THANK YOU GOD! I finally have gotten to this chapter! Anyways, hope you enjoy… there are at least seventeen more chapters left. J so be happy.

I don't plan on doing seond, third and fourth years at Hogwarts for the gang, but fifth, sicth and seventh and afterwards defiantly!

Chapter Sixteen

The Circle of Light

Lily sighed and stretched in the heat. "God is it hot?" Lily asked Arabella, who was sweating.

"It really is." Karrie replied, she pulled her brown hair off her neck and fanned herself.

"I can't believe it's already May. Soon time for exams." Lily said, sighing and feeling her eyelids drooping.

"Don't tell me about exams." Arabella said.

"I wish I could." Lily said, trying to find her study schedule. "I know it's in here."

"Yes of course, exams." Karrie said.

"You ladies hot?" Sirius asked, walking over to them.

Lily rolled her eyes as Arabella and Karrie giggled. "Yes." Lily replied. "You know somewhere cooler?"

"Well, yes…" Sirius said, his eyes darting around to find where Mary Candor.

"It's not technically allowed? Is it Sirius?" Lily asked.

"Well… no." Sirius said.

"Well, anywhere that's cooler then this." Karrie said, Arabella and Lily nodded fervently.

"Alright, I'll get James and Remus and Peter and we'll head down there." Sirius said.

Gathering their things Lily asked Arabella "You do know that this is probably a prank?"

"Yep." Arabella replied. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had become pranksters in the time between Christmas and May. Lily found their pranks childish, but usually laughed along with them, seeing the humor.

The four boys appeared armed with books and wands. Hurrying out of the portrait hole the group trouped down several staircases. "I found this while on detention, so I thank you Lily." Sirius said, bowing mockingly to Lily who stuck out her tongue at her friend.

They entered the room and noticed the change of temperature immediately. Sirius shut the door and then the lights went out.

Arabella screamed. Karrie clutched Lily's arm. "Lumos!" Lily and James said at the same time.

Thin beams of light sprang out from their wands and they looked around. "Where's the window?" James rasped.

"I don't think-"

"State the principle player." A thin metallic voice said.

Lily frowned and then said, "Lily Rose Evans."

"Player accepted. State the names of those with the principle."

"Arabella Lindsay Figg." Arabella said, mystified.

"James Henry Potter." James said.

"Sirius Black."

"Peter Robert Petigrew."

"Karrie Lucy Petigrew."

"Remus Lupin."

"Players accepted. Stat level." The voice said.

"First years?" Lily ventured.

"'First years' is not a level compatible with the Circle." The voice said.

"What is this?" Lily asked.

"You have entered the Circle of Light. There are seventeen tasks ahead of you." The voice said.

"Can we get out with out going through all of them?" Lily asked.

"No. to get out, one must o all the way through. The principle must go into the last chamber alone. If they succeed or not in the seventeenth camber, all will be returned to the room of entry."

"Who is the principle?" Lily asked.

"Lily Rose Evans."

Lily looked at her friends, slightly scared.

"Stat level?" the voice asked.

"One?" Lily asked.

"Level accepted. All tasks are being set. Please wait."

Lily turned to look at James. "So, I guess it's a good thing we studied the Circle of Light." She said.

James began to laugh. "It's just so funny that these are the people we wanted." James said.

Lily smiled. "It is."

"Lils? What are you talking about?" Arabella asked.

"Oh me and James were talking about who we would want to come down into the Circle of Light with us. It was all you guys." Lily said.

"That's so nice." Karrie said.

"Yeah. I guess it is." James said.

Sirius punched him. "You said this was a good place to go, know we have to go through here!"

James rubbed his arm where Sirius had punched him. "Oy Sir, I didn't know the Circle of Light had been placed on the castle."

"If the Circle of Light was placed here, who do you think is being protected?" Arabella asked.

"Well, we'll find out when I get through." Lily said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but who would be at Hogwarts that's important enough?" Arabella asked.

"Dumbledore?" Peter put in.

"Nah, Dumbledore doesn't need it." Sirius said.

"Well, maybe one of the professor's?" Karrie said.

"No." Lily said. "It was put on the school this year."

"What!" James cried. "How do you know?"

"Oh I found a book about advanced spells that keeps a tab on them; Circle of Magic was placed on Hogwarts this year." Lily said.

"Good god, how much do you read Lils?" Remus asked with a wicked grin.

"A lot." Lily said, preening herself.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

"Task level set. Goal?" the voice said.

"What do you mean? Goal?" Lily asked.

"Goal: to destroy the Circle of Light, or to discover the person who the Circle is guarding."

"What do you think Lils?" James asked.

"Will we find out who is being guarded either way?" Lily asked.

"Yes." The voice said.

"To discover the person who is being guarded." Lily decided.

"Processing data. Please wait."

"That's such a   weird voice." Sirius decided.

"Oh yes." Peter agreed.

"Were you guys going to prank us?" Arabella asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" James asked, turning to the girl.

"When we came in here, this isn't just some prank?" Arabella asked, frowning.

"No. we couldn't cook up something this good." Remus said.

"The Circle is ready. Get the items you will need to complete them from your feet and then tell me when to go." The voice seemed much more human this time, or maybe it was the fact that it had talked about its self.

Glancing down at their feet, the group discovered they could see the ground. Their wands and a collection of books and paper were at their feet. Carefully Lily picked up two of the books and some parchment.

"Sooner we start, the sooner we'll be done and can get out of here." Lily announced and the others gathered up what was left.

"We all ready?" James asked.

The group nodded nervously.

"We're ready. Let's go." Lily said.