“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.� The Perks of Being a Wallflower Steven Chbosky

Chapter One
Walking with a Wolf

Have you ever just wanted to kill your own flesh and blood? Not in a mean or sadistic way, but in an “I hate you, you are so annoying� way? I have, repeatedly. Why is it that out of all the siblings I could have had in the world I was stuck with nosy Petunia Evans? The giraffe-cow hybrid. Yes, there is such a thing. You see, she’s nosy so she needs a long neck to pry – hence the giraffe. Then the cow part, well, she’s just a cow. No explanation needed. It’s not my fault that I’m the pretty, talented, most fantas-

“Lillian! Get your little behind down here now!� Rose Evans shouted for her daughter. “You are going to miss the train!�

-tic, and sweetest person in the whole wide world. Okay, so I’m really not that conceited, but you tend to start to praise yourself when you have an older sister who only likes to bring you down. Positive attitude and all that. I hate her… okay, so maybe hate is a strong, overused word. Maybe I have a very strong dislike for her. I wish my parents could see how treacherous and horrid she really is.

“Lillian Evans, if you’re not in that car in five minutes then you aren’t going back to Hogwarts!�

Sometimes… parents are a drag.

“Yes, mother,� Lily Evans closed her journal – not a diary – and stuffed it into her purse.

Lily opened her bedroom door to see her redheaded mother standing outside with her arms crossed over her chest. Lily stood up on her tiptoes and planted a wet kiss on her mother’s rosy cheek. The redhead skipped down the stairs and went outside to see her father loading her trunk into the back of his ’74 Camaro.

Her father, Henry, looked more like her horse of a sister Petunia, but in a handsome kind of way. He had floppy brown hair that showed his receding hairline. He had the same dark eyes as her sister as well as the tall, skinny, giraffe-like figure. He, unlike Petunia, was pleasant to talk to. He always knew how to crack a joke, but he wore horrendous clothing. He liked those repulsive argyle sweaters, vests, and everything else imaginable.

“Hey, Bright Eyes, you can sit in the back with Petty,� Mr. Evans said as he waved a hand towards his youngest child as he inspected the back of his prized car for scratches.

“Ha ha, Daddy, that was funny,� Lily rolled her head back in fake laughter. “I thought you actually said to get in the back of this car here.�

“Get in the car, Lillian,� Mrs. Evans called as she opened the front door to the Camaro and hauled her small frame into the car.

“I promise she won’t bite,� said Henry who walked in front of his daughter.

“How do you know she isn’t a vampire? Or even a werewolf for that matter?� Lily spoke with a slight whine in her voice.

“Considering your sister-�

“Distant relative you mean,� she interrupted with a smile playing on her lips.

“Petunia-�

“You mean ‘It’?� Lily supplied condescendingly.

“Lillian,� Henry cocked his head to the side.

“Father,� she mimicked her parent.

“Get in the car.�

Lily sighed dramatically before walking over to her father’s car, opening the door, and slowly – ever so slowly – sliding into the back seat next to her fuming sister. The witch, who could never pass up the chance to royally annoy her sister, leaned over towards the brunette as the car pulled out of the driveway.

“Ickle bickle bockle boo-�

“MOTHER!� Petunia shouted. “Freak here is doing magic on me!�

“Lillian!� Rose shouted as she turned around and glared at her daughter. “Petunia! You two stop it right now! Lily, stop tormenting your sister, and Petunia, stop calling your sister names.�

Petunia glared at her sister before turning to stare at the scenery that passed by her. Lily, on the other hand, crossed her arms over her chest and silently congratulated herself for a job well done. The redhead turned her attention to her purse only to pull out a paperback book entitled “Peter Pan� by J.M. Barrie. She pulled out her flower-covered bookmark and began to read.

It seemed as though they arrived at King’s Cross extremely quickly, which was both a blessing and a curse. One, she got to get away from her sister. Two, she didn’t get to finish her book. Her father parked the car and went in search for a trolley while Rose, Petunia, and Lily walked towards Platform 9 ¾. A couple minutes later, Henry appeared with Lily’s trunk in a trolley.

“Bye, Sweetheart,� Rose kissed her daughter on the forehead as she embraced the younger redhead.

Lily pulled back and turned towards her father, her favorite parent. She launched herself at the man, hugging him with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. She stayed in her father’s arms for a while as she watched people pass. Henry pulled away first. He patted his daughter on the top of her curly red head.

“Be good, Bright Eyes,� he spoke softly. “Make me proud.�

“As long as you make me proud,� Lily replied while she smiled brightly.

Lily turned towards her sister and nodded her head in the seventeen-year-old’s direction. Petunia, however, didn’t even take notice of her sister’s somewhat kind gesture. Lily just rolled her eyes as she grabbed her trolley. She bid one last farewell to her parents before she closed her eyes tightly and ran through the wall onto the platform.

Lily felt a slight shimmer go through her body when she crossed the magical barrier. Her eyelids flew open and her emerald eyes sparkled as they landed on the scarlet engine. A smile, once again, lit up her pale face as she looked around expectantly. The redhead pushed her trolley towards the train when her eyes caught someone over to the left of her.

She snapped her head towards the direction of the familiar boy. There he was, the boy whom girls practically drooled over. His black hair fell elegantly into his pale eyes. His clothes hung loosely on his thin frame. His demeanor was always haughty and bored, except for right now. It was as if the boy deemed everyone inferior to him. It was Sirius Black’s attitude that made Lily despise the boy.

With Sirius Black was a younger version of him, only that boy was slightly paler and had a longer nose. The boy, who was most likely Sirius’s brother, looked around the age of thirteen. Next to the two boys were most likely their parents. The man looked exactly like Sirius except for the expression on his face. Sirius’s father had a look of disgust as he watched several of the students pass by. Sirius’s mother had eyes that were narrowed, and a sadistic smile twisted her features. Her mouth twitched slightly as her hand rested on Sirius’s shoulder.

Lily couldn’t help but feel curiosity surge through her whole body. She had never seen Sirius Black look so helpless and sad before. The redhead strolled up towards Sirius, not knowing exactly why she cared why the boy, whom she had always hated, looked so sad.

“Mudbloods and muggles all over the platform and out,� Mrs. Black’s voice was one of complete disgust. “Vermin if you ask me.�

“Vermin is an understatement,� Mr. Black spoke swiftly.

“I want nothing but the best of you, Sirius, do you understand me?� Mrs. Black turned towards her son and dug her fingernails into the boy’s pale cheeks. “It’s bad enough that I have a piece of shit for a son, but I will not tolerate any more of your outbursts.�

“I’m sorry if I don’t meet your standard of approval,� Sirius’s voice was thick with sarcasm.

“Don’t be smart with me, boy,� Mrs. Black growled. “I don’t know why I put up with you. You’re not even good enough to get the prefect position!�

“What do you want me to say if you don’t want me to apologize for things that weren’t even my faul-�

“Don’t take that tone with me,� the woman hissed under her breath. “You are incredibly frustrating and irritating to look at let alone talk to.�

Lily felt the urge to save Sirius. She pushed her trolley closer and yelled out Sirius’s name. Mrs. Black jumped back in surprise, releasing her son in the process. The handsome teenager turned around to see the redhead not far away from him. He rubbed his face gingerly where there were crescent marks from his mother’s fingernails.

“Evans?� Sirius questioned, a shocked look on his face.

“Sirius Black, why haven’t you owled me all summer?� Lily cried as she pulled the sweetest look on her face that she could muster. “I was ever so lonely. I was hoping, oh wishing, that you would owl me.�

Sirius looked at Lily as though he’d never seen anything like her. Before he knew it, Lily had linked her arm with his and dragged him towards her. Lily politely introduced herself to the Blacks as she complimented their son. Mr. and Mrs. Black looked at the girl with narrowed eyes; they knew she wasn’t a pureblood based on her last name.

“So funny this boy is right here.� Lily smiled brightly as she pulled Sirius back with her. “Quite handsome too. Nice meeting you!�

Sirius, with a dumbfounded look on his face, walked towards the train with Lily. He helped the redhead load her heavy trunk onto the train and all the while they never shared a word. The whistle blew loudly to warn the students to get on the steam engine before it pulled away. The two fifteen-year-old Gryffindors just got on the train as it started to leave the station.

“Uhh… why did you pretend to be my friend and pull me away from my family?� Sirius spat out the word family as if it were the foulest thing imaginable.

“You looked like you were getting pretty beaten down,� Lily responded. “I know I hate it when I get belittled, so I thought I’d save you the grief.�

“Why do you care if I get yelled at?� Sirius questioned her with his eyes flaring. “Since when has perfect Lily Evans ever helped someone out that she thought was an arrogant prick?�

“I’m sorry if I tried to help you, your highness,� Lily shouted. “Next time I’ll let your mother dig her fingernails so deep into your cheeks that you bleed for days!�

True to her redheaded personality, Lily stomped her foot hard into the ground and stormed off to the prefect compartment for her first prefect meeting. She didn’t even want to be a stupid prefect. Lily knew that she wasn’t the smartest girl in her year in Gryffindor. She didn’t study, she knew practically nothing about Transfiguration and Herbology, and she could care less if students were out of bed past curfew.

She strolled into the prefect compartment to see the Head Boy, Frank Longbottom, and Head Girl, Paris Van Arden, sitting at a table with fifth, sixth, and seventh year prefects. Lily scanned the small group of people hoping to find someone that she knew and liked.

“And you are?� Paris Van Arden thought that she was just the smartest and greatest person on the face of the earth, but Lily thought she was hideous and dumb.

Paris was in Ravenclaw although she didn’t fit the regular Ravenclaw standards like the other Ravenclaws Lily knew. Paris was a ditzy big-breasted idiot. She had dark brown hair that was dyed blonde. Her skin was so tan that she looked like toast. She wore horribly too much make-up, and she reminded Lily of a prostitute.

“Lily Evans, fifth year Gryffindor prefect.� Lily pulled on a tight smile. “Would you like to know anything else? Perhaps my linage or how I look so fantastic?�

Frank Longbottom smiled softly at Lily and motioned for her to sit down next to him. Lily had only met Frank briefly before. She knew that he was the Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The redhead also knows that Frank befriended James Potter and Sirius Black since they were all on the same Quidditch team for four years. Frank seemed like a nice bloke who was excellent in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Some say that the only student in the whole school that could come close to beating him in a duel was James Potter.

Lily took the seat next to Frank when her eyes caught a small, sickly looking boy. His sandy hair lay limply on top of his unnaturally pale face. His amber eyes glistened with tears and there was an expression of pure anguish on his face. His hands were holding the side of his chest, and Lily thought she saw something red seep between his fingers. Remus Lupin saw the fellow prefect staring at his hands and immediately tried to cover up as much of his side as he could.

Lily looked at the other people in the room and noted the fifth year prefects. Severus Snape had a hooked nose and always seemed to have long, greasy hair. His hair was always in his menacing face. He had a stare that would scare little children. Next to him was Almira Dolohov. She was really pretty in Lily’s eyes. Almira had long flowing golden hair. She had cloudy blue eyes and perfectly smooth skin. She had an elegant beauty that the redhead would never be able to achieve.

The witch’s gaze wandered over to the Ravenclaw section in search for other fifth year prefects. Guinevere Haswell was a fellow redhead. She was an incredibly nice girl and amazingly smart. Lily always knew that Guinevere would get the prefect position. Lily would be willing to bet that Guinevere would be Head Girl when they enter their seventh year. Brent Paddock was a handsome boy who played Beater for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Lily would be lying if she said she never had a crush on the chocolate- haired and blue-eyed boy. He too was pure Ravenclaw, smart beyond recognition.

Lily’s eyes wandered again to find the Hufflepuffs. She found them soon enough for they were all wearing bright yellow. The redhead blinked her eyes a few times to focus them on the group of people. It took her awhile to figure out who were the fifth years, for she never really had classes with Hufflepuff. The male prefect was Oxford Stover who was a very shy boy. Lily only remembered the name from the Hogwarts letter she received over the summer. He had short chestnut hair and warm brown eyes. If anything, the redhead would call him a wallflower. Skylar Devereux was the female Hufflepuff prefect. She played Seeker for her house Quidditch team; she wasn’t very good. Then again, Lily could barely ride a broom, and she was criticizing a girl who had the guts to play on a team of all males. Skylar was a tomboy with her blonde hair was always pulled back into a messy ponytail, but yet she could be elegant when she wanted to be.

“Any complaints?� Frank asked as he looked around the room.

Lily shook her head and watched as the prefects seemed to have agreed with whatever just happened. Had she really tuned out the Head Boy’s speech for that long? Lily caught Remus’s eyes and raised her eyebrows in the air as though to tell him to say something. The pallid boy looked puzzled for several seconds before it seemed to dawn on him what Lily was trying to say. The Gryffindor straightened himself up as he winced in pain.

“Ex-excuse me?� Remus asked timidly.

“Yes?� Paris asked in an annoyed tone.

“The- the patrol that Lily and I are supposed to have on- on September 20th?� Remus inquired. “Can that be changed?�

“Oh!� Lily laughed quietly. “That’s it.�

“Excuse me?� Paris snapped as she whipped her dyed head towards laughing girl.

“You’re excused,� Lily responded as a couple of the prefects chuckled.

“Do you think you’re cute or something?� Paris asked as she twirled a piece of her stiff hair between her fingers.

“Oh, no, I know I’m cute.�

Lily placed her chin in her left hand and twirled a piece of auburn hair between her long fingers. That got several smiles from the prefects; even the Head Boy and Remus Lupin seemed to enjoy the display. Nobody particularly liked Paris, but no one would actually mock the girl to her face. That was what set Lily apart from everyone else. She wasn’t afraid to be bold, but she would never do anything to purposely hurt anyone. She was a clean joker.

“What date do you want to change the patrol to, Remus?� Frank asked with a smile playing on his face.

“Lily can pick.� Remus offered the girl a smile.

“I don’t care, Frankie,� Lily spoke in a singsong tone. “Gimme a good date and I’ll be happy.�

“How about the twenty-first? Is that okay, Remus?� Frank asked as he wrote down the new date.

“Sure.�

By the time the train reached Hogwarts, Lily had a nice stack of papers. There were timetables for the patrols for the first semester of school. There were two other dates that Remus saw fit in changing. Did he even consider his partner? No, he didn’t. It was very nice of him indeed. Since Remus felt bad about changing three dates, he volunteered to patrol tonight. It was the first day back at Hogwarts, and Lily was stuck patrolling. The redhead disliked the timid boy for volunteering her services.

Lily stepped off the scarlet engine, turned towards Remus Lupin, and thanked him for offering her night away to look for first years that were most likely to explore. Her voice was thick with sarcasm and fake cheer. The male prefect blushed profusely and apologized, saying that he would patrol on his own. Lily, however, cut him off with a wave of the hand and simply said, “Next time talk to me first.�

Lily stood outside of the train watching for her friends to come off. Soon enough, she saw a tan girl with black hair walk off the train. Behind her was a girl with curly chestnut hair. Small frames were perched on her nose as she held several books in her arms.

“Rhiannon Cromwell is a git!� Lily said in a playful tone.

“Lily Evans is a bigheaded prat!� the girl replied as she rushed toward Lily and enveloped her into a hug.

“All summer I was stuck in my house with the ‘Evil Flower’, and you didn’t even write!� Lily exclaimed as she pulled away from the girl and turned towards the brunette.

“I was in Sweden for a holiday,� the girl answered.

“Hey, Lily,� the brunette greeted while they hugged awkwardly with books between them.

“Why hello, Miss August,� Lily greeted back, parting from the hug to look at her friend. “You barely wrote.�

“We went on vacation to Germany to spend time with my grandparents,� August Diefendorf replied with a small smile. “Sorry.�

“I’m bored,� Rhia spoke in a slightly arrogant tone.

“Rhia, please calm down.� Lily smirked as she linked her arm with her best friend.

“I’m hungry-�

“You only think of your stomach,� August interrupted.

The three girls laughed. With arms linked, the friends stepped into a horseless carriage and rode along to the magnificent castle. Small talk was exchanged as the girls chatted about their summers. Lily had the least to talk about, for she was stuck at home her whole holiday. She listened rapidly to her friends’ tales of the far away lands she had never been too. Okay, so maybe they weren’t so far away, but a girl can pretend can’t she?

They finally reached the castle, which looked the same as ever. The comrades jumped out of the carriage and stared up at the stone palace. The redhead sighed contently; she was home. The nostalgic feeling Lily felt all summer slowly slipped away. The statues, the secret passage ways, and the Hogsmeade visits were all greatly missed. The being late for class, the boring Quidditch matches, and the sleepless nights in the dormitories were highly appreciated. This was truly home.

The girls walked into the fortress and were suddenly greeted by the welcoming aura of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The ghosts were about and flying in every direction. The students talked excitedly as they made their way into the Great Hall. The Great Hall was beautifully decorated with banners of the four houses along with streamers the four colors of Hogwarts.

Lily took a seat at the Gryffindor table, which was covered in scarlet and gold. The dishes and silverware were placed neatly on the scarlet tablecloth. The napkins were held together by a gold band with a small Gryffindor lion embossed in it. The goblets, with their ancient carvings, screamed to be filled. Everything was perfect, and nothing could change the magical meal that the students and faculty were about to share together.

It was then that a messy-hair boy caught Lily’s attention. Her emerald eyes wandered from the flawless table setting to James Potter. He still had the same thick, black glasses that hid his hazel eyes. His black hair was still a monstrosity. The boy strolled towards Gryffindor table as if he were the muggle king of England. The genuine smile was spread across his lips as always. James sat down next to his best friend, Sirius Black. You would never see the two without each other. It was as if they were joined at the hip.

“Earth to Lily,� Rhia called as she waved a hand in front of her friend. “Psst, Miss Evans, table sixteen is now available.�

“What?� Lily questioned, turning towards her best friend with a look of puzzlement written on her face. “What are you going on about?�

“I was simply trying to pull your attention away from the scrumptious James Potter,� teased Rhia while she flipped her black hair behind her shoulder.

“Argh, Potter? That arrogant prick?� Lily had a look of pure disgust on her face. “Why in the name of all that is holy would I be looking at him?�

“Because he’s funny, smart, cute, and not to mention head-over-heels for you.�

“The day I got out with James Potter is the day that Professor Kettleburn actually starts doing his job and stops tormenting the students by showing them all of his burns.�

“Well, he does have some pretty nice burns,� August stated as she lifted her nose from the thick book she was reading.

“Or maybe He just had a really horrible childhood where he was upset that he didn’t have animals that could bit, scratch, burn, and poop on him all at once so he wanted to be a she,� Lily supplied, “and he is really embarrassed to admit it.�

“A he/she?� Rhia questioned as August snorted.

“You know, he was born a he but wanted to be a she, so he dressed up in his mother’s clothing and all the other kids poked fun at him and told him if he couldn’t have all those animals to disfigure him, then he’d be good at being a girl…?� Lily trailed off. “I’ll stop now.�

“What are you even talking about?�

Rhia came from a long line of pureblooded witches and wizards. Such talks were not seen as ‘proper’ in pureblooded eyes. She basically knew nothing of the muggle world, and that was one of the reasons that she had been taking Muggle Studies since she was thirteen. August was a half-blood, her mother was a witch, and her father was a muggle. She was raised as a muggle, but knew of the magical world before she arrived at Hogwarts.

“Sometimes I just ramble on about stupid things,� Lily smiled, “you should know that by now.�

“Sometimes you utterly baffle me, Lily Evans,� Rhia replied as she glanced down where Sirius Black and James Potter laughed with Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

“It’s part of my charm,� Lily answered with a sigh. “People just can’t get enough of me. They never know what I’ll say next.�

“That’s an understatement,� Rhia muttered.

Rhia and Lily made small talk, while August read one of her beloved books. The girls talked about nothing in particular, just nonsensical banter. It wasn’t before long that the first years filed into the grand dining hall with Professor McGonagall. Some first years looked to be in awe, but others seemed slightly nervous - then there were the ones who looked like they had just made a mess in their pants.

The Transfiguration professor went up towards a stool and the Sorting Hat. The raggedy hat sang a particularly boring song as usual, one that Lily didn’t even pay attention to. McGonagall pulled out a list seemingly from nowhere and started calling the names of the first years who were to be sorted. The professor’s strict voice called out the first name, “Ayres, Calandra.� A very short, pale girl stepped up to the Sorting Hat looking as though she’d go down like a ton of bricks at any second.

“Look at my brother, the idiot.� Rhia sighed as Calandra was sorted into Ravenclaw.

“He looks really different.�

Lily’s eyes landed on the tan boy with a mop of curly black hair. He had the same blue eyes as his older sister, not to mention the tall and thin frame. He had a smug smile on his face, as though he was half plotting something.

“Cromwell, Jonathan,� McGonagall called out the next first year.

“Bet you anything Johnny will do something for attention.� Rhia watched as her eleven-year-old brother walked up towards the stool very slowly and dramatically.

“I bet he starts screaming, ‘It’s eating me! I’m being eaten!’ when the hat touches his head.� Lily smiled widely as the hat touched his head.

Rhia laughed as she watched her brother under the Sorting Hat. It seemed to take forever before the hat exclaimed, “Gryffindor!� Lily and Rhia stood up and cheered. Their claps and cheers were the loudest out of everyone. Johnny Cromwell looked at his sister and her best friend in disbelief. He blushed furiously and made a motion as to give a very rude gesture to them but thought better of it.

The list of students seemed to go on forever. Maybe it was the fact that nobody paid attention to the sorting that made it seem longer than usual. Lily and Rhia resorted to playing tic-tac-toe on a napkin. Lily had already won six games with her mad skills and Rhia had won only two.

“I don’t understand how you always get three in a row.� Rhia sighed as Lily grinned widely.

“If I told you my secrets,� Lily spoke as she lazily drew a small flower in the top right corner of the new tic-tac-toe board, “then I would have to kill you.�

“August told me to always go for the middle first,� Rhia drew a large star with several smaller stars around it in the middle of the board, “but you go for the corners.�

“That, my friend, is called strategy,� Lily replied as she drew another flower in the bottom left corner.

“Whatever,� Rhia sighed as a sound of clicking silverware on a goblet filled the dining hall.

“Welcome! Welcome back to Hogwarts! Welcome to the first years!� the headmaster smiled warmly at the student body.

Albus Dumbledore was the loveable, eccentric headmaster of Hogwarts. He was ever so old; but in the right light, you could see the redness of his hair show through. He had a terribly long, white beard that flowed to his stomach. He had sparkly blue eyes that were hidden behind haywire eyebrows and moon-shaped glasses. The bright smile, which was almost always on his face, made him look a good fifty years younger than he actually was. There was an ageless kindness about him, and his juvenile personality was always well received.

“I have a few notices before we tuck into your delicious food,� Professor Dumbledore announced with his arms held open as he if were half expecting someone to run up and give him a hug. “I must remind you that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students. Mr. Filch has also asked me to inform you that he has made a list over the summer of all things that are prohibited in the school.�

The headmaster looked over towards James Potter and Sirius Black with a huge smile dancing on his face. It was a genuine smile that reached his eyes and every other part of his body. The old man averted his gaze from the two best friends and looked at the rest of the student body.

“You can view the list on the door of Mr. Filch’s office. I’m sure he would be more then thrilled to talk it over with any of you if you have a comment or question,� Professor Dumbledore sighed contently. “Let’s dig in, shall we?�

There were several motions of agreement as the aging man clapped his hands together, making mountains of food appear out of nowhere. The chatter in the room was in full force. Hands reached out from every direction to grab the delicious food that the students had missed all summer.

It wasn’t long before the food disappeared into the stomachs of the students and staff. It was then that the prefects had to show the first years to their dormitories. Lily was less than thrilled about this. When she was done then she had to patrol with shy, quite Remus Lupin. The boy never seemed to talk to anyone except those blasted friends of his.

Lily and Remus walked the first years to Gryffindor Tower as Rhia, Sirius, and James pretended that they too were first years. James seemed to be following them as though he were a little kid afraid to move too far away from his parents. It was annoying. Since James went along, Sirius was sure to follow. He couldn’t go anywhere without James Potter at his side – pathetic really – it was as though Sirius was a lost dog without his master. Then Rhia, the girl was obsessed with Sirius Black. She was one of the many. It was double pathetic in Lily’s eyes.

“Now listen to me,� said Lily as she turned around to face the first years as they approached the Fat Lady, “I don’t want to be a prefect, but I am. I don’t want to patrol tonight, but I have to. You probably want to explore, but you can’t. If I see any of you out of bounds on my patrol night, I’ll give you two months detentions. Understand? Spread it around to the other houses.�

The first years looked oddly at each other, slightly afraid of the redhead. Rhia looked at her best friend with a huge smile on her face. The three Marauders looked at her with a mixture of shock and admiration.

“Heart’s parade,� Lily told the Fat Lady as the portrait flung open. “Get inside and stay inside. Come on, Lupin.�

Remus jumped slightly and looked at his friends for help. The redhead swore she heard Sirius Black tell Remus to be carefully around Lily and that she might bite. She didn’t care, however; she just wanted to get this over with.

It was weird walking through the deserted castle. It was extremely boring as well. Did Remus Lupin ever talk? Personally, Lily wanted to bang her head on every wall in Hogwarts. The time seemed to pass at an excruciatingly slow rate. If you could die from boredom, Lily would have been long gone by now.

“Are you incapable of talking?� Lily finally broke the silence thirty-five minutes and twenty-five seconds later.

“What?� he speaks!

“We’ve been walking around – on a patrol you volunteered me for – and you haven’t said one single sodding word!� Lily exclaimed. “I’m bored. I need entertainment.�

“I’m sorry,� the boy apologized as he blushed furiously. “I’m not really one for conversations.�

“Nah,� Lily’s voice was thick with sarcasm, “I would have never guessed.�

The boy didn’t respond, and the two lapsed into complete silence yet again. The redhead kept telling herself the patrol was only two hours long. Two hours long… that was a long time to be in complete silence. Ten minutes and forty-five seconds passed until Lily spoke again.

“Can’t we at least talk to make the time pass quicker?� Lily’s voice whined.

“Talk about what?� Remus inquired with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Listen, I don’t mean to be rude or anything like that, but we’re partners. We are going to be working together until we graduate, unless you become Head Boy.� Lily stopped and faced the fellow teenager. “We need to become friends and talk so this isn’t something I dread every week! I don’t want that. You’re a really nice guy, so pretend I’m James Potter or Sirius Black or even that Peter Pettigrew.�

Lily looked at the boy with a pleading look in her eyes. The boy bit his lip as he contemplated what to do. This hesitation made Lily feel horrible. Was she really that bad to talk to? What was wrong with her? Why wouldn’t he just say that he would try or something like that? Was Petunia right? Was she just a freak?

“Right, sorry then.� Lily turned away and started down the hallway. “I didn’t know I was that bad.�

“No! No!� Remus said frantically. “It’s not that! You’re no- you’re not bad! I mean it’s just complicated.�

“Right,� Lily replied as she opened a classroom door and looked for anyone out of bounds.

“No, I mean, okay,� Remus sighed while he walked in front of her. “I’m Remus Lupin, I’m fifteen, and I live with my parents outside of Dover. I’m an only child.�

“I’m Lily Evans, I’m also fifteen, and I live with my parents as well, but I live in Windsor. Unfortunately, I have a sister whom I would just love to flog to death.�

Remus turned towards the redhead with a slightly alarmed look. He watched as Lily broke into a wide smile and struck a little pose. The boy couldn’t help but smile as a soft – very soft – chuckle escaped his lips. Yes, Lily had done it. She broke the ice. She paved the way to a lasting friendship.

The rest of the patrol went by quickly as the two got to know each other. They learned about each other’s favorite classes and teachers. They learned about each other’s summers and friends. It was magnificent. By the time the patrol was over, Lily was slightly disappointed. The two made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.

“Remember last year when there was a rumor going around the whole school that someone found McGonagall and Dumbledore snogging in an abandoned classroom?� Lily asked as Remus said the password. “Do you know who did it?�

“Yeah… well…� Remus let out a nervous laugh, “that was kind of James and Sirius who started it.

“You’re joking, aren’t you?�

“I wish I was.� Remus pulled a tight smile on his face.

“Were you part of it?� Lily asked as the boy looked extremely guilty. “Perfect, innocent, smart, little Remy Lupin helped spread a rumor that made McGonagall take off fifty points from each house and cancel a Hogsmeade weekend?�

“It wasn’t my idea,� Remus explained. “I just went along with it.�

“That’s what they all say.� Lily smiled widely. “That’s what they all say.�

Lily smiled widely as she waved a hand in Remus’s direction as if to say goodnight. The girl yawned loudly before prancing up the stairs to the girl’s dormitory. She opened the door to see Rhia sitting on her bed with her arms crossed over her chest.

“If it isn’t Lily Evans, back from the dead.�

“If it isn’t Rhia Cromwell, back from… hell?� Lily grinned as she went over to her wardrobe to change into her pajamas.

“How was patrol with the ever so bashful Remus?� Rhia seemed to be having too much fun with whatever she was planning.

“Good?� Lily pulled a shirt over her head. “We talked-�

“About your friends?� Rhia shot up in her bed. “Did he say anything about Sirius?�

“Yes, actually he did,� Lily half lied.

Sure, they talked about the “marauders� and Lily’s friends, but there were no details involved. There were just small things exchanged. There wasn’t any life changing information, but Rhia was always the hopeful one.

“Who does Sirius like? Did he say?� Rhia jumped off her bed and practically ran to dive on Lily’s bed.

“Yes, he did,� Lily lied. “Apparently, Sirius got a girl pregnant, twice actually.�

“Sirius is… Sirius has children?�

“Yep, there’s going to be a shotgun wedding.�

“Shotgun wedding?� Rhia looked confused.

“He’s going to have to marry the girl at wand point.�

“Oh, who is it?�

Lily shrugged her shoulders and buried herself in the covers. It was a redhead that had started the rumor about a one Sirius Black just to poke fun at her best friend. It was Kelly Watson who had overheard the conversation from her bed in the fifth year dormitory. It was Kelly Watson who told everyone that Sirius had two children. Then it was Sirius who received a howler from his mother about representing the Black family in such a light. It was then Lily Evans who would feel bad about spreading a false rumor and would try to apologize to Sirius. It was a domino effect of sorts.

I’m really easy to get along with once people learn to worship me. Okay, so, I lied about the last part of that statement, but I am easy to get along with. I proved that last night for Remus Lupin and I got along famously. I knew if I were to befriend a “marauder� then I would befriend Remus. It’s just a known fact. Sirius Black is too egocentric. James Potter is a pompous prat. Peter Pettigrew, well, he is just a mousy boy who was terrified of his own shadow.

“Lily!� Rhia called from somewhere in the dormitory. “First day of classes!�

“Fabulous,� Lily muttered as her pen scratched on the pages of her journal.

Joyous, classes. I can’t wait until I have Transfiguration and Herbology so I can royally flunk out of school and officially suck at life. I’m afraid that I will get ‘Dreadful’ on both of those O.W.L.’s. I’m absolutely horrendous at those subjects. Charms is my best subject and all time favorite. Defense Against the Dark Arts is another one I adore enormously. Arithmomancy, Astronomy, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures are tolerable classes. I enjoy them as well.

“Lily!� Rhia called in a singsong voice. “Let’s get going!�

Sometimes best friends can be so aggravating. As if she actually cared about getting to class on time – oh wait. Sirius Black. Yes. Let’s go to class early to get good seats so we can watch Black and Potter make jackasses out of themselves. That sounds like a marvelous idea. Why didn’t I think of that first? Silly me.

“I’m being serious, Lily, we need to eat and then get to class!� Rhia whined. “We aren’t going to have enough time.�

Scary little? Yes, my best friend is super scary. She can’t help it. She doesn’t like to take the medication the doctor prescribed.

“I’m coming!�

Lily, who had already been dressed an hour ago, sat her journal under her mattress and emerged from behind her curtains. She saw Rhia standing by the door with her arms crossed over her chest and her book bag draped over her right shoulder. She had a perturbed look on her face. The redhead waved enthusiastically before walking leisurely towards the door.

“Oh! I forgot-�

Before Lily could finished her sentence and walk further back into the room, Rhia grabbed the pale girl by the wrist and practically dragged her out of the dormitory. The two friends made their way down the long hallways and the changing stairs until they reached the giant dining hall. August was already up and eating at the table with… no, it couldn’t be. Remus Lupin? The two were talking and laughing as if they were the oldest of friends. How? Why was it so easy for them?

“Look who I dragged out from behind the dustbins,� Rhia greeted August.

“Good to see you hadn’t really lapsed into a coma,� August joked.

“Har. Har,� Lily took a seat next to Remus, since Rhia had already placed herself next to August. “I was actually up before all of you.�

“In what wacky dimension?� August asked with a smile playing on her lips.

Lily opened her mouth to retort; but before she could, a hand slipped over her mouth. The redhead twisted to see who was behind her, but the hand kept her from moving too much to see. Therefore, Lily did what she always did. She stuck out her tongue and immediately the hand jerked back. The prefect smiled in accomplishment before turning around to see Sirius Black standing behind her. Her victory smile instantly fell.

“Oh, it’s you.� Lily turned back to her breakfast.

“Yeah, and you know what?� The dark-haired boy sat down next to the redhead. “I like you. I like you a lot actually. I think you’re absolutely fabulous. Really, a side of Lily Evans I’ve never seen.�

“I don’t know what your problem is, Black, but I bet it’s really hard to pronounce,� Lily’s words were laced with sarcasm. “Maybe Madam Pomfrey can help you out. I hear she’s really good at pronouncing those kind of words.�

“I never thought you could be so… quirky.�

“Quirky?� Lily turned to face him. “Who uses words like quirky?�

“Apparently, I do,� Sirius replied. “I have a proposition for you.�

“Apparently, I don’t want to hear it.�

“I think we should become friends.� Sirius picked up a piece of bacon and shoved it into his mouth. “I think it would benefit us both.�

“No.�

“Think about it,� Sirius whined in an awfully annoying way. “We could be the next… Plato and Herman!�

“Excuse me? Who are they?�

“People I just made up on the top of my head to make us sound utterly amazing.� The boy had a platinum smile stretched upon his face.

"Right. You're officially deserve to be hauled away in a white van," Lily told him as she abandoned her breakfast and made her way out of the Great Hall.

It was before long that she noticed Sirius Black walking at her side. Creepy little? She sped up her pace, but the boy only did the same. What did he want from her? A kidney? Lily turned to the left, hoping that Black would somehow not see her so he would keep going straight. No such luck.

“Listen, Black, I’m noticing how you’re validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.�

“I’m not a stranger, Evans, we’ve went to this school since we were both wee little first years.�

“Go away,� Lily stressed. “ I don’t like you. I think you’re a horrid person. I try to be nice, but you only try to be mean.�

“Now, now, Lily,� Sirius pulled a tight smile onto his face, “there’s no need to be rude.�

"I'm not being rude; you're just being exceedingly annoying."
"Do you think that you can use big words, and I'll just back off?" Sirius questioned as he leaned against the wall.

“You’re the most infuriating person I’ve ever talked to!�

“Thanks, but I’ve already heard that one. Seeing as my mother tells me that all the time,� Sirius spoke bitterly.

Lily faltered at this. It was Mrs. Black who had hollered at her son and tried to kill him with extremely sharp fingernails just yesterday… was Lily really being compared to a woman who obviously didn’t love her son?

“I need to get to class.� Lily sighed.

“What class?� Sirius wiggled his eyebrows in an awfully disturbing way.

“I-� oh crap, she didn’t get her timetable, “I don’t know exactly.�

"I can help you out, seeing as we mainly have the same classes." Sirius whipped out his timetable from his back pocket. "Potions with the enchanting Professor Slughorn first thing this delightful morning. I hear that he's rather eager to see his little Slug Club and pamper them like little babies."


“Kill me now and spare me the humiliation.�

“I wouldn’t do that.� Sirius smirked. “I would merely just stab you with a fork, watch you bleed, and then save you.�

“You actually sound pretty reasonable.� Lily smiled at the boy. “I think it’s maybe time to up my medication.�

"Argh," Sirius grabbed his heart with a pained expression on his face, "that cut me deep."

Yes, Lily walked to Potions with Sirius Black. Yes, they made small banter all the way there. Yes, Lily enjoyed the boy's company. Yes, Lily could actually see herself being friends with Black. Yes, Lily had actually called him Sirius once while they were walking down the stairs to the dungeons. Yes, Lily thought the boy was absolutely hilarious. No, Lily didn't want to get into Sirius Black's pants.

The two parted their ways when they reached the Potions classroom. The redhead took her usual seat in the back of the room to the left side. Sirius went over to the back row on the right side to sit next to Peter Pettigrew, who was already in the room. It was about five minutes later that everyone else started filing into the room. Rhia and August sat on either side of Lily.

"You left," Rhia whispered, "with Sirius."

"Yes, I was talking to him," Lily replied as her eyes wandered over towards the Marauders.

Maybe they weren't so bad. Lily had always thought Sirius was the instigator of the group, the worst one of them all. If she could feel completely comfortable with Black, then maybe they just tried to portray the image of bad boys? Maybe they were really nice guys who liked long walks on the beach and cute puppies and were actually - never mind.

Sirius Black had just hurled a blue spell towards Severus Snape as soon as the greasy-haired prefect entered the room. Snape stumbled as he foamed at the mouth. It looked as though he had rabies or something. He then started jerking from side to side as though he had lost all the functions in his body. Everyone was laughing except for Remus, August, and Lily.

The redhead stood up and strolled over towards the Marauders. She was so livid that she could feel the heat burn her face. Her wand was drawn and clenched at her side. Her right hand flung up, causing her wand to point directly into the mirthful face of Sirius Black.

"STOP IT!" she shouted.

"Stop what, Lily?" Sirius asked calmly.

"You're hurting him!" Lily jerked her head in the direction of the Slytherin prefect.

"It's all in good fun, my dear."

Oh, that made Lily flare.

"Expelliarmus!"

Lily bellowed the spell with such force that it knocked the cocky Sirius Black out of his chair and onto the floor. The spell on Snape immediately stopped, making the boy fall to the ground. The girl population of the class stopped laughing and gasped. The male portion - excluding the Marauders - laughed even harder.

"How dare you?" James Potter raised himself out of his chair and stared at Lily.

"How dare you ask me that question," Lily replied coolly. "I had every right."

"It's okay, James," Sirius announced as he stood up and turned towards Lily with a scowl on his face. "Someday, we'll look back on this, laugh nervously, and then change the subject."

"You're a right git, Black," Lily declared as she looked at him in disgust before walking back to her seat.

The doors towards the back of the classroom burst open to reveal a short, plump man strolling into the room with a box of crystal pineapples tucked securely under his arm. The man smiled warmly at the students and looked at Snape with a puzzled look. His Slytherin green robes stopped billowing behind him as soon as he paused in front of Severus Snape.

"Severus, my boy, what on earth are you doing down there?" Slughorn inquired.

"He couldn't see where he was going over his large nose," Sirius commented, "so he tripped over his feet."

"That's quite enough, Cyrus," Slughorn stated as a sneer found its way on Sirius's face. "Up you go, Severus. There, that's better."

Slughorn walked towards his desk and sat the box of pineapples down upon it. He admired it for several seconds before turning back to his class with a joyful smile twinkling on his round face.

"Who can tell me what the Polyjuice Potion is?"

Several students raised their hands, mainly all Slytherins. August raised her hand confidently into the air, however, as she always did in all of her classes. It was as if Professor Slughorn scanned over August for the briefest moment before calling on the disheveled Severus Snape.

"It's a potion that allows the drinker to take the appearance of anyone they choose for an hour, that is if they have a piece of said person's D.N.A.," Snape's voice was laced with detestation and his eyes were narrowed. "Though it lasts for only one hour, the drinker can drink more of the potion to essentially keep in the other person's appearance forever, provided that they have enough of the potion in supply and enough of the person's D.N.A."

"Ten points to Slytherin, my boy!" Slughorn laughed. "Very good!"

Lily glanced from the professor over towards her best friend. She grabbed a piece of piece of parchment from her bag and simply wrote: "You want to be each other for a couple of hours, partner?" Then the redhead slid it over towards Rhia who immediately read it. Lily watched out of the corner of her eye to see the huge smile that spread across her friend's face.

"You will be your partner for one hour in about a month," Professor Slughorn announced as he waved his wand toward the board, causing a number of words to appear. "These are the ingredients. Get potion making."

"You know, Lillian, I've always wanted to drink your hair." Rhia smiled brightly.

"Oh, Rhiannon, I've always wanted to drink all of you." Lily smirked.

"Let us put our magical powers to work so that next month we may cause pandemonium."

"Rhia," Lily whined, "you know my powers can only be used for good!"

"Come to the dark side, Lily Evans," Rhia spoke in a mysterious voice, "we have cookies!"

"No! No! Not the cookies! Don't tempt me with such evil entities!"

August teamed up with fellow fifth year Gryffindor Allyson Calhoun. She was a short, chestnut-haired girl. She had a slight stomach with huge brown eyes. James Potter, of course, partnered with Sirius Black. Remus Lupin teamed up with Peter Pettigrew. Slimy Snape - oops, Severus Snape teamed up with Rabastan Lestrange. All the partner groups were simply predicable, since they were the same groups every time.

"Okay, so we need some... fluxweed, knotgrass, horn of a bicorn, and skin of a boomslang," Rhia read off the first set of ingredients.

"Well, first, we should start with the lacewing flies-" Lily was so rudely interrupted at this point.

"We don't need those!" a protesting Rhia exclaimed.

"Second column," Lily replied.

"Oh," Rhia blushed slightly but quickly smiled, "those need to be stewed for twenty-one days."

"Do I look like Kelly Watson over there?" Lily nodded towards the blonde, ditzy Gryffindor talking to an enraged looking Sirius Black.

"Well, the red hair is a dead giveaway that you can't be her," Rhia spoke thoughtfully. "If you dye it blonde then you could so be her."

For this, Rhia was smacked in the back of the head with a pale hand. The dark-haired girl looked at her best friend with a pained look dancing on her smiling face. It was Rhia who then said, "Your sympathy towards me is so overwhelming." The two girls laughed as they started to stew the flies, which was a disgusting task within itself.
It wasn't before long that the bell rang to indicate class was over. Lily quickly loaded her bag and Rhia's bag as Rhia put away the potion supplies. Lily told her two friends to go to Charms without her and said she'd catch up. She strolled up to Professor Slughorn's desk with a smile dancing on her face.

"What can I do for you, Lily?"

"I was wondering when the next party was going to take place," Lily replied. "Usually you have them September 1st, but this year it wasn't."

"Oh, yes, well, terrible times are ahead of us. I've been quite busy myself. Dumbledore is just simply demanding too much of me, my dear."

"But 'the Slugs' will meet soon?"

"Oh, definitely! It's not like I'm waiting for you to get re-sorted into a much more respectable house."

"You make it sound like Slytherin's a good thing," Lily retorted cheekily.

"You make it sound like a bad thing, my dear!" Slughorn chuckled.

"Your words, not mine." Lily smiled. "I've got to get going. I have to go all the way up to Charms."

The professor bid farewell to one of his 'Slugs' and promised to be in touch. Lily merely smiled before she made her way to the Charms classroom. It was a long and lonely walk. She hated walking to classes by herself, but there were times when she had to. She reached the classroom to see Professor Flitwick working on something at his desk. He was writing feverishly on a piece of parchment with a somber look on his small face. Lily had never seen the man look so serious in her life. Where was the joyful and jolly Professor Flitwick that she knew and loved?

Lily found August and Rhia in their usual seats in the front of the class, so she went over and sat next to Rhia. It wasn't before long that the rowdy group of Marauders meandered into the classroom - except, wait. They weren't loud at all. They were whispering to each other. Plotting something? Yes, that had to be it. Lily realized that she could hear what they were saying so she eavesdropped. It was a very bad habit of hers that she couldn't seem to break.


"Who would even say such a thing?" Sirius's tone of voice was laced with anger and tenderness.

"Probably just some jealous girl you turned down," Potter replied empathetically.

"The whole school believes it, James," Sirius still spoke in hushed tones. "Now everyone probably thinks I'm sex-crazed."

"Who didn't think you were sex-crazed before?" Remus joked.

"But there are certain people here who can take that literally and tell my mother," Sirius suddenly seemed slightly frightened. "Regulus... he'll go tattle to her that I got two girls pregnant when I didn't!"

Oh no, Lily's stomach sank. Who in the world told people that? Rhia? No, Rhia would never let that get out. She fancied Black too much. Rhia would never let anything negative about him leak out. What if someone had overheard her joking around? Kelly! Kelly Watson, she was one for gossip. Oh Merlin, she must have been awake. Lily's mind went wild.

"Everyone here?" Professor Flitwick asked without even looking up. "Good. Today we will be learning about the Fidelius Charm. Who can tell me what that is?"

Professor Flitwick folded the parchment he was writing on and held it with his left hand. With his right hand, the short professor ignited that parchment with blue flames. He then turned towards the fifth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws with a smile playing on his face. Guinevere Haswell, the Ravenclaw prefect, raised her hand into the air.

"Miss Haswell?" Professor Flitwick called on her.

"The Fidelius - deprived from the Latin form Fidelis which means faithful friends - Charm fundamentally protects a person or object by hiding it from everyone except for the Secret Keeper and whom the Secret Keeper deems fit on trusting."

"Excellent, Miss Haswell, fifteen points to Ravenclaw."

"I'd like to hide Sirius Black," Rhia leaned over and whispered to Lily, "if you know what I mean."

"Too much information, Rhia."

The class seemed to have passed all too quickly for Lily. Before she knew it, the bell rang. Students filed out from all directions. It was the mellifluous voice of the Charms professor that made the redheaded prefect falter in her journey to lunch. Lily doubled back towards the professor's desk. Once everyone was out, the professor smiled brightly at Lily.

"Each Head of House is allowed to nominate two students for the prefect position from each house, a boy and girl."
The jolly professor spoke with a sparkle in his eyes. Lily already knew what he was going to tell her. He nominated her for prefect. Joyous, just when Lily was considering running away with him. Ha, no, Lily was just entertaining herself.

"I voted for you, as did every other Head of House! It seemed as though Professor Dumbledore got a right chuckle out of it," the little man laughed. "There was really no doubt who would be the female Gryffindor prefect."

"Thank-you for suggesting me, Professor, but you really shouldn't have," Lily spoke honestly. "August is so much smarter than me."

"You were the one who scored top marks on the final exams, Lily," the professor spoke seriously. "Miss Diefendorf had received all but two top marks on her finals. You're very impressive."

"Professor, there's no way I could have done that," Lily sighed. "I mean, I'm absolutely horrendous at Transfiguration and Herbology. I couldn't transfigure a pumpkin to save my life!"

"Your test results speak differently, Miss Evans. You have a lot of talent."

"I may have plenty of talent, but quite frankly, Professor, I just don't give a damn."

"That's no attitude to have, Lily," Professor Flitwick sounded both flabbergasted and disappointed.

"Here's how it is, Professor," Lily took a deep sigh, "I'm never going to make a difference in the world. I'm going to go through life and when I die, no one will ever remember I existed. No one will even care that I walked this ground. I'll just be another face and name in the zillions before me. So there isn't really a reason for me to really... thrive. Now August would probably cure some disease, and she deserves it."

"Do you have any idea what you are suggesting?"

"Yes, I do, Professor."

"Well, Miss Evans, I have to say that I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you," Professor Flitwick talked with an almost thwarted tone. "I thought you were a girl of such potency and power. A girl who would fight in this emerging war and come out on top. Now I can't help but think you're just an asinine girl who doesn't give a damn about anything. You may leave now, Miss Evans."

Lily felt her chest clench as she walked out of the classroom with tears burning in her eyes. Professor Flitwick hated her. Her favorite professor thought she was nothing but a juvenile who didn't know anything. What she spoke was true however in her mind. She wouldn't be remembered when she died. She couldn't do anything spectacular to make herself be remembered.

Lily found herself unable to eat lunch now. Therefore, she did what she usually did when she was upset. She walked around on the balconies of the tall towers of the castle to feel the wind nip her face. She raced there as fast as she could. She wrenched open the huge door to the balcony and walked out.

The redhead felt the tears fall down her face. Why was this affecting her so much? Why did she care what people thought of her? She walked towards the stone railing and propped her elbows upon it. She leaned slightly forward and watched some students eat their lunch by the lake. Others were walking around or playing with their friends. Lily felt so alone.

"May I inquire what is wrong?"

Lily jumped slightly as she turned to see the graying headmaster next to her. Where did he come from? It was as if he just appeared out of nowhere. Sometimes that old man could be extremely creepy. His aging face turned towards the youthful girl with a quizzical look on his face.

"I was just chatting with Professor Flitwick." Lily sniffed as she tried to hide her tearstained face.

"Excuse my rudeness, but why do you look ever so upset about it?"

"He told me all the Heads voted for my appointment of prefect," Lily murmured.

"Well, that's nothing to be upset about. I must say I was quite entertained that all of the teachers seem to love you." Professor Dumbledore smiled. "In a case of a tie, I am the one to make the final decision. I have to say that I've had to make the decision in every single case this year except for the female fifth year Gryffindor and the Head Boy position."

"Who was it between in the Gryffindor male category?"

"Off the record, of course, Miss Evans, but it was between Remus Lupin and James Potter. It seemed as though Professor Sprout and Professor Slughorn elected Mr. Lupin whilst Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall elected Mr. Potter."

Lily was puzzled at this. Why would anyone in their right mind nominate James Potter as prefect? He was just so... narcissistic and generally bad. Professor McGonagall seemed to loathe the boy, for he was always causing troubles. Why would she of all people vote for him?

"Did you pick Remus so that I wouldn't throw myself off the Astronomy Tower?" Lily asked with a smile on her face.

"Lemon Drop?" the headmaster offered her a candy as she took one. "I must say that I picked Mr. Lupin for the fact that I believe he could exercise some control over Misters Black and Potter."

"Oh, so it wasn't the fact that I would slaughter myself if I had to spend over a minute alone with Potter?" This seemed to have made the headmaster chuckle.

"You are very entertaining, Miss Evans."

"I try my best," Lily replied.

"I never want you to believe that you will never make a difference, Miss Evans."

Wait, what? How did the headmaster know what was said earlier in the Charms classroom? Does he have little spies or something all over the castle so that he knows everything that happens within the stone walls? On the other hand, maybe he was just a really good guesser?

"What could I do to make a difference?" asked Lily.

"You'd be surprised to find out all the power you behold."

Lily didn't say anything at this. She was actually at a loss for words. Professor Dumbledore seemed to have noticed her hesitation and decided to leave her alone with her thoughts. Why is it that everyone just tries to confuse me? Lily thought.

The redhead started to walk around the balcony, thoughts filling her head. Why was it that two professors thought she was extraordinary? What was it about her? Nothing that she could even begin to comprehend. Yes, was that it? No, that wasn't even an answer.

"You have strength."

Argh, what was this? Sneak up on Lily Evans and scare the life out of her day? Lily turned to see the Divination teacher standing there. She had a long dress on with a thick shawl. The professor didn't look like fortunetellers in the Muggle world, but actually like she could be the real thing. She had graying blonde hair that was tied back loosely in a bun.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked.

"You are very powerful, Miss Evans," the professor went on. "You may not realize it, but Professor Dumbledore and I keep a close eye on those in this school to pick out the exceptional ones. The ones that can fight in this coming war."

"What war?" Lily was irritated by now.

"The darkest of Dark Lords is now approaching," the woman explained. "He is emerging to cleanse the Wizarding World so that it fits his image of what he thinks it ought to be like."

"What is his image?"

"To rid the world of all the Muggles and Muggleborns."

Lily's face drew pale at this. There was actually somebody out there who wanted to murder a whole bunch of people? Was he the wizard equivalent to Hitler? Just the thought of that made Lily's skin crawl. Then again, didn't Hitler have syphilis? Did this new 'Dark Lord' have a disease that made him mad?

"You will face him, Miss Evans, more than once. You will defy him thrice before the end."

"Ex-excuse me?" Lily backed away. "No, no I won't."

"Miss Evans-"

Lily ran. She ran as fast as she could to get as far away from the Astronomy Tower as possible. She wasn't going to face some maniac! That was for sure. She skipped every other stair on the staircase. She just wanted to get away. It was when she got off the stairway and turned right that she collided with another person.

"Umph!" a male voice made that sound as Lily landed on top of him.

"Sorry!" Lily breathed heavily. "So sorry!"

She touched the boy's chest and hoisted herself up. Lily got a glimpse at the boy she fell on. No, it couldn't be. The prefect nearly fell down on him again, but luckily, she kept herself up. Brent Paddock. Her crush. She had fallen on the boy she liked - so much for falling head over heels.

"I'm so sorry, Brent," Lily gasped as she scrambled up.

"S'okay," Brent propped himself up on his elbows, "Lily, isn't it? Lily Evans?"

He knew her name. Oh joys!

"Yes, that's me." Lily smiled. "The clumsy redhead Lily Evans!"

"Also known as Gryffindor prefect Lily Evans." Brent smiled - oh, he had gorgeous teeth.

"You're Brent Paddock, the prefect. The Ravenclaw prefect."

"That I am, but unfortunately I paid my way into the prefect position," the boy joked.

Oh, the boy was funny. He could crack a joke and mock himself. That was wonderful. Lily liked him even more already. He was absolutely scrumptious (in Rhia's words).

"I'll be seeing you, Lily Evans." Brent picked himself up from the stone floor.

"Yes, at the next prefect meeting," Lily said as she was now longing for the next prefect meeting.

"Next Monday then or maybe before," Brent smiled as he walked away.

Lily sighed as all of her troubles seemed to slip away. Oh, the joys of boys. Yes, most of the time Lily thought all boys were immature pricks, but Brent wasn't like that. He was different. He was the ideal boy. Lily thought that she might just be falling in love with him.

It wouldn't be until months later that Lily saw the true side of Brent Paddock. He would be the first boy she thought she loved. It wouldn't be until much later that she realized that Professor Dumbledore and the Divination professor were keeping a much closer eye on the students than she thought. It wouldn't be until months later that Lily realized the extent of evil one person could hold. Lily wouldn't think too much about the rising Dark Lord until she came face to face with him. It would be years later that Lily would understand that she was just as powerful as Professors Flitwick and Dumbledore made her out to be that first day of classes. She didn't know it at the time, but there would be a time when she would stop doubting herself all the time and become confident at everything she did. She didn't know it yet, but she would be forgotten when she died just like she thought. She didn't, however, know that she would be a war hero at her death.