Veiled Revelations

Chapter One

Head Boy, Head Girl

'"What is that, James?"

"I don't know...but I don't like it."

"It's coming to the door..."

"I'll see who it is."

"Be careful..."'

A crash.

'"Lily! Take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

A high-pitched laugh.

A flash of green light.

James Potter woke up with a shock as his head hit the hard wooden floor with a resounding crack. He trembled as he tried to detangle himself from his sheets, which were as drenched with sweat as he was. James finally managed to break free of the sheets and tossed them back onto the bed he was sleeping in (or had been sleeping in until he had fallen out of it). Checking the clock, he saw that it was only 3:46 in the morning, but he wasn't tired. The dream was fading quickly from his memory, and he was still freezing cold and shivering: Shivering from the sweat...or from the voice? James ran a hand through his already untidy black hair. He wondered why the room was so blurry. Had he messed up his eyesight with the fall?

He turned in panic, hoping for some comfort. He dimly focused on his nightstand. He could make out the shape of eye glasses on it, and mentally hit himself on the head. No wonder it's blurry, git, you wear glasses. James grabbed his glasses and a sweatshirt, wondering why the dream had bothered him so much. He couldn't recall the names in the dream, so he didn't see why it was such a big deal. The only thing he could really remember was feeling extremely panicky, and a petrifying, high-pitched laughter.

Just the thought of it sent shivers up his spine, and he was positive that it wasn't because of the sweat. He had a feeling he was the only one awake, though the sound of the crash, he realized suddenly, had probably woken everyone up. He felt extremely embarrassed, and quickly left his room on the third floor and power-walked to the downstairs lobby of his house. He glanced in the direction of the kitchen, but tonight he decided not to raid the kitchen. In fact, he decided not even to stay in the house. He stepped out of the front door, but what emerged on the other side looked nothing like the tall, lean, bespectacled seventeen year old. It was a beautiful stag, and it leapt towards the dense forest behind the Potter home.

With no clear objective, the stag wandered the woods, pausing here and there to take in the sights and sounds. After only about ten minutes, however, the quiet of the woods was interrupted by the sound of another animal approaching at a very high speed. Listening closely, the stag could tell by the footfalls that the forthcoming animal was large. Cautious - yet not frightened - the stag backed up a few paces and bent its ornately antlered head down. Whatever was coming would be speared long before it could rip the stag's flesh.

The running animal slowed to a trot, a walk, and finally crept slowly forward into the clearing near the stag. Illuminated by a full moon, the stag saw that the animal was a dog. Not just any dog, however. It was an enormous (close to the size of a black bear) animal and its coat was jet black. The only part not black were the two luminous yellow eyes that were staring directly at the stag. The dog took a step closer, and then it was no longer a dog, but an extremely handsome young man with perfect black hair, but the same striking yellow eyes. He cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "Come out, come out, Prongs," he laughed.

The stag slowly entered the clearing, and became James Potter, untidy black hair and all.

"Yeah, I figured you'd come out here," the young man sat down on a fallen log and pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"How'd you know I was awake, Padfoot?" James asked as he, too, sat down on the log.

"Are you kidding me?" Padfoot laughed. "Did you think that no one heard what happened in your room?"

James shook his head angrily. "Don't sweat it, Prongs!" Padfoot said incredulously. "Geez, James. No one cares. I just wanted to know if you were alright, that's all."

James smiled. Count on his best mate to care about him. Padfoot, or Sirius Black as he was known to most humans, had moved in with James two years ago. In the summer before their sixth year at school, Sirius had finally had enough of his family. As horrible as this may sound, the Black family was different from most other families. First of all, they had hated their oldest son, Sirius himself, for being a "blood traitor". They were all about pure-blood and no mixing between kinds. Sirius had made friends at school with people who were completely against his parents' philosophy. In fact, Sirius's two best friends, James himself and one Remus Lupin, would have caused the hair on his mother's neck to stand up, and she would have cursed them into oblivion. The Potters were pure-blood, but were known to be sympathetic to "others". Remus Lupin was...well...different, to say the least.

James, being an only child himself, had been more than happy to welcome his best friend into his house, and Sirius had soon grown on the Potter family. James could not remember any summers before the last two that had been so fun.

"So," Sirius continued after a pause. "Did you hit your head off of the floor?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

James was embarrassed. "Well...it's just...Don't make fun or I'll gore you to death (I can do it, ya know!)...I had...a...a kind of nightmare... but I don't remember it." He glanced quickly at his friend to see if he was laughing. When Sirius remained looking attentive, James decided that he was either sympathetic towards his best friend's dilemma, or he was carefully masking the makings of a stinging comeback.

"You don't remember anything else?"

"Nope."

"Me neither."

James tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean? You didn't have my dream."

"I didn't say that," Sirius said slowly. "But I did have a dream. It was kind of weird, but I don't really remember it. All I remember is my cousin Bellatrix..." He said the name like a curse, and James remembered that Bellatrix was Sirius's least favorite member of his family.

"All I remember is high-pitched laughter," James mused. "And green light." He added quickly.

"Oh, and I remember red light and a piece of material. Don't even ask me what that was all about."

"James! Sirius! Your Hogwarts letters have arrived!" Mrs. Jane Potter called from the kitchen on the basement floor of the Potter house. Smiling, she realized that they had probably not heard her, as they were always locked away in Sirius's room on the fourth floor, planning some new stunt. Mrs. Potter loved those boys, even though Sirius wasn't even her own. Her husband, Bartholomew Potter, had gone to work early that morning to the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

Laughing quietly to herself, she muttered, "Sonorus," and repeated her message to the boys. About a minute later, they came pounding down the stairs. She handed them each their letters, saying, "They're quite a bit heavier than usual, dears. Open them carefully; I don't want you losing anything important." With that, she left the room.

"Ah, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Sirius mused as he grabbed his letter.

"Yes, and our final year there," James added as he sat on top of the table.

"Tables are for glasses, Prongs," Sirius snickered. "Not for -"

"Have you opened your letters yet?" Mrs. Potter asked as she reentered the room.

"Er...ah...no..." Sirius glanced at James's letter. "Your packet is huge, Prongs."

"Tell me about it," James replied, ripping it open over the table. "Maybe it's a Snitch of my own, so I don't have to nick one this yea-" Something large and solid fell out of it.

"What's that?" Sirius asked, abandoning his letter to look at James's. James picked it up, and all three of them stared at it, James's mouth wide open in shock.

"It's a...." he started.

"Head Boy..." Sirius breathed.

After a long pause, Mrs. Potter was the first to recover. "Oh James! My little boy!" She cried, flinging her arms around a still and stunned James. "Head Boy! Oh, I knew it! I knew it, James! This is so exciting!" She released him and stared, beaming at his face. "Let's go to Diagon Alley. I'll buy you something special, OK? Get your things; I'll get the Floo Powder ready!" She said, bustling from the room with a giant smile on her face.

"I wonder when she'll figure out that we can apparate..." Sirius said with a small smile, and then noticed that James still hadn't moved. "Prongs! You knew it was coming, mate! You're the top in our class!" James still didn't move. "Prongs..." said Sirius, his smile fading. "Prongs. James. What's up? This is good!"

"Is it...?" asked James in a quiet voice. Sirius's mouth dropped open. "No, wait, Sirius, hear me out. Look, we've had a good time at school, right? I mean, I'm Quidditch captain, and we've won the Cup for four years in a row. We get top marks and...and yeah, I guess we're pretty popular." James stopped to think, looking at his badge.

Sirius looked at him in shock. James was usually so open and proud of his accomplishments at school, and never hesitant to boast about them. But there he was, James Potter, seeming ashamed of it all, and not even able to admit that, yes, they were the two most popular kids at Hogwarts. "And..." Sirius prompted as James continued to be silent. "Why is this bad?"

James wetted his lips, as if deciding how best way to say what was on his mind. "Well, you see, Sirius...I've been thinking all summer on it. I...it's just....well..."

"Oh, for God's sake, James!" Sirius exclaimed. "Spit it out!"

"Lily Evans."

Sirius stared, dumbfounded, at his friend. He soon regained his voice. "Lily Evans?!" he cried. "What about her?! James, you're Head Boy! Are you aware of that?"

"Yeah...but...she already thinks I'm conceited..."

"James, what is wrong with you? Calm down. Now, get ready. I'm going to go and tell your mum we can apparate, OK?" Sirius turned to leave, and noticed James's confused expression. "It's alright, mate." He said, patting James on the shoulder, and left, yelling, "Mrs. Potter! We can apparate! Remember? Hang on with the Floo Powder! We apparate!"

James and Sirius arrived at Diagon Alley half an hour later. James had since calmed down, but was a bit more reserved than usual. They went first to Gringotts, then immediately to Quality Quidditch Supplies, Mrs. Potter telling them she'd meet up with them at Florean Fortescue's. Sirius was checking out Quidditch Trading Cards as James meandered around, with no real destination. He was staring absentmindedly at a wall of Quidditch Robes and walking slowly when he hit into someone. He caught the person before they fell to the floor, muttering his apologies as he straightened the person up.

"I am so sorry! I didn't see you there, it was all my faul- Lily...er...Evans?"

Lily brushed her red hair, now longer and straighter than it had been last year, out of her eyes. She focused her green, almond shaped eyes on his face, frowning slightly. "Potter. What a surprise," she said tonelessly.

"I'm really sorry, Lil-- Evans." James said, thoroughly disheartened. "It was my fault. I'll go." He turned to leave.

"Wait..." she said. He spun around, suavely tripping over his robes. He only barely kept himself on his feet. "What'd you just say?" she asked with a slightly concealed smile.

"I'll go...?"

"No, idiot. Before that."

"Er....it was....er....my...fault?"

"Yeah..." Lily stared at him as though seeing him for the first time. There was an awkward silence as she took him in. James was biting the inside of his mouth nervously. They simply stared at each other for a good minute, until the moment was broken by Sirius beckoning him over to the card table.

"Well...I'd better..." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb in the direction of Sirius.

"Right," she said, nodding. "Well, see you at school, Potter." With that, she made her way to the door.

"Yeah see you there," he called after her. As the door to Quality Quidditch Supplies closed, he added quietly, "Lily..."

September 1st rolled around soon afterwards, finding James in decidedly higher spirits than the month before. Sirius and James boarded the train and were met soon after by their longtime friends Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Together, the four of them made the legendary Marauders, a group dedicated to the complete destruction of school rules. James soon took off with Remus, who had been waiting for him to enter the prefect compartment. As Head Boy, James was now required to attend prefect meetings.

"This is so stupid, Moony," James growled to his friend as they headed to the compartment. "Why can't this stuff be done through mail? Everything's done like that these days."

Remus laughed. Although he looked pale and exhausted, Remus Lupin was known around Hogwarts as a highly intelligent, if not enigmatic person. Though he was not at the top of his class (those places were reserved for James and Sirius, respectively), he was considerably calmer than them and had "worldly wisdom", as everyone called it. His quiet, hoarse voice commanded attention, and he was very well respected. The most mysterious aspect of Remus Lupin, however, was his monthly disappearances. Every month, Remus would leave Hogwarts to visit his sick mother, and come back a day later looking like he'd been severely mugged.

Unbeknownst to all of the student body save five people, Remus's mother was not sick, and he was not getting mugged every month. He was a werewolf, a "dangerous half-breed" that would have had the parents of students screaming for his expulsion. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore had made special arrangements with the Lupin family to allow Remus to attend his classes, yet be safe during his monthly transformations. For Remus, this meant spending a night in the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted building in Britain. Actually, it wasn't haunted at all. The shrieks and howls coming from the Shack had been made by Remus himself, only in werewolf form.

To transform into a werewolf is a terribly painful process, but since the Marauders' fifth year, they had been extremely bearable. James, Sirius and Peter had figured out Remus's condition in their second year and had worked diligently for three years to master the spell of the Animagi. At the age of fifteen, they were illegal Animagi; James a stag, Sirius a dog and Peter a little rat. As animals, they were able to keep Remus company when he was a werewolf.

'"Remus...hey, hey Remus!" Sirius said excitedly, and shook Remus uncontrollably. "Geroff..." Remus muttered sleepily, and tried to bat away Sirius's arms as he attempted to fall back asleep.

"Get up, Remus!" Sirius laughed. "Why do you always sleep anyway?"

"Hmm, I wonder," Remus growled sarcastically, burying his face in his pillow.

"Fine," Sirius said, standing up. "If you don't get up, I'll get you up." With that, he yanked the covers off of Remus's slight form and pushed him off of his bed.

"Sirius!" Remus cried, rubbing his elbow where he had fallen. "I'm going to kill you!" He leaned back against the bed next to his own (Peter's) and placed a hand on his chest, attempting to regain his breath. Last night's transformation had been extremely difficult.

Sirius crawled over Remus's bed and plopped down on the floor in front of him.

"You OK?" He asked concernedly.

"I'm OK," Remus panted. Sirius couldn't help but notice how tight Remus was clenching the front of his pajamas.

"C'mere," Sirius said softly and helped Remus to his feet. "Me and James and Peter have to show you something."

"Where?" Remus whispered. He barely had the strength to speak.

"Just down in the common room," Sirius said, placing Remus's arm around his shoulder.

"People can't see me like this..." Remus moaned.

"Nobody's here, remember? It's Christmas. It'll be just us."

Sirius helped Remus walk down the dormitory stairs and placed him on a couch in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. James and Peter stood excitedly in front of the fire.

"You OK, Remus?" James asked. Remus nodded. "Ok, then," James continued, holding back a grin. "Watch this."

Suddenly, where James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew had stood, there now stood a magnificent stag, a huge dog, and a small, fidgety rat, respectively. Remus's jaw dropped as the animals returned to their human forms.

"We did it!" Peter exclaimed excitedly.

"You did," Remus said faintly. "You really did."

"And guess what else!" Peter continued, jumping onto the couch next to Remus. "We even came up with nicknames for each other - we did it last night. You are Moony, because you transform into a werewolf under the full moon. I'm Wormtail, because my tail as a rat looks like a worm (Sirius's idea!)."

"You turn into a rat..."

"And Sirius's is Padfoot because he turns into a dog with padded paws, you know,"

"Sirius...is a dog..."

"And James is Prongs, because of his antlers, you know?!" Peter sat smiling.

"James...Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs..."

Sirius sat down on the arm of the chair next to him. "You like it, Moony?" he asked, grinning.

Remus tried to fight back the tears of joy that were threatening to pour forth from his tired grey eyes. He smiled. "It's wonderful."'

"Yeah, OK, Prongs," Remus continued. "The thing is, the whole point of being Head Boy is to represent the entire student body at our little prefect meetings. They're not all that bad, you know," he added. "I've been going to them since fifth year."

"Yeah but I'm not like you," James complained. "I need action [here he pantomimed swashbuckling, much to Remus's amusement], adventure!"

"You'll get that with Padfoot against Snape once the meeting is over, I'm sure." Remus laughed as he lowered James's swashbuckling arms. "This is politics. There's only verbal dueling." With that, he opened the compartment door. All the prefects inside looked up.

"This is going to be crazy..." James hissed, but still followed Remus inside.

Sirius and Peter headed off to the official Marauder compartment in the back (but not way back) of the train to wait out the prefect meeting.

Once in their compartment, Sirius realized just how little he had ever talked to Peter. Peter was the exact opposite of Sirius. He was short to Sirius's tall, he was chubby to Sirius's extreme muscular build, and he had thin, mousy blonde hair to Sirius's thick, perfect black hair. He was also fidgety, unpopular and shy to Sirius's silky, extremely popular and charisma. Sirius was also excellent at his school work (though he rarely ever did it) while Peter tried as hard as he might, but never really understood it, even with Remus coaching him through everything. As for conversations, sure, they did everything together, but it was usually at least a group of three people, not just Sirius and Peter. They had never had a real conversation. He had nothing to say, and Peter was just sitting across from him nervously, glancing up at Sirius from time to time. Desperate to break the silence, Sirius searched frantically for a subject to talk about.

"Potions final was a killer," he said, shaking his head. In all honesty, he had slipped through it with incredible ease.

Peter looked up at him, and then nodded spastically. "Oh definitely!" he said in what kind of sounded like an exasperated tone. He seemed to want to say more, but was too scared to.

Sirius helped him along. "And...? What'd you think of it?"

Peter heaved a sigh of relief, and then plunged into an account of how horrible it was. "If not for you three," he concluded, with Sirius nearly falling off his seat with boredom, "I would have failed, and then...who knows what...?" He stared at the floor for a little, and then looked up nervously at Sirius. "Padfoot...?" he asked. Sirius looked up, telling him to go on, and attempting to hide what must've looked like Remus-exhaustion on his face. "I...Padfoot, I really think I'm a Squib."

Sirius was taken aback, the boredom immediately gone from his face. "What? Wormtail, how can you say that? You've gotten through six years of magic school!" Yeah, with us doing everything requiring magic for you... Sirius realized suddenly. Peter hadn't been completely untruthful. Everything that had involved magic over the last six years, he, Sirius, and James and Remus had coached Peter through. Sirius tried not to let his thoughts out on his face, by showing a somewhat convincing look of complete bewilderment and disbelief at such an absurd statement on the part of his friend.

"No, really...listen, I've been thinking hard on it all summer..." Peter then proceeded to launch into an explanation on how he was a Squib.

Meanwhile in the prefect compartment, James was getting his first taste of prefect politics. Remus and Lily were doing most of the talking for Gryffindor (the other four prefects were occasionally giving their small input: Remus and Lily seemed to always hold the show), as seventh years Michael Conway and Amelia Bones were talking about Ravenclaw. The four other Ravenclaw prefects (two fifth years and two sixth years) were mostly listening closely to Michael and Amelia, nodding occasionally. The Hufflepuff prefects, Monica McCath and Nicholas Dickinson, mainly kept the others in order. When voices were raised or dirty looks exchanged, they stepped in, showing the kindness of Hufflepuff.

To James's disgust (though he had already known it), Severus Snape was the seventh year prefect for Slytherin. Severus Snape was everything that James Potter wasn't. He wasn't good looking, he wasn't popular, he hadn't been surrounded by the same friends for six years, he wasn't the Quidditch captain (and winner of the Quidditch and House Cups for five years in a row), and he wasn't a teacher's favorite. Worst of all, he was practically swimming in the Dark Arts, while James was completely and totally against anything of the sort. They had hated each other since the first day of the first year.

Snape was constantly countering whatever came out of Lily's mouth, and whatever Remus would say, he would make some sort of snide remark that only Remus, and now James, really understood. Remus, as always, would keep his composure, seemingly unaware that anything was being said against him.

Only last year had Snape found out about Remus, and he was visibly dying to let everyone know, but he had been threatened with expulsion if he didn't keep his mouth shut. The effort was killing him.

'"So, Snivelly," Sirius said slyly to a cornered Severus Snape. "You really wanna know where Remus goes every month?"

Though he hated to admit it, it was obvious to both boys that Snape was dying to know where Remus went. Sirius saw this immediately, and snickered. "Come with me."

"You're thick if you think I would ever go anywhere with you," Snape hissed.

Sirius shrugged. "Fine, but it's a chance of a lifetime." With a casual wave over his shoulder, Sirius headed for the front exit of Hogwarts castle. Snape turned to walk away, paused, and, against his better judgment, turned back.

"Wait, Black," Snape conceded. Sirius paused in his steps and grinned. Snape couldn't see.

Sirius waited just long enough for Snape to be directly behind him, and then continued his trek.

Finally, as they were out of the door and on the Hogwarts grounds after nightfall. "What, you just...walk right out?" Snape asked in disbelief.

Sirius chuckled and shook his head. "Snivellus, Snivellus. You'll never learn." With that, he whipped out James's Invisibility Cloak.

"Where'd you-" Snape began suspiciously.

"None of your business," Sirius barked. "Now, drape it over yourself and walk over to the Whomping Willow. No, no no, shut up Snivelly, let me finish. When you get there, use a large stick to prod the big knot on the east side of the tree - you can't miss it. The tree will stop acting crazy. Honestly. Then just walk down and through the tunnel directly below the knot, and there'll be a room. In that room..." Sirius here faltered, not sure whether this really was a good idea, and Snape raised an eyebrow.

"What's there, Black?" Snape demanded. "Is it that pathetic loser? Your stupid friend Lupin?"

This incensed Sirius, and he smirked, holding back the desire to severely wound Snape. "Yeah. Yeah Remus is there, all right. Remus will meet you at the end of the tunnel, and then you'll see...Oh yeah... You'll see. Ta." He said, and headed back into the castle.

Snape paused for a moment, and then draped the Cloak over himself.

James and Peter met Sirius on the front stairs inside the castle. "Hey, Padfoot. We were looking for you," Peter said.

"Get out the Cloak so we can go. Remus will have transformed by now," James said. Sirius didn't say anything. James looked at him. "Padfoot, give me my Cloak. We have to go." Sirius still remained silent, and then looked up at James, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, only this time, it was murderous. "Sirius...where were you during dinner?" James demanded.

Sirius shrugged. "Oh, I dunno." He said casually, but the tone was sing-song, similar to the voice Peeves the Poltergeist used when he had caused some horrendous disaster. "But I bet Remus won't be lonely tonight, even if we don't join him." He glanced wickedly in the direction of the front door.

"Sirius...what did you do?" James demanded.

"Come to think of it," Peter began, with a frightened look growing slowly on his face. "Snape wasn't at dinner either, Prongs..."

James's eyes widened and a look of horror was on his face as realization swept over him. Without a word, he slammed Sirius against the wall. The taller, stronger boy did not resist. "When I get back..." James growled, but didn't finish. He took off down the stairs and through the door.

Snape was already at the door at the end of the tunnel when he heard a horrible growling sound. Peering through the cracks of the door, he glimpsed the most terrifying sight even he had ever seen: a werewolf. Realization swept over him, but he didn't have time to think, the werewolf had smelled him.

Frozen with fear, Snape could only watch as the werewolf began to break through the door. He was going to die, no... become like Lupin...

"SNAPE!" James Potter cried as he raced down the tunnel. Snape turned around just as the werewolf came bounding out of the door. "Immobilus!" James cried, sending a streak of red at the werewolf. It only faltered, but gave them time enough to run. James grabbed Snape's sleeve and bolted through the tunnel, with the werewolf, now fully recovered and angry, hot on their tail. James shoved Snape out of the tunnel entrance under the Willow, turned back and cried, "IMMOBILUS MAXIMA!" The werewolf staggered back and James jumped through the tunnel just as the Whomping Willow began acting up again. Luckily for them, the werewolf was trapped inside. Unluckily for Remus was the fact that now Snape knew his secret, and Snape wasn't about to go down quietly.'

The current topic, Inter-house relationships, had just turned hot. James, who had been staring absentmindedly out of the window, turned to watch. It was mainly Remus and Lily versus Snape and a semi-attractive, blonde-haired Slytherin girl named Narcissa (sister to Bellatrix, Sirius's cousin. It's a small world). Remus and Lily were pressing for better relationships, as Snape and Narcissa said that they were fine the way they were.

"Hogwarts is going to fall apart if the Houses don't get along better," Lily was saying, her face set in determination. "We must stress Inter-house relationships this year."

Snape was already shaking his greasy head. "The house relationships," he drawled, and James found himself hating him even more than he had the previous year. "Are perfectly fine," he continued, a little color seeping into his sallow skin. "Why stress house relationships if the people in the houses don't want them? I'd rather not mix with Mudbloods and blood traitors and..." he flashed a cruel glance at Remus, "half-breeds."

James almost stood up, but Remus yanked him back down. "That's all well and good for you, Severus," he said, "but if stubborn people like you don't get off of your pure-blood mania, Hogwarts will fall apart, and there will be nothing left."

"And so, it's up to you two," Snape pressed, pointing at Remus and Lily, "to make Hogwarts a better place?" The Slytherins laughed. "A Mudblood and...you...will make Hogwarts the perfect sanctuary?"

"I will also be helping out, Snape," James said, finally interceding. "And I can be a very powerful persuader when need presses me."

Snape seemed only to notice then that James had been in the compartment. They glared daggers at each other for a few moments, a look of utmost loathing on their faces. Remus tensed up, ready to spring onto James to keep him off of Snape. To Remus's surprise (and James's) James tore his eyes away from Snape, adjusted his glasses, and addressed the whole compartment. "Look, I know I'm new here and everything, but I'm not new to Hogwarts. I've been in this school for six years. I've lived in this school for six years, and I haven't been blind. I've got glasses," he added, pointing at his face. All but the Slytherins laughed, though one of them seemed to want to smile. Snape looked as if he wanted to vomit.

"House relationships are not good. Sure, an occasional Gryffindor will go out with a Ravenclaw, or a Hufflepuff will work with a Gryffindor in Herbology, or a Hufflepuff will congratulate a Ravenclaw on a Quidditch victory or whatever [he hoped that the other people noticed that Slytherin hadn't been included in any of the examples]. Professor Dumbledore has said it time and again, if we don't improve relationships, Hogwarts will fail. Now, I'm asking you, not as Head Boy or whatever, but as a student of Hogwarts, to join me and Remus and Lily, and work for better relationships, a better atmosphere, and a better school."

The end of this speech was met with a thunderous applause from every Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and even a few Slytherins (though it was very minor and quickly doused). As they walked back to each of their compartments, Lily stopped James and Remus. "Potter," she said to James, "that was really a great speech you made. It really made a difference. I'm...I'm glad you're Head Boy, because I had hoped I wouldn't have to work with a git like Snape...though you're a big git as well," she added hastily.

"You have to work with Snape at the prefect meetings."

"Yeah, but the Head Boy and Head Girl have to constantly work together, and I can't cooperate with Snape without Lupin around. Lupin, you'll be alright supporting Gryffindor with the underclassmen, right?" she asked, turning to Remus.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just keep your voice loud. We can't do this all without you."

She smiled. "Don't worry about that. Thanks again, Potter." With that, Lily walked away, leaving behind a thoroughly stunned James Potter.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't know that Lily Evans was Head Girl?" Remus laughed as they made their way back to the compartment.

"Well...I mean...I guess I should have figured..." James said. "I...I didn't even notice..."

"Yeah, the badge is a bit big, Prongs. You're always staring down there anyway."

James actually almost blushed. "Yeah...well... I should have known."

"Yes you should have. She's only the highest scoring girl in our year. C'mon, Prongs. I thought you were Head Boy." Remus made to open the compartment door.

"No," James said, as the door opened. "The badge is 'H.B.' for Humongous Booger."

"I second that," Sirius said from the inside. James and Remus took their seats next to Sirius and Peter, and the Marauders were back in session.