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Chapter III: Head Girl

"Hurry up, man, I'm starving"

"Oh… Stop thinking about your stomach, will you, Sirius?" James spat.

The four legendary Marauders were walking in silence. Sirius was thinking about food and James's head was revolving around Lily, for a change.

"What's wrong, James, you're very quiet. Is it something about a certain redhead?"

"No, Remus, don't be that witty please, I was just thinking about how boring it's going to be this year with being Head Boy and all that…"

"Don't think you'll have a boring year, Jamsie-poo, Lils's Head Girl, so I think she'll liven you up a bit" Remus said grinning.

"Yeah, plenty of action, James."

"Oy, Sirius, will you stop? You're extremely annoying, always talking about the same thing…"

"As if you weren't!! The only thing is that when I think about it, I remember it, whereas you can just dream 'cos you've fallen for the most difficult girl in Hogwarts who doesn't give a damn about how you're hair looks like" Sirius spat, leaving Remus mouth-opened.

James, fuming, sat on his usual seat at Gryffindor table and looked at Lily, she was extremely beautiful, he thought, though quite difficult to handle. He sighed and stared at Dumbledore who was standing up to give the usual 'Welcome-to-Hogwarts' talk, or, as Sirius stated, 'The-Long-and-Cruel- Torture-of-Starvation' lecture.

"Welcome to Hogwarts again, or for the first time to the new students, before I finish with the anual lecture of a barmy old man, I'd like to remind to the students that it is strictly forbidden to go near to the peaceful Whomping Willow – "Too right you are!" whispered Davies Gudgeon. He had almost lost an eye when he once came too close to it – and it's also out of bounds the Forbidden Forest, that's why it's called 'Forbidden', obviously" Dumbledore said, looking at Gryffindor table, just exactly were the Marauders were sitting. "This year two balls at least will be held at Hogwarts, though the date hasn't been fixed yet, that's something we'll have to discuss with the Heads of this year.

Speaking of which, I shall introduce them to you, as you should know since the first day of school in front of whom you're not allowed to do anything out of the rules" Dumbledore said while the Great Hall chuckled appreciatively. "To be honest, I don't think this year's Head Boy will mind too much as he's, with his faithful friends, the greatest prankster Hogwarts has ever laid it's eyes on. I really don't know what posessed me to pick him as Head Boy" he then sighed. "So with no further ado, let me announce this year's Head Boy, well-known James Potter!"

The Hall bursted into applausses and catcalls as several Hufflepuff girls pretended to faint as they saw James standing up and bowing – "He's so polite, the perfect gentleman!" whispered Linda Everett to her friend Meeleena McBones, who replied "yeah, and the perfect husband!", they both giggled, said how absolutely adorable he was and fell silent again as Dumbledore tried to speak again. Both of them were big fans of the Marauders and, even if they boys knew that those two girls fancied them a lot, they just took no notice of them, they didn't think anything of what they did would affect them.

How very wrong they were.

James didn't sit down, he wanted to shake the Head Girl's hand, beacause it was the right thing to do and he was never impolite. But he had another reason for wanting to do that, anything to touch Lily Evans.

"Much easier it was to pick this year's Head Girl, outstanding student Lily Evans" Lily got up from her seat and smiled at Dumbledore, then nodded and sat down, she didn't see that James had been standing up for her, in fact, she didn't even notice him.

James, fuming, sat down and looked at his plate, he couldn't think he'd be able to bear the shame.

"And now –"

"ABOUT TIME, THE FOOD!!!!" Sirius roared.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Not yet, Mr Black. Ejem, let's say the sentence again, I liked how it sounded ("barmy old codger" Sirius mumbled). And now, to the Sorting".

Professor McGonagall placed a dirty old frayed hat onto a chair and a rip opened on the hat as if it was a mouth, and it began to sing:

Old and legendary Hogwarts,
Though, why the name?
Four founders, four opinions,
Brave Gryffindor said it was to blame
Not to be called 'Cordis ira'
Sweet Hufflepuff didn't like the name,
But could't think of a fair one
Intelligent Ravenclaw said it was a shame
Not to name it 'Mens Perspicax'
But ambitious Slytherin, who was not tame
Preferred 'Aviditas infinitus'
Thus the first quarrel began
'Twas Hufflepuff who one day cried
And said that she couldn't stand seeing friends arguing
So it was her duty to decide
She then saw a wartshog on the grass,
Clapped her head and said:
'This name's got class'
From then on, the name-fight stopped
And the school was called Hogwarts.

The second and las quarrel came at the end of their lives
The four founders had a secret fear
Who would pick the students into the
Different houses when the wouldn't be here?
'Twas then Gryffindors's moment of glory
Put me off his head
While the others stared
And said:
'We'll charm it and it will decide for us'
Though I haven't got either lace or beads,
You won't ever find another hat as me,
So go on, put me on,
Don't be afraid
I'll look inside your brains and tell you where you belong
Daring Gryffindoor,
Loyal Hufflepuff,
Smart Ravenclaw,
Sly Slytherin you might be
Come on, I've never yet been wrong
For I'm more intelligent than a bumblebee"

"The song gets weirder every year, doesn't it, James?" Remus said.

"Yes it does… It must be a pretty boring life to be useful only once a year, isn't it?" James asked. Remus nodded as the first student, Claire Bellemont, was sorted into Hufflepuff.

The Marauders weren't paying much attention to the Sorting. Remus was as always lost in thought, Peter was cleaning his hands (A/N: so nobody could've then discovered how filthy he was, the ******* rat!!), James was too ashamed to speak and Sirius was mumbling and complaining about the Sorting's duration. When it finished, Dumbledore got up again.

"Now that the Sorting's over, I've just got one more thing to say: I'm starving!"

"YEAH, ME TOO!" Sirius yelled. The whole hall turned their heads to him and he shrugged, chuckling to himself. "Geez, I'm hungry."

Just then then food appeared and Sirius's eyes lit up and began wolfing down the bacon that was in front of him.

A few seats away, Lily was talking to her friend.

"Did he? Oh, I didn't notice." Lily said.

"Yeah, he did. Look at him, he isn't drawing any attention to himself! That's a first! God, he must be really embarrassed!" Kristen said grinning. "Well done, Lil!" she added.

"What do you mean by 'well done'?"

"Aren't you a slow one? He's dead arrogant, it's time he takes notice that, unfortunately, he's not the supreme ruler of the universe."

"Oh, right. Guess you're right. But maybe it'd have been a good idea if I'd shaken his hand."

"Oy! What's wrong with you? I thought you hated him! But then again, maybe not" Kristen said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You're dumb, c'mon, let's stop talking about Potter and get on with the food. Nasty Petunia didn't let me eat during all summer 'cos she took most of the food in the refrigerator to her cozy picnics with Vernon-poo, her fiancé. Bet he ate it all and she spent all the time thinking that he's quite a catch."

"So that's why you look so thin…"

"Blame it on Petunia, filthy old woman."

"Forget her, it's Hogwarts where you are now –"

"For the moment."

"Huh?"

"Well, what am I going to do after I leave school. I can't stand living with Petunia."

"You could live with me at my house and then, when we get hold of enough money, we could look for apartments and rent one."

"Do you think you're parents would agree, I mean, having me there?"

"'Course they would, Lils, my parents adore you. They're always telling me that I should be more like you. I always reply 'no thanks'. And the Adam Manor is way too big, and to be truthful, lonely. It'll be extremely nice having you there. That would make me able to speak to someone not just saying 'lovely dress' and stuff like that all the time due to my mum's lousy parties. Anyway, what do you want to do after leaving school?"

"I don't really know, probably a Healer. And you?"

"I'd like to be an Auror, but Minister for Magic would be OK, too"

"Kristen, you're dead ambitious, why weren't you sorted into Slytherin?"

"Hey, don't insult me!!"

"No seriously, you'd have done great there."

"Well, the Hat did really consider putting me there but I suppose that I don't go to any means to achive my purposes and that I have also a little courage inside"

People then were starting to stop eating, and Sirius turned out to be, as usual, the last one to finish his food.

"Man, I'm full"

"How couldn't you be, Sirius, you've eaten but half of Gryffindoor's food" said Remus amusedly.

"Only half?? Geez, anybody would think I'm on a diet…"

Dumbledore then stood up, "Now that the excellent food has befuddled us, what would you think about going to you're comfortable beds? Off you trot!"

As everybody got up, Lily began to beckon the Gryffindor's First-Year students. "Right, follow me and James. Try to memorize the way to Gryffindor Tower because I won't be able to be with you always." The First- Years nodded and where about to follow her lead but she stayed rooted to the spot, staring at a tall figure who was ruffling his hair and pinning his Head Boy badge to his chest in front of a pretty blonde. "OY, POTTER, ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME OR YOU'RE JUST HEAD BOY TO BOAST??" Lily barked.

James wheeled around and went to her, furious. "Who the heck do you think you are?"

"Lily Evans."

"Don't be smart with me"

"That's difficult 'cos probably everybody else looks like a genius to you, being the idiot you are." She said, moving towards Gryffindor Tower. Half of the students were following her. The other half was after James; both packs staring at the Heads torn between amusement and fright.

"Careful Evans"

"What are you going to do? A prankfest? Sorry, I don't know if anyone's told you, but you're not the King of Scotland, so stop acting as if you were. Well, actually, the King of Scotland would be too understandard for you, wouldn't it?"

"Drop it Evans, I really don't want to argue with you."

"May I ask why, Your Majesty?"

James blushed but said nothing, for a while. "Because I'm too tired." Just then they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Password?"

"Latebra latens" Lily said, as the portrait swung and the hole came into view. She with climbed through it, followed by the pack of First-Years and James. He stepped forward and looked at the students.

"Boys left staircase; girls right. You'll find you're bedrooms easily because you're put in with people in your year and anyway there's a label stating you're bedroom" James said.

Boys and girls separated. When James climbed the staircase, he headed to the room he shared with his friends and grinned as he saw that where there should've been a label saying 'Seventh-Years' there was one with the words 'The Mauraders' in gold.

He entered the room and saw that his friends were fast asleep. He was really lucky to have such friends. Even though Remus was extremely quiet and reserved usually to himself, even though Sirius was way too much self- centred, even though Pete was a bit of an oddball, even though all that he knew that none of his friend would ever betray him.

How very wrong he was.

He sighed and climbed onto his four-poster and drew the curtains. He made himself comfortable and just at the same time as he said 'Home at last' another person in the girls' Seventh-Year dorm whispered that too.

A few minutes later, James was dead to the world but Lily wasn't. She was glad to be back at Hogwarts, but she was also way too worried with Voldemort, Petunia, her future, Kristen, her parents, and, even if she didn't want to acknowledge it, there was a nagging voice at the back of her head remembering her that she was also a bit worried about James Potter.

"Why am I worrying about him? He's nobody to me!" she thought.

That wasn't true.

A few minutes later, she fell asleep and started dreaming about a house in a little village surrounded by trees.

A/N: Finally!! Yeah, I wrote it!! So what do you think?? I know, the Sorting's Song is crap but I suck at poetry, as I have well shown. So pleaseee, please review!!

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING