My name is VioletStarlight11, and welcome to my first story! I am so excited for you to go on this journey with me! I hope that you have as much fun reading this story as I did writing it.

Just a disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The lovely and talented J. K. Rowling owns these beautiful characters. However, I do own the plot for this story.

And the story begins!

Chapter 1: Arrival of the AOL Program

Morning, Thursday, September 1, 1977

Lily Evans squinted through the glare of the sun as she walked with her family to the entrance of King's Cross Station. Her trunk rattled behind her as she pulled it through the front doors and into the station.

Petunia Evans huffed in annoyance. "Could you stop making such a racket? You already attract enough attention being a freak."

Lily sighed and replied, "The floor is uneven so the wheels make noise going up and down over the ridges. I am sorry you forgot how gravity works."

Petunia scowled before turning her nose up in the air. Lily rolled her eyes before shifting her attention to the portal to Platform 9 ¾. Stopping at a distance to give herself running room, Lily turned to her parents to bid them goodbye.

Mrs. Evans smiled before embracing Lily and saying, "Have a safe trip and a wonderful year, sweetheart. We know you'll do well. I love you." Mr. Evans kissed the top of Lily's head and added, "Keep smiling, my little Emerald. I love you." Lily gripped her father tight, comforted by her father's pet name for her. He called her his little Emerald because of her beautiful green eyes.

"I love the both of you very much," she said before turning to grip her trunk and face the portal.

It did not matter that she had done this for the past 6 years. She always feel a jolt of fear facing the brick wall, knowing that she would have to run into it to get to Platform 9 ¾. Closing her eyes, she began to run.

When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of students boarding the Hogwarts Express, fellow classmates chatting excitedly, and parents giving their final farewells. She began to walk to the train when someone collided into her.

"Oh!" Lily exclaimed, turning to see Alice Fortescue grinning and hugging Lily's torso. "Lily! It has been so long since we have seen each other!" Lily laughed before replying, "Alice, we went shopping for our supplies at Diagon Alley last week-"

"But it has been forever since we last talked!"

"-and we owled all day yesterday talking about our plans for this school year."

Alice rolled her eye teasingly before saying, "Yes, we did all of that, but it is so much better talking right before having another entire year together!"

The two girls giggled and hugged once again. "Okay, let's go find a compartment before all the empty ones are taken," said Lily.

The girls climbed onto the train before beginning their search for a compartment. Scents of pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs wafted throughout the train and the sound of loud, laughing, and talking voices rang through the aisles like a constant yet comfortable buzz.

The final bell of departure rung before the doors slid shut and the train began its journey. But as the train lurched into motion, Lily swayed, accidentally shoving another student. Lily regained her balance and turned to apologize to the other student, but her apology caught in her throat.

It was Severus Snape. Lily froze as memories of the final days of their fifth year overtook her. She remembered how she felt when he had spat out that unfathomable word, his sneer searing into her like a scar.

He looked at her glumly now. "Hello, Lily," he started.

Alice glared at him and said, "You don't get to talk to her. Let's go, Lily."

Lily nodded and let Alice tug her away from Severus.

They quickly slid into an empty compartment. Lily sat by the window and Alice sat next to her. "Are you okay?" Alice asked, putting her arm on Lily's shoulders. Lily nodded. Even though the memory hurt, time had dulled the initial emotions. Lily replied, "I am fine. I just think that it will always hurt a little since he was my best friend, even though it happened a year ago."

Alice nodded in agreement. "Yes, but you know that you'll always have me to talk to about it." The two embraced, but were interrupted by a loud thud against the compartment and a sharp screeching sound as Sirius Black shoved the door open so he could bolt inside.

"Black! What are you doing here?" Lily exclaimed.

Sirius cackled and replied, "Remus wouldn't pitch ideas for our pranks this year, so I stole his book!"

"Black, you give Remus back his book this second!" said Lily angrily.

"I second that." Remus Lupin entered the compartment and reached for his book expectantly.

Sirius laughed and darted to the back of the compartment. "Nope!"

Remus sighed before collapsing into the seat opposite Alice. "Sorry, Lily and Alice. Sirius is being difficult because he wants attention."

Sirius scoffed indignantly, "I do not! Besides, you should be giving it to me attention because I look absolutely ravishing today!"

Remus rolled his eyes and grinned, saying, "You said that yesterday, though."

Sirius shook his head and said, "No, yesterday I said that I looked 'absolutely excellent'. See, two different words."

Lily smirked and said, "Wow, I didn't even know that you knew words beyond 'snog' and 'shag'."

Alice giggled and Remus had to hide his laugh by covering his mouth. Sirius' mouth was agape.

"Good one, Evans."

Everyone turned to the compartment entrance to see James Potter leaning on the compartment door, smirking at Lily. "Sirius, you know better than to bother Lily. You signed a death warrant by running into her compartment."

Lily scowled at him and said, "Maybe you should take your own advice."

Sirius interjected, "Aww, Lily, it's our last year. Why don't we have a nice, friendly ride to school?'

Alice laughed and said, "That's believable coming from you. I bet you'll have stink bombs thrown at us by the end of this trip."

"Have a little faith, dear Alice," replied James as he sauntered into the compartment and slid into the seat next to Remus. "We won't prank you," he said, "...yet."

The conversation continued on. Peter Pettigrew joined the compartment soon after James' arrival. An hour before the train was due to arrive at Hogwarts, Lily announced, "It's time for the Head's and Prefect's meeting. Remus and I will see you at the Great Hall." Remus nodded in agreement and began to follow Lily to the door.

Then James replied, "Wait for me!"

Lily turned to look at him and furrowed her brow. "Potter, you are neither a prefect nor Head Boy."

James grinned sheepishly before pulling something out from his robes. "Actually, that's where you're wrong."

Lily's eyes widened at the sight of the object in his hands. It was the Head Boy badge. "But," Lily gasped, "You've never been a prefect. And you are not even a valid candidate for Head Boy! How could Dumbledore even consider someone as immature and arrogant as you for Head Boy?"

Hurt flashed in James' eyes for a moment before he replied, "Let's just head to the meeting before we're late."

Lily wrinkled her nose before storming out of the compartment. James and Remus turned to give a final wave to their friends before leaving as well.

At the meeting, even though Lily commanded the discussions and answered many of the prefects' questions, her mind would not stray from the fact that James Potter was going to be her partner for the entire school year. Why would Dumbledore choose the unofficial leader of the Marauders to be Head Boy?

Lily glanced at James as he answered one of the questions asked. This didn't make any sense. She had expected James to not take his new position seriously, but he seemed to actually care that the prefects were aware of the rules and procedures and that the meeting went smoothly. For Merlin's sake, he had even pulled out a list of potential pairings for rounds! The James Potter she knew would never even lift a quill to parchment for Transfiguration studying.

Lily's pondering was interrupted by the train's bell signalling their arrival to Hogwarts. The Heads and Prefects shuffled out of the train and to the carriages.

At the feast, Lily and Alice met up with Marlene Mckinnon, who had spent the train ride with her new boyfriend, Benjy Fenwick. Together the three exchanged summer stories. It turns out Marlene had invited Benjy to a trip to France with her family and they had spent their days sightseeing, shopping, eating, chatting with the family.

"And at night, we would get shag until we had to ask the hotel to find us a new bed." Marlene sniggered. Alice giggled and gasped, "Marls! That is too much information!"

Lily laughed and nodded. "I agree. Besides, how did you even manage to convince your parents to let you sleep together in a separate room?"

Marlene sighed dramatically before saying, "My father was tired of hearing from McGonagall about my frequent broom cupboard flings while my mother just wanted me to find 'the one.' A bloody romantic, that's what my mother is. Once they found out I actually had found a real boyfriend who wasn't a fling, they had booked a second room immediately!"

"Well, is he the one?" asked Alice.

Marlene smiled. "Well, he is surely something. I have never wanted to be in a relationship for this long, let alone actually commit. Yes, the shagging is fantastic, but there are other reasons to stay. He makes me feel...cared for. All the other blokes made me feel wanted, but it is so different when a man actually cares about how a woman feels."

Lily congratulated her and Alice smiled and said, "I am so happy for you."

Marlene grinned and said, "I am happy for me, too. By the way, how are you and that Longbottom fellow? I don't have to kick any arses, do I?"

Alice laughed and replied, "No, Frank and I are still very much in love and together. He is the one. No arse-kicking required."

Lily rolled her eyes playfully and said, "It is actually quite sickening." Lily had spent most of her summer at Alice's and usually found Frank and Alice entangled and snogging or whispering lovingly in each other's ears.

"You just haven't been in love yet, Lily," Alice countered, "Once you've met the one, your whole world changes. It is almost as if you lived your entire life yearning to find him. It's like your fates have become intertwined."

Lily groaned. "Alice, there is no such thing as fate or destiny, other than in the fictional stories that I like to read. It is simply not rational. You can't measure or detect fate. Love is not built on frilly concepts such as the stars aligning. Relationships are built on trust, honesty, and tolerance."

"Tolerance for one James Potter?" joked Marlene.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Even if 'the one' were a real concept, James Potter is far from it! He is an childish, conceited, bullying toerag sucking on the silver spoon of his pureblood ancestry. He has every girl in this school hooked in by his charm but would never take the chance to learn about them. He has never defended me when the Slytherins bullied me and has even been the perpetrator for several bullying incidents to other students. There is no universe in which I would ever fall for James Potter! He is not 'the one,' and there certainly no such thing as the 'one.'"

Alice frowned sadly before saying, "Lily, if fate and destiny don't exist, how can magic exist?"

Lily was taken aback. She could not find an answer. Before she could choke out an flimsy counterargument, someone had rung their spoon against a glass, silencing the whole room. All heads turned to see Headmaster Albus Dumbledore put down his spoon and glass before walking to the podium.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts! I hope that your summers have been eventful and fulfilling. I would like to start off by congratulating our first years for admittance into their houses. We are very excited to have you for the next seven years," Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as they travelled to each table.

"Also, I would like to discuss a new program known as 'Anonymous Owl Letters,' or 'AOL.' We have created this program to foster greater unity, collaboration, and friendship at Hogwarts," started Professor Dumbledore.

Students began raising eyebrows and throwing questioning looks at each other.

Professor Dumbledore continued, "Each of you will send letters to another student throughout the year without knowing who the other student is. I would recommend you and your partner create fake names so you can refer to each other by those names. The Ministry has been generous enough to lend barn owls for every pair of assigned students so that no one is able to detect who they are receiving letters from by the species of the owl."

Before Professor Dumbledore had uttered the last word, the Hall erupted in chatter. Friends exchange various phrases such as "I hope you are my partner" or "I hope I don't get someone annoying."

Marlene whispered to Lily and Alice, "I better not get any Slytherins."

Professor McGonagall's voice rung out, "Silence! Your headmaster is not finished speaking!"

Professor Dumbledore nodded solemnly before continuing, "These are dark times. There is a dark wizard in our midst who wishes to gain power and exert his political agenda. In order to stay safe and combat the darkness, we must look to the light. We must form alliances, no matter how unlikely. I am very aware of our inter-House rivalries. Don't let pride or blood prevent you from doing what is right."

The Hall remained silent. A lone hand rose in the air. All eyes gravitated to the hand.

Professor Dumbledore asked, "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

James was hesitant, but asked, "What if my partner is someone who I disagree with in person due to political beliefs or something such as that?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled fondly before saying, "That is why we have created this program. We wish to teach you that despite political beliefs, background, history, or heritage, we are all human. We are all one in the same. We are all worthy of friendship. We wish for you to build relationships without judgement. All you will have are the words on the parchment."

Well...? How was it?

If you are interested in reading more, you can expect to see an updated chapter every Saturday*! Bye!

*Note: For some, it will obviously be earlier or later. Those in the time zones behind mine will probably see a post on a Friday while those in the time zones ahead of mine will be on the short end of the stick and won't see it until Sunday. I will try to keep it as early as possible because there are no posts on Sunday. ;)