Hi,

My goal with this chapter was to get them to school, finally! I almost managed it (well, at least they are on the platform 9 and three quarters now). I also wanted to reveal something more about the murder mystery.

This chapter is written from Lily´s viewpoint, because I felt it would be more interesting. (Truly, doing what I want is one of the greatest advantages of being the writer of a story). I don´t hate Lily, but I think that adult Snape has quite an idealized picture of her. My Lily is a good girl, but a bit thoughtless, self-centered and prejudiced, which according to my observation almost all teenagers seem to be. But she will grow up during the story just like every other character.

Please, enjoy (or suffer) the chapter and tell me your opinion :)

-EveryJohn

/

On the first of September, Lily Evans stood next to her burgundy leather trunk waiting for the departure of the Hogwarts Express. Her long red hair was fluttering in the gust of wind. She was wearing a light yellow plaid summer dress, which had looked very pretty back in the Godrics Hollow. After arriving to King´s Cross station in London, barely 15 minutes ago, she had, however, immediately recognized it to be far too light for the chilly September morning.

Lily wrapped her arms around herself and tried to catch her dark haired boyfriend´s sight. In vain. It seemed that, for now, she should forget her hopes of getting to borrow his jacket. James Potter was immersed in inspecting a new model of broom, which one of his quidditch team mates had purchased in the summer. Lily cast a weak warming charm on herself. There really were some advantages for coming of age in wizarding world.

Younger students swarmed on the platform. They were meeting their friends after the summer and telling farewells to their parents. She watched this quietly. Almost everyone was younger than her.

Everybody had said that she was an obvious choice as the next head girl. She had always been academically exceptional and one could say that she had plenty of experience of taking responsibility for having been a prefect already for two years. She admitted that it was true. And if she was completely honest, she could not imagine anyone else taking her place. Still, the responsibility of being the head girl felt a bit heavy. Whereas there were several prefects, only one head girl and head boy were chosen every year. Her boyfriend James had surprisingly made it as a head boy. (It had taken almost an hour and an additional owl to Dumbledore to convince his friend Sirius believe that.)

For the first time ever, no-one from Cokeworth had come to King´s Cross station to see her off to school. That made her surprisingly melancholic. It didn´t help that she, herself, had claimed to be old enough to go on her own. She had just passed the examination and had a brand new apparition license in her pocket. She had James and his friends with her and she had already spent a good deal of the summer at James´s family home in Godric´s Hollow. The arrangement made sense. Still, she could not stop feeling a little lonely. Lily knew that her parents would have come, if she had just asked them. Especially her father.

Truth to be told, In the beginning of the summer holiday, the small community, where James and his family lived, had been very exciting and new to Lily. James´s father Fleamont Potter, though a little air-headed at times, was a charming elderly gentleman. He had been very pleased with his son´s new girlfriend, who was in his eyes responsible and pretty young lady. James´s mother Euphemia Potter was a quiet but heartfelt elderly lady. Everything in their house and in the village with such a large magical population had been exotic to someone like her who had lived all her life, except for the school semesters, in a small muggle industrial town.

Sirius Black, who was one of James´s best friends in school, lived with the Potters. He had his own official room in the house. James had told Lily privately that around an year ago the pure-blood boy had been kicked out from his parent´s home. The Potters had practically adopted him. Ever since then James´s parents had treated Sirius and James exactly like real brothers. The other two boys, who belonged to their close circle of friends, commonly known as Marauders in school, had also visited the house almost daily. On the best days, the floo would flash green several times. James´s parents always welcomed the guests. James´s friends were asked to stay for a meal and the house-elf Blinky habitually prepared some extra food, just in case.

With their whole group there, James´s and Sirius´s mischievousy doubled. The boys were always up to something, whether it was an illegal broom race in the forest or pulling pranks on the neighbours. There was never a dull moment. Everything was magical and fun and it had been easy to forget everything mundane and muggle.

Then, after barely two weeks of holiday, on one Saturday morning, aurors had appeared without warning in Godric´s Hollow. They brought sorrowful news for the Potters. Henry Potter´s dead body had been found from the moors on that morning.

The news was devastating. Henry Potter had been James´s grandfather. He had already been an old man. He had retired from the Auror force several years ago but had been so full of vitality and wit that his real age had been easy to forget. No-one had thought him to pass away so soon. His death was even harder blow, because according to the investigating aurors it was obvious that it had not come from old age and natural causes. Henry Potter had been cold-bloodedly murdered and the murderer was still on loose.

The homicide of Henry Potter had risen a storm of fear and anger in the wizarding Britain. The Potters had been flooded in condolences. For days the front yard of their house had been full of owls, either resting or waiting for their turn to deliver a letter.

After the news of Henry Potter´s demise the lively house had become oddly silent and suffocating. Lily had missed her home in Cokeworth. Even her sour big sister Petunia. But she could not leave her boyfriend and Potters now that they were at their lowest. James´s parents seemed quite lost in their sorrow and with all the attention they were suddenly getting. Lily made it a habit to advice sorrowful Blinky to maintain the basic cleanliness of the household. She also tried to make sure that everyone remembered to eat something at times.

After his grandfather´s murder, James had become irritable and moody. He snapped sometimes even at Lily. Sirius, on the other hand, brooded in the house full of silent fury like a vengeful ghost. The adopted brother became positively murderous whenever the perpetrators of the homicide became the topic of a discussion. Lily had an ominous feeling that if someone had pointed the murderer to him (or any Deatheater at that point), he could have easily done something that would have landed him in Azcaban.

After the customary wizarding burial ceremony, the sorrow had seemed to settle a little, but Lily still worried for James, who refused to talk at all about his feelings despite her careful probing. Lily knew that James and his grandfather had been very close. Once, before all of this, James had confided her, how much he admired his grandfather. Henry Potter had been his hero and James had always dreamed of becoming an auror just like him.

On the occasions she had met Henry Potter before his demise, Lily had liked him a lot. Her sadness was, however, superficial compared to the others, who had known him for much longer.

Remus Lupin, who was the calm one among the group of friends, had done his best to support his two crestfallen mates. He had visited Godric´s Hollow daily and he had been very helpful. He had been only person with whom Lily could have a reasonable talk about the situation. Peter Pettigrew, the smallest and least handsome of the Marauders, on the other hand, had become remarkably anxious with the dark and gloomy atmosphere in the house. For the rest of the holiday he had mostly avoided the others. Today was the first time Lily had seen him in weeks.

/

"Let go of my robes, Regulus Black, if you don´t wan´t your fingers hexed off."

"But Severus, we need to talk!"

"You heard your mother´s words as clearly as I did."

"She didn´t mean it th..."

A single snort from the other boy halted other one´s protest.

"Do not go pretending to be stupid and naive, Black. The only thing you are is sissy. She meant it." The boy scoffed. "How much more straightforward one can be? Did you hear her threatening to crucio me, if I ever approached you again?"

"But you can not possibly mean that... Severus, are you serious? Even in Hogwarts? We can never again talk casually to each-other because of her?!"

The older boy turned his head away. His black hair fell on his face and he was about to step in the train, but then a panicky yell made him stop for a moment.

"SEVERUS! Sh-should we not fight against it? We can´t let her win! I will talk to her... I can´t lose you now that we are friends. I won´t give up, Severus!"

The other boy stiffened. Then he forced himself to relax. He took a long breath and turned again towards the younger one, who had stared his back pleadingly. Something, that seemed like regret, flicked in his black eyes. Then he seemed to steel himself. "Cease with the dramatics, Black. Your mother threw me out in the cold rain. I did not have any place to go. I even used last of my muggle money on our 'London tour' weeks earlier. You did not even bother to come check on me afterwards. Our summer friendship was not very important to you, after all."

The younger boy lowered his eyes, ashamed. "She would not let me. She made Kreacher hex the door and windows off..." he whispered.

"Whatever you say." The older boy dismissed him with a shrug of his shoulders. "But if you anger her again, Black, I will be likely to feel the backlash of it. I don´t want to. I have enough to worry without your twisted family." He sighed, his disposition softening slightly. "This summer was interesting, Black. I enjoyed our research and I wish you great success with it. But regarding our friendship, this is the end. I won´t talk to you after this. You and me, Black, we are nothing but two housemates of different years."

With those last words Severus stepped in the train. He didn´t look back into the lonely boy standing on the platform, looking after him.

/

Lily grabbed Black who had been yawning next to her. "Sirius. What does your brother have to do with Severus Snape?"

Sirius squinted to the direction where Lily was pointing. He suddenly stood straighter as if hit by a mean stinging hex. "Blimey, Lily... You are right. My little brother is bloody chatting up Snivellius! "

Lily and Sirius both leaned forward to gape. Severus seemed to notice. His onyx colored eyes met Lily´s green ones and he frowned. For a moment, Lily was dazed. Severus had always been tall and lean, but when her housemates had teased her for him having a crush on her, it had been easy to laugh them off. Severus had been just her friend. Besides, he had been ugly and awkward. Not someone, who made girl´s hearts flutter. Today, however, Lily was forced to see a different side of the childhood friend she had forsaken. He was dressed in something that actually fit him and wasn´t faded or stretched. Even his face looked different, more defined... but still his. He didn´t seem awkward either. He was cold and confident and... He was a man. That was a shock to Lily. There was no denying it. He was not anymore a stereotype of someone on whom a budding teenage witch would never ever have a crush. He was a enigma. And Lily knew how women loved mysteries.

After Severus had left, Sirius´s younger brother still stood on the platform alone. He looked forlorn.

Sirius, who had stared the scene silently, gasped: "Did you see, what just happened? What, in the name of Morgana´s tits, was that?"

Lily noticed that older Black´s fists were tightly clenched.

"Padfoot, your lil bro found a new girlfriend. She is an ugly though", Peter Pettigrew put in, and cackled.

Sirius pretended to throw up. He grasped ratlike boy´s neck and was mockingly throttling him. "Don´t talk about such disgusting things, Wormtail!"

Pettigrew guffawed and Lily shook her head.

/

"Lily! How was your summer?" Someone had suddenly wrapped their arms around Lily´s shoulders and rubbed now their face to her red lion´s mane.

"Alice McGinnon! You destroy my hair, you little devil", Lily scolded while laughing. She turned around to see her roommate and best friend.

Alice giggled, big brown eyes twinkling.

Lily answered to the hug tightly and messed Alice´s curly brown hair as a payback despite her protest.

Alice was a petite brown-eyed girl, who almost always had wide grin on her lips and a dimple on her left cheek. She was curious of everything and loved all kinds of fun. She could be mischievous, but had a heart of gold. She was also tough as nails when that was needed.

"Its finally our N.E.W.T.s year, Lily! I´m horrified to even think about it. When did those six years pass by? I swear, it was just a while ago when we both were two terrified eleven-years-old kids. Gosh, remember how older students such as prefects and the head boy and the head girl looked like respectable adults", Alice reminisced. She shook her head. "Oh, Lily, I am not at all ready to be an adult! And how come, the first-year students look younger and younger every year?"

Lily grinned. This year really was extremely important to their futures. Alice, for example, wanted to be an auror just like his boyfriend, who was three years older than her. Frank had just finished his training period and was now a full-fledged junior auror paired to the famous Moody "Madeye".

"Didn´t Frank come with you this year?"

"Yes, he was just here... He said, he had something to tell to James about his grandfather´s case." She looked around and then turned back to Lily steamy-eyed. "I was so devastated when I heard about it, Lily. That was horrible. I almost said to Frank that he should quit being auror and we both should start gardening business instead. But then I thought, who would catch the bad guys, then? I feel so bad for James. Frank was also so sad and furious. Many aurors idolized old Henry Potter. They really are doing their best to catch the perpetrators. They have been working overtime almost every day. Frank says that the whole department is enraged and vowing revenge on the murderer. He was a mentor and a dear colleague of many."

When Alice spotted her boyfriend she waved for him to come closer. "Frank! Come and greet Lily!"

The tall and slim boy with big ears made his way towards them. He nodded his head slowly and politely to Lily and managed to look a bit awkward in all his seriousness. He rested a hand lovingly on Alice´s shoulders and seemed to visibly soften. "Congratulations on becoming the head girl, Ms. Evans." He nodded to Lily. "What is it, Ally?" he then asked and blinked his eyes.

"You had something to tell them, love." Alice reminded and waved towards the boys.

Frank sighed and scratched his head. "Yes... Hmm." Then he waved to James. "Potter?"

"Have you found out something new?" James asked pensively. After so many times of false hope, he had began to look resigned beforehand.

Frank shook his head gloomily. "Nothing much that I could tell you. I am sorry, James. Just a couple of days ago they found two new bodies in the Forbidden forest and everything has gone to dragon shit since then. They were left in the forest, quite near the border of Hogsmeade. I am allowed to tell you this, because it will be written all over the Daily Prophet by tomorrow morning. Some kind of leak... The bodies were cleverly hidden by magic, but centaurs noticed something suspicious and informed the locals, who alarmed aurors. It is pretty sure that this is work of the Deatheaters, but we are yet to prove anything."

James frowned.

"We were able to identify one of the bodies easily. He had been declared missing, but the other body proved to be harder", Frank continued.

"Why are you telling me this, Longbottom? I could read it from tomorrow´s paper. Unless..." James cleared his throat. "Does that other, un-identified body, have something to do with solving my Grandfather´s murder?"

"Both seem to have connection to Deatheaters. I´d say that cases are bound to be somehow related... just that the investigation is still going on and..." He averted his eyes. "I just wanted to make sure of something. Your father is a potioneer, right?"

James shrugged his shoulders. His father had not actively brewed for a long time from what he knew. He had invented that hair potion which had become an instant hit. After that he and his wife had been able to live their lives comfortably, not really having to do anything special.

"Did your grandfather have a hobby of making potions, too?"

"No. He admired potions masters, but admitted that didn´t have the talent himself. He actually said that he had been very surprised that my father made it his career. He said he suspected that inventing that hairpotion had to be a massive stroke of luck as my father was never very systematic person, but apparently he has always had exceptional luck."

"Then did Henry Potter have friends, who were into potions that he could have visited?"

"No, as far as I know, he didn´t."

"Did he perhaps have a magizoologist friend or an acquaintance?"

"I can´t say for sure. He knew lots of people. But why do you ask that?"

Frank looked disappointed. "Well... Eh, they found a hair on his... eh, Henry Potter´s, body. It was analyzed and it belongs to a certain magical beast. It can be used as potions ingredient. We are trying to look for his steps earlier on the day before his death. The hair... No-one has yet been able to provide a plausible explanation for how it ended up on his person on that day."

His voice faded and his eyes trailed Regulus Black, who still stood on the platform some distance away from them. Regulus´s housemates seemed to have noticed him alone and came to talk with him.

Frank cleared his throat. Then he, surprisingly, turned to talk to Sirius. "Black, I hope you don´t mind me asking, but did James´s grandfather know your younger brother very well?"

"What? You mean Reggie?" Sirius frowned nonplussed.

"Yes, him."

"Hell no. They have barely ever even spoken, as far as I know. Why?"

"Just that, well, your little brother and that recluse Slytherin, whom your group always seemed to torment in the past... Severus Snape, right? They were the last people to have been seen talking to James´s grandfather before his death. It seems like it really is just a coincidence, but I can´t help wondering... It is interesting that Henry Potter ended up talking to them in the first place."

Frank silenced after noticing other´s expressions.

"I thought that you knew. The aurors had to contact your father to interview Regulus, since he is a minor..."

Sirius shook his head. "No, I didn´t..." He groaned sounding strangely choked.

"Sirius was disinherited by his family, last summer", Remus Lupin explained in the place of his friend. His pale, mauled face, looked more stern than usual. "Sirius has not talked to his parents since then."