A couple days later, Lily, James and Sirius were skipping along diagon alley elbows linked and all. With Lily in the middle, Sirius on the left and James to the right they were having a grand old time, skipping through shop after shop buying their school supplies and not caring at all how odd they looked.
"Do you guys wanna get a Sundae?" Lily exclaimed, a huge irreplaceable grin plastered over her face.
"Yay!" screamed Sirius like a little girl, "Ice Cream! Ice Cream! Ice Cream! Me want Ice Cream!" Lily looked and James with a raised eyebrow only to discover him to be doing the exact same, before they both burst out laughing, not being able to control the feeling any longer and doubling over at Sirius' antics.
"Well aren't you two looking quite cozy!" said an amused voice from behind them as Lily clung to James, not trusting herself to stand up on her own without falling over to the ground she and the other head student were chortling so much. Lily turned around as Sirius still jumped up and down about the Ice Cream to see three out her five other dorm mates.
Lily squealed and hugged each one in turn, all a great bunch of smilers, not paying much attention to James and Sirius who stood a few feet away in the background, with James trying to calm Sirius down about the dang delicious Ice Cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.
"Ice Cream!-"
"Mora-"
"Ice Cream!-"
"Kit-"
"I scream!-"
"-Alice!"
“-for Ice Cream!”
“Sirius! Shut up!” He frowned looking close to mocking tears.
“Do I still get my sundae?” He asked sounding like a desperate four year old.
“If you be quiet.” Lily said cheekily. Sirius, taking her words to heart saluted, and brought his index finger up to his mouth and dragged them across his lips as if sealing a zipper and marched over to to parlors' doorway, standing guard over his beloved confectioneries.
“So...” said the girl with with black hair and navy blue streaks to perfectly match her almond shaped eyes. 'What was with the coziness over there?' Kitstantia Henly continued slyly, pointing over to a spot a few feet away where Lily and James had been giggling hysterically.
“Oh um... Sirius' antics, you know how he can be!” Lily dismissed the circumstances in which her friends had found her.
“Lily, Lily, Lily, whatever will we do with you? We thought you hated him! And then your laughing like it's the last thing you'll ever do and clinging to James Potter for goodness sakes! Who by the way you hate?” A vibrant blond with the name Mora Lovegood asked looking inquisitive.
“Oh! oh... Did I fail to mention that in the six years of knowing all of you-” James Frowned. “-I failed to mention James and Myself being neighbors our whole lives?”
“Yes!” All three said in disbelief, and the the strawberry blond, named Alice Wagner lightly smacked her over the head for forgetting this piece of information.
“Ice cream! Ice Cream We all scream for Ice cream!” It seemed apparent Sirius had unzipped his mouth. “Strawberry! Chocolate! And Bertie Botts!”
Rolling their eyes they entered the parlor with grins on their faces as they eyed over a hundred new flavors the had yet to taste.
A few hours later, and very full they made their way back down the street, all six of them. The sextuplet broke through the barrier between Diagon Alley and The leaky cauldron before saying parting words and heading their separate ways.
A few more day passed by and Lily, Sirius and James found themselves facing a barrier between platforms nine and ten at Kings Cross Station in London. It may have seemed odd to on lookers by this was something the three did every year. Skillfully they glanced around to make sure no muggles-non magic people- were watching before they struck-up a conversation and walked straight through the brick wall.
On the other side they were greeted with hustle and bustle everywhere. Parents could be seen crying as they hugged their children goodbye and friends greeting each other joyfully. The trio turned around to find their parents coming through the barrier. Mr. And Mrs. Evans chatting happily to The Potters.
“No matter how many times I do that it still is frightening!” Patrick Evans exclaimed an irreplaceable grin stretched across his face.
The parents continued to talk, subconsciously hugging, half strangling the three, before waving them off, yelling,
“Owl us as soon as you get there!” and,
“Don't forget us!” chuckling before turning away and walking back out the barrier as Lily, Sirius, and James got on the train, found a compartment and watching as they left Platform nine and three quarters behind them.
“Our last year, I can't believe it...” Lily sighed pushing her trunk up into the luggage rack and taking the seat closest to the window, proceeding to watch the trees as they came into view and just as fast leave, bring the students of Hogwarts closer and closer to their second home.
“Yeah I know... It wasn't that long ago when we played in your sandbox, me believing I would have to leave you behind in future years to go to Hogwarts. Little did I know you were magical as well.” James smiled.
“It doesn't seem that long ago...” He continued his eyes losing focus and his gaze resting somewhere to the right of Lily's head.
Lily met his gaze and smiled,
“we have to go to the Heads' compartment and inform the Prefects of their duties, Sirius could you make sure the house elves get our luggage?” and before he could even get a word of protest past his lips she was far down the corridor and out of sight. James just shrugged at him and followed the mop of auburn hair up the length of the train.
When they reached the compartment near the front of the train they discovered the prefects to already be there and waiting. The two strode into the room and picked up a booklet each, one labeled Head Girl, and the other, Head Boy. They scanned through the first few pages at top speed quickly finding a pull out blank schedule for Prefect and Head night Patrols as well as a brief summary of what they had to explain to the Prefects.
Once they had done everything and the Prefects had vacated the compartment, Lily and James sat down.
"Well, that was easy enough." James commented folding his arms behind his head and slouching.
"Easy enough for you to say, we've still got to read through the packages, pin up the rounds schedule in all the common rooms to remind them, actually do the rounds along the train and around the school tonight. Not even mentioning the meeting in Dumbledore's office tonight directly after the feast!" Lily enthused.
"Alright, alright! I get your point!" James said slightly annoyed.
"James...?"
"Yes Lily?"
"What's going to happen to us after Hogwarts? Voldemort's gaining followers everyday, Hogwarts is one of the few safe places in the country now, well... besides Gringotts. Once this year's over we're in the real world, attacks left, right and centre-"
"I'm scared to." Came a reasuring voice from across Lily. She lifted her gaze off the wall to look him in the eyes.
"Really?"
"Yes. Remeber my parents are Aurors, they put their lives on the line everyday of their lives, I wake up almost every morning to a note on the kitchen table, James, there was another attack, see you tonight. We are all scared, some show it and some don't."
"What if we don't make it through?"
"We will."
"And just how do you know that?" Lily asked trying to contain her feelings but only managing to convert them into anger.
The truth flew out of his mouth, "I don't. All I can garinty is Today, I don't have control over what will happen tommorow or the next day, nor that we will have everything and everyone we care about when this war is over. It's what we're all fighting for, the right for muggleborns and Half-Bloods to practice magic and to keep people like Sirius' family from taking over."
"I just wish we could walk down the street without worrying our lives are going to get ripped from us that very second. I feel so helpless being cooped up all safe and sound at Hogwarts and being able to do nothing about what's going on outside the stone walls. I want to do somthing about it!"
"Just think, if we learn the most we can while we're there, We'll be the biggest threat to him when we get out, we can do Auror training and fight back!" He replied optimisticly.
"Yeah.... yeah! We will. Wanna make a pack? Both become Aurors and help make Voldemorts down fall a reality, but first let's get back to our compartments before they start worrying what's happened to us." She said starting to feel better about it all, and how they- as a team- can make a difference.
"Yep, let's go." And that's exactly what they did, walking down the train just talking. The two hardly noticed the expressions of disbelief on their fellow students' faces, peeking out from within their compartments.
"Lily! James! In here!" the voice of Kitstantia Henly came from inside a compartment just behind the pair, making them swivel around to see which compartment their friends were in. The sight before them was of Kit's head poking out the doorway on their right.
Lily looked over to James as if saying 'Sorry I have to go with them, they're my friends.' and James almost telapathecly sent back, 'Yeah I know, catch you at the feast though.'
"Lils? You coming? Oh and James, Marauders are next door." So they split ways and and a candy and joke filled train ride proceeded. But as we all know all good things most come to an end all too soon for our likings.
As the returning students of Hogwarts stepped off the train the familiar call of "First years, First years! This way please! First years, o'er here!" could be heard coming from the game keeper Hagrid, a half-giant who's idea of a cute house pet was a dragon, and whom Lily was friends with.
"Hagrid!", she yelled over the crowd, "Tea next Saturday?"
"Sure thing Lily! See you then!" He beamed back from seven feet above the crowd of students.
"Bye Hagrid!" she called goodbye as she headed towards the horseless carriges second years and up rode in to go up to the castle.
"Lily! Lily! Come on! We're not going to get an even slightly respectable carridge if you don't hurry up!" one of her friends yelled from ten yards ahead, as they had kept on walking when she was talking to Hagrid. Rolling her eyes, Lily caught up to them and jumped into the nearest carridge, her firends following her in and began inspecting the interior.
"Seems alright to me" Mora exclaimed jumping on the seats, and finally settling on a crossed legged position and her arms behind her head acting like a cusion as she leaned into the wall behind her.
Kit swiped the tiny window sill with her index finger and bringing it up to her face, searching for dust, but found none. And Alice and Lily just simply took seats, watching their friends with raised eye brows.
Kit took a seat near the window, pearing out with squinted eyes, checking to see who was in the carridge infront.
"Hey... Guys, how come the Marauders got the best carrige? The one with the trim and moulding?"
Lily looked up from the book she had pulled out, "Since when are you so interested in trim?"
"Since always.." Kit brushed off as if it were nothing.
Lily looked back to her book, shugged. "Yeah, yeah."
Alice looked over at her "What are you reading anyways?"
"Nothing. Just a muggle book." Lily said in a monitone still with her eyes glued to the pages.
"Okay."
Suddenly, the carridge shook to a hault and they got up and out, walking slowly up to the castle.
About ten metres behind them another group were talking and glancing occasionaly over to the girls.
"James, what's up with you and Evans?" Peter asked appearing as if he already doubted James' answer.
"Nothing, we're just friends!" James said exasperatedly, seeing where this was going already.
Sirius studied his best mates face for a few seconds before spotting something and saying "Do you still like her?"
"Sirius... come on, you know I can't answer that! I like her as a friend, yes. We grew up together, then I found you guys and didn't see her as much, I liked her, now we're friends again. I can't answer that."
"Prongs, you're not fooling us, we know you still like her!" Sirius yelled after his best friend, whom had spend up his pace as to avoid even more questioning.
"Think whatever your little shallow hearts desire, guys!" James shouted over his shoulder as he caught up to Lily, Kit, Mora and Alice.
"He is completely oblivious!" Remus said exasperatedly.
"Yup, he's as blunt as a nail." Sirius commented airily shaking his head.
"Nail?" Remus and Peter asked in unison.
"Yeah a nail!" replied Sirius as if what he meant were the most obvious thing in the whole United Kingdom. He was oblivious that they still had no clue how he had gotten that referance. They shrugged and just kept walking.
Soon all between the ages of twelve and seventeen were sitting in the great hall waiting for the first years to arrive from their journey across the lake. More than a thousand students filled the hall, all sitting at four house tables, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.
Within ten minutes Professor McGonagall, whom taught transfiguration burst confidently through the great oak doors, and marched straight up the centre ile carrying a plain wooden stool and a musty old hat. This woman with the long trailing emerald green robes and stern posture was being closely followed by about fifty frightened eleven year olds.
James leaned over to his left and whispered in Lily's ear. I don't remember being that short when we were their age, do you?"
She glanced over at his with a raised eyebrow. "Short?" she queeried.
"Yeah, they're shrimps!" Sirius said leaning over toward the whisperers.
"No they're not!" Lily retaliated furriously.
"Yes they are!"
"No!"
They heard a magnified cough not far away and looked up me meet the eyes of the entire teaching staff of Hogwarts glaring at them.
Lily tried to hide her face behind James but hardly succeeded, while Sirius put on a smile and waved shouting merrily "Please don't stop, please proceed!" They scowled at him and looked to each other before the sorting hat finished it's annual song.
"So I sit before you now,
come put me on your head,
feast, be merry and then please do head off to bed!
I must warn you all,
the small and the tall,
never give in when you fall.
They may rize up above,
but please be the dove,
bring peace, and unity,
for the first war begins!"
The hall fell silent. 'First war? What did it mean?' ran through many student minds. Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster stood, and they all granted his attention. And with a simple "thankyou" he sat back down, and the attention fell back to professor McGonagall.
"Now, when I call your name," she adressed the first years, "you will come up here and sit on the stool, and finally place the hat on your head and when it calls out your house, you will go sit at the corrasponding table." She coughed before continuing. "Jose Aldie!"
A frightened kid who looked in near hysterics stepped up on the platform and sat down on the stool. The hat had only barly touched his head when it shouted out, "Hufflepuff!" The boy rushed down to sit at the table where the loudest cheers were coming from.
"Dowid Alexander!" Another boy with curly brown hair ran up and sat down, only difference this time was what the hat called out.
"Slytherin!"
Boos could be heard from the gryffindors, mainly Sirius which earned him another stern look and McGonagall mouthing to him, "Detention tommorow at seven!" and then calling out other names such as, "Ramona Binsted(Slytherin)" and "Liza Bonez(Hufflepuff)"
Eventually the extatic crowd was getting less extatic and finally Orlanda and Rená Usher had sat down at the end of the Gryffindor Table.
Professor Dumbledore stood up once more and within seconds all eyes were once again on him. All he said before food appeared on everyone's plates and Pumpkin Juice appeared in goblets was, “Tuck in.”
Sirius was of course the first one to dig in and stuff his face with chicken, and the rest quickly followed. Although, the first years looked even more frightened as the food appeared before them.
Eventually everyone was stuffed and feeling as if they should have bought larger robes. All except one, Lily Evans was watching the headmaster. He looked troubled ot her, as if something was bothering him. His face looked tired and worn, and he had hardly touched his food as he talked with McGonagall, a frown etched on his face.
She leaned over to James, “Your parents are close with Dumbledore right?” she whispered.
He turned to her with a frown. “Yeah. Why?”
“Well look at him? Sometihng's bothering him!”
“Yes. I know, but Mum and Dad don't tell me anything about their work with Dumbledore, perfer to keep me out of it I guess.”
“Oh.” she said, as Dumbledore himself stood up, waiting for attention and silence once more.
“Now, I've said this quite a few times so I'll just give you an over view this time instead of boring you all to a great level.” He paused. “Welcome back, seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, third and second years. But to those who just joined our ranks, Welcome!” There was a few seconds of clapping before he went on, “Now down to the boring grit and grim of this speech. The Forbidden Forest is still forbidden, and Mr. Filch our Caretaker hgad added another two hundred and fifty-seven items to the list of objects not permitted on school grounds, oyu can find this list on his office door if you need to refresh your memory. Also, Quidditch captians can host tryouts for the positions left empty from last year any time this month, but don't forget to check the time and date with your head of house. Now off to bed!”
******
hey everybody! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and sorry for the long wait, school was giving me a ton of homework, but I finally had a long weekend to catch up and finish this chapter! please R&R and thanks to all that have already reviewed!
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