James and Lily Potter : Sixth year

Chapter 15: sixth year

"How did you save Snape?" asked Lily. "When you could've gotten hurt as well?"

James took a deep breath and looked at Sirius and Peter, who understood what was coming next. "We have to tell you, girls, something."

"Okay," agreed Jennifer nonplused.

He took a deep breath. "We're unregistered Animagi."

The girls exchanged looks of great surprise and shock. Whatever they planned the Marauders to say, it wasn't this.

"How?" asked Violet, her voice shaking.

"We started to make the potion in our second year," said James, undaunted. "Our plan was to make Remus' transformations less painful. And we finished in the summer before our fifth year started. I'm a stag, Sirius is a dog, and Peter is a rat. We follow Remus on every full moon to the Whomping Willow. Peter presses the knot, which freezes the tree, and we go off with Remus. Sometimes we even go to Hogsmeade...that's why we know all these secret passageways, and we eventually created the Marauder's Map."

Sirius took a blank piece of parchment from his robes and tapped his wand on it lightly. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Words began to scroll in curling letters, and secret passageways that the girls had never seen before appeared on the map.

Lily looked at it in awe. "How did you make this?"

"Simple," said James modestly. "Each of us used our talents to make it. It would've been challenging if it was a one-person job, but we all pitched in."

"And no one else knows?"

"Why would we tell anyone else? It'd get us into big trouble. But we can trust you girls since you've been our friends for nearly six years."

"We won't tell a soul," said Arabella firmly.

Sirius coughed. "Look, Lily, I'm really sorry about the way I've been acting lately. I guess I just didn't want to see you 'together' with Goldstein."

Lily gave a gentle smile. "It's all right. I broke up with him last week anyway. I was going to tell you guys, but you seemed intent on either hexing Snape or exploring the grounds."

James blushed, and smiled slightly. "Yeah. Well, I can't say I'm glad—"

"Elated," interrupted Sirius, grinning.

"I don't want to sound rude or anything, but I'm really glad you did. Mark's a good guy and all, but he's not exactly someone you'd want to date. I mean, he plays with girls' hearts too much. He dumps one of the former Head Girls, and then he dumps the other sixth-year Ravenclaw prefect all in one week."

"And I thought Sirius was bad," said Arabella, snorting.

"Hey!"

The two groups retired to bed, but Lily caught up with James before he went up to his dormitory.

"James? Can I talk to you?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

"Look, what you did tonight...it was really brave."

"It was nothing."

"But you don't like Snape," she insisted, "so it must've been hard for you to save his life when you have ill will toward him."

"Look, Lily, I may be cold-hearted, or so you think," said James, "but I don't believe in trying to get people to be murdered. Snape isn't what I'd call innocent; I'd bet my whole life that he's a Death Eater, or planning to be one. But he's still a human being, though hard to believe it, and I don't believe in murdering people who haven't done anything. I mean, I know I've been torturing him since our first year, but I don't really have a good reason for it, I must admit. I don't know why I ever hexed him before."

Lily smiled. "You've really changed."

James shrugged his shoulders once more. "I'm not great or anything."

"Of course you are. You're smart, you're brave, and heck, you're even nice at times!"

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad that I at least seem decent to you."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Look, James, I'm really sorry for treating you so horribly since our fifth year. I still don't have feelings for you as you do for me, but I'm really trying."

"Er—" James didn't know what to say.

"I know I've been taking advantage of your love for me, so I'm apologizing. You were always a good guy, James; I'm sorry I ever thought of you otherwise."

"Look, let's just sever all those hatred vows we made in our earlier years," said James, now smiling as well, "and come to a consent. Friends?"

"Definitely friends."

The whole of Gryffindor Tower burst into applause, as each and every Gryffindor stood by their dormitory doors and clapped so loudly that James was surprised to find that McGonagall wasn't telling them off yet. But then he found the answer to his puzzlement: McGonagall was too busy herself clapping to even tell off any of her students. This brought great shock to the two sixteen-year-olds.

"What?" said James dumbly.

"You're finally at least friends!" cried Sirius, whooping loudly. "Finally! We've waited for six-and-a-half years, Prongs, and it's finally happened! Congratulations!"

Lily and James could not manage to utter a single word throughout this whole celebration.

"Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall smiled happily. "Congratulations to you as well."

"Professor?" whispered Lily, still in shock. "I...I don't know what to say."

"Just don't get into another argument with Mr. Potter, and I will be fine."

Everyone laughed at this, even McGonagall, who they'd never heard even utter a single sound of delight before.

It was certainly a day-night, rather—of surprises.