A/N: Thank you again for all the awesome reviews! There was a question about me having a Livejournal...no I do not, but I do have a Myspace. If you want to check it out, you can access it through my profile at the 'homepage' link. Sorry I can't be more detailed in my thank you's, but I have an exam to study for!

Chapter Six: March to the Scaffold

It was a glorious day, indeed.

Lily sighed and smoothed her ponytail and, oh what the heck, undid the first button of her blouse and loosened the tie. Ah, freedom! She practically skipped down the steps into the courtyard, the sun beaming amidst the puffy white clouds, and the birds chirping delightedly. It was picture perfect.

Students were lounging about the grounds reading and chattering in the crisp autumn air. Lily even greeted a few of them with one hand, and the other, shoved deep in her left pocket, was wrapped securely around a page of parchment she had used to jot down a few particularly good spells to use on James. And she was quite prepared to use them all. Heh heh heh. That'd show the little-

ZZZZZOOOOOM!

Lily ducked for cover as a gigantic bird zipped over her head. Several hairs from her tight ponytail came loose and fluttered in the wake of the creature's dive.

"What in the-" Lily straightened up, hands on hips.

"Oy! Bloody hell, look at that!" Someone cried, pointing at the bird which was coming back for a second round. But wait…that was no bird-

"Someone's got a broom!" A first-year girl squealed, pointing at the giant object before running to get out of its way.

ZZZZOOOOOM!

It nearly took off Lily's arm. "Oh for Merlin's sake! Now you come down here this instant!" She cried exasperatedly after the illegal flyer. "Eek!" Lily ducked again, shielding her head as the broom and its rider took another deadly dive over her.

Now she was furious. Whipping out her wand, she directed it at the rider. "Forty points! From…wherever you're from!" she cried, sending a mild shocking spell in his direction. "Stupefy!"

But the rider caught on, evading the blast, and took off toward the Quidditch pitch.

"You aren't getting away that easily," Lily muttered, hiking up her robes and taking off after him.

Students were watching with incredible interest now, some rooting Lily on, but most of them laughing. "Someone please alert Professor McGonagall!" She hollered over her shoulder.

She huffed, practically out of breath and came to a staggering halt half-way to the field. She could see him in the distance trying to get away. Well, not on her watch. She wasn't top student for nothing.

"Accio broom," she jabbed her wand at the rider. Suddenly, the broom began shaking, and it became obvious that the rider was loosing control. Lily smiled to herself and watched as the broom brought itself and its rider (though desperately trying to stop it) smoothly over to Lily. It was at that moment Lily realized the flyer was not the only mischief-maker in the area.

As if sensing the presence of a snitch, four boys leapt out from behind the bushes and made a break for the castle.

"Ah ah ah," she waved her finger and pointed her wand at them as well.

The boys jerked to a stop in their tracks and began wincing as some invisible force began dragging them backwards by their ears. Just then, the broom rider landed, tumbling to the ground. When he stood up and tried to run, Lily caught the collar of his cloak and spun him around.

"Just what did you boys think you were- David!" Lily furrowed her brow. She should have known. Gazing defiantly back at her beneath shaggy dark fringe was the very same little boy whom she'd encountered in the courtyard a week ago. The little disciple of James Potter.

David was wearing a foul grimace, and the other boys a look of wide-eyed fear. Lily released them and placed her hands on her hips in a motherly fashion. "And just what are you first-years doing with an illegal broomstick? It goes against all the rules, as I'm more than certain you are aware."

The boys sighed and shrugged, David seeming to take the lead. "Whatever you say. We were just having fun."

"Well fun isn't allowed," Lily said bluntly. "Er…illegal fun that is."

David rolled his eyes and held out his hand. "Can I have my broom back now? 'I promise I won't do it again.'"

Lily narrowed her eyes. This bloody kid was really getting on her nerves. "Absolutely not." Lily picked it up with a flourish. "I must confiscate it."

"Awww," the boys cried in unison.

"What?" A blonde one with freckles frowned. "That's not fair!"

"Not fair? You broke the rules. You have to suffer the consequences. Now where did you get a broom like this from? Someone must have sent it to you."

The boys were mum. The blonde one with freckles began grinding a hole in the dirt with the tip of his shoe. Lily tilted her head and tried to make eye contact with him. "Hmmm? Who gave it to you? I may lighten your punishment if you name names…"

The boy looked extremely nervous, the others staring at him warningly.

"Don't worry about them," Lily waved her hand. "Now who was it? Huh? Spit it out or it's detention for the lot of you."

"It was…" the boy began, lowering his voice to a whisper with each word, "It was… Prongs-"

"An-drew!" David hissed, stepping on his foot.

"Ow!" Andrew winced. "What? She's going to give us detention! I don't want that! My mum'll kill me!"

Prongs…did he mean…? Of course he did. James. "Did James give you this broom?" It was all coming together now. That's why they were huddled in the courtyard the other day. "Tell me, it was him wasn't it-"

"Expelliarmus!"

"Augh!" Lily was slung backwards, her wand, books and the broom flying from her hands.

David had blasted her with his wand when she wasn't looking. That little rat. He and the boys took off running, disappearing around the corner of the path.

Furious, Lily stood up and dusted herself off. Detention for all of them! And James Potter the instigator! Hmmph. She looked around for her books and wand. Great…where had her things gone? She turned her gaze upward to the tree branches above. Jammed betweena few twisted limbswere her precious books, and teetering far out of reach at the top was her wand. Blast. Now what?

Lily placed her hands on her hips and examined her surroundings. Hmmm…there was that broom. Picking it up and smoothing a few of the broken twigs at the end, she examined it. Looked safe enough. Come to think of it…she'd never really been on a broom much before. Sure, first year she learned to ride, but that was only a brief course.

But how else was she going to get up to those branches and retrieve her things?

All right, Lily. One leg over the handle…and… "Eep!" Lily felt her feet leaving the ground. In a whoosh, she was up in the air, zipping around the tree in circles.

"Wheeeeee! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Lily cried out. This was fantastic! She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed this! With grace quite uncommon for her when her feet were on the ground, she plucked her things from the branches and glided safely to the grass.

She chuckled to herself and tossed the broom over her shoulder. That was quite fun. Then she hesitated.

Glancing over her shoulder, she could see the three giant goal posts of the Quidditch Pitch rising in the distance. She'd never actually been to the Quidditch Pitch other than to watch a game her first year. Maybe it would be fun just to…

But no…she shook her head. That would be silly. She didn't even like Quidditch that much. Resolutely, she turned her back to the field and marched off back to the castle. She had detentions to serve.

"Hogsmeade weekend!" Sirius twirled his wand and plopped down on the couch in front of the common room fire. "We're about due for a Zonko's run, Jamesie."

James frowned and flicked a bit of lint from his sleeve. "Like we can't go there whenever we like…"

Sirius shook his head and leaned forward excitedly. "Yes, but it's no fun without the other students! You can only set off so many dungbombs in the Hog's Head before it gets a bit old."

"In other words," James rolled his eyes, "You miss the girls."

Sirius lounged back and propped his head up with folded hands. "Indeed, my dear boy. Indeed."

James laughed and tossed Sirius a pumpkin pastie he had stashed in his pocket.

He caught it deftly, unwrapped it, and had swallowed the whole thing in one swift motion. "So tell me, James," he ran a hand through his hair. "Who are you going to take to the Yule Ball?"

James snorted with laughter. "Nice impression of Charlotte, Padfoot. Really, that was good."

But Sirius just sort of smiled. "Actually, I was sort of serious."

James stopped chewing. "Er…okay. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was thinking about…" Sirius leaned in with a grin. "Asking Evans."

James sprayed pumpkin pastie all over the floor, coughing and sputtering.

"Whoa, James, are you alright?" Sirius slapped James over the back, causing him to cough even more.

"Augh- I'm- I'm fine Sirius-!" James straightened up and dusted himself off. He turned his head to find half the common room staring. "What?" he bellowed. Immediately the students dispersed and scampered upstairs.

Sirius was smirking. "What's the matter with you? You jealous or something?"

James scoffed. "No. Why the hell would I be jealous of you?"

"Oh…" Sirius said demurely, "I meant jealous of Evans…I know how much you wanted to go with me." He batted his eyelashes.

James threw a chocolate frog at him which he ducked. "So'd you ask her yet?"

"Nah. I'm making it my new project."

"You're joking, right?" James frowned. "Evans? She'll never fall for it."

"James, please. You are speaking to the king. What's not to love about me?"

James shrugged. "I'll humour you."

"Besides," his eyes lit up, "She's absolutely gorgeous! I mean, you've seen her lately haven't you?"

"Yes. She's alright."

"Alright? James-" he hissed, "She's-she's-"

"Behind you."

"Huh?" Sirius spun around to see Lily with her hands on her hips, foot tapping and eyes menacing. "Lily…" he immediately grinned and eyed her with interest. "Hi."

Lily ignored him. "James, detention. And forty points from Gryffindor."

The grin on Sirius' face faded. "…what?" He turned to James who was perched casually on the arm of the sofa, head tilted in amusement.

"Did you hear me?" Lily said, her lips pursed.

James nodded. "Uh huh. For what?"

"For giving those boys a broomstick! They were first-years, James!"

Sirius smiled. "Nice, James."

"They were just having a bit of fun. No harm."

"No…harm…?" Lily scowled. "That David boy nearly took off my head! Twice!"

Sirius was cracking up. James just shook his head lovingly. "That's my boy."

Lily was not amused. "James, I'm giving you detention."

"And…?"

"And…" her face fell. "You don't…care?"

James laughed. "Why should I? You aren't really going to."

Lily's jaw dropped. "Wh- excuse me? I am a pre-"

"Yes, you're a prefect, we know already," James rolled his eyes irately. "Look, just go bother someone else for awhile. Sirius and I were in the middle of a conversation."

The pit of her stomach began to boil. "How dare you boss me around, James Potter- just because you have my-" she paused mid-sentence. He still had her badge. But really? She couldn't continue this way! He really did have her by a string, and that was no way to perform her prefect duties. She would just have to suffer the consequences and go directly to McGonagall with the news of her incompetence. Lily's eyes narrowed and she pulled out her wand. "Detention, James."

He laughed and shook his head again. "Just who do you think you are, Evans?"

"James…" Sirius said warningly, but James wasn't listening.

"No one tells me what to do. Not the world, not this school, and certainly not you," James growled cockily. "No one has ever beaten me, and no one ever will."

Lily simply gazed back at him calmly. "Funny thing…" she said, pulling out the bit of parchment stashed in her pocket. "You seem to forget that you're lacking in one area."

James' brow furrowed as Lily waved her wand complicatedly, sending a series of blue and green sparks flying. They danced around James momentarily, and in a mere second, had formed a blue and green glittering cage around him. He gaped in awe.

"I'm top student," she smiled sweetly, "And you, clearly, are not." With a flourish, she made the cage hover at her will.

James' anger was beyond words, but he used them nonetheless. "Evans, you little-" He lunged forward, ramming into the magical bars,but was slung backwards in a shower of sparks. Grimacing, he sat up,realizing Sirius was rolling on the floor with laughter. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "It's not BLOODY FUNNY!" he cried. Already, several students had gathered to see what the commotion was all about.

Lily folded her arms and smiled at James. "I'm going to make sure you serve that detention, and this is how."

James was fuming. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small prefect badge. Lily blanched. If he destroyed it-

But with an angry toss, James sent the little badge flying through the magical bars, causing some sparks of blue to dance around it, and it landed at Lily's feet.

"Here. Take it. I don't need it anyway," he said as his confidence came rushing back. "You're already in deep as it is. I don't need this to ruin your prefect status."

Lily's brow furrowed. What was that supposed to mean? But she didn't really care to ask. She bent down and scooped up the pin, tucking it safely in her pocket. With a wave of her wand, she sent the cage out the portrait hole, James stumbling as it took off. She was going to make sure he stayed within magical walls and served his detention if it was the last thing she did.

"You won't be-lieve where Prongs is," Sirius gloated, bursting through his dormitory door.

Remus raised an eyebrow, but continued scribbling away on some parchment, nonplussed.

Sirius plopped down beside him, causing Remus' inkpot to slosh all over the bed. Remus waved his wand irately over the spot mumbling, "Scourgify."

"What…don't tell me you don't know. I thought all prefects knew what went on with matters of punishment."

Remus sighed. "We aren't telepathically connected, Padfoot." Then, to humour him, he added, "What happened to James?"

Sirius' eyes lit up with glee and he opened his mouth to speak when the door burst open.

Peter stood at the threshold, grasping the stitch of his chest as he took one giant breath and blurted, "LilyEvansjustputJamesinamagicalcageandgavehimdetentionwitheveryonewatchingandnowJamesisabsolutelyfuriousohyoushouldhavebeenthere!"

Remus' eyes widened and his jaw dropped visibly.

"Damn you, Pete! I was going to tell him!" Sirius cried, leaping off of the bed with his wand pulled on the stout boy.

Sirius was in the middle of giving Peter a magical wedgie when Remus jumped out of his bed and burst through the door without a word.

Peter and Sirius just stared at each other blankly.

"You don't suppose…"

"He's going to warn Lily," Sirius finished, as a sudden realization set in. The humour had escaped his eyes and Peter began to look a little fearful. Whatever feelings Sirius sensed James may have had for Lily on the train had surely dissipated.

Lily's book bag bounced against her leg as she marched through the halls, chin held high, and a fresh feeling of pride coursing through her veins. James was locked away in Filch's office thanks to the help of her favourite new Charms book, and she…she was golden. Absolutely golden.

Yes, Lily, she patted herself on the back, you are indeed a brilliant mind. Whoops, watch your step there! Eh heh heh. Lily flushed as she almost stumbled over a first-year tying her shoe.

But people were staring…quite a bit. In fact, they had been staring for quite awhile. As she passed, she picked up bits and pieces of their whispered conversations, but she couldn't quite tell what they were saying.

Every time she turned around, it seemed a small group was shushing each other and scurrying away from Lily's prying eyes. Had they all heard what she'd done to James?

"Whoa!" Lily almost ran smack dab into Remus. "Hello, Remus, what are you-"

"Shhh," he hissed, and before she could say another word, he had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around the corner into an empty classroom. Oh my…could he…? She and Remus? Here? Now? Like this? Lily was getting flustered…this was highly inappropriate. Two prefects sneaking off into a classroom to…well…Lily blushed.

"Remus," Lily stammered, "I don't think we should-"

"Lily, we need to talk about James," he turned to her firmly, after checking to make certain the room was empty.

Lily's face froze. "Oh," her shoulders sagged slightly. "Er…" she plastered on her bright smile. "What about James?"

Remus sighed and looked around, avoiding eye contact. "You put him in a cage?"

Lily blanched. "Yes, well- how did you know?"

"People are talking."

"Yes, I noticed," Lily peered around the classroom. She'd never seen this one before. It seemed to be just a spare room, empty and filled with clutter…but her eyes drifted to the back where an old dusty piano sat buried beneath old blackboards. Was this a music room? She turned her attention back to Remus who was now eyeing her with concern. "About that…"

"Rumours fly here," Remus waved his hand absently.

"Wait- what rumours? What do they think I-"

"Look, Lily, they think you're either insanely brave or just…er…insane. And they have every reason."

"Insane?" Lily put her hands on her hips huffily. "He deserved what he got!"

"Nonetheless," he looked slightly distraught, "James is not…he has never been one to wrestle with. Do you understand me, Lily?"

She didn't understand what he was getting all worked up over. James was just a pompous rich boy who needed to be put in his place. "Well I don't care what everyone says. James is staying in detention, and he is not coming out for Hogsmeade."

"I doubt that…" Remus muttered, but Lily didn't quite catch it. "Lily, you know what James is like."

She shrugged. "Yes. And…?"

"And, he doesn't like to lose, Lily."

She raised her eyebrows. "Well then he'll just have to learn. I'm tired of him parading about this school as if he owns every bit of land we walk on."

"Well, his father does put a lot of money into this school, as have a long line of Potters."

"You aren't hearing me, Remus," Lily folded her arms. "I'm not going to let a series of rich snobs have reign over this castle. It's not fair and it isn't right. Just because Potter, Charlotte, her friends, Sirius, the Dalby twins, and every other pureblood family here donates a thousand galleons a day doesn't mean they're better than everyone else. I mean, Remus, you should at least sympathize with that!"

Remus just sighed. "You have a lot of gall challenging James Potter."

"I know," Lily said. "But I think it's time someone did."

He shook his head. "I don't know how much I can do to keep him from retaliating, Lily. And believe me, when James wants revenge, he gets revenge."

"Oh please. He's had it out for me since day one. I've put up with his pathetic pranks. I'm used to it."

"No…this is different, Lily. That was just James being friendly. He loves to tease and humiliate. It's in his blood," he rolled his eyes. "But this…this, Lily, you need to watch out for. If James starts a Prank War with you, there's no going back. I just hope you're prepared for that."

Lily's stomach began doing flip-flops, but her features remained calm. "I can handle James. I am top student, after all. That's got to count for something, right?" She laughed nervously.

Remus didn't even crack a smile. He just grasped her shoulder in a soldierly manner and looked her in the eye. "I'll do what I can to keep him off your back. But I don't have much sway with James, even as his best friend."

With that, he turned and left the room, the door clicking shut behind him. Lily was left alone in the small, dusty old music room. A slight shiver went up her spine as she pictured the horrid look on James' face as she had hauled him away in that magical cage. Why did she suddenly have the icy cold feeling that she was marching up the scaffold to her death?