j ι l y

JAMES

At breakfast, a letter comes for Lily. It sets down on her clean plate. Lily-flower opens it in haste and read it with frantic eyes.

Lily groans in both pain and frustration and I'm surprised to see two others do it too. A Ravenclaw and another Gryffindor. The Ravenclaw actually starts crying.

"Lily let me read that," Alice orders. Lily hands over the letter with no fight.

Alice also reads it with her expression more panicked by the minute. "Marls," she said simply, handing it over.

McKinnon reads it with shock, calmly handing it over to Wormtail. He reads it, then gives it to Moony. He reads it and puts a sympathetic hand on Lily, his eyes both worried and heartbroken.

I might have an idea. Just a hunch. If its true...

Sirius reads it in haste and exclaims, "no!"

He finally hands it over to me; hesitantly, as if he is afraid I will break if I read it.

Lily Evans,
Congrats! You have been one of the five lucky candidates for the muggleborn testing! You're presence is requested at the ministry A.S.A.P. Please contact the headmaster of your school before going.
Best,
Rita Skeeter.

No...

"Lily can't go!" I say, shaking my head.

Remus adds: "surely Dumbledore will be against it."

Lily stays still. "No. I am going."

"What!" Alice shrieks. "No. Over my dead body."

"Alice, listen to me," she said a little firmly. "I put us in this mess, I am going."

I give Lily-flower a crushing hug that's almost like a cage. "You are not going. As you can see, I'm not letting you. You could get hurt, Lily-flower; I won't let you."

Marlene makes a stand. "I'm not letting you either."

"Neither am I," Peter, Sirius and Moony say in unison. "Jinx!" They yell, pointing at each other.

"As I said," Alice says. "Over my dead body."

Frank, for some reason, is not here.

Lily's eyes get wet. "Guys, stop making his harder than it is. I don't want to go! I have to go." She seems like she's gonna cry.

My arms are still a cage. "No you don't," I contradict. "You don't have to. They'll just... Pick someone else."

"Will they?" She counters.

"We'll make them," Alice says in the firmest voice I've ever heard her use.

Lily relaxes marginally. "I don't know what I'd do with out you guys," she sighs.

'•×∆×∆×'•

I hear a creak coming from the common room from inside our dorm. Hmm. I left, silently, to go check.

Lily was sitting on the sofa near the fire, still dressed in flannel pajamas. I go join her.

"You're not thinking of leaving, are you?" I say. She jumps at the sound of my voice.

"I can't sleep," she says. "I thought I could come here."

"Why cant you fall asleep?"

"Just the thought. If I don't go, I'm putting some other muggleborn in danger. I'd rather risk my life then put someone else's in danger."

"Don't worry about it," I assured. "Its going to be okay."

"Are you sure?" She asks skeptically.

She pauses and puts a confident smile on her face. "You know what; you're right. Its going to be fine. Goodnight, James. Thanks."

She swiftly left. What got over her? I shrug it off and go to sleep. It comes easily, my dreams wandering.

∆∆∆

I wake up early, and I don't know why.

Marlene and Alice suddenly barge into our room, with Sirius and Peter still sleeping and Moony reading a book. They yell.

"Why are you yelling?" Moony asks irritated.

They scream more.

"Lily! She's gone!"