As the sun sets over Hogwarts castle, two figures, a tall strapping young man with light brown hair, and a shorter boy with a pointed nose and pasty skin, stroll along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The shorter boy seems to be on edge, constantly looking around as if expecting something to jump out at them from within the shadows. The taller young man, however, seems less concerned with his surroundings than his squat companion.



The two boys meander past a thicket when a pair of grey eyes peer out at them from the shadows. A low growl emanates from behind a bush, which causes the short pointed nose boy to frantically look around. “What was that?�



“What was what?� inquires the taller boy without breaking his lazy stride.



“I-It was a-a growl!�



“You’re being paranoid,� muses the brown-haired boy, who still continues forward.



“I’m telling you, something is following us!� pleads the shorter boy.



This leaves the taller boy unfazed, and he continues forward until he is stopped in his tracks by a stag standing in his path. There is another low growl, which causes the stocky young man to spin around before being pounced upon by a large black dog.



As the stout lad struggles under the weight of the huge animal, the stag makes an audible snort. The trapped teen looks up to see the stag kneel down and magically transform into thin young-man with glasses. He is doubled over, clutching his stomach as he howls with laughter.



The short young-man looks back at the dog to instead find a tall boy with long, black hair.



“Get off!� demands Peter as he pushes the taller boy off of him.



“Come now Peter, don’t be a killjoy,� chuckles the black-haired boy as he helps up his friend.



“Why do you keep doing that, Sirius?�



“Because you keep falling for it!�



“So, James… Sirius… why are we out here?� asks Lupin. “I hope that you didn’t drag us out here just for game of hide and seek?�



“No, no, no!� declares James between gasps, his laughter subsiding. “We are going to plan the biggest stunt of our Hogwarts’ careers. We will become legends for this one!�



“Okay…� muses Lupin, whom appears to be unimpressed by the proposition. “Who is the target?�



“Professor Dumbledore!� chirps Sirius, which now garners Lupin’s undivided attention.



“The Headmaster?!� squeaks Peter.



“I don’t know about this one, James,� says Lupin hesitantly. “This is a lot bigger than filling the Slytherin common room with dungbombs.�



“Oh trust me, it will be worth it,� smirks James. “We found out something about Dumbledore that will make this stunt extra special.�



“The old fool actually thinks that he can keep something this big a secret from the students… least of all us.� Sirius scowls at the thought.



The other three boys look at Lupin, awaiting his approval. Lupin gives it a long thought. “Was immortality worth the risk?� he ponders.



He gives each of his three compatriots a passing glance before realizing that he is better off helping them (if anything, so that they won’t get caught) than letting them try and pull it off themselves.



“Alright,� says Lupin with an exasperated huff. “But if we are going to pull off something this big, and not get caught by Filch, then we are definitely going to be needing this.� Lupin reaches into his coat pocket, and pulls out a folded piece of parchment.



“You finished it!� James and Sirius say in unison.



“I don’t understand,� says a confused Peter. “There is nothing on it.�



“Watch,� instructs Lupin as he pulls out his wand. He gives the parchment a tap and says, “I solemnly swear that I am up to do good.�



To the delight of the three other boys, the Map springs into action. A complete layout of the school appears on the Map with tiny moving dots.



“What are the little moving dots?� asks Peter, who has to stand on his tippy toes to see the Map among his taller friends.



“They represent everyone in the castle, so now we will know where everyone is anytime of the day.�



“Including Filch!� Sirius says whimsically as he realizes the potential of their new mischief-maker.



“There is only one thing left to do on this map to complete it,� says Lupin.



“What is that?� asks James.



“We have to sign it.�



Lupin holds his wand like a pencil, and magically signs the name “Moony� on the front of the map. He then hands the Map to Peter who proceeds to sign the name “Wormtail,� followed by Sirius (Padfoot) and finally the leader of their merry band, James (Prongs). Once James finishes signing his name, the four names fade into the parchment and are replaced with the message:



Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present The Marauder’s Map.



The four boys look down at their creation, which makes their minds boggle with thoughts of the mischief they would to be able to cause with it.



*



A week later, James is making his way to the Great Hall for lunch. Most of the older students have taken the trip to Hogsmeade, but after a particularly grueling Quiddich match the previous day, James had decided that he would have preferred to sleep in that morning. James descends the final flight of stairs before the Great Hall when he hears an angry voice yell, “POTTER!�



James immediately recognizes the voice, and does a poor job of pretending not to hear it. He turns on his heel and disappears around a corner.



“Don’t you walk away from me, Potter. I know you heard me!� calls Lily Evans, Gryffindor prefect, and bane of James’s existence.



“What is it now, Evans?� chirps James as he turns around and walks down the stairs.



James descends the final stairs to meet a stern-looking Lily at the bottom. Once within her grasp, Lily grabs James by the arm, and pulls him into a secluded corner away from prying eyes. “I know that you and your cronies are planning something.�



“What are you talking about, Evans?� asks James defensively. “Every time something happens around here, you come chasing after me with all these accusations, but you have yet to pin anything on me. I hear that it’s going to rain tonight. Is that going to be my fault as well?�



“Don’t get smart with me Potter, I KNOW that you have something in the works. I saw Sirius Black in Hogsmeade this morning talking with Zonko in his joke shop.�



“Is that all you do these days? Follow us around trying to catch us in the act of something? Get a life Evans, or better yet, get a boyfriend, and torture him so that I can have a moments peace.�



“You think that you are so smart, don’t you? You may have everyone else at this school convinced of how wonderful you are, but I’m not fooled. I’m not one of those empty-headed gits that you and Sirius Black sneak off with to the Room of Requirement for your snogging parties.�



“HA! You’re just jealous because I’ve never invited you to come with us. Tell me something Evans… Been snogging anyone lately? Snivellus, perhaps?�



Lily is taken aback by what James has said. Before James has a chance to make another sly retort, Lily slaps James across the face, then turns and walks away.



“Always had a way with the women, eh Potter?� Sirius teases as he, Lupin and Pettigrew approach.



“Can’t you do something about her?� James asks his lanky friend Remus. “What’s the use of having a prefect as a friend if he can’t keep the other prefects off of his back?�



“You know as well as I do that there is nothing that I can do once she gets her mind set on something. She seems to have bit of a vendetta against you. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that she has a crush on ya mate,� utters Remus, drawing chuckles from Sirius and Peter.



“What!� James bellows in annoyance. “I could never go out with that-that-that PRUDE!� James says as he mimes strangling her - a reaction that draws sly grins from the other boys.



Sensing James aggravation mixed with an odd touch of embarrassment, Sirius comes to the aid of his friend and breaks the silence. “I talked to Zonko.�



“Yeah, I heard!� James snaps. “Evans saw you. You have to be more careful!�



“Careful about what? Everybody goes to Zonko’s�



“Yeah, but now Evans is onto us…� James whispers as a group of first years walk by on their way to lunch.



“He’s right,� adds Lupin. “Lily won’t let us out of her sight now that she suspects that we are up to something.�



“Has anyone ever considered maybe telling her?� Peter suggests garnering shocked expressions.



“Are you mad!� says James. “She’d never agree to help us.�



“As I was saying,� continues Sirius, “I talked to Zonko, and he said that he can get what we need, but it is going to cost us… a lot!�



“Don’t worry about it,� James reassures them. “I’ll take care of it. It will be worth it to see the expression on Ole Dumbledore’s face when we pull it off.�



“Yes, well, getting the things we need here is one thing, but how are we supposed to get them into the castle with Filch and now Lily watching our every move?� inquires Remus.



“That reminds me, I found something that needs to be added to the Map,� smirks Sirius, while his friends look at him quizzically over the sudden change of subject. “I found another secret passage out of the castle.�



“Where is it?� asks James, who has started to understand what Sirius was hinting at.



“Behind the statue of the One-Eyed Witch on the third floor,� Sirius answers.



“And where prey tell does it lead?� asks Remus with a growing smile on his face.



“The Honeydukes’s cellar.�



“S-So that’s why you weren’t with us when we left this morning,� squeaks Peter.



“Yes, I was wondering how you beat us down to Hogsmeade when we left the common room before you did,� adds Remus.



“My-My Sirius. You’ve been a busy boy this morning,� grins James.



“Well someone had to pick up the slack, seeing as someone in this group… I won’t say who… decided to sleep in today.�



“I didn’t mean too. I was only five minutes late,� Peter says sheepishly, which draws haughty laughter from the three taller boys.



Sirius throws his arm around his pudgy friend, and the four compatriots head into the Great Hall for a spot of lunch.

Four days later, Sirius receives word from Zonko that their order has arrived. The four friends plan to meet in the classroom next to the statue of the One-Eyed Witch at eight o’clock. With Lily Evans on constant watch, they have to make it a point to remain apart the entire day – interacting only during classes and meals.




This exasperates Lily, who is determined to catch them in the act of whatever it is they are up to. Since they share many classes, keeping track of them during the day is fairly simple, but as soon as class ends, they quickly depart the classroom, making sure that they all take a different route to their next class. This forces Lily to pick and choose which of the mischief-makers she will follow. Her only hope is that her due diligence will eventually convince them to not go through with whatever they have planned.




She still has no idea what they are up to, but based on recent behavior, she is certain that whatever it is, it’s going to happen soon. Lily follows each of the four boys in turn that day and it doesn’t seem that they are up to any sort of tomfoolery, but that itself makes her even more suspicious.




After dinner, the four assailants split up again. Convinced that whatever they are going to do will happen at night (although she wouldn’t put it past them to try something in broad daylight), Lily decides to tail Peter. She has found that he is the easiest to trail, but not because he is dimwitted. She had learned a long time ago never to underestimate any of them. In fact, in her opinion, Peter was every bit as sneaky as James or Sirius. She often thought that even James, Sirius and Remus underestimated their friend Peter.




Still, when she tried following him earlier in the day, she was literally able to walk right next to him without him noticing her. The one time that he did notice her was only because another student had said hello to her while passing in the corridor.




James, Sirius and Remus have already left the Great Hall without showing any sign of expediency. Lily catches sight of Peter, and follows him towards the marble staircase. She trails behind him a bit as he scurries up the stairs on his squat legs. He turns the corner into the second floor corridor. Lily bounds up the stairs to see where he is going, but when arriving, finds nothing.




“Where did he go?� she ponders.




Lily slowly walks down the darkened corridor. “Could he have gone into one of the classrooms?� she wonders. Lily moves towards the nearest classroom, and reaches for the handle. Just as she is about to grasp the handle, Lily feels something brush the back of her leg. She jumps and presses her back to the wall, her heart pounding in her chest.




“I-Is anyone there?� she forces out while trying to catch her breath. “Peeves if that it you, I’m going to hex you into next week!�




Lily looks around to find that the corridor is as empty as when she first found it. She has finally suppressed the lump in her throat when she feels something crawl up her leg. She lets out a scream, and hops about on her left leg while trying to kick off the large rat that has a hold of her foot.




The scruffy looking rat finally lets go, and Lily runs down the stairs screaming. The rat stands triumphantly on the banister at the top of the stairs, squeaking a cheerful laugh before scuttling up to the third floor.




James, Sirius and Remus are waiting anxiously in a third floor classroom.




“Where the bloody hell is he?� James asks curtly.




“According to the Map, he’s making his way up the stairs now,� replies Remus. “He should be at the door any second.�




James turns towards the door, expecting it to open. Instead, the three boys see a ruddy-looking rat squeeze through the gap beneath the door, before watching it transfigure into their friend Peter Pettigrew.




“It’s about bloody time,� scowls James. “What kept you?�




“I had to ditch your girlfriend on the second floor… She was following me,� squeaks Peter, which draws giggles from Sirius and Remus.




“Well, that explains the yell we heard,� barks Sirius from beneath his chuckle.




“I was watching you two on the Map. I was wondering what you two were up to,� adds Remus. “For a moment, I thought that you were getting fresh with James’s doe.�




The three friends chuckle at James’s expense as his face grows a bright shade of red. “Will you three gits get off it?� James sneers. “Evans hates my guts. I would never let her get close enough to even give me a hug because I would be afraid she were looking for a good place to stick a knife.�




The three friends shoot knowing glances between each other before breaking into another fit of giggles.




“Alright-Alright, you three have had your laugh, now let’s get going!� orders James.




“Wormtail,� whispers Sirius. “The entrance to the passage is pretty tight. You’ll probably have to transfigure into a rat to get in. It would probably be a good idea if you scout out the cellar when we get there to make sure that no one is there.�




Nodding his head, Peter changes into a rat, scurrying up Sirius’s leg and into his coat pocket.




Remus checks the Map to make sure that no one is nearby before they exit the classroom. They shuffle their way behind the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. Sirius pulls out his wand, taps the statue and says, “Dissendium!�




The back of the statue opens up, and the three boys climb in and slide down the shoot leading to the secret tunnel to Honeydukes. After Remus disappears down the shoot, the entrance to the passage closes, remaining hidden from any unsuspecting passer by.




Several hours later, the door to the Room of Requirement creaks open. James slowly pops his head out to see if there is anyone in the corridor. The coast looks clear, so James hesitantly steps out into the hallway.




So far, everything is going according to plan. They were able to pick up their order from Zonko’s, and smuggle it into the castle without incident. Just as Sirius had warned, their contraband had cost considerably more than James had expected, but he still felt that it was worth every bronze knut.




James creeps down the corridor, peaking around every corner. He is beginning to regret sending Sirius and Remus back to the dormitories with the Map. James makes it to the stairs leading to the portrait of the Fat Lady. He is only a few steps away from the portrait hole when he sees a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly he finds himself pinned against the wall.




“Gotcha!� squeals a familiar voice.




“What is your problem, Evans?� quips James, as he peals himself from the wall.




“You can’t talk your way out of this one, Potter!� smirks Lily. “I caught you red-handed. You’re going down for this!�




“Going down for what?� James snarls. “Breaking curfew?�




“Just come clean, Potter. I KNOW that you are planning something!�




“Come off it, will you? I’m going mental with you trying to pin everything that happens around here on me.�




“That’s because you are responsible for everything that happens around here!�




James can’t help but pause because he knows that she is right. “You know what?� James quickly changes the subject. “I think that Sirius is right… You do have a crush on me. Why else would you be waiting out here in the dark for me?�




Lily’s face flushes bright pink. “I-I… do not… You are the most arrogant, revolting, pig-headed…�




James takes a hold of Lily and pulls her into a kiss that interrupts her tirade. She struggles at first, but soon closes her eyes and her flailing arms fall to her side. Lily begins to lose herself in James’s lips, but is soon brought back to reality when she hears a soft squeak. Her eyes dart open, and she pushes James away from her. Angry and confused, Lily slaps James across the face before turning on her heel, and disappearing into the hole behind the portrait of the Fat Lady.




James looks down to see a scruffy rat at the foot of the stair. “Thanks a lot, Wormtail,� quips James while rubbing the red handprint on his cheek, as Peter transfigures back into his human form, sporting a silly grin on his face.




“And by the way, where the bloody hell were you? You were supposed to be standing watch outside the Room of Requirement,� mumbles James.




“Mrs. Norris came by… I think she thought that I was her dinner.� Peter shutters, garnering quiet laughter from James.




“Come on Peter,� says James as he puts his arm around his friend. “Lets get some sleep. We have a big-big day tomorrow!� James says with a wry grin as the two friends slip into the portrait hole leading into the Gryffindor tower.

The next day, unlike his compatriots, James is feeling rather melancholy. Looking at him, one would hardly think that he and his friends are teetering on the edge of greatness.



“Dumbledore won’t know what hit him,� boasts Sirius as they leave the common room that morning.



They have again decided to not leave anything to chance, and resume their split-up strategy to keep Filch and the prefects off of their trail. However, this act only fuel Lily Evans’s determination to catch them in whatever mischief it is they are in the process of committing.



It is the last period of the day, and James is in Potions class with Professor Slughorn. James, who is normally very adept in potions, has trouble concentrating on what he is doing. His mind is wondering when he is jarred from his thoughts by Professor Slughorn’s request for the students to turn in their assignments. James is not paying attention to his cauldron, so his potion has coagulated into some sort of concoction resembling green porridge.



James gives an exasperated sigh and bottles his failed potion. At least a failure is better then an incomplete, James thinks to himself.



When James turns in his potion, Professor Slughorn is almost at a loss for words. “W-What’s this m-boy? This potion give you a spot of trouble?�



“Yes, Professor.� James shrugs. “I’d like to take another shot at it if you don’t mind. Maybe if I got a little help from a study partner, I could figure out what I did wrong.�



“Yes-Yes. Of Course! I should have known that a perfectionist like you would not give up until you conquered this potion!� beams Professor Slughorn. “Perhaps Serverus Snape will be of some help to you?�



“I-If it’s all the same to you professor…� says James as he ruffles his already-disheveled hair. “I’d prefer Lily Evans Sir,� James says meekly, earning him a sly grin from Slughorn.



“Oh I see Potter,� says Professor Slughorn while giving James a knowing expression. “Miss Evans…�



“Yes, Professor?� says Lily from across the room, next to the dungeon door.



“Potter here is having some trouble with this latest potion. Could you help him figure out what he did wrong please?� asks Professor Slughorn.



Lily shoots James a deadly sneer before answering through gritted teeth. “Certainly, Professor.�



James gathers his things and hurries after Lily.



“Potter…� calls Slughorn.



Yes, Professor?� James looks back.



“Good Luck,� says Slughorn, followed with a coy wink, which causes James to blush slightly.



James runs down the crowded corridor after Lily. “Hey, Evans, wait up!� shouts James.



“What do you want?� quips Lily.



“What do you mean?� James asks with mock innocence. “Professor Slughorn asked you to help me figure out what went wrong with my potion.�



“You and I both know that you don’t need any help with your potion,� hisses Lily while quickening her pace.



“Yeah but… A-hey will you slow down a bit?� James says before grabbing Lily by the arm.



“Don’t touch me!� Lily raises her fist as if to hit him.



“Hey-hey, take it easy,� says James with his arms up in a defensive posture. “Look, I just wanted to say sorry about last night.�



“Sorry?� Lily leans in and whispers. “What is your game here, Potter?�



“I don’t know,� James quips blankly. “I know that you probably hate my very existence.�



“Hate? I think that you are a foul, conceited, smarmy prat!�



“O-kay, I probably deserve that, but anyway, somewhere along the line, I fell for ya. Don’t ask me how or why. I have no idea,� James leans in to be closer to Lily as numerous students traverse the hall. “And I think that you like me too.�



Lily blushes slightly before regaining her stern expression. “I don’t have time for your games, Potter!� chirps Lily as she pushes by James.



“This isn’t a game Lily… Oi Everyone!� James shouts, causing everyone in the hall to pause. “I want everyone here to know that I’M BARMY FOR LILY EVANS!�



Lily stops dead in her tracks and glares at James. James looks back at her, not entirely sure what to do next. Lily hears a few on-lookers snicker, which causes her to turn and run down the corridor. James sees her, and quickly gives chase.



“Lily… Lily… Wait up!�



James finally catches up to Lily in the library. He takes hold of her arm, and spins her around. “Evans, what’s wrong?�



“What’s wrong?� Lily whispers as Madam Pince scowls at them for having the audacity to speak, no matter how softly, in her library. “You just humiliated me in front of half the school, and the other half will no doubt know about it by the time dinner is over tonight!�



“What, I thought girls liked that sort of thing?�



“In ruddy romance novels, not when it’s happening to them!�



“Oh uh… Sorry about that,� stammers James “But admit it, last night when we kissed, you liked it.� James smirks.



Lily’s face flushes bright red. “I-I have studying to do,� says Lily as she takes a seat at a nearby table. James stands and watches her for a moment as she pulls out her books and begins reading.



“Mind if I share this table?� asks James, taking a seat across from her before she even has a chance to answer.



“It’s a free library,� snaps Lily without looking up from her book.



Several hours later, Lily has moved onto her third book while James sits, watching her contently with his book turned to the same page it was on when he first opened it.



“Quit it!� quips Lily from behind her book.



“Quit what?�



“That- That! You’ve been staring at me for hours now. Quit it!�



“Go out with me on the next Hogsmeade trip.�



“What?� Lily sputters before pausing for a second as she actually gives his proposition some thought. “No! You can have you pick of any twit in this school, why are you all of a sudden so interested in me?�



“I’ve actually given it some thought.�



“Oh really?� says Lily, who adjusts herself in her seat. “And what have you come up with?�



“We’re forbidden fruit.�



“What?�



“You know from the story about Adam and Eve…�



“I know what forbidden fruit means, but what does it have to do with us?�



“You see, we like each other because we are each other’s forbidden fruit. You always want what you can’t have. Because we hate each other so much, we can never have each other. So, we desire what we can’t have… each other.�



“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard,� blurts Lily, trying to hide the fact that she actually thinks it makes sense, in a warped sort of way.



James reaches across the table and takes Lily’s hands within his, causing her to blush. “Come on, Evans. Take a risk for once in your life. You might find that you’ll like it.�



Lily feels a shiver run down her spine. Her knees suddenly feel weak and she knows that they would have given out if she were standing. �Is this what it’s was like to be smitten?� she wonders. Lily looks out a nearby window. The sun has set. She has no idea that they were in the library for so long.



Lily glances back at James, who was, again, watching her contently. His hands still entwined with hers. She looks down at them, and can’t tell which hand belonged to whom. They seem perfectly suited to fit together.



“Lily…� says James, jarring her from her musings. “Will you go out with me?�



Lily thinks about it for a moment. For the first time since the odd interaction started, she actually gives it real consideration. Having decided, she looks into James’s eyes. “Ye…�



Lily hears a loud pop followed by a flash of red light from outside the library window. She turns her attention back to James. Their eyes meet, but the glint in James’s eyes quickly fades, and he shamefully looks away. Then Lily understands. She comes to a sobering realisation.



“You were a decoy…� Lily whispers to herself. She pulls her hands away from James’s grasp, and repeats herself with increased fervor. “YOU WERE A DECOY!� Lily yells, while shooting James a death stare. He suddenly finds it very difficult to look at her.



“LOOK AT ME YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!� Lily commands to which James cannot oblige.



James dares to steal a glance at her; only to find that she is now towering over him and the hatred in her eyes is burning as bright as her scarlet hair.



“Oh I have to admit it, you out did yourself this time, Potter,� Lily hisses. “Intentionally failing your Potions assignment so that you could get Slughorn to pair us up. The scene in the corridor. The speech about forbidden fruit… All of it just to keep me occupied so that your three cronies could pull off this stunt without having to worry about me raining on their parade.�



James just sits hunched over in his seat. He can’t say anything. He can only muster a disgraceful nod.



“Well congratulations, Potter. You did it.� Lily continues her tirade. “You thought of everything… BRAVO!� Lily claps, but her eyes are welling up with tears. “I b-bet t-that you and your f-friends are going to have a right old laugh at m-my expense,� Lily chokes as she bursts into tears. She hastily gathers her things and runs out of the library.



“L-Lily!� James calls out to her. He quickly gathers his things and chases after her for the second time that day.



James finds Lily hiding behind one of the tapestries in the corridor outside of the library. He pulls it back to reveal the sobbing girl who quickly starts to lash out at him. Her hands furiously fly at James, hitting him in the face and chest.



“Let me go, Potter!� Lily screams. The hallway is full of students, but James and Lily are oblivious to them as they rush to see what the commotion is outside.



“L-Lil… I’m.� James tries to restrain the hysterical girl. He is finally able to grab a hold of her wrists, and pin her against the wall. “LILY, I’M SORRY!�



A lump forms in James’s throat as he sees the hatred burning in her eyes. James has no qualms bending the rules, or even outright breaking them when the mood strikes him, but when he started toying with the rules of the heart, James realizes that he has crossed the line. For the first time in his life, he feels ashamed for something that he has done.



“Lily, You have no idea how sorry I am,� James pleads, only to get a punch in the eye before restraining her again. “Alright, will you please calm down and let me explain myself?�



Lily has no interest in hearing what James has to say. She continues to struggle in James’s grip.



“L-Lily Please!� James presses himself against her body, making it impossible for the smaller girl to struggle any more. “Look, yes I admit that it was my job to keep you distracted. You were getting too close, and we couldn’t take the risk of you catching us. We all agreed that we had to do something to keep you distracted, but I didn’t want to do it,� says James apologetically. “Whether you believe me or not, everything that I said in the library was the truth. I’m really sorry that I hurt you, and if I had the chance to do over this entire day and fix it, I would.�



“Stop it, James – just stop it!� Lily shouts through tear-soaked eyes. “You can’t treat people this way. You can’t play with people’s emotions like a cat with a ball of yarn. How do I know that this isn’t another one of your games?�



The corridor is now empty. Everyone is outside the castle. James hears the popping noises from outside increase in intensity. James looks down at the sobbing girl, her vibrant red hair covering her face. “Come with me outside,� James says soothingly. “Come with me outside, and let me prove you that I’m not the smarmy prat you think I am.�



Lily looks up into his eyes and sees that he is sincere – probably for the first time since they had met. She obliges him with a nod, and he lets her out from her spot against the wall. The two teens walk in silence. Lily holds herself trying to suppress the shiver that her nerves are sending her body. When they finally reach the courtyard of the castle, Lily looks up in amazement at the elaborate fireworks display in the skies above Hogwarts.



James reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small mirror. He looks into the mirror and after a few moments, his reflection turns into an image of Sirius.



“Whoa! Who decked ya mate?�



“Long story,� says James before taking a quick glance at Lily. “Everyone is here. Set it off!�



“It’s about bloody time,� barks Sirius before disappearing from the mirror.



Lily looks at James quizzically before being startled by a shriek that echoes throughout the castle. She, as well as the other spectators, turn their attention towards the source of the sound at the top of the Astronomy Tower.



That same sound echoes again as a series of firework explosions forms the shape of a giant phoenix. The fiery bird flaps its wings, and begins flying through the skies above the school. The phoenix streaks across the darkened sky leaving a fiery trail in its wake. Lily watches, with a growing smile on her face, as the phoenix blazes a message across the sky. Students and faculty alike start to cheer, realizing what the message is before the phoenix is finished writing the last word.



Lily looks at James and gives his hand a squeeze. She isn’t ready to forgive him for what he did that day, no matter how well intentioned, but she at least understands the reason behind the sneaking around he and his friends were doing over the past few days. Lily turns to look back at the emblazoned message in the sky.



Happy Birthday Professor Dumbledore!



James searches the crowd and eventually finds Professor Dumbledore surrounded by a crowd of students wishing him a Happy Birthday. James and Dumbledore’s eyes meet. Dumbledore gives James a pleasant and knowing smile, while lightly clapping his hands in James’s direction.



His triumphant comrades – Sirius, Remus, and Peter, who were basking in the glory of their achievement, soon join James. However, the moment is bittersweet for James, who has paid a great price for it. Perhaps a greater price than he was expecting.



James looks longingly at Lily whose tear-wracked face is now replaced with that of wonderment as she watches the fireworks exploding overhead. Flashes of blue, green, yellow, and red lights from the fireworks periodically illuminate her face, silhouetted in the darkness. She glances over at James, and their eyes meet. James can still see the hurt in her eyes, but she acquits him with half a smile. They were not on very good terms to begin with, but James is now determined to win over her trust. James knows that he has a difficult task ahead of him, but he resolves that this girl is worth all of the effort and more.