So this chapter is twice as long as the ones i was writing before, but i combined them so it;s as long as the current previous chapters (if that confused you nevermind! ^-^ )

My left hand is sooo sore right now because of all the typing i did for this chapter! i' so glad it's finally finished!

Also; at the very end of this chapter, James and Lily's timetables were meant to be included and they were really pretty, colour-coded, outlined Microsoft excel tables, but they didn;t copy well into here so i tried to re-do them THREE TIMES [which took forever! ( :/ )] but it didn't work so i cant' include them

Do not own

The first day of classes begins in the 7th Year Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory with a mission: Wake Up Gracie, the gang quickly relocates to The Great Hall to receive their next mission (NEWTS) in the form of their class schedules, but what disastrous turn-of-events await Lily Evans? Read On to find out!

And finally; thanks a heap to my beta-reader, motivator, inspiration, bounce-ideas-off-of person, friend and fellow writer: birchernuesli !


Chapter Three – Wake Up Your Pants Are On Fire

Emma, Alice, Alex, Lily and Marissa all woke promptly to Emma alarm at 6:29 the next morning, breakfast was at 7:30 and classes begin at 9:00 exactly. The girls had long gotten used to Emma need to be everywhere at least 5 or 10 minuets early, and had grown somewhat used to the shrill ringing that was Emma's muggle alarm. Gracie, however, seemed blissfully oblivious to the four half-awake and one freakishly alert Gryffindor girls all trudging around the small room trying to locate underwear and toothbrushes and shoes.

"Someone had better wake Gracie up" Alex said to no-one in particular as she riffled through her clothes, withdrawing the appropriate cloak, shirt and pants for a day of wholehearted learning.

"Nah, let her sleep" Alice countered, as she stared at herself in the mirror, apply her daily make-up and trying to avoid sticking herself in the eye with her mascara as she precariously dangled her floppy arm in front of her face.

"Why should she get to sleep, we didn't" Lily muttered, not looking up from the shoes she was tying. Her comment was obviously intended light-heartedly, but the last two words were said with a hint of anger and irritation.

"The early bird catches the worm" Emma replied casually, gathering her books in her arms and descending the stairs outside the dormitory door.

"What if I don't like worms?" Lily shouted out the door, but Emma didn't respond. Lily turned back to her shoes and resumed tying the laces in a neat little bow. Petunia had taught Lily to tie her shoelaces when she was 7 years old, before either of them knew anything about Hogwarts, or witches, and back when the cool things Lily could do were just harmless fun. Oh, how things have changed, Lily thought, reminiscing on her younger years, when Tuney used to actually talk to her and life was so simple and worry-free.

Lily, having finished putting on her shoes (it should really only have taken her a minute but everything takes at least 5 times longer when you're sleep-deprived, and she got distracted thinking about other things), looked up from her feet and around the room, slowly but surely all her fellow Gryffindors got dressed and gathered books and brushed their hair, until you almost couldn't tell that they had been woken up at some un-holy hour (well, half six) against their will.

"Oh, I can't wait to get my class schedule" Marissa said excitedly and she took out the wand-cleaning kit the girls had got her last Christmas and began polishing her wand.

"Me too," Alex agreed, "last year they had a clash between Divination and Ancient Runes, so I had to pick just one. I really hope nothing clashes this year." Alex finished though it seemed less and less of the girls were paying attention the more she said.

"Oh I bet that was so hard to chose, which did you pick?" Alice asked sarcastically, not actually caring for an answer, as she made her bed.

Alex clearly didn't pick up on the sarcasm as she immediately replied; "I picked Div, because McGonagall said I could pick up Ancient Runes again this year if I really tried."

"And because no-one else does Ancient Runes" Alice added under her breath, so only Lily heard her. The two girls exchanged glances and burst out giggling.

"What?" Alex asked confused,

"Oh nothing," Lily assured her, "I can't wait to get mine either," Lily said, changing the subject away from Ancient Runes.

"I hope I get lots of frees!" Alice wished, "Too many classes in one day really does my head in."

"Yeah, Merlin forbid you do any actual schoolwork Alice!" Lily joked,

"Hey!" Alice said, throwing the sweater she had just picked out of her draw at Lily, "I do work!"

"And she has a point Lily," Alex added, "School is about more than just work. It's about Li–

"Life" Lily, Marissa and Alice all finished for her, "Yeah, yeah we know. But someone really better wake Gracie up or she's going to be late." Lily said as she glanced at the clock on her bedside table and saw the little neon-green letters flash 7:15"

"Oi, Gracie! Get Up!" Marissa shouted, but Gracie simply rolled over and continued snoring.

"Let me try" Lily said pushing passed Alice and leaning down next to Gracie's exposed ear, "Hey Gracie," Lily started softly and gently, "WAKE UP!". But alas, this too had no effect on the great sleeping machine that was Gracie Parkinson. Lily just looked up at her friends and shrugged, "I say we just leave her here."

"Oh move over!" Alice said, pushing past Marissa and Lily, "Dear Merlin, Gracie your pants are on fire!" she shouted in complete sincerity, "Quick! Your limited edition Paul Sass silk pants are fire."

"What?" Gracie asked, quickly perking up and looking around the room to survey the (non-existent) damage. Lily and Marissa just started laughing hysterically. "Oh Alice I'm gonna kill you!" Gracie threatened, as she got out of bed and began undressing and redressing in her class robes. After completing the dressing phase of her morning routine she began to gather her things and relocate into the bathroom for phase two: Shower, shortly followed by the third and final phase: Hair and Make-Up. Normal people would look at Gracie's routine and question that shower came after dressing, but this was just the way Gracie had always done it; undress, redress, undress again, redress again. Lily assumed it came from the fact that her family was so huge maybe they had to allocate their bathroom time and this was just a rhythm she had settled into. Lily also never understood why Gracie insisted on putting on so much make-up day in and day out, but Gracie always insisted it was a complete necessity.

"You don't have time for that." Alice informed her Gracie nonchalantly as she stepped into the bathroom and began re-undressing, ignoring her friend's continuing threats of imminent death.

"I don't have time to shower?" Gracie questioned loudly (as she was still inside the bathroom and out-of-sight to the remaining Gryffindor girls), clearly doubtful of her friends imposed time restriction, "It's only," Gracie paused to lean out of the bathroom, half dressed and towel in hand, to glance at the clock on her bedside table, "7:25" she finished, resuming her (somewhat inefficient) process of showering.

"Yes," Alice agreed slowly, taking up the tone one might use when talking to a particularly stubborn 8 year old, "but" she continued even slower, "today is the first day of classes, which means we need to be there early to get our class schedules."

"Can't I just get it later?" Gracie whined,

"No." Alice answered definitely, "You can shower after breakfast," she suggested.

"Fine." Gracie conceded, redressing and leaving the bathroom, un-showered and make-up free. With that sorted, Gracie then reluctantly grabbed her books and followed her fellow 7th Year Gryffindors down the stairs to the common room.

Ever since the disastrous potion incident of third year, everyone knows now that one must take great care when descending the stairs, and be careful to pay attention to where you're going, one never knows what might be dashing up the stairs in the opposite direction carrying a cauldron full of sleeping draught, which then gets poured all over you because you didn't see them coming and couldn't get out of the way quick enough and as a result you end up collapsing and missing first class. Thankfully; that did not happen today, and all the girls made it safely down the stairs and out the Portrait Hole in one piece and completely awake. Well, sort of.


Five of the six Seventh year Gryffindor Girls made their way into the Great Hall together at precisely 7:40. On a normal day this would have been considered early for breakfast, as most students don't usually arrive much before 8, but today was no ordinary day. It was the first day, and students would be given their schedules. While the actual classes for seventh years wouldn't change that much from last year (except in extraordinary circumstances), people were eager to see which classes they had with their friends, when their breaks were, and things like what days would be ideal for the Herbology Appreciation Group weekly meetings and when would be a good time to hold Quidditch trials.

The large and intricately decorated walls of the Great Hall surrounded four long, wooden tables lined up in the middle of the enormous room, left to right; all four of them packed with students from all seven year levels. Another long wooden table sat at the far end of the room, opposite the Grand Entrance Archway, at a right angle to the other tables, and propped up on a raised ledge, about a foot above the polished wooden floor. Albus Percival Wulfric Brain Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts 22 years and counting, sat elegantly in the middle of the staff table looking knowingly out on the buzzing crowd of students, which was growing larger by the minute. Next to him sat Minerva McGonagall, who was shuffling parchments and sorting them into piles by house and year group. Banners of scarlet and red; green and silver; blue and bronze; and yellow and black hung majestically above the heads of students below, ruffling with the enchanted wind blowing gently underneath the ceiling which had been charmed to look like a late September evening, golden and browning leaves rustled and fell from withering trees beneath a stunning crimson sunrise.

Lily, upon entering the Hall, scanned it for the remaining seventh year Gryffindor, and found her about mid-way down the centre left table, sorting through her books and organising her notes from last year. Lily made her over to her, taking the spot opposite her and looking up at McGonagall eagerly, completely ignoring the person sitting next to her trying to get her attention.

"Well Good Morning to you too My Love, I see you're ignoring me again, that's okay you'll come around." James Potter assured her, completely believing that it was the truth, even though he was speaking to a thoroughly disinterested Lily Evans who was determined not to react or notice him in any way.

"If you don't mind Potter, I'm trying to concentrate." Lily said through clenched teeth.

"On what?" James laughed. "Class hasn't even started yet, Look" James said, putting his arms around Lily's shoulders, "You gotta lighten up, otherwise this" he indicated their relationship by puller her even close, Lily struggled against his restricting arms, but it was no use, he was too strong, "Ain't gonna work." James loosened his grip on Lily, who immediately shook herself free of James and slide a good three feet further away from him on the long wooden bench that they were all sitting on.

"'Look' yourself" Lily told him, turning to face him, anything but pleased, "I could suddenly turn into the Minister for Magical Transportation, Floo Network Division (who was widely known for being incredibly loose and care-free) and 'this'" Lily said with quotation marks fingers, "still wouldn't happen."

"Come on," James said, sliding down to where Lily was, closing the gap between them, "You gotta give Us a chance." He pleaded sweetly.

"James." Lily said sternly, "There isn't an Us, there never will be an Us. When will you get it through that incredibly thick skull of yours, Never, never ever, ever never NEVER will there be an Us." Lily voiced started to get louder and louder which each 'Never' (as it usually did when she was fighting with James). People from down the table and on the table directly behind and across from James and Lily started turning their heads. Fights between James and Lily were an almost daily occurrence at Hogwarts, though some had hoped that Lily and James' appointments as Head Girl and Boy, respectively, meant that they had worked things out, but alas, it seemed this year would go as all the others had.

"Okay." James agreed un-reluctantly.

Or maybe not. It seems change is in the air for one James Potter, who was never known for backing down from a fight, be it a fist-fight, magical duel, or emotional stand-off.

"Good." Lily said, eyeing James off suspiciously before turning to her friends (who were silently watching the whole encounter between her and James), "What?" Lily asked Alice and Marissa, who were just staring at her with a strange mix of bewilderment and disappointment.

"Nothing, so how do you think they got to replace Professor Looney-Bin?" Alice deflected.

"Professor Charlatan," Lily corrected authoritatively, "was not crazy." Alice and Marissa just sniggered at this comment, "he transferred to Bulgaria to be with his sister."

"Yeah, yeah, sure whatever, I hope the new professor teaches up lots of cool jinxes." Marissa added cheerfully. Defence Against the Dark Arts had been Marissa's favourite class since First Year, she had liked all the DADA teaches since then (they got a new one every year) but none one them ever quite measured up to Professor Ghert. He was there Second Year Teacher, who set up a Duelling Club (without Dumbledore's permission) and was absolutely bonkers Marissa and her (now) boyfriend Daniel Kurt were the only ones who showed up. This was where they first met and have been going out ever since Third Year when Daniel accidently hexed Marissa's left eyebrow off and Marissa hexed Daniel's right eyelashes off in a class run by their (then) DADA professor, Professor Wimplekins.

"Oh look! Here comes Professor McGonagall" Lily announced excitedly, pointing up the aisle where, indeed, Professor McGonagall was walking slowly down towards them, passing out slips of parchment to various Gryffindor students on the way down.

Lily was practically jumping up and down in her seat by the time Professor McGonagall reached them.

"Here you Miss Evans" She said in her usual, eloquent tone, handing Lily a small piece of parchment.

"Yay Double Potions first!" Lily cheered looking down at her schedule, "Then a free before lunch great! What do you guys all have now?" Lily asked her friends, who ad all also been given their schedules,

"Same as you; Double Potions then free" Answered Alice, and although she smiled she didn't look as excited about starting the morning with Double Potions as Lily did.

"Double Potions with you guys then Ancient Runes" Answered Emma.

"Wow Emma! How many classes are you taking this year? Your schedule's so full!" remarked Alice as she peered over Emma shoulder,

"Only two more than you guys, I had to sit down with McGonagall to decide if I could handle the work load last year, but we both agreed we could." Emma said nonchalantly. Anyone but her friends night have thought she was boasting or fishing for complements but her fellow Gryffindors knew that this was just how she was.

"I've got a free all morning then Defence after lunch," Answered Marissa,

"Same here!" Gracie said happily, "High Five!"

"I have a free, then Ancient Runes with Emma." Finished Alex.

"Well lookey here Evans, looks as if we'll be seeing a lot of each this year." Came a voice from behind Lily.

Lily turned to see James Potter looming over her, class schedule in hand. "And why is that, Potter?" Lily asked him seriously.

"Cause it looks like we're taking all the same classes." James explained, a look of triumph spreading gleefully across his face.

Lily just stared back up at him (and I mean 6ft 3in of the floor up), frozen in shock. "What?" She asked in a small, disbelieving, voice, holding onto her last little hope that this was all a prank. James merely held out his schedule as proof.

Lily reached out her hands, not sure if she really wanted to see what was written on the parchment, but took it none the less and glanced down at what was written on the paper.

It was exactly the same as hers; every class, every free. It looked as if they had just taken her Schedule and substituted 'James Potter' for 'Lily Evans' and 'Boy' for 'Girl'.

Lily looked back up at James to see him still beaming down at her. He took back his schedule and simply turned and started walking out of the hall with the rest of the marauders. He was about halfway out the door when he suddenly stopped and turn around. It looked as if he had forgotten something, but instead of making his way back he simply looked straight at Lily and shouted: "See you in class My Love!", loud enough for the whole Hall (which, gratefully was only about half-full at this point) to hear.

Lily, boiling with fury and anger just turned back towards Alice (who was sitting opposite her) and started banging her head against the wooden table repeating: "Why me?", over and over again.


Hope you enjoyed that

R + R please! much appreciated.

Will post again soon, chapter four on the way!

xx Merryn