–He’s waking up!â€
–Prongs! How are you feeling mate?â€
–You scared us pretty bad!â€
I opened my eyes, slowly making out the blurry outlines of my best friends. I reached for my glasses on the stand beside me. With clearer vision I noticed Lily and Natasha standing behind the group. Madame Pomfrey came bustling through the crowd and began inspecting me, making a fuss.
–How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?†she asked, standing impatiently beside me.
–Fine, I think,†I replied, not sure what damage had been done. All I could remember was Snape pointing his wand at me and Lily calling my name. My chest was bleeding. My hand flew to my chest but I felt nothing.
–Out! Out!†Madame Pomfrey ordered, shooing everyone away. –I need to check Mr. Potter’s wounds.â€
I watched my friends leave, already anxious for them to come back so I could hear what happened.
–That was a nasty spell you took to the chest,†Madame Pomfrey said, pulling the curtains around us for privacy. –I’ll never understand the foolishness of experimenting with spells! Students always end up with horrible results. Now unbutton your shirt, please.â€
Helpless, I did as I was told. She pressed her fingers lightly on my chest tracing faint, white scars.
–That’s new!†I exclaimed. What the hell did Snape do to me?
–They are the result of patching you up, Mr. Potter,†she said, taking an ointment out from her pocket. –They will disappear in a week if you rub this on your chest every night before you go to bed.â€
–So I’m free to go?†I asked, trying to sit up.
She pushed me back down and began to dab some of the white cream on the scars. It was cold, but at least it had no smell.
–Not quite yet, Mr. Potter,†she replied, putting the cream away. –I want you to stay overnight for observation. I’ve never dealt with such a wicked spell!â€
–Can I see my friends at least?†I said, while propping myself on my elbows.
–You may,†she answered. She opened the curtains, pausing as she turned to leave, –I’ll check on you in a few hours.â€
I heard her footsteps fade away. I lay back down, waiting for company to free me from boredom. It wasn’t long before I heard multiple footsteps walking my way.
–Prongs! How are you feeling?†Sirius asked anxiously.
–I’m okay,†I replied, sitting up against my pillow. –What happened? Did someone at least hit Snape with a spell?â€
–That bloody Slytherin shouted a curse at you and your chest began to bleed like it was cut,†Sirius answered.
–I’ve never seen a spell like that before,†Remus said, taking a seat next to me. –It must have been one he made up.â€
–Can you really make up a curse like that?†I asked.
–It’s a lot of research and hard work to make sure you get it right,†he replied, –but yes.â€
–Why did Madame Pomfrey sound as if we were experimenting with spells?†I said, looking to each of them for an answer. It struck me as odd that Peter wasn’t with them. I added, –Where’s Peter?â€
–Peter said he had some homework to do,†Remus said, –and-,â€
–We made it up that we were experimenting with spells,†Sirius interrupted. –As much as it would give us great pleasure in seeing Snape expelled, it would be even better to get revenge on him.â€
–And how do you propose we do that?†I asked, raising my eyebrows.
–I have an idea in mind,†Sirius replied, glancing at Remus with a look of mischief.
–What’s that look for?†Remus said to Sirius, looking at him warily.
–Oh, nothing,†Sirius said, grinning.
–So is Madame Pomfrey going to let you leave?†Remus said, changing the subject.
–No, she wants to observe me overnight,†I said glumly.
–We’ll make sure to sneak in some food for you from the kitchens after dinner,†Sirius said.
The sound of footsteps echoing made us all look over to the new company. It wasn’t Madame Pomfrey as expected, but Lily.
–Feeling better I hope?†she asked timidly, walking closer to my side.
I glanced at Sirius then Remus questioningly. Did they ask her to come here? They shook their heads discreetly and I turned my attention back to Lily.
–Yes, thanks,†I replied. –I don’t really remember everything that happened.â€
She stood awkwardly, twisting a ring around on her finger.
–Why are you here?†I asked bluntly. –Here to see if the Head Boy is up for rounds tonight?â€
–I- I just-,†she stammered. This wasn’t the cool, confident Lily I knew for several years. She choked out, –I just wanted to see if you were okay. I thought you were dying.â€
Is she actually worried about me? I thought. Or is she going to scold me for the confrontation with Snape?
–Well you know what would make me feel better?†I said to her.
–If I went on a date with you?†she said, attempting to laugh it off like her usual self.
–If you could be nice to me instead of assuming all I want is to get into your knickers would be nice,†I said a little harshly.
She looked temporarily shocked as I said this. A faint blush reddened her cheeks in embarrassment.
–I- I’m sorry,†she said, turning on her heels to leave. She walked quickly out of the hospital wing, not even turning to glance back.
The guys sat stunned, waiting for me to speak. I crossed my arms, feeling a little guilty over the way I spoke to her. Sirius broke the silence first.
–What was that all about?†he asked, giving me a concerned look.
–Step two of Operation: Lily,†I said.
Remus groaned. –Mate, girls hate it when guys play games.â€
–And how would you know, Virgin Moony?†Sirius teased, laughing. –It does drive girls crazy, but they love it!â€
Remus shook his head. –Maybe that’s what you think.â€
–But look,†I said, trying to reason with him, –I think Lily actually cares about me now!â€
–How do you think she’ll feel if she finds out about this ‘operation’?†Remus asked, reprimanding me.
–She would be very flattered that I’ve thought of an ingenious way to get her to fall in love with me,†I said.
–And what if she finds out that Sirius dating Natasha is all just ‘part of the plan’?†Remus continued. –I think that will make her feel the opposite of love, mate.â€
–She won’t find out, will she?†I said, glaring at him to make sure he got the message. Moony would never betray my loyalty like that.
–Let’s hope so,†he muttered. He checked his watch, jumping up in surprise. –I forgot! I have to go to the library and study for our Defense Against the Dark Arts exam.â€
–Moony, that’s not for another week!†Sirius exclaimed, looking amused.
–I know but it’s never too early to start studying,†he said. –Besides, I have to make sure I get the answers right. We all know who you’ll be cheating from anyway.â€
–Get to work then!†Sirius said, shooing him away. –I’ll see you later in the Great Hall for dinner.â€
–Bye, mates,†Remus said, waving as he turned to leave in a hurry.
Once Remus was out of earshot I asked Sirius, –So what is this revenge plan to get back at old Snivelly?â€
–Well it’s pretty obvious he suspects something’s up with Moony and his monthly moments,†Sirius said, leaning forward in case anyone overheard.
–Yeah, he does seem to know what Moony is.â€
–Well what if we get him to follow us to the Whomping Willow during Moony’s next transformation? It would give him a right scare! Maybe even shut him up if he gets hurt.â€
–I would love to see the look on Snivellus’ face! But Padfoot, we can’t control Moony. What if he seriously injures Snape?â€
–Then we’ll take him the hospital wing, tell Madame Pomfrey he got attacked by the Whomping Willow, and hope he’ll just have to miss the rest of the year.â€
–And when we bring him in at midnight what are we going to say when she asks what we were doing out?â€
–Hm, I haven’t thought that far into the plan. Any ideas?â€
–I guess we could say we faked a note from a girl telling him to meet at the Whomping Willow. It’s not like we’re strangers to punishment.â€
–That could work. Full moon is in a few weeks, right?â€
–I think so. When we have Potions with the Slytherins, we should drop a note by his desk, pretending it’s from me to you. It can say something like, ‘Meet me by the Whomping Willow tonight and let’s see what Moony’s been up to during these monthly escapades.â€
–Perfect! Old Snivelly won’t be able to resist that. That’s if he’ll be able to read the note with that greasy hair hanging in his face.â€
–Great. We can’t let Moony know then of our plan, or Wormtail. He’d never be able to keep this a secret.â€
–Yeah, we definitely can’t let Wormtail know. When’s our next Operation meeting going to take place?â€
–It will be tomorrow after Transfiguration. It’ll have to be a quick meeting since we have Charms after our break.â€
–All right, I’ll let Moony and Wormtail know when I see them.â€
Sirius’s stomach grumbled audibly. He stood up, looking apologetic at leaving me alone.
–I’ll be back with some proper food for you soon,†he said, standing up. –Just practice that transfiguration spell on your food, turn it into buttons!â€
–Thanks mate,†I said, shifting uncomfortably in my cot. –See you later.â€
I paced back and forth past a blank wall across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barby. I kept the thought of the perfect lounge room to hold the Operation: Lily meeting when a door appeared in front of me. I walked inside to wait for the other Marauders to meet me.
The room was, of course, perfect. A wide fireplace sat against the far wall with four long, deep blue couches. I walked over and sank down on one. Ah, yes. It was perfectly soft and if I wasn’t careful, I could fall asleep on it in no time. I stood up and inspected the room. It was small and square. A bookcase stood against one wall. I tried to keep it in mind for Moony since he always liked to find books to read. Against the other wall was a round table with platters of various snacks and desserts. I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie as big as my hand and went to sit on a couch. I grabbed the operation parchments out of my pocket and began to read over them.
The door screeched against the flagstone flooring, and I looked up to see Padfoot and Moony stride in with Wormtail behind them.
–Nice room this time,†Sirius said, gazing around the room before grabbing a brownie off a tray.
–This room never ceases to amaze me,†Remus said, taking a look at the books.
–Yes, yes, we can look at the room better after our meeting,†I said impatiently. –We only have a little bit of time before we go to Charms.â€
I waited for them to settle on the couches before I looked at my parchments for reference. Passing one along, I began to inform them the successes of the first two tasks.
–Operation: Lily has had a very fruitful beginning,†I said, standing in front of the fire. –I almost have Lily wrapped around my finger. We began the operation with Sirius asking Natasha out, which so far has been good?â€
–Yes,†Sirius said, taking over as speaker. –At first she was pretty annoying but her snogging has at least made up for that. I have to say she’s starting to become a pretty good girlfriend though, always bringing me food. She knows how I like to eat between classes.â€
–That’s because we’re men, Padfoot,†Remus said, rolling his eyes. –Since when are we not hungry?â€
–Anyway,†I said, putting us back on topic, –Being nice to Lily has caught her attention. She’s so used to me flirting with her that she assumes that’s all I have to say. Now that I’ve started to ignore her, I think she’s starting to realize I have more important things in my life. Which isn’t true- well, sort of but she is the main component of my life.â€
–What’s part three then, Prongs?†Wormtail asked.
–I’m getting to that!†I exclaimed. –Are you gentlemen familiar with the sixth year Gryffindor Emily Phillips?â€
–Do you mean that hot, dark haired girl that’s always studying in the common room?†Sirius asked.
–That’s the one,†I replied. –Rumor has it she’s fancied me for a while. I was thinking of asking her out. What do you boys think?â€
–Do it!†Peter exclaimed, jumping in his seat.
–Go for it, mate,†Sirius said, grinning. –She’s beautiful, tan, and bilingual.â€
–What about Lily?†Remus asked, frowning. –I thought the point of this whole operation is to get the girl?â€
–It is!†I reassured. –See, this way she’ll get jealous, and think I really have moved on. Then we’ll become close friends and relationships always work best when you’re friends first.â€
–I don’t know if this is such a good idea,†Remus said, shaking his head.
–Moony, you’ve never supported this operation from the beginning,†I said. –Are you saying you’ll help out at least?â€
–No,†he said, –but I will tell you when you’re being an idiot and Prongs, you’re being an idiot.â€
–We’ll see when seventh year ends and I’ve got the girl,†I retorted. I frowned as I checked my watch. –It’s time to go to Charms. We’ll meet here for an update in a week or two, depending how step three goes.â€
We left for Charms, but Moony’s words resonated in my mind. –Prongs, you’re being an idiot.†Am I? We sat in the back of the class and I found myself looking for the flaming red hair I loved so much.
There she is, I thought, finding Lily near the front sitting by Natasha. I longed for the day when I could run my fingers through that thick red hair of hers without having my hand slapped away. I knew that, deep down, Lily loved me. It’s only that for years she’d convinced herself she didn’t. It would take time to coax her true feelings out.
–Mr. Potter!†Professor Flitwick exclaimed, snapping me out of my reverie.
–Yes professor?†I asked, sitting up straighter.
"What do you want to be once you leave Hogwarts?†he asked.
–Er- an Auror, sir,†I answered, saying the first thing that came to mind.
–An admirable profession,†he said, –but I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time becoming one if you fail Charms!†I suggest you start paying attention if you’d like to pass.â€
–Yes, Professor Flitwick,†I mumbled as Sirius snickered.
Sirius nudged me, whispering, –An Auror? Really?â€
–It was the first thing that popped in my head,†I whispered back.
Now that Professor Flitwick mentioned it, I probably should think about my future career. Back in fifth year we had some counseling to get us on the right track, but I hadn’t taken it seriously. Now, I thought that maybe being an Auror would be a good idea. There’s a war going on, and I refuse to leave school just to end up in hiding. Someone’s got to give Voldemort a challenge!
My father did mention to me over the summer about the organization fighting the Death Eaters. Even Professor Dumbledore is in it! Imagine fighting alongside the headmaster, defeating Death Eaters, I thought to myself. I thought they were called the Order of the Phoenix. Lily would be impressed. She’s always called me irresponsible. We’d see that proved wrong!
–James!†Sirius called, elbowing me in the side. –We’re supposed to be practicing a spell.â€
–Oh,†I said, glancing around the class where wands were out. Students were already practicing. –What’s the spell and what is it supposed to do?â€
Remus sighed and quickly explained the theory to me. It wasn’t difficult, and after a few tries I managed to turn my feather invisible.
–Very good, Mr. Potter,†Professor Flitwick said approvingly as he passed my desk. He moved on to Sirius and I whispered thanks to Remus.
–Yeah, yeah,†Remus said, waving a hand in dismissal. He was busy helping Peter try to master the spell after successfully charming his feather invisible too.
–Potter?†Lily asked, tapping my shoulder. –Are you ready to do some rounds?â€
I turned around and looked at the clock sitting on the mantelpiece about the fireplace.
–Yes,†I replied, glancing at my friends busy doing homework on the cushions. –Just give me a minute. I’ll meet you outside the portrait.â€
–Okay,†she said warily. She turned to walk away and the boys looked up.
–Wish me luck, –I said, standing up from my seat.
–Wait, with what?†Sirius said, looking confused.
–With step three,†I said, looking over at my mission, currently busy scribbling notes while tracing words with a finger in a particularly large book.
"Ah,†Sirius said, catching my meaning. He winked at me, adding, –Good luck.â€
I walked over to Emily, clearing my throat to catch her attention. She looked up and I flashed her a smile.
–Hello,†she said, turning in her seat. Even when she didn’t bother to wear makeup she still looked worth snogging, I admitted to myself.
–Hi, it’s Emily, right?†I asked, sticking out a hand.
–It is,†she replied, slowly reaching out a hand. She looked unsure as to why I was talking to her.
I shook her hand, saying, –I’m James Potter.â€
–I know,†she replied, blushing.
–Emily,†I began, trying to look as confident as I could, –I was hoping you could answer a question for me…â€