Chapter 3: I Swear, They're Getting Smaller and Smaller.

A/N: Heya guys! I'm so proud! –Wipes tear from eye-. I would like to say thank you to my original reviewers, Elizabeth Bells, Michale4HPGW and ! Take a bow guys! Anyways, on with the story!

I'm away laughing on a fast camel!

Love Caroline.

Mulciber ran, but not before Sirius yelled "Expelliarmus!" However, he missed.

"Lily!" yelled Alice and Marlene at the same time. Sirius turned in time to see James just about to sprint after Mulciber.

He caught his arm just in time. "James! Just let it go! Right now! We have a student down! I repeat, STUDENT DOWN!"

That brought James' mind back to Lily. He ran to her side. She was unconscious.

"Remus'll know what to do," Sirius muttered.

Alice fixed him with a cold, steely glare. "'.."

Sirius ignored her and James lifted Lily up and started towards the Marauders compartment.

"What the hell happened?" Remus yelled. "Can't yee step outside for two minutes without someone getting cursed?"

James just looked at him. "Help. For Lily. Please."

Remus pointed his wand at her and muttered "Evervate."

She sat up straight away. "OW. Hang on a second, this is-"

Sirius stepped forward. "Err- hello."

Lily stood up quickly. "Hang on! You and (she searched the compartment for James) YOU!"

The boys just stood there awkwardly.

"It wasn't us..."

"We didn't mean to..."

Her voice dropped. "You...stunned me?"

"Well, no , technically, Mulciber cast the spell, we just reflected it..."

"WELL THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN!"

The boys turned, bemused.

"A-Al?"

"YOU FOUGHT IN THE CORRIDORS! WHY CANT YOU LEARN! WHY CANT YOU JUST WALK AWAY!"

"BEACSUE HE CALLED HER A MUD-"

"Shut up, Sirius," James mumbled.

"Just leave it, Al. It doesn't matter to me what the Slytherins think."

Remus spoke. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm grand now...I just can't wait till the...eh... the feast!" She changed the subject abruptly.

James looked at her, worried. She was very pale.

"Okay, bye!"

He snapped out of his reverie. The girls were gone, and Lily with them.

"Look, there it is!"

James saw his first glance of Hogwarts in fifth year. He grinned at Sirius, Remus and Peter.

_Lily grinned. "They're all so small".

"At least we got ones that look like they have something in them!" laughed Alice.

"Yeah!" agreed Marlene

They were referring, of course, towards the new first years. There had been many this year.

Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands. Everyone was quiet at once.

"Welcome, student, old and new," he nodded to the first years, "to a new year at Hogwarts!"

"I hope that there won't be any... SURPRISES tomorrow. I call upon those responsible to go easy on us!" his eyes twinkled and the whole school laughed.

"On a more serious note, we all must bunch together in the Wizarding World's time of need. Curfew is ten o' clock for all students. Prefects will be patrolling. The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds for all students, and a list comprising of 257 forbidden objects will be available from Mr. Filch."

He grinned.

"Also, I would like to introduce our Heads and Quidditch Captains this year. Heads are Liam McHurdle, Ravenclaw and April Heuston, Gryffindor!"

The students applauded.

"And Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, Henry Bracken! Hufflepuff Captain, Maria Cundleford! Slytherin Captain, Lucius Malfoy! And Gryffindor Captain, Amy Fitch!"

Everybody clapped hard, the Marauders wolf whistling.

"And now, to bed!"

Remus and Lily stood up and called the first years over. They walked off.

James was silent as he acknowledged this. "... Remus and Lily are prefect together?"

Sirius looked curiously at James. "Yes."

"Oh."

"Nothing will happen."

"What?"

"Stop trying to act nonchalant, James. They aren't going to go out."

"How do you know?"

"A) because Remus knows you like Lily. I'm mean who doesn't? Apart from Lily herself... but well anyway, that's beside the point. B) Because they're only going to be on patrols. And I'll also just bring a C) to your attention; this could be a useful source of information and goodwill about you!"

James laughed." I guess you're right."

"When am I not?"

James reached the Fat Lady. "Devil's Snare."

They climbed through the hole, James still grinning like an idiot.

Lily, Alice, Remus and Marlene were sitting down giggling by the fire. Well, Remus was laughing.

"Remus!" James said quickly. "There you are; we've been looking all over for you!"

Sirius gave him a funny look. "Errr... yeah. We have."

"So, Lily. Feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks Potter. Loads better." She smiled slightly.

While James stared at her, Sirius said hurriedly, "So Lilypad! You've been an awful lot nicer to us all, eh?"

Lily blushed crimson. "I wasn't that bad."

"Hmmm...well..."

"James!" Alice muttered under her breath.

"No: you were... fair, Lily," James glared at Sirius.

"Well I'm going to hit the sack. James, Pete, Remmy?"

"Let's thump the bag!"

"Whack the luggage!"

"Clout the satchel!"

Laughing loudly, the boys went up to bed. The girls smirked when they noticed Lily look after them with growing fondness.