It was a normal day. And then it wasn't.
I was trying to procrastinate for a moment. It was the first time in six and a half years that I felt blasé in the face of academia. Term was in its infancy after the winter holiday. I was wearing my cerulean scarf that Petunia gave me for Christmas. Well, by that I mean my mother picked it out and put Tuney's name on the sticker that marked it as mine.
The next bit is a little fuzzy to say the least.
There was a chanting of some sort and then a loud, room-shaking boom that I felt more than heard. Someone screamed. I looked for Mary, knowing she wasn't even in the common room—probably trying to sneak her way to the kitchens for an early dinner—yet, I thought for a moment that if I looked hard enough she would appear amidst the chaos.
I saw people coughing and falling to the ground as though they encountered chloroform—of course with this environment, I wouldn't find someone who knew what chloroform was for quite a few steps. Kinsey Norton collapsed half on half off the scarlet couch, her head coming to rest on Charlie Huff's lap. For a brief moment of teenage immaturity I felt anticipation building for when they awake and the awkwardness inevitably ensues.
And then I was suddenly thrown by the idea that I was not sure what was happening and there was a very real possibility that they may never awaken.
I looked to my far left.
The Head Boy was sitting on the stairs with his playmates surrounding him. His eyes were scanning the room for something. Why was he so calm, I thought. I didn't have much time to ponder on his serene state however, because the next few moments were when the gas was dispersed.
It smelled like rain.
And then I passed out.
When I woke, I coughed and waved my hand in front of my face to clear the smoky air so I could breathe. My face felt like it was unsticking from my parchment. For a brief second I thought I'd have ink marks on my cheek from laying there.
I heard screams all around me. Someone banged into a table and sent my books to the floor. I heard coughing, gagging, yelling, people trying to get to their friends, trying to find somewhere familiar.
"Agnes?" Cynthia Crowley called for her best friend, the bane of my existence—well, one of them-Agnes Shipler.
"Moony?" I heard Sirius Black's gruff voice. "Wormtail? Wormtail!"
"Bugger off Padfoot, I'm right next to you," Peter Pettigrew's voice said with amusement.
The next few hours were a blur. I can't remember most of it. Finding Mary was a blessing. It was a few moments after I woke up. I was practically sprinting down the staircases, my Head Girl badge flopping up and down on my robes. I really should pin that on more securely.
"Mary! Oh Merlin and Agrippa, am I happy to see you. Where were you?" I asked her in one breath. "Do you know what happened? I have no idea what happened. I don't like not knowing things…"
"I went to the kitchens and had 6 pumpkin pasties," as soon as the words flew from her mouth she clapped a hand over it. Her eyes went wide, and for Mary Macdonald that was not a pretty picture because she had the biggest doe eyes I'd ever seen. "I didn't mean to say that!"
"I figured you were eating. You're so skinny, it's not fair! I kind of hope you get chubby soon because you can eat whatever you feel like and yet I have one piece of pie and gain six pounds. I should start working out somehow; I've gained so much weight." I didn't mean to say that. I cursed and put my head down in shame for a brief moment.
"That's what happened to my mum," she nodded. "She got fat. And you're not fat. But you have put on some weight. Mostly on your hips."
"I know. It's awful. I had to get two new skirts."
"You could just borrow some of Dorcas's. She's the biggest of us." Mary's eyebrows knotted together. "Why would I say that? That's terrible."
"We're both saying awful things."
"Can we just skip the awkwardness and follow these people?" Mary suggested. I nodded, still dumbfounded.
Mary looked at a few students, mixed houses. She came across Nancy Yelvich and squinted her eyes. "You used to be brunette, Nancy. What? Finally decided to go with your ditzy nature and bleach it? Or did you use a charm? No, you're not quite bright enough. Did Linda help?"
I put my arm through Mary's and guided her away from Nancy's glaring eyes. We sat down midway down the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.
I scanned the crowd, but couldn't yet make out Hestia's long, perpetually-in-disarray mop of black hair.
"You won't tell Dorcas that I said that stuff about her will you?" Mary asked me. Her eyes darting about as though she were a child caught with extra candy ready to be caught.
"No. I don't want her to take it the wrong way."
"Right." She huffed for a moment. "I don't know why I told Nancy that. I don't even think blondes are stupid, I mean, look at Marlene."
"You just don't like her."
"Marlene's all right. She can be a right git in the mornings."
"I meant Nancy, y'moppet."
"Students!" McGonagall's Scottish accent wafted heavily through the room.
The crowd quieted after a few minutes of McGonagall shouting. Dumbledore finally stood and called for attention.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled even from across the room. I took in his shoulder-length gray hair that suited him so well. "Attention, everyone. I know that the incident that occurred a few moments ago was rather shocking. I assure you we are doing our very best to remedy the situation. In the meantime, please allow your prefects to guide you back to your common rooms."
Mary looked at me with an expression that clearly denoted that she felt she just wasted time. I'd seen that look before. It was planted firmly on her features after every exam.
"Are you kidding me?" She breathed. "We just stampeded from the tower to here just to hear that what happened was shocking and it's going to be fixed?"
"He just wants the students to know that they aren't ignoring what happened. It's to keep people calm." I allowed. She rolled her eyes at me.
"Don't start with that logic business, Lily Evans. You know that was burning daylight just as much as I do."
"You're getting literary, Mare. Calm down."
She took a few breaths. Her eyes looked about the room and connected with her boyfriend's. Tate, who was seated at the Ravenclaw table, smiled slightly in our direction and then turned to talk to his housemates. He served as the seventh year prefect.
People began to stand from the benches and make their way towards the doors. I stood and swung one leg over right when Dumbledore continued.
"May I ask for James Potter and Lily Evans to come to my office first thing tomorrow morning?"
"Why do y'reckon he wants to meet with us?" James Potter came to my side much later when I was finishing up my Ancient Runes work that I'd left when the incident occurred.
"Probably to tell us what exactly happened," I told him as I bit my lip and used the back of my hand to wipe a small amount of sweat from my brow. I put down my quill and tied my hair back as quickly as possible.
If I'd been paying attention, I probably would have noticed that Potter seemed anxious at my words. "You don't think they actually know what happened, do you?"
"Probably not," I sighed and rolled up my parchment.
"Well," He paused for a moment or two. I put the top back onto my ink jar securely. "Remus reckons it was some kind of attack."
"Who would attack the entire school?" I countered.
"You know who, Evans."
"You-Know-Who?" I snorted. "Voldemort hardly has the wherewithal to infiltrate Hogwarts—especially under Dumbledore's watch."
"Exactly what I told Peter."
"I thought you said it was Remus who said that?"
He coughed into his hand and nodded. "Yeah, I did. He did. We were all just talking about it, that's all."
I appraised him for a moment. For once under my gaze he didn't bother with ruffling his hair—a habit I had to say I cared very little for. Then my thoughts drift back to the actual moment that the attack took place. "If I remember, you and your mates didn't seem too troubled when it was happening."
"Wha'dya mean?" He looked at the ground. I scooped my supplies into my knapsack and clipped it closed.
"I saw you when the smoke was filling the common room earlier." I informed him. He nodded and put his head to the side as if to tell me to continue. "You were just looking at everyone freaking out. It was at sixes and sevens and yet, you didn't seem to be as frightened as the rest of us."
"I thought it might have been a prank. Or a potion gone wrong. A stupid first year making a mistake—I dunno," James coughed into his hand again and then ran the same hand through his dark hair.
"I hate when you do that," I breathed.
He laughed and shook his hand, "I hardly think anything I do, ever, could please you, Evans."
"I can't stop thinking about it. Do you honestly believe it was an accident?"
"Sod's Law, love," he says to me. I watch him stand up and dust off his trousers before walking away to his precious mates again.
I changed quickly into my sleeping clothes and wrapped my dressing gown around me tightly. Something made me feel like I needed to be warm, cozy, comforted. I made my way to the toilet and ran into Hestia. Her cheeks were flushed as usual.
"There you are," Hestia declared. Her voice, which was usually so deep and calm and collected, sounded overly so. It was monotone.
"Here I am," I replied. I noticed with a small dose of horror that my voice was also monotone. "Why are we speaking so flatly?"
"That's what I came to ask you about." She revealed. "I was just havin' a chinwag with Marlene in the common room with Cynthia and we were discussing how we think Black and his crew are responsible for this whole situation, and then as if I wasn't already in a bloomin' snit, all of a sudden, our voices go all flat."
"This is terrible," I murmured.
"Tell me about it," Hestia muttered to herself, her voice still in one even tone.
"It sounds a bit…well, funny to hear your voice. You still have your cockney but it's so flat."
"Don't get me started, red, I'm already about to rip an eye out."
"Due to this virus the school has been exposed to, as I'm sure you've noticed," Dumbledore peered over his half-moon spectacles at James and me. "We seem to be unable to express our emotions adequately. I'm unsure of this plan's intention, but it was undoubtedly done on purpose. We just need to understand what purpose it may serve."
James and I sat, waiting for more. Dumbledore rose from his throne-like chair and crossed to the window. With the bright blue tinted light drifting in, I could only recognize his silhouette as I squinted towards him. James stared straight ahead. His composure annoyed me but I didn't sense the need to tell him so.
"As Heads, you have a great service to perform to your school, to the fellow students, and I appreciate your efforts thus far. However, I am appointing Miss Turner of Huffelpuff and Mr. Lowell of Ravenclaw to replace you both as head girl and boy, respectively." Dumbledore didn't turn to face us.
My blood boiled. I felt rather than saw James tense up next to me and knew immediately that he felt a similar way. It had been two weeks since the beginning of second term; we hadn't had time to mess anything up yet! On what grounds were we being replaced?
"I'm afraid I don't understand," James said, his voice even.
"Sir, if I may, I've been diligent in divvying up the rounds schedule, and Potter-er, I mean James has been surprisingly good at calculating the points totals. We've done everything asked of us, I'm not sure I understand why exactly we are being replaced." I said, my tone annoying even and slightly monotone. Whatever this virus was, I despised it. "I mean, Potter I would understand, but I've been nothing but diligent thus far—"
"What do you mean 'Potter I would understand'? I've done everything you've asked of me, Evans."
"I told you to go inform Odin that he was on patrol tonight."
"And?"
"You doused him in Petrol!" I said in a monotone. It would have been impactful had I been able to express accurate emotion. But I felt the virus suppressing those.
"Miscommunication on your part does not constitute an error on mine."
"You vile—"
"Miss Evans, please," Dumbledore held up a hand and turned around. I was surprised to see a small smile on his face—not only because of our current situation but also because the 'virus' that has plagued Hogwarts the past few hours has left us bereft of the ability to show emotion. I haven't seen a smile in an hour, and though it was a sight for sore eyes, it was the wrong facial expression. I was still reeling. "You have not let me finish."
"Continue, sir," James was motionless in his chair, whereas I found myself fidgeting. Leave it to me to be able to show my anxiety despite some kind of affected state.
"I will replace you as heads. I will inform the student body that the reason, though it should remain a secret, is because of misconduct. Mr. Potter, given your affinity to hijinks, I don't believe this should arouse any suspicion. Miss Evans, I'm less sure of what to say about you." He paused.
I looked down at my hands, folded in my lap. How strange. I thought I'd been wringing them. In my mind I'd felt the sensation of anxiousness. But I didn't portray it.
"But, if no one asks, I doubt we will have to divulge any excuses." He said. "Now, due to this school's state, we are going to need our best and brightest working on the antidote."
"Antidote? I thought this was unprecedented." I looked up at him from under my fringe. His eyes seemed to twinkle for a moment before the light in them was once more tamed.
"Miss Evans, Mr. Slughorn tells me you are his most gifted potions pupil, aside from Mr. Snape that is." At the sound of Sev's name I felt my heart ache in my chest. I hadn't spoken to him in months. It hurt so badly.
"And Mr. Potter, though you do not possess Slughorn's good graces, I am aware of yours, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew's abilities regarding charms, transfiguration, and seemingly achieving the impossible."
James seemed to stiffen next to me. I was confused. My gaze flickered between the Headmaster and the Head Boy. What did he mean by that? When James sensed my staring he turned to me and gave me a very small, subtle shake of the head. Now, one could pretend it meant that he didn't want to talk about it, but obviously he meant that it had to wait until later. For now, the unexplained would remain just so.
I was about to open my mouth to inquire but Dumbledore beat me to it.
"You both, along with the other three Gryffindors, and Mr. Snape, will be allowed to utilize every amenity the Potions classroom has to offer until you can figure out some form of a cure. I understand this is a lot of responsibility, but it is my firm belief that you will thrive and help us all." He finished.
"Professor, Severus Snape and I aren't exactly keen on each other," James murmured. "Especially after last year's incident."
"I understand, Mr. Potter. But you both, along with the others, have impeccable abilities, and because of the adversity this school is facing, I don't think it's best to not include members of other houses. We must come together. I've already briefed Mr. Snape and he seems to be willing to work on the majority of the potion-making."
"So he's going to try and do all the work, is he?" I chimed in.
"You will work together," Professor Dumbledore said firmly.
After a few more brief statements, wherein the Headmaster informed us that Madame Pomfrey, as well as the remainder of the staff would attempt to aid us in this endeavor. I asked why we, students, were in charge of the antidote. He informed me that the wizarding world was, unfortunately, fighting some forces far more extensive than an anti-emotion, truth drought.
We were excused from his office. On the way out, James ushered me out the door first. Once back in the corridor, I turned on him. Although I was livid, I regrettably could only speak calmly to him.
"What's all this 'achieving the impossible' rubbish?" I asked.
"Evans, ignore it. We have to work together on this," he returned. His disposition reminded me of my father whenever Vernon came to visit—vaguely interested, unable to properly express his discomfort.
"Exactly," I retorted. "We have to work together and that means trusting each other. Now, I may have accepted the fact that you got head boy, but that doesn't mean that I think you're some upstanding citizen."
"You'll just have to accept that you won't understand. It's private, and everything is not my secret to tell."
I stared at him for a few steps and then stopped walking. He noticed after a step or two and turned around to face me. His hair was mussed and his glasses had a smudge on them. He stood there, emotionless. I shook my head and began walking again. He followed.
When I arrived back in the common room, James and I had to inform his playmates that we'd be working together for the next few days until a solution was found. The other three seemed to find this amusing.
"The staff must be exhausted if they are calling upon us to do this," Remus smirked.
"They are," I answered. "How are you doing that?"
"Doing what?" He asked.
"Grinning?" I took a few steps forward. "I haven't seen anyone show emotion in at least 2 hours."
"I'm not sure I know what you're saying," And just like that, his smirk was gone and he seemed to be gripped by the virus once more.
"I'm thinking maybe the emotion thing is a side effect. Temporary perhaps. I heard Benjy Fenwick laugh a few minutes ago." Peter said, looking me in the eye.
"Oh," James seemed to become rather dubious. "I didn't mention to best part to you lot."
My confusion melted for the moment when I remembered the other member of our group. I was gutted. How would I face Severus, much less be forced to work with him?
James continued, "Snape is going to be working with us on the potion-making."
"Ace," Sirius looked positively hacked off.
"I reminded Dumbledore about it," James said enigmatically. The other two seemed to lean in closer. "He was adamant about it all though. There's no getting through to him."
"Personally," Peter began. "I've been thinkin' that Dumble's off his rocker."
"Well he appointed me Head Boy, didn't he?" James guffawed. Everyone's eyes went wide for the first time.
Cynthia Crowley, all the way from the landing leading to the dormitory, swung her head over the railing and called, "Did someone just laugh?"
"I did," Potter admitted. I looked around.
I saw Mary, Hestia, and Dorcas enjoying the fire. I locked eyes with Mary and smiled—just to test it.
"Okay, the emotions back," I called unnecessarily. "Maybe this thing's over?"
"I doubt it," Sirius muttered, seemingly to himself. He and Remus exchanged a look that I couldn't quite decipher.
"You guys are hiding something." I said bluntly. They both shook their heads. "Oh, shove off, you're in unison."
"We didn't do anything," Sirius told me blankly. Remus shrugged behind me, as though he was apologizing.
"But I don't want to face Severus. If you did something, undo it!" I told the four of them. They looked at me with wide eyes. I had to admit, that after a day or so of not having emotion, it felt good to yell at someone.
"I'm not particularly looking forward to working with Snivellus either, Evans, so get off your high horse and stop accusing us," Peter blew out a puff of hot air.
"Don't call him that," I glared at the boy. He didn't back down.
"That's enough." Potter said authoritatively. "Everyone get some sleep. We'll regroup tomorrow morning and start working."
After that everyone started to disperse. I watched as Charlie Huff, who was playing chess with Morgan Loxatt, destroyed the last piece and called checkmate. The other boy shook his head and demanded a rematch, but one look from James had them trudging along upstairs for bed.
Dorcas came over to me and gave me a hug, tucking her head into the crook of my neck. I hugged her back and started to follow her upstairs, leaving the four boys alone.
"What was that Wormtail?" I heard James's voice whisper severely. "Never talk to her like that."
"Calm down Prongs," I heard Remus admonish. "You're being a bit harsh."
"I was just a bit annoyed, mate," Peter's voice floated to my ears. "Don't be strop. I'm sorry."
"Let's get to bed." Sirius said. His voice light with amusement. "I for one am eager to begin the work!"
"You're out of your head, Padfoot," Remus laughed.
"This should be interesting," James sighed. "How were we planning on pulling this off again?"
"Wing it?" Peter piped in.
"Cheers."
To my right, Hestia grabbed my elbow, "Coming Lils?"
"Yeah," I breathed, looking over the railing just in time to see the end of their cloaks as they began to ascend the staircase.
As I lay in bed that night, I couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved. Something wasn't right, and I wasn't just talking about the truth serum. This virus was affecting everyone more severely than I originally thought. Now that the emotions were back, I wasn't sure it was a blessing or curse.
I mentally prepared myself for the possibility of world war three tomorrow. Time would tell. I would be working with my ex-best mate, my ex-arch enemies, and all the while being under the influence of some mystery virus that made it impossible to lie.
I sighed. Bring it on.