Accio Evans

Chapter 8: Prefects

"Right." Lily started as she settled down in her usual chair on the right hand side of the prefect table; James took the chair opposite her on the left. She would have to give up her usual chair in the meeting later and take up one of the seats at the top of the table where Head Boy and Girl usually resided, she was thankful to have one last sit in her usual seat. The Prefects room was large, a square oak table stood slightly off centre to the right as the main focal point of the room, matching chairs sat around the table, with two at the far end of the table for Head students and a lone chair at the opposite end. The room was dimly lit by torches and candles hung in alcoves around the perimeter of the room, a fire crackled in the hearth and sent glowing shapes around the room against the mid blue of the wall paper. Portraits hung across the walls, the faces of some of the school's most prestigious students as well as knights and a woman hanging her long hair out of a tower, Lily explained it was from a muggle fairy-tale, James forgot which. A large polished wood cabinet stood next to the window at the far end of the room, the window offered very little light to room as the only view was the back of the astronomy tower. The wooden cabinet enclosed documents needed for the Prefects, point docking and detention slips as well as parchment, quills and ink, anything a Prefect may need for the day. A rota of the patrol schedule hung on the wall next to it, the rota was empty as of now and would be filled in accordingly by Lily and James over the next few days so patrols could officially start the following Monday, however everyone would take up temporary patrols assigned by the Head Students until the rota was completed. On the opposite wall sat a bookcase, filled with books from all subject area's which weren't available in the library, James noted they might come in handy closer to NEWTs.

To the right of the bookcase stood a cream door which lead to the Head students office, inside was another bookshelf which was filled with whichever books the Head Boy and Girl may require, complete two desks with swivel chairs, James liked those very much! Lily and James could use the office for Head student business or for simply as somewhere quiet to study, the choice was up to them.

"Well, our role is pretty simple." Lily explained to James once he had settled in a chair next to her. "We instruct the prefects and help govern the student body. We chair a prefect meeting once a week to instruct the Prefects and go over the prefect rota. Discuss recurring students breaking curfew etc." she added. James was silent for a moment or two, feeling incredibly nervous, up until around ten minutes ago when he entered, he had hadn't even known this room existed. Light streamed in through the large window and the fire in the hearth reassured him somewhat. "Any questions?" Lily asked. A dozen thoughts raced through James' mind, none of them appropriate and would probably earn him a slap, so he pushed them from his brain.

"So, um... what actually happens at the Prefect meetings?" James enquired, genuinely curious, he had always wondered what had happened at the secret meetings that Remus and Lily always trailed off to.

"Well it's the first meeting off the year, so we'll probably just welcome everyone in, go over the news which come son a scroll from Dumbledore – I'll go and collect that later." She added, almost as if she had forgotten and was reminding herself. "Then we'll sort out temporary patrols to make sure people aren't out after curfew. We'll take notes on what nights people can't do for patrols because of Quidditch, tutoring or after school clubs etc and then we'll come up with a proper rota soon, but for this week we'll just assign temporary patrols until the rota is sorted." James nodded and tried to formulate an order for the rapid number of questions that were forming in his head and slow his beating heart that was threatening to beat out of his chest at being this close to Lily for so long.

After nearly half an hour of endless questions from James and answers from Lily, they finally left the prefect room. James feeling enlightened and Lily drained.