James potter stared at the corridor behind him. He could've sworn he'd heard someone laughing just now, but when he turned around, the corridor was empty. He started to regret his decision to stalk the corridors at night alone.
Someone giggled again, James' eyes shot from one place to the other. It didn't sound like any giggle or laugh he had ever heard, and being a prankster he had heard a lot.
"You won't find me like that."
James turned around to face the direction he was heading in, this time the voice had some from there. He was sure of it. "Where are you?"
"Everywhere… and nowhere."
James narrowed his eyes, "Did a Ravenclaw find his humour?"
The voice giggled again, "I am no Ravenclaw."
"Then why answer so vaguely?"
"I merely stated the truth."
James sighed, it sure felt like he was talking to a seventh year Ravenclaw. He decided to humour the voice, or maybe himself, who knew. "Then would you go to one place only?" Preferably in front of me, James muttered afterwards.
The voice giggled, "Not now. Goodnight young Gryffindor."
"Hey wait!"
"James Potter!"
James turned around to stare into the face of McGonagall. He suppressed the urge to curse at the voice. That damned voice had just landed him in detention!
/
Almost exactly a year later, a now fifth year James stood staring into a deserted corridor once again. It was an afternoon this time, and the weather outside was beautiful, so everyone was outside. Not James, he had heard that giggle from a year ago again, he was sure of it. Professor Dumbledore had saved him from detention last year, after James had said he talked to a voice. After saying what the voice had said, the eyes of the headmaster had twinkled and said that his wandering would be tolerated this one time. He was advised to keep the voice to himself though.
And now the voice was back.
"Hello young Gryffindor."
James turned to the stairs that were on his right. On one of the steps sat a girl, dressed completely in white. She had long white hair and a kind smile on her face. She rested her head on her hand which leant on her knee. James estimated her age to be around his and mentally called her a hypocrite for calling him young.
"You got me in detention a year ago."
The girl laughed loudly. "Really? I was under the impression that you didn't have to go. Seeing as you told the headmaster."
James grumbled, "It's the principle."
The girl merrily shook her head, "It was your own fault for wandering the corridors at night."
"Normally I don't get caught."
The girl shrugged and questioningly turned her head. James watched her confused, what did she want?
"James!"
James turned his head, that voice belonged to Lily! She sounded surprised… for what he mused.
The girl laughed, "Oh she's confused!"
James shook his head, that sounded way too happy. Lily halted in front of the stairs and looked at the girl. "Are you one of Hogwarts' ghosts? I've never seen you before?"
The girl looked at her incredulous, "Do I look like a ghost?"
Lily shook her head.
"Then am I a ghost?"
"Probably not", Lily muttered.
The girl smiled, "Of course not! I merely am!"
"What's your name", James suddenly asked.
The girl tilted her head, "I won't tell you. Yet. It seems it is once again time. Good afternoon young Gryffindors!" She stood up and ascended the stairs.
"You aren't much older", shouted James after her. The girl laughed, "But I am, Time has nothing on me."
/
It would take only a week before James and Lily saw her again. Sirius had told Severus about a secret. It was full moon, so Remus was out in the shrieking shack, and James was watching Severus sneaking to there, intending to stop him if he really went, when she appeared.
The girl frowned as she stood in front of Severus. "Don't go there", she simply said. The slytherin in front of her stared at her dumbfounded.
"Severus", Lily shouted as she came running and then skidded to a halt. "You again?"
The girl nodded still frowning. "This isn't the equivalent of a joke, James Potter. Get out of those bushes and tell your friend to stop pestering Severus, that also goes for you."
Embarrassed James came out of the bushes and scratched his head. "I intended to stop him."
The girl shook her head, "You two are unbelievable. I'm off, young gryffindors, young slytherin."
The three present stared at each other after she had left.
/
Lily and James ran through the corridors two years later. The girl danced in front of them, laughing and twirling around all the while staying in front of Lily and James. She didn't say anything this time, just laughed and turned round and round and round.
Annoyed the two followed her shouting questions and growling when after the next turn they made, she had disappeared. Lily had quite enough, grabbed hold of James by his hand and dragged him towards the office of the headmaster. "We are asking professor Dumbledore about her." James merely nodded.
They found Dumbledore behind his desk deeply sighing. He looked up after they'd come in and smiled a little tired. "Mister Potter and miss Evans, what can I do for you?"
Lily immediately came to the point, "Who is the white girl, Professor?"
"So you have met her too."
James absently noted that the voice of the headmaster sounded slightly sad. The headmaster sighed, "She is everything and nothing."
Irritated James muttered something about Ravenclaws and their riddles.
Dumbledore watched him amused, "It is only hers to tell. But she does like playing with the people she finds interesting, don't you?"
Someone scoffed.
The eyes of Lily and James shot upwards and widened. At the top of the stairs stood the girl looking down on them. She had an annoyed expression on her face, "I only appear when I'm needed, and disappear the minute I'm not. Such are the laws. I don't play."
James and Lily wondered what she could possibly mean by that. The headmaster smiled mysteriously, "Of course, yet you won't tell them your name, nor what you are."
The girl eyed him, "As long as it does not concern them." The girl turned on her heels and left.
"Where did she go", asked Lily.
The headmaster shrugged, "To a place only she knows, I suspect. Even I don't know much about her, except what the legends tell."
Lily and James waited for the headmaster to elaborate, but instead he shook his head, "Time for your lessons I believe."
Unwillingly James and Lily dragged their feet out of the headmaster's office and down to their lesson.
/
Two weeks later, professor Binns had decided to deal with the subject of legends and the amount of truth behind them. He had said it was on demand, but from who he wouldn't, or couldn't, tell. James and his friends prepared themselves to fall asleep once again when the first legend caught James' attention. He turned to Lily, the exact moment she turned to him. They nodded to each other and tried to make sure they wouldn't fall asleep this time.
"We will start with the legend of the white child. This is a name given to her by all those who have met her and stated she looked like a child with white hair and white clothing. Her complete existence is a myth. She is everything and nothing, an existence outside time and older than time itself. The myths states that everyone who met her died young. Should you ever meet this child, don't expect to grow old and die a pleasant death."
Lily shivered. She and James had met this girl, would that mean they'd die young? That wasn't really something she had wanted to know.
"Professor?" James waited a while before he was sure he had Binns' attention. His friends looked at him shocked.
"How can someone exist outside time and be older than time?"
"It is a myth, mister Potter. While myths are usually based on true events, there is no such being as the white child. It is based on a girl with white hair who killed everyone she met within a month of them meeting her."
Not exactly pleasant either, Lily thought. She gave a warning glance to James to keep his mouth shut about the subject. Else they might scare their classmates to death and they had done that enough in their third year with divination.
Ah the good days.
James and Lily looked around wildly, but Binns had already droned on and put the rest to sleep. There was no one else.
I am always here.
"The white child", Lily whispered questioningly.
That would be me.
"Is it true what Binns said", Lily questioned further. James was too busy trying to spot her.
You won't find me young Gryffindor, I thought I told you that at our first meeting.
James looked a little ashamed. The voice stayed silent for a while.
Both are true yes. I exist out of time, and I was the white haired kid who killed.
"How", fear creeped into Lily's voice.
They had imprisoned me in a human body! The voice oozed malice and humiliation. I killed out of revenge! It's not exactly a time I'm proud of, she added softly.
"Who imprisoned you", James asked trying to sound brave. It wasn't really comforting that the seemingly innocent girl they had met apparently killed a good deal of people.
Wizards. Question time is over. Good day young gryffindors.
"Wait!" Lily shouted, but the white child was gone. Not a minute later the bell rung signifying the end of class. It had gone by a lot faster than they realized. Lily tried to stand by James as he was questioned why on earth he was paying attention in History of Magic.
/
They wouldn't see her for a few years. She appeared before them as they were choosing their secret keeper.
"Don't", she merely said.
Lily and James turned around and saw her sitting on their stairs. They merely eyed each other for a while. Dumbledore who was there as well nodded to her in greeting, she gave a small nod back. The rest however, jumped into the air of shock.
"Who is she!"
"Who do you work for!"
"She's white!"
The last was squeaked by Pettigrew who obviously remembered the lesson from Binns years ago.
James and Lily didn't answer their friends. "Why not", James asked.
"You'll die", the white girl simply answered.
"They'll die without a secret keeper", Sirius shouted angrily.
The white child turned her eyes to him, "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean", Lily asked.
"Your choice."
"We're choosing Sirius, is there something wrong with that", James asked with annoyance in his voice. The girl stayed silent.
"No, I am too obvious. Choose Peter, no one expects that!"
The white child bit on her lip, that was wrong, so wrong. "Choose wisely", she said.
"Isn't Peter wisely", Sirius asked.
The white girl shook her head, but refused to explain.
James shook his head, "No, Sirius is right. No one expects Peter. Peter will you be our secret keeper?"
Peter shrugged a little afraid, "If you think it's best."
"Yes", Lily said definite. "Dumbledore? Will you perform the spell?"
"Are you sure", Dumbledore asked. The whole group nodded. The white child shook her head sadly, "No one ever listens to me. I will see you one last time then, Lily and James."
Lily and James looked at her surprised; that was the first time she had ever called them by their names. Sirius eyed her suspiciously. "You are the white child are you not." He didn't wait for an answer. "Does that mean we'll die too?"
The white child laughed, "Not soon no. You are right, you will die young, but that can't be changed." She smiled as she faded away.
/
"I told you so."
Lily halted in her steps on the stairs with little Harry in her arms. James halted in the hallway, time seemed to have gone still around them. On top of the stairs sat the white child looking very much bored.
"Why did you tell us to choose wisely", Lily asked.
"Because your time of death could be changed. Pettigrew betrayed you long ago. If you had not chosen him, you would have lived longer."
"Why do you tell us this now", James said angrily.
The white child closed her eyes, "Because now it does not matter. I am bound to rules as much as you", her eyes flashed dangerously for a moment. "You will die soon, so this knowledge goes nowhere."
Lily bit on her lip, "What happens to everyone? Can you tell us?"
The white child tilted her head, "I suppose I could. You two are interesting." She stayed silent for a while as she thought. Voldemort was battering on her shield, so she couldn't stay long.
"Your child will go to your sister, Petunia. Sirius will end up in Azkaban for twelve years because everyone thinks he was your secret keeper. Remus will run from the authorities as he is a werewolf. Peter will do some good before he dies. Severus will become a silent protector. That's all I can tell."
Lily cried in the knowledge that they had sent Sirius to Azkaban. James clenched his fist.
"Will you look after our child?" Lily asked against all hope.
The front door was thrown out of its hinges. James was immediately aware what was happening again, "Lily go upstairs!" Lily didn't react but watched the white child.
The white child grasped her head in pain, not many could destroy her shields so definite like that. She stumbled a little as she raised, "My name is Sapheda, I shall look after Harry James Potter to the best of my abilities."
She smiled sadly at the two, "Goodbye, we will never see each other again." The white child faded away as James was hit in the chest. Lily ran upstairs, and protected Harry with her body. Just as Voldemort raised his wand to kill Harry a white and red shield rebounded the curse and left Harry with nothing more than a scar. A scar of love.
AN: A weird idea which has been stuck in my head for a while…
Sapheda actually means white in some language, forgot which.