AN: So, apparently messed up the layout to one big blurb. Great. If you want to read this story in a format I know much better, I'd suggest you check out my Movellas!
Chapter 1:
The Hogwarts Express
Platform 9 3/4 seemed more crowded than usual. Everywhere was packed with people and it seemed, that this year everyone had decided that the whole family should come see the young ones off to a new year at Hogwarts. Aunts and uncles, cousins and their cousins, even the granparents. Everyone had to be there this sunny September morning. All to ensure their familie's safe departure. Because in these times you never knew which goodbye would be the last.
James Potter was, as usual, an exception. He had neither uncles or cousins with him - not that he had any. The Potters had shrunk quite a bit over the last decade or two. And with ancient parents like his, there wasn't really anything called "grandparents" anymore. No, this sixteen-year-old had to make due with his mum's company this morning (Mr Potter had work, unfortunately) and actually, he was rather fine with it.
James let a hand mess up his hair out of sheer habit, which earned him a hard slap on the wrist by the older lady by his side. "Don't make it even worse, boy!" Mrs Potter scolded heartily and James rolled his eyes.
"Like I could. Why not just embrace my fate?"
"Because it's sticking out everywhere and I can't have my only son run around with a bird nest for hair," with skilled hands Mrs Potter began to straighten out and flatten the impossible hair. "What would people think of me? My son, the only heir to the Potter estate, and I can't even control his hair? They'd laugh me out the room! I'd be a disgrace at the dinner table!"
Quickly, James avoided his mother's hands. "You're my mother! Shouldn't you love me like I am?"
"I'd love you more if you'd let me fix your hair." Mrs Potter tried to catch her son, but James avoided her easily. "Come here, child!"
"'Boy', 'child'," repeated James, while he, once again, easily avoided his mother's attempt to fix his hair. "You'd think that you'd forgotten my name, woman!"
"Of course I haven't, Sirius," Mrs Potter answered.
James made a face. "Ha, ha." He gave up the fight to let Mrs Potter catch him, but instead of trying to flatten his hair when she did, the elderly woman surprised James by instead wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. Carefully, James patted his mother's back. "Hey, Mum, are you alright?"
Mrs Potter sighed and, after a moment, let go of her son. "Just be careful this year, understand? Don't do anything too reckless."
James grinned. "Me? Reckless? Never."
The older woman laughed and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "I'm serious, James. And that goes for the others as well; Sirius, Remus, Peter. Watch out for each other, all right? You hear such awful things, lately."
James gave his mother a reassuring smile. "Don't worry too much, Mum. We're at Hogwarts. There's no place safer. Really, I should be the one worrying. You and dad are far more at risk here than we are at Hogwarts, you know."
Mrs Potter sighed. "I suppose you're right."
James grinned wider. "I usually am."
"Oi!" Someone yelled out behind them and both Mrs Potter and James turned to see a tan Sirius Black walking towards them, Peter and Remus arriving through the wall behind him as well. Sirius walked up to them and sent Mrs Potter a cocky smile. "Missed me, Elaine?"
Mrs Potter shook her head at him, laughing lightly. "Since you disappeared to find Remus and Peter ten minutes ago?" She asked as the two mentioned caught up to them. "How have you been, boys?"
"Good, Mrs Potter," Remus and Peter answered.
"Thank you for letting us stay with James over the summer," Remus added politely. The thin teenage boy with the light brown hair had hit another growth spurt over the summer and was now taller than all the other three Marauders. The long days spend at the beach by the Potters' vacation home or in their backyard had exchanges the boy's usual pale composure with a more suiting tan. "It was great."
"Any time, dear," Mrs Potter said heartily. "Now that Sirius is staying with us permanently, it's nice to have the two of you over to keep them from too much trouble when I can't. I won't dare say that any of the two of them are especially responsible young men. It's only nice that you and Peter are with them, so they don't do anything too careless."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mrs Potter," said Sirius, casually leaning up against the trolley with his luggage. "I am incredibly responsible. I think Remus here is keeping you in the dark, actually. He clearly hasn't told you about all the times iI've had to stop Peter from jumping in the lake from the watch tower to impress the grocer's daughter."
"Hey!" Objected Peter, a blond boy, considerably shorter than the others but with the same tan.. "That was you!"
"Oh, right," said Sirius, looking very pleased with himself. "It was. It also worked." He added, earning a smack in the back of his head from James.
"Git," said James. "Stop bragging about birds to my mum." Sirius laughed.
Mrs Potter was smiling at them. "I going repeat what I just told James; be careful, boys. Try to act somewhat responsibly this year, understood?"
"Yes, Mrs Potter," Remus, Peter and Sirius chimed. "I'll try to keep Pettigrew from the ladies," Sirius added. "Though I'm not sure I can keep the ladies from him." This time it was Peter trying to hit him, but Sirius avoided it. "Quidditch reflexes, Petey. I'm just too fast. Ow, bloody hell!" Sirius exclaimed when his comment quickly rewarded him punches from all three Marauders, while Mrs Potter watched amused. Then the whistle sounded and the four boys hurriedly got themselves and their belongings on board the Hogwarts Express.
They quickly found an empty compartment and James stuck his head out of the open window to wave goodbye to his mother, who was now standing by herself on the platform, with what James suspected were tears in her eyes. "Come on, Mum, I'll write you!" He assured the elderly woman. "Every week!"
"I'll write you every day, Mrs Potter," said Sirius, who had also stuck his head out the window now and James easily pushed him back, laughing, before returning inside as well. Back on the platform Mrs Potter still had tears in her eyes, but now a smile as well, as she waved her son goodbye until he disappeared into the distance along with the rest of the students on the train.
William couldn't concentrate on his book. Usually, lack of concentration rarely was a problem he would run into. He'd always been a very collected person, but today his mind seemed to wander of to places he'd rather they not. He let the book lie with its worn down back upwards on the seat beside him and decided to instead focus on his girlfriend, who was currently lying in his arms.
Mira Silencia - tall and slim, with long blonde hair and a gorgeous face with high cheekbones - was lying with her eyes closed and her head resting in William's lap. Her long legs were taking up the rest of the seat. One would think she was asleep. William, of course, knew better than that. He also knew to still not to 'wake' her, anyways. With light irritation towards himself and his lack of selv-restraint, he picked up his book and tried yet again to concentrate on Eldred Worple and his life amongst the vampires, when there was a knock on the door to their compartment. Annoyed by the interruption, William lifted his gaze from the book once again and let it rest on the new arrival.
"Yes?" said Mira, annoyed. Her eyes were still closed but William suspected she might've opened them to catch a glimpse of their guest before closing them again. "We're busy." She hadn't moved from her lying position in Williams lap.
"Mulciber wants to talk to us," said Avery, a slim Slytherin that seemingly seemed like a calm and sensible sixth year, but William knew that there were a more sadistic side to the boy. He hadn't stepped fully into the compartment, only opened the door to deliver the message. "Says it's important."
William sighed, annoyed. Since Mulciber had been chosen as the official link between them and Malfoy, the decision had gone a bit to the boy's head. To William, Mulciber had a task that a common barn owl could do just as well, but the sixth year clearly didn't see it the same way.
Mira protested when William gestured to standing up and opened her eyes to look at her boyfriend. "Is it really necessary? These meetings are getting more and more common. You know just as well as I do that Mulciber thinks everything is deadly important these days, just as he thinks himself so important all of a sudden." William glanced a bit curiously at Avery to see whether or not he would speak up for his class mate, but William couldn't read any discomfort or annoyance on the pale boys face.
"Unfortunately, yes," answered William in a bored voice and got up. He brushed the folds out of his clothing - him and Mira both had already changed into their Hogwarts robes - while he turned around to offer a hand up to his girlfriend. Finally, Avery looked like he was going to object - it seemed that Mira might not've been welcome at this meeting - but the blonde girl just raised a shapely eyebrow threatheningly at the younger boy, before she defiantly accepted Williams hand and got to her feet. On the way, Mira's skirt rode up, exposing her thigh and suddenly Avery had other things to think about. William bid notice in the other boy's hungry stare. The elder Slytherin kept his indifferent attitude, but made sure to knock Avery rather violently into the door frame on his way out of the compartment, Mira right behind him.
A group of Slytherins had taken hold of an open compartment of the train. Everyone looked up as William, Mira and Avery stepped inside, past the two brawny guys whom William suspected were set up as "guards". Mulciber followed them with his eyes while the couple found two empty seats across from the other Slytherin. Mira casually rest her head on William's shoulder and he put an arm around her.
William glanced around the room, taken note of the students present. They were all, of course, Slytherins. There were potential supporters from the other Hogwarts Houses as well, but the main meeting were kept exclusive for the Snakes. Just to be safe. William noticed the usual's present. Gudgeon, Rosier, Wilkes. Two younger students, fourth years probably, he recognized as Regulus Black and Crouch Jr., both new. The Nott Twins were present as well - their father's trip to Azkaban had probably tipped them over. Severus Snape was there as well; William new Mulciber had been very determined on getting this boy on board, and for some reason he now seemed to have succeeded.
All in all it was a pleasant turn-up. William would almost have been impressed by Mulciber's work, if it wasn't already clearly written on the sixth year's face, that he had enough pride of this for the both of them.
"So?" Eleanor Nott finally asked, when everyone had found a seat (it seemed that Avery, as well as Rosier and Wilkes, preferred standing). Her fingernails drummed an impatient rythm on the dark wood of her seat. She sat with her legs crossed beside her brother, Theodore. They, too, had changed into their robes. "What was the news that seemed so important?"
"Avery made it sound as if you'd found the cure to dragon pox," Theodore supplied.
Mulciber leaned forward in his seat, his hands resting in his lap, before he said solemnly; "The Dark Lord has made a decision. It is time."
The compartment was quiet for a moment. Then;
"You know," said Gudgeon, "I'm sure that that would've made much more of an impact, if any of us knew what the hell you're talking about, Mulciber." Theodore Nott barked a laugh at this, and a corner of Williams mouth dragged upwards in a small smile as well.
"Shut the fuck up, Gudgeon," said Rosier aggressively and Gudgeon raised an eyebrow at him. "This is serious."
"That's a little hard to know with Mulciber trying to be dramatic and all," said Theodore and leaned back into his seat. Beside him, his sister was now smiling as well.
"Can we move on, please?" interrupted Snape, to Williams surprise. The boy looked awful; the dark greasy hair hund like heavy curtains, hiding most of his face, though not the dark circles underneath his eyes. "I don't care for all this useless chatter."
Wilkes snorted from his place near the door. "Eager to get back to Evans, huh, Snape?"
Rosier gave Snape a look mixed between surprise and mild disgust. "Mudblood Evans?" he asked and William could feel Mira move in his arms, suddenly uneasy. Rosier looked from Snape to Wilkes. "What the hell does that mean?"
"Really?" asked Theodore, grinning. "You don't know?"
"Shut up," Snape sneered, but Theodore just laughed, unaffected.
"Snape has something for the little ginger," said Nott. "He holds her close in his little Slytherin heart." To emphasize his point, Theodore dramatically placed one hand on his chest, the other over his forehead while pretending to swoon, all while his sister beside him was rolling her eyes. On their seats behind Mulciber and Snape, Crouch Jr was sniggering and Black seemed to be trying to suppress a smile as well.
Rosier, however, did not seem to find anything about the situation amusing. "You're kidding," he said, disbelief clear in his voice and his face now clearly expressing his disgust. He looked at Snape. "She's a dirty little mudblood, what the fuck is the matter with you?!" In his seat in the corner, Snape looked like he very much wished he'd never spoken. Behind him, Crouch was now sniggering loudly without trying to hide it. Rosier turned to Avery: "What, you'd want to have a go at Evans, maybe?!"
"You know," William interrupted casually and the others looked at him. "I don't know if that's a fair question to ask. As long as she has a pulse, I believe Paul would hump just about anyone," he continued and both Crouch, Black and Nott emitted in obvious laghter, Avery's face unreadable. Rosier was still not laughing;
"How about you, then, Rowle?" he asked, looking at William now. "You'd shag Evans?"
"Of course not," answered William, relaxed. "Don't be disgusting. Why do you even care, Rosier?"
"He does seem quite determined to find out who'd do Evans," Wilkes agreed. "Why is that?"
Rosier sent them both a dirty look. "If you think-"
"As thrilling as this topic is," Eleanor suddenly interrupted and everyone's eyes were suddenly on the darkhaired seventh year, who now was looking incredibly bored. "And really; absolutely thrilling to hear what kind of dirt you guys will and won't hump - can we get back to the reason we're here?"
"Yeah," Theodore added and looked at Mulciber. "What did you mean by 'it is time', Mulciber?"
Mulciber, who had said nothing while the previous conversation had escalated, now cleared his throat before continuing; "I've news from the Dark Lord-"
"You mean news from Malfoy," interrupted Gudgeon casually and Crouch's low sniggering could be heard yet again from behind Mulciber, who sent Davey a restrained look, obviously pushing his frustration with the older boy back.
"Yes," Mulciber said, not in the mood to discuss. "From Malfoy. The Dark Lord is ready to start recruiting students at Hogwarts."
"Start recruiting? I thought that was what had been going on all along?" Asked Eleanor and her brother nodded. "Isn't that what you've been doing the past year, Nick? Recruiting?"
Mulciber shook his head. "I've been discussing possible followers. Nothing official. Not until now."
"'Nothing official'?" Interrupted Wilkes. "Does that mean none of us official are a part of- of, uh, this?" He asked, gestuuring to the group they were sitting in with confusion written all over his face.
"None of us are officially anything yet, no," said Mulciber.
"And what about you?" Asked Rosier and Mulciber shook his head yet again. "What the hell does that mean?!"Added Rosier. "What do we do to make it official?"
"He would probably get to that," answered Gdgeon, annoyed, "If you could just shut up for a moment."
"Gudgeon, if you think-"
"Stop," interrupted Avery, and Rosier sent him an annoyed look. "This is important," Avery continued. "The Dark Lord has a plan."
"A plan?" Asked Theodore and Mulciber nodded.
"Yes. For all of us. We have to prove our trust to Him. Our belief in his goal. Our skills." Mulciber told them. "He has plans for all of us. Tasks for us to complete before we can officially be accepted. Before we complete these, we're children. Useless to him. But when we have fulfilled the requirements, to the satisfaction that is needed, we'll be able to call ourselves what we all wish to. Death Eaters."
A heavy silence filled the train compartment, while Mulciber's words sunk in. William could feel Miras eyes on him, dark and serious, but he did not meet her stare. Then, the Nott Twins looked at each other. They both stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before a nasty smile spread on their lips. Eleanor then leaned forward in her seat and raised her eyebrows; "What shall we do, then?"
The Welcoming Feast were reaching a close. All around them, students from every House seemed to be stuffed and ready for bed. James sat at the Gryffindors' table in the Great Hall, still recovering from the great meal he'd just consumed, along with the other Marauders. The feast had played out as it had every other year, to James' surprise. Because after Professor McGonagall had to be the one giving the welcoming speech - Dumbledore had been noticeably abscent - James had expected that... something, would happen. In all of James' five previous years at Hogwarts, the Headmaster had not missed but one welcoming feast. Not until tonight.
"Moony, can't you get some of the new Prefects to follow the firsties up to their dormitories, already? I need to get to bed. I swear, I'm about to explode," said Sirius As to prove his point, the words were followed suddenly by a loud burp. Disgusted, James pushed Sirius away from him, mumbling "Pig," and Sirius laughed.
"We were told at the meating that Dumbledore had some speciel message after the feast and that we should wait for that," answered Remus. "It sounded serious."
"Serious, schmerious, it's already been ages. If he doesn't hurry it up already, I swear on Merlin's saggy-"
James interrupted him, "Would you shut it with the complaining?"
Sirius raised his hands in a defensive stand. "Relax. Who's got your knickers in a twist?"
"Fuck off, will you," Sirius laughed. Just then the door at the teachers' longtable opened and Dumbledore emerged through it, his midnight blue robes fluttering behind him as he made his way up to Professor McGonagall with an air of... anger, around him.
"What's going on, you think?" Peter asked the others, nervously.
The sixth year needn't wait long for an answer though, as Dumbledore only spoke briefly with the other professor before continuing towards his seat and turning towards the rest of the Great Hall. The other students quickly noticed their headmaster's grave expression and the hall quickly quieted down.
"Students at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore, his serious demeanor echoing through his voice. "These are dangerous times. The Wizarding community has never been a simple place. Magic is a complicated art and there are many aspects of our abilities, that we have yet to figure out completely. It is, however, not magic in itself that we should fear. It is the people that take advantage of the power it gives us.
"In 1970 we were first made completely aware of the changes that was ahead of os. A new time. A dangerous time. You all, of course, know why. Voldemort,"a few students gasped, but Dumbledore continued, "Has threatened our world, by threatening other witches and wizards. Muggleborns and half bloods. Even though these people are strong on their own - nothing in their blood has ever, or will ever, limit their abilities - they are still in need of our help. Nobody should march to war alone. And war, that is what is coming."
Around the hall a scared and nervous chatter erupted, students whispering the possible meaning of these words to each other. The teachers were looking gravely at each other. James noticed that Professor McGonagall's lips were pressed to a thin line. She didn't seem to be scared or angry like the other professors; she seemed angry.
Dumbledore waited patiently for the students to calm down once again and when they did, he slowly continued. "Yesterday morning bright young witches and wizards from all around the globe, students, much like you, were ready to depart from their beloved to travel to their schools. But instead of starting a new school year, they instead all got a letter. By owl, 717 students got a letter from their respective schools, informing them that they were no longer welcome at the place, they before had called their home nine months a year. It saddens me deeply to see, that so many students believe that the best way to protect their students and teachers, was to bow down and exclude the most vulnerable of them.
"Many other schools everywhere are chocked. A decision like this has never been heard of before. The Ministry," Professor Dumbledore's face changed for a slightly more bitter expression, "Seems to believe that it is the schools' right to expel these students, if they feel they are protecting the masses. Therefore, schools all over the world has decided, that it is our obligation to help these students in need and give them a new home, a place of learning. Hogwarts can proudly say to be one of these schools. That is why I will now ask you all to welcome the previous students of the scandinavian Cathedral School for Bright young Witches and Wizards. I will ask that you all accept these students as heartily as you do our first years every year, for these students are just as much part of our Hogwarts family as they are. Let us make sure, that despite their troubles, these young people will have a year more magical than ever. Welcome, new students, at Hogwarts!"
Dumbledore sat back down in his seat and the moment he did so, the huge doors of the Great Hall opened and a group of what James suspected were about 30 students stepped inside, admiring the enchanted ceiling. There were students of all ages, from ickle firsties to seventh years. They were all dressed in black Hogwarts robes and looked incredibly... worn out. Only the youngest seemed to really notice the hundreds of pairs of eyes on them and was blushing while walking nervously towards the teachers hightable, where the stool used by the first years before the feast were still present. McGonagall had stepped forward and was now standing with the Sorting Hat in one hand and a list in the other. James turned quickly towards the other Marauders, their faces expressing the same amount of chock, that he was feeling himself. "Expelled? They shouldn't be able to do that! How the hell could the Ministry allow this?!"
Remus shook his head in disbelief. "They can't. Or shouldn't, at least. It can't be legal to kick students out merely because of their blood."
"There must be some kind of loophole that allows it," said Sirius. The dark haired boy was wearing an expression of disgust. "The Ministry is just as scared of this Voldemort-fellow and his followers as the schools are. It sure as hell ain't going to be them stopping him."
"But it's their job!" James exclaimed angrily and pushed his dinner plate away.
Sirius shrugged. "What do you want them to do? Force the schools to take back their students? If I were one of them, you could give me a thousand galleons and there was still no fucking way I'd be going back to a school that turned around and bend over backwards for that pompous git."
"Sirius!" Peter sputtered horrified. Sirius looked at him and then rolled his eyes.
"What? Oh, come off it, it's not like he can hear me, Pete." Peter seemed to not find this satisfactory and was about to protest, but Sirius had already turned his attention back towards the other Marauders. "So, what do we do, then?"
"Well, for starters, I'd say we should make sure that Hogwarts gives a very warm welcome, as Dumbledore said," Remus said. "These students have probably been through enough right now, as it is. You can do that, right?"
Sirius and James looked at each other, nodding. "That can be arranged," said James.
Lily Evans was angry. No, more than so; she was infuriated.
After Dumbledore's speech, the Sorting of the new students had started. They'd been standing in a long row from the entrance and up towards the teachers, while they quietly waited to be called forward. It had been a strange sight for the older Hogwarts students, who wasn't used to anyone other than first years to be sorted, to now watch as sixteen-year-olds sat down on the stool and have Professor McGonagall place the hat on their heads.
It had at least warmed Lily's heart to see the surprise in the first student to be sorted eyes, when the Ravenclaw table suddenly erupted in celebration as "Andresen, Sofia" was placed in their house. It seemed that after that, an unofficial competition between the Hogwarts houses had been kicked off. Every table wanted to be the ones celebrating their new peers the loudest. Teachers had to run around and desperately putting out the small fires that the fireworks students set off, would start. Professor McGonagall had to personally bewitch a giant konfetti lion that had suddenly errupted from the Marauders' end of the table, when it had tried to eat a bunch of Slytherins who had boo'ed as "Storström, Adam" had been sorted to Hufflepuff. Lily had thought she saw the strict teacher crack a smile, however, when the beast spit out Barty Crouch Jr and his friends, and they all had the same color as the sprinkles on funfetti cake.
Dumbledore finally had announced that it was time for sleep, the white haired professor looked almost a bit proud. Lily suspected that he might've been afraid of a less welcoming sorting.
It had been quietly noted by most students at the Gryffindor table, that none of their new mates had been sorted to Slytherin.
However, as the excitement of the festivities had worn off and Lily looked in the mirror, standing barefoot and brushing her dark red hair, the feeling of... unfairness, had returned.
317 students had been chased out of their schools. At least a dusin schools around the globe had rejected their own students and succumbed to Voldemort's demands. If they hadn't had Dumbledore, would Hogwarts have been one of them? Would Lily and her friends be the ones thrown out in the rain with nowhere to go? Would she and all other mugglerborns someday have to give up their lives as witches and wizards, all because of this one man's insane ideology? Would it be soon?
"Lily," a soft voice said and a hand was gently placed on Lily's own, which had gripped the brush so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Lily loosened her grip and looked up at the friend in front of her. Marlene McKinnon's long blonde hair hand prettily down her back and framed her face nicely, enhancing the light blue eyes that right now were filled with worry and resting on Lily. "Are you alright?"
The redhead turned back towards the mirror and continued brushing her hair, a bit rougher than necessary. "I'm angry," she announced. "Livid, actually."
"I see that," said Marlene and stepped back a bit, so that she could rest her weight against the edge of her four-poster. "I suppose I know what it's about?"
Lily sighed and finally put the brush down. She looked at her reflection; the girl in the mirror was of average height, slim and her green eyes had a fire in them, burning bright. Her hair was everywhere; the violent brushing had made her hair electric. Lily sighed and put her hair up in a ponytail, while continuing; "I just can't understand how this can be allowed. I mean, if they allow schools to do this, then the possibilities for the rest of the world are endless!"
She turned to look at Marlene. The other girl was hugging herself while she slowly shrugged. Lily continued; "Marlene, we'll end up in a community that exclude us from everything. If schools are allowed to throw out muggleborns, simply because of our heritage, then it won't be long until the employers get the same idea. And then the hospitals. Merlin, Sankt Mungos will cose their doors for muggleborns - halfbloods, too - and then where will we go? We're going to war and we'll need hospitals more than ever! I don't want to stand outside a closed door while my friends are killed, not being able to do anything because I've been labeled as an outcast scum, who doesn't deserve basic human rights anymore!"
Tears were shining in Lily's eyes, making her vision blurry, and she turned away from Marlene. "I don't want to give up on this world, Marlene. I'm a witch. Magic is a part of me."
Slowly, Marlene got to her feet and went up behind Lily. Calmly, she wrapped her arms around her friend and let her head rest on the redhead's shoulder. "The magical world doesn't want to give up on you, either," she said. "Lily, do you know how huge a part of the magical society the muggleborns and halfbloods are? It's quite a chunk. Do you know how many pureblood families there are? There's this guy who wrote a book about it, the Sacred Twenty-eight. Twenty-eight! You can't create a society with only pureblood families, the mere idea is ridiculous and a lot of people think that. We need you just as much as you need us. You need to stay strong, Lily. We'll have to fight this."
Lily took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right, Marlene." She turned around to face her friend and send her a smile. "Thanks,"
Marlene gave her an even bigger smile in return. "No problem. We'll have to be there for each other." She turned around and walked back towards her bed and when she reached it, Marlene let herself fall back onto the soft mattress, her blonde hair spreading out on the pillow.
Lily went over to her own four-poster and sat down. "We'll have to be there for the new students, as well."
Marlene looked at her with with sad eyes. "Can you believe the group of Slytherins that started boo-ing?"
Lily nodded. "The only time I genuinely appreciated the Marauders' rule-breaking.!
"Really?" Marlene grinned. "I'm pretty sure I saw you cheering along in the crowd back in May, when they got Peeves stuck in his own booby trap, though."
Lily protested; "I didn't cheer!" Marlene gave her an overbearing look and the redhead threw a pillow at her, which the other girl avoided, laughing.
"You have to admit," said Marlene, "That it was pretty impressive."
"Fine," Lily sighed, turning around and started drawing the curtains of her bed. "But only because I still cannot wrap my head around why Peeves didn't just, you know, phase through it. Merlin's sake, he's a ghost!"
"Poltergeist," Marlene corrected and had to laughingly avoid another pillow flying at her. "But yeah, you're right. That must've been some advanced magic. You think Remus cast it?"
Lily shook her head. "James."
Marlene lifted her blonde eyebrows. "Really?"
Lily rolled her eyes. "You've been taught alongside him for five years, Marlene. Obviously, you must know he's talented."
"Oh, I don't know it that's fair, Lily, I don't stare at him quite as much as you do."
"Give me my pillows back, I don't have anyones left to throw at you!"
"Forget it. I'm sleeping like a queen tonight."
"Brat." Marlene laughed.
That night, after the rest of the sixth year girls had gone to bed as well and all the curtains on the four-posters were drawn, the lights turned off, Lily lay awake. No, she didn't want to cry any more. Tears wouldn't get her anywhere, really. Instead she'd be angry. Furious. She'd yell and scream and damn it, she'd fight to make sure that all her fears for muggleborns in this society, would never come true. It felt like yesterday she'd gotten her Hogwarts letter and a new world had opened up in front of her - a world filled with magic and endless possibilities for a life, that most could only dream of. No, Lily could never give up on magic. Even if it'd cost her life in the end, she'd fight. If not for herself, then for the 317 students who got rejected. If not for herself, then for all the muggleborn children out in the world, who'd otherwise never get their letter.
