1-Jaw drops-

Wow. Thank you all.

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The Red Card

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Hana Yori Dango.

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Chapter One: Pranks and Retribution! This Means War!

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Emma kept her distance the rest of the day, as well as anyone else who found out about the red card. (News travels fast around Hogwarts.) I wouldn't blame her, though. Anyone who receives a red card is generally forbidden to speak with anyone without one. In doing so, the person without a red card would then receive one. (Confusing, no?)

Anyway, the day didn't finish like any other days - after Transfiguration, I had Potions with Professor Slughorn. Usually, he would greet me as a member of the Slug Club and cheer me on as I would concoct the best potions. Today, however, I suspected that one of the Marauders let it slip that I received a red card. Professor Slughorn then continued to basically ignore me for the rest of class.

After Potions - in which Professor Slughorn called my potion 'average' when I had brewed a perfect Amortentia! - I made my way to the Great Hall for dinner, feeling starved. I had barely eaten at lunch, trying to get away before the major pranking would begin. I did not want to be in the line of fire, and I most definitely didn't want to be humiliated in front of the whole school.

Too late, my conscience muttered as I opened the large mahogany doors of the Great Hall and sauntered in. I noticed evil glints in everyone's eyes, and I realized oh no! They already knew about the red card! I crept my way to a vacant seat near the doors at the Gryffindor table and waited for Professor Dumbledore's usual speech - today was about how it wasn't funny to jinx someone's eyebrows off.

All of a sudden, a raw, uncooked egg flew across the Great Hall, interrupting Professor Dumbledore, and hitting me square on the chest. I looked around to see who the culprit was, but everyone was laughing at me. I could feel a lump in my throat - Looks like the pranking has finally begun - and I tried my hardest not to cry. I looked around the Great Hall, and I noticed that two people in particular weren't laughing - Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore.

In fact, Professor Dumbledore looked quite angry.

"Silence!" He exclaimed, his baritone voice echoing along every nook and cranny of the Great Hall. "Who threw the egg?" No one spoke up - apparently the kid who was so brave as to throw the egg wasn't brave enough to stand up to Dumbledore. "I will not dismiss any of you until the culprit is found!" Whispers began to circulate around the room, and random glares were sent my way. "Silence!" He repeated, his cheeks becoming a bit flushed. "Now. Who threw that egg?"

"Sir," James Potter spoke up, standing from his chair. "Evans deserved it - not that I threw the egg, of course - because she received a red card." With that, Potter sent a death glare my way. I didn't flinch in the least. I looked back at Dumbledore, who had raised a lone eyebrow.

"Potter - detention," Dumbledore ordered. "Those red cards are tomfoolery, hogwash, and other miscellaneous muggle terms I have yet to remember." I could feel a smile on my face as I listened. "Evans - I want you in my office." With that, I felt my smile melt as the Marauders' grins grew. This only meant one thing.

Hogwarts? Say goodbye to Lily Evans. I had a wonderful time learning in you.

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Professor McGonagall escorted me to the gargoyle that protected Professor Dumbledore's office. She spoke the password (Pumpkin pasty) and she followed me up the staircase that appeared. We walked in the office, where Dumbledore sat at his desk, looking absolutely calm. I gulped - surely I wouldn't be expelled! - as I stood in front of him, holding my hands behind my back.

"Minerva, you may return to the Great Hall," Dumbledore informed Professor McGonagall. I looked at my Transfiguration teacher nervously as she nodded briskly and left the room. All alone with Dumbledore, I felt completely nervous. I had been in his office before, but never when I was in trouble. I bit my lower lip. "Miss Evans, please sit." He pointed to the crimson leather chairs in front of his desk. I sat nervously as he pulled out a small bowl of yellow candies. "Lemon drops?"

"N-no thanks, Professor," I answered.

"Oh, all right. I happen to enjoy these muggle treats," Professor Dumbledore chuckled as he popped a few in his mouth. I wanted to laugh at the pinched face he made but I remembered the situation I was in. "Anyway... About this whole red card situation..." Oh great, here it comes. "I will refuse to bow down to the Marauders."

"Wha...?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening. Did I just hear him correctly, or did he still have a few Lemon Drops in his mouth?

"This red card situation has gone on long enough, wouldn't you agree, Miss Evans?" He asked, his blue eyes sparkling. "In fact, when Mitchell Harrison left Hogwarts, I knew someone had to face those four. However, I wasn't sure just who would face up to them." He smiled. "I'm glad to see Lily Evans protected a friend from the line of fire."

I flushed, "Well, Emma didn't deserve it... That git tripped over a quill and blew up at her." He chuckled.

"I had heard just that from Miss Day earlier - she feels terribly guilty for everything, by the way - but that's not my point. I believe that you can be the one to face up to them. Break their whole system," He informed me. "True, the other students will make this quite difficult - why, the uncooked egg situation was a minuscule situation compared to what will happen."

"Of course, sir - I saw Henry Watkins in my fifth year have a Carrie-esque situation happen at the Yule Ball," I answered. At Dumbledore's confused look, I realized that he didn't know about the muggle film and book. "Er - it's a muggle film..."

"Oh - of course." He nodded, but I doubt he understood. "Anyway - I want you to fight them. Fight the Marauders, but not physically." A sly grin appeared above his snow white beard. "And I'll have you know - in my day I was just as tricky as they are now. I'll give you some tips to help you."

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Dumbledore was truly an intelligent man, I thought as I walked back to the Gryffindor common room. He had told me almost a dozen different ways to fight back. (One involved double sided tape and a muggle video camera, but Hogwarts, a History said that muggle devices wouldn't work within Hogwarts... darn.) I had a nice bounce in my step as I made my way through the crowded corridors, overhearing random people.

"There she is! I bet Dumbledore sent her away for good!"

"Why does she look so smug? She's going to be out of here by the end of the month!"

"I bet she won't last a week!"

I groaned – ah yes, the student body of Hogwarts still thought that I was expelled – and I quickly reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She gave me a pitiable smile and let me in without the password ("Oh dearie, I'll miss you so.") The Marauders were probably celebrating my expulsion! I put on my fiercest glare as I stepped in. Sure enough, almost all of the older Gryffindor students were in the common room, including the Marauders. I gave the group a glare as I noticed a flying white spherical object heading towards me.

Bracing myself, I held my Potions book in front of me, catching the egg successfully. The entire common room gasped – how did I do that? I bet they must have wondered! – as I wiped the yolk from my book. I grinned at them all and began my speech I had prepared on my way from Dumbledore's office.

"If you think you can pull the same prank on me, you're dead wrong," I exclaimed. I turned and walked over towards the Marauders, stopping right in front of Potter. I gave him a stern glare as I held up my yolk covered hand. I placed the gross material in his messy black hair and grinned, "And Potter – this means war!"

I had a stupid grin plastered on my face as I kicked the vapid waste of air in the shin and walked off to my dormitory.

Current Standing:

Lily Evans: 1, Marauders: 0

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I couldn't sleep a wink that night, so I slipped out of my dormitory, out of the common room, and towards the Astronomy Tower. Luckily, there wasn't a class there so I was able to relax and just contemplate the day's events. Did I dream about this whole thing? Nah – I had evidence to rebuke that; my poor uniform shirt was ruined with a dark yellow stain. Still… the Lily Evans that bit back at Potter just didn't sound like… well, me.

All of a sudden, I heard footsteps climb the stairs of the Astronomy Tower. Oh great, I'm going to have detention for sure I tried to back into the shadows as a lanky figure came into view. I squinted, noticing the amber colored hair and the silver prefect badge. Lupin. He must have heard my heavy breathing – I was scared to be caught out at this hour! – because he looked at me straight through the shadows.

"E… Evans?" He asked his voice barely above a whisper. "That's you, isn't it?" I paled – hopefully Lupin wouldn't try any foolish prank on me! "You can come on out – I'm not going to report you." I stepped nervously into the moonlight, noticing he had a blank expression on his face.

"Hello, Lupin," I whispered. "I bet your friends are booby-trapping my dormitory, aren't they?" I looked at him as he turned away, his face a bit pink. "It's all juvenile… I can't believe you of all people help them."

"You know… I don't really care about the whole red card thing," Lupin informed me. My eyes widened. He looked up, his eyes stern. "It's not that I like you or anything – I really don't – but I think James went too far. We haven't red carded any girl before."

"Oh…"

"And you're not making it easy on yourself. Just bow down, apologize," He instructed. "Admit you're wrong, and I think James'll remove the card." I glared at him.

"Never! That idiotic git deserved it!" I exclaimed. I couldn't believe Lupin! I had thought he was nice! "I'm not apologizing to him. This whole thing won't end until he stops with those red cards!"

Lupin grinned, and I noticed for a second that his canines were rather sharp…

"Well then, it was nice to know you, Lily Evans. Because you know, James won't ever give up."

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a/n: The Carrie reference refers to when Carrie had the bucket of blood spilled on her head – Lily's meaning that the Marauders staged a prank on Henry Watkins similar to that.

Wow – surprised that no one mentioned Hana Yori Dango in their review…

Thanks you all for reviewing!

Replies:

The Big Dance: Tee hee – James will get more likable in the next few chapters… right now all you see is Lily's whole perspective on him. He gets a chapter all on his own in… -thinks on the top of her head- two chapters. About Emma, well she's a complicated creature… (Not really) She's obsessed with not receiving a red card, so she's pretty much ignoring Lily… for now.

Opalshine: I totally agree with you – you will definitely see a smack down between Lily and James next chapter… -grins-

Cosmopolitan: Everyone seems to hate Emma! Lol, I hate her too, and she's an original character!

Thanks also to Equinimityhaydenrocks14baybe-of-da-beachSecret world