Marlene met Lily-as-James at the entrance of the Quidditch pitch just under 30 minutes later, while Remus headed for the Hospital Wing to check on the actual James.

"How's Evans doing?" Lily tried to put on her most worried face as she approached Potter's vice-captain, knowing that her friend had gone to visit whom she thought was her earlier.

"Honestly? No idea. She kicked me out after like 5 minutes," the blonde sighed, clearly more troubled by this fact than she was letting on. Though the actual James Potter might not have picked up on this fact.

"Uhm, I guess… she is really feeling unwell," she tried to cover for "herself" though it was rather obvious that this charade couldn't go on for much longer if they were being this obvious.

"No, you don't get it," McKinnon started ranting as they made their way to the changing rooms, pushing the door open with a little more force than strictly necessary, feeling emboldened by the fact that nobody was acting like themselves around her. "This is not like Lily at all. The only person she would blow someone off like this no matter how shitty she felt is… you actually. I don't know what I did to piss her off on James Potter level of magnitude."

"I can guarantee you did nothing wrong, okay? Just give her some time to get a bit of rest," Lily tried to placate her friend, almost on the verge of tears that she couldn't tell her the truth.

"It's almost as if she was a completely different person…" Marlene kept on ranting as she rummaged through her locker for her gear, but something in Potter's tone caught her attention and she spun around, looking at her captain with speculative eyes.

"What?" the James-impostor took a step back instinctively.

"I don't know, I have this gut feeling that I'm missing something, I just don't know what," she said tersely, proceeding to yank her broom riding pants on then removing her uniform skirt, obviously not having a care in the world for the apparent male company while she changed. Not that there was any skin showing, Lily mused. That was a very efficient way of changing, she had to concede "Are the Marauders running some kind of elaborate body-switch prank?"

"Not that I know of," Lily replied on the fly blinking rapidly, internally in awe of how spot-on her friend was. "But a great idea, I'll take note of it."

Marlene narrowed her eyes on Potter again, trying to ascertain the truthfulness of his words. After a few seconds, she asked: "Don't you want to change?"

"Uh, yeah, in a second. Would you mind going ahead and setting up the usual obstacle course we do for tryouts?"

"I thought you said you wanted to revolutionize our tryout process?" she asked perplexedly.

"I… had a change of heart. Why mess with something that obviously works?"

"More like you are too distracted and just want to fall back on something routine?"

"Caught me there," Lily laughed awkwardly.

She watched Marlene head out to the Quidditch pitch, feeling a mixture of relief and apprehension. She had managed to deflect Marlene's suspicions for now, but the pressure was mounting. She needed to change quickly and get her head in the game—literally and figuratively.

She hurriedly changed into James's Quidditch gear, fumbling slightly with the unfamiliar clothing on her unfamiliar body. Who knew having something hanging between your legs makes trousers so inconvenient? On second thought, the Scots and their kilts didn't seem like such a weird idea anymore. She also had a slight suspicion that older wizards were actually going starkers under their robes.

Lily shook her head to chase that imagery away. That was the last thing she needed right now. She took a deep breath, trying to channel James's confidence and ease.

Stepping out onto the pitch, Lily was met with the familiar sight of Hogwarts' Quidditch field. The stands were already filling with students eager to watch the tryouts. She spotted Marlene setting up the obstacle course with the prospective members already lining up to be judged worthy or not of the team.

"Alright, everyone!" who seemed to be the Quidditch Captain called out, trying to project confidence. "Let's get started!"

The team gathered around, and Lily did her best to give instructions, drawing from her observations of from last year's trials, though to be completely honest that memory was sort of hazy, as she had been sick at that time too.

As the tryouts progressed, Lily found herself struggling to maintain the illusion. She was overall moving very slowly compared to the local Quidditch whose body she was currently occupying. But that was the least of her problems. Then came the moment Lily had been dreading. One of the hopefuls asked James to demonstrate the Sloth Grip Roll, a move where a player hangs upside down from their broom to avoid a Bludger.

"Uh, sure," Lily stammered, trying to sound confident. "Watch closely."

She mounted her broom, took off shakily, and gained some altitude. The plan was simple: fly straight, then swing her legs up and hang upside down. Easy, right?

As she began the manoeuvre, things went south quickly. She swung her legs up, but instead of smoothly transitioning into the roll, she overbalanced. For a horrifying moment, she dangled precariously from the broom with one leg, flailing wildly.

"James, what are you doing?" Marlene shouted from below, barely containing her laughter.

"I'm...uh...just adding a twist to the move!" Lily called back, her voice strained. She tried to right herself, but her grip slipped. She swung around the broom, hanging by her hands, then promptly lost her grip entirely and tumbled towards the ground.

With a thud, Lily landed in a heap on the pitch, her broom clattering down beside her. The team stared in stunned silence, then burst into laughter. Marlene rushed over, trying to keep a straight face.

"You alright, Captain?" she asked, helping Lily to her feet.

"Never better," Lily groaned, dusting herself off and rubbing her sore backside. "And voilà, that's how you not do it."

"James Potter is hilarious," the girls giggled at the performance, obviously thinking this was some elaborate joke.

"Let's...let's just move on to the next drill," Marlene suggested, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Let's see how the new players handle it," Marlene said louder so that the others could hear as well, smoothly taking over the demonstration.

The rest of the tryouts continued without further incident, though Lily stayed firmly on the ground, making notes and directing the drills from a safe distance. Despite the mishap, the team seemed in high spirits, and Lily managed to keep her embarrassment in check.

She focused on evaluating the new players, trying to keep her attention off her own awkwardness. Despite her initial fears, she found that she could at least judge the potential of the players, even if she couldn't perform the tasks herself.

After what felt like an eternity, the tryouts finally ended. Lily breathed a sigh of relief as the team gathered around to discuss the candidates. She deferred to Marlene's expertise, making sure to agree with her assessments.

"Good job, everyone," Lily said, trying to sound encouraging. "We'll post the final team roster tomorrow."

The team dispersed, and Lily was left alone with Marlene. She could see the concern in her friend's eyes.

"Alright, Potter, spill it. What's going on? That was the most un-James-like flying I've ever seen. I know Lily is in the Hospital Wing, and you are worried, but that was just ridiculous," Marlene pressed, clearly concerned but also a bit incredulous. They joked with Lily that James might be so distracted that he wouldn't be able to fly straight but this was just over the top.

Lily took a deep breath. She needed to be careful about how much she revealed, but she also needed Marlene's help. And quite honestly she couldn't do this alone. Alright, Remus already knew, but he was more James's friend than hers. She needed a confidant. She cast a quick Muffliato to make sure nobody eavesdropped.

"Marlene, this is going to sound crazy, but you have to trust me," she began, her heart pounding. "I'm not James. I'm Lily. Somehow, we switched bodies last night."

Marlene stared at her, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. "You're joking, right? You are seriously going to play the prank on me that you swore was not going on before tryouts?"

"I wish I were," Lily said, pleading with her eyes. "It's the truth. We don't know how it happened or how to fix it, and quite honestly I'm at my wits end as to what to do."

Marlene's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Lily's face. After a long moment, she sighed and rubbed her temples. "Tell me something only Lily would know."

Lily thought quickly. "Remember two weeks ago, when you confided in me that you still have feelings for Sirius?"

Marlene's eyes widened. "No one else knows about that," she said, still sceptical but now considering the possibility.

"And you said you didn't know how to move on because every time you see him, it's like all the reasons you liked him in the first place come rushing back," Lily continued. "You told me that you keep replaying your conversations in your head, wondering if things could have been different."

Marlene let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Okay, that's definitely something only Lily would know. But...how? How could this have happened?"

"We think it might have something to do with a spell from the grandfather clock in the prefect's office. It talks about walking in someone else's shoes and gaining empathy. But we don't know for sure," Lily shrugged helplessly.

Marlene paced back and forth, processing the information. "Alright. I believe you. This is insane, but I believe you. What do we do now?"

"First, we need to figure out how to switch back. Remus is helping look for clues. But for now, we need to keep this a secret. James is in the Hospital Wing in my body, and we can't let anyone else find out," Lily explained.

Marlene nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll help. I don't know how I can help, I mean you are the brains and James is the brawn, but you can count on me."

Lily nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude.

"Thank you, Marlene."

Marlene gave a small smile.

"This is definitely the weirdest thing that's ever happened at Hogwarts. And that's saying something."

As they began to leave the pitch, Marlene suddenly stopped, her face turning pale.

"Wait a minute. If James is in the Hospital Wing in your body, does that mean when he gets out, he'll be staying in our dorm room?"

Lily's eyes widened in realization. "Oh no, I hadn't thought of that."

Marlene stared at her, a mixture of horror and amusement on her face. "We'll be sharing a room with James Potter, in your body. This is going to be... interesting."

Lily sighed, rubbing her temples. "We definitely need to fix this as soon as possible."

Marlene nodded, determination in her eyes. "Alright, let's get to work. The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can get things back to normal. And keep James from knowing the true horrors of girls' dormitory life."

With Marlene on their side, Lily felt a glimmer of hope. They still had a long way to go, but at least she wasn't alone in this bizarre situation anymore.

Remus entered the Hospital Wing with a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had to admit, the situation was bizarrely amusing. And he wasn't part of the Marauders for nothing, even if everyone assumed he wasn't the tamest of the bunch. He intended to milk Prongs's predicament to the fullest to entertain himself.

"Oh, Mr Lupin, don't tell me you are feeling ill," Madame Pomfrey spotted him from her office just off to the right from the entrance the moment he set foot inside.

"No, no, I'm fine, just visiting Lily to update her on the prefect's meeting. Is it safe to come in?"

"Yes, Ms Evans already had her potions, but don't excite her too much, she needs her rest," the matron dismissed him, visibly relaxing that the werewolf was not apparently ill so close to the full moon. Last year's debacle was still vivid in her mind.

With a solemn nod, he trodded further in, spotting Lily's body lying in the only bed occupied in the ward a little further on the left, looking utterly miserable. In either case, he cast a quick privacy charm to make sure Mada Pomfrey didn't overhear. James-as-Lily glanced up at the tell-tale sound of a wand swishing, groaning as Remus approached.

"Hey, Lily," Remus greeted, doing his best to keep a straight face. "How are you holding up?"

The Lily-impostor sniffled, his voice sounding pitiful. "Awful," he whined, his friend's presence overriding the effort he had tried to put in so far to act as stoic as Lily would have.

Remus bit back a laugh, the way this was going everyone would know instantly something was up with his two friends.

"Yeah, colds can be a real pain. I guess it's a bit different experiencing it from... a new perspective?"

James shot him a confused look. "Uh, yeah. I suppose so."

Remus nodded, pulling up a chair and sitting beside the bed. "You know, Lily, I've always admired your... resilience. Handling all these responsibilities and now dealing with this cold. It's impressive."

James managed a weak smile, not picking up on the fact that Remus was making fun of him. "Thanks, Remus. I'm just trying to push through."

Remus leaned in slightly, his grin widening. "You know, it's funny. Sometimes it feels like we're all just playing different roles, doesn't it?"

James nodded absentmindedly, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, something like that."

Remus couldn't resist a bit more teasing. "You've been doing a remarkable job, especially considering all the... changes you've been dealing with lately."

James frowned slightly, still not catching on his real intent, but obviously finding the comment weird. However, what would he know about the level of friendship Remus and Lily shared? "Uh, thanks. I guess."

"Oh, and by the way," Remus added, barely able to contain his laughter, "James has been a real hero today, taking on your slack. Almost like he's had a change of heart regarding being Head Boy."

James snorted, trying to stay in character. Yeah, right. It was still Lily doing everything, it just seemed like it was James today. "Yeah, he's... something. At least he stopped hexing Slytherins left and right."

He knew that was one of Lily's pain points regarding his character in previous years, one she had also shared with Lupin, which he helpfully relayed back to the stag-animagus last year.

Remus chuckled. "Indeed. Though, you know, it's almost as if he's become a completely different person overnight."

James blinked, still too sick and tired to notice the hints. "Yeah, well, even men know when to step up, right?"

Remus leaned back, enjoying the private joke. "Well, you should rest, Lily. Don't worry about the prefect duties; they're in good hands. And remember, if you need any advice on... adjustments, I'm here."

James gave him a puzzled look but nodded. "Thanks, Remus. I'll keep that in mind."

At that point, Remus lost it, unable to keep his mirth to himself any longer. He burst out laughing, trying to stifle the sound with his hands but failing miserably. James-as-Lily stared at him, utterly baffled.

"What's so funny?" James asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Did I miss a joke?"

Remus, still chuckling, wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, Prongs, you have no idea."

James froze, his eyes widening as the realization hit him. "Wait... you know?"

Remus nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, I figured it out. You might be able to fool the others, but not me. Werewolf senses and all that."

James groaned, sinking back into the pillows. "Merlin, why didn't Lily tell me you knew? Here I was, trying to keep up the act, making a fool of myself."

Remus patted his friend on the shoulder. "She probably didn't get the chance yet, it has been a busy morning. And honestly, watching you try has been the highlight of my day."

James sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is such a mess, Moony. How are we going to fix this?"

Remus sobered slightly, his smile fading into a more thoughtful expression. "Lily and I found an inscription on the grandfather clock in the prefect's office. It talks about walking in someone else's shoes and gaining empathy. We think that's what caused the switch."

James nodded slowly, processing the information. "So, what do we do now?"

"We think that if you both learn whatever lesson this spell is trying to teach you, it will reverse itself," Remus explained. "In the meantime, you'll just have to keep up the act and hope for the best."

James groaned again, but there was a hint of determination in his eyes. "Moony, Sirius cannot know, I just can't deal with him. He would absolutely laugh himself silly over this."

Remus chuckled, trying to imagine the chaos that would ensue. "Don't worry, Prongs. I'll keep it under wraps. Besides, watching you squirm has been far too entertaining to spoil it now."

"Scratch that, you are the worst, laughing at my expense just about the same as Padfoot would," he pouted petulantly, crossing his arms.

Before Remus could retort, the matron bustled over to them.

"Time for some more potions, sleep dear, you should feel better afterwards, and with some luck can be out of here after dinner time," she encouraged, privately musing why she couldn't hear a peep from her patient and her visitor before she came over.

James stuck his tongue out at his friend behind the witch's back and gulped down the potion in one go, knowing full well that they would knock him out instantly, saving him the trouble of having to deal with Moony any longer.

With tryouts behind her, Lily made her way to the Hospital Wing, relieved that the day's events were finally winding down. She found Remus already there, reading by the bed where James, in her body, was resting.

"How's he doing?" she asked, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu seeing herself lying in bed.

"He's a bit grumpy," Remus replied with a smirk. "Apparently, Madam Pomfrey doesn't appreciate his charming wit as much as you do."

James opened his eyes and glared at them. "Oh, shut up, Remus. I don't recall you being all rainbows and sunshine when we are laughing at your expense."

Lily chuckled but suddenly paused. "Wait, he knows you know?"

"Sorry, couldn't pass up the opportunity. Marauders' code."

James groaned, rubbing his temples. "Great. So now I've got two of you laughing at me."

"Oh, it's not that bad," Remus said, patting James's shoulder. "At least you're getting the full Lily Evans experience."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I think he's handling it quite well, considering. Be happy it's not that time of the month."

"Actually, it is in just two days," James supplied, then something occurred to him, but did not dare speak about it with Lily present. How was he to accompany their resident werewolf on his transformation? Was he still able to change to his animagus form in his current body?

Lily and Remus shared a glance at this proclamation, knowing the moon cycles themselves inside and out as well.

"Yeah, mate, I don't think that's what Lily meant," Moony deadpanned.

"Oh," he replied dejectedly, not fully grasping the meaning at first. "OH!"

The other two sniggered to themselves at his reaction.

"Don't worry, James," Lily said, still chuckling. "We'll figure everything out. Hopefully, waaay before that becomes an issue."

"Right," James muttered, still looking horrified at the realization. "Just add that to the list of things I didn't sign up for."

Remus patted him on the shoulder. "Welcome to the joys of womanhood, Prongs. Think of it as another learning experience."

James gave him a look of pure exasperation. "I'd rather not, thanks."

Lily smiled sympathetically. "Well, at least it can't get any worse."

James looked at her, eyes wide with mock fear. "Don't say that, Evans. You'll jinx us."

"By the way, you should know that I told Marlene," Lily explained apologetically. "My Quidditch performance was so subpar that there was no explaining it away to her."

James groaned exasperatedly, rubbing at his eyes. "What did you do?"

"Apparently, the Sloth Grip Roll is not as easy as it sounds," she admitted, wincing at the memory.

"How bad is it?"

"The potential recruits thought I was pranking them, so at least that was on brand for you," Lily said with a shrug.

"Small blessings," James muttered, though he couldn't help but chuckle. "I suppose it's a miracle you didn't crash into a stand."

"Hey, I didn't crash into anything. Just... couldn't quite pull it off.. and fell off," Lily defended herself, crossing her arms.

Remus laughed. "Well, at least you managed to keep everyone entertained."

James sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "I guess I should be grateful for that."

Lily nodded, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Potter. We'll get through this. And once we switch back, we'll make sure your reputation on the pitch is restored with some exemplary performance."

James smirked. "You'll really let me show off?"

"Can't have everyone thinking you've lost your touch," Lily laughed, the sound lifting some of the tension from the room.

Remus looked between them, his smile widening. "You two make a surprisingly good team, you know that?"

James and Lily exchanged glances, their smiles matching. "Yeah," James said softly. "We do."

"So not to kill the mood, but have you had a chance to bring him up to speed on the clock?" Lily steered the topic back to more serious waters.

Remus nodded, his expression turning serious. "Yeah, I've told him about the inscription we found."

James sighed. "So, what's the plan? How do we fix this?"

Lily took a deep breath. "First, we need to get you out of the Hospital Wing, James. Madam Pomfrey said you might be able to leave after dinner if you rest and take your potions. Once you're out, we'll head back to the prefect's office and take a closer look at that clock. There might be more clues or instructions we missed the first time."

Remus nodded in agreement. "In the meantime, we'll have to keep up the act. James, you'll need to continue acting like Lily, and Lily, you'll need to keep acting like James. We can't afford to raise any more suspicions."

James groaned, rubbing his temples. "Great. More pretending to be the responsible Head Girl while feeling like death warmed over."

"I mean if you take your potions like a good girl, you shouldn't be feeling like death warmed over by evening time," Remus teased, though he was looking at Lily meaningfully, causing her to blush in embarrassment. She was the one with the medication avoidance issue.

"I mean if you take your potions like a good girl, you shouldn't be feeling like death warmed over by evening time," Remus teased.

James threw a pillow at him, which Remus dodged with a laugh.

"Alright, alright," Lily intervened, shaking her head with a smile. "Focus, boys. We have a plan. So, first thing first, James, get some rest. Remus and I will make sure everything is covered until you're out of here."

"Fine," James grumbled, sinking back into the pillows. "But seriously, you better not let Sirius find out. I'll never hear the end of it."

"Don't worry," Lily assured him. "We'll keep it under wraps. For now, just focus on getting better."

"The way you kept it under wraps with Moony and Marlene?" James accused.

"Hey, I can't help Remus has super-senses," Lily replied, throwing her hands up defensively. "And Marlene practically forced it out of me."

Remus chuckled. "It's true, James. She put up a valiant effort."

James sighed. "Alright, fine. But no more slip-ups, okay?"

Lily nodded. "Promise. Now rest. We need you at full strength."

Remus patted James's shoulder. "We'll take care of everything. Get some sleep, Prongs."

James closed his eyes, muttering under his breath as he drifted off. Once he was asleep, Remus turned to Lily.

Lily glanced at her watch. It was just an hour until dinner, James should be released after his next round of potions. "I'll handle any immediate Head Boy duties and keep an eye on things in the common room. Remus, you'll handle any curious questions and keep an eye on Sirius."

"Project Interference is a go," Remus said with a smirk.

Lily laughed softly, feeling a bit more confident with their plan in place. "Alright, let's get to it. Meet me back here after dinner so we can all regroup."

Remus nodded. "Got it. And don't worry, Lily. We'll figure this out."

Lily left the Hospital Wing, her mind racing with everything she needed to do. She made her way to the Gryffindor common room, taking a deep breath before stepping inside. The familiar sight of students chatting and studying greeted her, and she felt a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos.

"Alright, let's do this," she muttered to herself, heading to the notice board to check for any new announcements or issues that needed addressing.

Meanwhile, Remus returned to the Marauder's corner in the common room, where Sirius and Peter were lounging. He casually joined them, doing his best to act natural.

"Where's Prongs?" Sirius asked, glancing up from his book.

"Covering Lily's duties while she is in the Hospital Wing," Remus lied casually. "Caught a nasty cold, but she should be out by dinner."

Sirius snorted. "That sounds about right. Ran into them in the hallway this morning. She was actually letting Prongs carry her and was not making a lick of sense. Must have been a hell of a fever."

Remus chuckled. "Yeah, something like that. Anyway, we should probably cut her some slack when she gets back. She's been pretty out of it."

Peter nodded in agreement. "Yeah, poor Lily. Hopefully, she'll feel better soon."

Sirius stretched, putting his book down. "Guess that means we need to keep an eye on things until then. Can't let the common room descend into chaos, right?" There was a dangerously mischievous glint in his eyes. Not unlike his animagus form, when he caught the scent of weakness, he couldn't let it go.

"No, Pads, there is absolutely no need for your flavour of 'non-chaos,' thank you very much," Remus insisted.

Sirius feigned an innocent look. "Who, me? I would never cause chaos."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Just behave yourself. We don't need any more excitement today."

Sirius grinned. "Fine, fine. But only because Prongs is too busy to appreciate my genius."

With that, they settled into a relatively peaceful hour leading up to supper, Remus sighing in relief for avoiding that particular disaster.