Here is the first Chapter of my new Harry Potter fanfiction, Beyond the Stars. I have loved writing this story so far and cant wait to see how it is received by all of you, So please leave a review on your way out. This fanfic will be canon and it will have a few OC's.

DISCLAIMER

This goes for the entire fanfic, none of it is mine. It all belongs to the queen JK Rowling.

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."- Oliver Wilde

"It's surreal, this time 7 years ago, we were 1st years and now we're sitting here, in our final year nearly adults. Who would've thought?" Those words invoked a tsunami of nostalgia within her, a treasure chest was finally opened and what was hidden within were a barrage of old memories that made her feel like crying and laughing at the same time.

Oh so much had happened and it all started on this very day, 7 years ago…

September 1st 1971; the day when a group of girls banded together to form an unbreakable friendship… Lily Evans, Beverley Wilkins, Mary MacDonald and Elizabeth Gilmore. Coincidentally, all four girls ended up in Gryffindor, the house of the brave. Their years at Hogwarts had been anything but uneventful, for they had the biggest troublemakers in the history of Hogwarts not only in their year, but their house; The Marauders, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

Since that fateful day many arguments have been shared, many fallouts, boyfriends, quidditch, duels, studies, looks… the usual teenage drama.

Now, its September the 1st 1977, and they were all entering their seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry, not much had changed; Lily still hated James Potter, Beverley still struggled to understand the concept of a relationship, Mary was still obsessing over quidditch and Elizabeth… well she was Elizabeth. She was the girl that people passed in the corridors; they knew her face but nothing else. She was the invisible Gryffindor, and she was oddly fine with that, she didn't want all the attention in the world, she wanted the attention of those she loved.

And from the moment Elizabeth Gilmore stepped onto platform 9 ¾, It seemed that the path fate had paved for her had finally began to run its course.

She was going to Hogwarts, of course that already accounted as an action packed day; However add Sirius Black as the first person you see and well, you get a rather interesting mix. After seeing barely anyone from the magical world over the summer the last person she wanted to see was the single most idiotic person in the universe, and out of all of them, She just had to see him, and he just needed to see her. Merlin help her

Sirius Black was the guy that managed to be kind to her yet a prickish, arrogant jerk within a sentence, and how he could manage that Elizabeth would never be able to fathom, but he did it, and that probably took a lot of talent. Talent, something Sirius Black had too much of and personally she thought that a lot of it was being wasted on him.

What a greedy jerk, he should share some around.

He was leaning against a compartment when they met eyes, his hair was as long as it was the last time she saw him, his eyes stormier and pray tell, even handsomer than usual, Clad in his usual denim jacket and denim with a grey t-shirt, he looked every bit of the bad boy that he was.

"So Lizzie…" he began, that deep, husky voice…swoon!

"Can you not." She glared at him and spoke in a rather rude tone, nobody called her Lizzie, unless they had a death wish and with all Sirius Black got upto, well…it wouldn't be a surprise if he didn't. giving someone a death stare isn't easy when you're trying to heave your luggage up into the racks, she mused as she attempted to multitask.

"Actually I think I will." Cue the teeth grinding, and jaw setting. "Where was I?" he rubbed his chin and she couldn't help but swoon at the sight of his light stubble, she didn't like him, he was just good to look at. Honestly!

"Do you need help getting that trunk of yours up, because my muscles are in need of some use." He winked in what he obviously assumed was a charming manner, it actually was…but for all our sakes lets just pretend its really arrogant and makes him look like he has a facial disfigurement.

"No shit Sherlock." She drawled as he leant over to grab her trunk. "Have you been taking classes called 'How to state the obvious,' cause let me tell you what, you're doing a rather smashing job." She hoped that sounded scathing enough…did it?

Sirius looked up at her as he lifted the trunk and rolled his eyes, honestly, the female race took chivalry for granted, he wiped his hands together and looked at her expectantly, causing her to mirror his look.

"well are you going to thank me?"

"I didn't ask you to do it." she stated, cocking her hip out and placing a manicured hand on it.

"yes you did."

"I don't recall ever saying 'Sirius can you please chuck my trunk on the rack,' You suggested it, two completely different things." She replied before walking off then stopping afew feet away, "If you want someone to thank you go upto some one who admires you more than you admire yourself."

A scream broke her from her trance as her head moved so fast it caused her neck to click, "oww" she muttered under her breath slowly massaging the area.

"Did that sound abit like Lils?" Mary asked, her brows furrowed in deep thought,

"Yes." Beverley replied in a blasé manner, continuing to paint her nails a glossy black, her hazel eyes flicked up and caught Mary's, "It was probably James asking her out again, we all know how cheery that makes her." She ended with a roll of her eyes, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"Oh, how stupid of me, I should have guessed that straight away." Mary answered replicating her tone. As Beverley opened her mouth to reply back in a scathing manner a flash went off in the corner of the room, both of them jumped out of their seats, Beverley slipping off and onto the ground whilst Mary stood with her wand in her hand. Both of them were panting, with their cheeks flushed and mouths agape, almost as if they were in shock, Infact it took another flash of the camera to get their attention.

"Can you not?" Beverley retorted rather rudely as she gathered her wits, whipping her light lilac, almost grey coloured hair around, causing Mary to stick her tongue out and pick the hair out of her mouth. You see Beverley was like a rainbow, she didn't have a favorite colour, a favorite style, favorite look. She was singlehandedly the most indecisive person in the vast universe. Most people are afraid of change, but Beverley lived for it. Her hair by all means represents it.

"No, I think I will keep going thank you very much, what's got your wand in a knot?" Elizabeth smiled fiddling with the settings on the camera, 'why were the eyes coming out red again', she thought she fixed that problem months ago, stupid magical interference. Before Beverley could reply the door slammed and a red faced Lily Evans stormed into the compartment, bringing a rush of wind with her, she looked beyond angry, Infact one would say she look positively furious.

"I can't believe it! Just… ARHH! I…MERLIN I'M STUFFED!" Lily's voice rose at every word until she was shouting, causing all the girls to wince. "JAMES POTTER!" She spat on the ground as if ridding herself of a disgusting taste. "IS HEAD BOY!" at this Beverley snorted, Mary burst out laughing and Elizabeth choked,

James and Remus strolled into the Marauders compartment after the prefects meeting, James with a smirk plastered across his handsome face.

"So Prongs, who's the ever so lucky head girl?" Sirius nudged him in the ribs with a wink,

"Lily Evans." His already large smirk grew even larger as his eyes glazed over,

"Prongs! You lucky Bastard!" Peter exclaimed with a laugh, sinking back into the scarlet seating.

"Ah my poor flower, having to deal with you for an entire year." Sirius said mock sympathetically

"She's not your poor anything." James retorted glaring at Sirius, who had managed to build up a stable friendship with Lily, or as stable as a friendship that relies on competing and doing favors for one another can be. James had to admit, he was rather jealous, how did Sirius of all people become Lilys friend. Siriusly?

"She's in love with me!"" James exclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest. Sirius sat back in the chair casually shaking his head as Remus and Peter shot confused glances at the pair.

"Are you joking?" Peter laughed with a roll of his eyes, the others stared at him silently, "Are you serious?"

Sirius opened his mouth to reply when Remus leant over and covered his mouth with his hand, "Don't you dare." He threatened with a mock angry glare, pointing at every word to emphasise his seriousness. Sirius pulled himself away and rolled his eyes with a snort.

"Yes wormtail, She can't get enough of him, she's constantly at the Potters, morning, afternoon and night…don't even get me started on night." He rolled him eyes with a snort, "You'd think for someone so good at charm's Lilyflower would know how to use a silencing charm, but no. I have to suffer every night! You can hear them going at it down the corridor!" Sirius had a straight face throughout, however his eyes gleamed with mischief. Peter realising that Sirius was playing him softly punched him in the shoulder.

James gave Sirius a dirty sidewards glance, "Don't talk about Evans like that." He spoke seriously, "In the whole prefect meeting she didn't give me more than 3 dirty looks, that's a record." Remus laughed softly,

"She was giving you dirty looks when you weren't looking."

James's face contorted into shock, he pointed his index finger at Remus, "That's why you kept laughing Moony! You're meant to be on my side!" Remus shook his head and didn't bother replying to the statement,

With a wave of his hand, Sirius sighed and looked at the badge gleaming on James's chest, "I honestly don't understand how you of all people got head boy, don't go becoming an upstanding member of society Prongs or else!"

"James Potter and Lily Evans, Head boy and Head girl 1977-78. Sounds memorable enough to me. This year is going to be a bumpy ride!" Peter commented,

"Stop taking lines from the knight bus, you're witty enough to come up with your own." Sirius laughed,

"Maybe one day it'll be James and Lily Potter eh." Remus winked as the compartment filled with laughter,

"Not maybe my friend, one day it will be." His eyes once again glazed over as he fantasized about his fairy tale future with Lily Evans and their gaggle of messy haired children.

"You're joking right?" Mary breathed out during her laughing fit. Tears of laughter streamed down her pale cheeks.

"DO I LOOK LIKE IM JOKING!" She shouted, "A YEAR! A YEAR OF PATROLLING WITH HIM! A YEAR OF LEADING MEETINGS WITH HIM! A YEAR OF WORKING WITH HIM! WHAT IS WRONG WITH DUMBLEDORE! DOES HE WANT A BLOODY MURDER TO HAPPEN IN HIS SCHOOL?" She ranted, beginning to pace around the squashed compartment.

"I don't think a headmaster would want a student murdered in their school, you know, the problems with reputations and such." Elizabeth stated, trying to break the tense air that had Mary's sniggers in the background.

"I was sure Remus would get head boy…" Mary commented with a nod of her head once she'd calmed down, her cheeks were still a rosy pink and her eyes were bright.

"Of course you were, 'My Remmy will definitely get head boy', 'my Remmy this, my Remmy that.' Honestly, you're whipped!" Beverley laughed twisting a strand of her violet hair around her thin finger, and Mary's cheeks slowly reddened once more.

"Enough about Remus, HELP ME! Honestly Black would be a better option then Potter." Lily pleaded, a knock sounded at the door and Lily jumped onto the seat trying to hide behind Elizabeth. "It's probably Potter coming to ask me out again." She whispered, a shudder going down her spine.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" An old, squat looking witch with kind, dark brown eyes asked. Lily gave a sigh of relief and stood up to look at the selection as did the other girls.

"8 chocolate frogs"

"4 pumpkin pasties"

"2 packets of Bertie Botts"

"A few sugar quills"

"Oh yes! Droobles!"

"I'll have ice mice"

"I don't have any more money on me" With that once sentence the girls looked down into their arms and realized that they were full of sweets that they probably wouldn't finish, they reluctantly pulled themselves away from the trolley giving the rest of their money to the old lady and saying thank you.

Elizabeth gazed around the hall trying to distract herself from her hunger, this lot of first years were a smaller bunch than usual but with everything going on, they shouldn't be surprised, many people hadn't turned up to school, and less would return after Christmas and Easter. That's how it goes, and it has been for the last two years.

To her left, a few seats up were the Marauders, Remus, like Lily, was watching the sorting, Peter was looking at his plate with longing waiting for the moment where the feast would appear in front of him so he could begin devouring it, James was staring at the back of Lily's head a glazed look in his eyes and Sirius was winking at a Hufflepuff across from him. Mary was picking dirt from under her nails and Beverley was also staring around the hall presumably looking for her flavour of the week as they like to call it. At the head table sat Dumbledore who looked older than she'd ever seen him, he looked exhausted and it caused a shiver to go down her spine. Being muggleborn , She found that she could escape from the reality of the wizarding world throughout summer, it was generally a rather nice change, however she had no idea how things with Lord Voldemort were progressing, how bad could the situation with Voldemort gotten if one of the greatest wizards of all time looked this exhausted?

"Look at them." She giggled, scanning her eyes over the first years. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and glanced over only to stop short. What on earth.

"We were never that small." She stated confidently, Lily let out a shuddering breath and Mary looked over at her words.

"We were smaller than that!" Mary whispered, mischief glimmering in her pale blue eyes.

Elizabeth shook her head in denial, "I swear that one of them is below my knee height!" Causing people around them to snigger. Lily leant forward closer to everyone.

"This is our last welcoming feast." She whispered. Elizabeth turned around and with a sarcastic voice.

"Way to bring down the mood Lils."

Lily gave her a sombre look. "Its not about that, it's the fact that this is our last sorting, our last feast, the last time we'll hopefully be introduced to a DADA professor…" She trailed off.

Mary gave her a smile. "I wont mind this being the last welcoming feast, I hate these things." Sirius heard her cursing the welcoming feast and turned around with a dramatic gasp.

"Mack! I expected better of you!" She rolled her eyes and turned around, not wishing to irritate herself more than she already was.

Amongst all her usual teachers was a new face, around his late 20's, he had dirty blonde shoulder length straight hair, thick blonde eyebrows, light stubble, blue eyes and he looked in fairly good shape, when she squinted her eyes she noticed a thin scar on the right side of his face. 'Must be the new DADA professor' she thought. Hopefully he was a good professor, but she had learnt not to judge her teachers on looks, that always ended in disaster.

Oh, how she hoped this teacher was decent. She was pulled from her thoughts by a nudge to her side by Lily, the sorting was over and Dumbledore was about to begin talking.

"Welcome to you all, I hope that your holidays were simply marvellous. Now, I don't want to bore you with an old man's tales, I'm sure you're all positively starving! we have a simply marvellous meal prepared for you all. Enjoy." With a clap of his hands all the food you could imagine appeared in front of them.

No meal, no meal in the entire world could compare to Hogwarts feasts, the food was, one could say, better than a homemade meal.

Elizabeth looked to her left to see the marauders with large grins whilst stuffing their faces, she sighed and looked at Beverley who seemed to have followed her line of thought.

"What do you think they're upto?" Elizabeth asked cautiously, Beverley looked at her with an elegant eyebrow raised,

"Are you honestly asking me that question?" she replied. Elizabeth started blushing at the statement that came across different to how she'd thought it, before she could reply she saw a flash of gold on her plate; she turned and stared at her food before seeing a flash of red. All along the table the food was flashing each houses colours, it looked marvellous! Then the ceiling started to spill objects, she looked up and got hit in the face with a black dog plush toy, each house had plushes of either a black dog, a stag, a rat or a wolf falling on them. Elizabeth smiled as she looked at the toy, it was cute.

She leant over to where the marauders were sitting and threw a spare stag at Sirius's head.

"Oi, Black!" She yelled, so she could be heard over the commotion. He turned his head and stared at her. "Plush toys? Really?"

"Yes really!" he stated as if it was obvious, "it's actually for the firsties, you know, a gift from us kind and compassionate men who want them to feel at home." He bought a hand to his chest as if to show he was feeling compassionate. Elizabeth mock pouted.

"Oh how sweet! I didn't know you know such big words black." she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Sirius Black was not a compassionate person, "they'll probably come alive during the night and attempt to kill them."

"You wound me Lizzie dear."

"Don't call me Lizzie and don't call me your dear, I'm not your anything!" Her eye twitched in annoyance, scratch that, his personality was awful, he just had a good face.

Dumbledore stood once again with a grandfatherly look on his face as he looked out towards his students, whom applauded him.

"Thank you, thank you." He laughed with a gracious bow, "Now I hope that you've all rid yourselves of your mischievous streaks during the holidays and come in with a clear head so you can abide by the list of 213 forbidden items which is listed in front of Mr Filches office." His lips twitched and his eyes flickered towards the Marauders whom were grinning at eachother, from the sight before it was obvious that at least four students hadn't lost their mischievous streaks.

"If you're looking to try out for your house quidditch team consult your captains and check for notices in your common room. We are pleased to introduce a new addition to our staff, Professor Bradley. Please make him feel welcome!" The blonde haired man stood up and waved to the students giving them a nod as they clapped loudly before sitting down. Those less observant only just noticed the man they'd never seen, some of the girls were staring at him and whispering rapidly to their friends.

"Professor Bradley will be taking the post of Defence against the Dark arts." Dumbledore cleared his throat to signal for silence as the rest of the hall muttered and and whispered their theories as to who he was or if and how he'd die at the end of the year, yup completely normal right? He gazed around the hall solemnly, and took a deep breath.

"Those of you who've kept up with the daily Prophet will no doubt know that the..." he paused as if wondering how to word what was happening in wizarding Britain. "Situation, with Lord Voldemort" The hall gasped, some dropped mugs, some fell off their seats. Dumbledore paused once again for everyone to gather themselves. "Has gotten significantly worse." Some students around the hall looked solemn at the reminder, some were tearing up, obviously affected, and some had a sick look of satisfaction on their faces. One girl in Ravenclaw burst into tears at the name, Elizabeth felt sorrow well up within her, if she recalled her brother had been killed. Elizabeth turned and glared towards the Slytherin table where Avery smirked back at her and gave her a wink. A shudder of disgust went through her, and a surge of hatred like any other went through her. Dumbledore looked uncharacteristically serious.

"I implore that you follow any rules and restrictions put in by teachers, follow curfew, don't go out of boundaries, and keep your guard up. For those of you going to Hogsmeade, keep your wand on you at all times and your eyes open, if you see anything suspicious report it immeadiantly. I urge you all to learn as much as you can, and most of all to choose your side in this battle, it is not your families choice what side you choose, it is nobodies but your own." He looked pointedly at the older Slytherin students.

"Now, enough of my rambling, a good night's rest awaits you all before long day of classes tomorrow. Let us say good night." He nodded to the hall and the students began to stand up and followed their prefects to their common rooms.

"Oi Lilyflower!" Sirius yelled as she began to go up the stairs towards her dormitory,

"What is it with you and giving us nicknames?" she questioned, cocking her head to the side, Sirius leant against the wall with a simple elegance only a teenager could achieve.

"It was my new year's resolution, to annoy Lily Evans and Elizabeth Gilmore."

"Wow how productive, congratulations at having such a productive goal." Lily drawled whilst clapping really slowly, she too leant against the wall so their faces were close together, her green eyes glimmered with humor.

"Thank you." He jokingly bowed with a grin on his handsome face.

Lily rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the wall, "What do you want Sirius?"

"I wanted to say Congratulations, for becoming head girl, I didn't expect it to become anyone else." He dropped the roguish charm and gave her a genuine smile, "You deserve it."

"Thanks, I think." She muttered before turning to go up the stairs, "Goodnight Black." He nodded in response and turned to the rest of the common room once she was out of sight and lifted his hands in the air dramatically.

"These redheads cant for the life of them accept a bloody compliment can they?"

"It's been less than a day and I'm already sick of working with him. At this rate I'm not making it past October!" Lily groaned as she fell onto her bed.

"You know, If James wasn't like a brother to me then I'd kill to be able to work with him. Besides, despite what you think, he's a decent person." Beverley regularly came to James's defence in times like this, Beverley grew up in a light pureblood family, and therefore she knew James as a toddler, as they had spent a lot of time together. They were practically brother and sister. Mary groaned into her pillow, showing her dislike of the conversation, she was so over hearing about James Potter.

"It's fine! I'm going to go have a shower anyway." Lily said raising her hands and leaving the room, having already placed her stuff in the bathroom. Mary sat up.

"5 galleons they start going out in February" Mary clapped her hands and looked at Beverley and Elizabeth, who shrugged.

"Ummm… I say January, around Lily's birthday" Elizabeth guessed

"I say that eventually Lily will ask James out, around… Easter." Beverley stated cockily. "If it's after that date I get the money still, if it's before January Liz gets it. Whoever its closest too."

"Deal" Mary said, before winking and shutting the curtains around her bed.

Hope you all enjoyed it! Please don't forget to leave a review and here is a midget sized sneak peek of Chapter two!

"...Magic is magic, you ought to remember that, the so called dark side isn't holding back, so why should you? Curiosity isn't a sin; just don't lose yourself whilst you're at it."

Thank you!

Thechosenbibliophile xx