Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, his world, or any of the characters in this story so far other than Mercury Sonia Colby, Angela Elise Smith, Brooke Davies, Peyton Jensen, Francesca Moore, Jane Lauren Carson, Timothy Herr, the voice in Lily's dream (you'll find out more about it later), and the plot. Enjoy!

Masquerade

4. Feasts, Announcements, and Bets

Lily

Lily had never really enjoyed the welcoming feast. As a matter of fact, she never liked having the opportunity to mingle whatsoever. It just didn't make her feel very comfortable. Today was no different. Lily, Angela, Mercury, and Remus (he left the Marauders and joined the girls after the fight) all sat in a carriage and Lily admired the Thestrals.

"Hey Lily?" Angela suddenly asked, not in her usual bubbly tone. "Can you see them too?" She pointed at the Thestrals.

"Yeah. My great aunt. I was in the hospital with her when it happened," Lily explained. "Wait, you can see them too?"

Angela shifted uncomfortably. "My dad," was all she said before letting the tears stream down her face.

"But I thought your dad left you guys?" Mercury wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"He did. I was visiting him over vacation, and..." Angela wiped another tear away. "Death Eaters. They came, and I hid. I really did try to tell dad to run, hide, anything... but he wouldn't listen. He says magic is nonsense. He stayed, and I saw them kill him." At this point Angela couldn't stop herself. She started sobbing madly, her head rested on Mercury's lap.

A Little Bit About Mercury, Angela, and Lily

Mercury Colby grew up in a family of pureblood wizards. She was lucky, as her family had always hated the prejudice going on in the wizarding world between muggleborns and purebloods. Mercury's family was not wealthy, but they were not poor. She had four brothers, two older, one younger. They taught her to be tough and to stand up for what she believed in, and she always did. Mercury was strange compared to her family, and didn't feel like she really fit in. Her mum wanted her to be a lady, and her father wanted her to be the brightest with of her age. Arnold, Mercury's oldest brother, was convinced on making her a prefect and Head Girl, while Jon, the sexist he was, wanted her to cook and sweep, and nothing else. Little Benjamin was too young to care about what Mercury did, but he did look at her as his big sister. Actually, he was the only member of her family Mercury felt she really, truly loved. She wanted to protect him from any harm and never let him get hurt. Until she met Angela.

Angela Smith had had a hard life. Her parents were always fighting, or at least since the poor girl could remember. Angela was an only child and her life had been about fighting until she moved. Sure, she knew she'd be a witch. Of course, most would say it's not possible, but Angela started showing signs earlier because of the stress she faced. Sometimes Angela would run away to avoid her parents fighting. She'd stay on the streets for a night, then come back, and be completely disappointed to what she heard. In fact, her parents never noticed when she ran away. When her parents finally divorced, her mother moved her to a nice suburban house with her. That was when she met Mercury.

The two girls got along splendidly and were soon thick as thieves. They did everything together, and soon both considered each other like sisters, despite how different they were. Angela was an optimist, Mercury was a pessimist. Angela was blonde. Mercury had black hair. Angela was bubbly and loved pink. Mercury was practically goth and the sight of pink made her gag. They were complete opposites, but they both could soften up and listen when a friend needed a shoulder to cry on. When they met Lily, they didn't judge her on her looks. After all they'd been through, the two girls knew better.

"Angie, you okay?" Mercury patted the girl on the shoulder and hoisted her up. "Look, stop it. Its over. You don't have to cry anymore, because whatever you say, he won't come back. You still have us and your mum, so just be happy with that." Though this may sound harsh, it really did help Angela. She sat up and wiped off her face from tears, immediately feeling better.

Once at the castle, everyone took their seats.

"I hear the hat has a great song in store for us," Angela whispered to her friends.

"Look!" Lily pointed at the first years walking into the Great Hall.

After everything was explained to the first years, the Sorting Hat began its song.

Back at a time when I was young,

Four people came to be.

They were still silly and high-strung

And didn't know of me.

Then day by day they all grew old

And set out to go explore.

They met few people learned and bold,

"We'll fix this!" said the four.

And so they built a school for those

With magic qualities.

Then one of them exclaimed and rose,

"I only wish for these!"

It was sir Slytherin who had then stood

And pointed at the cunning,

But then old Ravenclaw said, "I would

Take just those with brains stunning.

Gryffindor wished for brave at heart,

While Hufflepuff didn't care.

"I'll welcome all from brave to smart,

If they wish to come here."

So they composed a compromise

Where there'd be a house for each.

They'd pick the child who qualifies

And that's who they would teach.

Yet, then they realized they would pass on,

And faced a problem then.

So Gryffindor said when they're gone

That I would choose instead.

So you have faith and let me see

What lays inside your head.

I'll tell you where you ought to be,

And what may lay ahead.

"I bet that hat spends each year making up a new song," Mercury told the girls and Remus, but Remus wasn't listening. He was looking for someone. Two someones actually. Finally, he spotted the baby blue head right next to the redhead.

Jane was changing her nose from a duck bill to a pig snout, forcing Timothy to fake cough to hide his laughter. It made Remus smile to think that those two kids were so happy. After all, after what happened on the train, Remus had realized something.

Remus' reasoning was that there were many first years, and since his own first year the older students picked on them. Remus could still remember the first time Lucius Malfoy had tried to hang him from a tree by the ankle. He didn't want that to happen to Jane or Timothy. For some reason, he felt like it was his job to protect them from bullies.

"Carson, Jane," McGonagall announced. Remus immediately spun around to watch. He gave Jane a thumbs up, and she apparently saw because she smiled in return. It looked silly because one of her teeth was missing, but Remus still felt proud. Sort of like a big brother feels about his little sister.

Yeah, thought Remus. I'll be like their big brother.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shrieked, and a happy Jane skipped over to the Gryffindor table, plopping down next to Remus.

"Nice job," Remus told her and she hugged him.

When Timothy's turn came, he too was sorted into Gryffindor.

The feast went on and Lily tried to be the as unsocial as she could possibly be. And then something happened. Right at the end of the feast as a matter of fact.

"Attention students!" Dumbledore yelled and immediately the Great Hall fell into silence.

"Firstly, I'd like to welcome you all to Hogwarts. Next, I'd like to go over some rules we have at Hogwarts for a our first years, along with a few other people who tend to forget these rules rather often," Dumbledore made a point of looking at James, Sirius, and Peter. "Please note that the forbidden forest is called that for a reason, and entering is prohibited. Mr. Filch has asked me to remind everyone that magic is not to be used in corridors between classes. Quidditch tryouts will be held in the second week of term. If you have questions about that you may contact Madame Hooch or your team captain. That would be Paris Hudson for Ravenclaw, Anthony Flint for Slytherin, Amos Diggory for Hufflepuff, and James Potter for Gryffindor." At the mention of James' name the Great Hall burst into cheers, hoots, and shrieks. "Speaking of James Potter, let us congratulate him on his position of Head Boy this year at Hogwarts." Once again, applause.

"Who's the Head Girl?" someone called out.

"Oh, right. May the two Heads, Mr. James Potter and Ms. Lily Evans please step up here?" Dumbledore asked. Lily's face went white.

Oh no! No, no no! This can't be happening! James Potter is not Head Boy, right? He can't be, he wasn't even prefect! Oh Merlin, they want me to go up there. In front of... everyone! Oh Merlin help me! She thought all this while Angela and Mercury pushed her up.

Lily finally calmed herself and got up out of her seat, walked over to the front of the Hall, and started climbing p the stairs. That's when it happened. James pushed past her and she slipped on the stairs. Lily fell down and immediately felt the horrible pain in her ankle.

No, don't cry, Lily, Lily told herself. She stood up, and walked up the stairs, feeling her ankle throb each step she took.

"-and I promise to be the best Head Boy Hogwarts has ever seen!" James finished just as Lily reached the top.

"Thank you Mr. Potter, you and Ms. Evans may take a seat," Dumbledore dismissed.

"Um, excuse me professor, but I-" Lily mumbled shyly.

"I'm sorry, did you want to say something, Ms. Evans?" Dumbledore asked.

"No professor," Lily shook her head sadly and rushed down the steps so fast, she didn't even realize where she was going. Lily felt a huge pang in her ankle once more and the next thing she knew she was on top of James Potter.

"Watch where you're going, freak," he snapped. Then he threw Lily off of him and left for his seat. Everyone in the Great Hall laughed and Lily felt the tears she'd been holding back start to pour down her face.

"Shut up, all of you!" someone's voice, Lily realized as Mercy's, boomed. (Angela had used the Sonorous Charm on her) "Its not funny when someone hurts themselves!" Then Mercury and Angela stood Lily up and started walking her to the Hospital Wing.

Brooke, being the bitch she was, decided to pay the girls back for stealing Remus and "bringing James' rep down" by spilling her pumpkin juice on the floor, casing Lily to wobble and slip. Again. Then Francesca spilled her juice on Lily's head.

"Woops, sorry. It was an accident," Brooke smirked not at all apologetically.

At this, Lily and her friends left the Great hall with only one thing on their minds- Worst feast ever.

James

James loved the welcoming feast. Seriously, it had been hilarious. Okay, so maybe Brooke and Francesca had been a little harsh, but watching that Evans girl was priceless. Besides, Evans was ugly, so who cares?

There was only one thing that was bothering James at the moment: the fight with Remus. The boy had always been a peacemaker, and suddenly he got worked up over a couple of stupid first years? That was weird.

"That was so precious!" Sirius laughed. "I mean did you see her face? Perfect!"

"Mmm," James mumbled.

"Oi, mate, you alright?" Sirius wondered.

"Fine," James replied, not really caring.

"How bout that thing with Remus? Haven't seen him so upset since the thing with Snivellus last year. And those kids? Little freaks. One's a metamorphmagus. Blue hair and all, while the other's just another sad sidekick. Muggleborn sidekick at that," Sirius continued.

"Sirius, just shut up!" James finally exclaimed. "Remus was right, we shouldn't have been so mean to the first years. It was wrong."

"What?" a baffled Sirius sputtered.

"Whatever. Lets just forget it, alright?" James practically roared.

"Sure mate, whatever floats your boat," Sirius just answered with a hopelessly lost face.

"Anyway, what's the beginning of the year dare gonna be?" James switched topics.

Before I continue, you should understand what the beginning of the year dare is. The BOYD was something that Sirius and James did each year. The dare could be completed throughout the entire school year and was usually very hard. The winner would receive 30 galleons, be able to pick what the end of the year prank would be, and would be the master of the loser for a week. The boys took BOYD very seriously.

"So I was thinking..." Sirius started.

"That cant be good," James cut him off.

"I was thinking about which one of us was more popular, and came to the conclusion that you have a girl problem. You only date Brooke, therefore your fanclub is smaller than mine. And you know what I started thinking then? I thought that I can get any girl, and you cant," Sirius concluded.

"That is not true! I can get any girl!" James argued.

"Now I also remembered that you have a problem with ugliness, so that's when I thought, hey, he could never get an ugly girl to love him! So the dare is, you get the ugliest girl in school to fall in love with you by the Graduation Ball."

"Like who? Who could possibly be the ugliest girl in school?"

"Oh I think you know."

"No."

"The Head Girl."

"What?"

"You heard me. One, she's ugly. Two, she's a prude. Never dated a guy. Or kissed one at that. Three, she's super shy. I mean, her only friends are Angie, that goth chick, and Remus."

"Wow."

"So its a bet?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely bet."

At that the two boys shook hands and headed off to bed.

And that's that! Sorry it took so long. Exams and a hectic personal life. Well, I'm going to Mexico tomorrow, so don't expect a quick update. So do you guys like it? I think its not all that bad. And you know what? If you're gonna tell me to update in a review, don't bother. I'm to stubborn to do it just cause someone tells me to. What I need is ideas, questions, and comments. Those are actually helpful when I write. I like to know if its good or bad, but just saying that you like it or don't doesn't help me improve does it? So TELL me why you don't or do like it. PLEEEAASEE?

Until Next Time,

Mel