Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm just borrowing, I swear!

Chapter 1: The Players Take The Stage

The furious sounds of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony floated through the air. After a brilliant and resounding finish, seventeen-year old Lily Evans lay down on her piano bench and sighed. Why couldn't things ever just be normal?

Life was far from ordinary for Lady Lily Evans. Yes, that was the first thing. She was the daughter of English aristocracy – a duke and duchess, to be exact. For as long as she could remember, she had been trained as a proper lady. Music, painting, French, dancing – all of these she had been taught since a young age. All of these, to keep up the image of a "noble young lady."

All precepts of this, however, had gone out the window when Lily turned eleven. It was then that she found out she was a witch. Yes, a real live witch, that wore a pointed hat, did magic with a wand, and attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her parents had been vaguely amused when she had gotten her letter. Oh, sure, they sent her to Hogwarts, but they treated her magic like a cute little pastime that she would grow out of. And of course, that had to be covered up. It just wouldn't do to have a witch in the family. Luckily, everyone knew of Lily's extraordinary music talent, and everyone thought she attended a music school in America. Julie-something or other.

Magic and music, mused Lily. The two things at the very core of her being. She often used music to vent her frustration about her parent's treatment of her magic. Which was why she was currently in the conservatory. She had just found out that her grandparents were coming in for an extended visit. Her grandparents, very important French nobility, whom she had not seen since she was nine. And then it was only for a few hours at some fancy party. Now they were going to be here for a whole two weeks, to help with her sister Petunia's engagement party. Not the way she wanted to spend her last few weeks before Hogwarts. Oh, she was happy for Petunia, marrying the handsome and kind Lord William Drexler. That wasn't the problem. It was the lovely warning she had gotten that morning from her parents. "No magic tricks, Lily," they had admonished her, "Not while your grandparents are here."

"Bloody magic tricks," thought Lily to herself bitterly. Her mental rant was interrupted by a tapping at the window. A Hogwarts owl! Lily jumped up and let the owl in.

The owl dropped a letter in her hand, and flew back out the window. Lily tore it open, and gasped in shock as something metal fell to the floor.

She was Head Girl….

James Potter swore loudly as a tapping owl woke him up.

"Bloody hell, bloody Hogwarts owl, waking a body up in the middle of the bloody summer," James muttered to himself as he crossed the room to open the window. He took the letter from the owl, which quickly took off again.

James lay back down on the bed, unopened letter in hand. Maybe not opening the letter would delay the inevitable. His last year at Hogwarts, his last year to enjoy himself. After graduation, he would actually have to get that job that his parents had been badgering him about. He would have to find a way to do something that would live up to the Potter name and make his family proud. The wizarding community might not have had titles like the Muggles did, but the Potters were every inch nobility. Old and pureblood, they could trace their line back to Godric Gryffindor.

"Which Mum and Dad remind me of every bloody day," grumbled James. He wanted to stay young, to keeping playing pranks with his friends, and running around as an illegal animagi every full moon. Sure, ever since fifth year, the pranks he and his friends played had changed from being mean to just funny and meant to entertain, and the reason he was an illegal animagus was to help his werewolf friend through his monthly transformations, but it didn't change the fact that he had FUN at Hogwarts. Just because he had matured didn't mean he wanted to leave his childhood behind forever, which seemed like what his parents were pushing him to do.

"Better get this over with. My last Hogwarts letter," thought James to himself, opening the letter. He gasped as something metal fell down onto his chest.

He was Head Boy…

A/N: Feedback would be much appreciated! Thanks everyone!