Chapter 2: The Order of the Phoenix
Lily's first night in the Head Dorms was probably one of her worst nights at Hogwarts.
After Lily and James' morbid meeting with Dumbledore, followed by their fight in the hallway, all Lily wanted to do was lock herself in her room and vent to her best friends. Lily was overcome with guilt at having accused James of thinking ill of her because of her muggleborn status. Of course that was ridiculous. It was James after all who had stood up for he when her ex-best-friend who-shall-not-be-named called her a filthy mudblood. Lily squeezed her eyes shut in an effort to shove away the tears that were threatening to fall. But when she opened her eyes it was to the tall back of a fuming James Potter who stomped a few feet ahead of her towards the Head dorms. She tried to form an apology, but every time she opened her mouth the words failed to come out.
So Lily trailed silently after James to the west wing of the third floor, right up to a massive portrait of a stone wall which hung a mirror that magically showed the face of the person standing in front of the portrait. In this case it was the face of a furious James Potter. "Keeper." His voice growled and the portrait hinged open to reveal a stunning sitting room with a grated fireplace, lounge chairs, two long desks and a wall of books. However the effect was lost on Lily due to the sound of James slamming the door to his room. Her eyes followed the sound up a short set of stairs that led to a landing with tall windows and a window seat. Stepping up to the window and looking out at the darkened grounds, Lily could clearly make out the Quidditch field. On either side of the landing was a room, the one belonging to James already shut. The door to her right however was ajar, revealing a scarlet and gold four poster mahogany bed and matching wardrobe set. Lily would not have dared enter this grand room if it wasn't for her trunk sitting at the foot of her bed. She tentatively stepped inside like one does when testing the water to a pool. As curiosity got the better of her, Lily began to explore the room, unpacking her trunk as she went. Her biggest surprise was opening the door she thought to be a closet was actually her own private bath. Incredible.
Despite the grandeur of her room, going to bed that evening felt very strange. Lily shifted around uncomfortably under her duvet. Guilt and worry racked her mind. She really needed a distraction! But it was just too quiet! The lack of Dorcas' light snores and Marlene's sleep mumblings made Lily feel as if she wasn't actually spending the night in Hogwarts. Lily kept running through the next day's classes through her mind- Charms, Herbology, Lunch, Transfiguration, and Ancient Studies… until she eventually drifted off to sleep. Waking up the next morning was even stranger. Though she did have to admit she thoroughly enjoyed not having to share the bathroom with 3 other dorm mates. But the lack of companionship had Lily hanging back in the living area of her dorm and eyeing Potter's bedroom door warily.
Should she or should she not wait for him? She had made up her mind in the shower that morning to apologize for starting a fight with him. But Lily wanted to get the apology out of the way, in private. She hung around for a minute, then two. Then five. And still no noise from Potter's room. Lily even walked up the stairs to his room, hesitating just outside his door. But she could not work up the courage to knock and she ran back down in fear of him suddenly opening his door. Lily did not want to give Potter an excuse to tease her before classes even started! So with a decisive nod of her head, Lily turned on her heel and pushed open the portrait hole.
"Lily? Lily!" Lily was startled to hear her name being called from around the corner.
"Mary would you shut it? The walls won't answer back you know, no matter how much you touch them." Lily smiled fondly as she recognized the voices of her best friends.
"But Sirius said that if I tickled the wall, it would tell me all. Well at least where Lily was." Mary had answered back.
"Do you seriously think Sirius was actually being serious?" Marlene said. "He's probably behind some tapestry getting in a good laugh." The sound of their footsteps echoing off the stone walls immediately stopped and as Lily rounded the corner she caught her friends eyeing a nearby tapestry suspiciously.
"Good morning!" Lily greeted brightly causing the girls to jump.
"Morning," Dorcas greeted with her wide smile, "We thought we would come get you for breakfast."
Mary walked up to Lily and linked arms with her. "It was lonely last night without you."
Lily nodded in agreement. "I couldn't sleep at all."
The girls headed downstairs to breakfast and walked into the Great Hall. Lily was surprised to see that Potter was already seated and eating. She hadn't heard him get up that morning. "Potter," she greeted as she passed him to sit at the table. He simply nodded his head in her direction and stuffed his face with more bacon.
Lily had already received her course schedule but she was eager to compare her classes to those of her friends. Now that they were in their seventh year, their House only had classes together in the core subjects such as charms, potions, transfiguration and defense against the dark arts. The rest of their classes were based upon their O.W.L's and what they wished to do once they left Hogwarts.
"Oh, well isn't this lovely." Dorcas hummed as she compared her schedule to Lily's. We will all be together up until Transfiguration. Hmm, I think I'll like Mondays."
"Hang on a second," Marlene leaned in to snatch the schedule out of Dorcas' hands. "Lily, how do you have so many free periods?"
Lily shrugged. "Dumbledore requested extra planning periods for the Heads." Mentioning Dumbledore had Lily thinking back to their meeting the night before and the subsequent fight. She bit her lip and looked in James' direction.
"Uh oh." Mary asked, pulling Lily's attention back to her friends. "She's biting her lip. What is it, Lily?"
Lily sighed heavily. "I owe Potter an apology. We had a fight after Dumbledore's meeting last night."
"A fight? Over what? You haven't even been here a full day!" Marlene smacked her palm against her forehead.
Lily winced. "I started it. I told him he wasn't being serious about Head Duties... And then I accused him of pretty much bullying me for being a muggle born."
"No!" Marlene looked shocked.
"You didn't!" Mary said.
"You of all people know that's not true." Dorcas frowned.
"I know!" Lily whined and lowered her head. She couldn't bear to look at the disappointment in her friends' faces. "I don't know what came over me. I was worked up and took it out on him. So now I need to apologize and I tried to do it this morning 'cept he wasn't there and now he's sitting with the others and I am too embarrassed to do it in front of everyone and..."
"Hush Lily, don't worry." Mary soothed, reaching out her hand to pat Lily's. "We can help you out there."
Before Lily could stop them, the girls stood up with their books to leave the Great Hall and Lily was left to scramble after them. "Hey boys!" Marlene called out to the Marauders. "I'm ready for a charming lesson, who would like to join?"
Sirius leapt out of his seat and hooked his arm with Marlene's. "I am charmed you asked. Let's go, shall we?"
Peter, James and Remus followed the girls out of the Great Hall towards the Charms classroom. Lily, spotting her opportunity to apologize, hung back and grabbed James' arm. "A word, Potter? Please?"
The look James shot Lily's hand on his arm had her recoiling it at once. His brown eyes were hard and his arms were folded stubbornly across his chest. "Evans?"
Lily swallowed hard. "Listen, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. It was my fault I started the fight and said things I had no right to say. I know you don't think poorly of me being muggleborn, or anyone being muggleborn for that matter." She lifted her eyes up to meet James' hopefully. His eyes stayed cooly detached. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm not even sure why I said it…" At this, Lily turned her head away from James and slowly walked away.
If Lily had turned around, she would have seen James' eyes soften and his mouth lift into a soft smile. But she didn't. Further up the corridor, Sirius turned around to look back at Lily and James. "What is Lily saying to him back there?" He asked Marlene.
"She's apologizing." Marlene said frankly.
"Lily? Apologizing to James?" Sirius was shocked.
"I guess she isn't the only one who changed this summer." Remus piped in as they entered the classroom.
The awkwardness melted away throughout the day between Lily and James. Lily was very good at charm work and had to help Peter with his freezing charm when his beetle's front legs would flail around wildly despite the rest of the body being frozen in place. Sirius accidentally pollinated the whole class in Herbology with his Flosilicus Gargantuam plant he was potting, throwing Remus into a sneezing fit for the rest of the day. In transfiguration the Marauders received top marks for transfiguring a worm into a working matchstick. After class ended, the girls said their goodbyes and split off to their separate classes for the afternoon.
"See you at dinner!" Lily waved to the girls just as the Marauders were exiting Professor McGonagall's classroom.
To Lily's surprise, James walked with her towards her Ancient Runes classroom. "Isn't Care of Magical Creatures outside?"
"Yes, but see I have a question about our free period this afternoon. I don't believe it is actually free, is it?" James asked.
Lily laughed and shook her head. "Of course not. Today I expect we should get some schedules straightened out before our first Prefects meeting."
James groaned. "That's what I feared." He turned around and headed in the opposite direction. "Well have fun with that, Evans!"
Lily stopped dead in her tracks. "Don't you dare skip out on this, Potter!" She yelled after him, "Or I will make sure you won't be able to sit on a broom for a week!"
James waved his hand lazily behind them. "Good thing Quidditch doesn't start for another two!"
Lily huffed and marched away to her classroom.
James ran his hand through his hair for the umpteenth time that hour. Didn't Lily understand that he couldn't sit that long, nevertheless in silence? It was torture! "Alright, Evans, I'm leaving. I've got a bird to catch." James winced inwardly at the lie. There was definitely no bird for him to meet up with, there hadn't been since Lily turned him down last year…. again… and again… and again…
"You will not leave James Potter." Lily slammed her quill down and moved to block the door, both hands firmly planted on her hips. "We've barely even started! You will not back out on your duties before they've even begun."
"Step aside, Evans. I'm leaving, I can't stand being here another minute." James glowered. "I've sat here for the past hour reading rules and regulations. I know the bloody rules!"
"You wouldn't know by the number of times you break them." Lily huffed under her breath.
"That's the whole point, isn't it." James sneered back.
Lily's face drooped into her palm and she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Merlin why did Dumbledore pick you? Especially when you have such a superiority complex?"
"A superiority what?" James' voice deepened in anger. Lily pushed out of her seat and turned to confront James.
"When you can't let anyone know just how uncomfortable you are because you don't know what to do and you are too proud to ask for help." Lily said while taking threatening steps towards James to punctuate her words, regardless of him towering over her with clenched fists and a flushed face. "Instead you try to run away!" Lily was standing directly in front of him, head angled back so she could glare into his burning hazel eyes, her finger once again jabbing him in the chest. James vaguely wondered if he would get a bruise and if this was her attempt at copping a feel of his chest.
When James didn't respond right away, her eyes softened and her accusing hand flattened so that her palm rested against his chest. "There really isn't any bird, is there Potter?"
James' mouth ran dry. Being this close to Lily did funny things to his body and she seemed to be doing an awful lot of that lately. James was losing control, especially when her voice dropped to that enticing whisper. "No," he whispered back.
"Aha!" Lily shouted with such fervor that James flinched, "I knew there wasn't! You really were just trying to run away."
James slid his hand across his hair and down his face. He hated how Lily seemed to know him better than he himself did at times. "I don't know what the bloody hell I'm doing, Evans." He admitted.
Lily's eyes softened and she grabbed his hand to lead him over to the desk. "Look, all we need to do tonight is schedule patrols, Hogsmeade visits, and a sign up for use of the Quidditch field." She gestured down to the parchment she had been working on for the past hour. "Here is a list of all the prefects and this is our timetable for patrols. I only have two weeks completed but I like to schedule a month at a time. I'll finish this and you can create sign ups for the Quidditch field."
James nodded. He could handle that. He had used the sign ups multiple times for scheduling practices for his team, he could easily draft one up. Within minutes he was done and he decided to move onto setting the season's schedule, placing games every other weekend as the sport demanded. When he was finished he rolled the charts up and went to check in on Lily who was still working on patrols. "Why do you spend so much effort on patrols?"
"It really isn't all that much effort, see?" Lily pointed out the rotating system she used to mix up patrol pairs and areas that needed patrolling. "It's just time consuming to write it out each week."
"Are you a witch or not?" James asked, brandishing his wand. "Now Moony is the one who normally does this type of magic, he has a thing with words you know, but I think I remember the charm." Lily looked at James quizzically as he muttered a few words and did an odd flick with his wand. But when Lily looked back down at the parchment, the names were rotating like little ants from cell to cell in the system that Lily had intended. "Bugger," James sighed, "I guess I'll have to ask Moony after all. He will know how to charm it to rotate on a weekly basis."
Lily looked absolutely delighted. "Oh this is brilliant, Potter! I must ask Remus for the spell." She began shuffling papers around in her excitement until she found the bundle of charts she was looking for. "Alright, onto Hogsmeade." She flipped the first page back to reveal a massive golden grail holding a castle and some medieval looking people. Underneath the picture it read "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
"What's this?" James asked in surprise, prodding the picture with his wand. "It doesn't move!"
"That's because it is a muggle calendar." Lily giggled as James managed to switch some faces around so that it was more representative of a Dali painting than a movie poster. "It's a very popular movie."
"Oh." James said, not convinced how it could be so popular if the pictures didn't even move.
"Anyway, let's put those Quidditch dates on this calendar and find weekends for Hogsmeade." Lily and James quickly got to work and soon they had finished their schedules.
"Hey, do you know what would be a great idea?" Lily asked as they sat back in their chairs in contentment.
"Hm?" James rumbled, his eyes already drifting closed with his hands clasped behind his head.
"Let's see if Remus can charm this calendar too, that way any sign ups are put directly onto our calendar." Lily said excitedly.
"Hmpf." James acquiesced.
Lily giggled and took a moment to admire James' lean frame, his angled face, his muscled arms, his big hands…
"You done staring, Ms. Evans?" James opened one eye in her direction, "I would love for you to admire me all day, but alas I must sleep. Perhaps you would like to join me?" He waggled his eyebrows at her in a very Sirius-like fashion.
Lily scoffed at James and turned away to hide the blush that burned her face. "Good night, Potter!" She called as she scurried up the stairs to her private room.
"Good night, Evans!" James sang back as he admired her retreating form.
The next couple days passed by quickly. Classes were going well, despite that Lily only got to see her friends during meal times. When she wasn't in classes, she was in the library completing her homework, returning to her dorm room so late that only the coals in the fire were glowing and the only light came from the moon outside their window. Thursday night came suddenly and soon it was time to meet Dumbledore for their second meeting. "Oi, Evans! Are you ready yet? It's time we leave!" James hollered from the common area in their shared dorm.
Lily whimpered as she held up two different dresses on hangers against her body. "No!" She cried back in a panic, "I'm not even close to being ready!" In truth, she was. She had showered and done her make up and her hair, but she couldn't pick out an appropriate outfit.
The sound of footsteps heading up the stairs to their rooms had Lily tightening the towel around her body. The footsteps paused outside her door soon followed by three raps. "Lily, what's taking you so long?"
"I don't know what to wear!" Lily huffed, falling back against her bed.
"I'm coming in." James warned. He waited a beat before opening the door and peeking his head inside. His eyes widened in disbelief. "You've gone mad." Clothes were strewn about the room with some even caught on the posts of Lily's bed.
"Is that really all you're wearing?" Lily frowned at James' choice in wardrobe. James was wearing shorts and his Hogwarts shirt rolled up to his elbows.
"Well yeah, it's just a meeting." He shrugged, raising one hand as he leaned against the doorway to slide through his hair.
"An introductory meeting," Lily stressed, "Where we don't know who exactly might be there. It could be the Minister of Magic for all we know!"
"Then he will see me dressed in shorts." James said matter-of-factly. "Lily, just wear something similar to what you did at our last meeting with Dumbledore. You won't look ridiculous, I promise."
"Ugh!" Lily threw her hands up in the air in defeat. "Fine!" She stomped around her room plucking a pair of jeans and a jumper from off the floor. She flashed James a glare when he made no move to leave. "Do you mind?"
James waved her on and made himself comfortable against her doorway. Lily huffed in response and shimmied into her jeans with her towel still wrapped around her body. Once she did the button and pulled up the zipper she slid the jumper on over the towel and pulled the towel out from underneath, tossing it to the floor with her other forgotten clothes. "So this works, right?" Lily asked as she pulled her long red hair free from her jumper and gestured down to her outfit.
"You look ravishing, Lily." James said with a wink.
Lily rolled her eyes. "C'mon Potter stop dilly-dallying, we're already late!" She said grouchily, snatching James as she exited her room and dragging him out of their dorm.
"And whose fault was that!" James cried out wondering just how the situation turned so that it was now his fault they were late.
When they arrived at the Headmaster's office there was a cluster of armchairs squeezed into every available floor space filled with unfamiliar people. Every head turned in their direction as they entered. Together they stood there like two dumbstruck deer until the Headmaster saved them by recollecting everyone's attention. "Now that our Head Boy and Girl have arrived, I believe we can get started." James spotted two empty armchairs and shoved Lily in its direction. Once they were seated, Dumbledore began to speak.
"It is time to call this meeting to order. I have called all of you here today to put in motion a line of defense for our students here at Hogwarts. The ministry refuses to call it a war, but that is exactly what Voldemort is waging. Already Voldemort and his followers have infiltrated the ministry, attacking wizarding families who openly oppose him, and replacing their positions with his own men. Thanks to those in the Auror department," at this Dumbledore nodded his head to a stocky man with a gnarled face and scraggly blonde hair, "We are able to follow these attacks and learn of any intelligence they have gathered. These attacks are quickly escalating, directly impacting the lives of our students, and I can no longer watch it continue."
Dumbledore paused as a curious shuffling sound came from a perch by his desk. All heads turned to what appeared to be a shifting pile of dust on the carpet. "Ah," Dumbledore said as he strode towards his desk, "Voldemort is slowly turning our world into one of fear and hate. His own power sets everything on fire, our world slowly being burned to ashes. But from the ashes rises love, community, harmony." Just then a beak and two downy wings lifted from the ashes and Dumbledore beamed down at the bird. "Together we make up the Order of the Phoenix. We will collect intelligence on Voldemort's movements, carry out missions the Aurors cannot under the scrutiny of the corrupt ministry, and strive to promote a safe and supportive community inside Hogwart's walls."
The meeting lasted another hour. Lily curled herself up in the armchair and was content with just listening to the conversation that was being had in front of her. The thought that she was now part of an effort to help the students of Hogwarts, to help muggleborns like herself, to help defeat Voldemort himself!...the thought was hard to swallow. Lily was now a part of a secret organization, and a dangerous one at that based on the stories she was hearing from the other Order members around her.
An older gentleman by the name of Dedalus Diggle was detailing an attack in Diagon Alley. "It was lucky I was there, they came in quick like shadows, see. Blew up the emporium's storefront, feathers everywhere. I was able to get young Fabian and Gideon Prewett out from inside but what a right mess they were."
One said brother whose hair was as red as his jumper leaned over in his chair to chime in and giving Lily a roguish wink. Lily couldn't tell which brother it was as they were both twins. "Oh but you see Dedalus here forgot to mention why we were in a right mess, now didn't he?" Said the one.
"He was squealing like a girl from the snakes that broke free and attracted all the wrong attention." Said the other.
"While Dedalus was dancing around the reptiles, Fabian and I were shooting sparks at those Death Eaters." Said the one.
"Ruddy hard to see with their stupid pointy hats and skull masks." Said the other.
"That's how they got me eye," said the one, pointing to a gash across his brow, "And him in the knee." The other lifted his pant leg to show a nasty gash that stretched from thigh to calf. Those around the twins chuckled at the story. Lily thought she was going to be sick.
Dumbledore clapped his hands together to bring the attention back. "I will be in touch for our next meeting. Alastor Moody will be drawing up the details for our first plan of action. Until then, stay safe." The members of the Order shuffled out of their seats to where the floo network would take them home.
Lily also stood up to leave but James grabbed her arm to hold her back. "Hang on a moment, Lily." James turned back to Dumbledore who was vanishing the armchairs in the room. "I have a question, Professor."
"Yes, James?"
"When you say missions, what does that mean? I originally thought we were simply student ambassadors, but now…" James trailed off and sheepishly lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head.
"Do you wish to not be a member of our Order?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, no, that's not what I'm getting at." James hastily said, throwing his hands out in front of him. "I'm honored and actually really want to be a part of this. I just need to clarify what that part is."
Dumbledore smiled behind his half mooned spectacles. "In addition to your Head duties, I will be asking you to support the Order both inside and out of Hogwarts. Inside Hogwarts you will be following the movements of students who support Voldemort. I am not blind or ignorant enough to not know there are several students here who already call themselves Death Eaters and are using this school as a means to recruit. I also will be asking you to leave Hogwarts and help out on missions from time to time. These will be dangerous missions, but you are surrounded by some of the best and the brightest witches and wizards I have ever known."
"Alright then," James said after a beat, "I'm good then. Thanks, Professor." James made for the door.
"Miss Evans?" Dumbledore asked politely when Lily did not make a move to stand from her chair.
Lily smiled weakly from her chair. "Please excuse my saying so, Professor, but when I received my Head Badge I was ready to conquer the duties of a glorified Prefect. After tonight I feel like I have bitten a little more than I can chew. Do you really think I- er, we, can handle this?"
Dumbledore smiled fondly at Lily and settled himself in the chair James had just been sitting in. "I would be very concerned if you thought you were ready to take on the challenges Voldemort presents. The love you have Lily for your friends and your peers makes you a very powerful witch. Your will to live is what will make you strong in the face of danger. It is natural to be afraid, and you will be wiser for it."
Lily took a deep breath and unraveled herself from the chair. "Thank you, Professor."
Dumbledore stood and ushered Lily to the door where James still stood waiting. "I will be in touch with you soon."
"Nite, Professor." James said as he reached around Lily to close the door behind them. The walk back to their shared dorm was quiet. Lily suspected James had as much to think about as Lily did. That's why the sound of voices from within their dorm had both Lily and James drawing their wands as they approached the portrait hole.
"Stay behind me." James said as he pushed Lily protectively behind him. "Keeper." The portrait hinged open to reveal a boisterous cluster of boys trying out all the arm chairs in the living room and pulling open the desk drawers.
"Ah, James, there you are." Greeted Lupin who helped himself to a book and was reading by the fire. Peter peeked up guiltily from the desk as Sirius bounced on the arm chairs. They seemed totally unphased by the two teenagers pointing their wands threateningly at the boys inside.
"How did you get in?" Lily asked, peeking her head out from around James' shoulders.
"I just tickled the wall." Sirius said matter-of-factly.
"What?" Lily asked, stepping inside the dorm.
"You know the wall. Inside the picture of the mirror outside? If you tickle it, it tells you the password." Sirius said. Lily gaped at Sirius.
"Well that doesn't seem very safe." James said, taking a seat next to Lupin.
"Well I have a very convincing tickle." Sirius said, wiggling his fingers suggestively.
Lily scoffed in disgust and marched up to her room. "I'm going to bed. Good night, boys."