Lily - The tale of a Phoenix

Chapter Five: Crinus Muto

3rd September, 1971

Beneath the husk of a dragon skellington stood the First-year students chattering amongst each other. It was Friday, and their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. It was safe to say that they were direly excited. James Potter could be heard audibly talking about all he knew of the 'Dark Arts' to which Sirius pretended to be a ghoul, dying from slashes from Potter's wand. It was the first lesson they had in which the desks had been pushed to the walls, which were stacked with shelves and strange items in glass cases. Severus had taken to silently practising wand motions with his empty hand. Lily repeated them quietly, sure she was getting them completely wrong.

Sirius, at a final slash of Potter's wand, suddenly growled, pretending to double over and transform into a beast. "AH- Werewolf!", shrieked James jokingly, beginning to sprint around the crowd of students as Black hunted after him. He then turned on Peter, who yelled, backing up into a corner. Alice did the same when Sirius leapt at her before he attempted to startle Marlene, to which she swatted at him with her foot. Lupin was his next target, and Black let out a great big growl right in his face. Remus did not seem amused. In fact, he looked slightly upset.

"Over here ya' smelly beast!", teased Potter, whacking Sirius on the back with his tie, which he had decided now to use as some sort of lasso like a cowboy. Lily did her best to seem like she didn't find the display amusing. Severus simply tutted, pretending to cast spells even louder. That was until Potter lassoed his tie around Snape by accident as Sirius jumped up onto one of the tables, nearly falling through a tall window behind it.

"Wrong beast!", teased Black, to which Snape shook with anger. He tore the tie from around his neck, throwing it at the floor.

"Must you two act like idiots!", he snapped, startling Lily a little.

"Idiots?", returned Sirius, leaning down over the top of Severus.

"We were just playing", replied James, collecting his tie. He noticed Lily's mild smile, giving her a quick mischievous smirk.

"-And as amusing as it is-". Sirius tumbled off of the desk at the sound of a calm, wise voice. The students turned as the classroom door finished opening. Headmaster Dumbledore stood on the other side dressed in starry blue robes, with his wand firmly planted in his withered hand. James fumbled to put his tie back on. "I would appreciate it if you two would save your games for after this lesson". He cast his wand at a wooden dummy in the corner, which came speeding into the centre of the room, knocking some papers from the girthy desk that resided by a set of steps leading to what could only be an office of sorts.

"Sorry Sir", apologised James quickly, running to stand with the crowd of students as the man parted through them.

"Right- Ravenclaws and Slytherins to the right- Gryffindor and Hufflepuff to the left". Snape reluctantly watched as Lily followed the man's instructions, walking across the room with a slightly injured Sirius. She stood beside Remus and Alice, who mentioned that Lupin seemed a little off. Lily had noticed it too. He was oddly pale and apparently quite temperamental. "Now, As you may have guessed I am not your Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. The gentleman who was supposed to take up such a title has decided that his...talents best lie elsewhere. So this afternoon I will take over teaching for this particular lesson, and next week, Professor McGonagall will until we find a suitable candidate". There was a sense of excitement emanating from the man's voice. Lily heard a Hufflepuff whisper that Dumbledore had once been the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts- at least for a short while.

"I'd rather have Headmaster Dumbledore than anyone else teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts", stated Frank, who had shuffled to stand next to Alice, "He fought in the first Wizarding war". Lily wondered if the first Wizarding War was like the First World War. She had learned about it when she was little in school. Her great-grandfather had died in it and every year her dad would wear a poppy in remembrance.