A/N: I'd just like to give a really big thank to all those who have reviewed…Nynayve, Tasha27 and all of those other, encouraging reviewers. (There were others, but I don't know your names…your reviews were anonymous, but still hugely appreciated!)

Disclaimer: Obviously not J K Rowling..!

6. Arrival

The rest of the train trip went by quickly, filled with the discussion of marks and the sharing of gossip. Lily, who didn't get The Daily Prophet at home (daily owls weren't encouraged by her sister), was horrified to hear that three Hogwarts students had been killed over summer. She hadn't been particularly close to any of them, but the fact that Voldemort was killing children…

"Well," Viv said matter-of-factly as they climbed into a carriage at Hogsmeade, "you can see why so many kids didn't come back."

Lily nodded, still looking stunned from the other girls' revelations. The train had been only half full, huge numbers of students being kept home by their parents.

Marly shook her head defiantly. "I can't see it! My Mum wanted to keep me home…to keep the family together, you know. But I refused-"

"Marly!"

"I had no idea!"

"Why? Your parents-"

Marly shrugged at Vivianne. "I know. They're trying to do what's best for the family. But Viv, I have to learn…to have a chance at surviving, I have to learn…"

Viv frowned. "But they won't come after you…Lily and I, we're muggleborn, but you're a pureblood. Your family would be safe."

Lily looked at her friend in surprise. "He's a monster. He won't stop at muggleborns Viv. How could…aren't you going to fight?"

Vivianne looked at the floor. "I don't know. I- I'd like to think I will, but I'm not brave like you, like any of you guys are…" She looked pleadingly at her friends.

In first year, Lily and Vivianne had been inseparable. They were the only muggleborns in the year; no others had wanted to enter a world at war. It was no surprise to anyone that they were both sorted into Gryffindor.

"I don't understand Viv." They had drifted apart later. Vivianne bravely stood up for Gryffindor, to anyone who insulted it. Lily bravely stood up to Gryffindor, for something deeper. That one small word exchanged for another, made all the difference in the world.

"You're a Gryffindor," Marlene's voice accused. "You're a muggleborn Gryffindor…how could you?" Viv and Marly were always slightly outside Lily and Mary' friendship, close, but not close enough. Lily realised suddenly, that they weren't close enough to each other either. Viv was close to tears.

Lily opened her mouth, but Mary beat her to it. "Drop it Marlene. Viv's brave in her own way…She'll do what she believes is right."

Marlene turned, also close to tears. "I came back for her! For Lily!" Marlene had once confessed that the sorting hat had wanted her in Hufflepuff. She had asked it if she could be with her friends from the train instead. "He'll kill them unless we fight!"

Mary shook her head. "There's more than one way to fight Marly. Not all of them man jumping in front of killing curses."

Lily nodded, tears clogging her throat "I'll be in battle with you Marly, you know that, but let Viv choose her own way to fight." The carriages jolted to a halt. Lily clambered out, offering Viv a small smile.

Mary climbed out next, leaving the other two alone.

They appeared only seconds later, both smiling shyly.

Lily smiled cheekily at them all. "Shall we have some light-hearted chatter over dinner then?"

They nodded, still not quite understanding the view of the other, but very glad not to be fighting.

They chattered nonsensically as they sat at Gryffindor table, laughingly quizzing Viv on her latest boy, smiling and waving at students they hadn't seen on the train. They carefully ignored the gaps left at each table. Students had been withdrawn even from Slytherin, and the Great Hall seemed sparsely populated if compared with its usual overflow.

The Marauders were the last to enter, sitting, to both Lily and Remus' irritation, only a few seats from the girls.

"What is it Lil?" Mary could always tell when something was bothering her.

She shrugged in reply, grateful for the entrance of the first years, and for the accompanying hush.

The Sorting Hat, already placed on its stool, began to sing. Lily leaned forward to listen, but received a sharp elbow jab to her ribs before she the second line. Obviously disgruntled, she turned to Viv. "What?"

"Why do you bother listening? It says the same bloody thing every time!"

Marly, overhearing, nodded quickly, eager to avoid any sort of confrontation.

It was true, Lily mused. Although the words had changed, the message of the song had been the same since first year: Hogwarts needed to unite, to love and to forgive, or it will fall. But then, why would the hat change its song when no one was listening?

Professor McGonagall unrolled a parchment as the hat fell silent. "When I call your name, please come forward and place the Sorting Hat on your head. Once you have been sorted, proceed to your new house table! Aldridge, Ben!"

The scrawny boy scurried to hat, tugging it tightly about his ears. In only a few seconds he became the year's first new Gryffindor.

Lily joined in the cheering enthusiastically, stopping only when Professor McGonagall spoke again.

Anderson, Tobin's sorting was greeted with hisses and boos instead of cheering. Stumbling, terrified, to his feet, he headed towards the Slytherin table. He hadn't made it half way before he tripped, a white flash of light looping about his feet, clearly sent from the Ravenclaw table. He looked close to tears as the hall filled with laughter.

Lily was silent, shocked that her friends and housemates could be so unfeeling. Amanda, the head girl, was making no effort to restore order at the Ravenclaw table, let alone to find the perpetrator. Before Lily could think of anything to do, Dumbledore stood.

"Silence!" He shot three purple firecrackers into the air, their explosions reverberating around the newly silent hall. "This is not how we welcome students to Hogwarts." His blue eyes were missing their usual twinkle, but he showed no other sign of anger. "I expect whoever cast the spell to approach Professor Flitwick for the details of your detention. I'm also taking 20 points from Ravenclaw." Smoothing his long beard, he sat calmly at the staff table.

The rest of the sorting passed uneventfully, Dumbledore standing again as Zabini, Aurelie (a very pretty girl) was put into Ravenclaw. "Good, good!" He said, genially looking around the hall. "We are in the midst of dark times, and each and every student here is worth even more in the light of our losses." He paused, a sad smile on his face, "Whether or not our missing students had a choice in the matter, they will be sorely missed. And there whereabouts can be blamed on one person alone: Voldemort."

There was a rush of whispers, reaching a rather loud volume. While a few people still said his name, a larger number had begun calling him 'You-Know-Who'. Lily had found it confusing the first time she had heard it, but as the name Voldemort became less common, it became much more frightening.

"Despite this," Dumbledore continued, talking loudly over the murmurs, "or perhaps, because of this," he said, looking directly at Marlene, "we are all here, eager to learn. We have stringent security measures in place, including increased teacher and prefect patrols after curfew. First Years, the Forbidden Forest and the Whomping Willow are both out of bounds at all times. Hogsmeade restrictions will also be monitored much more closely this year." He clapped twice, his sudden joviality at odds to his previous manner. "And now, I have great pleasure in announcing our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher!" He gestured at a young woman on his left. "This is Professor Tracy Griffin."

She waved at the students' polite round of applause.

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore exclaimed, bringing their attention back. "And now we feast!"

The magical arrival of so much food never ceased to amaze Lily. She turned, grinning at her friends, "I still love magic!" She said, happily serving roast vegetables onto her plate.

Every year, at the start of the feast, she said the same thing. And every year, Amy would laugh and say, 'You say that every year!' It was a longstanding joke.

Viv broke the expectant silence. "She didn't come back this year. Neither did Erica." Then she added softly, "We'll be the only ones in the dorm this year."

The girls nodded at each other. They knew it of course, but it hadn't really registered.

Mary gave a tentative smile. "We'll get to sleep in..?"

Erica and Amy, their roommates, if not their friends, got up obscenely early.

Mary gave up on humour as a bad job. "Chris, Zac and Rob left too."

"So the Marauders have their own dorm then?" Marly grinned, "Bet they enjoy that!"

Lily laughed suddenly, "Ooh! Can't you just imagine the raunchy evenings? Sirius and Remus, definitely!"

"Since when do you call him Sirius?" Mary asked archly. "Besides, I think they'd use the room for an illegal fight ring…"

The girls laughed. "Alright!" Lily smirked. "Who'd win then? Out of all the Marauders?"

The other three replied simultaneously, all with utmost confidence.

"Remus!"

"Black."

"Pettigrew!"

"Pettigrew?!?" They all turned to look at Vivianne, glancing occasionally to where the smallest and chubbiest Marauder was scraping his plate clean.

"I just think he's sneaky! He'd trick them, you know? And they'd never see it coming."

"Rubbish!" Marlene declared, confidently turning to the Marauders. "Black! C'mere!"

The two 3rd years sitting between them scrambled hurriedly out of the way as Sirius slid along the bench, towards the girls. Marly pushed his sleeves up to his shoulders, ignoring both the other boys' astonishment and her friends' embarrassment. "Beater's arms!" She said triumphantly. "Seriously! Poke his biceps. Those weeds wouldn't have a chance!" She gestured dismissively down the table. Marlene had become the other Gryffindor beater in fourth year. She still brought quidditch into every possible conversation.

"No way!" Mary shook her head, turning to Lily. "You're judging…Remus would kick his arse…he's got that whole…'inner beast' thing happening."

Vivianne and Marlene laughed. Neither of them knew about Remus' lycanthropy. "It's true," Mary maintained, "he's weedy, but he's strong!"

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult." Remus said amongst the laughter.

"Well!" Sirius flicked his hair out of his eyes. "It's definitely an insult to me! Arm wrestle, Moony, here and now!"

"Hang on! What about Pete and me?" James wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Lily. "Will no fair maiden defend out honours?"

"Actually, I thought Peter would win."

Silence once again greeted Viv's statement. Peter turned a faint pink.

James' casual arm fell from around Peter's shoulders in surprise. "Wait a second!" James looked around indignantly. "None of you girls thought I'd win? I'm quidditch captain!" Then, more to himself, "I'm strong." He was pouting.

Dinners all over the Great Hall disappeared, being replaced by succulent fruits and chocolate-y puddings. Peter reached immediately for a particularly scrumptious-looking apple pie. He cut it deftly into 8 pieces, serving himself, and then passing around the plate.

Lily put the last piece neatly onto her plate and leaned inelegantly over Mary for the ice cream.

Marlene opened her mouth twice before finally speaking. "I know we said no serious talk at dinner," her eyes found each of the girls', "but I wanna know what the guys think?" She was obviously asking permission to continue.

Lily watched Mary and Viv nod, feeling her stomach sink. She didn't want to have to think about the death and destruction going on. And she still hadn't told her friends that she had been at Diagon Alley when it was attacked.

"So? What did your parents say?" Marly was looking at James intently.

"Er, about what?" James, Lily thought, looked almost sheepish, melted ice cream on his lips.

"Honestly Prongs!" Peter, having cleaned his plate, was leaning forward, tensed. "About the main attacks."

Lily's head shot up from the fork she was fiddling with. "Attacks? You didn't say there were big ones!" Her voice was sharper than she meant for it to be.

Mary blinked at her, nodding finally. "I forgot. I assume everyone just," she gave an awkward shrug, "heard about them."

Lily smiled tightly. "Yeah. Coz my muggle friends know all the details."

Mary glanced around, as thought hoping someone else would speak. "They attacked Tinworth, at the start of summer." She swallowed, her voice wavering. "They- they killed- you remember Timon Bones? Head boy when we started?"

Lily nodded, eyes wide. "He's- He's not-?"

Mary shook her head. "His brother, Edgar. Edgar's wife too, and their kids. They weren't even old enough for Hogwarts. And- and others. 25 dead. But the papers say it was all to get Edgar…"

Lily was horrified. She had never met Edgar Bones, or his family, nor did she know anyone else in Tinworth. But Lily felt things deeply. Brave to the point of stupidity, especially when defending someone else, she took losses hard. "I-" Lily took a deep breath, trying to get herself under control. "What about the other attack?"

The boys exchanged confused glances. Sirius finally broke the silence. "Diagon Alley, Yesterday."

Lily let her breath out. "Thank God."

"Thank God?" Marly was angry. "There are 40 dead, hundreds injured. Diagon Alley won't ever be the same!"

Lily shook her head. "I didn't mean…I just, I knew about Diagon. I thought there was another…I'm sorry Marlene."

"My Aunt was there." The voice was soft, unlike Marlene. "The aurors saved her but…"

Lily reached a hand across the table. "Marly-" She swallowed. She had to tell them. "I know. I was, I was there."

The others had been concentrating on their empty plates, trying to give the two some privacy, but they started at Lily's confession.

Mary, as always, broke the silence. "You didn't say."

Lily shook her head. "I was with my Mum. You know I didn't go shopping with you lot?" Lily was the one looking at her plate. "Well, I didn't go till yesterday. I-"

"But you're…well. You're never that disorganised!" James was staring at her, eyes bugging slightly.

Lily scowled at him. "For your information Potter, I'm not always organised!" She bit her lip lightly. "I got an A for transfiguration. I was upset…couldn't face buying my books…didn't even know what books to buy." She met their eyes, her voice hardening. "I'll never go late again. It was… It was awful."

Vivianne met Lily's eyes and saw something in them. She too was muggleborn. She could understand some of Lily's fears. She knew Lily didn't want to talk about it. "Why those places though? Where is Tinworth?"

James answered. "It's in Cornwall, that's not important though. They say it was because Edgar was fighting him, but that doesn't explain the whole town. Mum and Dad, they say he's targeting famous locations. Increases fear…"

"What happened in Tinworth?" Lily frowned, sure she'd never heard of the place.

"It's famous for its metal work. Every witch dreams of a Tinworth engagement ring." Mary's eyes glistened. "It was beautiful, the town. It's on the beach…and all the cottages have pretty names: Urchin, Coral, Shell…we used to go there for holidays sometimes."

More silence.

Remus spoke to James, his voice hoarse. "Where do your parents think he'll target next?"

James shrugged, screwing up his face. "Dunno. Godrics' Hollow." He looked at the table, worried about his folks. They had been brilliant aurors, but they were both old now. "Maybe not. Could be Hogsmeade, or Queerditch Marsh…it could be anywhere."

There silence stretched on this time, each contemplating the effects of so many attacks. All were glad when Dumbledore stood up at the staff table.

"Wonderful. If you would all make your way to your common-rooms…you have to be up bright and early tomorrow!"

The 6th year Gryffindors stood in silence. They were almost out of the hall when Professor Slughorn intercepted them. The rotund potions master was wearing one of his usual, bursting, waistcoats; emerald green, the colour of his house. "Ah! Lily m'dear! You missed lunch on the train, but I'm planning another get together soon! You'll be there of course?"

Lily gritted her teeth, more than irritated at the way he ignored her friends. He would occasionally take notice of Marlene, after a quidditch game, but he had never acknowledged the other two.

"Oho! And Mr. Potter! And Mr. Black! Yes, yes…you'll both be there too?"

James grinned. "You know us Professor!" He grinned mischievously at Sirius. "We're always there!"

Lily irritated at not only James' arrogance, but also his apparent disregard for his own friends feelings, scoffed loudly.

"Got something to say Lily-flower?"

She smiled sweetly, "Please Potter, call me Evans." She smirked slightly at his surprised face, before turning and heading to Gryffindor tower.