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Stars Apart by Willow Rosenberg

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Chapter Notes: ....i'm terrible. cone of shame. many many apologies. So I did that horrible writer thing where I had one chapter to go and i disappeared off the face of the earth (for what it's worth, I was graduating university myself, and was doing final projects/emotional goodbyes/etc!). But! I am back... just in time for the last chapter!! There's gonna be an epilogue too, so it's not QUITE the end the end. And I wrote this and the epilogue together!! So there will not be another four-month wait!! SORRY I LOVE YOU SORRY!!! so it goes:

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The fact that Sirius Black had been spotted studying was a source of some rather frantic gossip among the younger students. That someone with such notorious disdain for the library had been seen bent over piles of parchment late into the night caused a kind of panic among the fifth-years in particular, who were in the midst of their O.W.L.s. O.W.L.s were difficult enough, the general opinion was--if even Sirius Black was studying for N.E.W.T.s, how much more difficult must they be?

But the rumors surrounding Sirius’s strange, uncharacteristic behavior dissolved into a perplexed silence when he continued even after exams had ended. With just days to go before the end of term, most students were spending their sudden free time outside, soaking up sun and dipping their toes in the lake. James, for his part, was doing just that--he’d wandered out to the lake earlier and passed a good chunk of the afternoon with Peter, lying on their stomachs at the edge of the lake and teasing the giant squid, who had swum curiously into the shallows.

Behind them, Remus and Lily were fervently discussing their Potions N.E.W.T., the last of the year. –I thought it went well!” Lily was saying. –No surprises, really.”

–No,” Remus agreed. –We were prepared. I do wish I hadn’t completely lost my head during the antidotes section.”

–Don’t worry,” Lily assured him. –You did fine, and who doesn’t at least temporarily lose their head about testing poisons?”

–Hopefully,” Remus said dryly, –not while trying to save someone who’s been poisoned.”

–If I hear the word ‘poison’ one more time…” James said, getting to his feet. Behind him, the giant squid slid one long tentacle out of the lake and flicked it around his ankle, causing him to fall flat on his face. Peter snickered as the tentacle retreated back into the lake.

–See if I ever give you my extra toast again,” James grumbled at it, but a faint ripple in the water was the only response.

–You probably won’t,” Peter pointed out, –since we’re leaving for good in a couple days.”

–Wormtail!” James and Remus said together, looking horrified.

–What?” Peter asked indignantly. –It’s true. N.E.W.T.s are over now and everything!”

–Well, yes, but,” James said, –yes, but…”

–He’s got a point, boys,” Lily said, her eyes bright. –Just a few days left. It might be time to face the music.”

–No,” said James stubbornly, folding his arms. –I will accept we are going when we are actually gone.” And he flopped over sideways into the grass.

Lily walked over and patted him sympathetically on the head. –Well,” she said, –I’m off anyway. I said I’d meet Mary.”

James stretched his arms over his head as she spoke. –I’ll walk you in,” he yawned. –I’ve got to find Padfoot anyway.”

–It’s weird to see him working so much,” Peter shook his head. –Even if it is on a prank.”

James nodded fervently. –You’ll be in tonight after dinner?” he asked. –I think he wanted to go over the plan.”

Peter and Remus nodded together, and James jumped again to his feet and began walking towards the castle with Lily.

–Sirius really is putting a lot of work into this thing, isn’t he?” she said as they walked.

–Yeah,” James said. –But he must feel like he has to. It is his last hurrah, after all.”

–So,” Lily grinned, –it’s the Sirius Black version of N.E.W.T.s?”

–Exactly,” James said.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, before Lily turned towards him, her brow furrowed.

–What’s up?” he asked.

–Are you really not thinking about leaving?” she asked.

–Is leaving all you think about?” James countered lightly. But as Lily continued to stare at him unblinkingly, he sighed. –Well, of course it’s crossed my mind,” he said. –But it’s hard to think about, you know?”

–Sure,” Lily said. –But you might miss things if you don’t face it head on.”

–Like what?” James asked curiously.

Lily shrugged. –Well,” she said, –you said this prank is Sirius’s last hurrah. What will yours be?”

James halted, blinking at her in surprise, and she smiled softly. –Just a thought,” she said, then kissed him lightly on the cheek and disappeared into the castle. He watched her walk away, lost in thought, before finally setting off to look for Sirius.

He found him, finally, in the Gryffindor common room, bleary-eyed and squinting at a sheaf of notes. Cutting through a knot of twitchy-looking fifth-years, James approached the table, clapping Sirius on the shoulder. Sirius jumped, looking up at him.

–Oh, hi.”

–Hi,” James said, amused. –You haven’t left this table in days, have you?”

–Oh, that’s not fair,” Sirius yawned. –I took my exams, didn’t I? At least I think I did…”

–You should come outside,” James advised him. –Spend some time with us. You know, while--”

Sirius held up a hand. –Please, don’t finish that sentence with ‘while we still can.’”

James grinned.

–Besides,” Sirius continued, sitting up straight and stacking his notes, –you won’t have much time to be lounging around outside anymore. You have jobs to do!”

–You finished?” James asked, his eyes lighting up.

–I did,” Sirius said somewhat smugly. –I will assign you all your tasks tonight, when we are all together.”

–No fair!” James yelped, hitting him on the shoulder. –I’m supposed to be your best friend! We share everything.”

–Not true,” Sirius said mildly. –We don’t, for example, share Lily.”

–Hey,” James growled. –Watch it.”

But Sirius merely laughed.

James scowled at him for a second, but then continued persistently, –You know our pranks always work out better when both of us look them over.”

Sirius looked unconvinced.

–Come on,” James wheedled. –It’s still your baby. I’m just a second pair of eyes.”

–Well,” Sirius conceded, –it is an awfully large endeavor.”

–Yes!” James said giddily, and almost habitually they both bent forward.

–All right,” Sirius began, moving stacks of his notes around. –I have this organized by person--we all have different jobs…”

When Remus and Peter came in that evening, followed some time later by Lily, they found James and Sirius still leaning over the table, deeply and almost feverishly in discussion.

---

The night before the Leaving Feast, the five of them met in the Gryffindor common room, some time after midnight for the last phase of preparations. Peter, who was normally jittery before a prank, seemed remarkably calm. When Remus asked him about it, Peter shrugged. –What are they going to do if they catch us, chuck us out?” he asked. –We’re leaving tomorrow anyway.”

Sirius looked rather disappointed.

–Don’t worry,” James consoled him. –This is such a large-scale prank, it’ll be a miracle if it works out at all!” And Sirius brightened considerably.

–It’ll be a miracle alone if the Slytherins cooperate,” Lily muttered, and James elbowed her in the side.

–To business!” Sirius cried, clapping his hands. –You all have your assignments?”

They all nodded, although Lily rolled her eyes in the process. James elbowed her again.

Sirius was now pacing across the floor in front of them. –There is the matter,” he said, –of the Invisibility Cloak. Since we’re not all going together, we can’t, of course, all take the cloak. Wormtail doesn’t need, and Moony has the map, so that knocks them off. I’m staying in the castle, and I’m fairly confident I can get around without any…apparatuses. Which leaves the two of you,” he finished, looking at James and Lily.

–Lily should take it, of course,” James said gallantly.

But she was laughing. –I don’t think so,” she said, holding up a hand as he began to protest. –You have to go out onto the grounds, which is a lot riskier than just running around the castle. Besides, it matters less if I get caught--I’m Head Girl, my record is clean, and Filch doesn’t have it out for me the way he does for you.”

Sirius looked at James. –She has a point,” he said. –Several, actually.”

James sighed, but smiled. –She always does,” he said fondly, and Lily wrinkled her nose at him.

–Well, now that that’s taken care of…” Sirius said. –First battalion, to your stations!”

And Peter transformed into the small brown rat. Remus knelt and scooped him up, perching him on his shoulder. Then, the Marauder’s Map clutched in one hand, Remus winked and pushed out of the portrait hole. Sirius saluted him smartly.

–Can you imagine Sirius having children?” Lily whispered to James. –He’ll be setting them up to wage war on each other before they even know how to walk.”

–His poor future wife,” James agreed. –It’s going to be a madhouse.”

Lily giggled, and Sirius turned towards them, frowning. –Now, children,” he chided, and Lily doubled over in another fit of laughter. James, straight-faced, patted her on the back.

–Stop that,” Sirius said. –I’m worried enough as it is--you are our weakest link, after all.”

–What?” Lily yelped, sitting up indignantly. –I am not!”

–Lily, Lily,” Sirius said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. –When people have been making mischief together as long as the four of us have, the whole process becomes a well-oiled machine. Throw in someone new--even someone as capable as you--and it has the potential to mess everything up.”

–You know, I have done this before,” Lily muttered.

–Not on this scale,” Sirius persisted. –And I feel nervous enough sending you to the kitchens…that’s James’s place, usually…”

–Relax, Padfoot,” James said, as Lily opened her mouth to retaliate. –Lily’s been down there before, they like her just fine--better by far, actually, than they like you. Besides, Blinken knows she’s coming, it’ll work out nicely.”

–Okay,” Sirius said, suddenly meek. –It’s just a very important part of the plan!”

–I know,” James said soothingly. –And Lily knows. And it’ll be just fine.”

–It better be,” Sirius said, mock-stern, shaking his finger at them. –Now let’s do it. We’ve a lot of ground to cover tonight.” And he marched through the portrait hole.

Alone in the common room, Lily turned to face James, who winced.

–I know, I know,” he said, holding up his hands. –You can fight your own battles, you don’t need me to handle Sirius for you, I’m sorry--”

–No,” Lily interrupted him, and he saw that she was smiling faintly. –Actually, I was only going to say--that was rather Head Boy of you.”

–Oh,” James said, taken aback. –Well.” He offered her his arm. –Shall we?”

She took it. –Why not.”

---

Peter scurried down a bench in the Great Hall, his bald tail whipping wildly in the torchlight, feeling almost giddy. Running around the castle as a rat had its own dangers--no cats tonight yet, thankfully--but somehow, they seemed farther away. He was never as afraid of things as a rat. He was smaller, quicker, more cunning. Nothing could touch him.

–Seven,” he thought as he ran along the bench, –eight, nine…” Abruptly, he stopped, rose once onto his hind legs, and then scratched a small, deep X into the bench with his claws.

From the beginning, there was no doubt that this job was to be Peter’s. It was not only because he could make himself small--it was that figures and diagrams simply stuck in his head. When they were making the Marauders’ Map, he had been of little help with the magic of the thing, but he had been meticulous in the initial steps, in plotting out the places of the castle they knew. And it was with that same plodding focus that he now moved his way down the benches, steadily marking the places he had memorized.

---

Remus, for his part, still felt that faint thrill at breaking the rules as he stole through the dark corridors. It wasn’t, of course, as though he had never snuck out at night--indeed, half his life seemed to be spent sneaking. But it was a school-sanctioned sort of sneaking, a means to an end. And often, when Sirius and James and Peter did sneak around, it was usually to the Shrieking Shack at the full moon, to see Remus himself. And so wandering around the castle, alone, was still unfamiliar for him, still exciting.

He ducked into an alcove as soon as he was some distance from the Great Hall and Peter. –Lumos,” he murmured, and then, unfurling the map in his hand by wandlight, –I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

He scanned the map for a moment, finding, just for nostalgia’s sake, Peter’s dot running back and forth in the Great Hall, and James moving out onto the grounds. Lily he found at the kitchens, and after a moment, he located Sirius near the dungeons. Finally, his eyes landed on his own dot; he beamed at it, and did an impromptu little jig, watching his dot jump about on the page. Then he collected himself and settled down to business.

The map crumpled loosely in his hand, he stepped out into the corridor, his wand brightly lit. He’d only walked a few paces when a sudden movement on the map snagged his eye; frowning slightly, he muttered, –Mischief Managed!” to wipe it just as a voice behind him cried –Oi! You! Stop right there!”

---

Lily reached the kitchens with much speed and little trouble, and got through them with more of the same. The house-elves, remembering her favorably due to her association with James, were helpful and alert, and Sirius’s directions were so thorough that there was next to no confusion at all. And so when Lily slipped through the painting of fruit that disguised the entrance to the kitchens, it was with the feeling that her night of mischief--and her last night at Hogwarts--could not be over quite yet.

She was expecting the journey to the grounds to be rather more difficult than her jaunt through the darkened corridors, but much to her relief, she encountered neither caretaker nor ghost as she finally pressed quietly out into the cool June air. James’s task, she knew, was slated to take a bit longer than hers, and she hoped he was still where he was supposed to be.

She was not disappointed. She found him standing in the broomshed, some ways from the Quidditch pitch, scrutinizing the wall of brooms before him. Lily knocked purposefully into the wall, rattling a few of the brooms, and James whipped around, his wand in his hand. Lily laughed and went to him, now brushing playfully into his side. –Going to hex me?” she asked.

–Sorry,” James said bashfully, lowering his wand. –Wasn’t expecting to see you here, though!”

Lily shrugged. –I finished up in the kitchens pretty quickly,” she said. –Didn’t want to go back.”

–Well,” James admitted, –I could use a little help, here.”

She turned to survey the brooms with him. –There are a lot of them,” she said. –I’m surprised Sirius didn’t just have me meet you down here in the first place, to help you get them all back.”

James tilted his head slightly to one side. –It’s not that,” he said. –I could probably manage on my own. It’s just--” he sighed heavily, and Lily looked at him quizzically. –It’s just that it’s weird, you know? I’m not Quidditch captain anymore. In fact, I’m not even on a team anymore. I may never play again.”

Lily shook her head. –You will,” she assured him, pressing closer to his side with whatever comfort she could offer. –You love it too much not to find a way.”

–I hope so,” James said quietly. –It’ll…be different though. I mean, it isn’t going to be easy anymore.”

–Maybe not,” Lily grinned, –but really, when has it ever been easy?”

And now he turned to look at her fully, his face splitting into a grin. –Fair point,” he said, then quirked an eyebrow. –Hey--remember where we were a year ago today?”

She pretended to think about it. –Hmm,” she said, moving closer to him, her arms going already around his neck. –Night before the Leaving Feast…I vaguely recall it…maybe you should remind me?”

So he did.

A little while later, Lily was feeling rather flushed as James nuzzled his face into her hair. –You know,” she said, –maybe Sirius knew what he was doing, not letting us do this together.”

She felt James laugh. –He was always too smart for his own good,” he said. –Let’s get this show on the road then, eh?”

Lily nodded as they both straightened, turned, and standing shoulder to shoulder, raised their wands at the brooms on the walls. A few moments later, all the brooms had been shrunk to toy-sized, and they hurriedly piled them into the sack James had brought.

–I really wish the school would invest in better brooms,” he said, shaking his head. –I mean, I know anyone who’s serious about Quidditch has their own, but Shooting Stars? Really? How’s anyone supposed to get enjoyment out of flying that way?”

Lily just looked at him.

–Sorry,” he said, making a face at her. –But it’s true.”

–I’ll take your word for it,” she said. –Now let’s go. We’ve got to get these back to the kitchens before the sun comes up.”

---

Sirius held his breath lightly as he stood outside the dungeons.

It was his last stop of the night--he’d swung by the Hufflepuffs near the kitchens and the Ravenclaws up in the towers already, largely without incident, and now here he was, standing in front of the common room to the house that had always, even when he was a child, given him the most trouble.

He wasn’t nervous--he’d told himself a hundred times that he wasn’t nervous--but at this point, there was something undeniably unsettling about laying the last of his hopes on a couple of Slytherins. He hadn’t told the others how much the plan hinged on their cooperation--and, indeed, it could be done without them--but Sirius wanted a complete success, and that meant the Slytherins had to be involved.

He had barely been standing there a minute when Regulus appeared before him, almost out of thin air.

Sirius jumped, and then swore inwardly at his own skittishness as Regulus grinned. –Merlin, Reg,” he said. –Got an Invisibility Cloak I don’t know about?”

Regulus rolled his eyes. –I’m just good at not being seen,” he said.

A moment of silence stretched between them. –Well…?” Sirius finally asked.

Regulus merely looked at him for a long minute. –Snape’s out,” he said finally. –And so are Mulciber and Avery. But they weren’t planning on even going to the Great Hall for breakfast tomorrow, so that’s about the best you can ask for, I think.”

Sirius exhaled. –And the rest?” he asked.

It seemed to take Regulus an age to answer, but eventually, he did. –The rest are in,” he said. –They don’t like you very much, but they had to admit that they liked the plan. And there isn’t the bad blood there, with James, the way it is with the others.”

Sirius nodded mutely, not entirely sure he trusted himself to speak.

–That all?” Regulus asked. –Because, if it’s all the same to you, I’d really like to go back to bed now.”

–Yeah,” Sirius said. –Yeah that’s all. And Reg?” His brother turned to face him, eyes inscrutable. –Thanks.”

Regulus nodded curtly, and disappeared.

Sirius made it back to the Gryffindor common room with time to spare. He was, by no means, the first back--Remus and Peter were both asleep in armchairs when he arrived, and Lily and James were standing in the middle of the common room, looking suspiciously out of breath.

–Just get back?” Sirius asked them. –Because, according to my calculations, Lily should have arrived ages ago, and James should’ve been here for twenty minutes at least.”

They both stared at him rather guiltily, and he grinned.

–Just want everything to go according to plan, that’s all,” he said serenely, and glided over to wake up the other two.

When he had them all lined up in the center of the room, blinking blearily, he barked, –Moony! Report!”

Remus allowed himself a rare, smug grin. –Well,” he said, –I got Peter to the Great Hall on time, got out the map, and ran into Filch almost instantly.”

–What?” yelped James, Lily, and Peter together, and Sirius chuckled.

–Sorry, sorry!” he said as everyone turned to look at him. –It was just too good to tell anyone about…but it’s part of the plan!”

–Part…part of the prank?” James spluttered. –To get caught?”

–Not only to get caught,” Sirius said with a wink, –but to get caught…”

–With the Map,” Remus finished for him.

James was nearly apoplectic. –You mean…Filch has the map?”

Sirius nodded solemnly. –Just think for a minute,” he said. –We’re leaving, we don’t need it anymore. But it’s one of our best pieces of work, and it’s finally finished--do we really want to take it with us, where it’ll be worthless?”

–We could have always left it to our kids or something,” James grumbled. –Besides, look where it is now, probably locked away in Filch’s office somewhere! It’s practically worthless as is!”

Sirius shook his head, looking disappointed. –Prongs, Prongs,” he said. –Think back. Our first week here, back when we were eleven? What did we do?”

–Um,” James said, –got hauled into Filch’s office for setting off Dungbombs in the Transfiguration wing--Merlin, we were--”

–--such amateurs,” Sirius muttered with him.

James grinned at him. –Well, and of course the second we were in Filch’s office we noticed the locked filing cabinets and--oh. Oh, I see.”

Peter was looking back and forth between them. –What--” he asked.

–Don’t you see?” Sirius said excitedly.

–I used the Map in front of Filch,” Remus explained. –Not enough that he’d know how to work it--if he could, even--but enough so that he’ll know what it is.”

–And of course, he’s bound to put it in some cabinet labeled ‘Highly Dangerous’ or ‘Confiscated with Purpose’ or something,” Sirius interjected, unable to control himself, –which means it is poised in the perfect position to be found by the next generation of worthy Hogwarts troublemakers.”

James looked impressed in spite of himself; Peter, nearly awestruck. Lily, however, was frowning. –How will they know how to access it?” she asked. –I mean, isn’t the Map wiped?”

Sirius and James grinned at each other. –We built in a couple safeties,” James said. –It’ll be able to recognize true mischief-makers, and, you know, help them out a little.”

Sirius looked gleeful for a moment, and then snapped to attention. –Right,” he said. –Anyway, that’s taken care of. Everyone else?”

Lily nodded. –Got through the kitchens without incident, everything’s set!”

Beside her, James smirked. –Got my package delivered to the kitchens as well,” he said, –a little after that.”

Peter nodded his affirmative. –The Great Hall is all ready for tomorrow, as well,” he said.

Sirius nodded. –And I’ve talked to everyone that needs talking to,” he said. –Chance willing, we’re ready to go.”

James exhaled. –So,” he said. –What now?”

Sirius shrugged. –Now?” he said. –Now, I suggest we go to bed. It is our last night in this tower, after all.”

–Buzzkill,” Lily muttered, bumping him playfully with her hip as she walked past. –Now I’ll never sleep.”

–You know,” James yawned, stretching his arms over his head, –I’m not entirely sure I’ve packed…”

–Well,” Remus said wryly, –I’m not worried about leaving now. Some things clearly never change.”

---

There was a certain nervous energy in the dorms the next morning. Lily, who had slept fitfully, scrambled out of bed the second it was light out, only to find Mary, Leda, and Amelia all awake themselves, smiling sheepishly. Mary, of course, was practically in tears all morning, alternating between a nearly manic excitement and a nearly debilitating devastation at the thought of leaving. The rest of them didn’t say much, merely exchanging amused glances as they fluttered around Mary. Lily caught Leda’s eye only once before looking away--the smile the other girl gave her was somewhat tight, but it was there.

She ran into James just outside the Great Hall, where he stood looking concerned. –What’s up?” she asked him worriedly.

–It’s Sirius,” James said. –We can’t find him.”

–What?” gasped Lily. –No way he wouldn’t be around for this, he’s been planning it for weeks!”

–I know,” James said. –I can’t think where he would’ve gotten off too…but he’s been gone since we woke up this morning. Remus and Peter are looking for him now, but…”

As he spoke, however, Remus came jogging towards them from down the corridor shaking his head, and Peter appeared from the Great Hall.

–Nothing?” James asked, and the looks on their faces confirmed it.

–So…” Peter asked, –so what do we do now? Call it off?”

–No,” James said firmly. –No, we continue as planned. If I know Sirius, he’s got something up his sleeve…probably wants it to be a surprise…”

Peter looked relieved. Remus seemed less convinced, but said nothing, and James ushered them all inside. –Come on,” he said. –Better find a seat while we still can.”

They moved towards the Gryffindor table, keeping an eye out for the X’s marked on the benches. James had to gently nudge a second year down the bench, but eventually they all made it into an appropriate seat.

The tables slowly filled around them; the seventh-years had arrived the earliest, most of them looking excited, some anxious. As the last, lagging students stumbled into the Great Hall, James looked around futilely one last time, but there was still no sign of Sirius.

At the front of the room, Dumbledore had risen to his feet and was speaking, but James was hardly listening--it was just the same version of the speech he heard every year, and it barely mattered that this was his last, because where was Sirius?

Of all the times to pull a stunt like this… James thought, a note of irritation creeping through his worry. But already his brain was whirring. I’ve got a room full of people with a prank to pull, and no idea wheat to do with them. Sirius said there would be a signal and it would be obvious, but if he’s not here, then I’m going to have to do something. We could--

But even as he was thinking it, there was a sudden lull in the Hall as Dumbledore finished speaking. Serenely, the Headmaster returned to his seat, sat down, and folded his hands in his lap. And barely a moment later, the doors to the Great Hall slammed open, and Sirius roared in on the back of his motorbike, grinning wildly. Almost simultaneously, tiny broomsticks appeared alongside the plates of the seventh-years.

Sirius revved the motorcycle, hunched his shoulders, and jolted forward into the air. Several younger students screamed, and a few professors looked at each other in alarm. James, whose frantic, last-minute planning had disappeared at the sight of his best friend--leapt to his feet and bawled, –That’s your signal, boys and girls!”

Pointing his wand at his miniature broomstick, he muttered, –Engorgio!” and then grabbed it as it shot out to full-length. All around the Great Hall, other seventh-years were doing the same, leaping into the air to join Sirius.

James’s broomstick was his own broomstick--he had made sure of that throughout the planning process-and he swung a familiar leg over it, feeling surer of it than almost anything.


Beside him, Lily stood on the bench as well, holding her own broom. –It’s not too late to ride double,” James told her, but she shook her head.

–I can do it,” she said, and he smiled. Wordlessly, he turned, gripped the handle of his broom, bent his knees, and sprang into the air. Beside him, Lily did the same, her face set, slightly unsure, but determined. And then there they all were, balanced in the air, the whole flock of them, giddy and laughing, all House colors, even Slytherin, glowing proudly in the sun.

Below them was chaos--something crazy on the last day was somewhat expected of Sirius Black and James Potter, but a collaboration on this scale was unheard of. Teachers were looking at each other, open-mouthed, students were scrambling, bewildered, and Sirius braced himself on his handlebars and pushed himself up so he was standing on the back of his motorcycle. More than a few people gasped as he executed a low bow in Dumbledore’s direction.

–Hogwarts,” he shouted, –it’s been a pleasure.”

And then, with a loud whoop, he slid back into his seat, whirled his bike around, and accelerated straight through the large window at the end of the hall.

The glass shattered inward, hanging in the air for too long to be anything but magic. The sun skipped brightly across the glass as the crowd of broomsticks streamed through the window and out onto the grounds. Bringing up the rear was Remus, his wand out and trained on the broken window. As soon as he was through, he waved it, murmuring, and the window pieces flew back together, whole.

He hovered there for a moment, thinking, then James zipped up behind him, Lily on his heels. Peter, noticing, broke away from the group and wobbled over, clinging tightly to the handle of his broom. And finally Sirius joined them, slightly flushed, his engine purring.

–So,” James said dryly, –you didn’t think to mention you’d be using that?”

Sirius patted the motorcycle. –Last minute inspiration,” he said. –Besides, I wouldn’t want to give away all my secrets!”

–Sure you do,” James said, rolling his eyes.

–Hey,” Lily interrupted, cocking her head. –Listen to that.”

They did, turning their heads towards the newly repaired window, through which they could hear an explosion of sound.

–They’re cheering,” Remus said wonderingly. –That’s applause.”

–Best last day ever,” Sirius said happily. –They’re going to have a tough time calming that lot down.”

–Oh, I know,” James said. –They’ll remember us forever.”

Sirius grinned. –Can’t argue with that,” he said.

Remus looked back at the lake, over which the rest of their classmates were now flying. –So,” he asked, –now what?”

They all looked at each other.

–Good question,” James said.

–What not?” Sirius said rhapsodically, and they all groaned.

–We should probably get on the Hogwarts Express at some point,” Peter said, and everyone laughed at that before one-by-one turning to look at Lily.

–What?” she asked.

–It’s kind of your turn,” James said. –No parting comments?”

–Any Hogwarts last words?” Sirius quipped.

Lily was silent for a long moment, following Remus’s gaze across the grounds. Then she turned to look at them all, and smiled.

–Don’t worry,” she said, leaning forward into her broomstick as though she was ready to take flight at the touch of anything. –It’s not the end."

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