Chapter One:

Chapter One: The Threat of War

"I fear the worst," Dumbledore announced gravely.

Professor Binns, the only other occupant of the room, looked round at him. "What on earth are you talking about Albus?" he said, not unkindly.

Dumbledore heaved a sigh and sank into a chair opposite the ghost. "Things are happening. Terrible things. Someone from the ministry was murdered yesterday. Voldemort is rapidly gaining power; more power than anyone should have."

"Don't trouble yourself. Nothing will come of it. I've seen worse."

"I'm not sure I have. Something must be done. Because if Voldemort decides to attack will we be strong enough to defeat him?"

Binns screwed his face into a frown. "You're making a mountain out of a molehill. This Voldemort is just a craze some people feel the need to follow. It will all die down in a few weeks. There is nothing to worry about. The ministry has many capable witches and wizards who could destroy that young upstart in the blink of an eye." He leaned back in the chair. "Relax."

Dumbledore bit his lip. "I can't help being worried. It may be a serious threat."

Someone knocked on the door behind them.

"Come in," Dumbledore said gruffly.

The door was pushed open and a timid yet attractive girl stepped in, sheepishly. Her large green eyes watched Dumbledore carefully. She turned to Professor Binns. "Please sir, you're supposed to be taking us for History of Magic now. Only if you don't turn up in five minutes the class is allowed to go back to their common rooms. Sorry for interrupting, Headmaster," she added meekly.

Binns shuffled to his feet. "As you wish, Lauren," he muttered.

"It's Lily, sir," she told him.

"Yes, of course," he said. "Lead the way, then."

The History of Magic classroom was in a state. All thoughts of work had been long discarded, so most of the students were sitting chatting, or throwing anything they could find across the room. Peter Pettigrew, a short, secretive looking boy was in a mock-fight with Sirius Black.

He scrambled onto the table, laughing raucously. "Come on, Sirius! Give me your best shot!"

Sirius appeared on a table at the other side of the room. "You're asking for it this time Pettigrew," he growled good-naturedly. He raised his wand. "Um Escagotis!" he roared. A beam of orange light spilled from his wand and blasted towards Pettigrew.

Peter dropped to the ground instantly and the spell shot overhead. She sprang to his feet and burst into more laughter. "Missed me, Sirius!" he called, glancing once at the wall behind him, which was coated in tiny snails.

Sirius groaned. "You would look good as a snail," he teased.

"I will take that as a compliment," Peter replied firmly, vaguely aware of the door opening and someone hurrying into the room.

"Well," said Sirius, shaking with mirth, "You don't look good as a human, so a snail must be an improvement!"

"Oh, you'll pay for that," he shouted, raising his wand. "Expelliarmus!" He watched in horror as Sirius jumped from view, exposing the person behind him. It was Lily, he noticed with a grimace, that pretty girl who had gone to get Binns. "Binns!" he realised, slapping his forehead. The spell hit Lily, sending her shooting backwards. She hadn't been holding a wand, so the spell tore her schoolbag off her arm and sent it shooting out if the open window behind her.

"Oops," Peter muttered, trying to ignore Sirius' roaring laughter.

Binns hovered in the doorway, frowning. "You," he spat, pointing at Peter. "And you," he said, indicating Lily. "Go outside and bring back that bag!"

"But sir," Peter protested. "I could use magic"

"You don't need magic for everything, young man. Now get outside!"

History of Magic was the last lesson before dinner, so in the grounds night was drawing on fast. Lily hurried down the steps, gazing absently towards the forbidden forest. She could hear Peter's hurried footsteps behind her.

"Sorry about that," he said frankly. "I didn't know you were there. It's Sirius, you see, he's too quick. I'll kill im when I get back to class."

Lily didn't respond. She hurried round the corner and peered up at the rows of windows. "History of Magic" she muttered.

Peter drew level with her and followed her gaze. "It's just along here," he told her. "I can see your bag from here." He hesitated. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter," she told him.

"No, it does. That bag will take a lot of fixing. Well, okay, you can fix it with a spell, but it'll never be the same. Let me make it up to you."

Lily looked at him. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Go on, you know you want to. Oh, I know, I'll get you something nice next time we go to Hogsmeade. Agreed?" He was grinning, for some unknown reason.

"But you were banned from Hogsmeade until the spring," she told him, almost with a smile. "Do I really have to wait that long?"

He laughed. "Forget it then. You're sharp, you know that? To compensate, you'll have to buy me something next time you go."

She did smile this time. He beamed at the accomplishment. "I've got a list somewhere," he said, patting his pockets theatrically. "Um I'd like a few bottles of butterbeer, simply because it is the only mildly alcoholic beverage I can get my hands on round here. Well, I say alcoholic, but butterbeer only gets to sniff the fumes of alcohol before it is whisked away again and sold to us gullible children. Honestly, there's more alcohol in a convent kitchen."

Lily laughed again. "Anything else?" she joked.

"Yeah, tons, but I can't remember it off the top of my head. I'll send you a list." He frowned suddenly. "I dunno why you wanted to go and get old Binns anyway. He makes a walk off the pier in lead boots seem surprisingly attractive in comparison."

"Here it is," Lily said. "Give me a hand," she ordered.

He stooped down to pick up a book from the grass. "Yes, Master," he laughed. He sighed. You're from a muggle family, aren't you?"

"Yes," she said warily, folding her arms. "So?"

"Just wonderingIt doesn't really matter."

"It shouldn't matter," she said, with a shaky tone of voice. She crammed all the books into the battered schoolbag briskly.

"Someone been giving you trouble?"

"No," she replied. "Well, Lucius Malfoy said a few things but I didn't let it get to me. He's all talk."

"Lucius Malfoy? He would be the obnoxious jerk in the seventh year, right? I know who you mean. He's a right laugh. He's always going on about how Lord Voldemort with crush us like ants he caught James casting a spell in the corridors once and he said that Voldemort would get him too," Peter snorted, scratching his head. "Stupid," he commented.

"Do you mean James Potter?"

"No, James Dean." He raised his eyes. "Of course James Potter. How many other James' do I hang around with? Honestly."

Lily looked at the ground, uncertainly. Why had she asked about James? He rarely even spoke to her, but she felt connected to him in some way she spotted her quill resting in the grass a few feet away, and she hurried to pick it up. She glanced over at the forest, and to her surprise saw something shimmering over it. It looked like a pattern of stars, alone in the sky. They shone in different colours. Some were green it almost resembled a face, or a skull. And it had its tongue sticking out. Was that a tongue? Peter hadn't noticed it; he was too busy rummaging around in his pocket.

"What's that?" she asked, her voice sounding weak and fragile, as she pointed over at the image in the sky.

Peter glanced at it, and as Lily watched the colour drained out of his face. "Okay, Lily, time to get back inside." He grasped her wrist and tried to pull her away.

"What are you doing? What's wrong?"

"That!" he snapped, waving his hand at the image. "Come on, let's go."

"But what is it?" she asked, pulling out of his grasp. He didn't reply. She folded her arms. "Peter, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me exactly what this is and why it frightens you!"

He looked at her anxiously. "Dumbledore was telling me about it this morning. It's called the Dark Mark. And I'm so bloody terrified of it because it's Voldemort's symbol," he snapped. "That symbol means he's very, very near. Satisfied?"

Okay, I know, it this chapter there is very little on the romance front. It'll happen, trust me. So, the only thing left to do is to thank you very much for reading. Thank You! If you have anything to say, any quibbles, comments, rants, rambles, opinions, constructive criticisms, or anything, then just write it in the box below here. It would be greatly appreciated. Cheers! (Oh, also, what do you think of the pairing of Lily and Pettigrew? A bit sick, perhaps? Tell me! Besides, I've been called sick before, I won't mind. ^_^ ) The title, if you are interested, is from a David Gray song that I like, but I won't bore you with the details.