Fifth Year:
(Dorcas Meadowes)
The morning of September 1st was always the same. I love it. I loved the sight, the smells. Everything.
A slight wind was blowing m dark hair all around me.
"So you'll be okay, boarding the platforms alone then?" My dad asked, a hint of sorrow in his voice.
"Yeah, Dad. I'm fifteen" I smiled.
" Ah. But I'm a dad and to me you'll always be five" he said. I reached up and hugged him tightly.
"I love you, Dad" I said. He patted my back.
"You better go, pumpkin. You don't want to be late" He said. I waved goodbye and headed through the platform. I was immediately welcomed by the sights ad sounds of the wizarding world. Tiny first years anxiously checking to make sure they had everything and kissing their parents goodbye. Seventh years meeting up with their friends and enjoying their last first day. I searched on my tiptoes for any sign of my best friends.
" Looking extremely lonely there, Meadowes" a voice behind me said. I turned to see Sirius Black, flanked by James Potter.
" Not lonely enough to hang around with you, Sirius" I said with a smile. He grinned. Sirius Black had lived across from me my entire life. When we were younger we were inseparable, but the year we started Hogwarts he became extremely arrogant. We didn't talk much after that.
" Hi Doe" James said leaning against my trolley.
" Hi James" I said with my eyebrow raised. James was nice enough to me but usually it was just to get close to Lily.
I wasn't used to interacting with the mauarders, well these mauraders. Sirius and James were not my crowd.
" Prongs, Padfoot!" A cheery voice called. I was lifting my trunk onto the scarlet train, when I turned to see Remus Lupin striding towards us. The trunk slipped from my hands and onto my foot. I knew I was blushing.
" Doe, you okay?" Remus asked lifting my trunk onto the train for me.
" I'm fine" I said quickly, freezing up.
Honestly, I had fancied Remus Lupin since first year. I loved how Honest and smart he was. Not to mention I found him adorable. He was generally a shy person but when he did speak to me I always managed to make a fool of himself.
" How was your summer?" I asked quickly, so quickly it almost sounded like one word.
" It was good, yours?" his smile crept onto his face and I flushed crimson again.
" Good." I said, I was fiddling with a string on the end of my jumper.
" OI, MEADOWES!" A loud voice yelled running towards me. Marlene McKinnon through her arms around my neck .
" Marlene…losing breath" I managed to choke out. She released me and smiled.
" Oops, Sorry Doe. Hi Remus!" Marlene said, her blue eyes sparkling. I knew no one else noticed but Marlene looked from Remus and me and wiggled her eyebrows.
" McKinnon, going to say hi or are you going to make me come to you?" Sirius asked.
Marlene grinned flirtatiously, " I know your just dying to see me, Black".
Sirius was now smiling back at Marley. She just shook her head, " Come on Dork, Lets go find Lilykins"
James' head perked up at the sound of Lily's name.
" Well, bye Remus" I said waving quickly. I immediately felt like I shouldn't have. Remus smiled shyly at me. I blushed and followed Marlene over to any other area of the Platform.
" Sorry to interrupt your quality Lupin time" Marlene said with a laugh.
" Oh, Shut it, Marlene" I said looking down to the ground.
Marlene le out another laugh, " Well you and Remus are both prefects now, at least you know you'll see him when you patrol"
I shook my head, " Lily and Caradoc are also Gryffindor Prefects. I might not be on the same schedule as him".
" You worry too much, Doe" Marlene said.
We both scanned the crowd for any sign of our redheaded friend.
Lily was standing with her mother and sister., saying goodbye. Her mother looked tired, she had pronounced wrinkled under her eyes that hadn't been there when I had visited Lily earlier this summer.
Petunia, however looked cold and unwelcoming as usual. She clung tight to her mother and stared at the floor. Trying not to look at anyone or anything on the platform.
Lily planted a quick kiss on her mother's cheek and then ran over to us.
" Doe, Marlene!" She said hugging both of us tightly.
" How was your summer Marlene? You havent written me in weeks" Lily scolded.
" I was busy," Marlene answered fluttering her eyelashes in a way to suggest she had spent time with someone.
" Another poor muggle boy to add Marlene's list" Lily said rolling her eyes.
" Where do you think Mary is?" I asked. Mary Macdonald was the fourth of our group.
" Late, as usual" Marlene said checking the watch that hung loosely on Lily's wrist.
" You know you really should get a watch Marlene," Lily said, " then you'd never be late to class and you wouldn't have to be constantly checking mine"
" But you have on Lily, so I don't need one" Marlene answered. Lily just shook her head.
"Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, I know I'm late" Mary said rushing over to us. Her large tote bag practically falling off her shoulder.
" You are always late, Mary," Lily said," we expect it now"
Mary laughed.
I had been best friends with Lily, Marlene, and Mary since first year. I had met Lily on the ride to Hogwarts and Marlene an Mary in our dormitories. The four of us had always been close. We had different personalities that somehow managed to compliment on another. Our looks however couldn't have been farther apart.
Marlene was the headturner. She was tan and fit with perfect golden blonde hair and a body that most girls would kill for. Lily was striking. Her fiery red hair and sparkling green eyes drew people to her. Mary was the girl next door. With light brown hair always in a ponytail and a curvy figure. I was the one with the innocent look. My dark hair, and fair skin gave me a childlike look.
" We should go get a compartment, before there all full" Lily said looking at the thinning crowd on the platform.
We nodded and followed her onto the Hogwarts Express. We found an empty compartment near the end of the train.
" I love the train ride to Hogwarts" Mary said closing her eyes and leaning back. I looked out the window and saw all the parents waving goodbye to their kids.
" Remember when we were that young, and terrified" I said glancing at the last first year to scramble onto the train.
" Oh yes, when we still wrote our parents 3 times a week" Marlene said. We all laughed. I tried to write my parents weekly but they letters were brief and not very personal.
The large clock on the platform chimed to signify eleven o'clock. The Hogwarts Express let out a puff of gray smoke and began to move at its quick rhythmic pace.
" Doe, we have our prefect meeting now " Lily said getting up. Her prefect badge was pinned on her sweater.
" Right, I almost forgot," I said.
" How long is the meeting going to be?" Mary asked.
" Probably not to long" I told her, " We'll be back before the desert trolley stops here"
" Have fun goody toe shoes" Marlene called from the compartment as we slid the door closed.
"You've got to me kidding me" Lily said staring into the next compartment. Sirius, Peter, and James were all seated around laughing.
" They're just always around" Lily said angrily crossing her arms. At that moment, James looked up and saw Lily looking into the compartment. He grinned and waved to her dramatically.
" Evans, Hey there Evans" he called from inside the compartment. Lily rolled her eyes and stomped away down the hall. I had to jog to catch up with her.
" ...why won't he take a hint. I am not interested in James arrogant toe rag Potter" She snapped.
" He fancies you Lily" I said softly.
" Well he should fancy someone else" She said angrily. I didn't know what to say. James could be arrogant sometimes but he seemed like a decent person and a good friend. Not to mention he really like Lily.
Lily grabbed the handle of compartment C and slid it open. Inside where the fifth year prefects from every house and this years head boy and girl. The head girl's name was Margaret and she was from Hufflepuff and the boy was Olsen from Ravenclaw.
Caradoc and Remus werealready sitting down. Lily and I joined them.
" Hey ladies" Caradoc smiled. I smiled back. Caradoc was also in our year, but he only hung out with his brothers Wren's Friends who were all a year older.
Remus looked up from his book and smiled lightly. I froze and looked away. Embarrassed I scanned the room to look at the other prefects. Bartimous Crouch, Emma Vanity ,Severus Snape and Elizabeth Merlin had been chosen from Slytherin.
Lily waved happily at Severus and he waved back. Lily and Severus were good friends. I didn't personally like or dislike him. I could see how Severus would be chosen as a prefect, but Elizabeth was foul. She had good grades but she was best friends with Bellatrix and they were always tormenting someon.
" Alright I think everyone's here" Olsen said . Everyone put down what they were doing to focus on Olsen and Margaret.
"Congratulations, Everyone. Your all the best and brightest of your houses and you have been chosen as prefects" Margaret smiled.
" Now, as prefects you all have certain responsibilities. You are the rules enforcers at Hogwarts. It is your responsibility to make sure no school rules are broken, and that those individuals that do are punished for it. Even if they are your friends" Olsen said.
" Looks like Sirius and James wont be getting away with much this year" Lily whispered quietly to me.
" You will also be expected to aide the first years with any questions or concerns that they may have" Margaret said.
" You will patrol the corridors at night and make sure no one is out of bed after hours. You also must make sure you do not fall behind E in any of your classes" Olsen said sternly.
Margaret smiled " But don't let Olsen scare you. There are definitely perks. You get full use of the prefects bathroom on the fifth floor and extended library hours"
The extended hours of the library was something I was definitely excited for.
" I thought she said perks" Elizabeth snickered to Emma. Lily glared at her.
" I know Head Boy's and Girl's in the past have let you choose who you'll patrol with but I think the system works better if we assign them for you. So I took the liberty of drawing up your schedules for you" Olsen said taking out rolls of addressed parchment and handing them out.
I opened mine
Monday Nights : 8;30-9;30 Dorcas Meadowes & Lily Evans
Tuesday Nights: 9;30 -10;30 Dorcas Meadowes & Remus Lupin
Wednesday Nights: 9;00-10;00 Dorcas Meadowes & Caradoc Dearborn
Thursday Nights: 10;00-11;00 Dorcas Meadowes & Remus Lupin
Friday Nights: 830-9;30 Dorcas Meadowes & Caradoc Dearborn
It wasn't too bad. The late night shifts were part of being a prefect.
" Looks like we only have one shift together" Lily whined.
" Oh, That's rotten" I said. Truthfully, I had been a little more excited about the double shift with Remus to notice that Lily and I only one out of the five shifts together.
" So after the feast tonight, it will be your job to escort the incoming first years to the common room and the dormitories" Margaret said.
" Your now dismissed. As you leave we will tell you your common room passwords" Olsen said.
We got up to leave. Remus and Caradoc followed us to the door.
" Oh by the way the passwords 'fizzing whizbee' " Lily whispered to us as we were leaving, " I heard Olsen say it".
" Schedules weren't too bad" Caradoc said as we walked down the hall to our compartment.
" Yeah, I got a couple of late nights though" I said.
" I got a few of those too" Remus said.
"I think being a prefect is going to be so great " Lily said happily.
" Well I'll see you guys later" Caradoc said following Emmeline Vance, a 6th year Gryffindor.
" The library hours are going to be great" Remus said excitedly.
" I know" I managed to smile, " Im so looking forward to it"
" As if you don't spend enough time in there already" Lily teased.
Remus laughed.
We walked towards our compartment and Lily groaned. I looked over her shoulder. Marlene and Mary were sitting in there with Sirius, James and Peter. There was food from the trolley everywhere and everyone was laughing. Lily angrily slid the door open and Remus and I followed after her. She didnt say a word. She just sat down stewing. I sat next to her. The compartment was stuffed with eight of us but we managed to fit. Lily was fuming.
" So how was the meeting?" Sirius asked.
" Boring" Lily said quickly.
" Well at least you've got a badge, love" Sirius answered.
" Marlene, " I interjected diffusing tension, " How was your trip to France?"
She flashed her signature look of mischef, " Muggle boys" she answered.
And she began telling her very animated tales of her many flings with muggle boys that had us all laughing as the Hogwarts Express sped towards school.