Harry wasn't in a good way. He was rather haggard looking, and his sleep was fitful. Sirius had gone to see him as soon as students were allowed to visit friends in the Hospital wing.

The hospital wing was full, as in overfull, and Pomfrey had three junior nurses in to help her with all the students. These were all minor injuries, there were a lot of students with bad spell damage and really bad injuries in Mungo's.

Remus had been fixed up really quick, but he found out Greyback had been on the train, biting students in his human form, and it had terrified the poor boy. Lily was soldiering on, as was Alice. Alice was resolute, and was on a warpath to becoming an Aurour, Lily was the exact opposite and didn't want a thing to do with the war anymore, at least not on the feild, so she was researching, almost constantly, for anything that would help.

The most confronting thing for Sirius was that 78 children were killed. Seventy eight. It was beyond comprehension and when he was standing in the Great Hall, all of the bright banners black, white and green flower wreaths hung from the walls, the fires were out and it was silent, all but for the headmaster, who was reading the names of the students who were killed. Sirius recognized so many from his year, from every year. The little girl who came up to him to tell him to stop feeding her cat was dead. The sixth year boy who taught him how to play soccer that one Christmas holiday was dead; Barney wasn't just dead, he was torn to shreds by the falling train.

Kathleen Blythe, Elizabeth Cummins, Henery Chase, Greg Dunn, Phillip Howard, Rose Perkins, Darleen Underwood, Joan Washington, Giovani Jordan, Mary Pope, Lori Rye and Deborah Sinclair, just from seventh year, he knew these kids, he dated Kathleen for most of fifth year, he got on great with Greg, Phillip and Henery, the were Benjy's roommates. There were only two boys left in Benjy's dorm now.

The names seemed to go on forever, but it was a curse and a blessing when they stopped. It was silent.

"You're dismissed," Dumbeldore choked out after a monment, the hall stayed silent for a moment more. "Remember your classes start in a weeks time."

Sirius gulped, and had gone to the hospital wing to visit Harry, which is where he was now. James and Lily came in behind him.

"Has he woken?" Lily whispered, Sirius shook his head. Harry was always asleep when they came to see him, though Madame Pomfrey assured them he has been awake before.

"I can't believe it," Lily said, gently touching Harry's hand. "He caught a falling train."

They boys with her just nodded, "His dad would be proud of him," James whispered, "and now were expected to go on with our newts?" James scoffed, "I'd rather leave, begin fighting right away."

"We can't," Sirius began, but paused, "we can't let the bastards take away our future, we need the schooling." He looked back at Harry, "we need, I need to get back to normal."

The three friends stood to leave, just as Remus was coming in, he looked dead, his skin pale, his hair thin and his eyes bloodshot.

"Remus!" Lily exclaimed, a little too loudly. Pomfrey came over, to scold her, but when she saw Remus she exclaimed, just as loudly, " Mr. Lupin!"

"'m sorry," Remus slurred, "I need to see Harry," he asked the matron, ignoring his friends, she made to protest, but he cut her off. "Please, can I just, sit by him?"

Lily, Sirius and James left Remus with Pomfrey and Harry in the hospital wing and made their way back to the tower.

"Sirius is right," Lily said, "I can't wait to get back to normal."

Normal was a long way away. People were disappearing almost every day, families were being attacked. After the attack on the Hogwarts express classes went back two weeks later, meaning the workload was twice as terrible to catch up on lost time.

Classes went ahead no matter what was in the paper that morning, even when the front of the prophet showed a burning house in the Scottish highlands, and the headline stated that the McGonagall's family home had been burnt to the ground.

The hall at first started out whispering noisily, and got quieter and quieter as they realised it was the family home of their transfiguration professor. McGonagall had her hand over her mouth and was shaking ever so slightly, but she blinked and straightened her glasses and stood.

"Thankfully, that house was empty, but for some material items." She smiled a very shaky smile at the students, doing nothing to reassure them, and left the hall.

But she was teaching transfiguration N.E.W.T.S first period none the less.

The N.E.W.T.S came quickly, too quickly. Most of the students were behind because of injury or death of family members and the tests were hard, harder than anyone had expected, really only the people who had a very difficult line of work in mind had any hope of doing well, regardless, after the final exam was let out the seventh years went onto the grounds and sat around in the sunlight, it shouldn't have been a moment plagued by sadness but it was, each and every one of those children had already lost someone important to them.

Sirius followed his friends onto the grounds and they stopped by a large tree overlooking the lake. It was an unusually hot day today, and a few fifth years were swimming. James took off his cloak and laid it down like a picnic blanket for him and Lily to sit on, Harry flopped down besides Sirius and Remus besides Harry, Sirius looked around.

"Peter's gone again?" He asked, shaking his head.

"Think he's ill," James said, "he left during the exam.

"Maybe he just couldn't finish it," Sirius suggested, "he hasn't studied at all, and he told me he already has an apprenticeship lined up."

"Maybe he's up to something?" Harry glanced at Remus, then black to everyone else."I know you have been friends with him forever but he's acting really suspicious."

"I agree with Harry," Remus said, his face pale. "He might not try very hard at school, but its not like Peter to just up and leave an exam."

"Avery left as well," Sirius said quietly, "pretty early on too."

"I can't believe you three," Lily said, "has it ever occurred to you Peter might be acting differently because he's frightened? His parents haven't been attacked yet, I know the feeling of waiting for the day the paper has your address as the headline."

Lily shook her head. "And I know his mother is a muggleborn, she would be targeted soon."

"She might be safe, his father is a pureblood, they're trying not to kill too many purebloods, though it didnt stop them when they killed Aunt Dorea and Uncle Charlus."

James nodded, "look, it doesn't matter, Lily's right, we can't be doubting each other now, we have to trust Peter, we have to stand by our friends." Sirius and James nodded, but Remus was shaking.

"I have to go," he said, standing, Harry stood and followed him, waving the others away.

"Lets go back to the common room." Sirius said, standing, the day didn't seem so bright anymore, and he wanted to go home.

"You're coming back home, right?" James asked him, pulling him to his feet. Sirius nodded.

"Course," he said, and James, Lily and Sirius began to walk up to the castle.

The graduation ceremony was held in Great Hall. Each seventh year student went up to shake the headmaster's hand and get their N.E.W.T.S from McGonagall. They were supposedly not allowed to look until after the ceremony, and that made for a twitchy bunch of students, the ones managing to peak smiled widely or sat with dissapointed faces.

Sirius had only managed to see;

Care of Magical Creatures O

Charms O

Defence Against the Dark Arts O

Before he had his parchment sealed shut by a quick jab of McGonagall's wand.

After the ceremony, the seventh years head to floo home, or were apparated by Aurours. Lily stood with James's hand in hers in front of him, Peter was one fireplace over and Harry was going home with Remus, so they were lined up together somewhere too.

"Best of luck to you all!" Flitwick was calling out over the crowds as each fireplace flared green. Before him James stepped through with Lily and Sirius followed them without another word.

"Congradulations!" Straight away Coleen gave him a massive hug, and Sirius grinned at her, feeling happier and more normal than he ever had before.

"Thanks Potter mum," Sirius said as Stephen shook his hand with a smile then his expression turned serious.

"Now you three, how'd you go?"

Sirius, James and Lily all broke the seal on their results and each one unwound the scroll,Coleen peeked over James shoulder and let out an excited shriek.

"Oh well done Jamie!"

Sirius I looked at his own results.

Care of Magical Creatures O

Charms O

Defence Against the Dark Arts O

Herbology O

Potions O

Transfiguration O

Sirius smiled wide, Stephen plucked the parchment from his fingers and looked it over.

"I'll admit I was hoping you wouldn't get your marks, Snuffles," he said, "Aurors have a dangerous job."

"I want to do it," Sirius said, "I want to help, and the Order needs more Aurours, you know that."

Stephen frowned at him, but Coleen agreed, frowning at James, "I'd much rather they have Aurour training then just rush into it." Her frown moved to her husband, who smiled charmingly and offered tea.

"If we don't join, it's not likely anyone else will, James and I have an a example to set." Lily said, Coleen stared at her.

"You too?" She asked, "it's dangerous Lily dear."

"I"ll just be brewing potions." She said, "I'd be pretty useless on the frontlines, and I have a feeling the other side have a very gifted potion master."

"Good, at last one of you are staying out of trouble." Stephen said. "Now, you have to call Peter, Harry and Remus, I want to hear what they're doing."

James did just that, Peter wasn't home, but Remus and Harry came through.

"how'd you go?" Lily asked them.

Harry beamed wickedly at Sirius, "all Outstanding," he said, "want to apply for Auror training?" Sirius nodded and summoned parchment and a quill.

"Another one!" Stephen frowned at Harry and Sirius as they ran off upstairs.

"I got all Outstanding too," Remus said, "I'd be a shoddy Aurour, I'll just join the Order for now."

"Me too," Lily said, James agreed.

"Wait," James looked at Sirius and Harry, "Harry can't - he's been bitten."

"He's unregistered," Remus said quietly, "He told me it was too important that he get into Auror training."

James nodded, Remus got a determined look on his face.

"I do have to write a letter, though."

James nodded and Remus was off.

"I'm going to apparate home," Lily told him, "show my parents my Outstandings."

"I think I'm the only one with some Exceeds Expectations."

"Only two," Lily said, "and they're great masks too, your parents are certainly pleased." She gave him a quick kiss and headed into the kitchen to say goodbye to James' parents. Then went into the yard and dissapeared with a quiet crack.