The Last Year

Chapter 1

Lily Evans sat at her desk, scribbling a summer Potions assignment. A clicking sound filtered in through her concentration-induced fog of oblivion. She glanced up, brows furrowed. An impatient-looking brown owl was tapping at her bedroom window. Lily stood resignedly and opened the window, collected the letter and sent the owl on its way again.

Lily sat back down, flipping the letter over. It was to her, from... "Hogwarts!" Lily ripped open the envelope, too eager to notice the paper cut which resulted of her violent opening. She unfolded the parchment and scanned it.

"...We are pleased to inform you that due to your stellar grades, personality, and leadership capabilities, you have received the post of HEAD GIRL?!" she finished out loud, her voice rising in pitch with each word.

Lily dropped the parchment and searched for the envelope. It wasn't on her bed...or the floor...or her desk. Lily began to panic slightly...until she saw the glimmer of green ink on her lap. She sighed in relief, then snatched up the envelope and rooted wildly through it. There it was! Her shining badge, emblazoned with HG - Head Girl.

The girl flung herself out of her room and down the steps, shrieking. "MUM! I GOT THE BADGE! I'M HEAD GIRL!"

Maria Evans hurried from the laundry room, wiping her hands on a dish towel, and smothered her youngest daughter in a hug. "That's wonderful, Lily! Congratulations! This deserves a celebration. What would you like for dinner? And here you thought you wouldn't be getting it," she added jokingly.

"I'd like lasagna, and garlic breadsticks, and oatmeal raisin cookies. I can help you cook," Lily added.

"Sounds good, honey."

"And actually, Mum, I was pretty sure I was going to get it. I just didn't want to say so in case I was wrong."

Mother and daughter laughed together. Unbeknownst to them, Petunia Evans watched them bitterly. They could have been sisters, Petunia thought. She herself might have been adopted - she had thin blond hair, a long neck a thin, horsey face, and was a good deal taller than usual. Mr. John Evans was below average height with dark brown hair and almond shaped hazel green eyes. Mrs. Maria Evans was petite, with dark auburn hair that had been brighter in her youth, and lovely green eyes. Lily was a spitting image of her mother, with the shape of her father's eyes. The idea only served to fuel Petunia's jealousy.

Lily's older sister stepped from the stairwell, lifting her chin in order to look down her nose and making her voice as snobby and sarcastic as she could. "It's a shame someone thinks you're capable, seeing as sensible people steer clear of freaks. You'd do well to do the same...oh, wait. I forgot. You're the freak in this family." She smirked and flounced away.

Lily looked angrily at the spot her sister had vacated, willing back the stinging tears in her eyes. Petunia's words hurt her more than she cared to acknowledge...they'd been best friends once...and now they were bitter enemies. Petunia didn't understand the fact that Lily was a witch. She hated that her rather unruly younger sister was her parent's pride and joy. She couldn't see that it was her own bitterness and cruelty that kept her distanced from her parents. In short, she was jealous.

"Lily..." her mum seemed to be searching for words that would allow her to pardon Petunia's behavior. They didn't come. Finally she gave up and sighed. "You know how your sister is."

Lily, halfway up to her room, sighed sadly. "Yes. I know."

Lily lay on her bed on her stomach, rereading the letters from her best friends. Lily'd sent them both letters, telling them she was Head Girl and asking if they had any idea as to who the Head Boy might be. Marlene McKinnon had no idea, but Alice Prewett suggested it might be Frank Longbottom. Lily deemed this unlikely. There was nothing wrong with Frank - he was great at Herbology and very kind, and Lily counted him as one of her friends- he just didn't have enough leadership ability and dedication to schoolwork to be able to deal with the responsibility that came with the duty of Head Boy.

Were there any boys in seventh year Gryffindor that might get the badge? Lily ran through them in her head. Frank...Peter...Remus...Sirius...James. No, she didn't think any of them would get it. Lily sighed, having hoped that she would be working with a fellow Gryffindor. Now, with her luck, she'd have to be doing points tallies, reports, supervising detentions, patrolling, and all the other head duties with a Slytherin. Ugh.

Lily hugged her mum. "I love you, Mum."

"I love you, too, Lily. Have a great year, good luck being Head Girl, don't forget to write, and come home for Christmas!"

"I will!" Lily took her trolley and started toward platform 9 3/4, turning back once to wave. Lily glanced surreptitiously around. No one was looking in her direction...Lily broke into a jog toward the metal barrier between platform nine and ten, and found herself in the completely empty Platform 9 3/4. She'd never seen it empty before - usually she arrived at least a half hour later, when the Platform was packed with the bodies of students and their parents. Lily decided not to get on the train yet - she would be the only one on it, and it would take ages to find her friends. Lily sat down on a bench in front of the magical barrier and waited, watching as the station slowly filled up, but there was no sign yet of her best friends. Oh, well. Lily decided to get on the train and sit in their usual compartment. She lugged her trunk over to the third car of the scarlet Hogwarts Express.

This would not be easy. Lily's trunk was about as heavy as she was, and an awkward rectangular shape that was extremely difficult to get up the steps to the train. Lily lifted one end, grunting, and tried to drag it behind her up the steps. It didn't budge. Several attempts later, the trunk was in the same position it had been ten minutes ago. Lily sighed and straightened, rubbing her protesting back. She was glancing around to ask someone for help when a friendly voice sounded from behind her.

"Hi, Lily."

Lily turned around, tucking her runaway strands of red hair behind her ear. "Remus! How was your summer?"

The tall boy with light brown hair shrugged. "Same old, same old. And yours?"

"Nothing new. My sister didn't speak to me for most of it, which, I suppose, was a blessing in disguise."

Remus nodded. Lily and Remus had been the sixth year Gryffindor prefects and during patrols had established a friendly acquaintance, so Remus knew all about Lily and Petunia's stormy relationship. "I'll bet," he agreed. "How did she react when she found out you were Head Girl?"

"I believe her exact words were, 'It's a shame someone thinks you're capable, seeing as sensible people steer clear of freaks. You'd do well to do the same...oh, wait. I forgot. You're the freak in this family!'.

Lily frowned. "Wait, how do you know I'm Head Girl?"

Remus grinned for the first time. "Lily, the fact that I know you is explanation enough. Who else could it possibly be?"

"Do you know who Head Boy is?"

Remus shrugged. "I suppose we'll find out in the meeting."

"I thought it might be you."

He shook his head. "No. They offered at the end of last year, but I refused."

Lily nodded, accepting his meager explanation, then turned back to her trunk. "Could you help me with this?"

"If you return the favor."

A few minutes later, Lily and Remus set off down the train, chatting idly, before Lily left him at her usual compartment. She pulled open the door and dragged her trunk in, expecting it to be empty. It wasn't.

"You're Head Girl, Lily! Congrats!" Alice squealed, engulfing Lily in a hug. Lily disengaged herself and hugged Marlene, too. Marlene grinned.

"How was your summer, Lily?" Marlene asked.

"Petunia gave me the cold shoulder. How about you?"

"We changed our plans at the last minute and went to America instead of Italy."

After several minutes of summer talk, Marlene changed the subject. "Have you found out who the Head Boy is yet, Lily?"

"No. I talked to Remus earlier, he doesn't know either, and it's not him. There's no chance that it's Peter, and I doubt it's Frank or Sirius Black. And there is NO WAY it could be Potter."

The three girls talking together could not have been more different. It made Lily think that there might be some truth to the saying opposites attract. Marlene McKinnon was tall, athletic, with long brown hair, and very talkative, never shy. Alice Longbottom was the quietest of the three, rather shy, and had a round, friendly face, blue eyes, and naturally curly blond hair. She was somewhat below average height. Lily was striking, with dark red hair, pale skin, green eyes, and the stereotypical redhead temper. She was average height and slender, which made her seem taller than she was.

Several minutes after Lily gasped, looking at her watch. "I've gotta go for the Prefect's meeting. I'm almost late. Bye!" She dashed out of the compartment and down the train. She bolted into the first car to see only a few of the prefects already there. She wasn't late. Lily headed to the front of the room and looked at the list of things she had to tell the prefects. This would be easy. After being a prefect for two years, she already knew all this. Glancing up she counted all the prefects silently. Good...just one missing. She could start soon. Just then, the compartment door opened to admit Remus Lupin and James Potter. Potter. What was he doing here? Relax, Lily told herself. He probably just walked over with Remus. This idea was dispelled when James Potter made his way through the prefects toward the Head table, next to Lily.

"If you ask me out again, I am going to hex you out the train window, Potter." Lily hissed.

Potter didn't say anything, just turned toward the prefects and began to speak. "Hello. I'm James Potter, and I'm Head Boy."

No, Lily thought. It can't be. Dumbledore couldn't be stupid enough to appoint JAMES POTTER Head Boy. He couldn't. He was. There was his badge, pinned onto his robes. Lily realized the prefects were watching her, seemingly waiting for her to speak. "I'm Head Girl, and my name is Lily Evans."

Potter launched into a speech about the duties of the prefects, occasionally stopping to let Lily insert a few words here and there. "That's pretty much it," he finished. "Anything to add, Lily?"

"Yes. Remember, prefects can take points, but you have to be fair about it. And if you feel that someone needs a detention, you have to talk to either of the Head students or any Professor to verify the reason and detention. The Prefect meetings will be every two weeks, and you will get a notice for the place and the time. Now, as you leave, please sign up for a patrol time. The parchment is at the door."

Lily sat back down as the prefects filed out.

Potter sat down next to her, looking slightly nervous. "I know you don't like me very much, and I know that I haven't given you much reason to like or trust me, but I intend to take this seriously. We're going to be working together a lot this year, and it would be much easier if we could get along."

Lily took a breath. "So..."

Potter looked her in the eye. "Friends?"

Lily hesitated. "Casual acquaintances, for now," she decided. "Maybe friends later."

Lily walked down the train, trying to reconcile the new Potter to the old Potter. Last year he had taken any possible opportunity to ask her out, or embarrass her in public. He was an egotistical prat who didn't care about other people's feelings, schoolwork, or responsibility of any sort. That was why she had hated him. But...if he had changed, there was no reason why they couldn't be friends eventually.