AN: Here you go everyone, thanks for the reviews, hope it's not too much to ask for some more! Hope you like this chapter. I am going to have to skip a bunch of time eventually, hopefully in this chapter. I mean I have taken 10 chapters on the first 5 days. This can't go on or else this story will be like 200 chapters and that is a bit insane.

Also, I am thinking of posting new chapters both Saturday and Sunday from now on, still one in the middle of the week too, but that way there are three chapters a week. I am going to try anyway.

Oh and I hope you catch the reference I make to the chamber of secrets. The first one to guess gets to be featured in my next authors note! :D But you have to be specific. It's defiantly from the movie, but I don't know about the book. Checking…yep, it's in the books to.

Oh, again, there is going to be more Lily in this chapter, much more, and some of her friends. Hope you like that.

Chapter Ten: The Red Envelope

Every eye in the great hall was on James as he stood up from his place on the bench. "It was me. If you are going to punish somebody, punish me." He wasn't trembling, nor did he look at all nervous. Frank, Sirius, and Remus all looked at James with complete shock.

"You did this?" McGonagall asked motioning to the bucket.

"Yes ma'am. I thought it would be funny." James said shrugging.

"Alright Mr. Potter. Do you mind telling me the spell that caused that much water to come out of the bucket then?" She asked with one arched brow. James froze. He had heard Sirius mutter it while they were in the room, why couldn't he remember it? "No, well then explain to me how you were able to put the bucket in place when I myself, saw you and your friends in the Quidditch pitch." James was beside himself. Here he was, confessing to the prank that he had indeed taken part in, and she didn't believe that he had done it.

"I did it before-" James tried, but McGonagall cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it. I appreciate you trying to prevent your fellow students from getting into trouble, but I don't want to hear it. Please sit back down."

"But professor, it really was me."

"I told you to be quiet James."

"But-!"

"You are banned from the Quidditch pitch until next week. Now please be quiet."

James sat back down slowly. Sirius looked at him and shrugged. James didn't think this was fair. He knew that he had gotten out of trouble, but he was a bit insulted. Professor McGonagall didn't think that James was capable of doing the spell; she didn't think that he could have pulled this off. Part of him knew this was a blessing in disguise because if his parent found out, he would be in a heap of trouble, but he was a little too angry to care. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Aquamente Maximus." A fellow Gryffindor said standing up. It was Richard Smith, the boy who had told them about Slughorn's Slug club.

McGonagall studies his face for a moment. She could tell that he wasn't the guilty party, but what was she going to do, he had confessed, he was more then capable of performing the needed spells, and he could have done something like this. "Very well Mr. Smith. Come with me." She said with pursed lips, walking out of the great hall with Richard walking behind her. Sometimes McGonagall hated it when her students were so noble.

James watched Richard walk out of the hall and made a mental note to thank him later.

As soon as McGonagall was gone, the hall started talking again. And this gave the four boys a chance to talk to each other.

"I can't believe you did that!" Sirius said punching James' arm.

"Somebody had to, and we actually did do it." He said rubbing his arm and avoiding Sirius' glare. "I can't believe that she didn't believe me." He said more quietly.

"You aren't actually upset that you didn't get in trouble, are you?" Frank asked raising his eyebrows.

"No, it's just… I don't know. Now Richard is going to get into trouble for something we did, I feel bad."

"Well, we can tell Richard the truth and thank him. Other then that, there's not much else we can do." Remus said reaching for some food that had just appeared on all the tables. The boys sat in silence for a minute, letting James sulk. Then his face broke out into a large grin.

"I don't know about you, but I couldn't be happier with who it was that triggered it." He said. "Lily Evans. I like her."

"Yeah, I can tell by how much it pleases you to have dumped a bucket of water on her head." Frank said rolling his eyes.

"Whatever." James said still smiling.

"Nice prank guys." Orian said. It seemed that he had gotten over his anger at them. "That was you guys right?"

"Yeah, thanks." James said. "Sorry we didn't let you help."

"No problem, I probably would have peed myself once she started staring us down like that." He laughed.

And for the rest of dinner, they told everyone that asked what had actually happened and relived it, soaking up their secret fifteen minutes of fame.

It wasn't until the next day that James realized that he had indeed gotten punished. He was making his way down to the Quidditch try-outs when McGonagall came up to him, Remus, and Sirius.

"Where do you think you are going James?" She asked.

"To try-outs ma'am. I plan on becoming a chaser for the house team."

"Well, normally I would have wished you luck and sent you on your way, but you are banned from the Quidditch pitch, remember?" James froze, all the color drained from his face and he could feel his friend's gazes on the back of his head. James had spent the first week talking of little else but the Quidditch try-outs.

"But it's try-outs ma'am." James whispered, forcing the words out.

"Yes, I am afraid that it is." She said before walking off towards her classroom.

"Aw James-" Sirius started, but James put a hand up and walked away from them. Remus and Sirius understood that this meant that he just wanted some space. So they left him alone, not seeing him again until dinner, where he was trying very hard to act like his normal self, not wanting anyone to bring up the try-outs.

Lily Evans came in and sat down right next to him. He thought this was just a coincidence and smiled at his friends.

"I heard that you confessed to that thing over the door yesterday." She said turning her icy glare at him. James felt his insides momentarily freeze for the second time today, but then put a smile on his face and nodded. "Glad you're proud of yourself. I just want to let you know that you should sleep with one eye open from now on. Got it Potter?"

"I got it Evans." James laughed. Lily got up and walked over to sit down next to her bouncing blonde friend and another Gryffindor girl.

It was sometime in the middle of the second week of school when James and Remus started to notice that Sirius would hold his breath while the morning post would come in.

"What's the problem?" James asked as he untied a letter that his parents had sent him. He rubbed the owls head and then put the letter aside so he could finish his breakfast before reading it. Sirius muttered something that neither James nor Remus could hear.

"Come again." Remus said smiling.

"I said that I am expecting something in the mail soon." He growled. This was quickly followed by a groans as a large black owl came flying towards him and tug its large claws into the table in front of him.

"Now that is what I call instant service." James laughed until he saw what the bird was holding in its out stretched leg. "What? Who would be sending you one of those?"

"One of what?" Remus asked looking at the red envelope and not noting the significance.

"And just when I was starting to hope that they forgot about me." Sirius sighed reaching out and grabbing the letter. He had never received one of these before, seeing as how this was the first time his mother couldn't just yell at him in person. Sirius was hoping that she would refrain from sending one to keep the name of Black clean. But he knew that it was too much to ask for seeing as how his mother was a firm believer in public humiliation.

It had started smoking now and Sirius knew what was coming. This was the first time Sirius had ever wished that he was in the Hufflepuff. If he had been that close to the door, he could have taken the letter and ran out of the hall and listened to the letter in private.

He broke the seal that held the envelope closed and the hall was suddenly filled with the screaming voice of his mother.

"SIRIUS BLACK! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? DO YOU KNOW HOW OUTRAGED YOUR FATHER AND I ARE AT YOUR INSULENCE? GYRFFINDOR! OF ALL THE BLOODY HOUSES IN THAT GOD FOR SAKEN SCHOOL, YOU GET YOURSELF PUT IN GRYFFINDOR! I AM STARTING TO QUEISION, YET AGAIN, IF YOU ARE EVEN MY BIRTH CHILD! BECAUSE NO CHILD OF MINE GET'S BUT IN SUCH A LOW CLASS HOUSE OF PEOPLE. THEY LET MUDBLOODS IN THAT HOUSE. YOU BETTER HOPE THAT YOU AREN'T MAKING FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE LIKE THAT, IF YOU ARE I SWEAR…" The letter made a weird hissing noise and then paused. The howler had successfully captured the entire great halls attention. And some of them were still wincing at the use of the word 'mudblood.' But then the letter continued.

"AND THEN I DON'T EVEN HEAR OF THIS FROM YOU, NO, YOUR COUSIN BELLA HAS TO TELL ME. DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT MAKES ME FEEL? IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE YOU BETTER THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS THAT YOU ARE AT THAT SCHOOL AND NOT AT HOME.

YOU HAVE BROUGHT SHAME TO US ALL, SHAME AND DISMAY. I HOPE THAT YOU ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU DID, BECAUSE YOUR FATHER AND I WERE SO CLOSE TO CUTTING YOU OFF FOR GOOD. NO SKIN OF MY BACK TO MAKE ANOTHER BURN MARK IN THE FAMILY TREE.

I SWEAR IF YOU SET ONE MORE TOE OUT OF LINE AND YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT COMING HOME FOR CHIRSTMAS. MAYBE IT WILL DO YOU SOME GOOD TO BE LOCKED UP IN A CASTLE FOR THE HOLIDAYS."

At this point the James and Remus were sitting next to Sirius with their mouths hanging open. It went on for another few minutes yelling out retched insults at Sirius, the whole time he just sat there and took it. He didn't move a muscle, knowing that it was best not to try and listen to every word but instead, try and let the roll off him. When the letter finally stopped yelling, Sirius brushed the ashes onto the floor and started to eat breakfast as though nothing had happened.

Remus was staring at his friend, not knowing what he should say when James tried first. "Sirius, I didn't know that you were being serious about your family. I am so-"

"Please don't." Sirius said not meeting his friend's worried eyes. James dropped his head and nodded. Remus just sat there, not knowing what he should do.

A few seats down, Lily was trying hard to figure out why anyone would talk to their son like that, and why they had cared so much about which house he was put in. She really didn't like Black, or Potter for that matter, but she would never have wished what she had just witnessed on anybody. She heard snickers coming from the table behind her and turned around.

"What's the matter cousin?" A tall seventh year girl cooed. She had her dark hair falling over half of her face, and her eyes were screaming danger. Lily quickly looked away. "Not so cocky now, are you?"

"Don't talk to students like that Bellatrix." Author Weasly said standing up.

"What are you going to do Author. Give me a detention? Do it, I dare you." She had almost a bored look on her face; her lips added a pouty sort of look to it.

"Detention Miss. Black." Slughorn's voice rang out over the silent hall. Bellatrix looked up quite surprised to be surrounded by students and teacher. She smiled at Professor Slughorn before turning back to one of her fellow Slytherins and whispering something in their ear. The girl laughed and then she and Bella got up and left the great hall.

The whole time that this was going on, Sirius had his head buried in his food, refusing to look up at anyone. Determined to act as though nothing had happened. This was hard because even the teachers didn't know what they should do.

Lily looked on at him with pity. She knew that he wouldn't want her pity, but she couldn't help it. She heard a noise over on her right and turned her head to see Carlee digging her finger nails into the table.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked in surprise. Carlee looked down at the table and saw that there were claw marks. She smiled sheepishly, and pushed her blonde hair out of her face.

"Oops." She said and then reached for her cup of pumpkin juice. Lily kept looking at her friend, but she just kept drinking from her cup.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, feeling as though she were asking the obvious question.

"It was just an accident." Carlee said smiling. "Do you think I wanted to do that?"

"I think you did it for some reason." Lily said sternly.

"Well, just drop it please." Carlee muttered picking up her fork and poking her eggs. After a moment in silence, Lily gave in.

"Fine." She sighed and then turned around and started talking to Coral and Savannah.

Mary Macdonald walked over and sat next to them all soon. "That was really something, don't you think?" She asked raising both eyebrows. "I can't believe that that woman has the nerve to shout the word," She looked around and lowered her voice to a whisper, "mudblood, in a howler that is going to go off in a school full of children, some of whom are muggle born. Who does she think she is?" Her voice make to it's normal volume after she said the foul word.

"I don't know." Lily sighed. "I can't believe she would say those things to her own kid." Lily saw Carlee flinch next to her. She turned her head and looked at her usually bubbly bouncing friend. There was something wrong with her today, and it hadn't started until after the letter came.

"Yeah, my mom won't even raise her voice at me if we are in public." Coral added. "She's way against airing our dirty laundry in public. She just wants everyone to think that our life is completely perfect." She rolled her purplish blue eyes.

"Let's talk about something else." Lily said still eyeing the silent blonde. Mary seemed to catch Lily's drift because she flawlessly changed the subject to the charms assignment that Flitwick had set for them.

Thursday was Lily's favorite day for classes. They had Charms first, followed by double potions, and then History of Magic. Being a muggle born and interested in History, she absolutely loved this class. She liked charms because they came rather naturally to her and potions because it was one of the few classes she had with Sev, her best friends of almost two years now. He was the one who had told her that she was a witch and informed her all about Hogwarts. So even though she was in Gryffindor, and he was in Slytherin and they were supposed to hate each other, they still hung out every day.

Lilly and Carlee walked next to each other as they made their way to Charms. Savannah and Coral were right in front of them talking about their essays, and Mary had run off to find Ella, Carlee's sister and Mary's best friends. Usually Ella and Carlee would wait for each other after meals if they hadn't sat next to each other, so that they could walk to class together. They were twins, and had informed everyone that they were also best friends on the first day that they had arrived at Hogwarts. But today Carlee just kept walking. And Lily was afraid that it had something to do with Sirius' howler. But Lily wasn't going to push it. She had pretty much just met Carlee, they were friends, but not that close yet.

When they reached Flitwick's classroom, Lilly went to go sit in her normal seat in the front of the room. Mary took a seat on her right and Savannah on her left. It took her a minute to notice that Carlee was no where around her.

"We'll just let him have some space." Lily heard a familiar voice come from behind her. She spun around to see James and Remus take seats next to each other in the row right behind them. "I mean, he tried to tell us didn't he. I thought he was just joking. I hope I didn't mess things up to much."

"You didn't." Remus said. "Sirius was joking when he was talking about his family, he wasn't going to come out and tell us how awful they are was he?"

"I guess not. But urg! If I ever see that woman!" James sounded furious. For a moment, Lily was in aw at James' words. He really did care about his friend and that made Lily almost smile. Then she caught James eye and he smirked. "So that's how you dealt with me?"

Lily was momentarily at a loss until James held up an opened letter and she found herself blushing.

"You told my mum?" He asked raising his eye brows.

"So? What's wrong with that?" She challenged.

"Nothing. But you don't want to start something you can't finish. If this is the best you've got then this isn't even going to be a challenge."

"Oh please, I just didn't want to waste my time on you thinking up something clever. I have got better things to do you know."

"Sure." James smiled. Lily was about to retort when she caught sight of Carlee in the back of the room. This would have been alright, seeing as how she was acting like she needed some space all morning, but she was sitting next to Sirius. Lily gasped. James turned around and looked at his friend. Then he turned backed smirking. "What, my friends aren't good enough for yours." Then his expression hardened, his eyes darkened. "You don't believe what his mum said about him do you? He's a good guy-"

"No Potter that's not it. I didn't like him before the letter. He's friends with you, can't really be that great." James grinned again; Lily just rolled her eyes and turned back towards the front of the class room.

"Why thank you for the high compliment Evans." James whispered. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from saying anything else.

AN: So, I hope you like it. I added in Carlee. She isn't in the books, nor does she actually exist. But I want her to be a main character so I hope you all like her. If you don't yet, I will make you fall in love with her soon. Please review, and tell me what you think! I love hearing from you all! :D

~Craz