A / N: Hello! Hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: You might have guessed by now, I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

'I knew it!'

'Might want to shout a bit louder, Padfoot. I think there were some people in the dungeons that didn't hear you,' grumbled James.

The Marauders were lounging in the common room armchairs, while James told them what Lily had asked. Luckily, Lily and her friends had gone up to their dormitory an hour ago for bed.

Sirius shrugged. 'When my Prongsies walked in looking happy, I guessed it was about Lily.'

James glared at him.

'You are a bit of an obvious crusher,' Remus pointed out.

'Well, you'll be happy, Sirius,' James said, ignoring Remus. 'Now you have an excuse to be near Holly.'

Sirius looked shocked. 'What? Me – her – no – well, maybe – but!'

James sniggered.

Remus put his hand on Sirius' shoulder. 'Being a guy who shags every girl he can put his hands on, ultimately, he would fall for the girl just like him.'

'Yeah!' said Peter, speaking for the first time.

'Shut up, Wormy,' snarled Sirius, being a bit sensitive in James' opinion.

Peter cringed back into his armchair.

'Sirius!' scolded Remus.

'Bugger off,' muttered Sirius.

'Well, look at this,' said James, highly amused. 'Mighty Padfoot is getting moody over the one girl he can't have.'

'Look at yourself!' said Sirius incredulously.

James grunted.

'Bed?' offered Remus quietly.

The boys nodded.

'LILY!'

'Lizzie calm down!' said Lily, covering the brunette girl's mouth with her hand. 'Yes, I said friends. Just friends. Now will you – DID YOU JUST LICK ME?! –' Lily pulled her hand away from Lizzie's mouth, disgusted.

Lily's friends had dragged her up to their dormitory, only to bombard her with questions about James. Lily was finding it quite exhausting, actually. She wanted to be friends, that's all. Friends are better than enemies any day. She didn't know what made her change her mind, but she felt better, so she was going to stick with it.

'Oh honey, this is great news,' assured Alice.

'You just like it because the marauders share a dormitory with Frank Longbottom,' said Holly pointedly.

Alice shrugged, smiling.

After a moment of silence, Lily announced, 'I'm actually going to bed now.'

The girls nodded, but only a minute after tucking in, there was a shrill scream.

Alice shot bolt upright. 'What was that?'

'I don't know,' murmured Holly, looking worried.

The five girls hurried down the stair case and in the already packed common room. Everyone was crowding around the window facing Hogsmead. Lily stood up on her tiptoes, but she still couldn't see. She silently cursed her shortness.

'Excuse me! Prefect coming through!' she called, pushing her way through the crowd.

She reached the window and looked up. 'Oh my,'

High in the sky a glittering green skull looked down on them, a serpent protruding from its jaws. Frightened whispering shot through the crowd. Lily caught words like Dark Mark and Voldemort and Who was it? A chill shivered down her spine. The evil wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort had always seemed more like a rumour to Lily. A rumour until now. Alice, Holly, Mary and Lizzie reached her and their jaws dropped.

'Nice PJ's, Evan,' said Sirius from behind her.

'Shoosh,' she said quietly, and peered further out the window, meanwhile James stamped on Sirius' foot.

'That looks like it's over the Hogshead, in Hogsmead,'Mary murmured distractedly.

A first year whimpered. Lily saw James put his arm around the first year, murmuring comforting words. Lily smiled to herself. The first year stayed silent. Everyone did. No one spoke. No one moved. No one wanted to think of what had happened in the village.

In the silence, Lily heard the portrait door open.

'Professor McGonagall,' Lily breathed in relief.

'I'm sorry, but you lot will be spending the night in the great hall,' said Professor McGonagall, sternly, but kindly.

There was a murmured 'Yes Professor.'

The Gryffindors filed down Gryffindor tower, and into the Great Hall. The house tables were gone, and in their stead, were hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags. Lily, her friends, and the Marauders dragged their sleepily bags into the corner.
Lily climbed in to her sleeping bag and propped herself up with her elbows. The staff were patrolling around the hall, and in the corner Professor Dumbledore was in a deep conversation with Professor McGonagall.

Lily turned back to where the girls were having a whispered conversation. She made a shushing gesture and pointed to where Dumbledore was talking. The girls fell quiet and they listened in.

'Rosmerta?' said McGonagall.

'She's okay,' said Dumbledore.

'Aberforth?'

'Fine.'

For a moment there was silence.

'So Lord... something…. is real then?' McGonagall had lowered her voice to a sharp whisper.

Dumbledore nodded gravely. 'Yes. I'm afraid Lord Voldemort is.'

'And is it true…?'

'That he targets Muggleborns? Yes. I'm afraid so.'

Lily bit her lip, and then, when it was becoming overwhelming, she shoved her head into her arms. Through the muffle fabric of her pyjamas, Lily heard the sound of Dumbledore and McGonagall's retreating footsteps.

James could see Lily shaking. They had all heard what Dumbledore had said, and James had an idea what Lily was thinking. James reached out to put his arm around her, but hesitated. Was it too soon? She had outright hated him a day ago. Then James gave in to his whole body which was screaming at him to do it, and slowly lowered his arm around her shoulders. He felt Lily's whole body freeze underneath his arm, but she made no attempt to remove it.

The girls exchanged excited grins behind James' back, but James didn't notice it. He rested his head on his arm. His Dad, Charlus Potter, was an Auror, and he had warned James about the threat of Lord Voldemort, but James had just thought it was just a violent rumour, and that he wasn't really real. Behind him he heard Sirius start to snore (though whenever James would bring it up, Sirius would deny it passionately). He felt Lily's body soften, and eventually the newly truced groups all gave way to the well needed sleep.

A / N: Hope you like it! It's not really like the other chapters, but there wouldn't be a story without Voldemort, so here it is. S'il vous plaît (that mean please in french) review!