Prologue

Lily turned round as the train sped off and wiped the traces of tears from her cheeks. Despite what she had told everyone, she would miss her brothers. Specially Albus. At least she still had Hugo. Her best friend would be an immense comfort to her over the summer. As she walked towards the ticket barrier with her parents, Hugo and Ron and Hermione (Ron had refused to be called Uncle so Hermione had submitted) she thought about Teddy and Victoire snogging. (For my convenience I've made them younger so they're still in Hogwarts and will be even when Lily's in 4th year) So weird. Would she ever do that? The very thought made her giggle. When her mother asked her why she was laughing she didn't reply but turned round and resumed her discussion with Hugo about the four houses.

"I seriously think Rose might be in Ravenclaw. She's so clever. The number of times she's corrected me would put the stars to shame," said Hugo

"Yeah, but she stood up to the bullies in the neighbourhood loads of times and told them to push off and stop bullying the little kids. Even though they threatened to break her arm the next time she pointed her finger at them," Lily reminded him.

"And Al?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I hope he's in Gryffindor," Lily replied anxiously.

"Imagine being in Slytherin!" Hugo said. Lily shuddered at the very thought.

"I'd march up to McGonagall and pinch her on the nose until she let me change," she replied

"She'd probably blast you into oblivion if you did that," laughed Hugo. "Or she might just chase you to your seat acting like a chicken."

"Yeah right. For some reason I find it hard to believe she'd do that," Lily replied, snorting with laughter as she imagined Professor McGonagall with a fake beak on, clucking like a chicken. She'd have to owl James the thought. Transfiguring a nose should be quite easy……………

MU HU HA HA HA!

The group had passed through the ticket barrier and was heading towards the cars. They separated and then the remnants of the two families headed home.

A Sticky Situation

Lily blew kisses out of the window to her parents.

"Write to us when you get there, honey."

"Make a lot of friends."

"Have lots of fun. Study hard."

"Tell Al to buck up a bit and stop being so shy."

"Tell James we did not approve of the toilet seat he sent us. We don't want any more owls telling us about the trouble he's caused."

"We love you Lily…" Her parents' words got lost on the wind as the 'Hogwarts Express' gathered speed and left the station. Lily turned around smiling to herself. But she found that she wasn't alone. Unbeknownst to her, two boys had come into the compartment. One was very large and looked quite stupid. The other was thin and looked sharp and calculating. They both had unpleasant looks on their faces.

"Get out of our compartment, shrimp" said the big one. Lily gulped. Usually she would have been able to hex them out of her way but fear had made her mind go blank. She took a deep breath and sounding braver than she felt, said;

"Actually as I was here first and your bags aren't on the racks, it can't be your compartment."

"We don't want your smart alec comments, shrimp. Get out of the compartment," said the thin one angrily. Lily gulped again. She could easily get out of the compartment and avoid a lot of trouble but her pride and her stubborn nature wouldn't allow her to. If the boys had been her size she still could have kicked them out. But they weren't. Both were larger and a punch from the huge one would be positively lethal. They probably wouldn't turn a hair if she bled to death. Urrrrrrrrrr! This was so frustrating. Why at this precise moment could she not remember any spells?

"No," she whispered.

"What did you say?" said the thin boy dangerously.

"No," Lily repeated more firmly.

"The way you're behaving, you're seriously asking to be thrown out of the window," snarled the big boy.

"You know, I don't think Hogwarts will miss you. A rash young girl like you could easily have fallen out while leaning too far out of the window," the thin one said slowly, a mad glint coming into his eyes. Oh my God! Stupid brain! Why aren't you working properly? Look what you got me into!

"Oh what a waste! You're quite a good looking shrimp as well," said the big boy clutching his chest with mock regret.

"Well actually Goyle, now that I think about it, she's too good to waste. I'll tell you what." The thin boy turned Lily's face up so that she had to look into his mean eyes.

"We won't throw you out of the window if you go out with me."

A Way Out

Lily was so intent on finding a way out of her situation that she didn't hear the compartment's door slam. But the boys did. They turned round and saw to their amazement a very pretty girl leaning against the door. She had thick black hair and silky silver eyes. A smile was playing around her lips and her face had a look of playful mischief. Lily looked around for the distraction and saw her too. She looked into the girl's eyes and sent her a pleading girl-to-girl message: HELP ME!! These guys are dangerous. Lily knew that the girl had understood, because she had winked back. The girl smiled coyly at the thin boy and beckoned him with her finger. The boy walked over in what he considered a sexy fashion. In a flash the girl kneed him where it hurts. The boy fell to the ground with a painful expression on his face. Then she grinned at the other one clearly saying: Wanna come over? Goyle rushed at her like a bull, his arms outstretched. The girl quickly drew her wand and waved it while muttering a spell. The boy screamed as tentacles appeared all over his face. The girl blew him a kiss.

"Don't worry darling, you look lovely!" she said, batting her eyelashes. "At least, better than before." But as she stood taunting Goyle, she didn't see the thin boy creeping up on her from behind. He had raised his wand and had almost cursed her but Lily's mind suddenly cleared and she remembered all the spells her brothers had taught her. With an upward flick of her wand, she yelled,

"Leviocorpus!" The alarmed boy was jerked up into the air by his ankle. He hung there as if suspended by invisible strings.

"LET ME DOWN!!" he shouted, red in the face. The black-haired girl looked around with surprise. She hadn't realized what had happened so far. She looked from the upside-down-boy to Lily.

"Did you do that?" she asked Lily.

"Yep," she replied.

'Can you do it to the other one?" the girl asked. Lily replied with a flick of her wand. They were left with both the boys hanging beside them.

"I'm Vera," said the girl, extending her hand. Lily took it.

"I'm Lily," she said.

"So where did you learn all these seduction tactics?" Lily asked her after they were seated.

"Was I sufficiently sexy?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Romance novels," Vera admitted with a grin.

"Really? Have you read any muggle ones? They're quite good.'

"No. But I could-"

"Yeah don't mind us; we'll just hang around listening to your pleasant conversation with the blood rushing to our heads," interrupted the thin boy.

"Oh yeah, you're still here!" Lily said in an annoyed voice.

"Yes, we are. Would you mind letting us down?"

"Yes."

"JUST LET US DOWN!

"What's your name?"

"Blaise Zabini," he replied.

"Well Zabini, I don't appreciate being bossed around. I'll only give you what you want if you ask me politely. Say the magic word."

"No, I will not," he declared.

"Suit yourself!" Lily turned back to Vera and started chatting again.

"FINE! Please let us down," Zabini yelled. Lily smirked. She waved her wand and muttered, "Liberacorpus." The two boys fell down in a heap and the two girls chuckled.

Both boys clambered up, looking ready to fight, but the girls were already pointing their wands at them. The compartment door slid open and in came Lily's cousin Victoire, daughter of Bill and Fleur, a fourth-grader.

"You all were making such a racket. What were you doing?" she asked, her hands on her hips. Then she saw the boys.

"Who are you?" she asked them. The boys just glared at the other two and then left.

"What was going on here?" Victoire sounded suspicious.

"Nothing, Vicky! What could two innocent eleven year olds be up to?" Lily replied with a bright innocent I'm-such-a-good-girl-smile.

" Hmm… God Lily! Have you just walked through a gale or something? Your hair is in such a mess. You really should take more care of it. Here let me fix it." Lily twisted away as Victoire made a grab at her.

"Fine! Be that way! But at least let me do something to it." Victoire pointed her wand at Lily's red hair and moved it down to the bottom, turning Lily's tangled hair sleek and shiny.

"That's cool. What are the words?" Vera asked. Victoire told her and then asked her who she was.

"She's my friend," Lily answered.

"My name's Vera." After a while Victoire left the compartment and the trolley lady came. The girls were ravenous after their excitement. Soon they were joined by Lily's best friend, Hugo; his sister, Rose and Lily's brother, Albus. James was off somewhere with his friends. Lily introduced them to Vera and then they all settled down to a game of exploding snap.