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Chapter 4
"When enemies are at your door, I'll carry you away from war."
-Phillip Phillips

Then next morning, all four of the girls in Lily's dormitory woke up at the same time, though in different spirits. Lily, despite James' tutelage, was still concerned about how she would do on the practical portion of her exam. Emmeline hadn't slept, and was holding a struggling Stuart, who was now patchy with a dozen different colors covering his body. Mary was quite positive, cheerfully reciting the incantations to herself. Penny just rolled over and groaned loudly.

Their transfiguration class was of a moderate size: All of the sixth-year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws opted to take the class, but there were only three students from Slytherin, and only two from Hufflepuff. They sat their exam in Professor McGonagall's classroom. The practical portion took place next door in her office.

Lily stared up at the witch who was proctoring the exam. A ministry worker was sent to administer the written portion of the exam, whilst McGonagall periodically called students in to perform various incantations.

The room was very stuffy and hot, and Lily felt her hair beginning to stick to her skin as she scrawled answered onto the test, trying to remember all of Gamp's Laws of Transfiguration. she bit the end of her quill as she finished writing her answer. Lily looked up, and quickly glanced around the room. Nearly everyone had their heads bent low over the parchment, writing furiously. The only exception was Sirius Black, who was spinning his quill through his fingers, and staring off into the ceiling with a distinctly bored look on his face.

A small paper airplane whizzed by Lily's head, and landed in front of the ministry woman. Albert Drummond from Ravenclaw had just been through his practical, so before the woman even called her name, Lily had gotten up and headed toward the door. Penny shot Lily a hopeful look from across the room. Lily saw James Potter out of the corner of her eye as she made her way to the exit. His focus seemed to have devolved into various doodles on the test, but he shot a brief glance up at her, and mimicked the wand grip that he had showed her, but on his quill.

Lily pushed open the door to McGonagall's office. It was just as hot inside her office as it had been inside the classroom. Professor McGonagall's hair was beginning to frizz out of its typically severe bun.

"Come, sit down, Miss Evans," McGonagall said, waving her wand so that the chair in front of her desk was pulled out, "Sorry about the heat, the cooling charms on the castle have been acting up recently, with this heat wave."

Lily took her seat. There was a large birdcage and a mannequin's head with a white wig on the desk.

"Written exam going well so far, I trust?" McGonagall said, lowering her glasses, and looking at Lily.

"Yes, Professor," Lily said, pulling out her wand.

"Very good, very good," McGonagall said, dabbing her brow with a tartan handkerchief, "Miss Evans, you have one minute to conjure six birds, and to corral them into the cage, and then to change the color of this wig of human hair to match your own."

Lily nodded, and McGonagall waved her wand. A clock display showing one minute appeared in the air, and began ticking back the second. Lily conjured six birds and after some difficulty, bewitched them all to fly into the cage. Thirty seconds were gone. Lily took a deep breath, pictured her own hair color in her head, gripped her wand tightly, allowing her thumb to relax from the rest of the grip. She said the incantation, and waved her wand. The wig turned to a red that was just slightly lighter than Lily's hair, just as the clock ran out.

"Thank you, Miss Evans," McGonagall said, a small smile on her face. "You should have your results back by the end of the week," She said, as Lily got up to leave.

"Thank you, Professor," Lily said, before turning to leave the office, and heaving a heavy breath. A grin of relief spread on her face. Despite the little difficulties that she had encountered, Lily figured that she must have just achieved at the very least, and Exceeds Expectations.

James tossed his exam questions in the rubbish bin on the way out of Transfiguration. He had never received less than a perfect score on a Transfiguration examination. Sirius, Remus, and Peter followed in suit as they made their way out of the castle, and onto the grounds, where there was at very least a breeze to break the heat.

They made their way down to the edge of the Black Lake. The beech tree on the bank of the lake was a place that James and the Marauders frequented, especially after tests. They all lounged in the tree's shade. It seemed that a lot of the school had a similar idea, as about a hundred students, as well as several professors were either sitting in the shade of trees and shrubbery to escape the midday sun, or soaking their feet in the lake's dark water.

"I'm bloody exhausted," Sirius said, reclining in the shade, his body sprawled out on the grass like a ragdoll.

"What do you expect?" James said, with a chuckle. "You lot drank an entire bottle of firewhiskey last night!"

Remus scoffed. "Penny and Padfoot drank an entire bottle of firewhiskey last night. Peter and I barely managed a glass or two each."

"Which is enough to get Wormy decently pissed, isn't it?" Sirius interrupted, looking over at Peter, whose face was red, only partially due to the heat.

Before Peter had a chance to form a decent response, several other students had surrounded the four of them, the faint smell of dungbombs present in the air. Several very angry members of the Slytherin house stood around them, with angry glares on their faces.

"Sorry, mates," James said, cooly, "This area's taken right now. I think there is some shade across the lake."

"Or under the Whomping Willow," Sirius said.

"Damn comedians, you are," Eldred Worple, the seventh year prefect from Slytherin said, red faced and angry.

"We like to think so, thanks," James said, quickly, "But surely you didn't come over here to commend us for being funny."

'No, we came over here to kick your arses for what you did to our dormitory," Worple said, shaking. There were several interjections of agreement from the six or so Slytherins behind him. Among them were Severus Snape, the prefect from their year, Sirius's brother, Regulus who was a year behind them, Mulciber, Avery, Nott, and several other garden-variety thugs.

"What we did to the Slytherin Dormitory?" Peter said, slowly, "I don't remember doing anything do you, Remus?"

"I can't recall," Remus said, "Sirius?"

"I mostly avoid it at all costs," Sirius said, his face dark, "Smells funny in the dungeons."

"We know it was you who put the dungbombs in the vent," Snape said, his hand closed on his wand inside of his trouser pocket.

"Relax, Snivellus, you're not going to hex us in front of Flitwick and Vector," James said, jerking his head toward the tree about a hundred feet away where the two professors were sitting.

"You have no idea what I'll do, Potter," Snape spat.

James disregarded him. "Why don't you all just slither into a hole somewhere? Get out of the sun, yeah?" James said, standing up, and raising a eyebrow, directing his question to Worple. The other Marauders followed his lead, standing up beside him. They had dealt with the Slytherins several times while at Hogwarts. James recognized that several members of the group were about to go off.

"Piss off, Potter," Avery said from the back of the group, suddenly drawing his wand.

Before any of the Gryffindors could reciprocate, a shield charm was thrown up between the two groups of students.

"What is going on over here?" Professor Flitwick blustered, his tiny chest puffed out, "Three prefects, my word. Lupin, Worple, Snape, you will tell me what is going on,"

Remus jumped in before either of the Slytherins managed to speak, "Someone put dungbombs in the Slytherin dormitories last night, they were wondering whether or not if we knew who did it," He shot a look at Worple.

"We were actually wondering if Potter and his gang here did it," Worple said, staring intently at Remus.

"Horace told me about the dungbombs, where were you all last night?" Flitwick said, turning his gaze at James and the others.

"Sirius, Peter, and I were studying sir," Remus explained. "Penelope Keddle joined us after she left Professor Slughorn's party. Our Transfiguration final was today."

"And you, Mr. Potter? Where were you last night?" Flitwick said, his voice squeaky and accusatory.

"I was studying as well," James said, "In the Gryffindor Common Room, with Lily Evans. Once she got back from Slughorn's Party."

Flitwick looked at him skeptically. It wasn't a secret to the staff that Lily detested James. Flitwick looked over his shoulder. "A statement easily checked," He scurried several feet away, and yelled, "Miss Evans! Miss Evans! Would you please join us for a moment?"

James glanced up. Lily was sitting across the lake, now making her way over. She was one of Flitwick's favorite students; James had no doubt that whatever Lily said, the professor would believe.

Sirius elbowed James in the side, and whispered harshly, "Evans, mate? I ask you- Why wouldn't you pick a slightly more believable-" He stopped whispering when Flitwick returned with Lily at his side.

"Miss Evans, I was hoping that you could settle this little disagreement between houses," Flitwick said. James noticed Lily's green eyes scan both groups, before she made quick eye contact with Snape, before something darkened in her eyes, and she looked at Flitwick.

"Anything, Professor," She said.

"Mr. Potter claims that the two of you spent the evening together following your return from Horace's dinner?" Flitwick said, looking up at Lily

James couldn't help but notice the mug look on Snape's face- it was as if he thought James was lying, and he knew that Lily would confirm that. James wasn't sure that Lily would corroborate his story- it was quite obvious that the marauders had pulled the prank.

Lily shot a look at James. "Studying, Professor. Potter was helping me prepare for my Transfiguration practical."

James felt a small triumphant kick in his stomach, as he saw the smug look on Snape's face be replaced with one of sheer disgust.

Professor Flitwick clapped his hands together. "Very good, very good! Thank you Miss Evans," He turned to the Slytherins, "If you ask me, this sounds like Peeves' work. Now we can all go our separate ways, and please, try to get along."

He removed the shield charm, and walked away quickly.

The Slytherins walked away angrily. One of them muttered, "Next time Potter," under their breath.

"Was that about the dungbombs?" Lily said, once everyone else was out of earshot. Her eyebrows were narrowed and she looked angry.

"Yeah," James said, fiddling with his glasses. "Thanks for covering for me."

"It wasn't a lie," Lily said, putting a hand on her hip. "You helped me, I helped you, now we're square," She said, quickly. "I'll see you later, Potter," She whipped her head around and walked away.

"What was that about?" Sirius said, once Lily had left.

"I helped Lily study last night when you were out with Keddle," James said, shrugging simply.

"Blimey mate, I thought you were lying!" Sirius said, "How long did the conversation last before she slapped you or cussed you out?"

James put his hand over his heart. "You don't give me enough credit," He said, in mock heartbreak, "I helped her with the color change spell, and then we were interrupted by a bunch of drunks coming through the portrait hole,"

"Prongs had his first civil encounter with Evans since first year!" Sirius said, "That is something for the history books!"

For the rest of the week, Lily was filled with nervous anticipation, as she usually was when awaiting exam scores. She had received O's in each Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, Astronomy, and Herbology. She had received Exceeds Expectations in Arithmacy, and by Friday, the last day of school, the only exam result that she had not received was Transfiguration.

At breakfast, when all of the owls arrived to bring mail, two of the birds landed in front of her. One was a school owl, delivering her results. Sixth year exams were delivered promptly, so that students could submit their final year's class schedules for consideration to jobs and training programs. The other was an owl that she didn't recognize. Letting her academic curiosity reign, Lily pulled her results from the first owl.

Lily Evans,
On your sixth year N.E.W.T Level Transfiguration examinations, your efforts have merited an Exceeds Expectations. I look forward to seeing you in my class next year!
Professor Minerva McGonagall

Lily looked down the table, trying to catch James' eye so that she could thank him again, but he was all the way down the table, paying rapt attention to something that Sirius was saying. She made a mental note to thank him later. The letter held by the other owl had a stamp from the Hogsmeade Post Office on its back. That typically meant that it was a letter from her family. Being muggles, that never got quite used to using the owl post. Instead, they mailed letter in the muggle fashion to the Hogsmeade Post office, and they were sent to Hogwarts from there.

Lily
I was so excited to receive your last letter. The bird flew right in through the window at breakfast when Tuney was visiting, and landed right in her oatmeal. Needless to say, she was not very happy about it. I'm glad everything has been going well with you, and it's so good to hear that your team won that sport's cup. I will never remember the name of it for the life of me. Your mother used to call it 'Flying Football".

Of course Penny can come to visit! When you initially asked if you could spend your summer with the Keddles in London, I thought we wouldn't be seeing you at all! So if I'm right, you girls will spend two weeks at the house before going to work in Penny's family's shop? Regardless, I'll be there at King's Cross to pick you both up.

That brings me to the big news, I guess. Vernon Dursely proposed to Petunia last week. It was all very sudden, and the wedding is set for December, so that you'll be on holiday. Petunia has arranged for us to have a luncheon with Vernon's parents and sister while you're home, so that you can meet the in-laws. Penny is welcome as well.

See you soon,
Love you,
Dad

PS- "Your" newspaper subscription to the house stopped last month. Did you cancel it? If you need money to continue paying for the subscription, you need to tell me. I liked the moving pictures.

Lily closed the letter, trying to process the contents of the letter. She had cancelled her second subscription to The Daily Prophet, the one that she had delivered to her house in Cokeworth. There had been a particularly terrible and gruesome murder of a man who had "pro-muggle leanings." She didn't want to worry her father with the current state of the Wizarding World, what with it being on the brink of war.

Lily leaned across the table to Penny. "You better get used to wearing Muggle clothes," Lily said , with a grin.

"Your dad said yes?" Penny said, spilling her cereal. "Oh! I'm so excited, Lily!"

Lily had pitched her summer plans to her father as a way to get used to working in the Wizarding World. Penny's father had offered her a cashier's position at Quality Quidditch Supplies for the summer. Lil's father had been a bit skeptical, because Lily's last summer at home before graduation, but Lily had appeased him by suggesting that she and Penny spend two weeks in Cokeworth before heading to London.

"Just one thing- my sister just got engaged, so we're going to have to have a luncheon with his family," Lily said, "I've only ever heard about him, and I guess he's kind of a drag."

Petunia had met Vernon Dursely upon her move to London the previous year. From her sister, Lily had learned that he was a mid-level business man, who wore suits all of the time, and combed his hair neatly. From her father, she had learned that Vernon took pleasure in yelling at lower level employees, still lived with his mother, and was roughly the size of a small walrus with a moustache to match.

"I'm sure it will be fine!" Penny said. 'This is going to be great! Does your sister's fiancé know about you- I mean- magical you?" She said, mopping up her cereal with a napkin.

Lily shook her head. "I don't know if Petunia would dare mention it. She hates magic."

"I'm sure that hate is a strong word," Penny said.

"You don't know my sister," Lily said, folding up the letter, and putting it into her bag.

The rest of the day passed lazily, the heat wave had broken, so Lily and Penny spent most of the day lounging on the grounds between the castle and The Forbidden Forest, as Lily gave Penny a run down on muggle life, explaining how broomsticks were used only to clean houses, and how people went to doctors instead of healers when they were ill.

Though Penny grew up completely sheltered from muggle society, she usually took a great interest in Lily and Mary's tales of the muggle community. Her parents were very big figures in Wizarding Society, and as their celebrity was not political, they had taken a very middle-of-the road stance in the war, and put an insane amount on Penny to do the same and keep her head down.

"So it's coats instead of robes, and no one uses owls to deliver mail?" Penny asked, squinting, the look on her face betraying her surprise at the information.

"Yeah, the postman delivers mail every morning," Lily explained, with a grin on her face.

"What a waste of time," Penny said, wrinkling her nose, "Muggles are so interesting."

Lily was about to respond, but something else caught her attention. A small figure running toward her, and yelling.

"Lily! Come quick!" Heather Martis, a second year Gryffindor, came running toward her. Lily and Penny got up, and ran the rest of the way to the young girl.

"What's wrong, Heather?" Lily said, as she approached Heather.

"She's over there, where they keep the winged horses," Heather said, as the three took off running toward the paddock, which was , "My friends I were looking at the horses and she was just laying there, bleeding. My friends are still there"

"Who was just laying there?" Penny said.

"The Hufflepuff prefect," Heather said, "The really blonde one."

"Dorcas," Lily said, "Find Madame Pomfrey." Lily ordered Penny. "Run as fast as you can."

It took Lily another minute to reach the paddock. She saw several second years standing behind one of the stables. "She's over here!" One of them yelled to her, as Lily rushed over to them.

Dorcas Meadowes was small. She had long white blonde hair and even lighter skin. In life she was quite beautiful, but as she was, laying crumpled on the ground, Lily felt as though she was going to faint herself. Her hair was caked with dirt and blood, and the parts of her face that weren't covered in purple bruises, were nearly translucent.

Lily leaned her head to Dorcas' chest. There was a heartbeat, but her breathing was shallow. Lily removed the blood soaked hair and saw a thin cut across her neck. Someone had tried and failed to slash her throat. Lily took a deep breath. She had read about healing spells, but she had never tried one before. It seemed like the time to try. Lily whispered a healing spell under her breath, and waved her wand over Dorcas' throat the trickle of blood that was trickling from her throat eased up. Lily did the spell again, at the wound on Dorcas' side. It didn't close, but the blood stopped flooding out.

Lily felt someone kneel beside her. she was about to tell the second years that they should go somewhere else- not to look at Dorcas, but when she looked, James Potter was beside her.

"I ran into Penny, she told me-" James said, quickly. "Is she-"

Lily shook her head. "Do you think you can carry her?"

James nodded, and careful to avoid Dorcas' wounds, scooped her small body into his arms, and they set off at a jog toward the castle. As they moved, Lily worked at mending as much of Dorcas as she was able to. James didn't speak, but Lily could tell that he was running out of breath.

Still, they didn't stop running until they reached the castle. At the castle doors, they were met by Penny, Professor Sprout, and Madame Pomfrey with a stretcher. Lily, James, and Penny followed along as Madame Pomfrey raced up to the hospital wing, levitating the gurney.

Lily couldn't remember exhaling until Madame Pomfrey had placed Dorcas in a bed, and declared set about work upon her. Lily, James, and Penny all sat down on and empty bed, out of breath. Lily had a stitch in her side. She felt herself start to cry.

Madame Pomfrey busied herself, frantically taking care of Dorcas, and Professor Sprout brought glasses of water to each Lily, James, and Penny. All three of them stared at Dorcas as she lay, still unconscious and breathing shallowly.

James looked at Professor Sprout. "This attack-" He said, his voice breaking a bit. "Is nearly identical to the murder of the one that has been in the papers, Professor," He said. "The Smithson murder."

The Smithson murder had been the most recent in a chain of murders committed by Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters. Edward Smithson was a Ministry of Magic worker who specialized in Muggle Relations. He had been found dead in his front yard, his throat cut and a wound in his side.

This murder was different from Voldemort's others, in that the killing curse was not used. Smithson had been drained of his blood. Voldemort's people had written a letter to the Auror Office stating that the Wizarding Race was not safe as long as Blood Traitors like Smithson were allowed to live. That the treason of blood merited spilling of blood.

"It is similar, indeed," Professor Sprout said, worriedly, "The Headmaster is on his way, we'll notify him of this immediately."

Madame Pomfrey scurried over to the bed where the Gryffindors were sitting. "Miss Meadowes is stable. I gave her a blood replenishing potion, and she should be waking up soon," Lily sighed in relief. She wasn't extremely close to Dorcas, but they had several classes together, and they often talked while on prefects patrols together. Though Dorcas was a bit high strung and a bit annoying, Lily had always quite liked her.

"She'll want to thank you all when she wakes," Pomfrey said to the three of them, "Especially you, Miss Evans. That was some quick, advanced spellwork."

Lily managed a very weak grin. "It was nothing, just something I read about. I thought it would help."

"You saved her life," Madame Pomfrey said, putting a hand on Lily's shoulder before turning back to tend to Dorcas.

Several minutes more passed before the Hospital Wing doors swung open again. Albus Dumbledore walked in with a very somber look on his face. He rushed to Dorcas' side without a word to anyone. Following behind him was a family that could only belong to Dorcas- A small, skinny, pale couple with devastatedly concerned looks etched onto their faces. Dorcas' mother and father asked several questions regarding their daughter, almost none of which Madame Pomfrey or anyone else could provide satisfactory answers.

When Dorcas finally woke, she spoke very softly, "Where am I- what happened?" She gasped, clutching her throat. Her voice was scratchy.

"You're in the Hospital Wing, Dear," Professor Sprout said, her hand resting on the small girl's shoulder

"W-why?" She asked, her eyes widening.

"You don't remember?" Madame Pomfrey said, her eyes very narrowed.

"N-no," Dorcas said, growing a bit frantic. "I remember eating breakfast. What time is it?"

"It's nearly supper," Professor Dumbledore said, gently, "You were attacked earlier tonight, Miss Meadowes,"

"By who?" She asked, forcing herself to sit up, and grasping her side as she did. "Why- how could this- I don't-" She was growing hysterical, tears were forming in her eyes, and she was nearly hyperventilating.

Her mother reached to hold her, but Dorcas jerked away, leaning closer toward where Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore were sitting.

"He- they- did they put a memory charm on me?" She said, taking quick breaths.

"It appears so, dear," Madame Pomfrey said.

"And why are they here?" Dorcas asked, looking Lily and the others.

Madame Pomfrey smiled a small smile. "A second year found you in the paddocks. Miss Keddle ran to alert me. Miss Evans performed several healing spells to stop your bleeding. Potter carried you halfway to the Hospital Wing."

"I - we cannot thank you all enough," Mrs. Meadowes said, tears swimming in her worried eyes.

"Yeah, thank you all," Dorcas said, laying back a bit, her hyperventilation slowing.

"Why don't we all give Dorcas and her family some space," Dumbledore said, suddenly, "Potter, Evans, Keddle, Professor Sprout, I'll see you all out. Dorcas, Mr. and Mrs. Meadowes, I will be back in just a few minutes, and we will work out a plan to find who did this."

Dumbledore ushered them all out of the room, once the door was firmly closed, he turned to Professor Sprout.

"Pomona, the end of school feast begins in a half hour. Find Minerva, and inform her of the situation. Ask her to lead the feast, and speak tonight. Instruct the other heads of house to keep an eye out for any strange behavior from students. I'm going to stay with the Miss Meadowes and her family for a bit longer, and ask a few questions. I will also instruct the ghosts to survey the grounds for anything useful."

Professor Sprout nodded, and started off. Dumbledore turned to the three Gryffindors. His old face was lined with worry and severity, and the sparkle that was normally in his eyes was absent.

"You pointed out earlier that Miss Meadowes' attack is very similar to the Smithson murder," Dumbledore said, his eyes bearing into James, who nodded silently, "Has Miss Meadowes exhibited, in your eyes, what the Daily Prophet so quaintly referred to as "pro-muggle leanings"?

Lily spoke up quickly. "When we had prefect's patrols together, she mentioned that she was seeing a boy from home, romantically, I mean. He was a muggle,"

To say that Dorcas mentioned her boyfriend on patrols was a severe understatement. During patrols, Dorcas had gone on and on about Michael, how handsome Michael was, how tall, how kind.

"Was her relationship common knowledge, Miss Evans?" Dumbledore asked.

"It was to the prefects," Lily said, quickly, "she told all of us."

Dumbledore looked contemplative for a moment, before nodding.

"What's going to happen?" James stepped forward, "With everyone leaving in the morning? How will you find out who did this in time?"

"We'll do our best, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore promised, "You three should head up to you common room. I'll have your dinner sent up."

"No," James said abruptly and forcefully, "I'm not just going to sit and drink pumpkin juice when someone in the school is attacking my classmates."

Dumbledore's clear blue eyes narrowed as he scrutinized James. "I understand, Mr. Potter, but unless you have got more information that you haven't disclosed, I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to involve yourself in a potentially dangerous situation"

James paused for a quick moment. Lily could nearly see the gears turning in his head. "You should start with the Slytherins- the older students and prefects- Lily said that they all knew she was dating the muggle guy."

"We mustn't make assumptions based on trivial things such as house," Dumbledore said, holding up a hand as Penny opened her mouth to protest, "I thank you all for your help today, and your interest in catching whoever did this to your friends, but I must insist that you all allow the staff and I to take the lead," He said, shifting his gaze between the three, before landing on James. "I don't want to see you pursue the matter any further."

There was something heavy in his words. Lily saw a look of understanding play on James' face as he nodded in agreement. She studied James' face as they departed from the Hospital Wing and back up to the Gryffindor tower, frustrated that she couldn't figure out what he was thinking.