Disclaimer: I sadly do not own the rights to Harry Potter, though you should all be thankfully, can you imagine how many times I'd re-write the book? You might've never gotten more then four chapters.
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The next chapter is a very important author's note, I insist that everyone should read it thoroughly.
Chapter Seven: Head Boy
"Oy, Potter! Evans!" called the Irish voice of Bridget Kidder. She was a short girl with a mane of curly black hair and played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She was also a Prefect. James and Lily both turned around to see her walking over.
"Hi Bridget," said James, smiling.
"'Lo, I was told by Dumbledore to ask you two when breakfast ends if you'd run up to his office for a quick word," said Bridget. "He didn't say what it was about, but he told me to let you know he bought a box of Turkish Delight's. Weird man, init'e?"
"Yeah, thanks Bridget," said James. He and Lily of course knew that Dumbledore meant that the password was 'Turkish Delight's'. Bridget, however, didn't seem to be thinking along these lines.
"No problem," she smiled and then swept away to tell off some fourth years who where throwing food at each other.
"You know why Dumbledore wants to talk to us?" James questioned Lily, turning to look at her.
"No," said Lily, shaking her head. "But, it can't be anything bad. We would've gotten a letter from the Ministry."
"Right," said James. He took a bite of his eggs and then said, "You reckon it has something to do with what he and McGonagall have been whispering about?"
Lily looked over at the Head Table, to Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore and James did so too.
"Maybe," she said.
They stared for a few minutes until Lily said, checking her watch, "Why don't we start for Dumbledore's office? Breakfast should be ending in a few minutes anyway."
After grabbing their bags and James told Sirius that he and Lily might be late for Charms because they were going to see Dumbledore and asked if he would tell Professor Flitwick, Lily and James existed the Great Hall and climbed the marble staircase. The reached the seventh floor and walked to the stone statue of the Gargoyle.
"Turkish Delight's," Lily said.
The Gargoyle jumped aside and allowed them to climb onto the spiral staircase which took them to the door leading into Dumbledore office. Lily tapped the brass knocked against the polished oak and they waited.
"Enter!" called Dumbledore cheerfully.
James turned the knob and they both walked into the office.
"Ah, Lily, James," smiled Dumbledore, from where he was seated at his desk. "Excellent. Sit, sit."
James closed the door while Lily took a seat in the left wooden chair, and he followed suit, taking the one on the right near Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes. Both Lily and James where looking expectantly at Dumbledore, waiting for him to begin speaking. He started almost immediately.
"I assume you both are curious as to why I called you up to my office, so I won't bother you with mind-numbing formalities, though I do hope you both are doing well," said Dumbledore smiling.
Lily and James both nodded.
"Good," said Dumbledore. "I asked you here to discuss the position of Head Boy."
James frowned, if that was what this meeting was really about, then why was he needed? Surly Dumbledore only needed to talk to Lily. James glanced at her and saw she looked somewhat surprised and confused, obviously also wondering why he, James, was also called to speak to the Headmaster.
"As you both know Ian Crowley held the position before, but as he has left for a holiday, the position of Head Boy, now needs to filled once again," said Dumbledore, he turned to look at James. "And we've chosen you, Mr. Potter."
Complete and utter silence filled the room after these words and both Lily's and James's faces where perfect examples of shock. Lily's jaw was dropped open so wide it could be mistaken for unhinged and James was having trouble stopping the action of swallowing his tongue.
"What!" He finally spluttered, straightening and leaning forward as though hoping to get as close to Dumbledore as possible to detect an once of joking in his face. But Dumbledore eyes twinkled with amusement, and with truth.
"Yes, I can see it may come as a bit of a surprise," he said pleasantly. "But, I'm sure it'll become more understandable as time passes. Being Head Boy shouldn't be too difficult, Mister Potter, especially since you have Ms. Evans to help you."
He looked at Lily for her conformation, and she snapped her mouth closed and nodded dumbly as though in a trance.
"Excellent. Well, Miss Evans, would you wait outside while, I give Mr. Potter his badge?" asked Dumbledore.
"Right," said Lily, standing up and nodding. "Uh - have a nice afternoon, Professor."
James watched as Lily walked over to the door, stepped out onto stone landing and then closed the door behind her. He swallowed and turned to face Dumbledore.
"Sir," James started slowly in hesitance. "I don't want to be Head Boy. I don't want the position."
Dumbledore stared at him over his square glasses, his bright, piercing blue eyes making James squirm in his chair. Dumbledore continued this act for a few seconds, he didn't speak but merely continued to stare at James thoughtfully, who was starting to regret speaking. He wished that he'd just taking the badge and walked out of the office, which now seemed stuffy and uncomfortable. James moved his gaze to an odd gadget sitting on the desk.
Finally Dumbledore spoke, James snapping his eyes to him.
"I have chosen you as Head Boy for a reason. You are Head Boy and you will do it."
The words where calm, firm and held a tone of finalization, yet they weren't unkind only matter of fact.
James swallowed again and nodded in defeat, knowing no matter what he said or how much he protested, no matter if he liked it or not, he was, as Dumbledore had just said, Head Boy and there was nothing he could do about it.
Lily sat on the stone landing by the oak door, waiting patiently for James to come out, deep in thought about what had just happened.
She could see why Dumbledore had picked James, he was highly respected amongst the students and well liked, if something happened they would definitely listen to him. He had brilliant marks despite what people might think and he wasn't uptight or pompous.
Despite this however, Lily noted with every pro there was a con. James hexed students for fun, mostly Snape, but every now and then, a little jinx on a student, mostly Slytherins, for who he had a rather biased view on. Even though he got good marks, his homework was done at the very last minute, he could usually be seen at breakfast scribbling away and sometimes he never handed it in. He had a different girlfriend almost every two days sometimes three; the longest time a relationship had lasted was a week.
And it wasn't the fact that he couldn't find the right girl, it was the fact that he used them like dishrags. After a few snog sessions he chucked her and found himself another one for a few days, 'til he grew bored and then he chucked that one. It was a never ending cycle for James Potter.
And maybe he wasn't uptight or pompous but he was certainly arrogant, sometimes it was in a joking way but most of the time it really was just being fat-headed. Was this what Dumbledore really wanted the students to look up to and set examples?
Maybe Dumbledore had done it to try and make James to grow-up but Lily had a feeling that it would take more than that to make him do so. She frowned suddenly ... why hadn't Dumbledore chosen Remus instead as Head Boy? He had been Prefect along side her since fifth year. Had Dumbledore already asked Remus, but he'd refused? Come to think of it, Lily couldn't remember a time when Remus had ever mentioned or expressed a desire to be Head Boy. In fact, when Lily had spoken to him on the train to Hogwarts in their fifth year, he hadn't seemed so thrilled about being made Prefect. But why not? He had good marks and he was more behaved than either Sirius or James, he was friendly to everyone; it was only natural that he be made Prefect.
Lily briefly remembered he'd looked peaky as though just getting over a cold or getting a cold, and tired when she'd seen him on the train fifth year. But that was quite normal really, Remus was almost always looking peaky, Lily didn't know someone who'd ever been sick as many times as Remus had. He was sick at least once a month - well that or visiting a sick relative.
She sighed and checked her watch hopping Sirius remembered to tell Professor Flitwick where they where, even though they would be only fifteen minutes late. That was if James came out soon. She glanced at the door, it was taking a rather long time just to give him the badge, but knowing James he'd probably tried to refuse the position. Lily snorted, highly doubting whether that had worked.
She sighed once more but before she had time to ponder over things some more she heard James's voice saying, "Good bye, Professor," and the door was opened and James stepped out, closing it softly behind him. She noticed a glittering gold coming from James's hand, where no doubt the Head Boy badge was clutched.
"Ready?" Lily asked, looking up at him.
He nodded and she stood up, dusting her robes off and then followed him back down the stairs. They walked the rest of the way in silence to Charms, when they reached the door, Lily saw James slip the badge into his pocket before he opened the door.
The class turned as one to see who was coming in.
"Evans, Potter, Mister Black has already informed me you two where with Professor Dumbledore," squeaked Professor Flitwick, standing atop his tower of books as usual. "Find a seat, please, and take out your wands. We're practicing the charm of disillusionment. You can take a rabbit from the cadge here on my desk to practice with."
"C'mon, cheer up, James," squeaked Peter.
He, Sirius, and Remus where sitting with a very depressed James in the common room, who had his elbows resting on his knees and his chin in his hands. James had just finished explaining what had happened with Dumbledore. He would've told them sooner but he didn't sit with Remus, Peter, and Sirius in Charms, which had ended a few minutes ago.
"Yeah, it shouldn't cause too much of a problem," said Sirius, grinning.
"I don't know," started Remus. "I reckon you will have to behave as long as you're you."
"But Prongs should be free to do as he pleases," added Sirius cottoning to Remus meaning, and winking mischievously.
James mumbled something that sounded like, "But I'm only Prongs once a month."
"C'mon mate," said Sirius, he lowered his voice. "Let's start planning for the next full moon. C'mon, I found these cave to explore last Hogsmeade trip."
James sighed and nodded. "Okay," he said.
Sirius quickly took out some parchment and a bottle of ink and they all huddled together, whispering plans for the next full moon adventure.
The rest of the common room pondering what prank they where planning to pull next, unaware that it they where planning things much bigger and even more dangerous and mischievous then imagined.
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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. James becoming Head Boy, did any of you think that would happen in this story, maybe you all guessed it from Chapter Six and the mention of "position" and "responsibility" in Dumbledore and McGonagall's discussion. I hope some of you where at least surprised by James becoming Head Boy. And the clear up the confusion of Chapter Five and Ian Crowley, it was written for the purpose of James new position.
All right I think this is a nicely sized Author's Note so I will wrap it up with a thank you for all the reviews and please review this chapter as well.
Thanks,
ooo GoddessoftheMaaN ooo