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Lily as always was happy to be back at Hogwarts her home with no Petunia and no restriction to magic. Her friends alongside her (Marlene and Mary), she was excited to begin the year but also a little tensed about the O.W.L.s. since the professors yesterday explained its importance and being a muggleborn she felt the pressure to pressure to perform well and have a good secure future.

But she was also tensed about Sev, their friendship started to fall apart because of the following two reasons :

1. They only have one class together potions as he was in Slytherin. So they hardly were able to see each other.

2. Sev has changed.

He now is friends with Mulciber, Avery, and Nott, the most (evil will be the right word ) evil persons in Hogwarts, they all love the dark arts, and are followers of Voldemort so consider people of muggle birth as unworthy and scum and call them 'mudblood'. Many times she has been called mudblood too and has felt on verge of crying. And Sev seems to be on the same path as them, he has called many muggle-borns mudblood (except her) when lily was not around but Lily has heard him say that many times when even though she was not around(but she hasn't mentioned it). Sev was also gone for most of the summer to Mulciber's house whose family are strong supporters of Voldemort. Sev has already shown his love for the dark arts but Lily was too afraid to even read about the dark arts which she so much enjoyed. He had told her that he was making a very powerful and useful spell of his own ( the thought of dark spells make her sick).

Lily just hoped that he won't go far too deep into those dark things.

Anyway, leaving behind her worries she reached the Great hall with her friends and has just started her breakfast when someone sat in front of her.

"Hey, Evans! Good Morning, " she recognized the voice of James Potter, she was relieved that he hasn't talked to her since the start of term and was hoping for it to be continued but her hope was not long-lived.

"Morning" she replied not looking up.

"How was your summer?"

"Fine, Yours? "

"Excellent! My uncle Ben took me along with him to Italy when he has to go for Ministry work." James' love for his uncle Ben was well known to everyone, he loved talking about him and worships him as his idol.

"Oo, Italy is beautiful I have gone there once with my parents," said Mary.

"Nice," said Lily.

"So.. Um. Evans... do you think we can go on a date to kitchens? " asked James nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes... In your dreams Potter " said Lily taking another bite of toast.

"But you have already gone out with me in my dreams 342 times," said James with his cocky smirk.

Lily took a moment to finish the toast in her mouth and said " Good, continue it, creep, because at least I'm not bothered whether you dream about me or about kissing the Giant squid."

Before James could say anything else the bell rang and they all took off to their first DADA class.

(Each year a new professor was appointed for the job, it is said to be cursed.)

When they all got settled the Professor stood from his chair, he was quite old by his looks, but seemed to be quick in his movements and very energetic.

"Good morning, I am Professor Patrick Rakepick, your new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor". He then took attendance.

"So, welcome class to your first DADA lesson, this is your O.W.L year so be prepared to work extra hard. Now,.." he rubbed his hand enthusiastically " First question, why do we study DADA ... Yes, Mr.?"

"Lupin, sir, to defend ourselves against dark arts "

"Yes, Precisely ... but why we have to defend means why we don't use dark magic? Why it is advised not to use dark arts?

"Because it is dangerous and harmful to use ?" said James.

"Yes, correct... but it is beyond dangerous. it's so dangerous, foul, and mutilated that the use of dark magic effect the soul of both the user and the person on whom it is used ... People neglect these things when considering dark arts, it starts killing the person who uses it internally and makes a false impression in their mind that they are becoming powerful. The more a person uses dark arts the more and more his soul and heart are destroyed. Physically he may be strong but his internal self starts dying and he doesn't even know it. They slowly start to lose the emotion of Love Love which is the most powerful magic in the world ." he looked around the glass with a smile on his face and continued.

"Even Muggles can see the power of love. ...But ... the people who use dark arts aren't able to know its power until it's very late. " He stopped for a few moments then said "Love is the strongest weapon to fight against Dark Magic,... You might think I am joking or I have gone mad but it's a fact, Love is the most powerful magic ever, it triumphs all other magic. Even Dumbledore believes that nothing is more powerful than love. "

He looked around the class with curiosity and asked " Do you want to ask how I know these things ?" some people nodded.

" I was an auror but didn't like action very much with each encounter against dark art I started hating it. I wanted to know about magic more deeply so I started to work in the Department of Mysteries, I was an Unspeakable. I can't tell you what exactly I work on because I am bounded by rules but can tell you that we used to study magic to its deepest form. And after that, I retired to teach here."

There were several appreciative noises.

"Now, please take out your books we will cover the theoretical part of shield charm first and tomorrow we will do practice with wands."

" That class was amazing, he knows all the stuff," said Mary, Both Marlene and Lily nodded their head enthusiastically.
But Lily was lost in her worry for Sev, which after the lesson increased.
She made a mental note to talk about it with Sev ASAP.

The next few weeks went similarly to the first two days, all the professors had started giving them assignments from the beginning itself and each class was becoming more and more difficult.
Lily has to concentrate hard in class to understand the lectures, and it was quite easy to concentrate thanks to the inactive nature of the Marauders who all look exhausted in each class and were Falling asleep in classes occasionally, specially Pettigrew.

Lily thought about it several times why they were all looking exhausted and tired all the time and decided to ask Remus who was a prefect along with her, she has become friends with him after finding out he was a werewolf. She was admitted to the hospital having got injured by a venomous plant, Capitis interfectorem, it was in the early morning that she saw Remus carried in by Poppy, who thought Lily was asleep. Later Lily found out that last night was a full moon and in the third year she remember everyone except Marauders making fun of Remus for his boggart being a moon, and it was then that she noticed he used to disappear every month, she put two and two together, and then later asked Remus about it, who got very sad and started apologizing but when Lily promised that she will not tell anyone else or that it doesn't mean anything to her, that Remus calmed down, and they had become sort of friends, and not mention Mary's big crush on Remus.

The DADA lessons had immediately become the favorite subject of all they were doing more wand work and practicing defensive spells more and more.
Professor Stewart used to tell them about his several encounters with dark arts and how we can protect ourselves and fight in these conditions.
But one thing that irritated Lily very much ( ok less irritated) was James Potter's flirting with her (some of them were very nice though .. don't tell him or Lily will kill you) and asking her out once in every two weeks, as tutored by Sirius Black, despite her turning it down each time.
"You should give him a chance, you know he is good when he is not around you or thinking about you," said Marlene, who was a cousin of Potter and used to visit him every summer.
"Yeah, if I would have such a boy behind me I would say 'yes.' "chipped Mary.
"I don't like him, he just irritates me and he doesn't mean it, he just does it for fun and to irritate me," said Lily
"I think he means it, but if you don't want to believe, no one can make you believe it," said Marlene.
"Maybe only he will make her believe it," said Mary under her breath.
"Why are we talking about him? We have other important things to do, let's complete the History of Magic essay, it's very boring. And after that, I've to go for patrol."
They all took their seat and started writing their essay until it was time for dinner.

After dinner, Lily and Remus parted from their friends and began their patrolling.
Lily noticed that Remus was looking tired and was yawning now and then.
"Don't you all get to sleep at the night or what? All four of you always looked tired. What's going on with you four?"
Remus suppressing a yawn muttered irritatedly "It's all because of James. "

"Why? What he got to do with all of you?" Lily asked suspiciously.

Remus looked nervous and cursed under his breath before speaking after a few moments " He...um...he gets nightmares that's why." he looked relieved after speaking.

"What?"

"Yeah...Yes.. he gets nightmares every night and sometimes screams making us all wake up. "

"What nightmares does he get? He should go and see madam Pumfrey ."

"Yeah.. well dunno... about his parents, they are both Aurors and he worries about them ...And he doesn't go to madam Pumfrey because she gets angry as we all are her . . kind of regular patients " he spoke the last words in question manner.

"Oh! I see, I can understand his worries."

They didn't talk about that for the rest of the patrol instead started talking about Professor Stewart's teaching style and they both agreed that he was the best DADA teacher till now.