Trusting the Enemy

Chapter One

"Lily," Carmen hissed, pulling at her dormant friend’s sleeve. "Pssst, Lily! Wake up!"

Lily opened her eyes slowly, savoring the lingering traces of sleep. She didn’t want to wake up. Why did she have to wake up? It’s wasn’t as if she was the center of the Universe. The world could go on with out her, couldn’t it?

Apparently not.

Lily sat up and looked around her, only to find the entire Potions class staring back. "We’re waiting, Miss Evans," the Potions master, Professor Huan, spoke, her voice cold and impatient.

Lily froze. Oh, no, not today, she thought. Any day but today.

Today had been the day the Head Boy and Girl were announced at breakfast, and just as Lily had suspected, or, more accurately, dreaded, she was Head Girl. This didn’t sit well with Professor Huan, head of Slytherin house.

She’s just mad because she’s only got a Head Boy and not a Head Girl as well, she laughed silently. Although, considering who the Head Boy is, I can’t blame her. Who in the world would be proud of James Potter?

However amusing this prospect was, Lily was still in a bad fix. She couldn’t very well ask Professor Huan to repeat the question. The memory of detention on her first day at Hogwarts in first year was still painfully fresh in her mind.

Someone tapped Lily on the shoulder. Lily looked around at Carmen, her eyes questioning, but Carmen shook her head. Then she pointed to a piece of parchment on Lily’s desk that hadn’t been there before.

Lily glanced at the parchment, recognizing at once Allison’s small, neat, and small handwriting. Lily squinted to read it.

Name the potion that is also known as the "Sleeping Death"
Davra-dormiens

Lily looked back up at Professor Huan, whose lips had curled into what was part smirk, part sneer.

"Do you not know the answer, Miss Evans?" she asked mockingly. "Why, I would have thought the Head Girl would know the answer to a simple question like that."

Lily felt the color rise in her cheeks as she heard the snickers of appreciation for the professor’s work from the Slytherins. Why couldn’t she just leave her alone?

"The answer is Davra-dormiens," she said coolly, her green eyes meeting Professor Huan’s gray ones.

The laughter in her face quickly turned to surprise, and more quickly still, to anger. "Well," she said icily, "I appear to be mistaken."

But just as Lily was congratulating herself on conquering evil and injustice, or at least managing to wrangle her way out of total humiliation, Professor Huan caught sight of the note on Lily’s desk. The following scene was not pretty.

Professor Huan’s voice got dangerously soft. "It is good to know that some one knows the answer to this question. However," her eyes flashed in triumph, and Lily knew she was doomed, "that person is not Miss Evans, as I had specified this question to be answered by, but instead Miss McShanen."

The dungeon had gone deathly silent. Allison hid her face behind a book, pretending she hadn’t heard her name, or indeed wasn’t listening at all. But she was, Lily could tell by the fact that the book Allison was ‘reading’ was upside down.

"What have I said before about notes?" Professor Huan asked no one in particular. No one volunteered an answer. This only seemed to infuriate her more.

"I have said," she informed the usually less-than-attentive class, whom now was riveted on her every word, "that I despise them. I loathe them. I won’t tolerate them in this class room and I dare you to try and pass them."

She looked down at Lily and Allison, as did the rest of the class, like they were something nasty and smelly on the bottom of her shoe.

Professor Huan waited for this to sink in (it took a while for some of the students, Ludo Bagman in particular), before resuming her tirade.

"Now, not only have you two girls broken that honored rule, but you have done it with the purpose of cheating." She lowered his voice, saying the last word with absolute revulsion.

"Bet she wouldn’t be saying that if it was James Potter and Sirius Black," Jen whispered in disgust. Professor Huan, by some incredible stroke of luck, did not hear her.

"Now, what do I think about cheating?" Professor Huan once again posed a question to the class. However, unlike before, someone did answer it.

"You despise it and loathe it and won’t tolerate it in this classroom and you dare us to try it," Carmen muttered under her breath. This time, Professor Huan did hear, but chose to ignore her. Two Gryffindors was all she could handle at a time. She’d punish McKinnons severely for mocking her later.

"Now," she continued, "one of those alone would earn you a detention and ten points from Gryffindor each," she accented the ‘each’, "but two of them together? My, my, my, I’ve never had that problem before. Now what shall I do?" She turned to a group of four Slytherin boys, all of whom were sniggering heartily.

"Mr. Potter? Suggestions, please?" Lily groaned inwardly. Maybe if Professor Huan had given them the detentions right then and there she might have been saved from more embarrassment and at least had a chance of survival.

But with James Potter and his entourage on the case, Lily could be sure that their consequences wouldn’t be light.

Frank Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor, raised his hand. "Excuse me, Professor, but I don’t think it is responsible of you to let students decide other students’ punishments. Nor do I think that the Headmaster would uphold your method of teaching."

Lily had to hand it to him, for all his fancy words and polite manners, Frank was truly courageous. He would have to be to stand up to Professor Huan.

Professor Huan, on the other hand, did not think so. "I didn’t ask for your opinion, Longbottom!" she snapped, eyes blazing fury that a Gryffindor had even dared to reprimand her.

Sirius Black chose this very moment to deliver the group’s verdict for Lily and Allison.

"We think they should have two detentions each." He paused to look back at the other three boys. Lily could see James scribbling something down on spare parchment. All four boys laughed uproariously when he had finished.

"On, no, that can’t be good," Allison muttered, abandoning her reading act.

"Oh, c’mon, Ali, stop worrying over nothing. I’m sure Potter just told them a joke," Jen soothed, but she, too, looked worried.

"Yeah, here’s a good one," Carmen began sarcastically, "what’s the easiest way to kill off two annoying Gryffindor girls? Well, gee, I don’t know. Give up? Yes. Send them to detention in the Forbidden Forest!" She put on a fake cheery smile. "Guaranteed to rid yourselves of unwanted rivals or you money back!"

"Carmen, you are not helping!" Lily hissed, her nerves getting the better of her. She wished the Slytherins would just get on with it and tell them how they were going to perish, so she could finish agonizing and go make funeral arrangements.

Remus finished laughing first, took the parchment with James’s handwriting sprawling all over it, and began to read from it for the benefit of all the Slytherins.

"Like we were saying," he began, "two detentions each for Evans and McShanen, and fifty points from Gryffindor....."

"Fifty?!" Allison gasped. Jen’s face darkened. "Why, I oughta....." but was silenced by a look from Lily.

"Also," Peter butted in, "a detention each for McKinnons and Bones. They were mocking you earlier, sir."

Professor Huan nodded her approval. "It shall be done." She looked at the four girls. "You hear? Two detentions for you," she pointed at Lily and Allison, "and one detention for you," she pointed at Carmen and Jen. "As well as fifty points."

Lily was trying to prevent the blush of humiliation that was crawling up her neck, threatening to overcome her. Carmen looked shocked, as though Professor Huan or perhaps Remus had just slapped her. Jen’s face was menacing, her eyes dark with anger. Allison looked as though she was fighting tears.

Sounds of students in the corridors outside the dungeon alerted the Professor of the end of class. She waved her hand at the door as a sign of dismissal. The Slytherins were all gathered around James and Co., no doubt congratulating them on their fine performance.

The group jeered as the four girls walked past.

"Ignore it, ignore it, ignore it," Lily muttered to Jen, who looked ready to deck any Slytherin who came within a ten foot boundary of her, holding her head high as she swept past the group of loathsome boys.

To Lily’s surprise, however, it was Carmen and not Jen who exploded as soon as they were out safely in the corridor.

"Of all the nerve!" she fumed. "Mocking us in front of the whole class! Treating Lily like she’s stupid just because she happened to fall asleep in class! Maybe if Huan didn’t bore us to sleep we’d actually pay attention. You know, Lil, I’m glad you’re Head Girl and not that arrogant, conceited excuse for a human being, Saraphina Sanchez." Carmen said the name with the utmost repugnance.

"Shows her that you don’t have to have pure blood to have talent," Jen said in contempt.

"I bet Huan isn’t too happy now," Allison agreed, then added, "she’s spent the last six years breeding Potter and Sanchez for the roles of Head Boy and Girl, and what happens? A Muggle-born Gryffindor girl steals the title right under Sanchez’s perfectly powdered nose."

"Yeah, too bad Potter made the cut," Jen said gloomily. "Frank gave him a run for his money, though," Lily pointed out. She liked Frank Longbottom, her mannerly and dependable classmate. Friendly, never rude, and always willing to help out. There should be more people like Frank. Lily looked around at her friends. It surprised her how different from each other they were, and yet here they were, all nodding in agreement.

First, there was Jen the Tempermental. Hated by Slytherins, lauded by Gryffindors, and basically avoided by everyone else, Jen was not someone you wanted to cross; or make cross, for that matter.

Second was Carmen the Sarcastic, whose lack of height was made up for by her ravaging wit. All too often had a hapless foe become a victim of her vicious, and always dead on target insults. Always clever with her comebacks, lily wouldn’t have been surprised if she carried around thesaurus just in case she needed a particularly malicious word.

Third was Allison the Dreamer. Always the peacemaker, Allison solved every squabble, argument or spat that interrupted the tranquil peace, or, usually, the deafening noise, or Gryffindor Tower. She was also very easy to find when you needed her; just find an open window looking out onto the grounds and voila', there would be Allison, staring out the window, an open book in her lap, dreaming her fantasies.

Then, finally, there was Lily Herself. Viewed usually as the most normal of the group, or, in far more accurate terms, the least crazy one. Always the voice of reason and logic, everyone seemed to come to her with their problems, like she was the answer to their prayers. It did get rather annoying after a while.

"Lily, Jen! Carmen, Allison! Wait up!" Lily turned to see who was addressing her and her friends. Frank Longbottom, his best friend Tim Johnson, and a rather bewildered Ludo Bagman were hurrying to catch up with them. She paused to wait for the trio, motioning for her friends to do the same.

"Whew!" Tim gasped when the boys had caught up with the girls. "Huan was really on the warpath today!" "Tell me about it," Lily grumbled. She really wasn’t in the mood to rehash the events of Potions class.

Frank seemed to sense what she was feeling. "We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to," he said quickly.

Carmen nodded. "Well, not talking about it gets my vote. I need time to get over the deep scars of humiliation." Jen smiled to herself. She couldn’t help it; Carmen could be hilarious if she’d stop insulting you long enough for a joke or two.

"I second that motion," Allison agreed, raising her hand.

"All in favor say ‘Aye’," Lily commanded. Lily, although never realizing it, had always been the leader of the small pack of Gryffindors.

"Aye," all seven of the Gryffindors answered, raising their hands. The vote was unanimous.

By this time, they had reached the Great Hall, where lunch was already in progress. Lily looked glumly at the giant hourglasses on the left side of the hall that were keeping the House Cup scores. Gryffindor’s looked decidedly lower.

There was a whisper at her ear. "You know, nobody blames you for losing points."
Lily turned suddenly, startled, only to see Frank peer at her with an earnest concern. She felt slightly embarrassed at her nervousness.

Frank hadn’t seemed to notice. "It’s not your fault. Huan was just in another one of her foul moods today. All she needed was someone to take it out on, and, unluckily for you, you and Allison proved to be the perfect targets." He shook his head in disgust. "But nobody’s angry with you, you’ll see. They’ll understand."

But Lily, seeing the shocked faces of fellow Gryffindors as they, too, saw the House Cup scores, wasn’t so sure about that.
********************************
"Potter, Black, Lupin! Get over here!" Professor McGonagall’s war cry echoed through the Great Hall. Sirius ducked his head, hoping he hadn’t been seen. That hope was squashed, however, when McGonagall’s final "Now" sucked the last bit of courage Sirius had right out of him. He slowly crossed the Great Hall, aware of every face turned towards him as he cautiously advanced to where Professor McGonagall was standing, hands on hips, James and Remus already standing meekly besides her. Clearly they hadn’t received their punishments yet; they looked about as nervous as an elephant around mice.

"Yes, Professor?" Sirius asked innocently, giving her his most winning smile and praying that she merely needed him to run some errand. Not that he was the suck-up type, but, hey, anything to get out detention.

Whether it was the prayer or the smile that backfired, Sirius never knew. All he knew was that things suddenly got very, very nasty.

Professor McGonagall’s nostrils were flared in anger and she was breathing hard. She held up the remains of what once was a very fine suit of armor; one rather battered helmet and five small pieces of what could have been a sword, or maybe breast plate; it was hard to tell.

"Explain." With just that one word, Sirius saw his life flash before his eyes. The old school legends of mischievous students sent off to detention and never seen again filled his mind.

James and Remus looked at Sirius helplessly.

"Well, er, I don’t know. I didn’t do anything," Sirius lied, fingers crossed.

Professor McGonagall’s eyes bored into Sirius. "So you didn’t have anything to do with it, but they did?" she motioned at James and Remus. Both glared at Sirius, as if daring him to make a false move.

"No! No, that’s not what I said at all," Sirius lied anxiously. It wasn’t like McGonagall to drag things out if she though you were innocent...which, in a matter of fact, Sirius wasn’t. Come to think of it, James and Remus weren’t, either.

"So none of you took part in any way, shape, or form in this juvenile act?" McGonagall asked, giving them each a long hard stare. All three boys nodded no.

"Then who, may I ask, is responsible for this vandalism?" Sirius gulped. He wasn’t ready for this question. Desperately he sought someone, anyone, to pin the blame on.......

Snape! Severus Snape, long despised enemy of Sirius’! But, no, Snape was in Slytherin as well, and any points he lost would affect Sirius as well. Who, then? Who else was hated enough to take the blame..........

Evans! Evans and her Gryffindor group! Even though the girls had been in Potions all morning, Huan would cover the three boys. Huan hated the four girls almost as much as the Slytherins did.

Another detention for them, and a loss of points for Gryffindor! It was almost too perfect to believe.

Sirius made eye contact with Remus and James and muttered his plan of action soundlessly, hoping they could lip read.

"Evans, Professor," James said respectfully. "It was Evans’ group." Sirius held his breath, waiting for McGonagall to take the bait.

"I see," Professor McGonagall replied icily. "And just how do you know this? I had thought you had nothing to do with this."

"Well, er..." James trailed off, but Remus saved him. "We were informed by one of our fellow Slytherins, who swears he saw the whole thing." "And who was this student?" McGonagall didn’t miss a trick. Remus’ blanched. "I....I don’t remember," he stuttered.

"Well, whoever it was had better get his eyes checked," McGonagall continued, "because Evans and her fellow Gryffindor friends have been in Potions class all morning." She smiled at the Slytherins’ faces of astonishment. "Professor Huan was very eager to inform me of their insolent conduct."

Sirius froze, as did James and Remus.

"You will all three be receiving detention," McGonagall said crisply. James began in protest. "But, Professor, you can’t do that! You haven’t proven it was us!" But McGonagall held up a hand for silence. "Oh, I believe I have all the proof I need."

She held up a hand, enclosed on a book whose cover read Defense Against the Dark Arts: Book 7.

And there, under the title was a signature Sirius knew very well.

"Remus, you’re dead," he muttered darkly.