Chapter Twenty-One: Career Advice

The weather grew warmer and brighter as the last few days of Easter break passed, but it made no difference, for the fifth-and-seventh years were forced to spend their time indoors, studying, revising, wandering back and forth between the library. Lily hated to agree, but James had the right idea: NEWTs were too much work.

On the last Saturday of the holidays, a large assortment of leaflets, pamphlets and brochures appeared on the tables in the Gryffindor common room describing various magical careers in great detail, along with a notice on the board.

Career Advice

Seventh years are required to attend a private meeting with their Head of House (see below for times) to discuss their NEWTs, as well as their future careers.

And then, below:

Provisional License Exams

Those who have signed up for a Provisional Field License are required to take a practical exam and shall be awarded a Provisional Field License upon passing. Each course will have a different time and place to conduct the exams.

Lily skimmed down the notices and found that her meeting was scheduled for Thursday morning in Professor McGonagall's office. The healing exam was due a fortnight later, which was going to be a Hogsmeade weekend. She and the rest of the seventh years spent most of Sunday going over the brochures left at the tables.

"You reckon you can get into the Auror programme?" asked James to Alice that evening. "They want at least an E in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"I've got to try, haven't I?" said Alice. "Frank told me that no one's gotten accepted in the past two years other than him. I'm not sure if he was gloating or warning me."

"How about you, James, you still want to be a Quidditch star?" sniggered Marlene.

"Er – no," said James flatly. "Actually, I don't really know what I want to do after Hogwarts…"

"Why don't you apply for the Auror programme, like me?" asked Alice. "You're one of the best duellers in the Defense course, and you've got the grades to back it up."

"I dunno," said James, frowning. "It just doesn't feel right for me."

"You could always apply for Healing," said Lily from her spot on the couch. "You've got the right NEWTs, and it's not as hard to get into as the Auror programme. Speaking of…" She nudged Sirius with her foot, who was lounging on the other end of the couch reading 'SO YOU WANT TO MINGLE WITH THE MUGGLES?' "I heard you were applying for an Auror spot too, Padfoot."

"Whoever you heard that from's a fat liar," retorted Sirius. "No way I'd work for the Ministry of Magic. Too many idiots in one place, I think my brain'd explode."

"You'd be in your element, though," said Lily.

Before Sirius could answer, Remus said, "You know, I also heard you were going to be an Auror. What are you applying for?"

"Well, I was thinking about Muggle liaisons," said Sirius, waving his brochure. "And I could work for some private, non-Ministry company or something. You know, travelling the world and all that."

"And then?"

"And then I realised that I only took Muggle studies to spite my mother," said Sirius. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life doing something that reminds me of her. My only ambition in life is to die old and rich, preferably with you lot around my deathbed."

"Well, you need a job to get rich, and seeing as you're probably getting no inheritance aside from what you've already gotten, I'd suggest you start looking seriously," said Lily brusquely.

"I feel sorry for McGonagall," said James, smirking. "She was all proud and happy that you were focusing on a career, and now she's going to be disappointed to find that you're changing it."

"Well, I was already a disappointment to my mother before she disowned me," said Sirius sarcastically. "What difference is another woman going to make?"

But he shut up quickly and pulled a couple more pamphlets and brochures close to him.

Lily, who was confident enough in her abilities as a Healer that she would get in with no problem, announced that she was going to bed. This caused the rest of her friends to glance at the clock, and when they saw it was nearing eleven, they too traipsed back up to their dormitories.

The next few days passed uneventfully, save for a couple of detentions that Lily and James had to give out. Professor McGonagall, who looked very tired these days, requested that the detention slips be sent to Professor Dumbledore for the next few weeks. Lily thought this was quite odd – Dumbledore wasn't even in his office most of the time, so she and James just left the slips on top of his desk, where they could be watched over by Fawkes.

Her friends brought stories of their appointments with Professor McGonagall to the common room, and they spent a good amount of time speculating about their career choices. Alice had been cleared to enter the Auror Academy without any hitches – her resume, according to Professor McGonagall, was 'about as good as any Auror could hope'. Em had also expressed interest in joining the Aurors. Marlene debated between being a Quidditch player or working as an Auror, while Mary wanted to work in the Ministry. Lily had no idea how her other friends' appointments had gone – Remus had patrol twice a week, and he usually left very early with James. Peter didn't give her straight answers when she asked about his job options, and Sirius had told her very rudely to sod off when she pestered him about his appointment, which left James, who had his meeting the day after hers.

Thursday morning dawned bright and earlier than usual. Lily shoved her books into her bag, had a quick breakfast, then bid her friends goodbye and marched towards Professor McGonagall's office for her appointment.

"Good morning, Professor," said Lily as she entered through the door.

Professor McGonagall looked up, then scribbled something down on a piece of parchment and shuffled the many pamphlets on her desk.

"Morning, Miss Evans," said Professor McGonagall. "Sit down, please."

Lily sat down right in front of her, drumming her fingers on her knees. Her eyes darted around the office; it was small but cosy, different from Professor Slughorn's large and spacious room. There were several pictures stuck to the wall to her side, but her eyes were drawn to the largest, and what appeared to be the most recent one: Professor McGonagall, James, Marlene and the rest of the Quidditch team. It must have been taken last year, for there was barely any difference to any of them.

"Well, Evans, this meeting, like the one in the fifth year, is to discuss any career ideas you might have, based on the NEWTs you have chosen," said Professor McGonagall. "Two years ago, you decided you wanted to be a Healer. You have since been chosen by Madam Pomfrey as her apprentice, and you have also applied for a Healing Provisional License."

"Yes," said Lily. She could not think of what else to say.

Professor McGonagall took a folder bearing her name on it and pulled out several different papers.

"As for your grades, I'd say they are more than enough to get into St Mungo's," continued Professor McGonagall. "Professor Slughorn has always graded you high for potions, so no issues there. Professor Flitwick also seems to have put you very high this year – O's all around. Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts – all fine. You have your bonus subjects in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes as well. Your only problem is Transfiguration."

"Transfiguration?" asked Lily, quite blankly. "What – but –"

"Nothing a bit of practice can't fix," said Professor McGonagall tersely. "At the moment, your work is averaging between an A and an E. St Mungo's refuses to take anything less than an E on NEWT I would recommend getting someone to tutor you."

"But I already have James tutoring me," said Lily. "And if he can't, well… who can?"

"Have him tutor you harder," suggested Professor McGonagall dryly, a bit of a smile on her thin lips. "Healing takes a further three years to train, so if it is really your ambition, then you will have to prepare yourself for even more study and research."

Professor McGonagall took out her wand, waved it over Lily's file and duplicated it. She slid it across her desk to Lily.

"Any questions, Evans?"

"Yes," said Lily. "What if I wanted to be an Auror? Would I be able to apply to the Auror Academy then?"

"I suppose you would, seeing as you have the right NEWTs," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "But I must warn you, Evans, that the training to become an Auror is far more intense than that of Healing. They accept only the best, and after that, it is nothing but gruelling hard work."

Professor McGonagall placed her hands together.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes, quite a few things," said Lily. "What sort of aptitude tests will I have to take if St Mungo's lets me in? And what other career options do I have with my NEWTs?"

"Well, you'll need to demonstrate the ability to act quickly in different scenarios," said Professor McGonagall. "When saving lives, time is important, Miss Evans. Your decision-making is also something that St Mungo's takes into consideration – if they deem you have good judgement, then your chances of becoming a Healer increase exponentially, but also remember that the training after graduating from Hogwarts is intense."

"I'll need a good memory, I suppose?" asked Lily.

"Naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "The Healer's Academy is mostly memorisation, after all. As for your other career options…" Professor McGonagall glanced at Lily's file, "You'd be open to the Auror Academy, as we've discussed – if they think you are competent enough, they will send you an invitation. Curse-breaking is also a very prestigious job, and with your NEWTs in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, it would not be too hard to get in. Alchemy is not being taught this year, but with a high enough Potions grade I think Professor Dumbledore could get you in contact with a few Egyptian scholars and Alchemists."

"All right," said Lily, slightly overwhelmed by the amount of information she had to take in. "OK, er – is it possible to change careers midway? I mean –"

"Do you wish to change careers?" asked Professor McGonagall, frowning.

"No, no," said Lily hastily. "Just – purely hypothetical. If I wanted to change careers midway through training, would that be possible?"

Professor McGonagall thought for a moment, then said, "It is possible, but not advised. You will have already spent time and money into training, and most wizards and witches choose to stay in one career throughout their lives."

"Right," said Lily, nodding. "Thanks, Professor."

"Then that concludes our meeting," said Professor McGonagall, leaning back in her chair. "Have a good day, Evans."

Lily shouldered her bag and hurried off to second-period Charms. The bell had rung long ago, and when she entered the classroom she was met with a noise of disapproval from Professor Flitwick.

"I'm really sorry, Professor," said Lily earnestly, letting her bag drop to her elbow. "I had my career appointment with Professor McGonagall, and we lost track of time, I guess…"

"Oh very well," squeaked Professor Flitwick. "Off to your seat, Evans."

Lily scurried towards a table with three of the seven Gryffindors that took Charms. She muttered a quick greeting to James and Sirius and Remus, who were too busy levitating knitting needles to acknowledge her. Remus slid her a ball of yarn and two needles, and she started to get to work.

"How'd your meeting go?" asked James some five minutes later, twitching his wand in delicate patterns so that the needles would follow.

Lily shrugged. "All right, I suppose. Professor McGonagall was really detailed with her explanations."

"Can't say I'm looking forward to mine," muttered James. "I still haven't decided on what to do."

"You haven't got to decide now," said Sirius, flourishing his wand and causing his needles to snap. "Dammit – anyways, what you should be deciding is which potion to put in the Slytherin's drinks."

"Essence of Insanity?" suggested James, then he made a face. "Nah – we've already done that. Besides, I reckon Avery's already insane enough. How about an Ageing Potion?"

"You do realise you're talking in front of me, right?" asked Lily.

"Yep," said Sirius. "Any suggestions?"

"I've got a whole bottle of Manegro Potion," said Lily a little too loudly; glancing around for Professor Flitwick, she then added, "You know, the one that makes your hair grow? You'll look like a lion with just a few drops."

"Sounds neat," said Remus. "Just one thing – let's not spike their drinks. Do something else instead."

"Why not?" asked Sirius, his brow furrowing.

"Last time we messed with the kitchens, we got Slytherin and Gryffindor mixed up," said Remus grimly. "I don't know about you, but I don't fancy spending an entire night in front of the mirror cutting my hair."

"The showers, then?" said Sirius, smirking. "No way we can mix those up… oh, I can't wait to see what Snivellus'll look like…"

Apparently envisioning Snape's greasy hair, Sirius repaired his needles, then flourished his wand yet again, causing a spell meant for his ball of yarn to somehow find its mark in Professor Flitwick and it knocked him flat on his face. Lily, who spent a great deal of her time trying not to envision Snape's greasy hair, laughed rather harshly at him as he was scolded by Professor Flitwick.

"Come on," muttered James as the lunch bell rang, grabbing Lily's bag before she could so much as zip it. "Everyone'll be at lunch, it's the perfect opportunity…"

"What – now?" sputtered Lily, alarmed. "But – I've never done this before, what if we get caught –?"

"You won't," said Sirius, pulling them out of the classroom quickly before Professor Flitwick could add more to his detentions. "You'll have us, don't forget that. Where's the Manegro?"

"It's – well, it's in my drawer, but –"

Sirius hurtled off towards the marble stairs before she could finish her sentence. She gaped at him, open-mouthed.

Lily shook her head. "There's no way I'm letting Sirius rifle through my stuff, let's go after him."

Waving a quick goodbye to an amused Marlene, Alice and Em, who were right behind them, she quickly followed Sirius up to the Head's Tower with James and Remus. Lily clambered through the portrait hole, held Sirius at wand-point to prevent him from dashing up to her stairs, then summoned the Manegro Potion from her drawer.

"It's bad manners to go through a girl's things, Padfoot," she fumed at him, whacking the top of his head with her wand for good measure. "What now?"

She held the bottle of hair-growing potion up to the light so that they could all see. The green substance rippled unpleasantly as they stared at it.

"We go to the fifth floor," said Remus. "That's where the pipes are. I'll meet you there with Wormy."

"Are you sure that's going to be enough, Padfoot?" asked Peter doubtfully, looking at the little bottle Lily held in her hands.

Sirius jabbed a finger in Lily's direction, who was keeping an eye on the map with James. "Ask her, she's the potions expert."

"It's going to be more than enough, Wormtail," said Lily patiently, her eyes fixed on a 'Bellend' that was sitting awfully close to where they were.

And where were they, exactly? Behind the prefects' bathroom, remembered Lily, looking around. She'd never been here, as there was no reason to, but apparently the whole network of pipes and plumbing merged into one complicated-looking room that gave off an odd stench, situated feet away from the bathroom in a secluded corridor. As Remus worked on dismantling the pipes, Sirius rummaged through his bag and pulled out a rather grubby-looking funnel.

"This is all very exciting, isn't it?" asked Lily, unable to contain herself. "I mean – who knew breaking the rules was so fun?"

James gave a strange-sounding cough that sounded suspiciously like 'Astronomy Tower'.

"You've broken rules before," said Remus, attempting to pull apart a T-pipe. "Remember when you got detention for hexing Penny Pendleton? She couldn't speak for days, what with her mouth gone."

"Vividly," murmured Lily.

"Are you done over there, Moony?" called Sirius, holding his funnel loosely by the edge. "I don't think this thing'll last much longer – waste of magic to repair it…"

Remus wrenched apart the pipes with his wand and stepped back, dusting his grimy hands.

"All done," said Remus.

Sirius placed the funnel to the pipe and held out his hand to Lily, an expectant look on his face.

"Manegro," he said impatiently.

"Are you sure this is the right pipe?" asked Lily, looking closely at it. "You know, if you're wrong, and you get Gryffindor instead –"

"That's a mistake only amateurs make," said Sirius. "We, love, aren't exactly amateurs at this sort of thing. Now be a dear and give me the Manegro, will you?"

"Y'know, I'm starting to get second thoughts –"

"Lils." A pair of arms snaked around her waist, and James dug his chin on her shoulder. "Give him the Manegro and get it over with. You'll feel better after we've finished."

"I sincerely doubt that."

Nevertheless, Lily pulled out the bottle of green potion and held it out to Sirius. Peter took it instead, and he uncorked it slowly, letting the smell of tea leaves and sweaty hair waft over them, like a blanket…

Gagging slightly, he poured the contents of the bottle down the funnel. The five of them watched as the potion swirled and merged with the water that ran through the fat pipe, ready to turn all of Slytherin's greasy locks into manes fit for lions.

"Have you thought of a career yet, James?" asked Lily. "Your meeting's tomorrow, you'll look right stupid if you show up unprepared."

"Don't remind me," said James gloomily. "I'm giving it thought, all right? It's not exactly easy."

It was several hours after their fun bonding group activity, and they had both decided to spend the last few hours of the day cooped up in the Head's Tower working on their essays. Dinner had long since passed, and yet Lily was already hungry; she considered taking James's Invisibility Cloak to grab a bite in the kitchens, but her Ancient Runes translation pulled her back.

"Tomorrow's going to be eventful," remarked James suddenly, throwing his quill down so that it rolled over her parchment. "We've never sabotaged the Slytherin showers before… if Sirius is right, and Snape doesn't shower…"

Frowning, Lily brushed his quill off her work. "What was that about Snape?"

"Oh – er…" James ran a hand through his unruly hair, now looking uncomfortable. "A few years back Sirius had this idea that Snape never showers in the morning. Or ever, really. Guess we'll know tomorrow, right?"

"You and Snape," said Lily, rolling her eyes. "I just want to let go of that part of my life. If people didn't know better they'd think you have some sort of secret history with him."

"Well, my hating Snape isn't exactly private, is it?" said James. "There's your secret history – and this time, it's not one-sided."

"That implies the existence of other secret histories."

"Maybe, maybe not."

Lily laughed, not expecting his answer to be so stupid.

"God, you're such a prat," she muttered, leaning over to kiss him. "Good thing I'm not the jealous type."

"Aren't you?" said James, inching closer and closer to her. "That sixth year, the one you hexed – Penny, wasn't it?"

"I mean, if you keep pushing my buttons like that…"

His warm breath tickled her. They were face-to-face, her lying on the couch and James pressing against her. She could see every eyelash, every speck of black and brown in his hazel eyes as he gazed at her, an expression of peculiar wonder about him.

"You know damn well I'm never going to stop pushing your buttons," murmured James. "Merlin, woman, I love you."

He gave her a smile – one of his small, lopsided smiles she so rarely saw, but she was convinced that they were reserved for her. Lily curled her fingers around the neck of his robes and pulled him closer, her eyes locked on his and then, slowly, she closed them – he was sweet, and he was tender, and Lily had never wanted anything more or anything less.

She breathed heavily as they pulled away. James plopped his head down on her chest, and for a few moments they lay there, unmoving, quite satisfied with how things had gone. The pile of homework lay on the table as though taunting her, but she found, to her surprise, that she could hardly care less.

She pulled the Marauder's Map out of her pocket and propped it on top of James's head, who looked up questioningly but said nothing. Lily had grown fond of the map, and of the Marauders – their invention had made patrol much easier and shorter. She liked watching the little dots mill peacefully about the common rooms; proof that Hogwarts was still normal, proof that every student had their own, different lives going for them.

She retraced her steps from the prefects' bathroom. She, James and Sirius had gone under the Invisibility Cloak then, so as to not get caught. They had taken a shortcut through the walls, behind the painting of Zamira the Zealous; then they had passed the Headmaster's office – curious, her gaze wandered over to it, expecting to see Dumbledore's name.

There he was, his dot set right in the middle of the room, and then – so quickly she almost missed it – his name vanished.

Lily stared for a moment, then frowned. He had been there just a second ago… unless the Map was malfunctioning…

She scanned the Map for any sign of him. He was not in Professor McGonagall's office, who she assumed was asleep, nor was he in the staff room or out on the grounds.

"Dumbledore's disappeared," said Lily.

"Mmm," murmured James sleepily against her robes.

Lily rolled her eyes and sat up, forcing James to get off her. He huffed in disappointment and yawned, stretching on the couch.

"The map shows invisible people, doesn't it?" asked Lily, shaking the parchment. "Dumbledore just straight up and vanished. Did he Disapparate?"

"You can't Apparate or Disapparate inside Hogwarts, Lily," said James patiently, with an air of explaining something very basic to a toddler. "He must've taken the Floo Network, or he used Fawkes, like how Alice told us."

"I guess." Lily shot the map one last suspicious glance, then tossed it over to the table on top of her Rune translation. "You don't think he's… well, fighting, is he?"

James shrugged. "Whatever he's doing, I doubt there's anything to worry about. It's Dumbledore, don't forget that."

"Yeah, but when the enemy's bloody Voldemort you can't exactly use that line, can you?" said Lily flatly.

"Well, I guess there's that," said James, running a hand through his hair. Then he added, in rather a casual, off-hand voice, "Your bed's a lot more comfortable than mine, Lils – mind if I sleep in it?"

Despite her murky thoughts, Lily laughed. "You're a git, James Potter."

She and James arrived very early for breakfast the next morning, and she was surprised when she found Sirius, Remus and Peter already seated close to the end of the table. The Great Hall was half-full, but she realised that none of the students in it were Slytherins; the table was, most unusually, empty.

"Strange seeing you up, Padfoot," said Lily, sitting down with James.

Sirius ignored her. He kept glancing furtively from the double doors to his plate of food as though he couldn't decide which one would keep him busy the longest. There was a strange, malicious glint in his eye that made Lily uneasy, but she bit her lip from saying anything about it – after all, Sirius had always been particularly vicious when it came to Slytherins.

The staff table up ahead looked very odd without Dumbledore sitting beside McGonagall. She had struck a conversation with Professor Slughorn who, she noted, was looking very sombre.

At that moment, the doors of the Great Hall burst open, and in strode a pride of… well, Lily would have liked to say lions, but they looked rather like a bunch of oversized, shaggy dust bunnies. The Slytherins shuffled onwards, bringing a strange silence to the Great Hall, and instead of moving towards their own House table, they lined up in front of the Professors.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn stood up and moved forwards, the latter sporting an unsurprised look of acceptance.

"What happened?" demanded Professor McGonagall to a blond-maned individual, using her wand to move large clumps of hair growing out of where the face usually was.

"No one knows," said the muffled voice of one other, this one with puffy, curly hair all swept back as though it had been combed. "I was taking a shower, and then –"

The door opened once again and admitted a straggler, whose sight caused the Marauders to take one look at each other, before they swooped down under the table and dissolved into peals of laughter. Sirius and James were laughing so hard they slipped off their seats and rolled around the stone floor.

"Brilliant," gasped Sirius, reaching out to grasp James as they both shook with laughter. "Absolutely brilliant."

Severus Snape stopped dead in his tracks and gaped at his fellow Slytherins, who had all turned to stare back at his normal, non-hairy self.

Peter snorted and fell off his seat, joining James and Sirius under the table.

Remus and Lily glanced at each other and quickly averted their gaze; she had not seen Snape at all these past few months, had not bothered to pay attention to him. Something about the sight of him made her feel incredibly sad, but there was also a great deal of humour to be found – and she hated herself for it.

"SNAPE!" bellowed the inaudible voice of Avery, whipping Snape with his tentacle-like hairy arms. "You slimy, greasy – Professor, he didn't shower!"

"Has he ever?" quipped in a round, spiky-haired fourth-year, who looked a lot like a sea urchin.

"Severus!" barked Slughorn, suddenly striding forwards with a haste that was unusual for such a large man. "Did you do this?"

Snape shook his head, his greasy locks swinging from side to side. "No, Professor, but –"

He was interrupted by a sudden movement by Professor McGonagall, whose hands had dived inside the folds of her robes and emerged a moment later holding a black piece of metal, quite like the ones Aurors used. She took one look at it, her face morphing into an expression of alarm and disbelief, then strode past the hairy Slytherins out the doors.

"W-well," said Professor Slughorn uneasily, staring at the swinging double doors, "Er – perhaps we should go to the Hospital Wing. I can help Madam Pomfrey concoct an antidote – you're all excused from class today."

And they too, after a fashion, followed Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall, their manes flying back as a gust of wind blew through the windows.

It took something terribly grave to perturb Minerva McGonagall – whatever it was, Lily did not want to know. As breakfast went on, and Marlene and Alice joined her at the table, Lily found herself glancing back to the double doors, wishing, at that moment, that Professor McGonagall or Professor Slughorn would return.

"Lovely day, isn't it, James?" said Marlene, gazing up at the ceiling, which showed a clear, blue sky. "Hope it stays this way. Would be a nice break from the usual rain."

"Simply splendid," said James, looking up as well. "What d'you reckon was up with McGonagall?"

"What happened?" asked Alice. "And where are the Slytherins? Feels awfully quiet without them around, I wanted to return Fortuna Greengrass's books to her…"

A great cloud of black and brown swooped in from the upper windows; the post owls had arrived. They flew over the tables, and one made its way to Lily, carrying a long, furled-up scroll – her usual copy of the Daily Prophet. The owl landed on the table and placed it on top of her plate.

Lily fished out a Knut, handed it to the delivery owl and smoothed over the newspaper. She gazed at the front cover for a moment, then drew a sharp breath.

"What is it?" asked James alarmedly.

In answer, Lily angled the paper so that he could see. The rest of her friends leaned over to look as well.

Ministry Stronghold Falls to Death Eaters

The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that the terrorist group known as the 'Death Eaters' have succeeded in breaching Dover Castle, one of the Ministry's two remaining strongholds.

The attack, which lasted nearly half an hour and was said to take Ministry officials completely by surprise, resulted in the deaths of three Muggles and three Aurors.

"I cannot admit that losing Dover Castle wasn't a colossal blow," said Harold Minchum, Minister for Magic. "Nor can I admit that the Ministry hasn't been shaken by the deaths of Aurors Langberry, Gore and Brown. Each was very gifted in their own right and displayed tremendous amounts of bravery in their last battle. They shall be missed."

Witnesses have reported that Alastor Moody, Head Auror, was largely absent until the last few, crucial minutes of the battle. Another Auror has stated that Moody reappeared with three cloaked, unidentified individuals, all of whom, according to other accounts from Aurors and eyewitnesses, were "essential to the Ministry's escape. It would have been a slaughterhouse without them." Alastor Moody has declined to comment. According to a trusted source inside Dover Castle, one of the individuals bore a striking resemblance to Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Lily finished reading and stared blankly at the newspaper. There was hardly any feeling in her fingers as she wrung her hands together. Almost instinctively, she glanced at the staff table.

She was not the only one. A few people held newspapers in their hands and were now searching the Great Hall for any sign of Dumbledore. Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick were huddled together, a copy of the Daily Prophet propped on a goblet between them, and appeared to be in deep conversation.

"They've… taken Dover Castle," said Alice in a slightly awestruck voice as she finished reading. "I don't see how the Ministry's getting out of this one. Dover's never been taken before, not magically. This is…"

Her words died in her mouth. James pushed away his plate of breakfast, looking sick.

"That's the Southeast gone, which leaves the main Ministry building surrounded," he said hollowly. "Dover was the closest stronghold to London – that means Voldemort's taken control of all the land, all the food and mail that goes in and out –"

"All the magic," added Remus. "Every bit of magic that's ever been cast there – protective enchantments, curses, charms – everything's now open to the Death Eaters."

And, with another great start to a Friday morning, the bell rang, signalling the start of classes.

James followed a different path from the one all the other Gryffindors took; he was scheduled for an appointment with McGonagall right after breakfast, and so he bid goodbye to his friends and made his way towards her office.

The door was open, as it had been when he'd served his detentions several weeks ago, but there was no sign of Professor McGonagall. Quite a few things had been knocked over on her table, perhaps in her haste, and there were quills poised up in the air as though ready to take his memo. The office felt strangely gloomy, empty.

He was about to leave when he saw it: a small wooden drawer, pulled away from its cabinet and hidden quite messily behind Professor McGonagall's desk. He stopped, stood looking at it, trying to make out the tiny words on the corner of the drawer.

M.O.M Secrets

James took a cautious step. M.O.M... that had to mean the Ministry. And, as for the secrets… after what had just been on the news, it couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

He gazed at the drawer, curiosity welling inside him… he had to know, if there was any information he could use to help, he had to know, while it was right there…

The drawer was the only thing James could see. Nothing else mattered to him… he took another step towards the desk, thinking hard. What could possibly have made McGonagall dash off in the middle of breakfast?

James looked over his shoulder. The corridor was deserted, and no sounds were coming from either side. His heart was pumping harder and faster as he poked his head out the door, glanced around, and slipped back inside. Where was Professor McGonagall? Some part of him, the rational part, wished for her to come so that she could stop him, but the other part pushed the thought down, hungry to sate his desire for knowledge.

James closed the distance between him and the drawer and gazed down at the contents. A single, important-looking black file stared back at him, the words, Order of the Phoenix, printed in small, golden letters.

He had never heard the words before – and yet, there was something about the phrase that intrigued him; it was striking, it was bold, and it was so very mysterious. Glancing behind him once again, James opened his bag, pulled out a silky, silvery fabric, and draped the Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders. This could be the only chance he would ever get…

His hands were shaking as he took the black folder… his brain didn't seem to be working, it was in limbo… this was not his business, this was insane… Professor McGonagall could be making her way toward him right now… but James thought of the prank he had just pulled, how stupid it seemed now… he thought of Dover, how it had fallen as easily as knocking over a sandcastle, and an intense, reckless daring seized him.

He opened the file with trembling fingers. There was but a single piece of parchment, quite old, a sort of invitation, he realised… the date at the top told him that it had been written over a year ago…

The words were blurry as he read them. He could not make out a single thing, sweat was beginning to sting his eyes – then the sound of footsteps made him jolt, and he whipped his head behind him… he had never felt as scared as he did then, apparently forgetting that he was invisible…

But it was not McGonagall, just another student passing by… shaking his head, James scanned down the parchment and found the only bit that he could see clearly.

To join is to actively take part in the war against the Dark Lord, and to fight for the greater good – that, I believe, is what will ensure our triumph. I extend an invitation to you, Minerva, because you are a dear friend and an exceptional witch. Whatever your decision might be, I shall respect it.

Yours,

Albus Dumbledore

James closed the file and placed it back in the drawer. He was breathing quite hard as he stood up, moved around the desk, and then exited the office, before he could no longer bear it anymore and broke into a very fast run down the corridor.

He pulled the Invisibility Cloak off him and stuffed it into his bag. He was still trying to process what he had just read… about the Dark Lord and the greater good, whatever that meant…

One thing was for sure, and that was that he had been correct; Lily's theory about a secret organisation was spot-on, and he had proof – undeniable, unquestionable proof written in Albus Dumbledore's very own slanting hand.

But what was James supposed to do with the information? He couldn't join, he hadn't received an invitation… he had no intention of sharing the secret with someone he didn't trust, but how was Dumbledore supposed to know that?

Lily and the boys. James was sure that, of all people, they deserved to know. For it seemed apparent that after six and a half years at Hogwarts, he had finally decided what he wanted to do with his life.

James pulled out the Marauder's Map from his bag, scanning the classrooms for any sign of his friends. His eyes stopped as they passed through the gargoyle corridor, and, slowly, he traced the steps to the Headmaster's Office, where he found two names: Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore.

Something about seeing their names cleared his mind. He knew what he must do now – it was, after all, still his career appointment with Professor McGonagall. Checking to see if anyone was closeby, James tapped a brick with his wand, and he disappeared down a secret passageway.

Might change this chap down the line.