turned in surprise and at least had the sense to blush at Lily's scowl and Remus' disapproving frown.

Lily raised an eyebrow at Remus. "Are you serious?"

"No Love, that's Moony. I'm Sirius." Drawled the husky voice of Sirius Black. He stood up from his spot within the Head compartment and draped an arm around Lily's shoulders. "Have a nice holiday, Lovely Lily?"

Lily shrugged Sirius off her shoulders. "What are you doing in the Head compartment? Don't tell me that you somehow made Prefect?"

Sirius wagged his finger at Lily. "Feisty today, aren't we? No need to worry, I was just on my way out. Oh Wormtail!" Sirius sang out in search of the last Marauder and sauntered carelessly down the hallway.

Lily bowed her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. This is going to be a great year. This is going to be a great year. This is going to be a great year. With a deep breath she lifted her head and marched into the Head compartment. "Let's get to work then, shall we?" Remus shut the compartment door behind him as Lily took charge.

"Alright, Evans?" James called up the girl's staircase in the Gryffindor common room. "Dumbledore wants us in his office in 10 minutes. I expect we should leave soon."

The meeting on the train had been short but efficient. She introduced herself, James of course needed no introduction, and then learned who the new Prefects were. Lily was pleased to see that the new Gryffindor prefect alongside Remus was a smart girl named Patricia Higgins. But without their orders from Dumbledore, James and Lily couldn't go into much detail about what to expect that year besides the usual patrol routes, House passwords, Hogsmeade weekends and House points. "Yeah, alright I'm coming Potter." Lily called as she marched down the stairs to where James was waiting by the portrait hole. "Who would've thought the Great James Potter would be a stickler for time." She grumbled as she passed by James on the way out.

"Heard that, Evans." James called out to her with a lopsided grin. He lengthened his stride to catch up with hers and walked alongside Lily on their way to the Headmaster's office.

"You know, Potter," Lily began to fill the awkward silence between them, "Being Head Boy isn't something you can swing like you've done every year for the past 6 years. It will be a lot of work. A lot of responsibility."

James rolled his eyes. "Lecturing me already, Evans? And it's only been what, 2 hours maybe?"

Lily scoffed and stepped up to the gargoyle. "Fizzing whizbies." She said confidently and the gargoyle politely stepped aside to reveal a long winding staircase.

"Hold on a second, Evans," James marveled as Lily began her climb, "Why did Dumbledore entrust his secret password to you and not to me?"

Lily tossed James a haughty smirk over her left shoulder and James felt his heart stutter.

However when Lily turned back up the stairs, Dumbledore was already standing gravely at the top. The look on his face had the same effect as if a bucket of ice water was dumped over their heads. "Please, come in and have a seat Miss Evans, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore said, ushering his two Head students inside. The two obediently sat in two arm chairs facing Dumbledore's desk.

James and Lily exchanged a worried look as Dumbledore swept away several papers on his desk. They were familiar with the Dumbledore with the twinkling eyes who gave whimsical speeches, not this stoic Dumbledore whose shoulders seemed to weigh down and who had dark circles under his eyes.

"I hope you forgive me for skipping the pleasantries as there are several things we need to discuss about your new positions." Dumbledore said, leaning back tiredly into his high-backed chair and lacing his fingers under his chin. "These are dark times. Ms Evans, despite your misgivings for Mr. Potter, I have specifically chosen the two of you for your character and ability to excel in stressful if not dangerous situations. Lemon drop?" Lily was instantly reminded of Marlene's pucker-face comment on the train. She flushed in embarrassment and quickly shook her head. James however reached forward into the offered bowl and popped one in his mouth, shooting a snarky grin in Lily's direction, which caused Lily to blush even harder. Dumbledore cleared his throat and James quickly redirected his attention back to the Headmaster. "I fully expect the two of you to work together this year, overcoming any past transgressions you may have had, to protect the students of Hogwarts. The threat outside our walls is very real and soon it will be brought right to our doorstep. Do you know of which threat I am referring to?"

"Lord Voldemort, sir." James responded dutifully while sucking around his lemon drop. Lily shot James a reproachful look.

Dumbledore nodded in affirmation. "As he grows stronger his reach extends further and further. He wishes to create a pureblood society under his rule. He sees Hogwarts as a threat to his vision. Hogwarts is a school that promotes equality and harmony between houses. Hogwarts does not discriminate between blood. Voldemort wishes to corrupt Hogwarts and transform our peaceful world to one of chaos and destruction. Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans, how far are you willing to go to protect what we hold dear here at Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore's eyes hardened and looked directly into Lily's, into all the little things that made her her. Judging by the audible gulp beside her, James was feeling the same amount of scrutiny. At least I'm not the only one who's squirming, Lily thought.

"Just what exactly are you asking of us, Professor?" James asked hesitantly.

"What I am asking, Mr. Potter, is that in addition to your Head Duties, will you protect the lives of our students, even if it is at the risk of your own?" Dumbledore's stare did not waver and Lily and James did not dare to blink.

"Yes." James said resolutely. "Yes I would."

Dumbledore's eyes shifted to Lily's. Lily's mind immediately jumped to her muggleborn friend Mary, whose parents were tortured and killed in the middle of sixth year. Lily would have done anything to prevent Mary's loss, and if this was her opportunity to prevent the same from happening to other students, then she was in. "Yes. I would, too."

A tiny smile graced Dumbledore's lips. Not a satisfied one or a relieved one, but one that was bittersweet. Lily took in a deep shuddering breath. She would not take back her promise, she meant it. But that didn't keep her from being afraid of what was to be. She had a morbid feeling that by issuing her promise, she was sealing her fate. "Please return to my office this Thursday evening after your rounds. There are some introductions that need to be made."

"Yes sir." James said, standing from his chair as Lily did the same. "See you then."

Lily bristled as she closed Dumbledore's office door behind her. The gravity of the situation set her on edge and she had the urge to lash out at something. Or someone, unfortunately for James. "You're such an insufferable toe rag, Potter." Lily hissed as they walked down the stairs. "Sucking on a lemon drop when Professor Dumbledore is talking about something clearly important."

"Is that really what you're so sour about?" James hissed back. "Newsflash, Evans, but he's absolutely right. It's not exactly a walk in the park for muggle borns outside these walls."

"Don't you think I know that?" Lily seethed, pushing her finger so hard into James' chest that he was pressed back against the stone wall. "Don't you think that I've been feeling that pressure from some other students? Just because they think their blood is purer than mine?"

James was ready to take down names and cast some hexes if it wasn't for the accusatory look in her eye. "You think I'm one such person?" He asked incredulously. "I didn't know you thought that little of me, Evans." He sneered, swatting her hand away from his chest and continuing down the steps.

"Potter, this is not a game!" Lily huffed behind him just as James stepped out from behind the gargoyle and into the empty corridor.

James rounded on Lily and this time it was him pushing her against the stone cold wall. "No Evans, it's not. This is a war that we are about to be directly involved in. It won't be all scheduling patrols and Hogsmeade trips and tallying points to see who wins the House Cup. You question me about not taking this position seriously, but really I wonder if it's you that isn't taking this position seriously." Without giving Lily a chance to argue back, he turned on his heel and stomped back to their shared dorm. "And Evans," James sneered turning his head just slightly to the side so she could hear him, "The password to our dorm is Keeper."

Lily heaved a sigh and knocked her head back against the stone wall. This year was off to a great start.