Part Twenty-One
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James Potter was at that moment a perfectly content young man. He was sat in a compartment on board the Hogwarts Express, sharing the long journey back to London with his four closest friends, Sirius, Remus, Peter and of course, Lily. His sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was now at an end, and it was unlikely to be one that he would ever forget.
The five in the carriage were laughing and joking. Sirius had just been into the Slytherin carriage to play a trick on Schleim and Flint, two of Severus Snapes' cronies. He had narrowly escaped being hit with a myriad of curses and enjoyed telling his adventure to the others.
They, in turn, were glad of the distraction. For most of them, their thoughts had been much too dark of late. The dangers that had found themselves that year giving them all cause for serious thought.
Remus hated the fact that Snape now knew his secret, and he had been enduring no end of taunts from his enemy. Although Dumbledore had assured him that on no account would Snape let his secret out, he trusted the slimy Slytherin no further than he could throw him. Peter, on the other hand, was very busy being scared. He had felt afraid the entire year - since Voldemorts first attack on the train in September - and now he would have to learn ways to protect himself for next year. He knew his limits and he felt that if the Marauders were to come face-to-face with Voldemort again, he would be the first to die. He was petrified.
Sirius had been overwhelmed with guilt over his part in James' kidnap and letting Remus' secret out. For once, his natural exuberance had been quelled and for the last few weeks he had been unusually subdued, only showing a brief resurgence in time for a few end-of-term tricks.
Lily and James of course, had each been dealing with the consequences of their meeting with Voldemort. Both had discovered facts about themselves they had to come to terms with, as well as the joy of discovering their mutual affection. Although they had serious issues to deal with, the end of term had become easier. Dumbledore had promised to protect them well over the holidays and they had been announced head boy and girl for next year.
"So what do you think our chance of winning the Quidditch cup next year, Prongs?" Sirius asked, once his story was over.
"It's already in the bag," James grinned. "There's no way I'm letting the cup go to anyone else in my last year."
"The head boy hath spoken," Remus announced with a flourish. "The Cup be- eth ours next year."
"I still can't believe you're head boy and I'm not so much as a prefect," Sirius grumbled for the umpteenth time. "You've played almost as many tricks as I have, and had almost as many detentions."
"But James has that innocent smile of his - it even fools McGonagall," Lily smiled.
"Honestly, women!" Sirius harrumphed. "Lily - you and McGonagall are the only ones who think James' has an innocent smile. Everyone else knows that it means he's hiding something!"
"Hmm… really," Lily rubbed her chin and looked at James, grinning. "I'll have to remember that."
James shook his head at Sirius. "Padfoot, old friend, I fear you're going to get me into a lot of trouble one of these days."
"If I can, James, if I can," Sirius grinned.
The Hogwarts Express continued to hurtle towards London, the countryside scenes flashing quickly past the carriage window.
----------------
Hundreds of miles away, in a dark, hidden-away castle, Lord Voldemort stood talking with his Death Eaters. A strong fire provided the only light in the room and the orange and red flames flickered across the faces of the wizards gathered there.
"That old fool Dumbledore has put dozens of protection spells around those two -" Voldemort evil voice echoed around his supporters as they stood listening to him. " - There's no way I can find them, and even if I could, they are surrounded by aurors. I doubt either of them realises the lengths he has gone to to protect them both. But they can't hide forever. In another year they will have left Hogwarts and then they will be exposed. There must be a way to get to them… Their friends are weak. I will wait…"
----------------
Platform nine and three quarters was filled with Hogwarts students and parents - the usual chaos at the end of term.
James helped Lily lift her case onto the platform and looked out for his own parents.
"Are your parents here Lily?" he asked.
"They can't get onto the platform," Lily smiled. "They usually wait between platforms nine and ten. When they see children appearing out of nowhere with owls and frogs, they know the train has arrived!"
James smiled. "I'd like to meet them," he said.
"Already, Prongs?" Sirius descended on them. "You know it's only one step from meeting the parents to taking the marriage vows, you know. Can I be best man?"
"Are you still here?" James asked irritably.
"My parents have forgotten me," Sirius said cheerfully. "Can I get a lift home with you?"
Remus came over to say goodbye; his kindly looking parents were stood talking to a teacher at the other end of the platform. He gave Lily a hug and nodded at the others.
"We're meeting at James' house in August, right?" he asked, receiving fervent nods in return. "Great. Are you coming this year, Lily?"
"Oh no, no girls," Sirius shook his head. "There's no way I'm watching those two gaze into each other's eyes for three weeks. If Lily wants to visit James, she'll have to do it when I'm not there."
"You know there's a simple answer to that," James punched his friend in the shoulder. "Bye bye, Sirius."
"I should go and find my parents," Lily said to James, getting a trolley for her trunk as Remus and Sirius said goodbye to Peter, whose mother had just arrived.
"I'll go with you," James said. "My parents aren't here yet, and I won't feel you're safe until I see you with them."
"You're a worry- wart," she said kindly, "but thank you. But we better say goodbye here - I haven't exactly explained everything to my parents about us yet."
James grinned, understanding her immediately, pulling her into a bear hug. He lifted her up and swung her round, causing several students and their parents to stare at them.
"Goodbye, Lily Evans," he said, putting her down at last and resting his forehead against hers. "I'll owl you."
"You better had, James Potter," she smiled and kissed him on the nose.
He kissed her properly then, only letting go when Sirius came up and started adding his own sound effects.
"Let's go, Prongs, I'm bored," he moaned.
They walked through the barrier with Lily to the familiar sight of King's Cross train station. She waved immediately to a man and a woman who stood slightly to the side of platform nine. Standing with them was a cross- looking teenager.
"Urgh," Sirius grimaced, looking at Lily's sister.
A blushing Lily introduced James to Mr and Mrs Evan; they looked at him curiously. James became a little shy. Sirius grinned.
James waved goodbye as Lily left the station, watching until she disappeared from sight, lost in the throng of people. He sighed, and wondered how long it would be until he saw her again, before a clever idea blossomed in his brain. Not long, he thought, smiling to himself.
He turned, grinning, to Sirius.
"C'mon, Padfoot - let's find my parents. I'm starving!"
Waiting until no muggle passengers were looking, Sirius and James disappeared into the hidden platform.
_____________________________________________________________
The End.
Year Six is over! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell what you think.
As for me, now I've finished my own story, I can finally go and read someone else's' J/L fanfic!!
-------------------------
James Potter was at that moment a perfectly content young man. He was sat in a compartment on board the Hogwarts Express, sharing the long journey back to London with his four closest friends, Sirius, Remus, Peter and of course, Lily. His sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was now at an end, and it was unlikely to be one that he would ever forget.
The five in the carriage were laughing and joking. Sirius had just been into the Slytherin carriage to play a trick on Schleim and Flint, two of Severus Snapes' cronies. He had narrowly escaped being hit with a myriad of curses and enjoyed telling his adventure to the others.
They, in turn, were glad of the distraction. For most of them, their thoughts had been much too dark of late. The dangers that had found themselves that year giving them all cause for serious thought.
Remus hated the fact that Snape now knew his secret, and he had been enduring no end of taunts from his enemy. Although Dumbledore had assured him that on no account would Snape let his secret out, he trusted the slimy Slytherin no further than he could throw him. Peter, on the other hand, was very busy being scared. He had felt afraid the entire year - since Voldemorts first attack on the train in September - and now he would have to learn ways to protect himself for next year. He knew his limits and he felt that if the Marauders were to come face-to-face with Voldemort again, he would be the first to die. He was petrified.
Sirius had been overwhelmed with guilt over his part in James' kidnap and letting Remus' secret out. For once, his natural exuberance had been quelled and for the last few weeks he had been unusually subdued, only showing a brief resurgence in time for a few end-of-term tricks.
Lily and James of course, had each been dealing with the consequences of their meeting with Voldemort. Both had discovered facts about themselves they had to come to terms with, as well as the joy of discovering their mutual affection. Although they had serious issues to deal with, the end of term had become easier. Dumbledore had promised to protect them well over the holidays and they had been announced head boy and girl for next year.
"So what do you think our chance of winning the Quidditch cup next year, Prongs?" Sirius asked, once his story was over.
"It's already in the bag," James grinned. "There's no way I'm letting the cup go to anyone else in my last year."
"The head boy hath spoken," Remus announced with a flourish. "The Cup be- eth ours next year."
"I still can't believe you're head boy and I'm not so much as a prefect," Sirius grumbled for the umpteenth time. "You've played almost as many tricks as I have, and had almost as many detentions."
"But James has that innocent smile of his - it even fools McGonagall," Lily smiled.
"Honestly, women!" Sirius harrumphed. "Lily - you and McGonagall are the only ones who think James' has an innocent smile. Everyone else knows that it means he's hiding something!"
"Hmm… really," Lily rubbed her chin and looked at James, grinning. "I'll have to remember that."
James shook his head at Sirius. "Padfoot, old friend, I fear you're going to get me into a lot of trouble one of these days."
"If I can, James, if I can," Sirius grinned.
The Hogwarts Express continued to hurtle towards London, the countryside scenes flashing quickly past the carriage window.
----------------
Hundreds of miles away, in a dark, hidden-away castle, Lord Voldemort stood talking with his Death Eaters. A strong fire provided the only light in the room and the orange and red flames flickered across the faces of the wizards gathered there.
"That old fool Dumbledore has put dozens of protection spells around those two -" Voldemort evil voice echoed around his supporters as they stood listening to him. " - There's no way I can find them, and even if I could, they are surrounded by aurors. I doubt either of them realises the lengths he has gone to to protect them both. But they can't hide forever. In another year they will have left Hogwarts and then they will be exposed. There must be a way to get to them… Their friends are weak. I will wait…"
----------------
Platform nine and three quarters was filled with Hogwarts students and parents - the usual chaos at the end of term.
James helped Lily lift her case onto the platform and looked out for his own parents.
"Are your parents here Lily?" he asked.
"They can't get onto the platform," Lily smiled. "They usually wait between platforms nine and ten. When they see children appearing out of nowhere with owls and frogs, they know the train has arrived!"
James smiled. "I'd like to meet them," he said.
"Already, Prongs?" Sirius descended on them. "You know it's only one step from meeting the parents to taking the marriage vows, you know. Can I be best man?"
"Are you still here?" James asked irritably.
"My parents have forgotten me," Sirius said cheerfully. "Can I get a lift home with you?"
Remus came over to say goodbye; his kindly looking parents were stood talking to a teacher at the other end of the platform. He gave Lily a hug and nodded at the others.
"We're meeting at James' house in August, right?" he asked, receiving fervent nods in return. "Great. Are you coming this year, Lily?"
"Oh no, no girls," Sirius shook his head. "There's no way I'm watching those two gaze into each other's eyes for three weeks. If Lily wants to visit James, she'll have to do it when I'm not there."
"You know there's a simple answer to that," James punched his friend in the shoulder. "Bye bye, Sirius."
"I should go and find my parents," Lily said to James, getting a trolley for her trunk as Remus and Sirius said goodbye to Peter, whose mother had just arrived.
"I'll go with you," James said. "My parents aren't here yet, and I won't feel you're safe until I see you with them."
"You're a worry- wart," she said kindly, "but thank you. But we better say goodbye here - I haven't exactly explained everything to my parents about us yet."
James grinned, understanding her immediately, pulling her into a bear hug. He lifted her up and swung her round, causing several students and their parents to stare at them.
"Goodbye, Lily Evans," he said, putting her down at last and resting his forehead against hers. "I'll owl you."
"You better had, James Potter," she smiled and kissed him on the nose.
He kissed her properly then, only letting go when Sirius came up and started adding his own sound effects.
"Let's go, Prongs, I'm bored," he moaned.
They walked through the barrier with Lily to the familiar sight of King's Cross train station. She waved immediately to a man and a woman who stood slightly to the side of platform nine. Standing with them was a cross- looking teenager.
"Urgh," Sirius grimaced, looking at Lily's sister.
A blushing Lily introduced James to Mr and Mrs Evan; they looked at him curiously. James became a little shy. Sirius grinned.
James waved goodbye as Lily left the station, watching until she disappeared from sight, lost in the throng of people. He sighed, and wondered how long it would be until he saw her again, before a clever idea blossomed in his brain. Not long, he thought, smiling to himself.
He turned, grinning, to Sirius.
"C'mon, Padfoot - let's find my parents. I'm starving!"
Waiting until no muggle passengers were looking, Sirius and James disappeared into the hidden platform.
_____________________________________________________________
The End.
Year Six is over! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell what you think.
As for me, now I've finished my own story, I can finally go and read someone else's' J/L fanfic!!