This summer was proving to be the hottest and most exrcutiating in Lily's memory. The air around her small neighborhood was thick and humid, which left her feeling sluggish and unmotivated. The heat made spending time outside impossible, so Lily was forced to spend all her time in the small confines of her home. It would not have been the worst thing except that her sister, Petunia, was in the midst of planning her wedding to Vernon Dursley, and as such was at her most irritable. Therefore the majority of Lily's time that summer had been spent mediating arguments between her sister and mother about wedding arrangements; and today was no different.

"How can you say that to me! Don't you want this day to be perfect!?"

"Tuney, of course I want it to be perfect! But you have to be able to compromise-"

" Compromise? Compromise!? It's the wedding dress, mother! It's practically the most important part of the wedding!"

Their voices were carrying from the sitting room all the way to Lily's bedroom at the top of the stairs. Lily, who had been trying to complete some of her summer homework, closed her Transfiguration textbook and sat in silence for a moment debating whether or not she should try to intervene. The argument had started when Lily's mother had suggested that Petunia should find a more affordable wedding dress. Of course, as always, Petunia was overreacting.

"Honestly it's not as if I'm asking for much here! Vernon's father is covering most of the costs!"

"Most of the costs? Do you realize how much this wedding is costing me!?"

Just as Lily had decided it was best to keep herself out of it, there was a tap on her window. Looking up quickly she saw a small brown owl fluttering outside of her window, apparently struggling with the weight of a letter tied to it's feet. Lily got up quickly and opened her window, feeling the heavy air slap her in the face like someone's warm breath. The owl plopped itself on her bed and toppled over, lifting it's leg for her to untie the letter. It was Lily's Hogwarts letter; she could tell from the green ink. When she picked it up and felt the weight of it, she realized why the owl had been struggling.

"What the-?"

Lily excitedly slipped her finger below the seal and open the envelope, and a small metal badge fell onto her mattress. It was small, but it had a decent amount of weight to it. On the front the words "Head Girl" were engraved in a beautiful script. Lily stared at the golden pin in her hand, her heart fluttering nervously.

Just then the owl on her bed let out a loud screech, breaking Lily out of her reverie. Apparently rested, it soared over her head and out of her window. Lily looked back at the badge, frowning slightly. She hadn't given much thought to being head girl; she supposed she had been expecting someone like Marlene to receive the honor. After all, in addition to being prefect, Marlene was a Quidditch captain and a member of several clubs. That, and she was incredibly popular. People liked her, so when she doled out punishments people usually listened.

The more Lily thought about it, the more she realized that Marlene was clearly the obvious choice. Why, then, had Dumbledore chosen Lily? She felt flattered for sure, but something about it made her nervous. Perhaps Dumbledore had made a mistake.

Just then there was a knock on Lily's bedroom door. She opened it to reveal Petunia standing with her arms folded in front of her, looking very cross.

"I need you to talk sense into Mum," She said in a voice that implied she didn't expect Lily to disagree.

Lily stared at her blankly. "What does that mean?"

"You can be persuasive sometimes. Just convince her that she's being unreasonable about my dress!"

Lily felt her face heating up as she stared at her sister. The only times that Petunia ever bothered to talk to her now was when she had a snide comment to make or when she needed Lily to do something for her.

"Petunia, I'm actually busy right now."

"Busy how? You're just sitting in there," sneered Petunia. Her lips began to purse and Lily could tell she was getting ready to snap at her.

"I was actually just leaving," said Lily, and before Petunia could say another word, Lily disapparated.

It was only the third time she had done so since her test, and the feeling still left her feeling nauseous. However unpleasant the feeling was, though, it was well worth it to get away from Petunia. When Lily appeared in front of Gringotts in Diagon Alley, she smiled to herself, picturing the dumbfounded look on Petunia's face as she vanished in front of her.

Lily was still holding the letter from Hogwarts and her badge. She placed the pin inside the pocket of her shorts and consulted her school list. It was N.E.W.T. year, so she was expecting to need quite a few supplies. She was right in that regard. It looked as though she would be needing several new textbooks, potion supplies, and various other odds and ends. However, before she did any shopping she would need to exchange her muggle money at Gringotts for some galleons.

Lily turned and walked up the marble steps of the bank, looking around suspiciously. It occurred to her that Diagon Alley ws very empty that day. Typically the steps of Gringotts were crowded whenever she was there, however she passed only one other solemn looking wizard as she went inside, and he looked to be in such a rush that he brushed past her without so much as a look in her direction.

When she stepped inside her footsteps echoed loudly on the stone floor. All of the Goblins behind the counter eyed her curiously as she approached, as though expecting her to suddenly combust. There were only three other people in the cavernous room; one was an elderly wizard who was speaking to a teller at the other end of the hall. The others were being shown out of the vaults by a disgruntled looking Goblin. They were a young man and woman whom Lily recognized immediately. Evan Rosier and Clara Selwyn, both Slytherin students in Lily's year at Hogwarts. Upon realizing who they were, Lily immediately averted her gaze back toward the Goblin tellers. The last thing she wanted was to have to deal with Selwyn and Rosier.

Keeping her head low, she handed the teller her Muggle money and waited as he divied it up. Her fingers were tapping nervously on the marble counter and the Goblin who was converting her money eyed her agitatedly. Lily stopped tapping her fingers, but it was then that a sneering voice from behind her said, "Is that Saint Evans?"

Lily looked up at Rosier slowly, hopeful that if she took long enough he might disappear. He didn't, and Selwyn was next to him, grinning maliciously.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said snidely, eyeing Lily up and down as she leaned against Rosier. Then she added, "What is she wearing?"

Lily's face heated up as Rosier laughed. She had left in such a rush from her house that she hadn't bothered to put on her robes. She was wearing denim shorts and a t-shirt with the logo of a Muggle band, and Lily knew that she must look particularly ostentacious. Selwyn and Rosier were both wearing pastel colored silk robes. As Lily stood there in silence, unsure of what to say, the Goblin teller placed her money on the counter. Lily quickly pocketed the money as the others looked on giddily.

"Just exchanging your Mudblood money, Evans?"

Lily ignored him, turning on her heel and storming out of Gringotts. However, as she stepped outside, she heard their voices as they called after her. She felt her heart pounding out of anger and confusion. Why were they hounding her?

"Don't run off like that!" Rosier yelled in a voice of mock concern. He was following her as Selwyn looked on with an expression of mild exasperation.

"What?!" Lily screamed back. "What do you want?"

Rosier stopped in front of her, his dark eyes glinting. He leered over her without saying a word. Lily determinedly glared back at him, hoping the ferocity of her stare would make up for her small size. After a few seconds of silence Rosier smiled broadly, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth.

"I can see why Snape kept you around for so long," he said softly. "You're fun to play with."

Lily's face blazed bright red, and Rosier smiled with satisfaction. Then without thinking and without hesitation, Lily's hand snapped to her wand. In a split second she had it pointed straight at Rosier's chest. Rosier looked down at it with an expression of mingled surprise and amusement. But before Lily could form words, her wand was knocked out of her hand with a blast of red light. Selwyn appeared at Rosier's side looking enraged.

She stepped in front of Rosier and pointed her wand at Lily's heart, shouting,"YOU MUDBLOOD BITCH. HOW DARE YOU POINT A WAND AT HIM!"

Lily's eyes darted back and forth between Selwyn's wand to where her own wand had landed at the bottom of the steps. There was no way to reach for it. On top of that, there didn't appear to be anyone around to help her. Diagon Alley was deserted.

"Not so cocky now are you?" seethed Selwyn, staring at her with wide, wild eyes.

"Clara, put your wand down," said Rosier. Selwyn and Lily both looked at him wide eyed.

"She was going to attack you!" said Selwyn. "You just want me to let that go?"

"Don't be stupid," he said calmly. "She wasn't going to do shit. She's too far up Dumbledore's arse to break any rules."

"But-!"

"Enough," snapped Rosier. Selwyn stopped objecting, but she gave Lily a dark look that made her stomach crawl. Lily realized she was breathing very fast and she tried hard to control herself. Rosier stayed silent for a moment, eyeing her, before saying, "This isn't the time or place."

Just then, someone appeared next to Lily, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lily looked up to see that Remus Lupin was beside her, and he had his wand pointed straight at Rosier. Selwyn immediately pointed her wand at Remus, but then Peter Pettigrew appeared at his side, pointing his wand at Selwyn.

"What's going on?!" snapped Remus, looking from Selwyn to Rosier and back again.

"Ask her!" said Selwyn, glaring at Lily. " She's the one who pointed her wand at Evan."

"Right, and I'm sure that Lily was completely unprovoked as well," Remus sneered. Then, before anyone could say anything in response, Rosier held up both of his hands in surrender.

"We were just leaving, Lupin, if that's fine with you."

"Good," said Remus coldly, without lowering his wand. "So leave."

He glared at Rosier as he and Selwyn backed away slowly. Then, once they were safely out of range, Remus and Peter both lowered their wands, turning to Lily.

"What happened?" asked Peter in a highpitched voice. He seemed almost as rattled as Lily. She bent down and picked up her wand before answering, her face still red from embarrassment and fear.

" I was in Gringotts exchanging my money," she explained. "They spotted me and then started making comments. When I tried to leave, Rosier followed me, and I pulled my wand on him."

Remus stared at her with his brows furrowed concernedly. He seemed older to her somehow, and something about his expression made her feel younger.

"Lily," he said softly. "What on earth are you doing here by yourself?"

"What do you mean?" said Lily. "I came here by myself last year."

"But that was last year. Lily, haven't you been reading the Prophet?"

Lily's heart was sinking the more Remus talked. His tone was scaring her.

"No," she said. "I don't get the Prophet at home, the owls draw too much attention."

Remus and Peter exchanged dark looks with one another before turning to face Lily.

"We should go somewhere else and talk."

Lily followed Remus as he walked at a quick pace without a word. As they walked through Diagon Alley Lily noticed that a lot of shops were boarded up or else just sporting makeshift signs that read "closed until further notice". She had never seen Diagon Alley so deserted. So what had happened?

Remus and Peter ducked into a small Pub that Lily had never actually been in before. However, despite it's small size it seemed to be the only place in Diagon Alley that was actually busy. All of the seats at the bar were full, and there was a slight buzz of conversation in the air; though everyone was speaking in hushed and urgent tones. Remus slid into a table that was close to the back, and Peter slid into the seat beside him. Lily sat down last, looking at her surroundings uneasily.

"Remus, what's going on? Why is everything so deserted?"

"I can't believe you have no idea what's going on," said Peter. His beady brown eyes were wide, and he was looking at her with wonderment. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"You know about the Death Eaters, don't you Lily?" said Remus.

"Death Eaters?" repeated Lily. Immediately Snape's face swam into her mind and she felt herself shudder. "Of course I do. Do they have something to do with all this?"

"They have everything to do with this. Lily, they've gained a huge following. More and more people are joining them."

Lily stared at him, her eyes hollow. "That can't be," she said defiantly. "How can people agree with...with everything they stand for...I mean..."

" It's their leader. Remember the name?" said Remus. And he dropped his voice so low that Lily had to lean in to hear him say, "Voldemort."

"I don't understand," said Lily.

" Essentially, it means you're in a lot of danger," said Remus. He eyed her worriedly, tilting his head to get a better look at her. She could feel her face growing warmer.

"That explains why they were so persistent," she said suddenly. When Remus looked confused she said, "Selwyn and Rosier, I mean. They would have never picked a fight like that in public before. In the confines of the school, where they could corner me alone, sure. But in the middle of Diagon Alley? Even with how deserted it is here, that was bold."

"You're right," said Remus. "That's been true pretty much all around. Everyone who supports You-Know-Who is crawling out of the woodwork. They're not afraid to make it clear where their loyalties lie."

"Well, neither am I," said Lily loudly, and Remus smiled.

"You sound like James," he laughed, and Lily scowled.

"What does that mean?" she said, causing Remus and Peter to exchange looks. Their reaction only made Lily more curious. "What did you mean?"

"Well, the last time we talked to him he was adament that he was quitting school to fight You-Know-Who."

Lily's face fell immediately into a euphoric grin and she had to fight very hard to hold back her laughter. However, when Remus and Peter remained composed, her laughter caught in her throat.

"You're not serious?" She said. However, the looks on their faces told her they were very serious.

"James has kind've gone off the deep end lately," said Peter.

"Don't say that," scolded Remus. He looked worried, and Lily felt for him.

"Exactly how does he plan on fighting?" said Lily critically. "He's 17. Hasn't even finished his N.E.W.T.'s. Is he just going to wander up to the nearest Death Eater and start throwing curses? Does he even have a strategy?"

"Well sort of-" began Peter, but Remus cut him off.

"Lily, we honestly shouldn't have said anything to you. Please just drop it, okay?"

Lily opened her mouth to protest, but the look on Remus's face made her reconsider. The three of them sat in silence for a moment, each of them staring at their hands. Somehow, the news about James quitting school had Lily more worried than the news of the Death Eaters. She felt her stomach knotting the more she thought about it.

"So, they're gaining followers, but that can't be all," said Lily. She looked up at Remus, who met her gaze hesitantly.

"No, it's not. There've been a lot of deaths. Recent deaths, too. I think atleast one a week."

"Muggles," said Lily, her eyes on her hands again.

"Muggle-borns," said Peter nervously.

Lily didn't know how to react. The thing that disturbed her most about all of this was the fact that she had been so blithely unaware that all of this was happening. She had been home for only a month and already so much had changed. How could she return to Hogwarts knowing her mother and sister might be in danger?

"I don't understand why no one's told me about this," she said finally. " I mean, not even a letter from the school...my family..."

"It does seem strange," said Remus. "But honestly, I think your family should be fine, Lily. I mean, I'm not gonna say that Muggles aren't targeted, but the type of people we're dealing with, well...how do I put this?"

He eyed her hesitantly, as though he was afraid to speak. Then after a second he said, "Death Eaters believe that pureblood wizards are the only wizards. They look at Muggle-borns as...robbers of their heritage. Which is, of course, absurd. But Lily, it means that they think that you are a threat to their way of life-"

"That's ridiculous!" snapped Lily. "How can I be a threat if they're the ones-"

"I know, Lily, I know," said Remus. "But listen to me. This is the way they think. They believe Muggle-borns are threats that need to be erased. They don't see Muggles as threats, so they're not actively seeking them out. I mean, obviously they would be nasty to them if they crossed paths, but really they're more concerned with Muggle-borns. Do you understand? You don't need to worry about your family, Lily. You need to worry about yourself."

Lily sat in silence, contemplating Remus's words. She knew he was right. She knew she should be scared. Rosier and Selwyn had shown her how easy it was to be targeted. But for some reason, all she could think of was that head girl badge in her front pocket.

Dumbledore didn't make mistakes.