fivefriends3
Chapter 3

"My name is Professor Yunion. I am your Potions mistress this year, and you will pay attention at all times or face the consequences. I will not have any blunders in here, I expect you to learn property..." Professor Yunion droned on to her class. She was actually quite pretty, with black curls pulled back into a tight ponytail and dark brown eyes, but her bossy and mean attitude stopped anyone from liking her. The class was in the dungeons, and it was extremely cold. Lily hugged herself in attempt to stay warm.

Suddenly, she wasn't cold anymore. She turned around and saw that James and removed his own cloak (he must have known that it was freezing) and draped it on her. Lily flashed a grateful smile at him and he returned it--and there was that annoying heart "flutter".

"Miss Evans, would you be so kind to inform us with the answer?" Yunion barked at her. Lily turned her gaze to the professor, aware of every pair of eyes on her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know," Lily said confidently. One of her life mottos was never be ashamed of yourself, and it worked thus far.

Yunion's eyes narrowed. "Five points from Gryffindor for not paying attention," she snapped. "And the correct answer was two more added cups of beetle eyes." Lily simply nodded. Yunion turned to the Slytherins and started drilling them, and Lily noticed that even if one of them got it wrong, there were added points to Slytherins for "trying your hardest".

Lily's face must have showed her disgust, because James whispered from behind her, "She's head of the Slytherin house and she favors them. Not exactly going to win any best professor awards, eh?"

"Not anytime soon," Lily whispered back.

***

Lily looked up from the book she was reading in the common room the next evening. Remus had finally come back, still looking sickly but saying he felt better. He always dodged the questions about his mother, though, just saying she was also doing better. But that was the past...she could have sworn she heard someone yelling...

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, SNAPE!" It was Sirius, without a doubt--no one else could shout that loud.

She distinctively heard Snape's voice, but couldn't make out what he was saying. The next moment she heard a cry of fury, and then James yelled, "Corloa scarlet and gold!" She heard silence for a moment, then Sirius laughing his head off. The next instant Sirius, James, and Remus were all rushing into the common room, all of them laughing so hard tears were in their eyes.

"What? What did you do now?" Lily asked eagerly.

"Snape cursed Peter and made boils pop up all over his face...James retaliated by turning his hair scarlet and gold! It'll stay like that for a week! And there's a Quidditch match in six days, Gryffindor against Slytherin!" Remus said, still grinning.

"That little git, is Peter okay?" Lily asked, as always more concerned for her friends than anything else.

Sirius calmed down slightly (as much as he humanly could, still being Sirius) and replied, "He has to stay the night in the hospital wing, but Madam Pomfrey will be able to heal him fine, won't she James?" There was a pause. "James?" No answer. Sirius turned around to see James staring dreamily off into space. "JAMES!" he roared, slapping him on the head.

James came back to the present. "What? Huh?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Never mind...Sickle for your thoughts."

"Quidditch...me and my dad used to play every day before I came to Hogwarts. I'd always play Chaser, and he'd be Keeper. I'm going to play next year, just wait and see."

Lily doubted that he was wrong.

***

"Aaaaand the Gryffindor team! Wood, Captain and Keeper! Hadimay, Doors, and Tellman, Chasers! Weasley and Finnigan, Beaters! Lynn, SEEKER!" Katy Jordan screamed over the megaphone a week later at the Quidditch game. The Gryffindor fans screamed their encouragement to their team, almost drowning out Katy. The seven scarlet players waved from their positions on the ground.

"And the Slytherins," Katy said unenthusiastically. The Slytherins booed at the lack of hospitality, and McGonagall sternly gave Katy one of her glares. "Okay, okay..." Katy grumbled. "Avery, Captain and Chaser. Nott, Keeper. Sapling and Moon, other Chasers. Oppison and Wearing, Beaters. Malfoy, Seeker." The seven green players on the field smiled in smugness.

"Captains, shake hands," Madam Tower said evenly. Wood and Avery did so, looking as though they wanted to crush each other's hands. "Mount your brooms..." She then blew her whistle, and they were all off.

Lily saw Lynn rise far above the rest of the players, eyes glancing around for any sign of the Snitch. This is much more exciting than Hogwarts, a History makes it sound, she thought happily. It was no wonder James dreamed of playing it.

The red ball (Quaffle, Lily reminded herself) was being passed from player to play. She listened closely to the commentary:

"Doors makes a nice pass to Tellman, who bobs it over the head of Moon, and there is is, back to Doors--wait! Intercepted by Avery! He's flying down the field, Quaffle in hand...oh, that must have been painful, Blugder hit by Finnigan hits the tail of his broom, and he spins...the Quaffle's out of his hand! It's taken by Hadimay--she's using that broom to full speed--takes a shot at Nott--IT'S IN! 10-0 Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindors screamed with delight and Hadimay punched a fist in the air. Then the Quaffle came back her way, and she caught it and zoomed over to Doors before handing it over. Doors made a movement, acting like she was going to pass to Tellman, but put on a bust of speed and shot upwards. The slow Slytherins raced upwards, following her, but it was too late. She made a simple pass to Tellman, who by this time was hovering near the goals, and he made a goal, making it 20-0 Gryffindor.

Suddenly, Malfoy made a dive plummeting downwards. Lynn immediately followed, and they were racing neck-and-neck towards the ground--at the last minute, Lynn pulled out of it, and Malfoy, caught by suprise, did too (narrowly missing the ground). Lily looked to Katy to explain. "And Malfoy tries a Wronksy Feint, only to be discovered by Lynn who pulls out just in time!"

During the dives by the Seekers, no one noticed Sapling seize the Quaffle and speed towards the Gryffindor goal. Too late, Wood tried to catch it, but it soared through the hoop. "Sapling scored, 20-10 Gryffindor," Katy said dully. Lily caught McGonagall angrily hissing something to Katy, who just grinned and shrugged.

"Moon takes the Quaffle--woah, wait, make that Tellman has the Quaffle--Moon and Sapling are coming in on her--am I the only one suspecting a foul? Tellman takes a giant shot--don't think it's gonna make it--Doors catches the Quaffle in mid-air! WOAH! Doors has it--she shoots--30-10 GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindors screamed wildly.

Moon, obviously enraged that Gryffindor had so many shots, grabbed the Quaffle and did a series of spirals that left everyone dizzy and started towards the Gryffindor end. Avery made himself available for a shot, and Moon passed it to him. Oh no, Lily thought, he's going to make the shot! He's only two feet away! "Oh no," Katy moaned. She realized the same thing. "Avery takes the shot--I DON'T BELIEVE IT! Wood blocked it!" Lily stood up and cheered, and she wasn't the only one. "It's still 30-10 Gryffindor!"

"WAIT!" Katy yelled to the crowd, seeing Lynn race towards the Gryffindor end of the pitch. "What's Lynn doing? Has he seen the Snitch?" Lynn just kept flying, with Malfoy tailing him. Lynn reach out his hand--"HE'S GOT THE SNITCH! LYNN GOT THE SNITCH! 180-10 GRYFFINDOR!" Katy shouted in pride. Lynn disappeared in the crowd of people hugging him and congratulating him. Lily looked over at the rest of the crew to see how they were taking the victory. Sirius was jumping up and down, grinning and yelling insults at the Slytherins. Remus was more controlled, but he was clearly happy about the victory. Peter just gazed in awe at the Quidditch players. Finally, Lily looked at James. He wasn't anywhere in the stands...taking a glance around the field, he saw him on the ground talking to the Gryffindor players. Typical, she thought.

"Party in the Gryffindor common room!" someone shouted, and everyone made a mad stampede to go back inside. Lily lost track of James, Peter, Remus, and Sirius in the horde, but figured she'd just meet up with them in the common room. Once she was on the steps to go into the Great Hall, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw James standing there.

"Ready to party?" he asked.

Lily grinned widely. "You bet."