Crash

Crash

ONE

The piercing shriek of the Hogwarts Express rose above the chatter as it pulled into London's Kings Cross Station at ten fifty on the morning of September first. Young witches and wizards of various ages were assembled along Platform 9 ¾ bidding good-byes to their respective families, because on this particular morning they would board the Hogwarts Express, and depart for another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Lily Evans stood towards the edge of the crowd, exchanging a final farewell with her parents, and her miserable sister, Petunia. Lily was about to enter her seventh and final year at Hogwarts as Head Girl, which was proudly displayed by the shining golden badge pinned to her blouse.

"Well, this is it," Lily announced.

"It is," her father agreed, placing a kiss atop her head of vibrant red locks.

Her mother wiped her eyes with her kerchief. "Have a wonderful term, dear," she said through a sniffle. "We're so proud of you, aren't we, Harold? Our little Lily, Head Girl..."

Her father nodded and wrapped his arm around her mother. Lily, smiling, watched them portray the role of parental attachment, while Petunia's horse-like face twisted into a scowl.

"Head Girl of a freakshow," the older girl muttered.

Lily ignored this common hostility, as her parents had evidently not noticed, and said, "I'll see you over holiday, Petunia."

"I s'pose," Petunia replied, focusing her bored gaze on the ground with a sigh.

"You'd better be off," her father declared upon checking the large clock on the wall. "Ten minutes until the train leaves. Good luck, Lily."

"Thanks, daddy." Lily hugged her father, then her mother. "I'll write often, mum."

"Goodbye, dear." With a final smile, she watched them find their way from the platform, pausing to watch as a boy turned his owl blue.

Her own owl, Lunette, a lovely barn owl with stormy gray plumage, hooted impatiently from her cage, balanced atop the trunk on Lily's cart. Lily murmured for Lunette's silence and began pushing her cart towards the head of the scarlet train, where the Head compartment was said to be located.

"Lily!" a familiar voice called through the scraping of weighty trunks. Lily turned her head to its source and found Avice Ardmore, a pretty girl of bronzed skin and russet curls, sitting against the far wall.

Avice waved and hoisted herself into a standing position, and maneuvered the crowd in Lily's direction.

"Hello, Avice," Lily said merrily, allowing herself to be pulled into a tight embrace by her best friend.

"Hello yourself, Head Girl." Avice extended Lily an arms length away to look her over with a scrutinizing eye. "Nice badge..." she said, bending to afford a better view of Lily's badge. "Is this real gold?"

Lily laughed, taking a hold of her cart and continuing en route to the Hogwarts Express. "Where's your things?" she asked as she noticed the absence of Avice's trunk and belongings.

"In my pocket. Thom put a shrinking spell on my trunk before he left last night. My family's been called to Italy for the year; they won't be back until the summer. I guess they need my dad to sort out some foreign blunder or rubbish like that." Lily could remember fancying Avice's brother Thom in her first year, and believed him to be an extraordinary wizard.

"On the trunk as a whole? That sounds complex...usually you can only shrink each individual object..."

"Whoa, there, Lily," Avice said, clicking her tongue against her teeth. She grabbed Lunette's cage, hopped onto the train, and disappeared into the compartment with the door marked 'Head'.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lily said, understanding of Avice's reluctance to find herself on the receiving end of one of Lily's academic tirades. Hoisting her book-laden trunk in after Avice, she continued, "I'll save it for school, I promise. Speaking of school, how many N.E.W.T. Levels are you taking?"

Avice shared a greeting with a Gryffindor Chaser, then answered, "Six...Herbology, Potions, Charms, Muggle Studies, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration. You aren't taking all twelve like you did with the O.W.L.S, are you?"

"Of course not," Lily scoffed, rising onto the tips of her toes to shove her trunk into the overhead storage in the Head compartment. Grunting with exertion, she reached down to take a now sleeping Lunette from Avice and set her there as well. She then picked up her bag, which she had removed from her trunk prior to storing it, and dropped into the seat across from the one Avice had selected for herself. "I'm taking the core classes- that's five- along with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy."

"Lily, that's eight classes!"

"I know," she said, pulling her History of Magic text from her bag.

"Bighead."

A few minutes passed, in which Avice set to work on the crossword in the back of Witch Weekly, and Lily skimmed the introduction to Advanced History of Magic for the Seventh Year Witch or Wizard. Talk and thundering footsteps could be heard coming for the corridor outside the Head compartment as other Hogwarts students reunited with their friends. A fifth year Prefect poked his head in to see if, as he had suspected, Lily Evans was indeed Head Girl, and to inquire regarding the identity of the Head Boy.

"I haven't been informed as of yet," Lily informed him apologetically. "Sorry, Worthings."

"I thought they told you in your letter," Avice said. "Who do you imagine it is, then?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, I think it's Remus."

"Perhaps." Lily flipped the page.

"I'd pick him if it were me."

"I'm starting to believe you fancy him, Avice," she stated with a knowing smirk.

Avice, eager to change the subject, said, "Oh, look, there's James Potter." She pointed out the window to where the raven haired Gryffindor stood with his mother and best friend, Sirius Black.

Lily looked up, curled her nose, and returned to her book, eminent dislike etched into her features. "I was hoping he'd suffer a horrible Quidditch accident over the summer and wouldn't be able to return this year," she said, "but alas, all limbs remain intact."

It was known at Hogwarts, by students and professors alike, that of all the things in the magical world, Lily disliked James Potter the most. The majority had simply credited her dislike to James' repetitive requests for a date, but, in reality, her aversion to him had spawned from something so complex that, at times, Lily herself questioned it altogether. This, perhaps, was why, seven years later, it burned just as strongly.

"Not quite, but he did crash his broom into my tree," Avice offered indulgingly. It was also known that the Potters lived three houses down from Avice in a large Wizarding district near Windermere, home to many wealthy members of the magical community. "Sirius' family disowned towards the end of vacation and he moved in with the Potters; that's why he's with them now."

Lily shrugged, discreetly observing James and Sirius out of the corner of her eye. Mrs. Potter straightened Sirius' tie, which had been knotted haphazardly around his neck- both he and James had already changed into their Hogwarts uniform- and when she fixed her attention on flattening James' unruly hair, he loosened it once more. James then nodded at something she said, and kissed her affectionately on the cheek.

Lily felt a pang of endearment for James, but quickly replaced it with the unpleasant memory of walking around with boils of his doing- "I meant to hit Snivellus, I swear!"- and it disappeared instantaneously. The two boys were soon joined by Remus Lupin, and vanished from her sight.

The final boarding whistle sounded, and a few stragglers rushed onto the train, possessions in tow. Moments later the Hogwarts Express started out of Kings Cross. Lily watched the scenery change from brick and stone and waving parents to the rolling hills of London countryside, but soon became bored.

She had just settled into the first chapter of 'Advanced History of Magic' when someone knocked on the compartment door. Expecting the Head Boy, whoever he might be, she marked her page and set the book down, and slid the door open, plastering a welcoming smile on her face.

Instead she found James Potter, and her smile fell.

"Don't look so happy to see me, Lily-flower," he said, tilting his head to the side. A wayward lock of hair fell into his eyes, and he shook it away indifferently.

"I'm not sure whether or not you're aware of the fact, Potter, but this is the Head compartment." She had the door shut halfway when he effortlessly reached out and caught it.

"Rather fitting, isn't it? I mean, with me being Head Boy and all of that..." James gazed down over his nose, as he was at least a head exceeding her in height, to gauge her reaction.

Lily feigned a laugh. "How odd. For a minute there I thought I heard you say that"- another laugh- "you were Head Boy."

James, unfazed, lifted his Hogwarts blazer aside to reveal a shiny golden badge identical to hers. "Now if you'll please excuse my comrades and I..." He pushed the door the remainder of the way open and, followed by Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, donning uniforms as well, leisurely inspected the compartment as he strolled inside.

Lily sputtered in protest, but in all honesty, she wasn't half as surprised as she was displeased. James had always done unexpectedly well in his classes, even though his attentiveness wavered. At a loss of words Lily left her mouth to hang agape in a completely undignified fashion. On his way past, James urged it closed with a crooked finger under her chin and a roguish wink. She scowled.

"This will do splendidly," James observed pompously, flipping imaginary coattails out behind him as he chose a seat across the aisle from the girls' chosen places. "The upholstery reminds me something of home." Lily doubted this entirely; the burgundy tartan fabric covering the seats was worn, faded, and remarkably itchy, and something that families like the Potters wouldn't have adorning their parlor chaise.

"Wotcher," Avice greeted the trio casually, filling in crossword spaces. "Head Boy, eh, James? You never cease to amaze me. Thought it would be Remus, we did, didn't we, Lil?"

"Yes, well- now you wait just a minute, Potter!" Lily snapped, her flair for coherent speech returning. She marched purposefully to where James sat beaming smugly, fists clenched at her sides.

Remus, who had taken a seat beside James, quickly interested himself with something out the window, a clear indication that he was the wisest of the group, while Peter doubled up in his seat opposite Remus to allow himself a better view of the quarrel looming ahead. Avice, by now used to the many disputes between the two Gryffindors, continued with her crossword impassively.

Lily vowed to herself that she wouldn't allow her happiness to be ruined by the obstacle that was James Potter. Taking a deep breath, the words she spoke next were astoundingly composed. "You're Head Boy, and I'm Head Girl. And I can deal with that, but you listen to me, James Potter; I have worked extremely hard to earn this position, and I will not allow you and your-your- marauding to muck it up for me. Understood?"

In anticipation of a mocking reply, she uncurled her hands and placed them on her hips.

"Yeah, alright, Evans. I don't want to muck it up for me, either." James' tone was sincere, and his hazel eyes expressed none of their telltale scheming glint.

"You mean you're actually taking this seriously?" She had witnessed firsthand this same act put on for whichever particular professor caught him in his troublemaking, and was skeptical.

"What can I say? I'm full of surprises." He quirked an eyebrow engagingly, ridding them of the solemn nature in the compartment.

"Is that your idea of a come-on, Prongsie, ol' pal?" Sirius quipped from the compartment doorway, a large grin on his handsome face. His Gryffindor tie had been removed from his neck altogether, and his shirt was un-tucked from his trousers.

"Hey, Padfoot, you're just in time to watch Evans hex James," Pettigrew said with a shrill chuckle that shook his protruding stomach. Lily shot him a glare, which put a stopper on his hysterics, and reverted to her seat hostilely. Avice buried her face in her magazine to hide her twitching mouth.

"Awe, Pad, you wound me. Where've you been?" James asked, planting his feet on what was intended to be Sirius' chair. Sirius kicked them aside and took a seat.

"I stopped to chat with Osceline Warrington."

The Marauder half of the compartment erupted in laughter, the hidden meaning in such a statement from the mouth of Sirius evident. It was no secret what the handsome young man had really been up to.

"This, my friends, will be our greatest year yet," James proclaimed suddenly, as though he intended to perform an oration.

"And why is that, James?" Remus prompted hesitantly, as James' idea of a good time never coincided with his own, less callous means of entertainment.

"No relations in sight," Sirius interjected. "Not a bloody one. And here; I am so overjoyed that I splurged and purchased my three best mates enough Bertie Bott's to last an entire year...or at least an entire train ride." He removed a giant bag of Every Flavor Beans from his robe pocket, scooped himself a handful, and passed it to Peter.

On Lily's side of the compartment, Avice leaned forward to whisper, "Don't be so upset. Maybe things won't turn out like you think."

"Yes, exactly, Pad," James agreed loudly, although I'm sure I'm not alone here when I say that your dear cousin Narcissa had a rather nice backside. It's a shame she married that sod Malfoy."

Peter nearly choked on a bean, and Avice pressed her lips together as if to revoke her prior statement.

"No?" Lily hissed in return, her expression clearly dubious.

"James," Remus said reproachfully, albeit smiling, "among your many talents you are lacking a general sense of decorum."

"Pish-posh" James retorted flippantly. "Peter, be a good man and fetch my snitch from my trunk in the next compartment, won't you?" Lily began to ask what his trunk was doing with the Prefects, who occupied compartments two and three, but decided against it.

"Yeah, s-sure James," Peter said eagerly, leaping from his seat and scurrying from the compartment.

As soon as the squat boy had closed the door behind him, James extracted a snitch from his sleeve, winking at Sirius and Remus. He promptly returned the dormant golden ball to its hiding place, and the three boys bent their heads together to whisper animatedly.

"That's not very nice, you know," Lily said disapprovingly, although her tolerance of the mousy boy was questionable.

"Lighten up, Lily-flower," was James' distracted response. Lily pursed her lips and decided to tune out all activity from across the aisle.

Peter, upon realizing that James' snitch couldn't possibly be in his trunk, and much later than Lily would've expected, returned to the compartment to find James tossing it into the air. For a moment he was indignant, but as soon as James and Sirius convinced him that, really, it was quite a good joke, he joined in on their conversation, which had converted to the upcoming Quidditch season.

The remainder of the journey passed much as it had for the previous six years. Whilst Lily changed in the lavatory, the lady with the food cart traveled the length of the train, and shortly after, Remus, whom Lily had observed as looking quite peaky, drifted off to sleep somewhere between North Yorkshire and Durham. Avice excused herself to change as well. James and Sirius started a game of wizard's chess with a bet that James, made by himself, would prove victorious. Sirius readily took this bet, because James hadn't once beaten him yet.

Before too long, Avice returned, and a bodiless voice announced that they would soon be arriving at Hogwarts, belongings were to be left on the train, and if there were any students that hadn't yet changed, they should please do so now. Then, to their compartment only, it was instructed that the Head Boy and Girl were to convene with Professor McGonagall upon arrival.

"That means you, too, Potter," Lily explained cynically, still piqued with him for his earlier trick on Pettigrew. "No helping Peeves chuck éclairs at the poor first years like last time."

James smirked, capturing Sirius' knight with a whoop of glee. Remus sat up, yawned, and rubbed his face. "Sorry there, Moony." Sirius took his turn, and James considered his next move.

"James, you're never going to beat me. You think too much."

Remus snorted and took his opportunity. "As opposed to you, Sirius, who doesn't think enough?"

"We can't all be Remuses in this world, mate; some of us have to be Sirius."

"Seriously," Peter joked, but he received no gratification, because Sirius grabbed James' queen and hurled it in his direction, amid James' shout of "Hey, I was almost winning this time!"

"We're here," Avice said to Lily, who was shaking her head at the four Marauders in discontent. Lily turned to gaze out the window. It had grown quite dark, and the light from the moon and Hogwarts' many windows reflected off the lake, which she could just see through a gap in the trees. The castle was still as magnificent as she had remembered it being when she'd left, its many towers stretching into the heavens. Her mouth spread into a smile and her eyes shone; Lily was glad to be back.

The Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop in Hogsmeade Station, and the doors in the corridor slid open.

"Finally," James said, packing up the chess set along with Sirius.

Avice set her miniature trunk on the floor of the compartment and charmed it back to its original size. "They'll never know," she said when Lily raised her eyebrow as a reminder that they were not supposed to do magic until inside the school.

"Come on," said Lily, eager to escape the company of a certain group of young men, "Let's get a carriage before we're stuck with them." She swung her bag over her shoulder, grabbed Avice's arm, and together they joined the mass of students unloading from the train.

Severus Snape, a greasy-haired Slytherin with a hooked nose, appeared out of nowhere beside them, his overly large black robes whipping around his legs in the cool autumn wind. "Greetings, Lily," he said somberly.

"Hi, Severus," Lily replied kindly, nudging Avice to keep whatever clever remark she had stirring to herself. Avice had never liked Severus, nor had any of Gryffindor house, but that had never fazed Lily. "Did you have a nice summer?"

"No, but I appreciate your asking." With that he filtered back into the crowd.

"He is so strange," Avice said, climbing into an empty horseless carriage.

"Don't be judgmental, Avice." Lily followed, closing the door.

Their carriage passed by Ogg, the groundskeeper, who called for the first years to congregate around himself.

"I'm not; I'm just saying that I think he's odd."

"I don't care. Maybe he wouldn't act that way if Potter and everyone else didn't torment him so." She mindlessly smoothed her skirt and adjusted her badge.

"Maybe James has a reason...you don't need to defend Snape all the time."

"Like you defend Potter all the time?" Lily answered. "Come on, Avice, this is pointless."

Avice nodded, typically an agreeable sort, and proceeded to tell Lily all about how her family's kneazle had given birth to a litter of kittens over the summer.

When they reached Hogwarts' Great Hall, Avice departed to the Gryffindor table with the promise that she would save Lily a seat for when she was through speaking with their Head of House. Lily looked about, peering around bunches of students, trying to spot Potter and learn if he had found McGonagall. A pair of her dorm mates, Ambrosia Knight and Ursula McKee, had just paused to congratulate her on making Head Girl when James swaggered over

"Are you lost Little Red?" he said, placing an arm around her shoulders. She promptly and delicately plucked it off.

"Have you seen McGonagall?" she asked with a sigh.

"She's there," James replied, indicating the Professor's arrival as she made a direct journey to the Head Table, where the rest of the Professors, and the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, sat. McGonagall bent close and said something to Dumbledore, who nodded and gazed out at the Hall. When his eyes fell on Lily and James, the corners of his mouth curled, adding to the wrinkles on his aged face. Lily subconsciously stepped further away from James, who waved casually at the Headmaster.

As McGonagall crossed the room between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, she stopped in front of the pair of Gryffindors and greeted them curtly. "Now I haven't much time, the first years are waiting. You're to lead the first years to the common room and tell everyone the password- it's Phoenix Tail. Your private dormitories are clearly marked, one on each side of the common room. Timetables will be handed out by either one or the other of you tomorrow morning at breakfast. Oh, and the Headmaster will meet with you during the next week; you'll be notified beforehand." With that she nodded and set off, but stopped briefly to turn and add, "Congratulations Evans and Potter. By the way, Evans, please remind Miss Ardmore that magic still is not permitted until inside Hogwarts grounds."

The Professor wasn't very old, but the tight bun into which she had pulled her hair and the tight-lipped expression she often wore gave her a stern appearance. She was strict, but fair, and Lily quite liked her.

"Thanks, Professor," they said together.

Lily added that she would convey the Head of House's message to Avice.

"I'll see you after the feast," she said stiffly to James, and hurried to the Gryffindor table, where she slid into her seat beside Avice just as the first years proceeded up to the front. James sat down towards the center of the table with his fellow Marauders.

Once the series of first years was sorted and took a seat at their new house tables, Headmaster Dumbledore stood to give his welcoming speech.

"Pupils," he said warmly, extending his hands, "staff. Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we begin our feast, I have a few things that need to be said. Firstly, I would like to introduce Hogwarts' new nurse, Madam Pomfrey." Lily, as well as a few of the other students applauded, and a thin, petite sort of witch nodded at the sparse greeting. "Also, a reminder particularly to Misters Potter and Black, I regret to inform you that the Forbidden Forest remains as such and house points will be taken if, and when, you are found within the premises."

James and Sirius exchanged a high-five. Many Gryffindors and a selection of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs expressed their amusement, but soon fell silent.

The Headmaster chuckled good-naturedly, and continued. "Finally, as I'm sure you are all eager to fill your stomachs, it would be my great pleasure to announce this year's Head Boy and Girl. Lily Evans, James Potter, please stand."

James leapt to his feet and spread his arms wide, forthcoming to the eruption of well wishes that overtook the Great Hall. Lily, a little more slowly, stood confidently. Looking about the hall, she was met with approving smiles, and smiled herself. The warmth of pride swelled in her chest.

"Thank you all very much," James cried over the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team's chant, lead by Sirius, of 'Potter, Potter, Potter...' "Thank you. Now if you would all shut your faces- pardon, Professor," he added for McGonagall's sole benefit, "if you would all kindly settle down, I'd like to make an announcement."

The Hall grew quiet just in time for Dumbledore to say, "I don't think that will be necessary Potter." His blue eyes twinkled behind half-moon spectacles. "Now, without further ado, enjoy your feast."

Lily and a pouting James took their seats as heaping plates of delicious-smelling food appeared upon the table. Remus spooned a pile of mashed potatoes onto James' plate and told him to keep himself busy. Avice laughed appreciatively, lively from her spirited chanting, and Lily allowed a chuckle. The rest of the Hall fell into a routine of clinking silverware and comfortable chatter.

"You know something?" Avice said musingly. She helped herself to the roast.

"What's that?" Lily replied.

"I think James was right; what he said on the train."

"He said quite a bit on the train. Which part are you talking about?"

"This is going to be the best year yet, and I'm not just saying that because once it's over I'll never have to do detention for Morgause again." Professor Morgause, the old wiry Potions instructor, was presently saying something to Professor Flitwick with a large frown on her wrinkled face.

"She is rather horrible, isn't she?" Lily herself had never served detention for Professor Morgause, or any professor for that matter, but class with the bad-tempered woman was enough to give even the bravest young witch or wizard a bad case of fidgets.

"The worst," Ursula confirmed from her seat two down from Lily. "She had me write such a bloody long essay after I spilt my shrinking potion all over her feet- you can only imagine what happened then- that I couldn't hold my wand right for weeks."

Lily and Avice murmured their sympathy, and the subject of James' proclamation was completely forgotten.