NEWTs took place in the 2nd week of May.

It was spread over a longer period of time than OWLs. On each day, they had the written exam of a particular subject in the morning, and its practical in the evening.

The exams passed uneventfully. Lily claimed after each exam that she had failed, starkly contrasting with James' cheerful grin and peaceful complacency that he had done brilliantly.

The last exam was Transfiguration. After the practical ended in the afternoon, there was an infectious high spirits among the seventh year students.

The Marauders were huddled in the dorm, putting final touches to the fireworks they had been making for weeks.

"Let's go now—Prongs, what are you doing?" asked Sirius. James was still tapping his heap with his wand.

"Trying to give them a particular colour."

"We made them of different colors," said Remus.

"What colour d'you want this much?" demanded Sirius.

Actually James had been trying to get it have the exact shade of green as Lily's eyes, but he couldn't make himself say that.

"A shade of...silver," said James, looking at Sirius' gray eyes.

His friends accepted it without question, and James didn't turn the firework green, he made it silver.

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Halfway through dinner, the Great Hall erupted with noise. Thousands of beautiful colourful fireworks appeared on the ceiling, which was looking like a clear night sky.

The students cheered and clapped, especially at the last bit, when a different rocket circled over each house table—the one over Gryffindor left behind red and gold sparks, Hufflepuff's yellow and black, Ravenclaw's blue and bronze, and Slytherin's green and silver. The applause almost bought the roof down. Everyone in the hall, teachers and students alike, knew that they had been organized by the Marauders, who also happened to be the most popular students in the school.

Then abruptly, a shower of black charcoal fell on the Slytherin table, causing people to scream and scramble away.

Most of the other students were even more delighted at this and as a fresh wave of laughter and clapping began, Dumbledore stood up to restore the Slytherin table back to normal.

Professor McGonagall did not hold her usual glare when she looked at her house's biggest troublemakers—they were her all-time favorite students, especially James, Sirius and Remus, and she couldn't help wondering how dull Hogwarts would become when the Marauders passed out after two weeks.

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"The last bit was unfair," said Lily in the common room.

"It was the best part, Lily!" said Marlene.

"Why did you have to spoil the beautiful display?" demanded Lily.

"Er..." said James, glancing at Sirius.

"I bet it was your idea," said Lily rather coldly to Sirius.

"Yeah, it was. You got a problem with that?" said Sirius rudely.

Lily looked highly offended as she walked back to her dorm. Sirius looked slightly mutinous.

James put his head in his hands and groaned.

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"Lily," said James, the next day when they were on duty. "I wish you and Sirius would put aside your differences."

"I don't initiate any fight," said Lily.

"I—I reckon it's both of your fault, Lils."

Lily began to feel annoyed, but it vanished when she saw that James looked slightly desperate.

"Ok, I'll see to it," she said.

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Lily approached Sirius the next day. "Sirius, you see, as we're the two people closest to James, I guess we should—well, maintain a harmonious relationship."

"Harmonious relation with you, Evans? I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Sirius, please. It matters to James, it really does. Don't you care about his feelings?"

Sirius gave his most ferocious death glare at Lily. "Do you think I don't care about him? Oh yes, I forgot, only you care about him."

Lily stalked off, feeling that there was only a certain limit up to which you can accept insults.

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The date of the Leavers' Ball coincided with June's full moon. When James realized this, he felt a very strong wave of disappointment. He had already asked Lily to the ball, and he didn't cherish the idea of letting her down.

He broached the topic with his friends one evening in the dormitory.

"Look, the ball goes on till one or two at night. We could join Remus at say, 12:30?"

Sirius looked slightly grim as he bent over the Marauder's Map, just for something to do.

"Yeah, fine by me," said Remus.

James did not feel much relieved, because Sirius wouldn't look at him.

"Will you go to the ball, Peter?" asked Sirius.

Peter looked confused.

"'Cause I am not," said Sirius. "I'll join you at midnight, Moony."

James rolled his eyes.

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"Lily, d'you think I could leave the ball early?"

"Early means?"

"Eleven thirty or so?"

"What? The ball starts at ten!"

"No," said James. "It's from eight."

"The band comes at ten," protested Lily, crossing her arms. "Why would you want to leave early?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I've got an important thing to do," said James guiltily.

"You don't need to come to the ball with me at all," huffed Lily. "If it isn't just like you to schedule something on that day!"

Lily stormed off.

"A girlfriend and possessive best friend means huge trouble," said a voice near him. He turned and saw Remus smiling sympathetically at him.

"Tell me about it," groaned James. But he had made up his mind. He went to look for Sirius.

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"Padfoot."

"Yeah?"

"Got a request for you, mate."

Sirius looked up at him from the armchair he was lounging on. "Fire away."

"I want you and Lily to get on better."

"Why do you even care about this, Prongs?"

"I just do. Both of you are behaving like stubborn children," said James. "She's not that bad, you know."

Sirius crossed at his arms and scowled at him.

James' hazel eyes searched Sirius' gray ones.

"Please, Padfoot? For me?" said James softly.

Sirius was quite horrified. They had never ever used such line of emotional blackmail.

James continued to look at him.

"I—I..." began Sirius. "All right."

James grinned. "Thanks, man."

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While walking to breakfast the next day, Sirius caught up with Lily.

"Hey, Lily! Does your offer stand? 'Cause I wanted to be your friend."

Lily looked up at him suspiciously. "James told you to do it."

"How did you know?" asked Sirius, taken aback.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid, you know."

Sirius began to think that Lily really wasn't that bad, after all. He grinned at her. Lily smiled back and took his arm.

"You're not as cruel and as arrogant as I thought, Black."

"You're not as prim and boring as I thought either, Evans."

James and Remus had been shamelessly listening in their conversation by walking behind them. Both of them strongly felt that Lily-Sirius clashes were over at last.