Chapter-3: Inner Rants and Lily Evans

James P.O.V

I have always been a Master of Transfiguration. As far as I remember, Transfiguration has always, always been natural and easy. It wasn't like Defense where I have to mean it or like charms, where I have to focus. Transfiguration was an extension of myself, it was as simple as that. I knew this, my parents knew this (and by Merlin, were they proud! A natural at Transfiguration hadn't been born into the family for ages! Also, that new broom I got when they found out...), my friends knew this (they were the ones to figure it out, to be honest...), my teachers knew this (more like Minnie figure it out herself, all of three lessons into Hogwarts...), hell, even Snivellus knew this (this was very secret code for the fact everyone in the school and potentially the magical world knew this...). Transfiguration was my forte and no one would question that, ever!

There was something that the world didn't know, though. There always was, for everyone. For me? there was a lot people didn't know about me. Like the fact that I always moved around when I slept, and the fact that I knew where every single one of my books, clothes and toys were despite the chaos of my room (organized chaos, or something like that, Remus had called it.). A bigger topic that only my best friends knew about was that I was a nerd about genetics, especially the magical aspect of it. Magical Theory was the one subject I was passionate about, and an expert at, (I could possibly pass a Mastery test on it!) even if I was saying so myself.

It's just that the genetics of magical beings, how inheritances worked, tracing ancestral lines, and of course, the properties of magical blood and magical cores, they were all so interesting. I always thought that it was awful how none of the muggleborns or muggle-raised knew about any of this! For Merlin's sake, they didn't even have a magical theory class at Hogwarts! Magical Theory was fundamental, useful and most of all, mind-blowing! A curious fact (code for weird fact...) of the wizarding world was that any pureblood worth anything (this does not include the completely insane Yaxleys or the racist and narrow minded Selwyns - especially their daughter, Dols, Doley, Dumpy, Toady? was that her name?), knew that muggleborns didn't steal magic. In fact, anyone who studied magical theory, even slightly would know that every person in this world (including, I'll say it again, Including muggles) was born with magic - magic in the blood and a magical core. However little they had, it still existed.

Most people who studied magical theory more in-depth, (which basically included all purebloods - at least the grey and dark ones for sure and me, though I'm completely light. Well, mostly light... Borderline grey? Eh... who cares?) would know that a person's magic would only manifest outwards if they were exposed to extreme conditions - such as major accidents or if they experienced high levels of emotional instability or abuse, in the case of muggleborn or muggle-raised children. In fact, the only reason this wasn't true for purebloods and magical raised half-bloods was because a child's magical core absorbed ambient magic - magic that was performed on a daily basis around them. A lesser known fact was that for muggleborn or muggle-raised children, there was a second way for them to have enough magic to use, which is true even in the case of some half-bloods. Despite being a lesser known fact, it was actually quite easy to find (as compared to other magical theory books, which is actually quite suspicious now that I think about it! Maybe I should put world famous Detectives - Moony and Padfoot on the case? Hmm... something to ponder upon), which is why the popular opinion of muggleborns was that they stole their magic.

I was interrupted from my very chaotic, yet very understable... unstable... understandable internal monologue by my best friends (why were they my best friends again? it certainly was not because of their horrid timing!).

"Jamie boy, my deerest friend!" Padfoot, aka Sirius Black, aka the most irritatingly endearing person ever, crashed onto me. I cannot believe he just made a pun! Out of my name that too, he was supposed to be my best friend! "You do realize you promised something and you haven't delivered on it yet?"

Now what have I promised and forgotten about in the past two days? It couldn't have been Quidditch, cause I'm the captain. Not any homework, cause then Pads would know even less about it that me. Also, if it was homework (which it wasn't obviously), then Moons, that absolute life-saver would be reminding me. I didn't promise anything about any pranks yet, nor anything about stealing food from the kitchens (Worms would be reminding me for that!). Huh... I hadn't even broken my secret self-promise to not ask Evans out more than twice a day! Wait... Evans!

"Merlin! I've to explain Magical Theory to Evans!" I shot up, and frantically ran around our dorm, picking up something that looked suitable for wear. I turned around to see Pads, Moons and Wormy laughing their asses off. I scowl moodily and dump all my findings on my bed. (That only included one sock, which was Moony's, unfortunate as that sounds.) "Can you guys please help me?"

They exchanged looks of surprise. "Did Prongsy just say please?" Moony asked, faking shock and cleaning his ear with his finger. He had the best hearing in the entire school, he knew what I said! "Tell me I'm not imagining things, Pads. Because this, this seems like a dream!"

Pads continued with their act and I'm not completely sure if they had practiced this before. Comically wide eyes looked up at Moony, and in that moment Pads looked more like his animagus form than human. "I don't believe you are dreaming, Moons. For if you are, then we must be having the same dream, together! Even I heard the mighty and great Lord Prongsy utter the extremely rare word!"

I huffed. Peter was busy howling with laughter, while Remus and Sirius continued with their mock-acting. "Can you just help, you useless friends! I need something to wear!"

I gestured down at my attire. I was in an old Quidditch jersey that hadn't been washed since last week (and had gone through four more practice sessions after that!), no pants (I was just lounging in the dorm room, and I couldn't find any pants that would fit!), and one chewed up neon yellow sock was on my foot (I have no clue why that was on my foot to be honest, I don't even know how it ended up there!). I looked a mess.

"You're right as usual, Jamie boy!" Pads exclaimed, loudly. (It was his default setting.) "Moons, can you get Prongsy's clothes?"

Moony scoffed. "You mean can I get Jamesy the clothes he's going to wear, which are actually owned by you... or me?"

I groaned in exhaustion. My marauders clearly weren't taking this seriously. Also, Moony and Pads were probably having a small disagreement about something that I have no clue about (which actually doesn't bother me much, cause there are somethings I don't want to know about... and no, I wasn't taking about either of their romantic or sex lives - they better tell me about that!) All in all, it was going to take me awhile to get to talk to the most beautiful and esteemed Lily Evans. She was pretty, and it wasn't just on the outside! And she was also fierce, strong, kind and compassionate. And she was so smart and had so much potential! And her face when she spoke about Charms or Potions...

About an hour later, I finally managed to leave my dorm in search of one Lily Evans. At least now I was dressed presentably. Pads had the best fashion sense in the world, though it was bordering on gaudy at this stage in life. The clothes that I had finally settled on included a simple green button up (which was actually Moony's) and black jeans (which were sort of long, because they were Pads'). These were the simplest and least showy clothes I could manage to get away with. As to why I was focusing so much on my clothes, despite the fact that this wasn't even a date? Well, it was better than focusing on the fact that I was going to be talking to the Lily Evans for some time, alone!

"Potter!" I turned around instinctively. I was the only Potter in the school, which was a good thing. (I had seen the confusion between Sirius and Regulus when someone called out 'Black' in general in the Great Hall! Especially if said person who called out the name was angry...) Evans was walking towards me purposefully, while her friends Marlene McKinnon (best chaser Gryffindor has seen in ages that one!), Alice Fortescue (super compassionate, but scary when angered!), Christina Lynch (shy and very fan-girly over Pads!) and Juliette Wright (adrenaline junkie and one of the best fighters in the school, beware!), stood watching in amusement.

"Yes, Evans?" She looked sort of nervous for a second, before going back to her normal confident and beautiful expression. Her eyes were emerald green, a very unique shade that I have only seen in one other person. Her eyes are also narrowed in anger and focused on me! (I haven't even done anything yet! I didn't prank Snivellus, a crime honestly, but Moons is stubborn on that one rule, for now!)

"You and your merry band of misfits, haven't bothered to speak to me after I left. And that was two days ago! Two days, Potter!" Evans was furious. Actually, furious would be an understatement at this point. But that's not our focus... is it? "You also made me a promise, something about explaining magical theory to me?"

See, the thing about Evans is that she's fiery and when she's angry, she yells and screams and hexes and curses. And eventually, she calms down and forgets all about it and forgives you. But, on the other hand, when she's furious, she's super calm and pokes at everything you do, and criticizes you, but she's being so polite while she's at it that you are completely flabbergasted. And she waits until you do something that backfires on you, which is when she pounces on the opportunity to get her revenge. And she never forgets when she's furious. (Like someone else I know...)

"Right. Right. That's why I'm here!" I blurted in a hurry to explain myself. Honestly, I do not want to be on the receiving end of Lily's wand! "Could we go somewhere more private?"

Evans narrowed her eyes at me, again! It's not like I was asking her out on a date or anything! Wait, does that count as me asking her out? Cause then I can only ask her out tomorrow! "Alright, fine. Let's go to one of your secret nooks in the middle of nowhere. That way, if I'm not satisfied by your explanation, there will be no evidence for others to find!"

I scowled, and glanced around furtively. Unfortunately, my best mates were nowhere to be found (which was understandable because I had asked them, very politely, and with a lot of wand waving in their faces, to remain in the dorm for the next half hour. I was not looking forward to the condition our dorm was going to end up in.) Unable to find an escape, I did what any sane person faced against Lily Evans would do, "Of course, milady. If you would follow me!"

Happy New Year everyone! We're in 2022! First chapter of the year!