"It's your turn Lil," Jana prompted yet again after waiting several moments for her friend to place a card. The girls had begun a game of exploding snap, though Lily only played half-heartedly. Jana couldn't for the life of her understand why Lily was so upset.
As the afternoon wore on, Lily began to feel more like herself again, she laughed and joked with Jana for amny hours. The sun began to set outside the train and the scenery had long since changed to rolling grassy green hills. The sky, which was now a deep shade of magenta, seemed to stretch on for miles.
They were not very far now from their destination, the station of the small wizarding village of Hogsmede, situated just outside the boundaries of the school grounds. From their third year onwards, students were permitted to visit the village and the various attractions it provided, from excellent sweets and joke shops to bars like the Three Broomsticks and the Hogs Head and even the shrieking shack, which was reputed to be the most haunted building in Britain. Lily recalled with some fondness, the day in their fourth year that she and Jana had watched as Sirius ad James forced a Second Year Student, Eliza Knight, to go right up and touch the door. Poor little Eliza, who has scared at the mere thought of the house, made it all the way up to the doorstep before fainting. Sirius and James had then walked away, almost killing themselves laughing, leaving Remus with the job of retrieving Eliza.
Lily stared out the window or the train, and suddenly realised that dusk had fallen, which meant that they would soon be at their destination.
"We'd better get changed," Lily said, turning from the window to face Jana.
With this, the two grils busied themselves in their trunks, retrieving their uniforms, which consisted of a white blouse, dark grey skirt, knee high white socks with black shoes, a tie striped with the gold and scarlet of Gryffindor and a large black robe that bore the Hogwarts crest on the left pocket. Lily, who had finished before Jana, was trying to get her head girl badge to sit straight, just as the train began to slow. Now fully dressed, the pair stowed their trunks in the overhead shelf (the house-elves would bring them up later) and exited the compartment.
As they stepped off the train, the two girls became part of the crowd, now thronging toward the carriages that would take them to the castle. Lily was doing her best to take charge of the situation, by pushing her way to the front of the pack and attempting to make the crowd line up and wait for the carriages in a odrely manner whcn she noticed a small first year girl surrounded by a gang of much older Slytherine students. The girl, it was easy to see, was extremely frightened, and sson began crying.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" shouted Lily, abandoning her attempt at traffic control, and making her way over to the group
"Oh look!" cried one of the Slytherines, "it's little Miss Evans, what are you gonna do? Cry on us?" this only made Lily angrier, but as she advanced toward the group, she realised just how much bigger than her they really were. As the Slytherines began to move closer, and Lily began to wonder how she would get out ofthi alive, someone called out from the crowd.
"Oi! Dickhead! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" James had suddenly appeared on the scene, distracting the Slytherines for long enough that Lily was able to direct the first year to where she ought to go, before turning back to the situation.
"Slytherine scum!" James shouted, not caring much that all the students nearest them had turned to watch, "so cowardly that you can only fight eleven year olds and girls!"
The group turned away from Lily and advanced toward James. When they drew level, it was easy to see that the Slytherines were vastly bigger than James, but it was his reputation for duelling rather than his size that made them cautious.
"That's right Potter! Come and save your little whore!" one of them taunted, but the second the words had left his mouth, James had him up against the wall, wand at his throat.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't dispose of you here and now." James said through gritted teeth.
At this point, Sitrius appeared at his side.
"He's not worth it mate," he said to James, quickly assessing the situation. At these words, James began to turn away, but then swivelled around quickly, catching the Slytherine between the legs with his foot.
With that, James and Sirius left the Slytherine curled up on the ground, walking toward the carriage, Lily coming behind them.
"I didn't need your help Potter," she said, more out of guilt for the way she had treated him.
"What? Would you rather have been jinxed off the face of the planet?" he asked, not looking at her.
Lily had no respone to this, as she knew he spoke only the truth. Then Jana, who had missed all the action, appeared at Lily's side.
"What happened?" she asked breathlessly trying to keep up with Lily, who was, in turn, trying to keep up with James, "one minute you were there and then you were gone."
"Some Slytherines were bullying a first year," said Lily simply as the four Gryffindors arrived at the carriages. There was only one carriage there, more would come soon. However, Lily didn't feel like waiting. So she walked straight past James and Sirius, who had stopped to look for Remus, and climbed up into the carriage, as did Jana. It was just about to move off, along the winding track that lead to the castle, when James, Sirius, Remus and Peter Pettigrew all jumped inside. Jana, who had been sitting opposite Lily quickly shifted so that three of the boys could sit together, while Remus, apologizing greatly, took a seat to Lily's left.
"Can't wait to get to the castle!" exclaimed Sirius suddenly, "I'm starving."
"Sirius, you ate six packets of Bertie Botts on the train," said Remus with a slight smile, " how could you possibly be hungry?"
"I know I am," added James with a yawn, "but it looks like we'll have a while to wait yet."
"Don't forget the sorting ceremony," said Peter, who was much shorter than the other three, though nearly twice as round, with small black eyes and a tangle of sandy-blonde hair.
"Why do they need to do that?" asked James, "All they have to do is chuck all the first years in the lake, the ones who save as many others as they can and then tackle the giant squid bare handed go in Gryffindor, the ones that use seventh grade standard spells to save themselves are for Ravenclaw, the ones who try to get themselves out jinxing anyone who gets in their way belong in Slytherine and the ones that just sit there and sink go in Hufflepuff."
Sirius snorted, "good one Prongs." Remus looked at James sternly, but Lily could see that the corner of his mouth was twitching.
"James…" he said
"Yes mum?"
Peter, Lily noticed simply sat beaming at them all.
"I hope you won't behave like this when you're carrying out your duties as Head Boy," Lily said calmly, looking James straight in the eye. He fell silent. Several awkward glances passed between Remus and Sirius. Jana shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"I…" It was the first time Lily had ever seen James lost for words. He looked at her in silence, his hazel eyes staring deep into her own as though he were staring into her very soul. For the second time that day, she wished that she hadn't spoken.
"We're here." Remus broke the silence several minutes later as the carriage arrived at the door to the castle and its occupants clambered out. When they reached the great hall, a warm and familiar sight greeted their eyes. The four house tables, at which many students were already seated, ran the length of the hall. At the opposite end to the doors through which they had entered, was the staff table where most of the teachers sat, watching as the students gathered. Around the hall, the while, translucent forms of the house ghosts floated absentmindedly under the high arched ceiling, which was charmed to resemble the sky outside.
Lily looked around beaming, I'm home, she thought. She walked over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat with Jana opposite their fellow Gryffindor Seventh Year girls.
"Lily! Jana!" a girl with shoulder-length blonde hair shrieked.
"Hi Maddie," said Lily, reaching over and hugging her.
"Have a good summer?" asked the girl to Maddie's left.
"Great Tiff, how about you?" Lily replied.
"Not too bad. Hey! Charlie!" she added as another girl came and sat beside Lily.
"Oh Lil!" Charlie shrieked, looking at Lily, "you got Head Girl!" this revelation caused yet another fit of shrieks from the Gryffindor girls.
"But who's Head Boy?" Maddie asked, "is it Remus?"
"No, actually," said Lily, "It's Potter."
The group fell silent.
"You're joking aren't you?" Tiffany asked.
"Afraid not," Lily replied solemnly.
"I think he is as surprised as we are," added Jana. All five girls turned to look up the other end of the table to see James displaying his badge for all to see, boasting to anyone who would listen.
"Oh Lily, this means that you get to spend more time with him!" said Tiffany, "I'm so jealous!"
"Don't worry Tiff, I'm not going to go out with him," replied Lily, she and Jana were the only Gryffindor girls who did not find James' tousled appearance and Quidditch skills attractive.
"I wish he would ask me out," sighed Maddie, "he's so handsome." Tiffany and Charlie agreed but Jana shook her head.
"You girls can have him," she said smiling, "I want Black."
"Really Jana? You and Lily are pretty much the only girls he hasn't been with. I mean he's dated first years for goodness sake! The man is a sleazy womanizer." Tiffany, being Sirius' most recently discarded love interest was still bitter on the subject.
Jana didn't get the chance to answer as that moment a long line of scared looking first years were lead into the hall by Professor McGonagal. As they reached the front of the hall, they stopped and huddled together for safety. Professor McGonagal detached herself from the group and placed the mangy old hat she was carrying on a three-legged stool. For a few seconds, all was silent as the older students, who knew what was coming waited with anticipation. Then suddenly, a tear near the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and the hat began to sing.
Long ago before this time
Before years were recorded
The founders of our noble school
Whose efforts were applauded
Spent their time and efforts teaching
Those who were young of mind
They educated fair and true
No better scholars could you find
All students were accepted
Each founder chose the best
The ones who only they would teach
Who they thought beat the rest
Gryffindor, he chose those who
Were great and brave of heart
Ravenclaw selected some
Who were capable, witty and smart
Slytherine would only take
Those of pure and noble line
Hufflepuff, she didn't care,
She taught all she could find.
And so the school continued on
For many, many years
Till doubt crept in and suspicion grew
Which made the founders fear
And wonder what would happen
When they, themselves passed on
So Gryffindor, he gave his hat
Gave it gifts of thought and song
So here I am and I will choose
Where you rightly go
I'll take a look inside your head
And see what virtues show
So come sit down and try me on
I'll find what's in your heart.
But we all are getting hungry
So hurry up let's start!
There was an outbreak of applause as the sorting hat fell silent. Professor McGonnagle stood up and said loudly to the first years;
"When I call your name, come forward and be sorted.
"Abbot, Tyler" a small boy with dark brown hair stepped forward and placed the hat on his head.
"Hufflepuff" the hat cried to the immense applause of the Hufflepuff table.
"Arthur, Brigitte" this time a small girl with large round glasses stepped up.
"Ravenclaw!"
"Is it over yet? I'm starving," Lily could hear Sirius whisper to James further up the table.
"Barnicot, Jason"
"Won't be long now mate," said James in reply
"Slytherine"
"Chandler, Tori"
"Gryffindor"
"What do you mean it won't be long?" Sirius asked incredulously, clapping along with the rest of the Gryffindors, "they're not even half way through yet!"
"Grace, Rachel."
"Slytherine"
"Shh!" Remus scolded them both, Sirius replied silently, with his middle finger shamelessly raised.
The sorting continued like this for what seemed like forever.
"Klesting, Jason"
"Slytherine"
"Linche, Kara"
Jana leaned forward eagerly awaiting the sorting of her sister.
"Gryffindor"
The Gryffindor table applauded loudly, and Jana relaxed back into her seat as her sister came and took a seat opposite her.
"Greene, Sara"
The small girl who Lily and James had saved from the group of Slytherines stepped forward.
"Gryffindor."
Sara got up happily from the stool and skipped towards the Gryffindor table. Beaming, she took a seat next to Lily.
"Hi!" she said, turning to face Lily, "you're the one who saved me from those Slytherines aren't you?"
"Sort of, I ended up needing saving myself," Lily replied, "but right in the essentials, my name is Lily, Lily Evans."
"Mine's Sara," she replied rather needlessly, as she had just been sorted. Lily smiled and turned back to the sorting just as Zillmane, Alexander was sorted into Slytherine.
Professor McGonnagle retrieved the hat and stool, just as Professor Dumbledore stood.
"Good evening everyone, and welcome to another school year. I know that you will all be eager to get into the feast, so I will be as brief as possible."
"Read my mind," Sirius muttered to the amusement of the Gryffindors within earshot.
Dumbledore continued, not noticing the interruption, "For our new students, and some of those who need reminding," he glanced towards the Gryffindor table where Sirius and James grinned, "the Forbidden forest is so named for a fairly obvious reason that I'm sure I don't need to explain. I also advise you to steer clear of the whomping willow," Remus joined Sirius and James in their grin, "a detailed list of forbidden items is available outside Mr Filch's office as always, if there is anyone who needs or wants to read it."
"Yeah, like that's going to happen," remarked Sirius, much louder than he had intended, causing a ripple of laughter throughout the Great Hall.
Dubledore smiled, "thankyou for that insightful contribution Mr Black. Now then, business is finished, so let's eat."
"Finally!" groaned Sirius and James together.
Dubledore clapped his hands together, and the four house tables filled with food.
"wow," said Sara simply.
Lily smiled, "tuck in."
Everyone was so hungry that for a long while, no-one did anything but grab every variety of food within reach. Jana in particular, who had a larger appetite than the other Seventh year girls, had a rather precariously balanced selection of food on her plate. After a while, the chat gradually began again.
Lily was engaged in a rather interesting conversation with Sara, who explained that she was muggle-born and found the whole situation in which she now found herself quite overwhelming.
"don't worry, I'm muggle-born too, you'll get used to it very quickly," Lily reassured her.
"By the way you're welcome for me saving you before." James had suck up behind Lily, Jana and Charlie. Without any of the girls noticing it seemed, the marauders had migrated down the table, as James and Sirius were now sitting next to Lily and across from them, Peter and Remus.
"Who are you?" asked Sara rather indignantly; Lily was liking the small girl more and more.
"We're the marauders! I'm James and this is Sirius, Remus and Peter," he said , indicating to himself and each of his friends in turn.
"Why do you call yourselves that?" the first year inquired, "are you some sort of boy-band?"
Lily, Jana, Tiffany, Maddie and Charlie al burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter that was so loud, it drew the stares of many students as well as staff around the hall. Sirius snorted, spraying pumpkin juice all over Peter who looked as though he was used to having Sirius' food thrown at him, inadvertently or otherwise. James snickered and even Remus chuckled.
"No," Lily eventually managed to say, still laughing, "they have the record for most detentions ever, they are always in trouble or doing something they're not supposed to. Come to think of it, it's mostly these two," She indicated James and Sirius, "but they all get blamed.
"Oh, sounds like she's got us all figured out, hey Prongs?" laughed Sirius.
"Ok, yeah, that was true before, but not this year," James said with enough sincerity that Sirius stopped laughing.
"What do you mean, not this year?"
"I mean that I'm not going to mess about this year, I'm taking school more seriously, for once. Don't worry, we'll still help Moony out with his 'furry little problem," he added at the concerned glance Remus gave him.
Sirius was silent. James turned to his friends, worried how they would take this news, silently pleading for them to understand. Sirius opened his mouth to speak and laughed. James looked confused, wondering if Sirius had finally lost it.
"What the…"
"Honestly Prongs! You expect anyone to believe that you can change just like that?" Sirius snapped his fingers for emphasis, "you're addicted to trouble, you can't go cold turkey, you'll go into withdrawal or something."
James glared at Sirius, who continued to smirk just as the plates on the table were replaced with dessert.
"Why are you discouraging him?" Lily challenged Sirius. She wasn't sure that she believed that James could change either, but the fact that his best-fried had such little faith in him annoyed her.
"Sounds like a bet to me Evans…" Sirius said slyly, "I mean, you and I both know that Pr- James here likes making trouble, but if you want to go against the obvious…"
This was true and Lily knew it, so instead of answering, she busied herself with the pudding in front of her.
"You like him don't you? That James boy I mean," whispered Sara in Lily's ear.
"No I don't," she whispered back, wondering how anyone could think such a thing.
"Sure," Sara winked at Lily, before taking a mouthful of tart.
Lily turned to look at James, he and Sirius had begun a debate as to who the best Chudley Cannons player was. She stared into the face of the boy, practically man now, whom she ha always loathed with such a passion and for the first time, part of her stopped to ask why.
'Because he's an obnoxious, pompous and loud-mouthed git,' another part of her replied.
'Yes but if he wants to change who's to say he wont?'
'His record of the past six years!'
"It's getting quite late and is high time you all went to bed," Dubledore's voice interrupted Lily's internal argument, "off you go, first years follow your prefects to your dormitory, sleep well everyone."
With this final word, every student stood almost simultaneously and began to move toward the entrance hall.
"First year Gryffindors follow me," it was not Lily who spoke, nor Remus, who would have been the next most likely person, it was James. Lily was quite taken aback. Her first reaction was that he and Black must have cooked up a scheme to lead the first years to some remote corner of the castle, duck behind a tapestry and leave them there. She glanced sideways at Jana who looked almost as concerned.
Lily followed James and the small group of first years closely, as they came to the entrance hall, where the mass of students divided, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw going up the stairs, Slytherine, down to the dungeon and Hufflepuff along the corridor that lead to the kitchens. Despite her concerns, Lily found that in just a few mintues, they were standing in front of the fat lady's portrait that granted access to the Gryffindor common room.
"Password," the fat-lady said. The first years looked expectantly at James.
"Oh shit," he said, obviously offending some of them, "I don't know what it is."
"Honestly, Potter," Lily said, hiding a smile and stepping to the front of the group, "moonbeam."
"Welcome home everyone, said the portrait invitingly, swinging forward to reveal the common room. Lily didn't think that a more comfortable place existed. A warm fire raged in the stone grate, which was surrounded by an assortment of armchairs and couches. Tables and chairs were dotted around the rom, alredy covered with a clutter of books and parchment. The walls were decorated with a variety of tapestries and gold and scarlet banners, on which the lion of Gryffindor roared. Lily turned to the first years.
"Girls dormitories are upstairs and down on your right, boys on the left, your trunks will already be in your rooms, have a good night everyone."
With this, the first years departed, hurrying to see where they would be sleeping for the next seven years of their lives. The older students however, lingered, talking, laughing, sitting and generally enjoying a night together, free of homework. It had been a long day for Lily and the memory of apparating out of her kitchen with Jana seemed as though it had happened years before.
"Lil!" Jana was calling from across the room as she climbed the stairs to their dormitory, beckoning for Lily to join her. Lily crossed the room and soon joined Jana in their old dorm, the door to which now read 'Seventh Years.'
The familiar four-poster beds greeted her eyes. Maddie stood across the room, arranging her things on her bedside table. Charlie knelt on her bed, braiding Tiffany's hair and Jana was next to her trunk, retrieving a clean uniform for the next day.
"Hey Lil!" Charlie called, "what do you reckon? I think we should decorate this place! I mean more than usual, you know? Go all out with Gryffindor banners and scarfs and things." Charlie loved decorating, in previous years they had gone with themes like the Holyhead Harpies and the Weird Sisters.
"Sounds good," Lily laughed, walking over to her trunk to change into her pajamas.
The chatter lasted long into the night, so much seemed to have happened in the few months the five girls had been apart and so much needed to be said. It was three in the morning before Lily, glancing at her clock, declared that they needed to get a least a little sleep. However, she lay awake for a while after the others, her mind still lingering on the promise James had made at the dinner table. As far as she could tell, there was nothing different about him this year, or at least nothing that should allow her to feel anything but distaste for him. She supposed that only time would tell her if he had truly changed and if he was worthy of a second chance.
Authors Note: Sorry it was so long! Please rate and review, and tell me what you thought of my attempt at a sorting-hat song.
