One morning, around January of '97, Marlene McKinnon, Mary McDonald, and Alice Prewett entered the Great Hall. Almost immediately, the absence of their best friend, Lily Evans, was noted by many students, and tucked away in that deep abyss called a brain, in a small corner where useless information lies. However, a small group of boys realized Lily's absence.
"Hey, McKinnon! Where's Evans?" Sirius Black shouted. Marlene, realizing the voice, wrinkled her nose, and made her way over to Sirius, the rest of the girls following.
"Dunno. She wasn't in the dorm when we woke up."
"D'you think she was kidnapped by Death Eaters?" Peter Pettigrew asked.
"Wormtail, what would Death Eaters want with Lily Evans? Why not any other Muggleborn?" Remus, the only sensible Marauder, reasoned.
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. There's only one place Lily could be." Mary McDonald swung her feet over on a bench, dropping her book bag on the floor with a loud thump.
"And where would that be?" inquired James.
Alice paused in snogging her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, long enough to answer. "The library, of course, where else?"
"Why would she be in the library? It's Saturday!" Sirius protested.
"Search us." Marlene shrugged. As the group chattered on, nobody realized that a certain black-haired Marauder was strangely missing. Although, even if they had, everybody knew where he'd be.
"Lils?" James walked softly over to the back table, where Lily was sure to be. "Lils, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like, James? I'm studying!"
"For what? It's a Saturday!"
"Newts, of course! What else? They're coming up soon, and I have absolutely no idea how to transfigure a lamp into a dormouse!"
"Newts? Those aren't for another four months!"
"So? They'll creep up on you. They'll wait until you're unsuspecting, relaxed, and then they'll pounce!"
"What brought this on? Why didn't you do it last night?"
Lily shuddered, remembering the terrible dream she had had last night.
"Lily Evans? Professor McGonogall would like to see you now."
"What did I do, Professor?"
"You're going to have to redo all your years at Hogwarts, Ms. Evans."
"Why? Did I do something wrong?"
"Here you are, Ms. Evans. I was most shocked to see this." McGonogall passed her a slip of parchment.
Defense Against the Dark Arts T
Potions T
Charms T
Arithmancy T
Divination T
Care of Magical Creatures T
History of Magic T
Ancient Runes T
Herbology T
Transfiguration T
Astronomy T
Lily looked down, and screamed. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Then everything went dark.
She woke up in a room that looked like Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Where am I?"
Just then, a slip of parchment appeared on the desk. They were NEWT exam results. She read it.
"Poor dear. She failed everything. She'll be devastated. Who is she, anyway?"
Her eyes trailed up the paper.
Lily Evans.
"AHHHH!" She dropped it and the parchment turned into a book, filled with all the papers with Ts on them, with the NEWTs results as a cover. It started snapping at her, capturing her. It was just about to eat her...
"Lily? Lily?" James was shaking her. "What's wrong?"
"Don't eat me! I'll study harder! I mean, what?" James rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Lily. We're going to the Great Hall."
"For what?"
"Breakfast."
"I can't eat! I have to study! I'm going to fail Transfiguration NEWTs! And then how will I be a Healer?"
"I'll help you, okay? Now, let's go."
"NO!"
"Do you need convincing?"
"No! I need to study!"
"You asked for it." He kissed her full on the lips.
"Lily! You're alive!" Marlene shrieked, causing everybody to stare at the two people who had just came in.
"You did it, James! You rescued her from evils grasp!" By now, the Hogwarts rumor mill was churning dangerously.
"LILY!" Alice left off snogging Frank to run over and hug Lily. "You!" She pointed to James. "You, sir, are a miracle worker! How did you do it? How'd you get her free?" The rumor mill broke.
"It would have taken less time, but Lily here needed a little...convincing."
"OH YEAH! GET SOME, PRONGS!" Sirius bellowed. Girls from all houses couldn't take it anymore, and fainted dead on the floor. Lily blushed, and excused herself, James at her heels.
Half an hour later, James and Lily made their way to Gryffindor Tower.
"You should study on Saturdays more often."
"I'll put it on my to-do list.