Author’s Note: Hello, all! Another chapter. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? I’m sorry! I took a trip to visit my sister at college for Easter and haven’t had much time to write. Anyways, read on, friends!

And the chapter title sucks. Sorry. Couldn't think of one. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. :)

Disclaimer: S’all Jo’s.

When James awoke that morning, he had all intentions of apologizing to his friends. However, they acted like nothing had happened. He could never voice how relieved he was.

The four friends made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast, Remus and Peter chatting about N.E.W.Ts.

“Well, yeah, classes are going to be a lot more difficult this year; that’s to be expected, Pete.”

“I guess so. It’s just going to be like O.W.Ls all over again, isn’t it?”

“Pretty much.”

“Except harder,” offered Sirius, grinning.

“Wonderful,” said Peter glumly. He brightened, however, when they reached the hall. Peter never could stay upset for too long. “So,” he asked, munching on a slice of buttered toast, “What are you guys planning on doing after N.E.W.Ts and all?”

Sirius groaned, “Not the ‘future’ question! First the teachers and now you?”

“What? It’s a good question!” Peter protested defensively.

“Well then,” said Sirius, straightening up and spreading his arms grandly, “I plan to be the most known wizard in England. I assure you, one day, everyone will know my name.”

Remus laughed, “And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

Sirius thought for a moment, then shrugged, “Haven’t decided yet.”

“How ‘bout you, Moony?” asked Peter interestedly.

Remus’s face clouded. James knew Remus was fearful of leaving Hogwarts. What kind of jobs were there for a werewolf?

“Dunno,” he answered vaguely. “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.” He suddenly became very interested in his orange juice.

Peter looked as though he was going to press, so James swiftly interfered. “And you, Pete? You seemed so keen on this discussion. What about you?”

Peter looked taken aback and turned rather red, “Oh, well, I -- I haven’t really decided. I’m not that great at many things, am I?”

Sirius made an angry noise, “Sure you are! You’re one of the only students in this school to be an anamagi, aren’t you? Don’t sell yourself short!”

“Shh!” Remus whispered, glancing anxiously around, but Peter looked heartened.

“But Mr. Head Boy over there is being quite quiet,” laughed Sirius.

“Meh,” James shrugged.

“Meh?”

“Meh. I’ve pretty much set my future on going into Auror training, haven’t I? I mean, with everything that’s going on…”

“Yeah,” agreed Sirius. “I’ve thought about it too. It’s not a bad idea. Ha! Think how furious dear ol’ mum would be!”

James laughed along with the rest of his friends -- it was a known fact that Sirius reveled in angering his parents -- but he didn’t find the joke very funny. How many times had James heard his parents talking in dark tones about all the people they’ve known -- Auror or no -- who were killed by Vold -- You-Know-Who?

James cringed, not that he had almost said the name, but at the fact that he had fallen to the using that name: You-Know-Who. It sickened him that everyone did know who. Few people would say his real name anymore. Few people talked about him at all. If you ignored it -- especially if you’re not Muggleborn -- people seemed to think, it would just go away. This problem wasn’t going away.

Arousing him from his thoughts, Remus handed him a schedule. “Oh, great,” James muttered, “Divination, Potions, History of Magic. How fun.”

Remus shook his head. “I don’t understand why you’re still taking that class.”

“Divination? Yeah, well. It’s a credit, I guess.”

“Plus, I wouldn’t let him quit and make me suffer all by myself,” explained Sirius jokingly. James grinned.

Just then, Marlene McKinnon walked by, giving a derisive sniff in their direction. James noticed she was carrying two schedules and a piece of toast as she headed out of the Great Hall.

“Morning, McKinnon!” Sirius called out jovially, saluting her.

Marlene looked very much affronted. She gave him a contemptuous scowl and continued on her way.

Sirius turned back to them, laughing. “I’ll tell you what: If anyone in this entire school needs to relax, it’s that McKinnon lass. Has she lost her wand? I think I know where to look: She’s gone and stuck it up her --”

“Mr. Potter,” All four of them spun around to see Professor McGonagall looking as though she was trying very hard to ignore Sirius’s comment. “Might I have a word?”

“Er, okay,” James eloquently agreed, following her a few paces away from the table.

“As you know, the Gryffindor team captain graduated last year. So, of course, I had to choose a new captain. As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’ve chosen you.”

“Excellent!” James cried, clapping his hands together. “Er, I mean, thank you very much, Professor. It’s an honorable title I will do my very best to uphold.”

The corners of McGonagall’s mouth turned up slightly. “I trust that you will. However,” she added severely, “if you think that this will get in the way of your Head duties, not to mention preparations for your N.E.W.Ts, there are other people who I am sure would be more than happy to captain the team.”

Yeah, right. Thought James. Like I would pass up an opportunity like this! I’ve waited to be captain since I came here! “Not to worry, Professor!” James said, beaming, “I’m quite sure that I can captain our team, carry out Head duties, and keep my grades up to spiffing standard quite easily!” He sent her a winning smile.

McGonagall returned it with one of her own rare smiles. Despite the front she put on sometimes, the teacher really did like James. Probably because he was so gifted in her subject. “I’m glad to hear it. I might have you know that it was I who suggested you for Head Boy, and I hope you will not abuse the privilege.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Professor.”

“Well then,” McGonagall said briskly, “I will let you get back to your friends, and I must go make preparations for class.”

“Thanks again, Professor. Have a splendid day!” And, after giving her a quick bow and turning away, James could have sworn he heard her chuckle.

James was greeted by inquiring faces as he returned to the table. He took his time, sipping some orange juice, before he spilled his news. “Well,” he said, beaming, “I’ve just been named captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.”

“Fabulous!”

“Good job!”

“Excellent!” Sirius grinned, “So no early Saturday morning practices for Padfoot, eh?”

“Hey now,” chided James, “Don’t be expecting special treatment. I’m a responsible man this year!” He jabbed his Head Boy badge for effect.

His friends exchanged glances, and they all, James included, burst into laughter. Things were feeling back to normal already. Maybe this year wouldn’t be so bad.

Since Divination wasn’t for a little while, Sirius and James remained in the Great Hall, socializing, while Remus and Peter headed up to the first floor for their Muggle Studies class.

“Hullo, Gideon!” Sirius waved to a red haired boy passing by.

“Fabian,” muttered the boy looking extremely irritated.

“Right you are!” called Sirius. Then to James, “Bloody brothers are identical.”

“Well,” laughed James, “The fact that Gideon graduated two years ago might help.”

“Right,” shrugged Sirius, who was now making his way over to Hazel Marchfox. James chuckled slightly at this. Hazel and Sirius had ‘gone out’ in fourth year, but after Bertha Jorkins, a girl a few years older than they, had squealed to Hazel that Sirius had snogged Florence Hemmings behind the greenhouses, well, Sirius had spent a few uncomfortable nights in the hospital wing. James expected Sirius had forgotten this, and so, seemingly, had Hazel, because the two were quite friendly.

Figuring Sirius wouldn’t miss him too much, James made his way back to the dorms. He scavenged around his room and found the books he had strewn across the floor last night. After recovering his books, he made his way back to the common room, but stopped halfway down the stairs.

Lily Evans was leaning over a couch, attempting to organize her books, bits of parchment scattered at her feet. She was a mess. Her shirt was wrinkled, her hair tangled, and her eyes looked as though she had been crying. Finally she gave an exasperated shriek, thrust her books onto the floor, and threw herself at the couch, being careful to trod on the offending books on the way. He watched her as she sat there for a moment, her head in her hands, before he felt compelled to speak.

“Hello,” he said pleasantly.

She jumped. “Oh!” She laughed nervously. “Potter. Merlin, you scared me.”

“Apologies,” James replied, descending down the stairs.

Lily looked very uncomfortable. “Look, I -- I wanted to apologize for last night. I kind of … lost my temper. I didn’t mean to yell --”

He waved off her apology. “Don’t worry about it.”

“No, really. I --”

“Forget it,” he said gruffly. “It doesn’t matter. Really.” She looked unconvinced, but shrugged. “So,” James began, hoping to start a conversation. “You look … frustrated.”

Her smile was tired, but at least it was a smile. “Yeah. I guess I do.” Shrugging, she said, “Can’t find my Divination homework.”

“You’re still taking Divination? I thought you thought it was a useless subject.”

“I do -- I just …Well. My …mother always loved the idea of being able to See the future, so she always wanted me to take it, despite how pointless I told her it was.”

“Oh,” James said, very uncomfortably, teetering on the balls of his heels. “Wait -- we had homework?”

Lily laughed, and James couldn't help but feel exceptionally pleased. “Yep. We were supposed to keep a journal of our dreams and any omens we saw -- or rather, imagined we saw.”

“Damn.”

Lily shrugged. “Make something up quick. Old Voyant won’t known. You know she just soaks up anything overly dramatic.” James knew she was right. Professor Voyant was a very wooly witch who delighted in making absurd predictions. Rumors were flying that she was retiring soon. James thought it was about time.

James chuckled. “Let’s see, last night I dreamt I was a pineapple so that means that I am going to be mowed down by a herd of angry lethifolds.”

“Is that possible?”

“To be mowed down by a herd of angry lethifolds? Sure it is.”

“Alright, make sure you’re going to die at least once though. It wouldn’t hurt to throw in another for good measure, actually.” She started rummaging through her papers again, before she heaved a sigh. “I’ll tell you what. If you can find my journal, you can just copy it. She’ll never know, but I’ve got to go look for it up in the dorms. I can’t find it anywhere.”

James was mildly shocked that Lily would allow copying, let alone of her own homework, but then it was Divination, and Lily thought very little of that subject. “Good deal. I’ll look,” he said, grinning. And look he did, but after several moments, he gave up, figuring if Lily couldn’t find it, he probably couldn’t either. Best get started on that homework.

“Let’s see,” he said aloud to himself, “Let’s start in June…” He had some fun, contemplating which omens he could have seen, and what they meant. In July, he claimed to have seen a bird fall out of the sky, which meant that he would lose something special, and in August he supposedly was going to make a ‘deadly’ new friend.

If he had believed any of this rubbish, he might have been worried, given the circumstances of today’s world. He knew, and had known for years, however, that Divination, or at least as it was taught at Hogwarts, was very wooly guess-work.

“Oiy, Prongs! You left me!” James looked up to see Sirius storming over to him, but he didn’t look angry. In fact, he looked quite pleased.

“Maimed by raging Crups or death by Dungbombs?” asked James uninterestedly, weighing his options.

“Oooh, death by Dungbombs, definitely,” Sirius said, coming over. James nodded in agreement and scribbled some text onto a piece of parchment.

“What’s this for?” asked Sirius, leaning over his shoulder. Thoughts of James’s abandonment were presently forgotten.

James snorted and raised his eyebrows, “Divination homework, mate.”

“We had Divination homework?”

“Yep.”

“Damn.”

James laughed. “That was basically my reaction.”

Sirius just shrugged. “Whatever. Voyant likes me.”

James just snorted, “Suit yourself.”

“I found it!” Lily Evans came tottering down the stairs clutching a little book. “I had forgotten Marlene wanted to see it…Oh,” she stopped, startled. “Black. Um, hello.”

“Evans,” Sirius smiled at her. Then, turning to James, he said, “So anyways, you know that Ravenclaw girl? Marchfox? We got to talking, and I can’t believe we haven’t gotten together before! Man, is she pretty…”

Lily looked as though she wanted to say something, likely remembering the Hazel-Sirius incident in fourth year, but James winked at her and shook his head discreetly. It was better to let Sirius figure this one out on his own. Lily bit her lip to hold back a laugh.

“Right,” Lily said, gathering her books, “I’m going to head to Divination. Marlene will have a cow if I don’t show.” She rolled her eyes slightly, then blushed because she was being disloyal to her friend. “Anyways, bye. Black … Potter.” And she left, clambering out the portrait hole.

“To Divination we go?” asked Sirius after a few moments, heading for the portrait hole.

“Yeah…” James scribbled a few more omens onto his ‘journal’ and followed Sirius out of the common room.

But when they got to Divination, Lily wasn’t there. They walked in and took their usual seat, James glancing around for her. Marlene was sitting, lips pursed, staring determinedly away from them. James could tell she was irritated that Lily wasn’t here yet.

The bell sounded, and Lily was officially late. This wasn’t like her at all. Marlene was looking even more irritated, a bit worried even.

Professor Voyant entered, and beamed around at them all. She was a thin witch and was exceedingly frail. She was outwardly very grandiose, and gave an impression of someone trying (and failing) to seem important. “Hello, students. It is marvelous to see you all back, again. I am sincerely pleased that you have all chosen to continue your studies of Divination. Many spend seven years of their life whittling away with wands, wasting their time over cauldrons and herbs, but I, and those precious few who can indeed See, we Know. We Know of the importance of the …Sight.” She seemed about to continue her spiel, but was interrupted as a red-haired girl -- with a face to match -- entered the room. Lily had arrived at last.

Author’s Note: Wow, horrible ending. Some of you will probably want to slay me for ending it so badly. It’s not a cliffhanger, it’s not even an ending. But it seemed appropriate. And it was getting long. So TADA!! Next chapter partially written. :)