A/N: Okay, this chapter is going to be a LILY chapter, because, well . . . Lily's cool! So it'll be all in first person, and I hope I don't mess that up! One note: I was wrong, I'm sorry! Apparently, JKR said that James was a chaser . . . so my fic will be changed accordingly!
This chapter contains a PLOT TWIST!! Or at least a small plot turn!
Read and enjoy, and most importantly . . .
REVIEW!!!
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When will life ever be normal? School is harder than ever, I've got tons of Head Girl duties, and everything is crazy. Well, I guess at least I can count on chaos. There's also the thought of quidditch practice looming ahead-practice starts next week. How did I ever let James let him talk me into this?
And why can't I get him off my mind?
There's just so much about James to think about. Or worry about. No matter how much I remind myself that he's not a baby, he always comes across as someone that needs supervision. Or a psychiatrist. Or something.
According to our bet (which, by the way, was the strangest thing he's done so far), I'm not obliged to help James with homework this week. But the thought of him struggling on NEWT Arithmancy is more than I can take. As I sit in the common room, partially hidden behind my DADA book, I feel sorry for him.
So being my usual wimpy self, I walk over to the table where he's sitting with Sirius. Sirius, of course, is no help, since he's never taken Arithmancy. He just looks sympathetically over James' shoulder every once in awhile.
"Need some help?"
James looks up, his eyes filling with gratitude. "That would be nice."
"Fine. I can't take this anymore. Scoot over."
And I spend the rest of the evening helping James with his homework. Somehow, he always seems to get his way.
Oh well, whoever said that life was fair?
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Emily wakes me up, bright and early. Much too early for me. But what can I do?
"I'm up, Emily, I'm up!"
"Lily, why have you been so sleepy recently? Hall duty doesn't keep you up that late, does it?"
"No, it's mainly the tutoring . . . James is really going to fail."
"What? I thought you weren't going to help him all week!"
"He looked so pathetic that I couldn't help it."
"Wow, Lily, what's gotten over you? You're finally being merciful! And I love it!"
"Thanks, but I wish I could say the same. Apparently, my sudden burst of goodness is making me sleep deprived."
"And grouchy. Don't worry, I love you anyway, despite the circles under your eyes, which aren't even noticeable, by the way. And I'm sure James does, too. Not that you care about that, right?" She gives me a sly look.
What can I do besides groan? "Emily, get over it!"
"Whatever. I can tell that this is a sore subject."
"So to switch subjects, I have a question for you. Do you know Bellatrix . . . sorry, I forgot her last name, but I think she's in Slytherin."
"Bellatrix Black? Why?"
"Oh, do you know her? It's just that yesterday, as sudden as anything, she came up to me and talked to me as if she wanted to be friends. Really sweet and everything."
"Bellatrix Black? I can't believe it!"
"Black? That's her last name?"
"Yeah. Sirius' cousin. One of his family members who looked down on him. Don't you know how he left home to live with James?"
"No, I never did." I can't believe I never bothered to find out before.
"Well, anyway, his family is totally into being pureblood and high-class and all that crap, and there came a point when he just couldn't stand it anymore. So he left home. Anyway, he says that Bellatrix used to be an okay kid, but now she's on the brink of plunging into the Dark Side."
"Whoa . . . how bizarre. And she wanted to talk to me?"
"That's beyond me, too. Maybe you know her sister, Narcissa."
"That girl who used to stick her nose up at us back when we were first years?"
"The one and only. She's already over the line. She's engaged to Lucius Malfoy, who's a prominent supporter of the Dark Lord."
"Oh my god. How horrible. Sirius is related to all that?"
"Yeah. So whatever motives this Bellatrix girl had, don't hang around her too much. She's trash."
"Wow. Thanks so much."
"Now that all the heavy stuff's done, are you ready for breakfast?"
"Are you kidding? Of course!"
*******
So Bella was from a pureblood family and was on the verge of going over? Horrible. And yet, I would never have believed it from her appearance. How many times have you heard not to judge a book by its cover?
I couldn't help seeing her again. She was already seated when Emily and I arrived in Transfiguration, and waved sweetly at me. I halfheartedly smiled back, trying to avoid looking at Emily, who was scowling. We didn't sit next to her, instead we chose seats nearer the front. I always liked to be closer to the professor anyway.
What followed was a lecture on methods to become an Animagus. I was doodling on my paper with my pencil. After all, Animagus was more like third-year material. And I had it down. I know, wizards and witches are supposed to use quills, but I always had an issue with the erasing difficulty, and I was too lazy to use a special eraser. I guess some parts of being a Muggle never change.
And what was my pencil drawing? Hmm. A boy on a broomstick, holding a quaffle. I've always been a pretty good artist, to tell you the truth. And the boy, especially as I finished the messy dark hair, looked a lot like . . . .
Emily was glancing in my direction, so I quickly covered the drawing, and erased the hair and face. Carefully, I redid them, replacing the face with a more feminine one, and adding long hair. It was me.
The bell rang, and I packed my books into my bag. I avoided looking at Bella, who was motioning to me, and hurried out the door with Emily.
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I could avoid Bellatrix, but I couldn't avoid the equally unpleasant Snape. In Potions, our teacher (an evil hag, who of course supported Slytherins) decided that certain pairings, namely Potter/Black and Evans/Weasley, should be broken up. Of course, everyone ended up with people from the opposite house, and I was paired with Snape.
I tried to be friendly, asking Severus about his classes as I diced the cockroach shells. He merely grunted in answer, never looking directly at me.
But when he was about to add the lacewings to their potion (which was absolutely perfect), I stopped him.
"No! You have to wait for the potion to simmer for fifteen minutes before you add those, or else it won't work."
He glared at me. "Why are you always such a know-it-all? Do you always have to be right?!"
I was reasonably affronted. "But it says right there on the board--"
"What do you know?"
I tried to stop him, but he had already dropped the lacewings into the cauldron. And not just a pinch, as the instructions dictated, but a whole handful.
Poof! The potion exploded, spraying everyone. I covered my face with my hands just in time. Severus wasn't as lucky, as warts sprang up all over his face.
"Evans!" the professor shouted. "Didn't I specify that the lacewings shouldn't be added until fifteen minutes after the cockroach shells? Ten points from Gryffindor for your failure to follow directions!"
I was dejected as I watched several students walk up to the Hospital Wing. And it wasn't even my fault. But I had never been a tattletale, and what was the likelihood of anyone believing me? We were, after all, in the Slytherin dungeon.
Sirius and James were impressed. "That was a pretty cook trick you pulled there, Evans," said James enthusiastically. "I didn't know you had it in you. Did you see Snivellus and his warts?"
"I didn't do it. It wasn't my fault."
Sirius winked. "Sure, sure. We believe you." Before I could protest, they had left for dinner, and Emily and I went back up to our dormitory to clean up. The potion had made a mess on our robes.
*******
After hall duty, I sat sleepily in the common room. There had been no essential homework, and James was goofing around with his fellow mischief makers. What was that in his hand? Of course. The Snitch. I was amazed that James was a Chaser and not a Seeker, because the way he handled the flying ball was incredible. I wish I could do that.
Emily had already gone to bed. I walked over to their table.
"James Potter." I tried to look severe. "Is that stolen property I see you holding?"
"More or less. What, are you going to turn me in?"
"I should."
"I dare you."
"I will."
"Come on, Lily," said Sirius. "I know you won't turn Jamesie in. Or should I say Prongsie?"
"Shut up!" whispered Remus. But it made no sense to me. Probably just some embarrassing nickname. Remus always had been extremely sensitive.
James spoke. "I trust you, Lily. And I trust you not to tell anyone that we're not going to be in our dorms tonight."
I was shocked. "Why shouldn't I? Are you sneaking out again?"
Remus looked hopeless, as did Peter. Sirius just looked questioningly at James.
James was confident. "Not really. Just don't tell, okay? Because there's something I want to show you."
The other boys immediately looked panicky, and burst out in unison, trying to stop James from unveiling their secret.
"No! Stop! Don't tell her! What are you thinking? Don't listen to him, Lily, he doesn't know what he's talking about!"
James simply put his hand into his robe pocket, and drew out something silvery. It was made of some shimmery material that looked almost like liquid. I stared. It was so beautiful.
James smiled, and put it around his shoulders and over his head. I almost screamed. He was gone.
"Relax, hon, it's just an Invisibility Cloak," said James. "And we're going to use it. Come on, you guys. What are you waiting for?" Despite all their previous protests, the other boys disappeared under the cloak. James was always in control.
"Now, Evans, if you could please open the portrait door for us? It won't do to have the Fat Lady open up with nobody going out. You can pretend you're going to the bathroom or something.
Why did I listen? I should've called for McGonagall right away. But James was really a born leader. Somehow, he convinced me. I opened the door for them, then took a walk around the floor, returning to an empty room. I went over to the corner where the boys had been sitting, and saw an old piece of parchment. I turned it over, and was astonished. It was a map of Hogwarts, complete, with passages I never knew existed. And there were little dots all over the place, with labels. Most of the dots weren't moving, as people were sleeping in their dormitories. But I could see myself, Lily Evans, a small green dot in the Gryffindor Common room. And there were other moving dots as well. Dumbledore seemed to be pacing back and forth in his office. On the grounds, four additional dots were moving, right outside Gryffindor Tower.
I knew they had the cloak, and I wouldn't be able to see them. But their behavior on the map was strange. Instead of moving slowly and close together, as they would have needed to under the cloak, they seemed to be running around, not restrained at all. I looked out the window aimlessly. Of course I wouldn't be able to see them.
But I saw something. A large black dog bounded across the grass, followed by a magnificent stag, right where the map labeled Sirius Black and James Potter.
I caught my breath. Of course. They were Animagus.
And as for the other two? On the map, Peter was scurrying around more irregularly than the others, and Remus was moving at a slower, steadier pace. So perhaps Peter was a smaller animal.
And Remus? If my previous ideas about him were correct, maybe he wasn't an Animagus after all. Maybe he was in human form, running under the cloak.
I knew it was farfetched, but with that gang, anything was possible. And finally, I had a name for the four, as I looked at the title of the map. They were the Marauders.
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A/N: Was this a satisfactory chapter? I hope so! To all my reviewers, thank you so much!
Please take a minute to write me a comment, okay? It means a lot to me! So thank you all so much for your support!!!!!! I love you!