Chapter 1
A Train Ride Home
Lily Evans stared out of her compartment inside the Hogwart's Express. She found pleasure in looking at the families down below as her fellow students said their last goodbyes to their loved ones. A first year, looking small even for his age, seemed to be having particular hard time letting go of his parents. He nervously kept checking his bags as if buying time before the last boarding call was made.
It seemed ages ago that she had stood exactly in his place. But she had been so eager to begin her new life as a witch that she had had no time for nervousness. At the time, she had had so many reasons to be excited. She had only recently learned that she was a witch. That meant she would no longer be forced to separate herself from her best friend, Severus Snape, for a whole year. Instead, they would both be attending Hogwarts. The thought of having magical adventures together for the next seven years had kept her wide awake with excitement for the whole week leading to September 1st.
The memory caused a sad sigh to inevitably escape. Her first three years had gone exactly as planned but Severus had grown distant during their fourth. He found excuses to spend less and less time with her, and Lily often found herself jealous of his new friends. The excuses weren't as hard to come by as she would have imagined. They belonged to different houses and therefore their schedules naturally conflicted. Then, last year, things had made a dramatic turn for the worse.
Despite all attempts, Severus somehow had managed to grow to hate her. She had gone over and over in her mind trying to see what it was that had changed, and she could only come to the conclusion that it was all James Potter's fault. James and Severus had been natural enemies since their first year, and then last year, James had decided to start courting Lily. Of course, Lily knew better than to pay any attention. James fancied a different girl almost every month. Still, she thought, Severus probably stayed away from her because he feared James and his terrible jinxes. That was just another reason why she loathed that Potter boy. She missed her best friend, and she didn't care what it took; this year she was going to gain him back.
"Hello there," said Alice Rand joining into her compartment. Alice, a seventh year, was a year older than Lily. She was tall, especially next to petite Lily, with shoulder length caramel colored hair.
"Alice!" gushed Lily. "You didn't tell me you were Head Girl!"
"Did you ever doubt it?" she asked playfully.
The truth was Lily had not. She had befriended Alice just last year when they had met for the first time in the Prefect compartment. They were both prefects for Gryffindor, although a year apart. Alice was the brightest witch in her year. Last year, she had dated the Hufflepuff Head Boy, Frank Longbottem. She had also been Captain of the Gryffindor team for the last three years. Lily not only admired her tremendously; she was also extremely grateful for her friendship. When they met, Severus had begun to distance himself, and Lily suddenly realized how lonely and how few other friends she had. If she hadn't befriended Alice, she truly didn't know what she would have done.
"Who's Head Boy?" asked Lily eagerly.
"Amos Diggory," she replied pointing out the window. Lily spotted Amos right away. The seventh year Hufflepuff towered among the other students as he said goodbye to his family. He also happened to have been one of Alice's and Frank's best friends last year. "Of course I was rooting for a Gryffindor but he is dreamy, isn't he?"
Even after a year of friendship with Alice, girl talk was still uncomfortable for Lily. Books and spells and history she could talk about for hours. But boys and crushes were still a foreign language she was only beginning to learn. That's one thing she missed about Severus. As much as she loved Alice, she missed her long deep talks with Severus more and more every day.
"He's not my type," she said before she even realized she was speaking.
"Not your type?" demanded Alice. "If tall dark and handsome isn't your type then please pray and tell me what is."
"I am not sure…" admitted Lily. A mischievous, boyish grin came to mind but she dismissed the image almost as instantly as it had appeared.
"Speaking of types, there is Sirius Black. If only I was still single…" sighed Alice. Lily looked out the window once again to spot Sirius Black. Lean and tall with graceful dark brown hair, even Lily had to admit he was extraordinarily handsome. "Do you know if he's dating anyone?"
But Lily hardly heard her question. Next to Sirius, her eyes had finally found James Potter. He was Sirius' best friend but the two were as different night and day. Where Sirius was known for being withdrawn and mysterious, James was loud and loved attention. He had messy jet black hair and a wide grin. He was a little bit shorter than Sirius and three years as the Gryffindor Beater had made him bulkier as well.
"He's not bad looking either," teased Molly following Lily's stare. The students below down hurried towards the train as the last call was made.
Lily turned bright red. "I still find him hideous, to be honest. Repulsive. How can you not hate how much trouble he's always causing?"
"Lily, I still don't get you. True," she added, "I had to take more points from Gryffindor because of James Potter than I had to from everyone else put together but that didn't mean his smile still didn't make me weak in the knees every time."
"I just don't see what the fuss is about when it comes to those Marauders boys," said Lily hotly. Sirius Black, James Potter along with their other two best friends, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were known as "the Marauders." They had been notorious for their pranks since their first year at Hogwarts. Then somewhere in their fourth year, every single girl in school seemed to find trouble attractive and they became famous for being the most sought after bachelors in school as well. Not that James was ever single very often, thought Lily with added bitterness. "None of them are very good looking if you ask me," she added as the train began picking up speed.
"I happen to agree," said a voice from behind. Remus Lupin, with a Prefect badge on his cloak, had just walked in. He had a warmness about him that Lily had always found inviting. Initially she had refused to count even him as a friend. The Marauders and Severus were enemies and a friendship with any of the boys, even one as kind as Remus, had felt like a betrayal to him. Still, last year they had served as Prefects together and she was unable to resist his charm and kindness. Lily now considered Remus one of her best friends. The only downfall was that the new friendship had pushed her even farther away from Severus. "And you really should see James' hair in the morning… Medusa herself wouldn't envy that hair."
Alice, Lily, and the other Prefects that had joined them couldn't help but laugh. Mostly because they knew how much truth there was in that statement and with how much fondness Remus said it.
"Alright then," said Alice as they all finally settled down and Amos joined her side. The train was now taking up full speed. "Let's make this meeting quick and painless. Few rules McGonagall wanted to go over…"
"First of all," interrupted Amos, "welcome to our fifth year Prefects. My name is Amos Diggory and I am the Head Boy. This brass speaking, lovely young lady" he jerked his head to Alice, "is Alice Rand, Head Girl."
Alice rolled her eyes laughing. "Anways! The rules! First up: You cannot show your house favoritism!"
" You cannot take away points from the other Houses just because they're beating you either," added Amos turning to the sixth year Slytherin Prefect, Lucio Crabbe, who had taken, without reason, fifty points from James the previous year right when Gryffindor was leading the board with forty nine points. It has been a low move but they had felt sorry for him when he reappeared with ears that reached the floor the next morning and was forced to spend a week at the hospital wing.
"Same goes for detentions," added Alice.
Of course, Crabbe hadn't dared give James detention for the enlarged ears even though everybody knew he was behind the enlarged ears. But he had taken it out with another Gryffindor first year by giving him a whole week's worth for taking an extra meat cake at dinner time.
"Just be fair, people," said Amos, not unkindly. "We all want our Houses to win but we accepted to be unbiased when we took these positions…. Now for the bigger changes… Well, Alice, you explain…"
They all leaned in curiously. "As you all know, Prefects have always counted with our own Prefects bathrooms," began Alice. "This year we will all with also have separate rooms. Fifth year Gryffindor Prefects will stay together… Fifth year Slytherin Prefects will stay together, etc…" Danielle Wills, the fifth year Hufflepuff turned scarlet and Alice quickly added, "Of course, there will be a room for the boy and another for the girl. Not that I would mind sharing," she added coquettishly glancing at Amos. Everybody knew they were too good of friends to take her flirty seriously.
"Nor would I but I am afraid Longbottom would find a way to jinx me all the way from London," laughed Amos good naturedly.
Alice went on. "You will share a small common room. And you'll have your own passwords to get in but that alone won't be the only security measure," she added this time looking at Remus. "No other human will be allowed into your dwellings other than the pair of you. Not even fellow Prefects or us," she added jerking her thumb towards Amos and herself. "If no one has any questions, we are all free to go!"
"These all seem like very drastic changes," said Lily thoughtfully as most of the Prefects made their way of the compartment to join their friends. "I wonder what would bring them to go through the trouble of creating ten extra dormitories…"
Remus looked knowingly at Alice and Amos. Alice quietly looked out the window while Amos muttered something about meeting up with someone and exited the compartment.
"What?" Lily demanded. "What do you two know that I don't?"
"We don't know," said Alice patiently. "But we can assume…"
"There's been a few things stirring in the Wizarding world…" explained Remus with a gentleness that frightened Lily. "It's been going on for a while, I suppose, but last year it worsened. Of course, we didn't realize it here at school but when we went back home… There had been all sorts of accidents."
Lily still didn't understand. "What do you mean accidents?
"Disappearances. Unexplained deaths. People acting out under curses…"
"Why didn't either of you write me anything?" asked Lily. Not for the first time, as much as she loved her family, did she feel like being a muggleborn kept her away way too long from the magical world.
"There was nothing to write," said Alice. "I mean things were happening but the dots aren't connecting… We had nothing to write to you, Lily. Even to each other, we could only speculate."
"And what are you speculating?"
"Well," said Remus thoughtfully, "the last time this kind of rooming assignment was given to Prefects was in the forties during the years of Grindelwald."
Of course, Lily had read all about the dark wizard Grindelwald. "You mean to say another dark wizard is rising? And Prefects are getting separate rooms as an added safety measurement?"
"We don't know," said Alice. "But it does look that way."
The room was somehow becoming darker and quieter. All of the sudden the door burst open and Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew were inside with them. Instantly, the room became alive again, and Lily was secretly grateful for that.
"Moony, we've been waiting ages for you," said Sirius with a slight frown. "We saw Amos pass by ages ago so don't tell me you've been busy at the meeting."
"Oh leave him alone, Padfoot," said James brightly sliding into the seat in between Lily and Alice, his arms dropping around both their shoulder."If I was with such beautiful company, I would find trouble leaving as well."
Lily scooted an inch farther from him but Alice laughed pleased. "How was your summer, boys?"
"Excellent," responded James. "Especially the nights… I have such vivid dreams, you know?" Something in his voice caused Lily to turn scarlet. James gave a little laugh but to her relief, he quickly changed the subject. "The days were good too, though. My family took a trip to Australia. Kat had never been, you know."
"You took your cat to Australia?" asked Lily innocently and instantly regretted it as the room fill with laughter.
"Kat," repeated Remus trying very hard not to laugh and failing miserably. "Katherine. James' little sister."
"You have a little sister?" asked Lily even more incredulously. Maybe it had been his arrogance or his love for attention but Lily had always casted James as a single child.
"Goes to show how much you know about me," said James and Lily could have sworn she detect a glimpse of hurt in his voice but before she could give his tone much thought he had pulled his wallet out and taken out a picture. "That's her. Kat. Little brat," he added fondly. "She's ten so she'll be joining Hogwarts next year."
In the picture a little girl made funny faces at them. She had the same jet black hair as James but it curled all the way down the middle of her back in way that was completely graceful. Her smile was just as mischievous as her brother's though, and when she laughed, she threw her head back in the same angle as James.
"She's beautiful," said Lily earnestly.
"She's going to break hearts, that one," added Alice.
"Padfoot spent all summer trying to teach her how to break noses," said James rather proudly. "We're not allowed to teach her anything with magic yet, as Remus so kindly reminded us."
"Again and again," added Sirius.
"And again and again," continued James with a laugh.
"I wasn't going to let you two expel her before she even got her letter," laughed Remus. "You'll have plenty of time to show her all your jinxes."
"Hopefully, you'll also show her how to be kind as well," interrupted Lily, "and not use those jinxes on innocent people."
"I'll leave that to you, Lily Dear. Because, of course I would want my little sister to meet my beautiful girlfriend…"
"I am –I –Not your- You vile-" spluttered Lily again turning bright red. Why did he have to come and mess everything up when they were having such a pleasant conversation. "-Not your girlfriend," she finally managed furiously.
"Not yet, no," admitted James almost thoughtfully. "I know it won't be soon but give me a hint. Another month? Two months?"
Lily was about to tell him where he could stick two months but just then the compartment door slid open and a group of Slytherin boys stood there, among them was Regulus' Black, Sirius' younger brother and Severus. She stood up instantly and began to say the latter's name but something in the coldness of his sneer and the way he refused to even look at her stopped her.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here," said Augustus Rockwood. His smile had curved in nasty sort of way and Lily was surprised to find that not only had the three boys stood up in front of her but even Alice had a protective arm around hers. "Black, haven't you caused your family enough shame running around with blood traitors. Your poor mother could hardly lift her eyes from the floor last time I saw her."
Lily noticed Regulus' handsome face pale but he did not say a thing. Sirius already tight fist reached for his wand but James laughed lightly. "Oh, Rockwood, maybe she was just looking at the floor because she was afraid that long nose of yours was going to poke her in the eye."
Peter let out a laugh that was quickly drowned as Rockwood eyes fell on him. "You would do better with different friends, Pettigrew. Maybe Black has decided to betray his family but you don't have to follow suit… Blood traitors like the Potters will meet their just punishment in the coming months. Snape was once confused as well," he said nodding to Severus who tensed his jaw, "but he's since thought better of it."
Lily looked at Severus imploringly. Surely he was angry to have found her in the company of the Marauders but if she could only explain then he would no longer find the need to hang out with these nasty Slytherin boys. "Severus-" she began.
"Don't speak to him… to any of us," snapped Rockwood. "You insult us by looking at us, you nasty mud-" Before he could finish his sentence, James had cried out a spell and two large breasts were beginning to grown inside his clock. "What did you do?"
"It's time people start seeing you for what you are…" laughed James but it was now a dark and heavy laugh. Two pigtails were now emerging from his head. "…just a little, bratty girl running around trying to insult people." The other boys were panicking as they saw that his breasts showed no signs of wanting to stop growing.
"We've arrived," pointed out Severus, who alone remained calm. "Let's hurry. You'll have to go to the hospital wing immediately."
"Severus-" Lily tried once again.
"You heard what he said," snapped Severus. He looked at her for what seemed like an eternity and then added, rather purposely, "Mudblood."
"Don't," she said reaching out to grab James before he could jinx him as well. "Just stop. Leave him alone."
"What's the matter with you?" demanded James and for the first time in her life, Lily saw that he was looking at her with anger. "Don't you see who is? What he stands for? How can you defend him?"
"He's just confused," she snapped back trying to hide the hurt in her voice. She had yelled at James more times than she could count but he had always replied with laughter and kindness. There was something about his anger that filled her with unexplained sadness.
"Oh no, Lily," said Sirius bitterly, shocking her further. Something in the distance of his gaze told her she wasn't speaking of Severus alone but the words still stung. "He is a lot of things but confused isn't one of them. He knows perfectly well what he is doing, and it's about time you saw him for what he is. Just a slimy, pathetic-"
"Enough," said Remus heavily.
But James wasn't ready to stop. "She can't go on defending him when all he wants is to-"
"I said enough," he repeated sharply and then in a kinder voice added, "This isn't the way…"
James stared at him for what seemed like the longest time and then his eyes dropped. "Whatever. I am done trying to make see, Evans. You want to keep your blind folds on? Be my bloody guest. Meet you guys inside."
"Don't worry, Lily," said Alice kindly once the boys had left. "It's just been a hard summer for all of us. He'll get over it."
"I don't care what that insensitive littler jerk thinks." But even to herself, the words sounded insincere.