James Potter and all other characters mentioned in this book (with the exception of several professors and students) are copyright J.K. Rowling.
Return to Hogwarts
"James! In here!" a voice shouted over the crowd that was milling around Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
James Potter turned around and stood on tiptoes, craning his neck to try and find where the voice had come from. With a grin, he noticed his friend, Remus Lupin, waving at him from the window of a carriage of the Hogwarts Express. James immediately began wading through the sea of students until he reached the door of the carriage, and then stepped inside.
James was fifteen years old, and in his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was a tall, thin boy with thick black hair and bright hazel eyes. Many of the young witches in his year level thought he was truly dashing, but there was only one girl that James liked – and her name was Lily Evans. Everything about Lily was wonderful. Her long orange-brown hair, her stunning green 'cat-eyes' as Sirius called them, her kind-hearted nature but most of all, her Quidditch skills.
Lily wasn't on the Gryffindor Quidditch team like James was, but that was because no one knew of her ability. James only knew because he had been getting a drink of water late one night, when he looked out his dormitory window and saw her looping through the goalposts on the pitch.
He had quietly asked her why she didn't play and she had replied with a sniff, "I've got far more important things to do than play Quidditch. There's studying to do and, and…" she had run off at that moment, so James didn't know what her secret was.
He was jolted back to reality when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He whizzed around and…
"Sirius!" he shouted, grinning broadly at his best friend in the whole world.
Sirius was a tall, handsome young wizard, with shoulder-length black hair, and deep grey eyes. All the girls at school fell head over heels when Sirius walked past, but he wasn't interested. Sirius was more interested in finding secret passages leading out of the school or trying to becoming an Animagus illegally. Sirius was very intelligent. In fact, he was so intelligent that he barely had to study anything, but sometimes he could be careless, and this got him into trouble on many occasions.
"How was your summer?" asked Sirius, as he sat down next to Remus. James joined them.
"Actually, it was pretty good. I played Quidditch most of the time. And of course, my parents took me to the World Cup. It was fantastic!" said James.
"Heck, your summer sounds far better than mine," Sirius said. "Locked up in that wretched house, with my dear mother yelling at me for every possible reason," he rolled his eyes.
"But you at least got to the Cup, didn't you?" asked James.
"Not with my mother," Sirius said grimly, and James wished he hadn't asked.
"Cheer up," began Remus, grinning. "At least we know that as soon as we get back, you'll be able to become Animagi! The potion's almost done! One more day should do it," he said excitedly.
James and Sirius shivered with excitement. Ever since their first year, they had been trying to become Animagi, and within mere hours, James and Sirius knew that they would be able to transform freely into animals. James would transform into a majestic stag, Sirius a great black dog. Suddenly a whistle sounded from somewhere near the front of the train.
"Looks like we're moving at last!" said Sirius happily. He couldn't wait to be back at Hogwarts, away from his parents, who were obsessed with pure-bloods. Away from the house he dreaded so much. And away from all those rules…
"Hogwarts, here we come!" grinned Remus.
Lily Evans stared gloomily out of the window. She was so glad to be coming back to Hogwarts, but she knew that James wouldn't rest until he had made her join the Quidditch team.
What did he know? she thought angrily. James Potter, that wretched show-off who was always carrying a Snitch around in his pocket, ready to impress anyone who was willing to watch him. But James was not just a show-off; he was also a horrible person. Lily shuddered as she thought of how nasty he had been to Severus Snape last year. She knew that Severus and James absolutely loathed each other, and she was certain it was because of her. Both wanted Lily to themselves.
Okay, so Severus is a little odd, thought Lily. But at least he doesn't boast about Quidditch every minute of the day!
If truth be told, Lily rather fancied Severus, but she would never ever tell anyone this, not even her best friend, Star. Star would just laugh at her and say that there were plenty of other boys that were far better looking than greasy-haired, hook-nosed Severus. Lily knew that this was true, but Severus was always so kind to her. He understood her like James didn't.
"What are you thinking of?" said a gentle voice behind Lily, making her jump.
"Oh, Star. You gave me a fright!" laughed Lily, thinking how lucky Star was. Last year, Star had started to become very friendly with the most popular boy in their year level – Sirius Black. They both adored each other. Why was Lily the one stuck with that stupid James Potter, constantly trying to impress her?
"Well? What were you thinking?" Star asked, sitting down next to Lily.
"Oh, nothing," smiled Lily, looking at her best friend. Lily was intelligent, but Star was the cleverest witch she knew. But, thought Lily, Star, unlike James, doesn't boast about how clever she is!
Star raised her eyebrows at Lily and wondered what she had been daydreaming about. Suddenly, the carriage door burst open, and for a minute, Lily was afraid that James would be standing there. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realised it was Severus. Star, however, gave a snort of disgust.
"Snivellus, what are you doing here?" Star asked, staring at Snape with a look of pure hatred.
"Oh, I, er, wondered if I could sit with you. The rest of the carriages seem to be full," he stammered.
"Hmph! Go and sit with your Slytherin friends," growled Star.
"I…" Severus clearly didn't know what to say. Lily's heart was beating faster and faster…
"H-h-he can sit with us," she said breathlessly. Star gaped at her best friend.
"Urgh, we might end up with greasy hair if we sit with Snivellus!" she said, wondering why Lily was being so nice to him.
"No… he can stay, if he has nowhere else to sit," said Lily, pretending to look disgusted.
"Alright, but only if he sits next to you," sighed Star.
"M-me?" Lily couldn't believe her luck, as Severus shuffled over, and sat down beside her.
"So, er, do you know who the Prefects are this year?" asked Lily, trying to start a conversation.
"Well, the Slytherin Prefects are Timothy Logan and Bellatrix Black," began Severus, ticking them off on his fingers. "Gryffindor has Remus Lupin and, well, Lily, of course. I'm not sure about Hufflepuff, but the Ravenclaw Prefects are Daisy Clearwater and Art Matthews," he finished.
At that moment, the door opened yet again, to reveal James, Sirius and Remus.
"All right there, Lily?" asked James loudly, dipping his hand into his pocket to retrieve the Snitch.
"Fine," she said sarcastically, while James let go off the Snitch and made a spectacular catch. Even Lily had to admit that it took pure talent to make that kind of catch.
"Oh, look! It's Snivellus!" beamed Sirius, and Star giggled.
"Sucking up to Lily, are you, Snivellus?" grinned James.
"Oh, give it a rest, James! What's Severus ever done to you?" she demanded.
James, Sirius and Snape took out their wands and glared at each other.
"Stop that! We're supposed to be in our fifth year!" Remus glared at the faces around the carriage, and James quickly pocketed his wand.
"Come on, let's go," said Remus, opening the compartment's door, and pushing his two friends out.
"So long, Snivellus!" grinned Sirius, waving.
The train came to a halt, and James, Sirius and Remus walked onto the platform at Hogsmeade station.
"Ah, look," James pointed into the distance, where hundreds of carriages trundled towards them. James assumed that invisible horses were pulling them somehow. At last the carriages reached the platform and together, the three friends boarded one.
"Oh no," said James with a grimace, as he noticed a small, round boy running towards them.
"James! Sirius! Remus! Wait for me!" he cried.
"Darn, I thought he was sick or something," said James with a huge sigh.
"That blasted Peter Pettigrew. Why does he have to idolise us?" Sirius shook his head in disgust as Peter jumped into the carriage.
"I looked for you on the train, but I couldn't find you," he said breathlessly.
"That was a good thing," whispered Remus, as the carriage moved up towards Hogwarts castle.
"Oh, hurry up," said James loudly.
"So, er, I guess you all had good summers, then?" said Peter, looking around at the other three boys.
"Oh, what do you think, Peter? Use your brains!" snapped Sirius. Peter fumbled with his fingers.
"Well, er, Sirius didn't have a good summer, but, ah, what about you, James?" he said hopefully.
"It was ok," said James, staring out the window, watching tiny droplets of water fall to the ground. Remus followed James' gaze.
"Looks like we're in for some rain," he informed Sirius and Peter, just as the carriage stopped moving. James, Sirius and Remus leapt off and hid themselves in the crowd.
"Thank goodness Peter's gone. Finally we can have some peace," said James.
"Well, that's all very nice but, oh, darn it - we'll all be drenched!" shouted Sirius as thunder rumbled overhead, and the rain became heavier.
"Let's make a run for the doors," suggested James, and the three boys darted towards the light.
"So this year, it is my great pleasure to tell you all that the very first ever Hogwarts Best Young Witch or Wizard of the Year competition will be held this year," finished Dumbledore. People all through the Great Hall cheered wildly, but James, Remus and Sirius were having a whispered conversation.
"We're not old enough to enter," sighed James.
"But that slimy git, Severus is," Sirius growled.
"Huh? I didn't know he was sixteen," said Remus, with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Not many people do know. I actually heard it from Star who heard it from Bellatrix who heard it from…" Sirius replied.
"Ok, ok! But I wish I could enter," James said wistfully, thinking of what Lily would say if he won the prize.
"I understand. But we're better off not entering. I mean, we're only in our fifth year…" Remus began.
"Ah, but how many other fifteen-year-old wizards do you know who have made the Animagus potion?" asked Sirius, with a grin.
"I know you're intelligent, but this is serious," said Remus darkly.
"Don't worry yourself, Moony. We'd never be stupid enough to enter, right James?"
"Right," James nodded.
Star hugged Sirius tightly, and then broke apart from him.
"It's getting late," she said gently. Sirius kissed her on the cheek.
"You're right. I'll see you in the morning," he said, and with a small wave, he was gone, climbing the staircase that led to the boys' dormitory. Star, however, walked slowly up to the girls' dormitory, dreaming of Sirius. She was about to slide into bed when she heard a voice.
"Star?"
"What? Lily, I didn't know you were awake," said Star, looking at her friend in the gloom.
"Lumos," muttered Lily, and the tip of her wand burst into light.
"Er, Star, do you think that Severus will enter the Tournament?" she asked, and all of a sudden, Star understood.
"Lily, you fancy him, don't you?" she began. Lily gasped.
"Why would I like Snivellus?"
she retorted. Star grinned.
"Search me. But for some reason, you
do. I'm right, aren't I?" she said. Slowly, Lily nodded.
Severus Snape lay in bed, reading by the light of his wand. He was immersed in a book about the Dark Arts, his favourite subject and the subject that he was brilliant at. But other thoughts were crossing his mind. The Best Witch or Wizard competition…
Snape closed Advanced Dark Arts: A Comprehensive Guide and looked out of the window. He didn't care about the one hundred Galleon prize money. He cared about finally getting the chance to practise the many spells he had taught himself. The competition would allow him to face Dark creatures that he would normally never even see in a lifetime. But better still; the competition might just make Lily Evans like him.
Lily…
Severus dragged his feet back to his four-post bed and lay down. Lily would never like him. In fact, no one really liked Severus. His father had abused him as a child, before his parents divorced and he went to live with his mother, who detested the greasy-haired child who looked so much like his father.
No, Lily probably liked handsome Sirius Black or that horrible James Potter… Snape thought of winning the Best Young Wizard trophy, holding it high in the air. Thousands of people cheered for him and in the middle of the crowd was Lily. She ran over and hugged him, looking up at him with her huge green eyes.
That would never, ever, ever happen. Severus lay awake while the other boys around him snored or rolled over in their sleep. Slowly, a tear began to form in Severus' eye. It plopped onto the fluffy white pillow and trickled down the side, leaving a small stain.
Slowly, Severus Snape buried his face into his pillow, and cried.