Chapter 2
The Plot Thickens
The next morning past rather uneventfully and before Lily realized it, it was time for lunch. Grabbing her books she hurried down the stairs from the library and mad her way to the Great Hall. When she got there she found that the feast had already begun. As she sat down at the table next to her friend Julie she spotted James Potter setting across the way, about three or four people up from where she was sitting. Sirius sat on his right side and Remus and Peter were sitting in separate places on up the Gryffindor table. She watched as James ate his stew and listened to Sirius Jabbering on about something or other what it was she couldn't tell but she did see James chuckle every now and then so she figured it must be amusing.
All at once it appeared that James had dropped something under the table. He stood, moved behind the bench, and bent down sticking his head under the table searching for what ever he had dropped.
"James has a nice bu__ whoa where did that come from?" she thought, "And why am I staring."
Just then her thoughts were interrupted when Julie sat down in front of her.
"Lily," she said, "What happened last night? I want details!"
"I'll tell you later," whispered. Lily she gathered up her books then stood up to leave the great hall and go back to the library. As she stood up she saw James give Remus and the Peter a barely perceptible nod as he walked past. A few seconds later as she hurried toward the stairs it dawned on her. That nod was a signal!
* * * * * * * * * *
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE HAD FOOD?" Yelled a dark clad man as he slammed his fist down on the table with enough force to shake the floorboards.
"J-Just what I," S-said Sir Roderick stammered the now terrified minion Drake Bordeaux, "I went to the Orphanage to see if Madame Zeldaria had cracked yet, and I found that she had bought enough food to feed her and the children for two weeks!"
"But how," snapped the other man pacing back and forth angrily, "where did the money come from? You were supposed to block off her financial support!"
"I d-did," the smaller man stammered, " She must have a source that we don't know about!"
"Well then don't just stand there, Imbecile, find out who this unknown source is and take Lucas Moorhead and Lucinda Golan with you."
"You mean you want us to stake out the school, sir?" asked Drake
"I don't care how you do it," snapped Roderick, "Just find out."
* * * * * * * * * *
Lily sat quietly in the darkened Gryffindor common room. She was too high on adrenaline to sleep. She had be sure all day that James had signaled the Marauders to meet that night and she was determined to see if she was right. Just as her first wave of adrenaline began to wear off she heard movement in the darkness near the end of the sofa, she heard a secret panel slide open, and the rustling of cloaks. Slowly she reached out and turned up the lamp, and simultaneously four red cloak figures whirled around. And saw Lily sitting there. James looked relieved.
"It's you," he whispered, " for a minute there I thought we were busted." Before Lily could say anything James pulled her into she secret passage Peter she closed the hidden door and sound- proofed the wall.
"Now," said James, " what are you doing here?"
"I saw you signal them at lunch today in the great hall," said Lily, "That's how I knew you would be here tonight."
"Looks like we're going to have to change signal," said Sirius.
"I want to go with you!" Said Lily.
"No way," said Peter, Sirius, and Remus in unison.
" Let me put it this way," said Lily, "if you want your little organization to stay a secret let me in." they all looked at James.
"Okay," Lily said James, "You're in, but I'll swear you in later. Right now we've got to get going." James Grabbed one of their spare cloaks and draped it around her shoulders.
They took their racing brooms off the rack and mounted them. Lily climbed on behind James and put her arms around his waste, and like a shot they were off. Careening around corner and shooting down corridors of the hidden passages so fast that Lily could barely tell where they were, then all at once they were outside and climbing into the night sky. As soon as they were over the trees they turned do south. And headed down throw and little known ravine that kept anyone that might be awake at the school from seeing them. Lily could see that they were moving so fast that the trees they were passing looked like a dark blur. Suddenly they flew over the top a hill where Lily saw a small town spreading out below them.
As they approached the south end of the town, James aimed toward what appeared to be a large stone manor house. All of a sudden James came to a dead stop. His friends pulled of next to him.
"What is it?" asked Sirius
"Look down there in the bushes," said James thankful there was no moon to give him and his friends position away. Looking down Sirius saw what James had seen the soft light from the sitting room window was glinting off of a silver buckle betraying the presence of three people hidden in the shrubbery. James nodded to Sirius and Remus who pulled away from the others so that they could circle around behind the would-be spies.
A few seconds later there was a noiseless explosion of green light and a few seconds after that Sirius and Remus rejoined the group.
"Don't worry James," said Remus "we erased both their memories."
"Alright," said James, "Let's go." Landing outside the house they walked inside
" This is Madame Zeldaria's Orphanage," said Lily before for she could add anything else they arrived in the sitting room. Madame Zeldaria was waiting for them. James presented her with the bag of gold galleons she thanked them profusely and then they left. They had just stepped outside when James stopped again.
"Sirius," He said, "Did you say you erased both of their memories?"
"Yeah," Replied Sirius, " what's wrong with that?"
"Nothing," said James, "except that there were THREE of them!" Just then an energy bolt came flying straight at them. They all simultaneously ducked and the bolt blew a tree limb in two. Instantly and insane looking woman in black garb appeared
Before Lily could say anything James boosted her onto Sirius's Broom.
"Get her out of her!" he bark, "I'll take care of Madame crackpot!" Sirius was off before Lily could protest. James jumped on his broom and went speed down a narrow river gorge with Lucinda Golan in hot pursuit. Suddenly when Lucinda rounded a corner in the gorge she found James sitting there on his broom looking at her. Suddenly James stuck his thumb on his nose and wiggled his fingers. Enraged Lucinda threw a bolt at him. James dove down sharply revealing a man-sized sheet of the shiny mirror-like mineral Hematite in the cliff wall behind him. The bolt bounced off the natural mirror and flew straight back a Lucinda.
"Oh Crud!" was all she had time to say before the bolt hit her full in the chest and knocked her backwards out of sight over the gorge's natural wall where was a huge explosion.
"Good riddance," said James then he turned around and flew towards home.
* * * * * * * * * *
Lily hadn't stopped pacing since she and the other three had arrived back at the common room in Gryffindor tower.
"Lily stop pacing," said Remus, "James will be fine." Just then the secret panel slid open and James walked in cleaning his glasses. All at once he was knocked backwards, his glasses went flying, and his arms were full of Lily Evans.
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