Disclaimer: Anything relating to the Harry Potter stories belongs to J. K. Rowling. She can have my characters and ideas as well.
CHAPTER 1
"Here you go, Bertie." said a girl with deep purple, thick-rimmed glasses and wild, curly dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders as she walked into the compartment of a moving train and dumped a pile of sweets onto one of the seats. "You think that'll be enough to sustain you for a couple of hours before the feast?"
"I told you never to call me that, Sammy." the boy referred to as "Bertie" replied dully, as he perused the sugary load.
"You're gonna have to come up with a better comeback than calling me by my last name, Bert." she replied with a smile that revealed a dimple in her left cheek as she slumped down into the seat across from him.
Bert tossed her a chocolate frog and rolled his blue eyes in annoyance, making his chubby freckled face look ever rounder than it already was. "You know I'm not as quick-witted as you are, Nora."
"You know that's not saying much, considering most people think I'm a mute." said Nora, while eating her chocolate. She took off her stylish rectangular-shaped glasses and read the card that came with her chocolate frog, rubbing the bridge of her nose at the same time. Bertram Aubrey was the only person that Nora ever took her glasses off in front of. In fact, he was the only person in their school who knew that she didn't even need to wear glasses. They were just frames. He had tried to convince her countless times to give them up, but she would never listen to him. The only reason Nora wore glasses was because she was ashamed of her eyes; they were each a different color. Her right eye was a bright golden color, and her left eye was a dull olive green. Bert found her eyes fascinating and wondered why she would try to hide them. Nora just felt like she was abnormal and didn't want people to notice the defect.
"Well I certainly know you're not. I can't seem to get you to shut up most of the time. I don't know how I've put up with you for the past six years, actually." Bert said, trying to smooth out his wavy dirty-blonde hair.
"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm your only friend at Hogwarts. You should remember that. Especially considering that I just got you this pile of junk food that you were too chicken to get yourself." replied Nora wryly, while putting her glasses back on. Bert didn't think she looked nerdy with her glasses, but he knew that without them she would be considered very attractive.
"Hey! I'm not chicken…I just didn't feel like going out there." said Bert uncomfortably.
"You know, you really need to get over this fear that you have of those guys. They weren't even out there. You can't hide forever. It's been almost two years since they hexed you and you've avoided them ever since. I bet they don't even remember doing it."
"Yeah right." He scoffed. "How could they forget? My head was twice its normal size! They got a detention because of what they did to me. You don't know those Marauders. I bet they're plotting their revenge right now…" He looked around the room, shifting his eyes in paranoia.
"Don't be ridiculous." Nora reprimanded her friend. "I know those guys. They're in my House. I've been going to classes with them for six years now. Trust me, they hex everyone. It's nothing personal."
"Well, that's a bit arrogant of them, isn't it?" Bert asked, sounding a little annoyed that she was defending them.
"I guess so. Although, they haven't really done so much pranking this past year. And it's only Potter and Black. Remus never really did anything." she said, with a slightly dreamy look in her eyes.
"Oooh, of course not." said Bert in a very high-pitched voice clasping his hands together and batting his eyelashes furiously. "Perfect Remus Lupin could never harm anybody."
"Prefect, Remus Lupin." Nora corrected him with an amused smile. "You know he can't do anything. He'll get in big trouble."
"Mmhmm. Prefect or perfect…should be all the same to you, anyways. I'm sure you're really excited now that you've become a Prefect, too. You'll get to spend all this time with him." said Bert with a sly grin.
"Yeah, I dunno. I never really wanted to become a Prefect. Don't know why Dumbledore chose me." Nora replied.
"Well, its obvious that the Headmaster must've made Lily the Head Girl, so you're the one who's got to replace her, isn't it? You don't think he'd be mad enough to let those other seventh year Gryffindor girls become Prefects, do you?"
"I guess not." Nora shrugged, thinking of the other two seventh year girls she shared her dorm with besides Lily. "I wonder who made Head Boy?"
"Maybe it's Lupin. Or Amos Diggory." replied Bert.
"Who knows? I guess I should get going now anyways. I don't want to be the last person to walk in the compartment." said Nora, pinning her Prefect badge onto her robes.
"It's not going to take very long is it?" Bert asked anxiously.
"I'm sure it won't be that long, Bert." Nora replied, trying to smooth out her untamed curls without any success. "Don't worry! I'll be back soon. You gotta stop being so paranoid! Nobody is after you."
"I know that!" He said defensively. "I'll just be bored, that's all."
"Right." She said getting up.
"Say 'hi' to Lily for me." Bert said with a sheepish grin.
"Say 'hi' yourself when you see her." said Nora, rolling her eyes playfully.
"Are you crazy? My mouth freezes up whenever she's around. I can't think straight." Bert said in frustration. Nora laughed out loud as she slid the door open.
Nora left the compartment and headed uneasily down the corridor to the Head's compartment. Of all the years she had been attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she had never attended any type of meeting that wasn't mandatory for class. She and her best friend, Bert, had stuck together like glue ever since they met on the very same train six years ago when they were in their first year. Although they were in different school houses, (she was in Gryffindor House and he was in Hufflepuff) they spent every free minute outside of class together. Because non-house members weren't allowed in each other's common rooms, Nora and Bert hung out either in the library or on the Hogwarts castle grounds. The only time Nora spent in the Gryffindor common room was to get back and forth to her dorm, so she was known to be very aloof and unsocial amongst her house members.
When Nora reached the Head's compartment, she could hear people talking inside. She took a deep breath and opened the door and slid inside quietly. Most of the Prefects from the other houses were already inside, chatting together happily. Nora made a quick scan of the room and noticed that Remus hadn't arrived yet, but she did notice a familiar flash of long, fiery red hair. Lily Evans came up to Nora when she caught her eye.
"Hey, Nora." said Lily, walking towards Nora, with her Head Girl badge stuck noticeably on her school robes. "So it looks like you're taking my place as Gryffindor Prefect this year. How was your summer?"
"Not bad. Congratulations on making Head Girl." Nora replied, surveying the room again.
"Thanks! I'm just waiting for my partner in crime. I don't know who it is yet. I'm hoping it's Remus." Lily replied, her almond shaped green eyes glowing with anticipation. As if on cue, a pale sandy-haired boy with bright brown eyes suddenly opened the compartment door and walked in, smiling broadly and greeting everyone. Nora suddenly felt her body contract and the room felt a little smaller.
"Remus!" Lily exclaimed, "You're still wearing your Prefect badge!"
"Yeah, Prefects usually do that." He replied with a wry smile.
"Oh no." Lily moaned dejectedly. "I was so sure you were going to be Head Boy with me. Now I really don't know who it is. Do you?"
"Er…" Remus replied uncomfortably, trying to hide a smile that was threatening to burst out. Nora's wonder over Remus's discomfort came to an end just as a tall, bespectacled boy with very untidy jet black hair presented himself into the compartment.
"Potter?" Lily said as he took his sleeve to shine the Head Boy badge that was pinned triumphantly onto his robes.
"Lily." James Potter nodded to her in a very business-like fashion. "It's good to see you. Had a nice summer?"
"Great." She replied, sounding a little stunned and disappointed at the same time. Nora took a seat as Lily tried to recompose herself and get prepared for the meeting. Nora couldn't help but smile. She knew how much Lily disliked James and how much James was in love with Lily. In fact, there wasn't a single person in the entire school that didn't know about James's obsession with Lily. This was a sour point with many girls in the school because James was considered to be an excellent catch; he was good-looking, captain and star of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and very smart. The only person that could rival him in these qualities was his best friend, Sirius Black. Nora thought Sirius was better looking than James, with his perfect jet-black hair and stormy grey eyes, but her eyes were blinded at the moment by their friend, Remus. Although he wasn't as good-looking as James and Sirius, Nora felt that he was less intimidating and a lot friendlier than his friends. He was not the least bit arrogant like his friends either, and she valued these qualities more than looks. Just as she was contemplating these facts, Remus took a seat next to her.
He smiled at her and she smiled back, feeling nervous again.
"So…this should be interesting, eh?" he said, referring to James and Lily.
"Yep." Nora said nodding her head in agreement. "Should be an interesting year." Nora instinctively pushed her glasses up closer to her eyes and looked to the front of the compartment where Lily and James were standing. Lily cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention and started to address the Prefects about what this year would entail and what their duties would be. When she was done she turned to James.
"Do you have anything to say, Pott—er, James?" she asked him.
"No, I think you've pretty much covered everything, Lily. I guess we'll have another meeting sometime this week to discuss future events in more detail." said James in a very professional manner, ending the meeting.
Nora got up as James came walking towards Remus. Although they were talking quietly, Nora could hear their conversation clearly.
"So how do you think I handled that, Moony?" James asked his friend with a grin.
"Very professionally. I'm proud of you." replied Remus, smiling and patting James on the back.
"Thanks, so am I." James said with a cocky grin. "This is going to be the year. She has to see that I've changed and give me a chance."
"Well, it better be the year. It's your last one!" Remus laughed as the two boys headed out of the compartment. Nora caught Lily's eye again as she was heading out and she scowled at James behind his back.
"I don't know what game he's playing at." Lily whispered to Nora, still scowling at James. "Since when does he act so serious and civilized?"
Nora shrugged and said, "Well, he is the Head Boy now. Maybe he's trying to prove his worth."
Lily pursed her lips and shook her head. "I dunno. I can't tell with him."
"Oh well, you have to work with him, so might as well make the best of it." Nora said wisely as she found the door to her and Bert's compartment.
"I guess so. I'll see you later at the feast then. Bye, Nora." Lily waved as Nora slid her door open. Nora was about to walk into the room when she let out a gasp. Standing over a very frightened looking Bert was a dark figure, pointing a wand directly at his nose.
A/N: Hey everyone...I decided to delete all the chapters of this story because I re-read them and realized that they need a LOT of editing. So, I'll be fixing them up and re-posting them as often as I can (probaby every couple of days). I know there are quite a few people on my alert list from when I was first posting, so if you don't want to recieve the edited chapters, I'd suggest taking myself off of the list. Otherwise, enjoy the new editions! If you are reading this story for the first time, I'd probably refrain from reading any of the reviews since there will no doubt be a lot of spoilers.
