Almost

A Harry Potter Fanfiction by Sarah Sanderson

This idea has been floating around in my head for nearly three years, but I always struggled to find a way to tell it. Should I follow the point of view of the protagonist? Or see her though other's eyes? Should I follow a linear narrative or be creative with the order of the events I show you in order to give them greater significance? This character and her story have become almost a part of me I've planned and re-planned how to tell this story right so many times. I believe I have found the way now.

Chapter 1: Remember Me

February 2nd 1994

The Door to the Department of Mysteries always drew the eye, especially the eye of those with a thirst for knowledge like Percy Weasley. He watched the Unspeakables who worked there come and go with an ever growing sense of frustration at the secrecy surrounding them. It was said even the Minister for Magic Him Self did not know all that went on in there. Percy knew the Department was originally set up back when the Ministry of Magic was still the Wizard's Council and it's purpose then was to investigate The Eleusinian Mysteries that the ancient Greek and Roman wizards and muggles alike have defined. To Percy's knowledge these included Love, Space, Thought, Time, and Death. Although how one was to properly investigate such un-tangible things was beyond Percy's reasoning, and he had long since suspected that the original purpose of the Department had been abandoned in favour of other more logical pursuits the Ministry required hidden behind a veil of pretentious mystery until the results where needed.

This logical assumption had however never stopped his wandering eye from locking onto the door every time he went past it, as if he was being pulled in by some unknown force. Of course he always shook himself off and told himself not to be so absurd and walked on. However today something grabbed his attention right back almost as soon as he had begun to walk on – a girl of about 14 came bursting out of the door like one of Fred and George's firecrackers with just as loud a bang. Percy stared in utter shock as she chaotically dashed his way and, upon seeing him, hurtled straight at him to grab his shoulders. There was something in her eyes, was that recognition? But how? He was sure he'd never seen her before…

"Percy! Oh thank Merlin! Where are the others? What's happened?! Percy?!" She was shaking with panic and fear but all Percy could do was stare blankly down at her. What others? How did she know his name? He felt a jarring headache coming on just above his left temple. She was staring at him wide eyed now, her voice thick and determined but also full of fear "Percy. Where are Harry and the others?" Her lower lip trembled as she said Harry's name. "At school, I'm assuming" Percy replied, the only logical answer he could come up with given the strangeness of it all. Should he try and get her back inside the Department from which she fled? What was a girl her age even doing in the Ministry unaccompanied? People in the hall around him where beginning to stop and stare. Some seemed concerned but most like him just looked confused. Her eyes where wide now, searching for something… her voice hesitant, like she was scared to ask "Percy?" she half spoke half breathed his name. "Tell me you recognise me? Tell me you know who I am".

"I'm sorry miss" and strangely he did feel horribly heart breakingly sorry for her in that moment, though for the world he didn't know why. His headache was getting worse. "I have never seen you before in my life" and she seemed to crumble from the inside out. Her head was shaking side to side like she was trying to shake away dizziness, or block something out. "But – but you know me. You've known me since I was ten years old. You have to remember me, you have to -" her voice hitched as she began to panic, her fingers digging in to his arms where she held onto him. "Remember all those Christmases, and catching me out of bounds all those times my first year? And – and -" her whole body was shaking and she was clearly hysterical. What on earth was going on?!

There was another Bang as one of the Unspeakable Percy recognised came rushing out of the Department. She stopped still when he saw her, somehow even more confused than Percy. She saw Percy's line of vision and followed it to the Unspeakable, took in a shuddering breath and ran for it, spring to the lifts like there was no tomorrow. Then Percy blinked and she was gone. He turned to the Unspeakable for an explanation but he was just standing there rubbing the back of his head, clearly no more in the know that Percy. Slowly the man turned and wondered back into the Department, closing the door carefully behind him. Percy allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction that an Unspeakable with all their secrets knew no more than he did, and then continued along his way.

When he went to tell his father about the strange occurrence that night at dinner he found it difficult to even focus on it. It was really nothing; he'd just bumped into her was all. Nothing to really think about. And just like that the strange girl was lost from his mind altogether.

September 12th 1974

Remus noticed her first, growing still as his friends chortled around him. Sirius was the last, still clutching his stomach as he looked where his friends where staring. She was curled up on the grass by the lake, like she's crumpled in on herself. She didn't seem to be in uniform either, but rather a baggy T-shirt at least 5 sizes too big and rolled up at the sleeves and tight fitting jeans Sirius had never seen on a girl before. "Maybe we should…?" Remus started but Sirius and James where already wandering over to her. She looked about the same age as them, with a small build and brown hair that looked a little red where the sun hit it. James reached her first and attentively put his hand on her shoulder, making her start.

"Hey, you okay?" She looked up, utter shock in her hazel eyes. "I- I- he" and she was sobbing to much to get a word out. Sirius crouched down beside her and James and stared her dead in the eyes "Did some guy hurt you?" he barely held back the snarl in his voice. She shook her head vigorously at first but then slowed it to a stop as if reconsidering her option. She looked up at Remus standing beside them and pointedly began slowing her breathing before she spoke. "He didn't remember me. They – they made it so he couldn't remember me…" her breathing efforts failed her as she started dragging in one shuddering sob after another. Something twisted inside Sirius's check. I was like watching her inhale fire. What could have caused her so much pain.

"Oi! What are you boys doing to her?!" Oh great, Evans had seen them, and of course assumed the worst. "We're not doing anything! Mind your own business!" probably not the best response but Sirius felt like yelling at someone and Evans fit the bill. "Excuse me!" she came stomping over, all furry, until she saw the state the girl was in. "What's going on?" She asked in a considerably softer tone. "That's what we're trying to find out" Remus replied, sounding tired as always. They really needed to get this animagus plan to work and soon, Sirius thought to himself as Remus stepped back a bit so he could slump against the tree they'd been laughing under.

"You're – you're Lily Evans" the sobbing girl choked out, utter surprise in her shaking voice. Evans brushed some of her hair out of her face and put on an apologetic expression "Yes I'm Lily Evans. Do we have a class together or…? I'm sorry" The girl was shaking her head again, but she was also staring at Sirius and James with wide eyes like she was only just noticing who they were. There was a kind of horror there, but also what looked like the start of understanding. Sirius felt the sudden urge to put his arm around her. "Hey, it' okay. Can you tell us your name?" He needed to know her name, needed to know her, which was weird. By the intent look on James's face he felt the same. What was going on?

"No – I – I can't – I – I need to go" and she was suddenly standing and walking away before Sirius had even noticed her move. He tried to follow her but she walked faster towards the trees of the forest. She can't go in there, not in her state. "Hey, come back!" she turned briefly but kept moving, her hands twisting the hem of her over long top as she disappeared into the darkening woods. Sirius went after her but she was gone. Just gone, like she's vanished. Peter, who had spent the entire exchange still sitting under the tree trying and failing to do his potions homework, came trotting up behind Sirius. "What the heck was that about?" Sirius just shook his head, her hazel eyes caught in his memory and burning into him. "I don't know, but she looked really spooked" James's attention had turned to Evans as usually but she was still staring after the girl. "Yeah, she almost looked like she'd seen a ghost…"

January 6th 1995

"Hey Fred I thought we weren't opening for another hour?!" George called out from the main shop, causing Fred to hit his head on the crate he'd been rummaging though in the back room. "We aren't!" he yelled back, angrily rubbing the back of his head. There was a pause and then "Well there's someone here, and I didn't unlock the door…" and Fred was out of the back room and to the entrance in a shot. Sure enough there she was. A girl in her mid-teen with long brown hair was half standing half collapsing onto the display of nosebleed nougats by the entrance. When she was him her entire face lit up in a smile so briefly he nearly didn't see it before she was all sorrow and wariness.

"I didn't break in" her voice made the hairs on the back of his neck go up, he'd heard that voice before… "I need your help". Her face was blotchy and her voice was thick, she'd obviously been crying. George was standing by the stairs to the upper level, eyeing the girl suspiciously, but he couldn't see her face like Fred could. Slowly he reached out his hand to her. She stared at it like it was about to bite her for a long minute before slowly extending her own to shake it, something bitter in her eyes at the image of it. "Well I'm Fred Weasley, and this is George. How can we help you?"

…

And that's all for now folks. Hopefully that wasn't too confusing, more solid facts about the girl and her story will come out in chapter two. I was meant to be writing chapter two for my other fic The Book of the Dead this week but it just wasn't happening so I decided a chapter of another fic was better than no chapter at all.

Please Review! And Watch this space…