Harry Potter and all its characters belong solely to J.K. Rowling. I am merely borrowing them for my own, and hopefully others, entertainment.

Chapter 1 Surprises

Lily Evans was sitting at the kitchen table eating some toast and jam with her mother Rose. It was a warm day in late July and outside the sun was shining brightly giving no indication of the black cloud that was growing ever darker over the wizarding world.

Suddenly, Lily looked up and saw an owl flying towards the kitchen window. Lily watched as it soared through the open window and landed in front of her with a familiar envelope made of thick yellow parchment addressed in emerald green ink.

Her mother jumped slightly as the owl flew in through the window and then laughed.

"You'd think after all these years that I would be used to that," Rose said chuckling.

Lily smiled at her mother and removed the owl's burden. The owl spread its wings importantly and took flight as Lily looked at the envelope in her hand. It was thicker than normal. The last time that had happened was in fifth year when she found out she was going to be a prefect. But this was seventh year, the only reason it would be thick like this would be if…no, it couldn't be, could it?

"Aren't you going to open it, dear?" her mother asked curiously.

"Huh, what? Oh, yeah," Lily was pulled out of her thoughts by her mothers question.

Well, Lily thought, only one way to find out.

Slowly Lily opened the letter and pulled out the contents. As she did something gold and shiny fell out of the envelope and clattered onto the table. Embossed on the front of the badge were the words:

Head Girl

Lily Evans

Lily couldn't help it, a huge smile spread across her face. Suddenly more excited Lily looked down at the letters in her hand and quickly unfolded them finding the one she wanted.

Dear Miss Evans,

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that you have been selected as Head Girl of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the coming school year. This is an honor that should not be taken lightly. As Head Girl you, along with the Head Boy, are a representative of the student body and a role model to the younger students. I have every faith that you will perform your duties admirably.

I'm sure you are wondering who will be your Co-head this year. This year I have selected your fellow Gryffindor James Potter as Head Boy. I know the two of you have not always seen eye to eye in the past, but I feel that the two of you are the right people for the job and I know that you will be able to overcome your past differences and work well together.

I also ask you to please remember that Mr. Potter was not a Prefect and will therefore require some assistance to familiarize himself with the Prefect system. You are to brief the Prefects on the train on September 1st. Further instructions will be left for you in the Head's compartment on the train. I will also meet with both of you after the Welcome Feast. I look forward to working with you both this year.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)

Lily stared at the letter, slightly dumbfounded. Sure she knew that Albus Dumbledore was thought a bit mad, but what possessed him to make James Potter Head Boy. The only person who spent more time in detention than Potter was his best friend Sirius Black. Lily sighed, Dumbledore must have his reasons, perhaps once they started working together she would see them, at least she hoped so.

"Is there something wrong, dear? You don't seem as excited as I thought you would be," Rose said, a slight hint of concern in her voice.

"Huh?" Lily said, she seemed to be saying that a lot this morning. "Oh, I'm fine. I was just reading my letter. Apparently Dumbledore has made James Potter Head Boy. I've told you about him, he was the boy who turned my hair green in second year."

Rose laughed, "Ah yes, I remember you writing me about that. And I still stand by what I said, 'Boys that age only doing things like that to girls they like.'"

Lily rolled her eyes, "Sure Mum, whatever you say."

Just then another owl flew into the kitchen, this time from Lily's best friend Marlene. Lily read through the letter and looked at her mother.

"Marlene and Katie, want to know if I can meet them in Diagon Alley on Saturday at noon. Is it ok if I go, you don't have to take me since I passed my test I can just apparate to the Leaky Cauldron," Lily said.

"Apparate?" her mother asked puzzled.

"You remember, it's where you disappear from one place and reappear in another," Lily explained.

"Oh right, I remember now," her mother said with a slight look of amazement at the idea.

"Yes, you can go as long as you're back by five, Vernon and Petunia are coming up from London for dinner and they'll be here at 7:00 sharp so I might need some help getting ready."

"Oh, right, dinner with Petunia and Vernon…"

"I wish you and your sister would try and get along," Rose said, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"It's not my fault Petunia thinks I'm a freak," said Lily bitterly.

Normally Lily and her mother got along very well but Lily hated it when her mother would bring up Lily's relationship with Petunia. Lily wished she and Petunia got along. They had gotten along fairly well when they were little, but when Lily's Hogwarts letter had come Petunia had been incredibly jealous, even though she wouldn't admit it. She had even gone so far as to write Dumbledore himself asking if she could go to Hogwarts too. But when Dumbledore had told Petunia it wouldn't be possible for her to attend she had decided that anything even remotely associated with magic was abnormal and that Lily was a freak.

"I'm gonna go write a letter to Marlene saying that I can meet them in Diagon Alley so that Fred doesn't have to sit around the house for too long waiting," Lily told her mother glad for an excuse to escape a conversation about her and Petunia's "relationship."

Lily ran up to her room and flopped down at her desk. She pulled out a piece of parchment and began to write:

Dear Marlene,

Mum says I can meet you guys on Saturday. Noon sounds fine. I just have to be back here by five. My darling sister and her boyfriend, the whale, are coming for dinner and Mum said she might need some help getting ready.

Oh yeah, guess what! I'm Head Girl. I know your disappointed, haha.

At this point Lily stopped, should she mention that somehow Potter had managed to become Head Boy? No, Marlene would find out soon enough and if Lily didn't say anything it would postpone the inevitable torment Lily knew she would face. Her friends were convinced that if Lily would just concede to go on one date with Potter that she would fall head over heels for him.

I hope I still have time for fun this year between all the homework and Head Girl duties. I don't want to spend my entire final year doing work. That would suck. Tell Katie I said hi.

See you Saturday,

Lily

Lily reread the letter, sealed it, tied it to Fred's leg, and brought him over to the window and sent him on his way.

Now that Lily didn't have her letter to Marlene to distract her, her mind wandered back to the letter from Dumbledore. Why would Dumbledore have made James Potter, of all people, Head Boy? Sure he is supposed to be a good Quidditch Captain, but he had always been so arrogant and he was forever picking on people just because he could, especially Severus Snape. Not that Severus was a saint either, but James treatment of him could be particularly cruel. She could easily imagine James abusing his position. 'The Slytherins will all be in detentions with negative House points by the end of the first week with Potter in charge.' Lily sighed, Dumbledore must have his reasons. Lily just wished she knew what they were. She didn't fancy doing all the work this year. Lily wanted to be able to enjoy last year at Hogwarts too.

It wasn't that she hated Potter exactly, she just found him to be one of the most annoying creatures on earth. He spent all of fifth year trying to convince her to go out with him at every possible opportunity. He had been a bit less insistent last year but he certainly hadn't given up. She couldn't understand why he didn't just give up seeing as she would never agree to go out with him. The only reason he wanted to go out with her is because, unlike the rest of the female population of Hogwarts, Lily didn't fall at his feet. It was all a game to him and she refused to be some toy he would only be interested in until the newness wore off.

Besides that he was an arrogant prat! Showing off every chance he got, messing up his hair, acting as though everyone should worship the ground he walked on just because he could put a stupid red ball through a hoop. He didn't care one bit about anyone but himself. Heck, Potter and his best friend Sirius Black even kept poor Peter Pettigrew around so they would always have someone to worship at their feet. Why he let them Lily couldn't even fathom. With a sigh of frustration Lily walked over to her trunk and picked up her Transfiguration book. She hadn't finished all her summer homework yet and she was hoping that working on Transfiguration, which would require her full attention, would distract her from the fact that in just over one month's time she would be forced to work with Potter.