Lily Potter and the Secret of Pellinore
Chapter One: Off to Hogwarts
Lily hung out the window as the train pulled away from the station. She waved happily at her mother and father. They were standing hand-in-hand on Platform 9 ¾ , waving and rapidly shrinking in the distance.
"C'mon, Lil," said James, her oldest brother. He had already stowed her trunk in a compartment for her. She remembered Al's first day of school, and the way that James had teased him about his Sorting. James could be merciless when he picked on Albus, but his attitude towards Lily was always cheerful, gentle and ever watchful. Both of her brothers were overprotective of her, and Lily thought vaguely that she would have the chance to break them of that habit now that she was going to school.
As Lily thought about her brothers, she noticed a commotion in the hall. A small, blond girl was rammed into from behind, and the force sent her jostling into a melancholy looking boy. He wore baggy, paint-stained jeans, and his shirt looked like he had torn the sleeves off of it himself. To finish off the look, he had his brown hair spiked with blue tips. A strap on the girl's messenger bag had broken, scattering books all over the passageway. The worst part was seeing the girl reach blindly with one hand for the glasses that were lost among the crowd.
"Watch were you're going, Nerd!" the boy said sternly, stepping towards her. Almost instantly, a Prefect appeared, standing between the boy and at the blond girl's side until the boy disappeared into a compartment. Then the Prefect helped her find her glasses and pick up her books.
James yanked one of Lily's pigtails, recapturing her attention and she followed him to a compartment. Albus was already there, talking with Hugo. Rose had her nose buried in a book.
"Whatcha reading?" Lily asked, plopping into the seat beside her. Without taking her eyes off the page, Rose lifted the book so that Lily could see the title. Hogwarts, A History.
"Mum suggested it," Rose mumbled. Lily smiled. Her Aunt Hermione had also recommended the book to her.
"Sounds interesting," she said as her brothers settled in across from her. As Albus leaned back in his seat, Lily heard a high-pitched squeal.
"What's that?" Hugo asked.
"Al! You nearly sat on Nelson!" Lily cried. She rescued her small pet from between her brothers.
"I didn't know you had a pygmy puff," Rose said, admiring the little purple fluffy ball.
"Mum brought him home for me when she got my school stuff," Lily said happily. "His name is Nelson."
"How did he get out of his cage?" James bent over, poking at the little cage.
"The door is loose,' Lily said. "If it jiggles at all it just pops open."
"I can fix it," Hugo said, getting down on the ground with the cage. He had inherited his grandfather's love of tinkering, and was good at taking things apart and putting them back together. He pulled out his Muggle screwdriver set and began to tighten the bolts on the cage's door.
The other cousins fell into a content silence, Lily petting the pygmy puff that perched on her lap. He was very soothing.
"Where's the loo?" she asked after a while. Rose, once again failing to take her eyes off of her book, gave Lily directions.
On her way back, Lily noticed that there was a girl sitting on the floor in the corridor. As she drew closer, she realized that it was the same girl that she had seen earlier. She was writing in a plain black book with a Muggle ballpoint pen. She ignored the few students who passed by, but looked up when she felt Lily staring. She smiled thinly and then turned her face back to her book. Her hand hadn't stopped moving the pen.
"What are you doing?" Lily asked, sitting down beside the blond girl.
"Writing. I write down everything. It's how I make memories."
"That's neat. I used to take pictures, but my brother broke my camera last year. He wanted to take pictures while he rode my dad's hippogriff, but Buckbeak is temperamental and he threw my brother into a pond."
"What does a hippogriff look like?" the girl asked. "I've never seen one."
"It's like a horse with an eagle's head and talons. If you want, I'll ask my mum to send me a picture of Buckbeak so you can see him. He's really cool, even if he is a little grumpy about being old."
"I would like that."
Lily smiled and introduced herself. She had long since gotten used to the fuss people made where her father was concerned. It surprised Lily that the girl didn't even flinch when she heard the word "Potter." Instead she just smiled and extended her hand.
"My name is Emmaline Winkleworth. You can call me Emma, if you want." As Lily reached over to shake the other girl's hand, Emma noticed the puff of purple fur that hid behind Lily's dark tresses.
"What is that?" Emmaline asked.
"Oh that's just Nelson, my pygmy puff," Lily said proudly. "My Uncle George breeds them in his shop in Diagon Alley."
"It's so pretty," Emmaline breathed, fingers brushing Nelson's soft fur.
"Do you have any pets?" Lily asked.
"Just Mr. Darcy," Emmaline said, pointing towards her messenger bag. It was filled to the busting with books, but a tiny kitten was curled up on top of it as though the books were pygmy puff hair. The cat was a little ball of shiny black fur, though pure white covered all four paws and made a nearly perfect circle on his forehead.
"He's so cute!" Lily began. "I wanted to get a cat too, but dad said-"
Lily didn't get the chance to tell Emma what her dad had said. A student stood over them. Lily looked up and recognized her pretty cousin, Dominique, her "Head Girl" badge pinned to her sweater.
"Lily, you and your friend can't sit in the hallway; it's a tripping hazard." Without thinking about it, Dominique flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder. "Isn't there room with your brothers? Or have they driven you nuts already?"
Lily grinned, rising. "Actually, I was just about to ask Emma if she would like to join us," she said, looking back down at her new friend. "Won't you?"
"Sure," Emmaline agreed, gently passing Mr. Darcy to Lily. She jammed her diary into the already over-full bag of books. The strap that had earlier broken was now knotted together, but it was frayed and would not last much longer.
"That's settled then," Dominique said. Two third-year boys ran past. "Stop running in the hall!" the Head Girl called after them. They ignored her. She chased after them, walking quickly. She called "Au revoir," over her shoulder to Lily and Emmaline.
"Who was that?" Emmaline asked as they made their way back to the Potter-Weasley compartment.
"My cousin. I have six of them at Hogwarts this year. That one was Dominique. She's Head Girl. Her dad was Head Boy when he went to school here."
"I like her," Emmaline said, glancing back towards the older girl. Dominique had caught the two boys and had them both standing with their backs against the wall as she talked at them, probably assigning detentions. The boys looked at her admiringly.
"Everyone likes her," Lily said, opening the compartment door. "She's part veela."
Emmaline looked like she was about to ask was a veela was, but she was cut off by James's outburst.
"There you are, Lil. What took you so long? We'd thought you fell in. 'ello, who's this?" Lily faced the people in the compartment.
"Emmaline Winkleworth, these are my brothers, James and Albus. Mum says to ignore most of what comes out of James's mouth. And over here are Rose and Hugo, more cousins."
"It's nice to meet you," Emmaline said shyly. Hugo was still sitting on the floor, working on Nelson's cage. The pygmy puff floated down off of Lily's shoulder when he saw his home. Hugo tightened one last bolt then set down his screwdriver and pressed a button. The cage door swung open neatly.
"Aha!" Hugo exclaimed, startling Emmaline's cat. His needle-sharp claws dug into Lily's arm as he struggled to find safety. James shut the compartment door.
"Here, set 'em on the floor," he told his sister. Lily obeyed and everyone leaned closer to watch the cat explore the new territory.
"What's his name?" Albus asked.
"Mr. Darcy," Emmaline said quietly. She was still standing awkwardly by the door, so Lily grabbed her sleeve and pulled her to the bench next to Rose. "Usually I just call him Darcy."
"Like in Pride and Prejudice?" Rose asked. Emmaline nodded.
"It's my favorite book."
"I like it too," the older girl added. As the children watched, Mr. Darcy sneaked towards Albus's foot. When the kitten got close, Al twitched his toes ever-so-slightly and the kitten jumped straight into the air, all four paws leaving the ground at the same time. The fur on his back and tail stood on end.
After a stunned moment, Darcy spotted Nelson. The cat's eyes focused and he crouched close to the ground. His rump shook from side to side as he wound up. An instant later he leaped forward, landing on the unsuspecting pygmy puff.
Nelson let out a shrill cry of terror. The cat sprang away, even more surprised than he had been by Al's foot. The children all laughed.
"There now," Rose said, patting the kitten. Lily retrieved her pygmy puff and petted him quiet.
"Sorry," Emmaline said. 'I hope Darcy didn't hurt him."
"Nah, he's too poofy to get hurt," James said. Lily stuck her tongue out at her brother.
"He's fine, Emma," she told her new friend.
"To be fair, Darce has a toy that looks just like Nelson," Emmaline said, rummaging in a side pocket of her bag. She pulled out an oval of plastic covered in fake fur. It had felt ears, a button nose, and a length of red yarn for a tail. When Emma shook the mouse it rattled. Darcy immediately turned his head towards the sound. He caught the mouse swiftly and then sent it flying across the floor in a different direction. The next time he caught it he flipped onto his side, rabbit-kicking the mouse with his back feet.
"Ratchet can't watch this," Hugo said, turning his rat's cage away.
A moment later, a loud rattling sound filled the corridor. "Lunch!" Albus said happily. He opened the door and the witch pushing the cart stuck her head into the compartment.
"Something from the trolley, dears," she asked. Albus bought a little bit of everything , passing snack after snack to his brother. There were Licorice Wands, Pumpkin Pasties, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Cauldron Cakes, and so much else. Emmaline's eyes grew wide as she took it all in.
"Thank you," Rose called as the witch continued her route. James spilled the whole lot onto the floor and the children began to rummage through it.
"Want a Chocolate Frog, Emma?" Lily asked, selecting one for herself. She tore open the package, caught the frog as it leaped out, and popped it into her mouth.
"Ok," Emmaline said uncertainly. She copied Lily's strategy in catching the snack, then looked down at the Famous Witches and Wizards card. Emmaline's eyebrows furrowed as she read studied the moving picture on the card.
"Mine's Cliodna," Lily told her. "Who'd you get?"
"What did you say your last name was?"
"Potter," Lily said, tickling Nelson. Hugo grinned.
"You got Uncle Harry," he said. "What's his card say? I forget."
HARRY POTTER
CURRENTLY HEAD OF AUROR'S OFFICE
Harry Potter first wowed the wizarding world at the age of one, when he survived a Killing Curse. His first meeting with the Dark Lord Voldemort left him with his famous scar. He was raised by Muggle relatives until he began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A Quidditch enthusiast, Potter became the youngest Seeker of his century, and went on to become the team's captain. In his fourth year, Potter won the Triwizard Tournament, though the competition ended in tragedy with the death of Cedric Diggory and the return of Lord Voldemort. During the Second Wizarding War, Potter, aided by Albus Dumbledore, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger, tracked down the seven Horcruxes that were the key to the Dark Lord's immortality. The war culminated in the Battle of Hogwarts, during which Potter defeated Voldemort.
After the war, Harry Potter married his sixth-year-sweetheart, Ginerva Weasley. The couple lives in London with their three children: James, Albus, and Lily.
"I didn't know your dad was famous," Emmaline said, setting down the card. Lily looked up at her brothers.
"Yeah, Dad's quite accomplished," James said at last. "We're used to it. And we're very proud of him."
James finished off his sentence by shoving an entire Pumpkin Pastie into his mouth all at once. He was on his third.
"As if you didn't eat twelve pancakes and five eggs this morning," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "My brothers are such pigs."
"They get that from the Weasley side of the family," Rose said, eyeing her brother. Hugo was washing down a package of Licorice Wands with a paint-flavored Every Flavor Bean.
The boys spent the better part of an hour mixing flavors of beans to come up with the most disgusting mix. Rose finally declared Al the winner when he mixed onion, diesel, cough medicine, grass, tartar sauce, liver, Worcestershire sauce, and strawberry mousse.
"You win, now talk about something else please, so that a person can read without getting queasy," Rose said, a touch of irritation in her voice.
"So tell me about Quidditch," Emma said. The boy's eyes lit up, and they began to animatedly explain the sport.
"Our mum played for the Holyhead Harpies until she had James," Lily said. "Then she became the senior Quidditch correspondent for the Daily Prophet.
"My mother is a journalist," Emmaline said. Lily listened, intrigued; it was the first time the other girl had volunteered personal information. "And my father is a photographer. They met on assignment and they've been together ever since."
"Are either of them wizards?" Rose asked politely. Emma shook her head hesitantly, as if she didn't know how her new wizard friends would react.
"We were shocked when I got my Hogwarts letter, because my whole family is Muggle," she said.
"That's cool," Hugo said.
"You mean there are other students who have Muggle parents?"
"Yeah," said Al. "Loads of them."
"Pure-blood wizard families have to intermarry with Muggles to keep their lines from dying out," Rose said. "Mixed-blood students have become more the rule than the exception. Not that it really matters; we're all equally magical."
"If anyone gives you any trouble about it, I'll set them straight," James said.
"That's right," Rose said teasingly. "Keep the big, strong fourth-year on your side."
"Nosy Rosie," he retorted. James often used this nickname for his cousin.
The children all laughed again. Their merriment, combined with Lily's joy at making a new friend, made the rest of the trip fly by. Finally Dominique came back and announced that it was time to change into school robes. The children obliged, then followed the crowd out into the hall as the train rolled to a stop.
Grabbing Emmaline's hand to keep from getting separated, Lily followed her brothers out onto the platform.
"Firs' years to me!" bellowed a large, shaggy looking man. Emmaline stopped in her tracks, staring up at the man.
"Rubeus Hagrid. Half-giant, all love," James said, clapping Emmaline on the back. "He's Hogwarts's groundskeeper and a good friend to our whole family."
"'Ello James, Albus, Lily," Hagrid said as they drew near. "It's good to see you." James shook the man's large hand while Lily and Al grinned up at him. "Will you bunch come for tea next weekend?"
"I'd love to, Hagrid," Lily answered. A few moments later, her brothers went to find their own friends, and Lily and Emma watched the other first years assemble near Hagrid. Lily was dismayed to see that the boy who had bullied Emmaline was in their year. One young witch pulled out a small hand-mirror, which she gazed in as she reapplied her lip gloss and arranged her raven-black hair. Lily also found her good friend, Bailey Longbottom. Both of Bailey's parents taught at Hogwarts, and they lived on the grounds with their four children. Bailey had spent the summer with her Great-grandmother, then boarded the Hogwarts Express so that she would arrive with the other first years. Now she joined Lily and Emmaline to wait.
It took the better part of twenty minutes, but Hagrid finally deemed that the gaggle was complete. He led the group down a winding path to the lake, where he began to put the children on boats in groups of four. However, several students were left over when he had finished.
"More'n usual this year," Hagrid said to himself. He began rearranging the students in groups of fives. Lily, Emmaline, and Bailey ended up sharing a boat with two other girls named Tiffany Hilm and Catherine Russo.
Lily enjoyed the ride across the lake. She had heard countless stories about the Sorting ceremony she was about to undergo. All of her year-mates seemed extremely nervous. Lily wasn't. All of her family was in Gryffindor. She would be too.
Instead of worrying, Lily watched her surroundings. It was warm for a night in September, and the sun was just going down, creating a lovely backdrop for the castle. After a while, the boats sailed through a dark tunnel that ran beneath the castle to an underground dock.
After helping the students disembark, Hagrid made sure that everyone was ready, and then knocked three times on the huge Oak door of the castle. It opened slowly.
In the frame of the door, the professor looked about as big as an ant. He bustled away on his short little legs, and the students followed him into a small, empty chamber.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," he said when they were all quiet. "I am Professor Flitwick. The Sorting ceremony will begin shortly. While you are at Hogwarts, we will all be friends, but your house will be your family." He went on to explain how the houses worked, and told the students a little bit about each house.
He continued speaking until a sharp knock interrupted him. He conferred briefly to the person outside, then turned back to the students. "Shall we?" he said, leading them out of the room in two lines. They stopped outside the doors to the Grand Hall. Emmaline was to Lily's left. She looked pale.
"I hope we're together," Emma whispered as Professor Flitwick walked among them, putting them in alphabetical order. Lily grinned at her friend, crossed her fingers, and waited to be led into the Grand Hall.
The room was as amazing as Lily had been told. The high ceilings really did show a clear starry night, and all of the floating candles added to the effect. Many of Lily's year-mates craned their necks to gape at the spectacle.
As they walked down the aisle between the two center tables, Lily searched for her brothers. Of course they were at the Gryffindor table, each seated with their own friends. James whooped when she passed, and Albus winked. Grinning, Lily took her place in a line along the front of the room.
Professor Flitwick was carrying a roll of parchment that was longer than he was tall. He stood in front of the first years.
"When I call your name, sit on the stool and put on the hat," he said with a kind smile. "Barkeley, Kyle!"
A short, plump boy strode forward. He sat down the on the stool and the hat was barely on his head for a moment when it called out "RAVENCLAW!"
The table that was second from the left cheered as Kyle ran over to join them.
"Cade, Toby!"
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. The table to the far-left burst out in cheers. Lily noticed amusedly that her brothers were each trying to be louder than the other.
Twins Ellen and Nick Cornwell were sorted to Slytherin and Gryffindor, respectively. Then Gwendolyn and Jason Dorlington, another set of twins, were put together in Hufflepuff. The ceremony continued through the alphabet, until Norah Poplar went to Hufflepuff. Then-
"Potter, Lily."
Lily climbed onto the stool and Professor Flitwick stood on the very tips of his toes to place the Sorting Hat on her head.
Oh yes, another Potter, Lily squeaked in surprise when she heard the hat's voice. In all the stories, no one had mentioned that it spoke to each student. You, my dear, will be as brave, loyal, and true as your father, brothers, and the entire Weasley Clan. I also sense mischief in you, and an awakening secret in your heritage. Part of me wants to place you with your family in Gryffindor, but you will do better elsewhere.
"Elsewhere?" Lily whispered. "Not Slytherin."
"No, not Slytherin. There is much of your father in you. However, Gryffindor is not the proper House, nor is Hufflepuff, nor is Ravenclaw. You are Pellinore's Heir. You may be unhappy for a time, but you will be honored through history. A new House begins with you.
"PELLINORE!" the hat finally bellowed.