I'M BAAAACK!!!!!!! Many thanks to my faithful reviewers who waited for so long! I love you guys! I almost had a heart attack when I looked at my reviews and realized I had 73! I will end the cliffie now, and the next chapter is half-written so I'll get it out to you soon.
Disclaimer: If I had created all of HP, would I have had to wait anxiously and then rush out and buy OotP? NO!
Chapter 6: Assigned Duties
THWAP!
The blue punching bag rebounded from the punishing kick easily delivered by a tall, willowy, seventeen year old girl. She waited for the bag to return before beginning a series of punches, kicks and spins. With a final kick, the bag was ripped off the chain and lay on the floor. Lily Evans walked over to where the bag lay and lifted it easily. *Damn,* she thought ruefully, *forgot to put the reinforcing charm on again.* Picking up her wand and muttering an incantation, the bag rose and re-attached itself to it's chain. The whole thing glowed golden for a moment, then assumed it's normal hue.
Lily sighed and began to stretch after her workout. *Who could believe it's finally almost seventh year?* she wondered. *Only one year and I'm outta here forever, I can do what I want, be my own person...* Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice floating through her workout area.
"Would Lily Evans please proceed to the Headmaster's office immediately?" said the disembodied voice. Lily easily recognized it as that of Professor McGonagall.
*Wonder why they bother even doing that when I'm the only student left in the school anyways.* she thought as she trotted through the vast halls of Hogwarts,
her feet taking her the correct route without even thinking about it. Reaching the familiar stone gargoyle, she simply placed her hand on it's head. With a huge groan and the grating of rock moving, the swivelling stone staircase appeared. Upon reaching Dumbledore's office, she knocked lightly.
"Professor Dumbledore?" she asked.
"Come in, miss Evans." he said. Lily went in and promptly sat on one of the chairs opposite the Headmaster.
"You wished to see me." Lily stated, in a totally expressionless voice. She stared straight ahead, unmoving and uncaring.
"Yes... the faculty has decided to appoint you Head Girl." Lily's expression did not change.
"Did I not inform you last year I did not wish to take on Prefect duties? Why then would you appoint me Head Girl? As such, I refuse the position." she said, her tone unchanging, sitting so still she might have been a statue.
"The Head Girl position is one that must be accepted, miss Evans. You have no choice. You will meet the Head Boy tomorrow when the students return for the Feast." Dumbledore said firmly. Lily inclined her head slightly, and without further dismissal, got up and left the office.
The Headmaster steepled his fingers in front of him, his blue eyes pensive. His phoenix, Fawkes, flew over towards him and lay it's head on his shoulder.
"Why, Fawkes?" Dumbledore said softly, remembering the vivacious, talkative girl that was once Lily Evans. "What happened to make her so cold and unfeeling?" Fawkes merely cooed in reply.
Meanwhile, Lily had let her emotionless mask slip and stormed off in a rage to the Owlery, ranting all the way.
"Why?? Why the hell would he make me Head Girl and make me work with some arrogant asshole when he god damn KNOWS that I don't fucking care about whatever happens in this stupid ass school! I just wanna graduate and get outta here, he knows that! God DAMN!!" she finished angrily, sitting down hard against the cold stone wall. Putting her head between her knees, she sighed. *I guess all I can do is make the best of it. I'll do as little as possible, leave it all to the Head Boy. Ha...that's a laugh. Imagine if it were Black...or Potter.* she shuddered. *I can always give them a black eye if they push me too much.* With that cheerful thought, she headed to the window and looked out, seeing the scarlet steam engine approach Hogsmeade station.
"This is going to be the worst year ever." she muttered angrily, then headed down to the Great Hall.
* * *
James Potter hopped easily onto the scarlet Hogwarts Express, chocolate brown eyes searching for his friends, a hand absent-mindedly running through his messy black hair. Loping down the hall to the compartment the four friends usually shared, he threw open the door and smiled his trademark lopsided grin at the sight of his best buddies.
"Hey guys!" he said, flopping down on the nearest seat. The other three boys looked up at his entrance.
"Jamesie! Where have ya been, buddy?" asked Sirius Black, his best friend. James shrugged.
"Dad decided this summer was the time when I would learn to 'manage the empire.'" he said sarcastically, as Peter Pettigrew winced. James' father was one of the main partners at Gringotts, and he was determined that James would one day take over his job.
"Ouch. Musta been deadly boring." James smirked.
"Not when there are loads of annoying little toadies to prank." Sirius smiled an identical evil grin.
"Now, James...when will you curb those predatory instincts?" sighed Remus Lupin sarcastically, though he too was grinning.
"Stop talking like you swallowed the dictionary, Remie." said Peter, elbowing him.
"I did get an...er, interesting letter." James stated, and the other boys' attentions immediately shifted to him.
"Let me guess...'Dear Mr. Potter, you have been awarded a plaque for the most detentions?'" cracked Remus, and the boys laughed for a moment.
"No," said James once they had regained control, "they made me Head Boy." He cracked up again at the expressions on their faces.
"Congrats, I guess." said Peter hesitantly. Remus merely stared in shock. Sirius, on the other hand, looked as if everyone had died but him and Snape.
"Head Boy?!?!? What about our pranks??? How're we gonna prank the slimy Slytherins if you're in charge of all the rules?? No more sneaking down to the kitchens!! No more checking out hot babes from other Houses!! No more..." James stopped him.
"Hey, I don't care if I get caught. They can't exactly kick me out of being Head Boy, and if they do, their loss." James shrugged. "Dad was more pleased about it anyways. You should have heard him: 'This is just the way to kick-start your career, son. Yes sir, with qualifications like Head Boy, you can get an apprenticeship anywhere in the Ministry, work anywhere in the bank'..."James sighed.
"S'okay, Jamesie. After school, we'll all buy a flat in Hogsmeade, work at Honeydukes and go clubbing every night!" said Sirius gleefully, regaining his cheerful demeanor. James brightened.
"Yeah, and to hell about what my dad thinks!"
The rest of the train ride was spent thinking up their trademark beginning of year prank. As Sirius said, "This is our last year so it's gotta be...be...". "Spectacular?" Remus had supplied, but Sirius shook his head. "No....it's gotta be...big." All four boys looked at each other and started laughing. Later, the other three boys had fallen asleep as night fell, but James stayed awake, thinking.
*Seventh year at last.* he thought, staring out the window. *Head Boy too...who'da thought? I mean, we're so different now than first year. Sirius is practically the babe magnet, Remus is so 'cute', Peter is 'so understanding'...where does that leave me? Any girlfriend I've had has just used me to get closer to Siri or Remus, like that Ally or whatever her name was. Peter and I are a lot alike, I guess.* he shook his head slightly to clear his head of his gloomy thoughts. *Enough of me whining! It's a wonder I even put up with myself.* 'Because no one else will listen to you.' whispered his conscience. *Great. Now I'm talking to myself.* He sighed audibly, then attempted to change the subject in his head.
*Wonder who Head Girl is? I mean, none of the girls in our year are exceptionally stellar students, except for...* he sat bolt upright as the thought hit him. *What if they made Evans Head Girl? I mean, she get's practically 100's on every essay or test! The Ice Queen herself...that would be interesting.* Lying back down, he tried to clear his mind of anything and sleep. However, all he could see in his mind's eye was the perfect, dispassionate face of one Lily Evans.
* * *
*Here we go again.* thought Lily wryly as she sat in her usual place at the Gryffindor table, watching all the older students filing in. Keeping her expression carefully blank, she noted that, even though she sat at the far end of the table, there were at least two or three seats between her and the next person seated. *It shouldn't bother me now!* she thought anxiously, trying to stifle the feeling of hurt and rejection that welled up. *It's happened every year since third! I should be happy they've finally gotten the message and left me alone.* Dumbledore stood up, as the first years filed in. It served as a distraction for her unpleasant thoughts, so she gave her full attention span over to the Sorting.
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! To our returnees, welcome back! To the new first-years, I am sure you will enjoy this year greatly! Now, let us begin the Sorting." Dumbledore said, in his usual, cheerful demeanor. Professor McGonagall walked over with the Sorting Hat, gave a warning glare to the Marauders, and set it down on the stool. The hat quickly opened it's brim and began it's song.
In times of old, when this school was founded,
Things were looking grim.
Dark wizards rampaged everywhere
And answered only to Him.
Four powerful wizards banded together
To defeat these powers of dark.
They marched on strong to His very stronghold,
And plainly left their mark.
Now a crater merely remains,
Of that which was once His.
The four wizards stumbled back,
Their triumph as potent as strawberry fizz.
When all had been salvaged or regained,
One wizard, Godric Gryffindor by name,
Said "Let us build a school, to teach those who know not
The magic they do not claim."
The other three willingly agreed,
And plans were quickly made.
The founders became the teachers,
And so laid down the blade.
Houses were formed, traditions made,
Qualities prized by every founder.
Gryffindor wanted bravery and courage,
Because a brave one could not flounder.
Rowena Ravenclaw wished for intelligence,
The ability to learn and be wise.
Helga Hufflepuff wanted loyalty,
Hardworkers, those who told no lies.
Salazar Slytherin prized cunning,
Wit and great ambition.
He thought that those with these kind of morals
Would make the best magicians.
And so the Founders grew apart,
The enmity grew very strong.
Even students from each House
Stayed mostly with those they belonged.
Now the evil rises again,
And we all must stay together,
Or else the world will turn to shadows,
And will be ruled by those of the nether.
The Hall was silent, then McGonagall stepped up to the dais. "When I call your name, you will come forth and be Sorted. Andrews, George?" A small, waifish boy stepped up to the stool. The hat paused for a moment.
"Hufflepuff!"
Lily tuned out the rest of the Sorting. *They do it every single year, why should it be any different? Except for the Sorting Hats' song, that was a little depressing.* She sat still as stone, her face betraying none of her thoughts. In fact, she was thinking about the new martial art she was learning, the wand kata. It had to do mostly with angles, so you could angle yourself in such a way that you would avoid any spells cast and yet still cast spells yourself. As she thought about the different angles she practised, Dumbledore's voice brought her back to the present.
"May I now present your new Head Boy and Girl? The Head Boy is James Potter." he said, and Lily swore inwardly. *Crap! Him? Great. Just great.* Many of the students cheered loudly as Potter stood up. His image shimmered slightly for a moment, then he was dressed in...quite interesting attire. *Oh yes.* Lily thought smugly.
James was dressed in an extravagant robe of ermine with a huge, gaudy crown on his head. He held a garish scepter and had long, golden necklaces around his neck, rings on every finger and jewelery on every possible place on his body. Finally, a large, glowing sign appeared above his head, that read 'The King'. In short, he looked like an extravagant teen playing a king in some cheap theater production. Potter looked down at what he was wearing and started to laugh. Even Dumbledore smiled gently.
"The Head Girl is Lily Evans." *Okay, here we go.* she thought, and steeled her expression. She rose, expressionless, as whispers filled the hall.
"Evans?!?!?"
"The Ice Queen?!?!?"
"I heard she never says anything, just stares..."
"I heard she beat up Malfoy senseless, he had to spend a week in the hospital wing."
"Well, good for her then."
"Good for her? She's a freak! Talk about the anti-social!"
"She's so pretty..."
"Pretty, my ass. You go ask her out, if you want broken bones."
*Nice to know I have such a reputation.* she thought wryly. She heard a sudden gasp from the assembled group, and looked down at what she was wearing. *Oh, no...*
Lily was wearing a silver gown that had long flowing sleeves and trailed on the ground. A jeweled, spired, silver crown stood on her head, as priceless jewels covered her neck and wrists. Looking in a convenient goblet of water, she saw her lips and eyelids had been painted silver. Her red hair spilled down like blood on snow. However, that was not all. Tiny snowflakes fell from nowhere to land on her head and shoulders. They melted as soon as they touched her, but fell nowhere else. Frost covered the ground on which she stood. Taking a tiny, experimental step, the frost followed her footsteps. As a final touch, little silver fairies that carried blue lanterns swooped around her and spelled out the words 'Ice Queen' above her head. *Okay, way too far here!* she thought angrily, though her expression did not change. Taking out her wand, she whispered the vanishing spell and the crazy clothes disappeared, leaving her back in her school robes, face back to normal. However, the frost and snowflakes still fell, and the fairies swooped around her, chittering happily. She sat down, facing the table, as the whispers started up again. *Great. Just fucking great.* she thought grumpily.
* * *
"Dammit! That was s'posed to be a prank!" Sirius said softly. Peter looked upset.
"We didn't get any reaction out of her! She just looked...looked..." he fumbled for words.
"Gorgeous?" James said softly. All three boys' heads whipped around to stare at him.
"What??" Remus said incredulously.
"Uh...I mean...the prank itself was a great idea, I had no idea you were gonna do this to me!" James said, gesturing at his flamboyant attire. The three boys stared at him suspiciously, but went back to discussing their next prank of the evening.
*Whew...why did I say that out loud? Sure, Evans is pretty, but so cold and uncaring. Who cares what she looks like?* he thought, listening to Sirius talk about how to implant the confetti in the ceiling.
"You got that, Jamesie?" Sirius asked, startling him out of his reverie.
"Uh...er..." he stammered. Remus laughed.
"Probably daydreaming about some girl, hmmm?" he asked, taking on the tone of a muggle psychiatrist and looking over the bridge of his nose. James merely smirked and punched Remus lightly on the arm.
"Nothin' you haven't done, buddy." Remus blushed.
"Hey guys, the food just appeared." Peter pointed out good-naturedly, and without further talk the boys dove into their meal.
"Mmm, Si'us, fass a 'oaoes." grunted James around a mouthful of steak.
"Wha'?" said Sirius, equally coherently. James swallowed.
"Pass the potatoes."
"Oh."
"Guys, don't stuff yourselves like in third year." Remus warned. Peter rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Mommy." Remus shrugged.
"Hey, if you wanna spend tonight like you did that first night..." Sirius blanched.
"Hey, Remie, we like to remember the good things, not the bad ones!" James chided good-naturedly.
"Yeah, like that time we caught you snogging with that girl...hmmm, what was her name..." Sirius said mock-innocently, and Remus blushed to the tips of his ears.
"Yeah, what about that time McGonagall was right behind you when you did your impression of her and Dumbledore..." Remus volleyed back to Sirius, and the four of them burst out laughing. And so the rest of their meal passed companionably, with many tales of their adventures during the past seven years.
At the end of the Feast, Dumbledore stood up once more.
"Will the Head Boy and Girl please come to my office after the Feast? The rest of you are dismissed." As students stood up to go, many got the shock of their lives.
Confetti had burst from the ceiling, showering everyone with little bits of paper. Streamers floated down lazily, and Filibusters' Fireworks shot off multicolored sparks everywhere. Balloons floated everywhere and stuck on each person, some getting a happy face, others(like Malfoy) getting a barfing face. As soon as a ballon touched someone, your own faced morphed into one mirroring the one on the balloon. Many people were laughing hysterically at the cartoon faces on them and their friends. As a final touch, a huge banner floated down from the ceiling reading 'The beginning of the end! Good luck to (almost) all!'. It hung in mid air for a moment, then exploded into small Honeydukes candies which floated down from the ceiling. Some of the younger students squealed and jumped around, trying to catch the treats. The four Marauders shared a secretive high-five, each having their own cartoon face. As James turned, he noticed Evans, wand braced, facing off against her own balloon. It suddenly zoomed at her, and in one fluid motion, she cast a Severing charm and punctured it. Watching it deflate, James noticed Evans smile slightly before turning and presumably heading to the Headmaster's office. Now uncomfortably aware of the yellow happy face in place of his own, he quickly fixed it and followed Evans to Dumbledore's office.
Whew! Finally done typing! Don't worry, chapter 7 will be out before you know it! Now, it's time for the thank-you's!
Alyssa- E-mail to you is going out as soon as I post this!
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MFCA- Look! I kept writing!
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angel-dolphin- Awww, thanks! It makes me smile when I get reviews like yours!
Rei- *ducks* Aaah! I didn't really MEAN you had to throw the vegetables! Yes, this is the ice Lily!
harper92- Hope this chapter is stellar enough for ya! Thanks, I had a great time at camp! Aww, poor you...don't worry, I'm back now!
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PoTtErSPaYnE- There ya go, I typed more. I typed a whole lot more, hope you like! Thanks, I had a great vacation!