Here's a glimpse into the events of the Sixth Year:
* A Heist
* Horcrux comes into view
* Voldemort's background story. From Tom Riddle to Voldemort
* A thing which we all were waiting for, Jily!
*A single chapter, just inserted for fun, where Jily travels to meet Harry(In HBP setup) in future but will not remember the visit or Harry properly on returning due to a law. Few pranks on Snape by Jily for making Harry's life horrible.
*Death Eaters begin to recruit and attack
*Chamber Of Secrets
*The Prophecy is made
PLEASE! PLEASE! REVIEW! REVIEW!
When James entered the potions class in the morning he sat in his usual place, the last seat, the only problem being that Peter, his last year partner was no longer taking the subject and Sirius has stopped outside the great hall to meet a 5th year Hufflepuff girl and has taken off with her to one of the empty rooms saying he would join him later.
The class was about to start in 10 minutes, he saw Marlene sitting and talking with Emmeline Vance, a Hufflepuff and saw others slowly entering the class one by one, a Ravenclaw girl winked at him from her sit, James groaned and took out his potions book and buried his head in it. He saw the content page and read all the potions and ingredients chapters until his eyes stopped on a chapter named 'Sleekeazy's Hair Potion (intro)'. James smiled and opened the chapter and started reading about it.
Someone sat beside him, but he didn't pay any attention to the person as it surely was not Sirius and he was enjoying reading this chapter. The person moved closer to him as though trying to see what he is reading, he ignored the person and after finishing the chapter he put the open book on the table and rested his head on it and closed his eyes and began singing "Here comes the sun by The Beatles" in an as low voice as possible, he noticed the person sitting next to him humming and tapping the shoes along the rhythm, James wanted to look at the person but he was determined to finish the song, so he continued singing, he looked up at the person next to him and was both surprised and delighted.
"Should have known that it was you," grinned James and Lily smiled.
"So, reading 'Sleekeazy's Hair Potion' for your hair, I s'pose? Though I think here it's just intro and potion is hard to brew, so I will suggest you to buy it instead," Lily said.
"There's a lot of bottles at back at home, but I don't use it as it doesn't affect my hair," said James.
"It works on my hair. 'Two drops tames even the most bothersome barnet' You should complain to the inventor about this exception, he needs to change the slogan, though it will break his heart to know this," said Lily and James looked at her curiously.
"Do you even know who the inventor is?" asked James
"I dunno, it was invented back in the 40s, some old bloke I guess," said Lily as a matter of factly.
"And you have met him, Lily," said James now grinning widely.
"No, I haven't. As, I am sure it's not Slughorn and I dunno other teachers are into potions, I dunno."
"Fleamont Potter, my father you met him this year on the platform, he invented it."
"WHAT?" Lily shouted and everyone looked at them, Lily ignored them and started hitting James on his hand, "Why you didn't tell me?" she shouted again hitting him before speaking in a normal low voice "Why didn't you tell me about it before? Oh, I should have thanked him and congratulated him for that. I... the potion is so famous, and I didn't know about it. "
Everyone though shocked that Lily sat with James, was used to banters like this between them.
"I didn't know that you didn't know about it," James tried to suppress his laughter.
"Oh yes, sorry but you always show off such things. Wait why aren't you in slug club then?" Lily asked but at the same time, a panting Slughorn entered the room.
"Sorry I am late, as my plans for the first class changed, the potions I had planned to show today aren't available at the moment due to some errors over the summer, but I will show them to you all soon," said Slughorn "Now, as not much time left your partner will be the student next to you."
At the same time Sirius entered the class panting heavily, his clothes wrinkled. "Sorry Professor had to show a 1st year to her class she was lost and crying."
"Good work Mr Black, we are just starting, ah there's a seat next to Mr Lee," said Slughorn and Sirius beamed at James before taking his seat.
"I bet he was lying and was off with some girl, but Slughorn is too innocent to notice it," snorted Lily.
"Yes, he was, some girl from Hufflepuff, he said he used one of the tricks in 'Playbook' and it worked," said James trying not to laugh at Sirius.
"He was talking about that book throughout the train journey and it was all rubbish, Remus and Marlene had to hit him to shut him up. But, really it amazes me that it worked, I was confident except for a few all were horrible," said Lily.
"Well he is Sirius and is never serious about such things," said James.
"Right, now why aren't you in Slug-club?"
"Well, he tries to invite me all time but I never go to any, you see he only wants to invite me because of my father's talent not because I am good at potions. I don't like that, I like the way you joined the slug club just on the basis of talent and hard work and not because your parents are famous," replied James and Lily's cheeks turned pink.
"Thanks, and I appreciate your thinking and ideologies," said Lily.
"Now, class today we will be brewing 'Laughing Potion', and you will use it on yourselves, the ingredients required and instructions are given in your book, and the ingredients can be found at the back of the class. BEGIN," said Slughorn.
"You set up the cauldron and I will get the ingredients," said Lily and rushed to the back of the class while James put up the cauldron on the burner and put everything in order.
Lily was collecting the ingredients when someone stood beside her and said "So, Potter is now your new partner, but he has failed most of the time in class, it's a miracle he even passed the exam to continue potion, or I think he must have bribed them to continue it. You should have thought properly before choosing your partner, now don't come to me crying when he turns out to be ruining your potion."
Lily turned to see an angry-looking Snape beside her, she spoke with gritted teeth "He got an 'O' in potions" Snape looked shocked "And he didn't bribe anyone and I will never come to you for anything, and your words proved that I thought properly and correctly before choosing my partner."
"And we will show you how much better we are by the end of the class," said James who has saw them and rushed there.
"You are just arrogant, Potter, otherwise you would have more sense than jumping in front of 3 death eaters," said Snape
"Well unlike you he has a heart and he tried to help that bloke from the people who were torturing him. These are the people who you support." snarled Lily.
"Everything all right back there?" asked Slughorn
"Yes professor," replied Lily and both James and Lily approached their table, "We better make a bloody perfect potion, I don't want him to make a better potion than us," she said angrily.
"Relax Lily or we will mess up our potion," said James.
"Yeah," she took a deep breath "let's begin."
Both of them began brewing the potions, with Lily leading and James helping her, the competitive feeling back in them just like during the Duelling Championship.
"Now, just stir it 3 times clockwise then pause for 5 seconds and then stir it anti-clockwise and repeat the process, ten times," said Lily as James stirred the potion while she cut the daisy roots in uniform sizes before putting them in the cauldron with each pause. When she put the final root, the potion turned purple just as shown in the picture in the book.
"I think we are done, look it's purple," said James happily to Lily who nodded.
"Professor, we are done," said Lily happily.
"Well done Ms Evans, oh you have a new partner I see, well let me see, let me see" he come to their table and examined their potions. "Well done both of you, well done, you brewed it before anyone else and . . . oh ho you have made a record of brewing it fastest than any student who has ever brewed in front of me, take 25 points." he took out two vials and gave it to them, "Now, you drink the potion and with this amount you will enjoy laughter for next 2 minutes. Go on."
Lily and James drank their potions, they tasted sweet and nothing happened at first but then both of them burst out laughing, James took the support of the table to keep standing while he laughed and Lily put her hand on his shoulder for support as she laughed.
"Well a perfect display of a perfect potion," said Slughorn who laughed himself as he decided to drink the potion himself, he sat on his chair laughing.
Lily and James on whom the effect of the potion was wearing off laughed much harder when they saw their professor laughing and Snape standing in front of his cauldron with an angry face as Avery put some wrong ingredient in it and both of their faces and hair were covered in thick blue liquid.
"Well it hit him hard, he was being overconfident and thought that I can't succeed without his help," Lily said between laughter as she looked at the funny sight.
"Well it gives him an excuse to wash his hair for the first time, probably," said James laughing and Lily laughed even harder.
"Well those of you who haven't succeeded in brewing the potion can take Mr Potter and Ms Evans's potions for laughter as they surely brewed a perfect potion." he said his laughter dying slowly "And I want an essay on it in our next class."
"It was the best and most funniest potions lesson ever for me," said Lily grinning as she, James, Sirius and Marlene walked to their D.A.D.A class. The other students were either ahead of them or behind them.
"Well, Lily-pad it was because till now you have always seated with the most boring and dull person in the class," said Sirius.
"Don't call me that or I will hex you, Sirius?" said Lily but she was laughing with others.
"The class helped me a lot," said James to Lily they were walking behind Sirius and Marls who were both talking about Quidditch league.
"How?" asked Lily.
"Well, you know I was not feeling that good since that night but now after the class, I am feeling normal and happy again," grinned James.
"So, you will start pranking again?" asked Lily smiling.
"Um... yes, but harmless one really," said James.
"Can I join too?" asked Lily excitedly.
"Well Peter and Sirius are all planning a prank for next week so . . ." but Lily cut him.
"No, I mean daily pranks like you used to do in 4th year, we can do something like that just the two of us, you know it will be fun."
James raised his eyebrows at her, "Lily Evans the prefect talking about pranking and breaking rules, who would have thought that?" he laughed and Lily hit him playfully in the chest and James winced.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," she said worriedly.
"I know, it's okay, it's just you remember that day I was injured by Remus and then a branch hit the same spot while I was falling," said James.
"You are very brave James and kind too, the things you have done for others are just mind-blowing and heart-touching," she said and James blushed slightly.
"So, still on for pranking?" asked James.
"Of course, just tell me when and I will join you, but we better not get caught or we get caught it doesn't matter as long as it will be fun," said Lily excitedly.
"Are you sure you have not hit your head, Evans?" he asked laughing
"Shut up Potter or I will change my mind which I don't want to, I want to have fun," she replied.
"Ok, how about tonight?" asked James.
"I am free, but what we will be doing?" asked Lily turning to James so she was walking backwards.
"Careful Lily you will fall," said James.
"Won't you catch me?" she pouted putting her hands on her hips.
James laughed at this but said, "Of course, I will, Lils."
"I only allow my mum, dad, and Marlene to call me that, I allow Marlene because I call her Marls," she said now turning and walking along with James.
"So, I can't use it?" asked James now pouting and putting his hands on hips to imitate Lily.
Lily laughed at this, "Okay you can call me that but no one else."
"Mary?" asked James.
"She doesn't call me Lils but I will allow her if she ever calls me that, but no one else."
"Petunia?"
"She used to think Lily is perfect and I guess still thinks so."
"She is right, your name and you both are perfect." Lily blushed as they entered the D.A.D.A class.
Lily took her sit with Marlene, Remus and Mary in front of them and James and Peter behind them.
"Where's Padfoot?" asked James.
"He met with a Hufflepuff girl and sneaked to do snogging, how didn't you see that you were behind us?" said Marls.
"I wasn't paying much attention, because . . um ." James struggled.
"Because Lily was beside you?" sniggered Peter.
"Shut up Wormy," said James but he was grinning, and Lily tried to hide her smile. "Well there's Padfoot," he said as Sirius entered.
"Oh, damn it, I thought I would be late so I hurried" he sighed as he took a sit beside James.
"So, a new girlfriend?" asked Lily turning back.
"No, just casual," replied Sirius.
"And does she knows that?" asked James and Peter together who then high-five.
"I . . . we haven't talked about that, we barely talk, no we don't talk at all," said Sirius.
"What a big surprise," said Lily sarcastically and all 5 of them burst into laughter.
"What's up with Mary and Remus? They are in a deep conversation but their way of talking doesn't feels good," asked James.
"Oh. . . yes you were asleep, actually Mary was angry at Remus for not writing her letters when he wrote to all of us, and also he just replied to her one letter," said Peter sadly.
"Why you are looking sad?" asked James.
"Mary lives near me, so she asked me if Moony writes to me and I replied her that he does then she got all sad and told me how it looks like that Moony is ignoring her and all that, so I had to go and talk to Moony about it and he had no valid reasons, to be truthful I was thinking of giving a good few kicks, Mary was really upset," said Peter.
"I think he is afraid to get too close to her, you know they both are shy but Remus just doesn't open up he gets afraid," said Marls and others agreed with her,
"It's stupid of him to do that," said Sirius.
At that moment Prof Murphy entered the class, "Good morning, today we study about the . . . um . . . ways to . . . fight an inferi. So, . . . um first we will study about them then we will move to practice the spells." she said more to herself than to the class, "Ok, so I should ask first . . what is an inferi?"
"The Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark wizard's spells. It is not alive, it is merely used like a puppet to do the wizard's bidding," said Marlene.
"Very well Miss. . Minnon, right?"
"McKinnon"
"Ok, right"
"It was a boring lesson," said James, "Though she knows the stuff but she doesn't know how to teach."
"She will learn, she is new and is always nervous," said Mary.
"Yeah I hope so," sighed Lily.
"So, where are we going?" whispered Lily to James as they exited the portrait hole at midnight under the cloak.
"We are going to The Great Hall, our target, the best place to do pranks if you want to enjoy with the whole school," replied James.
"What's your plan?"
"Ice skating without ice," grinned James.
"I like the idea."
"Shh, Mrs Norris is coming this way," said James looking at the map.
"Will she see us?"
"She suspects."
The cat came very close to both of them as though smelling them but then turned and left. Both James and Lily released a sigh of relief. They moved to the great hall. And both began murmuring spells.
"I think we are done," said James as Lily put the final charm on the floors.
"I can't wait for the morning" squeaked Lily.
"Keep your voice down, come we should go to bed now," said James.
"Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin, did you all do this?" asked McGonagall as she slid carefully to their spot. The day had begun with students slipping and falling before they found out the trick to travel into the great hall was by sliding as though they were skating, though still many people kept falling but all were laughing as they enjoyed it. Some who were good at it were sliding happily in the hall and those who couldn't be eyeing them with jealousy though they laughed at their own failed attempts.
"No professor," said all of them innocently.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"James was with me professor, we were studying Potions, we were in the common room and we didn't see anyone leave the common room by 1 O'clock."
"Very well then I would have to talk to Flitwick to make the floor normal again" she sighed as she looked at the tiny professor who was happily sliding along with the students and then she left.
"Thanks for saving me, Evans," James smirked.
"I will not do it again, Potter," she replied.
"Why didn't you invite us?" asked Peter and Sirius together.
"You were busy planning the next week's prank," replied James and both nodded.
"How did you know Lily it was James?" asked Mary suspiciously.
"Well I saw him returning to the common room last night," said Lily.
Regulus was sitting in the farthest corner of the Slytherin's table, alone, Sirius and James both had sent him sympathetic looks, the only two people Regulus trusts in the entire school. Regulus was every now and then looking at a brown-haired witch on the Hufflepuff table, Julia Green, his classmate and potions partner, and a muggleborn, she saw Regulus looking at him and smiled, she has seen how Regulus was different from others, how he has never disrespected anyone, he was a silent boy, he has confided only to hear some of his views and secrets which he has never shared with anyone else but Sirius.
Regulus was in pain ever since summer, that was the summer he first met the darkest wizard alive.
Regulus' eyes were covered, as he was pushed down the stairs, he came to a landing, he was surrounded by 9 more people like him.
"Remove the blind," said a cold voice and the scene came into view, he was standing in a dark room, a chair was in the middle where a man was sitting with red eyes, his face was blurred and was looking more like a make.
"Kneel," said another voice and they all kneeled.
"Rise," said the cold voice and they all stood up their heads bowed. "Who are you?"
"Mulciber, my lord," said a boy ahead of Regulus.
"Avery"
"Rosier"
"Synde"
"Severus Snape, my lord,"
"Ah, I haven't heard this surname before," said the cold voice.
"I am half-blood my lord, son of Eileen Prince," replied Snape
"She is my cousin, my lord and now she regrets her decision," said Malfoy.
"I see, it seems that witches are very stupid in deciding these things, very well, next"
"Regulus Black" said Regulus and others introduced themselves.
"You want to join my rank and rise to power, then you have to prove your worth, I need more recruits. Rosier you are in charged for this task don't disappoint me, I want you to report every capable student to Malfoy, who will then send them invitations."
"As you wish my lord"
"I hear your brother left the house Regulus."
"Yes, my lord, he. . . he is a traitor," said Regulus.
"Well make sure he changes his mind, otherwise he will not survive. I am very forgiving as long as you please me"
Regulus nodded.
"Prove your worth and you will be rewarded in winter this year, dismissed."
Regulus looked at Avery, Mulciber and Snape all of them were looking same or even more prideful that they met the dark lord.
Regulus has informed about his visit to Sirius and James via the mirror which he, Sirius and James had. They had told him to remain calm and that they will be always there for him and James has assured him that the door of Potter's Manor is always open for him.
The offer was tempting but Regulus had other plans, a plan that was whispered in his ears by Dumbledore last year.
If Regulus was honest he didn't trust the headmaster much but knows that his plan was worth the effort.
The next day the Slytherins had abused Julia and other muggleborns in potions class. Regulus has stayed behind and helped her.
"You should go with your friends," Julia said.
"You know I don't talk to any of them, you know I hate them as much as you do, you know that apart from you and Sirius I have no one." Regulus replied in a soft voice "I am sorry for what they said."
"I know it's just that they do this all the time and it's hard," said Julia.
"Don't worry, one day Voldemort will fall and everything will be normal," Julia filched at the name, "And I am sure he will meet his fall because I won't rest until he dies."
"But your mother and others they will kill you if they heard you say this," said Julia worriedly.
"I know, but I am not afraid of them and am wise enough not to say this in front of them," chuckled Regulus.
"What changed you to go against them?" asked Julia.
"Firstly when I joined Hogwarts I was happy to be in Slytherin because I made my mum proud, she decorated my room in green when I was sorted and was very happy, that meant everything to me. But, when I saw how life is, and how unfair our ideas are, I started hating all this by the second year.
"And seeing Sirius made me rethink about life and then my father he helped me a lot, others see him as evil but he is kind to everyone, it's my mother who believes in all this blood bullshit. So this all was the things when I realized my mother was wrong and Sirius right," finished Regulus
"You should be in my house or Gryffindor," said Julia.
"And why not Ravenclaw?"
"Because you are an idiot and you spoiled our potion," laughed Julia.
"Well that's right," smiled Regulus. "And you know you made I believes stronger that all that things are bullshit."
"How?"
"You know how, you showed me what kindness, friendship and love are, and only these things matter," said Regulus.
"Are you hitting on me?" asked Julia narrowed eyes but a smile on her face.
"Maybe or maybe not," smiled Regulus.
"Come let's go or I will be late to Herbology, I wish you were there," said Julia.
"I wish too but I have Charms with Ravenclaws instead," said Regulus as they left.
Regulus felt sad he will be alone again till tomorrow, why aren't all people good, why life has to be unfair, why didn't he got sorted to Gryffindor with his brother or to Hufflepuff with Julia? Why?.