Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments) for subject Arithmancy.
Task #2: Write about a person who changes their mind about something after a fortune-telling.
Word Count: 865
"Lily?"
Lily Potter, nee Evans, looked up from er dress to see the reflection of her husband, James Potter, in the mirror. She smiled and so did he. But it was not like always. Not playful, not full of life.
"Sirius is jumping downstairs like a child," James said. "We better get going or that man will wreck the house."
Lily shook her head at Sirius' antics.
"Where is Harry?" she asked.
"Minerva already took him." James assured her. Lily nodded. Checking her dress one last time, she turned and walked out of her room.
At the time of the war, the idea of enjoying one's self-felt like a dream. A dream from the past.
Yet here Lily was, with those idiotic Marauders. Peter had bought over large glasses, Remus was checking out the muggle books, Sirius' eyes were automatically trailing to the girls and James was trying to not look at all those girls.
Lily did not mind. After all, this was going to be the last outing they will have in a while.
James and Lily were going into hiding, with Peter as the Secret Keeper. Nobody knew that, not even Dumbledore or Remus. Sirius had said, 'Let's go and enjoy ourselves before it all comes down to the war.' So here they all were in a muggle fair.
Nothing was really interesting her. Lily just looked around, aimlessly. The other boys, all purebloods and half-bloods, had never been to a muggle fair before but Lily had spent her childhood in these places.
Her eyes suddenly found one-place she always got attracted to. Fortune-telling.
Her father would always say that these people spoke nonsense, but after being introduced to the Wizarding World and the subject of Divination, Lily had begun to believe.
"James," she said, "I am going to stretch my legs."
James fearfully looked around, but he knew there was going to be no Death eaters here.
"All right." He forced a smile and pecked Lily on her cheek.
Smiling herself, Lily turned and walked up to that shabby-looking place.
As soon as she entered the tent, her head hit a number of charms hanging from the ceiling. Typical.
It was dim and a mysterious smell was everywhere. According to Lily, it was something like those disgusting perfumes Petunia used to buy.
She walked a little further, hearing an enchantment. It wasn't real-as a witch she knew that. But well, who cared?
Lily finally saw the woman who was going to tell her the future.
Lily shook her head. This woman looked like Trelawney, the prophecy speaker. Her over-large glasses, a shawl draped across her shoulders and multiple bead accessories.
"I see you are troubled."
Lily shuddered. Even her voice was very-eerie.
"Come and sit. Maybe we can work this out." The woman offered. Lily was normally a practical woman but with the war looming over their heads and the safety of their son, Lily was ready to take any advice from anyone.
"What do you see?" Lily asked abruptly. Her heart was beating faster than ever and the smile the fortune-teller offered was not very assuring.
"Eager, are we?" she asked and then gazed into one of the crystal balls.
The moment of silence was long and scary. According to Lily, they were extended to an eternity. When finally the Fortune-teller said something, Lily felt even more anxious.
"I see a…dog. And a wolf. A stag and a very tiny mouse."
Lily gulped. This woman couldn't be a witch now, could she? Lily scolded herself-how could she be so immature? What if this woman was a witch! She could have easily used Legilimency on her!
"I see the stag is very trustworthy." She continued. "Of all the three. But I am afraid one of them is going to betray you."
Lily's eyes widened.
"Who?" she asked.
"I think," she said, "the rat."
Lily couldn't believe that.
"The rat has been holding a secret. It has been lying. I would suggest, leave him."
Lily shook her head. Peter? The traitor? The mole?
"How much?' lily finally asked. The other woman smiled and said, "Nothing. I believe I have just answered a very important question."
Nodding gratefully at the woman, Lily stood up and ran out of the tent. As soon as she spotted the marauders, she ran to her husband and pulled him away.
"What?" James asked, laughing.
"Peter is the traitor." Lily said.
All the mirth disappeared from James' face.
"What?"
"Think about it, James!" Lily said. "Hasn't his mother been ill for too long? And it has been who has been feeding us things against Remus. We just sent one simple letter to Remus and here he is, leaving his mission. Peter has been so, sneaky. And those long sleeves? What is he hiding behind them?"
"Peter always feels cold!"
"Yes, but even in June? Are you really that blind?"
Lily watched as realization crept onto James' face. Running his hand through his hair, he asked, "What do we do?"
Lily looked at the laughing figures and said, "We make Remus the Secret Keeper."
