Monday 4th September 1978

Auror Academy, 12:00

"Potter! Black!"

Both of them jumped at the shout and tried not to look too guilty. They had been talking with each other when the definitely should have been laying attention. Their next exercise was being outline and they probably didn't want to end up looking like fools in front of everyone.

"Yes, sir!" They said smartly.

That response had been one of the first things drilled into them.

"Oh, a bunch of wise cracks, huh?"

Okay, maybe it wasn't an appropriate response when your instructor for the day was a one Alastor Moody. He didn't exactly like anyone calling him sir. Whoops, their mistake. But they couldn't really help it. Smart alecks were basically their entire personality. They couldn't exactly switch it off.

It also didn't help that it had been a long day for them. A very long day. But that was life as an Auror Trainee. The days were long and the training was hard. Really hard some days. And endless. They had to let off steam at some point or else James was convinced that they'd go crazy. Unfortunately, there was no way they could pull of pranks to do this. There was just no way. And that wouldn't be fair on everyone. Which meant they talked. And talked. And apparently got in trouble for it. Whoops.

"Am I boring you two?" Moody demanded, coming over to stand right in front of them.

He might not be the tallest of people but je definitely loomed over them through sheer force of will. Yep, Alastor Moody was definitely intimidating.

"No."

"Nope."

Both of them frantically shook their heads. They didn't want to antagonise it at all.

"Then I assume you have a perfectly good explanation as to why you are not paying attention to what I am giving instructions on."

They both stated at him helplessly. There was really no good answer for that, was there? Even if they had gone over this exercise multiple times before and they all knew what to do, right?

Moody gave them a long look before grinning. James' heart sank. That was never a good sign.

"Well, class, it looks like we have the first people to try it today. Come along, boys."

What else could they do but follow him to the front? Moody gestured at the exercise.

"Let's see you do it then, Potter."

"Easy, sir." James replied confidentially.

Because it was easy. And kind of fun as well. And he didn't want Moody to get one up on him.

"Don't sir me."

He bit his tongue to stop him from saying "yes, ma'am," instead. Somehow, he didn't think Moody was the type of person to find that funny.

They had been training with targets, moving ones, and trying to hit them. You got measured on accuracy, speed and damage of your spell. All in all, quite impressive, even if the targets themselves were kind of worn looking.

It was an exciting sort of exercise in James' opinion. Got you moving. And he would always enjoy a practical class as opposed to a theory one.

James walked confidently up to the platform, drawing his wand. He had already stopped twirling it in his fingers for situations like these. Moody threatened to break it the next time he saw him do it. Said it would be just as much use to him that way in a fight than a twirling wand. Which James supposed he was right but he didn't have to be so dramatic about it. Anyway, he didn't twirl his wand around anymore.

"You ready, Potter?"

Let it be said that James thought Moody looked far too gleeful about this. Which annoyed him slightly. Did he really think that James was going to fail? Well, he'll show him.

He squared his shoulders up and drew his wand. "Ready."

"Alright then."

With a flick of his own wand Moody made the targets start to move. They went up and down and side to side. All at different speeds. They were meant to imitate how people who they would be chasing down could be in a group all moving at different speeds. You had to hit as many of them as you could without hesitating. The targets also spun around and you weren't supposed to hit the back of them. The idea being that it was cowardly to hit someone in the back. But they hadn't got that far yet, no-one had high enough scores with just the targets moving linearly for their instructors to make them spin.

Or so James thought because these targets were definitely spinning. He swallowed back a complaint. It wouldn't get him anywhere and this was kin dog his own fault.

"Thought I'd give you a proper challenge, my boy," Moody told him with a smirk. "When you're ready."

Which really meant get your arse in gear. Taking a deep breath, James carefully watched the targets. It had been trained into them to look for patterns in attacks but also not to take too long. Patterns meant it was easier to end a fight but not acting quickly enough meant that you could wind up dead.

So, he tried to strike a balance, quickly gauging distance to the best of his ability and firing off spells. It didn't take long for him to come to the end of the line of targets and the bell to go off indicating that the exercise was over. He looked up and down them feeling happy with himself. James turned around.

Moody's mouth had dropped open. Cool. That had to be a good thing, right? James looked at the now still targets. A quick calculation showed that about eighty percent of them had been hit. Most of them with medium force (they turned red, yellow or green depending on the damage your spell could do). His were mainly yellow with some red mixed in. None were green. All in all, je was pretty pleased with his results. That was good for a first time with them spinning, right? It looked like Quidditch reflexes were good for something.

"Black, can you do something like that?" Moody demanded.

Sirius snorted and twirled his wand in his hand. "I can do one better."

"As if," James scoffed.

"Obviously, I can."

"Well-"

"Enough!" Moody barked. "Do the damn task!"

Sirius and James snapped to attention. "Yes, sir!"

"Don't call me sir! And Potter, stand down. You've had your turn. Let your friend prove himself.

James gave the man a little salute (which he got a glare for) and stepped back to watch. There was no way Sirius could do it any better than him.

It was fun to watch him. Fast and smooth, almost elegant. Had he been like that? Probably not. James was many things but elegant wasn't one of them, he knew.

The bell rang again. It felt like it was far too soon but it did. Sirius stopped, wand still raised and panting. He had done a good job too. James thought that he had hit about the same number of targets as him. Cool. Maybe James had got a little bit more. Just by a few, though, he was sure.

"Nice job, Black," Moody complimented. "Nice and quick though your accuracy falters with it. The opposite of Potter."

Typical. They were basically the same. It was like Transfiguration all over again.

Moody then turned to James and looked him up and down. James tried not to fidget by Moody had such a piercing stare, it was like he could see right through you. It was unnerving. James also could never tell of Moody was happy, sad or angry. He just seemed to permanently be in an unamused state. A paranoid and unamused state. Though if he was a high ranking Auror who had brought in several Death Eaters then James supposed that he would be very paranoid too.

"You need to find a lot more aggression if you're going to make this work."

James frowned but Moody had already moved on to explain things to the rest of the class before he had a chance to question his statement. What exactly did he mean? He was aggressive! He hit all those targets, didn't he? And he wasn't being soft about that, no way. He could be scary too; he was sure he could. It was just that you couldn't be scaring to silly, wooden targets. It was different with people.

Thursday 7th September 1978

Diagon Alley, 08:00

Kingsley couldn't believe it. He really couldn't believe it. He was am Auror. A real Auror. With the robes, the Ministry issued wand holster and he was walking on patrol. With a partner. Oh, sure, it wasn't anywhere overly important like the main streets of Diagon Alley (that was for those who weren't straight out of the Academy) but he was still patrolling a shopping area. Where there were people that he had sworn to keep safe. He was almost giddy with excitement and the responsibility.

"Calm down, Shacklebolt," his partner, Blenkinsop said with a chuckle.

"Sorry."

Blenkinsop shook his head but didn't look angry about it. He did however mutter something about "newbies" but Kingsley didn't care. He was a fully-fledged Auror, after all.

No longer did his robes have the black border denoting him as a trainee. They were a solid scarlet now. He had even ironed them for today. Ironed them.

"Most of the job is waiting for things to happen and reacting to them," he was getting lectured. "And doing what you're told. As you move up the ranks you can get a hold of information quicker and help with the strategy and tactical discussions but until then you point and cast when I say so, okay?"

Kingsley nodded, feeling slightly in awe of the man's authority. He was one of the Tactical Officers, if Kingsley remembered correctly so, yes, whatever he said, Kingsley did.

"So, what do we do first?" he asked excitedly, clutching his wand in his robes pocket.

Even the inside of the pockets felt as smooth as the outside. This was all so cool!

"First, we walk."

"We... walk?"

"Yep," Blenkinsop nodded. "We walk. We need to patrol this area in a pattern so we cover everything but not so much of a pattern that could become predictable. Why is that, Shacklebolt?"

"Uh, well," Oh how Kingsley hated being put on the spot like that. "Because this way anyone who's watching us trying to play something bad won't be able to see if there's any discernible blind spots in our patrol?"

"Exactly," Blenkinsop nodded approvingly. "No blind spots or long gaps means that there's less opportunity for mischief or criminal activity. Now, normally areas of high threat like the Diagon Alley has multiple pairs of Aurors just to cover the whole prevent this."

Wow, Kingsley listened, wide-eyed. Learning certainly didn't stop just because he got qualified.

Sunday 10th September 1978

Hogwarts Grounds, 14:30

"Chryssie, what on earth are you doing?" Tonks asked as she approached her friend.

Her friend who was currently walking backwards and forwards with her neck craned all the way out.

"I'm trying to see something."

"I can see that. But what are you trying to see?"

"What James said made Gryffindor Tower taller than Ravenclaw."

"Sirius told me that they made it the tallest out of all the towers," Tonks told her.

"That's even worse."

Tonks rolled her eyes. She didn't exactly care of the state of the towers. It wasn't like they symbolised the most important House anyway. Which was Hufflepuff. Obviously. But she held her tongue. Chryssie being in competition with one House was more than enough to her.

"I can't see anything," Chryssie complained. "I think he was lying."

"About something as silly as that?"

That earned her a glare.

"It's not silly, it's really important!"

Tonks held her hands up. "Okay, okay. Kts important. Sorry."

Chryssie stared some more at the sky and then sighed.

"He probably wasn't lying, was he?"

"Probably not," Tonks agreed.

"I need to see this," she said.

"Can't take their word for it?"

"I just want to know how!"

Of course, she did. She was a Ravenclaw after all. Though, Tonks had to admit. She was also curious.

"Why don't you just ask them?" Tonks asked.

"I did! They wouldn't tell me!"

"Oh."

"Ouch, that hurts," Chryssie winced as she rubbed her neck.

"Well, that's what you get for trying to imitate a giraffe!"

It didn't even solve anything. Chryssie said that she couldn't see anything so the pain in her neck was all for nothing.

Friday 15th September 1978

Marauders Flat, 18:00

It had become quite normal for Lily to join the Marauders for dinner. She almost spent more dinners with them than she did at her own house. Now, she would have split that time with Marlene but she also spent a lot of meals with them as well, though she had made a few friends with some of her fellow Auror trainees and went out with them some nights as well. Tonight, was one of those nights. How she managed it with the sheer amount of training the Auror Trainees went through, Lily didn't know.

"How's Severus?" James asked after swallowing the last of his chips.

Lily sighed. "Working late."

"Again?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Don't get me started," she grumbled. "That Potions Master he's apprenticing under works him to the bone."

"That sucks." Sirius said.

"Does he at least eat dinner?" James asked worriedly. "I always tell him he can come round but he always says he's either eating with you or has already sorted himself out."

Lily sighed. Severus was probably forgetting to eat again. He did that every now and then, just like he did in school. She thought it was something je would grow out of but apparently not.

"Well keep an eye on him," Sirius promised.

"Thank you," Lily said gratefully.

She didn't want to be the one constantly whinging at him. It was best for the whinging to be split up. More effective that way.

"No problem," James said. "He's our friend too."

"Which means Prongs gets to mother hen him," Sirius interjected.

"I don't mother hen!"

"You do," they all choruses fondly.

James pouted but didn't argue any further. How could he with that much evidence against him? Even if they were all probably exaggerating. Just a little bit. Okay, maybe not at all but it made him feel better to say they were.

Speaking of mother-Henning, James turned to Remus.

"Did you ask Dumbledore about still using the Forbidden Forest?"

Remus sighed heavily. "You know I can't do that Prongs."

"And why not? You used it for seven years!"

"Yes, because I was a student. I'm not a student."

"You could still ask."

"No."

James folded his arms and tried to stare intimidatingly at him but that didn't work. Remus just raised an eyebrow and sent him a piercing stare in return which made James duck his head down.

"Oh, that reminds me," Lily said suddenly, standing up and fetching her bag. "Here."

She thrust something at Remus. He looked at her in confusion but he unwrapped it.

"Chocolate?" He said in surprise and delight.

"For tomorrow," she said. "It's high in cocoa content so I thought it might work a bit better in making you feel better?"

Huh. That was actually a pretty good idea. Remus always felt horrible for about three, maybe even five days after the full moon. And very, very tired. Maybe this would work?

"Thank you," Remus said gratefully, giving Lily a one-armed hug.

"Wait, what did you do last month?" Lily asked.

Remus coloured slightly. "Just used the basement in my parents' house."

"Your house has a basement?"

That definitely wasn't normal for houses as far as she knew.

"It's specially made," Remus said quietly.

"Oh. Oh."

Now it was Lily's turn to colour up. Of course, the Lupins would have a basement. Of course. She was so stupid.

"He needs a better way of doing it," James was saying as he placed all the dishes in the sink. Remus flicked his wand and they all started washing themselves. Always a nice sight.

"What I'm doing is perfectly fine," Remus said in the tone of a person who has had to say this multiple times before.

"It is not. You said yourself that you felt better when you weren't locked away all night." James argued.

"Yes. I know but I can't do that anymore. There's no space for me to run."

"I told you-"

"I'm not running around the grounds of Potter Manor?"

"And why not? There's plenty of land to run around on. There's even a river running through our land!"

"I don't want to run the risk of hurting anyone!"

"It's not like there's people running about in the middle of the night! My parents will be on bed and the House Elves definitely wouldn't be out."

James had been informed before by several of his Elves that they made sure they got a good amount of sleep every night. They needed to be rested to work their best. Which meant they certainly didn't appreciate being woke up by a six-year-old him creeping down in the middle of the night to get midnight snacks. And six-year-old couldn't creep, let him tell you that.

"No, James."

Wednesday 20th September 1978

Marauders Flat, 18:00

Lily flooed in and looked confused at them all standing around the table. Normally they would have greeted her, Sirius giving her a hug and James kissing her. But they were gathered around something on the table like they were doing some sort of seance or something? It turned out that the Marauders didn't get any less weird just because they left school. In fact, Lily would say that they had got weirder. If that was even possible. Which it looked like it was.

"Hi?" She said, hesitantly walking over to them.

She didn't want to interrupt anything or scare them. Not that she did. In fact, she got no reply. Okay, now this was just annoying. What was so engrossing that they could just ignore the sound of the floo and someone arriving? Come on, really?

"Oh, did you get one of those too?" Lily asked when she recognised the letter on the table.

It was the while reason she had come over, after all.

"Yeah, it just arrived," James said absentmindedly before he suddenly straightened up and whirled around to face her. "Wait, what do you mean "us too"?"

Lily held up her untidily rebound letter.

"I mean, I got one as well. That's why I came over."

That got everyone else's attention as well.

"You got one from Dumbledore as well?" Sirius asked.

"About meeting him for something important?"

All four boys nodded. That was exactly what her letter said.

"Yes. I did."

"Does yourself say to meet up really late, like, nine?" Peter asked.

"That's the exact time I was given," Lily said, giving him a shocked look.

"So, were all going to the same meeting." James deducted.

"Obviously," Remus said sarcastically.

"What do you think we should do?" Sirius asked in a hushed voice.

"Reply would be a good thing," Remus said but made no move to do so.

"But we don't even know what it's about. He said nothing except not to tell anyone."

"Oh, come on, this is Dumbledore!" James exclaimed. "It's not like it's going to be anything nefarious."

"What are you going to do, Lily?" Peter asked her.

"I don't know," she confessed. "That's why I came over."

"But what if we didn't get an invite?"

"Then I would just hang out with you."

"Wed be able to tell if you were thinking about something like this," Sirius said confidently.

She wouldn't put it past them. They were good at sniffing things out.

"Come on, let's reply," Peter said, summoning. "We're all going, aren't we?"

They all nodded. It wasn't as if they were really going to do anything else.

"You do it, Padfoot," Peter said, shoving the quill into his hands.

"You were the one you made the decision!" Sirius protested, shoving it back.

"But you have the better handwriting."

"I wonder if Marlene got one?" Lily wondered out loud as the two of them bickered.

Wednesday 27th September 1978

Entrance Hall, 16:00

"How do I look?" Tonks asked, arms outstretched, looking down at herself.

She was in robes that were line with red piping instead of her normal yellow. She was masquerading as a Gryffindor, you see. For today anyway. So, it wasn't just her robes that were different, her face was as well. As oblivious as Gryffindors tended to be even they would recognise her as being Tonks the Hufflepuff in Gryffindor robes. They weren't that stupid. Mostly.

Which meant a little bit of work on her part. They didn't want to fail right at the last hurdle after all.

They had decided it would be best to go in as a boy. They had both agreed that girls were more likely to realise that they didn't recognise a strange person. She just had to make herself a younger looking boy. The older years didn't really care about those. Just make her look a vague enough age that no one knew which year she belonged to. Younger was good because she still hadn't figured out to change her voice absolutely perfectly. Vocal cords were hard to morph, it turned out. Something for her to work on.

Layer though because she needed to do this first.

Chryssie was eyeing her up and down as she circled her.

"Not bad, not bad," she said approvingly.

"What do you mean, not bad?" Tonks complained. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing's wrong," Chryssie assured her.

"Then everything should be good!"

"It is!"

"Then why didn't you say that?"

"Oh, come on," Chryssie said in exasperation and grabbing her hand. "Let's go."

Tonks snatched her hand away. "Not you, you're still a Ravenclaw."

"I don't see why I can't just change the colour of my robes and tie and come with you," Chryssie complained. "No one will recognise me, I'm sure. I'm not the one worth colour-changing hair."

That didn't tend to make Tonks more memorable. Hence her morphing herself to a boy.

"Our year will," Tonks reminded her.

Well, hopefully they would. It would be pretty bad if they didn't. "And you aren't good at self-Transfiguration."

And, strangely enough, neither was Tonks despite it being her best subject. Mostly because she couldn't do Transfiguration to herself, not with her wand anyway. Her cells and limbs and everything she was made up of was too changeable so she was exempt from that. That reminded her, she would need to get her parents to get a letter from her Healer stating that she was in fact a Metamorphmagus. It was for her NEWT Transfiguration exam so she was exempt from any self-Transfiguration portion of it. McGonagall had warned her to still learn the theory because she could still be tested on that.

Chryssie sighed but gave in, knowing that Tonks was right.

"I can still come up with you though, people leave their friends from different Houses at the Common Rooms anyway."

With that decided, they made their way up the Tower. Something Tonks didn't particularly like, being far more comfortable going underground for her Common Room as opposed to going up into the sky. There were just so many stairs. Chryssie, on the other hand, wasn't breaking a sweat.

They did eventually make it too their destination, Tonks very much out of breath.

"Go on," Chryssie said impatiently, giving her a shove.

She stumbled but caught herself before she fell into the painting of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" asked the Fat Lady, giving her a disapproving look.

Tonks and Chryssie looked at each other in dismay.

They knew they had forgotten something.