Chapter 3

Back to School

Thanks once again to my Beta Hurricanhairandemeraldeyes.

Somewhere between London's overcrowded streets and the Scottish countryside the gleaming red engine huffed and puffed its way towards Hogwarts . In the second to last carriage sat a mismatched pair of twelve years olds, one with a sallow complexion, black eyes that were obscured by a greasy mane of hair that was in desperate need of cutting, and a sour expression. The other was the light to his shadow, a small girl with fair skin, vibrant red hair and a sunny disposition.

"How was the rest of your summer Sev?" she asked putting aside the book she had been reading to while away the hours.

"Same as always Lily, you know how my parents are Always fighting," he turned his face away from hers to stare at the out the window gazing unseeingly at the passing countryside, not wishing to see her pity.

"Well next time come around more. You could have come hung out with Kathy and I."

"I don't think Kathy and her brother like me that much, I didn't want to intrude," his scowl deepened as he spat out the name of her other friends.

"You, intrude? Never, Sev, you're my best friend."

"You sure that isn't Kathy? Or…. or Chris?" he blustered.

"Jealous Sev?" she chided him. "I don't see them for ten months of the year how close can we be? Don't worry you'll always be the best."

"Alright," he looked her way again and gave a small smile, finally conceding the point.

"Shall we be study buddies again this year?" she asked him.

"Yeah," for some reason that she couldn't discern he sounded anxious. "I don't think I'll be able to meet you as much this year though, the others kept making... comments last year."

"What kind of comments Sev?"

"Oh, the usual, you know, 'why are you hanging around her?' 'You can't be friends with a Mu-" his eyes shifted to hers and he caught himself. "Muggleborn a..and a Gryffindor," he said, he swallowed a little anxiously.

"Oh I see, I don't really understand the rivalry," she admitted. "They say the same stuff in Gryffindor, but I don't care, you're more important to me than they are!"

"The guys really take it out on me when I come and see you, that's all. It's not that I don't want to."

"Oh….Th,,,That's okay Sev," Lily said a little sadly. She picked up her book and turned sideways on the seat leaning against the wall and drawing her legs up to her chest.

"How about we make it Fridays after tea?" he offered by way of conciliation.

"Sure that sounds fine Sev." Lily shrugged one shoulder and opened her book. She thought it would have been nice to spend more time with him but she couldn't ask him to give up the new friendships he was forming either at least she would have something to look forward to at the end of each week. With a sigh she began to read.

Further up the train four boys sat in carriage discussing plans for the year. The first and most important thing, (in fact the only thing on the list thus far) was for them to orchestrate a brilliant prank for the Welcoming Feast.

"I think we should charm the food to disappear off the cutlery whenever anyone goes to eat," Remus suggested.

"Are you kidding, the food is the best bit!" Peter threw his hands in the air in horror, vetoing the idea outright.

"How about we charm Dumbledore to sing the welcome speech," James counter-proposed.

"Achievable, simple yet effective," said Sirius with a nod.

"Surely, Dumbledore will know the counter curse to Cantis," Remus said, and his two black haired counterparts deflated upon hearing his reasoning.

"Yeah but he likes a good joke so he might just let it slide."

"I found an interesting potions book in the library at home, we should look in there," James offered. "It's full of prank potions. Mum and Dad may not know that I have it." he continued with a smirk.

"Yeah but one we can't exactly whip up a potion on the train can we? And two, to do that we need to add it to everyone's food, and as we don't know where the kitchens are….. "

"Yet," Peter interrupted Remus, as the boys had promised each other that finding the kitchen would be the top priority for this year.

James nodded in agreement and took over the conversation "Right you are Pete, as we don't know where the kitchens are, yet, that will have be another time, though I am thinking we could manage it with an exploding cauldron incident in Potions, right over the top of Snivellus and Evans."

"Ok so we are settled then Cantis on Dumbledore at the feast and we head up to the dorm to see if we can find a good potion to make."

"Agreed!" the boys all nodded. Any further discussions was interrupted as they heard the witch with the sweets trolley rattle the door and hands were hastily shoved into pockets to look for change.

"Anything off the trolley dears?" the grey haired witch asked, as she passed by the compartment.

"Oh yes please!" Lily jumped up from her seat. "Did you want anything Sev?"

Severus looked up from his book with a small smile, "No thanks Petal."

"Um, could I have a dozen chocolate frogs and a cauldron cake and 3 liquorice wands please?" The older witch nodded and handed Lily the candy in exchange for a few sickles. Lily then made her way back to her seat, her arms slightly overflowing with treats.

"That's a lot of frogs Lily," Severus noted.

"Well I like chocolate and it's a long time till we come home for Christmas." Lily lied smoothly, This was the first secret she would keep from Severus, as Lily just didn't know how to tell him that she was buying chocolate frogs to make a werewolf feel better after a full moon, especially given who that werewolf's friends were.

The hours passed quickly as the two friends alternated between chatting and reading. Soon Lily was standing to pull her robes out of her trunk and throw them on, by the time she was ready to sit down again the train was pulling into the station.

"Firs' years Firs' years this way," Hagrid called over the crowd of bustling students that were clambering out of the train, before catching sight of Lily.

"Ello, Lily how was yer summer?"

"It was good Hagrid, I'll come by for a visit on Saturday if that's ok?"

"Be good to see yer," he smiled widely. "Alright Firs' years, come this way," Hagrid then turned his attention to the group of children in front of him, "Alright Firs' years, come this way."

"Why do you go down and have tea with him Lily? You could be spending that time with me," Severus questioned.

"I don't know, I guess I like Hagrid's company and he listens to my problems. Oh! And when I did detention with him, I saw unicorns!"

Severus' head whipped around to stare at her with wide eyes, when had Lily had a detention! Why hadn't she told him? She told him everything didn't she?

"Wait, you had detention? When did that happen? What for?" Severus said, his body on edge as he awaited for her response, his mind suddenly recalling a night when he was caught out of bed.

"Being out after curfew. I got a note that said to meet someone on the astronomy tower, so I went. However I soon realised that it was a joke designed to get me in trouble, and I decided to go back to the common room. But something bad happened apparently and someone got hurt so I got called into see Professor Dumbledore. I admitted where I was and got detention."

As they walked over to the carriages, Severus shoulders relaxed as he realised that Lily wasn't aware of his role in that debacle.

The pair split up as they entered the Great Hall. Lily once again marvelling at the starlit ceiling and floating candles as she made her way to the Gryffindor table, before sliding into a vacant spot next to Fabian. Lily looked around and noted that all the other second years were sitting together and she desperately wished she could be included.

"Well Squirt looks like this is becoming an annual tradition." She was about to open her mouth to respond but was distracted when a dusty voice cut through the Hall. All the students paused their conversations and turned their attention to the front of the room.

Gryffindors are brave, of that there is no doubt.

They are boisterous and bold and love to gad about

Ravenclaws are wise, knowledge they possess

But tolerance a trait that they never do profess

Hufflepuffs loyalty is the virtue we celebrate

But what of their hard toil and ability to be a mate

Slytherins are ambitious and like to push the bar

They will use any means and so they will go far.

I sit and wonder through the year if the Founders got it right

Should we divide you all, or bind you together tight.

Out in the world you will see dangers left and right

Divided at the start won't help you win the fight

Needless to say the time has come to pop me on your head.

Let's get this sorting over then you'll all be sent to bed.

"Interesting song this year," commented Doc from across the table.

"What did it mean though?" Lily asked.

"Not sure, maybe it's a warning? As in we all need to try to get along?"

"But why?"

Doc hesitated for a moment, before reaching a decision. His eyes hardened, as his face turned to stare directly at Lily.

"Did you get the paper over the summer?"

"Well Dad gets the Daily News."

"Not that rubbish" he waved a hand dismissively, "I mean the Prophet, the wizarding newspaper?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Well some odd things have been happening in our world. It might not be anything to worry about, but then again it might be. A fellow, who works in the Werewolf Registration Office, went missing as did a few Ministry supporters of Muggleborn rights. One woman, who worked as a healer at St Mungos and specialised in looking after Muggles who have been accidentally affected by magic hasn't been seen in months. So maybe the hat is saying we should look out for each other and not worry so much about what house people are in."

"Oh," she frowned. Maybe the magical world wasn't as safe as she had presumed it to be.

"It might not mean anything but it's still worth keeping an eye on. In any case," Doc extended his index finger towards the first years gathered at the front of the hall, "we are missing the sorting!"

The two then returned their attention to the front of the room in time to see the last students sorted. Soon after, Lily turned to the boy sitting next to her as the plates in front of them filled with food and they began serving themselves.

"How was your summer Fabian?" Lily asked shyly.

"We had a blast teaching our nephew how to fly. Molly is going to have another sprogget so we tried to keep our Bill out of the way."

"Molly's your sister?"

"Yes indeed, married to Arthur Weasley. They have Bill is nearly two and another on the way."

"Can you fly a broom that young? Is that even safe?"

"Yeah they have special training brooms, which only go a foot or two off the ground." He stared off into space and smiled as if fondly recalling a memory. "Bill's a natural, he'll be Quidditch captain without a doubt."

"A bit early to be making that call isn't it?" Lily laughed.

"Well, I think you're wrong," Gideon leant across the table to grab a drumstick and used it to point at his brother. "I bet our William, will be Head boy, not Quidditch captain, he likes books far too much." He shook his head in faux-disappointment.

"Alright you're on," said Fabian. "Standard bet, 1 sickle?"

"Done," his brother gave a satisfied smirk and bit into his chicken.

"You two will surely have forgotten by the time he gets to school," Lily said.

"Don't count on it," Doc chuckled from the other side of the table. "These two made a bet before Gideon hopped on the train in first year over who would have a girlfriend first, and we are still waiting on the outcome. I think they must keep a book of the bets they've made somewhere."

"So I never asked last year, but Fabian you're in third year? Doc and Gideon you're in fourth year?"

"Nah, You're right about Fabe, I'm in Fourth and Gid is in Fifth, the O.W.L year."

"What are O.W.L's?"

"Ordinary Wizarding Levels, horrid tests they are." Lily was about to ask another question but Dumbledore stood up and the hall immediately quietened down.

"Well looks like the feast is over," Doc whispered before smiling and turning to face the Headmaster. A pale blue spell flew through the air in the Dumbledore's direction he nonchalantly waved a hand and it dissipated into nothingness.

"After that sumptuous supper I have a few start of term notices. I wish to advise our new students that the forbidden forest is precisely that forbidden. Our caretaker Apollyon Pringle will retire at the end of this year for reasons of poor health. I would like you all to welcome Mr Argus Filch, our trainee caretaker, and Professor Patsy Esquire who will be our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." He paused to allow for the smattering of polite applause. "And now off to bed, pip pip."

The prefects called out for the first years to follow them as they led the way out of the hall.

"Oi, Longbottom!" Gideon called out. A tall boy with dark hair two places ahead of them turned to look back, his prefect badge gleaming on his chest. "What's the password?"

"Que Sera," he supplied quietly.

"Thanks."

"Aren't you a Prefect Gid?" asked Lily.

"Nah, Squirt, I'm a little…."

"Difficult," cut in Fabian with a chuckle.

"Annoying!" added Doc with a wink at Lily.

"I was going to say mischievous," Gideon finished with a smirk.

"Did you want to be? A prefect that is," she clarified.

"Well it always seemed like too much effort, not that there aren't some great rewards, like using the prefect's bathroom and being able to dock points from insufferable gits. It's alright for those that don't mind studying and being upstanding members of the Hogwarts community. I fully expect you to be one." He smiled down at her.

The group left the table and made their way to the common room, with Lily greeting her favourite portraits along the way. They passed the second year Gryffindor boys standing in a huddle at the bottom off the main staircase whispering furiously to each other.

"Well that didn't exactly go to plan!" grumbled Peter.

"I did try and tell you that a simple cantis wasn't going to work on Dumbledore."

"Oh well, we can work on something for Halloween, in the meantime, we need to go and look at that potions book." Having finished their conversation, the four mischief makers headed back to the Gryffindor common room.