I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm getting older, ya'll people gets colder
Most of us only care about money making
Selfishness got us following our own direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Whatever happened to the values of humanity?
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality?
Instead of spreading love, we're spreading animosity
A lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
-Black Eyed Peas feat. Justin Timberlake, Where is the Love?
Chapter Three: Wormtail is a Rat
Day 2-
Peter Pettigrew was laying on his bed, lonely as usual. James was too busy trying to catch up with Lily's classes, Sirius had been either spending time with Hazel or out on the Quiddich field, and Remus was caught up in the N.E.W.T.'s craze, studying like mad.
He decided he wouln't just sit here and slowly get fat from not moving. He walked briskly down to the Quiddich field to watch the Gryffindors practice. James, of course, was seeker, but since everyone thought he was Lily, Lily was going to have to do practices. Sirius was the school's best beater. When asked how he mustered tthe strengh to hit the bludger so hard, he simply answered, "I just pretend it's Snivellus's face."
When he arrived, James was watching from the stand anxiously, watching Lily like a hawk. Peter didn't feel very much like sitting next to him. He knew James would just babble on about "Lily this" or "Lily that". So, Peter sat on the other side of the stands, where the Ravenclaws usually sat. He watched without interest as Lily tried time after time to catch the snitch, coming close, but not getting it. She looked mighty frustrated out there.
"C'mon, James! What's with you today?" shouted Frank Longbottom, the keeper. Lily sighed and James frowned.
Peter sat up in the cold, metal stands and started to quiz himself on transfiguration, which was not his best subject.
"Pettigrew." came a icy voice. Peter spun around to see Severus Snape standing there, hair as greasy as ever.
"Snape? What do you want?" Peter said slowly. Snape smirked and looked out onto the field as Lily, once again, failed to catch the snitch.
"Pretty horrible practice, hmm?" Snape said slyly. Peter had to admit: the team was not at it's best without the real James there. He nodded.
"Quiddich has always seemed to be such a silly sport, do you agree?" Snape asked casually. Peter nodded vigorously. He always felt so left out when Sirius and James would get into discussions about Quiddich, for he felt Quiddich was pointless. He, of course, never told his friends this. They'd never forgive him for turning on Quiddich!
"Us Slytherins have our own kind of sport. We call it M.J." Snape said, still gazing at the players on the field. "It stands for Muggle Jinxing. You could join if you'd like."
Peter didn't even think about it before agreeing. Something to do sounded wonderful to him at the moment.
"We have an initiation. Usually, you have to jinx a muggle, but since we are living in a magical castle with no muggles, you must jinx a mudblood. There is a certain jinx you are required to perform. You have a week to do it." Snape explained. Peter nodded, his head flapping back and forth.
"Who do I have to jinx?" he asked excitedly.
"Lily Evans." Snape said simply.
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Lily was trying her best out on the field to look and act like James. She smirked inside as she ruffled the jet black hair that grew from her head as James always did and mounted her broom again. She glanced around for the snitch. It was floating around one of the beaters, Salvator Newra. "I can do this." she thought to herself. She raced over to the snitch, her eyes not noticing anything else.
It happened in an instant. A nearby bludger the beaters had been practicing with had escaped and hit Lily square in the back and she plummeted to the ground. James watched in slow motion as Lily fell off the broomstick and into the mud below. He was very close to yelling out "Lily!" but didn't want to make an idiot of himself, seeing as everyone thought he WAS Lily. But nonetheless, he raced out of the stands and over to Lily's limp body. The rest of the team gathered around her. Sirius had gone pale white.
"Well don't just sit around and gawk at him! Get him to the hospital wing!" James said anxiously. Sirius and Frank lifted Lily off the ground and followed closely by James, they brought her to Madame Pomfrey.
"Broken backbone." she said, studying Lily's oddly bent back. She was not moving. She had passed out, but James was worried it was something worse.
Frank soon left to finish running the team's practice and James and Sirius were left with Lily. James grasped her hand tightly, just as she had done to restrain him from Snape the day before.
"James, I am so sorry. If I had been watching that bludger more closely.." Sirius said sincerely. James shook his head.
"No, Sirius. I shouldn't of made her go through with it. She didn't want to, but I couldn't do that to the team..." James said sadly. "It's all my fault."
"Don't go too hard on yourself, Prongs. Madame Pomfrey will be able to fix her as soon as she wakes up." Sirius pointed out. James grasped Lily's hand even tighter still and said,
"What if she doesn't wake up?"
"You've got to be kidding! She just got hit by a bludger! We've both been hit by a bludger about six times each and we're fine!" Sirius said exasperately. James couldn't help but agree.
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It was horribly lonely in the Head's Room that night for James. He sat on the couch, flipping through Lily's Ancient Runes book, ruffling his --or Lily's rather-- auburn hair every once in a while. Suddenly, the potrait hole swung open and James was sure he would see his own body walk in, with Lily inside, but it was just Sirius. He smiled weakly at his best friend as Sirius sat down.
"How're you feeling?" Sirius asked, looking bemused at all the books James was flipping through.
"Lousy." James said moodily. Sirius put a hand on his shoulder and said,
"Snivellus is just downstairs. You wanna go make bubbles come out of his ears?"
James was about to jump up and tell Sirius he'd love to, but he remembered what Lily said to him the other night: "Number one, it'll look like it's ME getting into a fight and number two, Snape isn't worth it!" and "I appreciate you wanting to stick up for me, but next time try using words, not wands or fists." James shook his head pathetically. Sirius frowned.
"Lily told me not to pick on Snape in her body and that he isn't worth it. And she said to next time use words, not wands or fists." James said tonelessly.
Sirius shook his head sympathetically.
"I guess I'll see you around?" he said slowly. James nodded and Sirius walked out of the Heads Room, a bit annoyed.
Day Three-
James walked into Ancient Runes and was determined to make Lily proud. He had studied for four full hours the night before, trying to memorize all of the, ahem, "symbol things". Professor Vector gave them a test he claimed that would prepare them for N.E.W.T's. James found the first couple of questions very easy, but they got harder as it went on. Some of the stuff they asked for wasn't in the books Lily left them. He was sure he got the last seven wrong and bit his lip when Professor Vector passed them back ten minutes later. A big 'A' for Acceptable was printed on the top and James felt he had done pretty well.
James, Hazel, and Molly walked out onto the grounds for Care of Magical Creatures, Molly and Hazel chatting all the way. James wasn't very much listening. Sometimes, he would hear snippets of their conversation, such as "--and he said 'no way'!--" or "--the Sirius said that I could do the jealousy spell on him--". He was relieved when they got to Care of Magical Creatures. His friends would be sitting behind him. Sirius poked him in the back as Professor Kettleburn started talking and whispered,
"Full moon is coming up!"
James grinned, turning around at Sirius, when he remembered what Dumbledore told them.
"Padfoot, I'm going to be a bit late. At midnight, Lily and I will be able to switch back." he said quickly. Sirius looked a bit perplexed for a moment, but then nodded.
"Ms. Evans, turn around. We all know Mr. Black is good looking, but now is not the time to talk to boys!" Professor Kettleburn snapped. James turned red, Sirius pretended to look bored, and Remus was stiffling great puffs of laughter. James turned straight around in his chair and smiled and embarressed smile at the students that had turned to look at him.
"Nice job, Potter! You know what's going to happen now?" Hazel asked exasperately on their way to class. James shook his head.
"Well, now that old Professor Kettleburn said that crack about you flirting with Sirius, rumours are going to start about Lily going out with Sirius." Hazel said in a tone that said, "Isn't it obvious?"
James rolled his eyes and told Hazel and Molly that that would never happen. Hazel shook her head to herself and muttered,
"Just wait and see."
The rest of Day 3 was increasingly boring, that is until Potions class. Professor Salandar was pairing them up again, this time for a different potion.
"Longbottom and Weasly," Professor Salander said sternly, "Parsley and Jones," Hazel and Molly smiled at each other, "Evans and Black,"
The entire class chorused together, "Oooooooooh!" as James and Sirius moved next to each other. Hazel was right. Everyone thought the same thing: Sirius Black and Lily Evans were going out. James scowled and Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Quiet!" Professor Salandar said strictly and he continued to read off names.
"Lily is going to kill you, Prongs." Sirius said, shaking his head. He dropped some finely cut locusts into their potion. James raised his eyebrows.
"What did I do now?" he asked cluelessly.
"Are you that thick? Everyone thinks I'm going out with her." Sirius pointed out. James rolled his eyes.
"She'll get over it."
Day 4-
Lily woke up that day. James was extatic when she walked in the Head's Room on the fourth morning. He explained what she had missed: how he had gotten an acceptable on her Ancient Runes test and how he had studied for four full hours.
"Oh, yeah, and everyone thinks you and Sirius are going out." he added hastily. Before she could reply, he zoomed out the door and down to breakfast. But she caught up to him before he could get to the Great Hall. She grabbed his arm and exclaimed,
"They think WHAT?!"
"OK, let me explain, Lily," James started, his stomach flip-flopping again, "I was talking to Sirius and Professor Kettleburn--"
"I don't care! I'm unconcsious for one day and you have to go and get some dumb rumour started? I can't believe you!" Lily cried.
"No, but, it wasn't my fault, Professor Kettleburn had--"
"I don't want to hear it! Go away!" Lily said in a snobbish tone. She let go of James's arm and rushed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
"You don't look happy." Molly said, glancing up at Lily's distraught face. Lily looked down at James's watch.
"And the reason why should arrive in 3..2..1." as she said this, James came running into the Great Hall, panting slightly and sat next to Lily.
"OK, now let me explain." he said, turning to a fuming Lily. She bit into her bagel and said grudgingly,
"I'm listening."
"Well, I was talking to Sirius in Care of Magical Creatures class and Kettleburn goes, 'I know Mr. Black is good looking but now is not the time to talk to boys!' Then at Salandar's class, he paired Sirius and I up and everyone went 'oooooooooh!' and well, that's how it happened." James said in a bit of a rush.
Lily's mouth twitched like she was going to smile, but seemed determined not to do so.
"Whatever." she said shortly.
"Am I forgiven?"
"Fine." Lily said, shrugging. James breathed out a sigh of relief.
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"Pettigrew, your time is running out." Snape hissed. They were in potions and Peter and Snape were partners.
"I know, I'm waiting until after the full moon." Peter said. Why was he waiting? If he jinxed Lily now, it would look like he had jinxed James.
"Well, hurry up! The rest of us are growing impatient!" Snape said angrily.
"No, you're not supposed to put that in!" Lily snapped. Her and James had been paired up, again, in potions and Lily was getting easily aggrivated by James.
"Yes, it says right here: four crushed cockroaches!" James said, pointing to a couple of words on the page.
"You moron, that's the wrong potion!" Lily said exasperately. James turned red.
"Oh." he muttered. Lily rolled her eyes.
"Hey, Evans, how come your not with your boyfriend?" A Slytherin girl, Sara Ablad, behind them asked sneakily. Lily fumed. James, on the other hand, stayed calm.
"I am." he said shortly. Sara raised her eyebrows and fluffed her blonde hair.
"That's not Sirius Black." she said, giving Lily a look of disgust.
"I know. James Potter is my boyfriend." James said slyly. Lily looked at him with wide, angry eyes.
"James Potter? So Sirius Black isn't taken?" Sara asked hopefully. James nodded. Sara turned around and grinned to herself.
Lily gave James a look that said, "You will die."
In the Head's Room....
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" Lily screamed. James didn't answer, he just sat there and smirked.
"Don't you smirk at me!" Lily snapped.
"Well, it seemed to be the only way to get everyone to believe you and Sirius weren't going out." James said, shrugging.
"Sara Ablad has the biggest mouth of all the Seventh Years!" Lily said angrily.
"It just kind of.. slipped." James said defensively. Lily looked at him with disgust.
"I can't believe you! I won't believe you! I--I--- GRrRrRr!" Lily said, losing her usual calm, soft voiced self and exploded at James.
"Listen, Evans, I just wanted to---"
"Wanted to what, Potter?! You wanted to make everyone think we're an item! That's what you've wanted, that's what you've always wanted and that's what you'll never get!" she screamed. She grabbed her books and stormed up to her room. James just leaned back in his seat and thought to himself,
"She's perfect for me."
Dinner was awkward for Lily. She was still mad at James when she got there, was still mad at him while she told Hazel and Molly why she was mad at him, and was mad at him when Sirius pulled her into the hallway.
"Listen, Lily--" Sirius was cut off.
"Sirius, if your here to try to get me to forgive James--" Lily was cut off this time,
"Yes, that is precisely why I'm here and I want you to consider it." Sirius started. Lily was about to open her mouth to say something, but Sirius continued, "Now, James has been trying to get you to like him ever since he laid eyes on you. Can't you tell how miserable he is when you blow up at him like that?"
"Guilt bomb.." Lily mumbled.
"You know, when you were hit by that bludger, James stayed in the Hospital Wing by your bed for two hours and held your hand. And then he stayed up for another four hours for that Ancient Runes test of yours. And then there are all of those uncountable times he stood up for you when Snape called you a, well, you know." Sirius went on.
"You sure know how to make someone feel bad.." Lily muttered.
"And there was that time James got you out of that trap in out fifth year where someone put a picture of Snivellus in your Charms book where he was wearing a tho--"
"ENOUGH SAID! I'll go talk to him." Lily said before Sirius could finish his sentence. "I knew that one would work!" he thought evilly to himself. He went in to the Great Hall and Lily followed. Walking down the Gryffindor house table, many girls burst into tears as she walked by them. "Potter's Fanclub" as she called them. They were all the girls hoping to be James's girlfriend.
"Get up, Potter, we need to talk." she said calmly.
James obediantly got up and the two of them walked in silence. Lily led him to the Room of Requirement. All that was there was two chairs next to each other and a fire crackling merrily.
"Yes, Evans?" James asked as they sat down. Lily frowned.
"First of all, don't call me Evans and I won't call you Potter." she said shortly. James sighed and nodded his head.
"Now, Sirius told me to talk to you because he said you were miserable." Lily said in a gentle tone.
"He said that? I'll murder him!" James said angrily. He was not one to let his feelings be known. Well, except his feeling of love towards Lily. But most definitely not his misery without Lily.
"Well, after thinking about the stuff he said, I decided by myself that we should talk after all." Lily continued.
"Ev--I mean, Lily, I have a question. Why do you hate me like this so much? Why do you put me down all the time?" James questioned seriously.
"I don't hate you, I just.. dislike you. It's just that sometimes you get a bit vain and you brag--"
"To impress you." James said suddenly. He bit his lip, wishing he hadn't said that. Lily turned a bit red. James cringed.
"What?" Lily said aprehensively.
"I hate seeing myself turn red." he said quickly. His eyes and her eyes met and they both laughed.
"So? Any other reasons you--uh-- dislike me?" James asked attentivelly.
"Well, you attack people every chance you get. Like when Snape calls me names you blast his head off." Lily pointed out.
"That's only to protect you." he said defensively.
"Yeah, but James, I can protect myself. Maybe I needed help when I was 11 or 12, but I'm older now. I'm 17." said Lily. James sighed.
"It's just that every time someone says stuff like that to you, this little bell rings in my mind, telling me to go stick up for you." James said sadly. Lily turned red again.
"Jeez, Lily, I've never seen you turn red so many times before!" James said, laughing a bit. Lily soon joined in with the laughter.
"Anything else you dislike?" James said after a few moments of laughter.
"Yeah. The fact that you act like you care so much. I don't know, James. It seems like you only want to go out with me because I don't give in easily. Like I'm just some sort of challenge you're determined to win." Lily said slowly, choosing her words carefully. James winced.
"Lily, you've said some pretty hurtfull things to me over the years, but I'd have to say that that hurt the most. Act like I care? I do care, Lil! I care a lot! All those things I've said that sounded vain in front of you, all those times I jinxed Snape when he made fun of you was just to impress you!" James cried. For the third time that night, Lily turned red.
"Okay, I think that about wraps up our conversation, see you tomorrow, erm, James." Lily said uncertainly. She gave him a quick smile and raced to her room.
Day 5-
They had McGonagal for a double period: 2 entire hours, the next day. She gave them the oddest assignment.
"Today, you will all be taking a look at what your life would be like if you had not gone to Hogwarts. If you had lived your life as a Muggle." McGonagal announced. Sirius and James looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
"First, we have Abbott, Ronald." she continued, conjuring up a Muggle projector. Ronald Abbott's face came up on the screen. I'm not going to go through what his showed, because Ronald Abbott is a boring, unimportant character. (A/N actually, it's because I'm lazy).
"Black, Sirius."
The class watched with interest as 11 year old Sirius played football with a dark skinned, foul mouthed boy who he called "Kanard". 12 year old Sirius was sitting in the movie theatre, watching E.T. (A/N if that isn't out yet, just go along with it, I don't know any other old movies!) and putting his arm around a blushing blondie. 13 year old Sirius was in an alleyway, beating up a nine year old with Kanard. The real life Sirius flinched. 14 year old Sirius was out on the streets, his clothes tattered and a grim look to his face. 15 year old Sirius was being arrested by Muggle policemen for abusing school property. 16 year old Sirius was in a hospital room with the same blushing blonde who was in labor. 17 year old Sirius was living in a box. The real Sirius watched with wide eyes and couldn't help but think, "Thank you lord for Hogwarts!"
"Evans, Lily." James's and Lily's eyes met for a split second but soon traveled to the projector screen.
11 year old Lily Evans was all dressed up with a long, slender instrument in her hands--a flute. She and Hazel were performing a band concert. 12 year old Lily Evans was talking to a blonde boy-- Derek Trombas! James glared. 13 year old Lily was up on stage again, performing in a play that sounded like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. 14 year old Lily was talking with a girl whose name was apparently Madison. They were talking about their favorite book, The Hobbit. 15 year old Lily was walking the halls of an exclusive High School, holding hands with a boy with light brown hair and blue eyes. James frowned. 16 year old Lily was babysitting a short ten year old with tall, black hair. Apparently, his name was Bernardo. Lastly, 17 year old Lily writing up an application to attend Yale. Lily beamed at the projector; James glared at seeing Lily with that High School boy.
Now, I'm not going to discuss the minor character's possible pasts such as Frank Longbottom or Molly or those types of people. So skip them.
"Lupin, Remus."
Remus was terrified this would show him being bitten by the werewolf and his secret would leak out everywhere, but McGonagal seemed to realize what he was thinking and said they would have to skip him because she can't find his possible past.
"Pettigrew, Peter."
11 year old Peter Pettigrew sat talking to an elf-like boy. The boy had pointy ears and dark brown hair and scaly skin. They were both sharing answers for a test. 12 year old Peter was in chess club and losing horribly. 13 year old Peter was staring absentmindedly at a black haired boy. 14 year old Peter was conducting a school report with the same boy, whose name was Keith. (get ready for this, readers!!) 15 year old Peter was in the library with the same boy, this time, er, holding hands with him (author shudders as she types this). Yes, Peter had turned gay. The real life Peter had hid his head, trying to ignore the great puffs of laughter going on around him. 16 year old Peter was being teased by none other than Kanard from Sirius's possible past. 17 year old Peter sat in his boring bedroom, weeping his beady little eyes out.
"Potter, James." James's and Lily's eyes met again and looked up at the projector screen.
11 year old James was setting up a trap with a dirty blonde boy that would supposedly make syrup fall on the first person to step through the doorway. "How old." the real James thought to himself. 12 year old James was being passed back a paper he had gotten a 93 on. 13 year old James was hitting on a brunette girl with fiery orangish eyes. Lily looked at it oddly, not sure what to think. 14 year old James was defacing school property by scratching into a desk "J was here". 15 year old James was in P.E. playing dodgeball. He was quite athletic. 16 year old James was grinning evilly as a small, helpless looking boy tripped on a banana peel. (A/N I couldn't think of an original prank!) 17 year old James had a depressed look to him. He was in a hospital room, speaking to an old man who apparently had a concussion.
James frowned. He liked the life he had now much more than what he saw on the screen.
McGonagal went on reading off names that I am much to lazy to mention where various odd and (in Peter's case) humiliating things happened. They left the class discussing the various things they saw on the screen. Hazel was in a state of shock. She had ended up with none other than Derek Trombas at age 17 and was gaping through all of the other ones.
"I can't believe how horrible mine was!" Sirius exclaimed as they walked down to Care of Magical Creatures, "I was out on the streets at age 14?"
Sirius shook his head in disgust.
"I dunno. Mine was pretty okay, though I prefer my life as a witch so much better." Lily said thoughtfully.
"I know I do!" Peter squeaked. They all laughed merrily.
"I definitly prefer my Hogwarts life. I never would have met Arthur if I didn't come here!" Molly said anxiously. Arthur Weasly was her boyfriend.
"Well, mine was unbearably boring." James said, glancing over at his friends.
"Who was the guy at the end with the concussion?" Peter asked.
James shrugged. "I guess my grandfather."
His friends could see it was a touchy subject and dropped the subject.
It was freezing outside, seeing as it was nearing Christmas. Lily and Hazel shivered but Molly was covered in extra cloaks, the only one with enough sense to wear extra clothes. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter just tried to ignore the winter wind pinching their faces.
"By the way, James, Dumbledore wants us to meet him in his office before lunch." Lily said as they trotted down to Care of Magical Creatures class. James nodded, yawning a bit.
"I'm ready to fall asleep right now.. I didn't get any sleep last night." James said, rubbing his eyes. Great bags were forming beneath them
"Me neither! Peter wouldn't stop snoring!" Sirius said exasperately. Peter laughed.
"I was having these horrible nightmares. Voldemort was there and Lily was there. There was a whole lot of green light." James uncomfortably. Molly looked up at him with a worried expression.
"Do you think that was the great danger I foresaw?" she asked. Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Come of it, Molly, it was a dream." he said, sighing deeply. Molly scowled at him and they reached the edge of the forest where Care of Magical Creatures took place.
Professor Kettleburn had already started ranting on about N.E.W.T.'s by the time they got there. "Blah blah blah exams blah blah blah remember blah blah." is all James really heard. Lily, Hazel, and Molly took their notes in their neat handwriting as usual, though Lily's mind often wandered. It wandered to the discussion she and James had last night and what Dumbledore wanted to talk to them about. Sirius was off in girl dreamland, listing all the girls he had not yet gone out with. Remus was feeling exhausted as tonight was *bump bump buuump* the full moon. Peter was thinking hard about how he would jinx Lily without James finding out it was him doing it and beat the magic out of him. Snivellus had been bothering him about it for a while. Hazel's mind was on Sirius and Molly's was thinking about food. She hadn't eaten that much that morning, since she had been talking with Arthur Weasly.
The next class went without much worry and when it was time for lunch, Lily and James left for Dumbledore's office.
"Bertie Botts." Lily said briskly and the gargoyle sprang to life. They walking into Dumbledore's office for the second time that year. The elderly man was at his desk, reading a muggle book called The Silmarillion. He put down the book as they walked in.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, welcome." Dumbledore said. The two of the sat in their usual squishy arm chairs.
"I've called you here because of the younger students. We all know of the fact that Voldemort is slowly gaining power. I get the feeling that some of our younger students aren't feeling safe here at Hogwarts. As Head Girl and Boy, I was hoping you could come up with some thing to add a little cheer to our younger students. Any ideas?" Dumbledore gazed at Lily and James as he waited for a response.
"A dance, perhaps?" James suggested. He sent Lily a quick look, but turned to look at Dumbledore. Dumbledore smiled.
"That is a spectacular idea, Mr. Potter. That is, if you both can handle planning it on top of studying and preparing for N.E.W.T.'s." Dumbledore said, casting them a concerned look through his half-moon spectacles.
"We can do it, right James?" Lily said, turning her head to look at James.
"Absolutely." James concured.
A/N Please Please Please review!