Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Please R&R.

Chapter 1

Another year of change was set to begin. Lily Potter was going to start her third year in a few hours. She sat in her compartment alone, because the only person she was even thinking of allowing in her compartment, her cousin Hugo, had gone out for a moment to talk to one of his friends.

"Lily!"

She looked up, to come face to face with David Longbottom.

"Uh, hello," she murmured as politely as she could.

David turned red, and stammered, "Uh…he-hello Lily. I just wa-wanted to umm…ask you…umm…are you free?"

"Do I look like I'm busy?" she asked coolly. She was supposed to be polite to him, but he was getting on her nerves. He was a big lump of baby fat and stammering.

"No…uh…well…I just wanted to say hi," he murmured, obviously chilled by what she had said or her tone. He gave her a smile, going all red again, and then walked out, nearly running into Hugo on his way out.

Lily smiled at her cousin as he entered the compartment. He had been her best friend since they had started school, and he knew everything about her. Well…almost everything. She could tell him that later.

A sudden bang made her get up from her seat and join Hugo at the door. He looked at her, a little bemused.

Her brother, James, suddenly sped down the corridor. He stopped in front of her.

"Hey Lils! Hope you're not getting into any trouble with your many boyfriends. And Hugo…hi…hope lil Lils hasn't bored the crap out of you yet…no…well I have to go. You heard that bang? All the work of the great talents of yours truly with the help of Fred Weasley…"

And he was off.

Lily scowled at him as he sped off, screaming, "I don't have MANY boyfriends…I just had 1 last year…and…" She left off, seeing that he was far away.

"Chill," said Hugo with a smile.

She sighed, and then another looming figure walked down the hallway. It was her other brother, Al (Albus, but no one really called him that). He wore a gleaming "Gryffindor Prefect" badge, that uncle Percy had gushed over for a whole hour without stopping. (Lily and Hugo had been counting.) But beyond that, Lily knew there was no one in the whole house who would have made a better prefect. He was responsible, kind and impartial. (Sometimes more than she liked…)

"Get in kids," he said wearily as he looked at all the kids in the corridors. "Nothing to see here…"

He stopped and smiled as he looked at the two of them. She had always thought he had the kindest smiles, even if he always looked so troubled.

"Hi Lily, Hi Hugo," he said, and then walked on, shooing more kids in.

"He and James are so different…" Hugo observed.

She did not reply, he had said this before, more than once.

Suddenly, another looming figure, that of Rose Weasley, one of her cousins and Hugo's sister could be seen. Lily hid her irritation with a false smile, but neither of her cousins seemed to notice.

She stopped in front of them and smiled. "Hi Hugo…how are you doing? Hi Lily. I hope you both are studying well. Your OWLs are in less than 2 years you know…And ours are this year. I'm a little worried…."

The "Gryffindor Prefect" badge was on her robes too. Lily just realized that everyone she had seen was already in school robes. Perhaps they were going to reach soon.

"Hey Hugo," she said after Rose had also disappeared down that corridor. "I think we need to change."

"Oh ok," he said with a smile. "You change. I'll be right back."

As he stalked off, another person walked in. Lily started at seeing him. It was Scorpius Malfoy, who had for very long been regarded as the worst enemy of her eldest brother, even though Al often talked to him. She turned as he came, but he took no notice of her, just stalked off straight ahead. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the "Slytherin Prefect" badge on his robes.

She was intensely glad that Hugo was not around to see her face.