A/N- Wow!  I'm getting faster at writing, so guys had better get faster at reviewing!  Siriusly, though, I need reviews!

                "Okay, so what is the lettuce for?" Lily asked the boys on the way to Herbology the next morning.  "You never filled me in on that.  And why do we have Herbology Mondays and Wednesday, when we really don't have it again until next Tuesday!  I'm so confused. How does that work?"

                "Well, the lettuce is for a little bunny named Crabbe, and his little bunny friend Goyle.  That gets them out of the way, so we can really nail Malfoy.  Our schedule is always screwed, but I think it's because we started school on Thursday.  So that means our regular schedule would be Herbology on Tuesdays only.  I think that's what it is, at least," Remus replied.

                "Okay.  I still think that it's a bit weird.  So, what are we going to do to Malfoy?  I met him before school, and if I recall correctly, I didn't care much for him or his family!" Lily remarked.

                "What?  When did you meet him?  And how?" asked James curiously.

                "Oh…nothing.  I just bumped into him at…er… Diagon Alley!  Yes, I met him at Diagon Alley," Lily replied nervously.  She didn't know why she was so nervous; it wasn't like anything would happen if they found out how she met Malfoy.  She just didn't want them to know about her uncle, and was afraid that Malfoy might lead to questions.

                "But Lils, you were at Diagon Alley with us!  And I know you hadn't been before, because you were wide-eyed with wonder!" James exclaimed suspiciously.

                "Well, we went again.  When I was at the Quidditch store, Lily was at the bookstore.  She probably met him then!" Sirius came to her rescue.  Lily shot him a grateful look.  He knew about her uncle, and that was already one person too many.

                "Alright, then," James said, obviously still suspicious.  He was prepared to drop it, but-

                "But if you went to Diagon Alley again, you would have told us!" Peter said.

                "Well, I don't write you a day-by-day on my life, okay, Peter?" Sirius snapped.

                "But, Sirius, you do!" supplied Remus.  "I get two or three letters a day from you in the summer!"

                Lily felt trapped.  She didn't know what to do.  Any more questions, and soon the truth would come out.  Oh, oh!  Help!  Anyone! Lily wished she could just stop time-

                Schlurp! Everyone stood still, frozen.  Oh, oh!  Now what did I do? Lily thought.  "Oh!  Sirius!  Remus!  James! Peter!  Move, please move!  Talk to me!  Say something!" Lily was frantic.

                Schlurp!  Suddenly everyone was moving again and back on the same argument.

                "Wait!  Oh, please, stop arguing.  I forgot one of my schoolbooks when we went, James, and I asked Siri not to tell because I thought you might laugh at me.  Just stop!  Please!" Lily cut in, thinking up a lie fast.  She had become quite good at this over the years.

                "Oh, Lily!  How could you think such a thing?  We would never laugh at you!" Remus said reproachfully.

                "I agree, Lily.  We would never laugh at you.  With you, certainly, but never at you!" James said.

                "That's what Sirius told me.  I didn't believe him.  I thought that you would laugh and not want to be friends anymore," Lily said, hanging her head.  Sirius stared at her in amazement; he had never seen her ability at dissembling.

                "Oh, Lily," James replied, wrapping his arm comfortingly around her shoulder as they continued down the hall.

***

                That night at dinner, Dumbledore stood up and made an announcement.  It was the only time in memory that he had done so when it was not a feast, and the students whispered excitedly.  He cleared his throat.  It took a few minutes for silence to set in.

                "May I please see Mr.s Lupin, Black, Pettigrew, and Potter, along with Miss Evans in my office after dinner?" he said, and then sat back down again.  The hall broke out in whispers.

                "-trouble, definitely!"

                "Oh, they're gonna get it-"

                "-wonder what-"

                Lily stared at her friends in consternation.   I wonder what's going to happen to us? Why are we in trouble?  What did I do?  What if it has something to do with that time-freezing issue?  I didn't know!  Dinner passed quickly, and after what seemed like minutes to Lily (but was actually 45 minutes) she found herself in Dumbledore's office.  Any other time she would have admired it; the office was spectacular, but
Lily found that she couldn't just look around when she could be getting suspended or expelled!

                "Ah, the famous, or should I say infamous, Marauders.  And Miss Evans, an unusual addition to your group, to say the least.  I will speak to each of you individually.  No, you are not in trouble," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.  "Mr. Black first, please."

                Lily trudged to the entrance of Dumbledore office with James, Remus, and Peter.

                "Wonder what he wants?" contemplated Remus.

                "At least we're not in trouble, yet!" James remarked.

                "We could be, you never know!" squeaked Peter.

                Lily was the only one silent.  The others caught on to her mood, and silence draped the hall like a gloomy day.

                "He wants to see you next, Lilycake.  Don't be frightened, we aren't in trouble for once!" Sirius said, coming out of Dumbledore's office wearing a silly grin.

                Lily hesitantly walked up to Dumbledore's office.  She felt very, very nervous.  Not even here a week and I'm called to the Headmaster's office!

                "Ah, Ms. Evans.  I'm sure that you are wondering why you have been called.  I will try to answer your questions to the best of my abilities.  Now, as to the reason you've been called.  Earlier today, I sensed a, how shall I put this, distortion in time.  Now, I knew that either you or one of your friends had done it as soon as I saw the aura in the Great Hall.  When you were all here in my office, I still wasn't sure.  But now that I can see you, and only you, I know for certain who is responsible.  Now, do you know what you did?"

                Lily swallowed anxiously.  "I…I think that I stopped time, sir.  I really didn't mean to!  It was an accident!  I swear, I didn't mean to!"

                "Of course you didn't, Lily," Albus Dumbledore said with a warm smile, his eyes still twinkling in amusement.

                "Sir, if you don't mind me asking?"

                "Yes, Lily?"

                "What does this mean?  Why is it so important?"

                "Ah, yes.  I was getting to that.  Well, what it means is that you, Lily, are a Tutela Iubar, or Guardian of Light.  It was prophesied that in the time of the world's greatest need, the Tutela Iubar would be born to save the world.  The Guardian was prominent in the defeat of the Cimmerii, the people living in eternal darkness.  Ah, I can spend only a minute more with you.  I will answer your questions and explain more if you could come back tomorrow.  Same time, please.  I doubt your friends will think much on it.  Tell them I wanted to talk to you about Divination and your talent in the area, if they ask."

                "Okay, sir.  Thank you," Lily said numbly.  She couldn't save the world!  She wasn't cut out to be a saviour, or a hero, or a Tuteloo Edar or what ever you called it!

                "And kindly tell Mr. Lupin I will see him now," Professor Dumbledore said, standing.

                Lily couldn't remember walking out of Dumbledore's office, nor telling Remus to go see Dumbledore.  When the others asked her what Dumbledore had wanted with her, she answered without realising what she was saying.  Afterwards, Lily thought that she was very lucky she hadn't said something she shouldn't have!  In fact, she was so lost in thought she didn't even listen to what Dumbledore had wanted with the others, though she suspected that he hadn't really wanted anything special.

***

                The next morning, Lily woke up in the third-year dorm to find Cora positively in a rage.  Apparently, the Marauders had had to get her back for something she had said to Peter the day before.  Lily suspected that it was something about Peter liking sweets a little too much for his own good, though she said nothing.  Actually, Lily thought Cora to be quite nice.  When she got the whole story later on, it turned out that the only reason Peter and the others even knew about the comment was because they had been sneaking around with the Invisibility Cloak.  Since Cora had never meant for Peter to hear, Lily thought that the Marauders were being quite stupid to swear to 'hate that stupid prat of a girl forever.'  But being the good friend she was, Lily decided to support them even though she thought that they were being the prats and felt more than a little hurt at not being included in the little escapade.

                She felt even more hurt when she discovered that the Marauders had left for breakfast without her.  Lily was, of course, a Gryffindor, and had quite a temper.  So, she decided to walk to breakfast with Cora and her friends.  However, Cora and her friends thought Lily to be 'positively adorable,' and tended to treat her more like a little doll than anything else.  I suppose it's because I'm so short and young, Lily thought disconsolately.   The Marauders are much better company!

                Fortunately for the sake of Lily's sanity (Cora and her friends started to really get on her nerves, with all their, "Your so cute, Lily," nonsense) Lily and the Marauders had made up by lunch.

                "Well, now what can we do to Cora?" asked Remus wickedly.

                "Nothing!" Lily cut in sharply from where she had been sitting down the table.  "Cora never did anything wrong, except-"

                "Nothing wrong?  She seriously insulted a Marauder!  That's wrong!" Sirius shouted.

                "Except for being a girl, and gossiping with her friends!  All girls do that!" Lily shouted back.

                "Oh, so I suppose you think Peter's fat and ugly too!" yelled James.
                "Cora never said that, and neither did I!  She merely said that Peter ate too much to be her type!  Never did I hear fat or ugly in that!" Lily yelled right back.

                "Guys!  Guys!" Peter shouted.  "I didn't take offence, so you shouldn't either!"

                James, Remus, and Sirius looked at him in shocked silence.

                "Thank you.  Now pass the butter, will you?" Lily asked, politely.

                James silently passed the butter.  Remus and Sirius simply sat in silence, while Peter ate.

                "Okay, now this is stupid!  I'm sorry for trying to make friends other than guys, but a girl needs some girlfriends sometimes!  Okay?" Lily yelled.

                "Of course.  We never said you couldn't have other friends.  Where'd you get that idea from?" Sirius replied calmly, filling his plate.