'The world we live in is balanced, light and dark, cold and warm and, most importantly, good and evil. The race that first managed to capture this in the briefest and least complicated way was the Chinese.'

Professor Patebrey moved around the classroom slowly, handing out books to each pupil. Lily sat with her book open on her table. Patebrey handed out the last book and stepped up towards her desk, turning to face the class and, folding her arms, leant back against the table. Todd sat on the opposite side of the classroom and, out of the corner of her eye, Lily watched him glare at her. To aggravate him, she smiled brightly back, not seeing the rude gesture Sirius made at Todd behind her back. Patebrey ignored them, although she watched with interest.

'They condensed their beliefs down into the Yin and Yang. Although most hang ridiculous pendants around their homes for good luck, they can not cherish the exact purpose of this symbol. Which is…? Miss Scayle?'

Anthea looked up, blinked, and answered, straight faced. 'The Yin and Yang show the opposites of the world, Yin, the black, meaning all that's bad, Yang, meaning all that's good. It's a symbol of the way things are balanced in the world.'

'Precisely, five point to Gryffindor. So, according to this, simplifying it down, if you have a bad week this week, next week you may win the Quidditch cup.'

Sirius laughed. 'Great, at this rate I'll be a millionaire by the time I'm twenty!'

A ripple of laughter ran through the class. Professor Patebrey grinned, waited for the laughter to die down, then continued.

'If something changes to its opposing state, it is as if the wheel has turned and Yin and Yang have swapped places. You may love someone one day hen hate them the next. However, that must be evened out. You will love someone you once hated.'

Lily dropped her chin into her palm. She hadn't ever thought that something as simple as the Yin and Yang could be so complex.

'Well, that was an interesting lesson. Not.' Sirius trudged alongside Lily and James as they headed for the Great Hall for lunch. The others had left ahead of them at Lily's orders, once Patebrey had asked the three of them to stay behind, for a quite word about their last essay results. Top three in the class.

Lily just shook her bright head. 'Maybe for you. But then again, it was pretty meaningful for me. I mean, there've been a lot of changes lately.'

'Dude!' Tess waved madly from her seat at the Gryffindor table. 'Black! Get over here, check this out!'

She had a Quidditch magazine propped open against a jug of pumpkin juice and gestured dramatically at the newest released model of broomstick. Sirius plonked himself down beside her.

'Very feminine. Would suit you well.'

Tess frowned. 'You have a great talent of pushing peoples buttons. Jab away at them all day, you would, if we let you.'

Hannah snorted. 'He's jabbed my buttons millions of times!' The group fell silent and stared at Hannah, who blushed a deep crimson, lowering her head over her plate. 'In the non-literary sense, of course…'

Sirius shugged. 'Whatever you say. You know, I always thought women belonged in the kitchen. I think I've just been proved right.' He scooped up a huge piece of roast lamb and jammed it in his mouth, grinning roguishly over Tess' head at Lily. Lily didn't even bother to fight back, Hannah was doing it well enough, as her voice rose angrily, talking so fast that only intense concentration could decipher the spaces between sounds, forming words. Lily, in a world of her own, let the stream of sound flow over her. A horrible feeling had settled in the pit of her stomache and now, with a sigh, she pushed herself to her feet.

'… and what's more, women could run this world so much better without- Lily, what's wrong?' Hannah had hardly paused for breath. James looked up and caught Lily's eyes for a moment, but Lily just shook her head.

'Nothing… nothing at all, I'm just tired, that's all. I'll see you all later.'

She turned and headed off down the corridor.

'Hey, wait up!'

Lily glanced over her shoulder as a panting James skidded to a halt, jamming his glasses back onto his nose. He peered at her minutely, as if searching every nook and cranny in her mind for the feeling of uneasiness in her. James just shrugged, hoisting his bag higher on his shoulder. 'What's up?' he asked lamely.

Again, Lily shook her head, the words tumbling out of her mouth. 'I don't know, I've just got this terrible hunch that something is wrong. Anthea looked worried today, as well, and she kept looking at me strange-.'

An owl swooped in through the window, settling on the banister to the great staircase. The letter clutched in its beak was addressed to Lily. She paled, reaching out to slowly take the letter from the barn owl. It gave a polite hoot, spread its wide wings and, with one graceful beat of its wings, rose into the air and glided back out of the window. Lily slid her finger into a corner of the envelope, slit the paper open and pulled out a letter. She read once, twice, and the letter fell from her hands, fluttering to the cold stone floor.

James watched her, watched as all the colour drained from Lily's already pale face, watched as she began to shake and choke on her own breath, watched as she stumbled blindly backwards and sat heavily down on the stairs. He bent, picked up the letter, and began to read.