Prologue

Third Year

"Severus, stop!" Lily pleaded with her best friend, but the man was beyond reason. Tears flooded down her face as she realized that there was no way to stop what had already begun.

Severus Snape, a Seventh Year Slytherin and Lily's personal confidante, had his wand pointed threateningly at another Third Year, a Ravenclaw boy by the name of Seamus Greene. He glared at the boy with disgust.

"Do you think it's funny to prey on those whom you declare weaker than yourself? How dare you even think that you're worthy enough to stand in this girl's presence. Impe-"

"Impedimenta!"

Lily gasped as, instead of the boy, Sev was the one lifted into the air, dangling upside down by his left leg. She turned on the spot, seeing the four boys that had always tormented him walk towards them.

"Let him GO!" She screamed at them, "He was just-"

"Don't even start with that he-was-being-chivalrous hogwash," one boy, tall, with long black hair and piercing grayish eyes interrupted.

"He was defending me!" She tried to explain, but the other boy – James, Lily recalled bitterly – had jinxed Sev once more. Soap bubbles were emitting from his mouth, and she stared at the four Seventh Year Gryffindors in disgust.

Without realizing it, she had extracted her wand. "Let him go!" She screamed once more, and a small crowd was beginning to gather. James stared at her in shock, taking in her appearance. When he noticed her wand, he laughed. "What're you going to do with that?" He demanded, "Cast a tickling-"

"Impedimenta!"

James now stood in the same position as Severus. The only difference now was that he was dangling upside down by the actions of a Third Year. A female Third Year, to be exact. She smirked at him. What a crushing blow this must be to his pride. He stared at her in a mixture of wonder and fear.

"How does it feel, Potter?" She hissed, "Knowing that you're not the only one who knows this spell. You're nothing but a great, arrogant, bullying toe-rag. You don't deserve Hogwarts."

The boy dangling in the air glared at her, his Head Boy badge gleaming in the sunlight. "Put me down this instant or it's fifty points from Gryffindor!"

She laughed heartlessly, not bothering to notice the first boy that had spoken, Sirius Black, had silently been sneaking behind her, or so it seemed. "Go ahead and try. I'm not afraid to lose points from my own house. At least I got points taken away for moral reasons."

And with that, she turned on her heel, glaring as she noticed Black standing behind her. She muttered a quick spell, and he was off his feet and in the lake in no time. She turned to help Severus up, and he looked almost angry that she had defended him, though he she was sure he wouldn't deny it if she pointed out the smug look on his face. Lily then began striding away from the lake, towards the castle, ignoring the screams of protests of Black coming from the lake....

"Miss Evans, I am shocked to hear what has happened!" Professor McGonnagal, the Head of Gryffindor House, scolded. "Hexing a fellow Gryffindor! The Head Boy, no less!"

They stood silently in the Professor's office, glaring at each other. Potter had turned Lily in to the Professor, and now they all stood there, silent, the tension in the room deeper than the Black Lake. "And, Mr. Potter, am I to believe that she did this for no reason?"

"No reason!" Lily practically shouted, "He was hexing my friend-"

"You call that sniveling little Slytherin your friend?!" Potter retorted, "He was attacking a Third Year Ravenclaw, Professor-"

"Because he was defending me!" Lily interrupted, "I'll admit, his way of handling it was not the proper way to go about it, but it was all in good intentions, Professor. Then him," she spat the word, "and his little friends decide to fight against him, two against one. If you ask me, that's not very brave at all. They don't deserve the title of being a Gryffindor."

"Miss Evans!" Professor McGonnagal shouted, scandalized. Potter stared at Lily in outrage.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't take back what I believe," Lily replied, "If what they did was courageous than Severus should receive a medal of honor."

Potter stared at Lily in disgust, "Trust me, you don't know that scum bag the way I do-"

"I grew up with him, Potter, I reckon I know a bit more about him than you ever will," she retorted, glaring at him. "He goes through enough when he's not at Hogwarts. When he finally arrives and thinks he'll get some sort of piece, there you are to take it away from him. He doesn't deserve the way you've treated him over the years, and you don't deserve to judge him."

She stared at McGonnagal patiently, waiting to hear her punishment. It was the end of the year, so she would probably have to make it up during Fourth Year, but she didn't care. She had said her piece, and she was ready to face the consequences.

To her surprise, the Professor smiled, dismissing her without punishment, without a lecture, and without Potter by her side. She grinned as she stepped through the portrait hole and made her way to bed. Justice was sweet.