Just a TOMBOY

"Goodbye, mom," Lily said as she went through barrier to Platform 9 and 3/4. Lily Elizabeth Evans was eleven years old with red wavy hair and a temper to go with it. She had beautiful emerald green eyes, which everyone fell in love with at first sight. Lily had always been something of a tomboy, being friends with mainly all boys her whole life. One of her best friends had been a boy named Sirius Black, who she had lived next to when she was little. He was like an older brother to her, the brother she never had. And she had spoken to him recently, just a week ago. He would be attending the same school as her, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lily had received the letter just a month ago, saying that she was a witch, and would attend a school to learn magic. Since then Hogwarts was all she could think about, and that especially annoyed her jealous older sister Petunia. Petunia and Lily had never really gotten along, but now Petunia was meaner than ever. Her parents, however, were very proud of her.

As Lily came out on the other end of the barrier she bumped into someone.

"I'm really sorry," Lily said apologetically.

"It's all right, really, half my fault," the boy replied. The boy reminded Lily of Sirius, except this boy's hair was a LOT messier. This boy had black, messy hair that was going every which way. He had tan skin, and brown eyes, with glasses to cover them. And also a few freckles covered his nose and cheeks. He was rather cute too. "I'm James, James Potter," he continued, reaching out his hand.

"Lily Evans," Lily replied taking his hand and shaking it.

"Oi!" someone shouted. "So you've met my insane friend Jamsie?"

"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed, running up to hug her friend. Sirius did look a lot like James. His hair wasn't as messy though, and he didn't have glasses, But he was just as cute. "It's great to see you!" Lily exclaimed.

"Lily, dahling," Sirius said exaggerating, "How positively MARVELOUS to see you!"

"Absolutely spiffing," James continued. Lily could already tell these two were troublemakers. And she was exactly right. When Lily met people, she could tell a lot about them. That's why she was fast to judge people. She could already tell that Sirius was very funny, and had lots of charm. She could tell he'd be very popular, and the girls would go gaga over him. She could also tell James was also funny, and would be even more popular than Sirius. She could also tell by his muscles he was athletic, and charming too. She also knew these boys would like to play pranks and jokes, and would be VERY crazy.

"Got room for me?" A voice came up from behind them.

"Remus?" James said with a huge grin on his face. Remus had brown hair and blue eyes. Lily could tell he loved jokes, but was also serious. She knew he was the more quiet and sensitive of the group.

"How are you guys?" he asked.

"I'd like you to meet my friend, Lily," he said, introducing Lily to Remus.

"Nice to meet you," Remus said, smiling.

"Likewise," Lily replied.

"Oh, we better board the train, or it could take off without us," James said looking at his watch. Right after they had finished loading and were on board in the last compartment the train took off.

"So, Lily, are you from a muggle family?" James asked Lily.

"Yeah, both my parents are muggles, but I know all about the wizard world since my grandparents are wizards," Lily replied.

"Then what's your Quidditch team?" Remus asked.

"Ummm, I kind of like the wasps," Lily replied.

"Well, I think the Cannons are going to win this year," James said. After talking about Quidditch, pranks, jokes, school, and more pranks it was finally time to change. And, before they knew it they were at the school.

"Wow," Lily said out loud, "It's beautiful."

"Looks the same to me," Sirius said.

"What do you mean by 'looks the same to me'?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"Well," James started, "The three of us may have snuck in the school a couple times."

"A month," Remus said laughing.

"A week," Sirius said.

"Every day," James said laughing.

"So you guys pretty much know your whole way around the school?" Lily asked them.

"Exactly," Sirius said with an evil glint in his eyes. Lily laughed at that.

"Firs' years, ove' here," a loud voice called. When Lily looked up to see where the voice was coming from she was surprised to see a very large man with lots of hair on his face leading them to lots of row boats and a lake. "I'm Hagrid, the Gamekeeper here at Hogwarts. Now, four to a boat."

James, Sirius, Lily, and Remus all got into one boat. Lily, being in the back, and James, being in the front, were the rowers. Neither had rowed before, but they were doing quite splendidly anyhow. They kept up a steady pattern, and were soon far ahead of the other first years.

"I'm uncomfortable," Sirius complained as he tried to change the position in which he was sitting. As he stood up he rocked the boat, and the boat suddenly tipped over. It was a funny sight, four first years being thrown into the freezing water.

"Sirius," Lily said with her teeth clenched.

"Yes Lily dahling?" Sirius replied.

"You are SO dead!" As James and Sirius tipped the boat back upright the four of them got in and easily caught up with the other first years, even though they were soaked and freezing. As they entered the Great Hall Lily looked up and saw the ceiling of the Great Hall was enchanted to look like the sky outside. Right now it was pure black with tons of shining gold stars shimmering. As the four first years entered they earned many glances, and a lot of the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were laughing.

"I am Minerva McGonnagall, the deputy headmistress, and head of the Gryffindor house," a young woman who looked very strict announced. "You will try on the sorting hat to be sorted into one of the four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. That is where you will live and sleep the seven years you are with us. Now, you may enter and try on the sorting hat." She gave the four a glare, probably because they were soaking wet. She then said something under her breath, which made James, Sirius, Lily, and Remus dry once again.

The sorting hat was a frayed black hat that had a slit for a mouth. It sang a very long song, about the houses and itself. Then, the sorting began.

"ABBOT, Darek! Hufflepuff!"

"ARLING, Sarah! Ravenclaw!"

After about five more names:

"BLACK, Sirius!" After about a minute the hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" Smiling, he walked to the Gryffindor table.

After more names came Lily's turn. "EVANS, Lily!" The hat shouted. 'Hmmm, very loyal, oh, and you want to prove yourself, and very wise, but most of all, brave. Better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily walked over to the Gryffindor table smiling, and sat next to Sirius. After that, Remus, James, a boy named Peter Pettigrew, three girls named Stacy, Eliza, and Carley all made the Gryffindor house.

After Professor Dumbledore gave a big speech about not going to the Forbidden Forest, leaving the Whomping Willow alone, and lots more, plates suddenly appeared on the table with lots of delicious looking food to go with it. After they were all full from all kinds of food imaginable the Gryffindors went up to the common room where they met a portrait of a fat lady and gave her the password. Once inside most of the students went straight up to their dormitories to get settled in. Everyone except James, Sirius, and Remus that is.

"Oi, Lily, you've gotta play Exploding Snap with us!" James called to Lily, who was climbing the staircase to her dormitory.

"Most people like to sleep at this hour, James!" she called back, climbing back down the stairs. All three boys smiled at this.

"Sorry Lils, we are starting a tradition tonight," Sirius said grinning, "We have to stay up until 2:00am the first night, at least 2:00am."

"I don't like it any better than you, Lily," Remus said smiling. At that, the four students sat down to play a ruthless game of Exploding Snap, with Sirius winning.

"Ah-ha!" he yelled out as he finished the game by winning. "Who's up for another game?"

"Me!" they all yelled at the same time. After about five more games it was midnight. At midnight exactly they heard a scream coming from what sounded like a classroom.

"Let's check it out!" James said excited.

"No, you go, James," Remus said.

"Yeah, Remus, Lily, and I will stay here and play yet another game where I win!" Sirius said.

"Well, I'm definitely coming," Lily said as she walked over to James. Then James ran up to his dormitory and came back holding something silver and shiny.

"Oh my gosh, an INVISIBILITY CLOAK!" Lily exclaimed, shocked.

"Yep, it's a family heirloom," James said happily. After they had slipped it over themselves they left the common room and were wandering the halls. James pulled out a blank piece of parchment, and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Then the paper turned into a map of the school. "Sirius, Remus, and I made a map of the school!" It showed all the students and teachers, and all the secret passages not even seventh years knew.

"Wow!" Lily said with admiration. Soon they came to where they had heard the screaming, and saw a green mark on the wall, a skull with a serpent through it. James gasped.

"What?" Lily whispered to him as they left.

"That was the dark mark," he replied.

"What's that?" Lily replied.

"It's left after Voldemort kills someone," James said, he was very pale by now, and was shaking.

"Voldemort?" she questioned.

"The Dark Lord, he's very powerful, and is trying to take over the world, he's very evil," he replied after he reached the fat lady and said the password.

"What was it?" Eliza, another Gryffindor first year asked. She had awoken from the scream, like many other Gryffindors.

"It was Voldemort," James whispered.

"Don't say the name!" most of the students screamed.

"Why can't you say the name?" Lily asked Sirius.

"Most people think that he'll somehow hear you," Sirius exclaimed. "Rubbish if you ask me."

After all the commotion died down Lily went up to her dormitory, while the boys went up to theirs. She wished that she could be up with the boys, sleeping with someone she knew. So far she didn't have any girl friends here.

Immediately after she walked in all the girls came and sat down around her bed.

"Is it true, Lily?" Stacy asked.

"Yeah, about You-Know-Who killing someone, here at Hogwarts?" Carley asked.

"No, I was talking about you being under an invisibility cloak with James Potter, what a DREAMBOAT!" Stacy said, as if it were obvious.

"Okay, you must be totally wack, James, a dreamboat, yuck!" Lily said laughing.

"Oh come on Lily," Carley said. "Everyone knows James, Sirius, and Remus are the three most popular boys in the first year, maybe in grades 1-3!"

"Yeah, and you're best friends with them!" another one of Lily's roommates, Magdalena, said happily. "Do you think you could introduce us some time?"

"Don't worry, Lily," Eliza spoke up. "I'm not head over heels in love with the three "dreamboats of Hogwarts"." She said laughing. "It must've been cool to go see the mark though."

"I think It'd be way to scary," Maggie said quietly. Magdalena (Maggie) was a pale girl with soft blond hair and blue eyes. She looked very fragile, and weak.

Carley had layered blond hair, that was straight, with hazel eyes. She looked like a ditz, but Lily knew better, she was actually very smart.

Stacy had long, straight brown hair and brown eyes. She looked like a definite prep, and a popular girl. Lily was surprised that she was put in Gryffindor, and not Hufflepuff.

Eliza had black hair and looked very athletic. She had big muscles, and didn't have makeup on like the other girls. Lily could already tell she didn't care what people thought about her.

"I say we go to sleep," Stacy said. "I mean, it's like 3 in the morning." And with that, all the girls fell asleep.

The next morning just after Lily opened her eyes she could see someone was on her bed, and bouncing up and down on top of that.

"Get up, Lily!" James exclaimed.

"Rise and Shine!" shouted Sirius.

"Ugh, you guys, it's 8am, let me sleep!" she said sleepily.

"No can do, Lily, it's time for breakfast," Remus replied cheerily.

"Umm, why are you guys in the girls' dormitory?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"To see you darling," Sirius said with a smile on his face. Lily looked around to see Carley, Maggie, and Stacy all staring dreamily at the three boys. It seemed Eliza had already left for breakfast.

"Ugh, fine, but can you please get out and let me change?" Lily was definitely NOT a morning person. After she was finished changing she went down to the Great Hall with James, Sirius, and Remus for breakfast. After eating pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, toast, and pretty much every thing else you can think of to eat for breakfast, they were stuffed.

"So, what shall we do today?" James asked as they walked back up to the common room.

"I say we play a game of Quidditch!" Sirius replied cheerfully.

"Yeah!" James and Remus cried at the same time.

"What Lily, don't you want to play?" Remus asked her.

"It's just, well, I've never flown before, much less played Quidditch," Lily said, embarrassed.

"No problem," Sirius said.

"We'll have you a Quidditch pro in no time!" James said, while pulling Lily by the arm up to the boys' dormitory.

"You know guys, I'm not supposed to be in here," Lily said cautiously. Suddenly, James pulled out four brooms from under his bed. They were Shooting Stars, and they looked brand new.

"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed with delight. "Shooting Stars! Those must've cost a fortune! Where'd you get them?"

"Present from my dad," James replied. "Let's go!" And at that they ran out of the common room, into the hall, and soon out of the school. James handed each of them a broom.

"Okay, Lily, all you do is push off the ground with your feet," James explained to Lily. All four of them pushed off the ground and were soon high in the air.

Lily felt wonderful. She loved the feeling of flying. She was actually pretty good too.

"Hey Lily, I'll race you!" Sirius exclaimed.

"You're on!" Lily replied laughing. Soon they were off. Lily loved the feeling, and she knew exactly what to do. In no time she was ten feet ahead of Sirius, and she had won.

"I thought you said you'd never flied before," Sirius protested.

"I haven't!" Lily exclaimed.

"You're good, Lily," James complimented her.

"Yeah," agreed Remus.

"Hey, how about a game of Quidditch?" James suggested. "Lily and I, against you two," James pointed to Sirius and Remus.

"How come you get to be with Lily?" Sirius protested.

"Because I'm the experienced one here and Lil's never flown before," James said.
And with that James took out four balls, one big red one, two middle sized black ones, and a small gold one. And then they were off, James playing Seeker and beater, and Lily playing chaser and keeper. While Sirius played Seeker and beater and Remus played chaser and keeper. After Lily had scored 160 points, and Remus had scored 50, James caught sight of the quaffle. He took a spectacular dive, and caught it, inches from the ground. And with that, Lily and James had won.

"Ha!" Lily shouted, jumping for joy. "We WON!"

"Oh, you two just got lucky," Sirius complained. After the four entered the common room they settled down to talk.

"Well, of course, as you all know," Sirius began, "we haven't played any pranks this year at all."

"We definitely need to play some pranks," James agreed.

"I mean, I AM going for the 1,400 detentions to get expelled," Sirius explained.

"So, what will we do then?" Remus asked.

After a moment of thinking Lily spoke up, "Turn Snapey-poo's hair green! And his body hair green to match!"

"Excellent idea Lily!" Sirius said snickering.

"So, when shall we do it then?" James asked.

"Tonight, meet here at midnight," Remus planned.

That night at midnight the four were creeping out of the common room under James's invisibility cloak. Since they were using the Marauders map they found the Slytherin common room in no time, and easily guessed the password (vinegar chews). Once inside, they crept up to the boys' first year dormitory, and Lily took out her wand to perform the spell to turn Snape's body hair green while James turned Snape's hair green. Then, Sirius took the picture while Remus made the spell irreversible until next week. They quickly left and practically ran back to the Gryffindor common room.

"That, was awesome!" Lily said out of breath.

"One last thing," Sirius said, holding up his wand, "We have to share this picture with the rest of the school!"

That next morning at breakfast, when everyone entered the Great Hall, what they saw was beyond hilarious. A picture of Snape with green hair and green body hair was hanging on a bulletin board. As Lily looked around she saw Snape, green as ever, looking viciously towards them.

"They did it, I know they did," protested Snape.

"There is absolutely no evidence of that, Mr. Snape, now I suggest you go see Madam Pomfrey," Professor McGonnagall replied.

As James, Sirius, Lily, and Remus strode over to the Gryffindor table they were greeted with applause.

"So, I see that we have done something bad?" a voice said behind them.

They turned around to see Professor Valeek, the Potions teacher, looking at them with a scowl on her face. She was also, of course, head of the Slytherin house.

"Now, if you don't tell me the truth, I will give each of you this truth potion, and I know you're hiding lots of other things, so fess up," she said.

"Okay," Sirius said, "We did it."

"Now, each of you will receive three detentions, and forty points from Gryffindor will be taken, now run along," she said, grinning.

"That was so unfair," Sirius whined.

"Yeah, I mean, when something happens, they always blame it on us," Lily complained.

"Well," Sirius said grinning, "there's one good thing about this, now I don't have as many detentions to go until I get expelled!"

"Sirius," they all yelled, whacking him on the head.

"Ouch!" he said playfully.

That next morning, the five Marauders (which was what they now called themselves) were sitting at the Gryffindor table happily eating breakfast.

"This is so exciting!" Lily exclaimed. "Can you believe it, our first day of classes!?"

"Oh, yeah, I can't wait," James muttered sarcastically.

"Oh come on you guys, cheer up!" Lily said. "This is going to be fun."

"How can you call potions with Professor Valeek fun?" Sirius moaned.

"Oh well, at least we have Transfiguration afterwards," James said happily. "It's no doubt my best subject."

"And tomorrow we have Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Remus cried out joyfully. "I can't wait for that!"

"Well, anyway, we better get going," Peter said as he collected his books.

It took the five at least twenty minutes to find the dungeon where potions was held. By the time they arrived, they were already ten minutes late.

As they walked in breathing heavily from running so fast Professor Valeek said calmly but angrily, "Twelve points from Gryffindor for being late on the first day."

"That's unbelievable," Lily almost yelled.

"Yeah, we got lost," protested Sirius.

"We couldn't find our way here," James complained.

"And twelve more for talking back," Valeek half shouted. "And if you say one more word you will be personally escorted by me to Professor Dumbledore's office."

"Oh, I've never seen it, is it nice?" Sirius asked crossing the line.

"Detention for all of you," Vallek screamed outraged. "Now sit down!"

"Wow, we've already got TWO detentions!" Sirus whispered to Remus, James, Peter, and Lily. "Isn't that awesome?"

The rest of the class was uneventful, unless you count Professor Valeek giving James, Lily, Remus, Peter, and Sirius death stares, and praising Severus Snape every chance he could get.

"Ugh, that was SO terrible," Lily whined after they left. "I hope Transfiguration is better."

"I doubt it," Remus replied glumly, "Transfiguration is taught by Professor McGonnagall."

"Yeah, but she's head of the GRYFFINDOR house, she should favor us," Lily replied.

"McGonnagall, favor us?" Peter replied laughing. "Yeah, when pigs fly, WITHOUT the use of magic."

As they had expected, Transfiguration wasn't much better. The professor turned her desk into a pig and back but that was pretty much the only interesting thing. The rest of the hour they spent time trying to turn a match into a needle. Of course, Lily, James, and Sirius were the only ones who were able to do it.