Seventh year students will require:
Uniform:
~ Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)
~ One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for day wear
~ One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)
~ One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all students' clothes should carry name-tags at all times.
Books:
~ The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 7) by Miranda Goshawk
~ Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage
~ Advanced defence against dark magic Vol. I - IV
~ A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
~ Advanced Rune Translation
Please note, this list is compiled based on student's choice of N.E.W.T.s
Other Equipment
~ 1 Wand
~ 1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
~ 1 set of glass or crystal phials
~ 1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring an Owl OR a Cat OR a Toad.
Seventh year. Seven whole years. Lily Evan's time at Hogwarts was almost up. She clutched the parchment with her equipment list tighter in her hand as the vortex of disapparation swirled and closed around her, suffocating and black.
Then it was gone.
In the place of the dark, the morning sun shone down on the winding cobbled streets of Diagon alley. Lily took one step away from where they had apparated. One step from muggle life before she found herself on the cobbled floor. She was vaguely aware that Mary, one of her closest friends, had shouted her name in warning. "Did I fall?" She asked, looking around and finding a boy her own age spread-eagled on the cobbles a few feet away. "Not exactly, Lilyflower." Mary teased. Lily made a frustrated noise somewhat like a growl. "Term hasn't even started yet, Potter, can't you wait till then to make a fool of me?" she muttered as the boy with wild black hair and hazel, bespectacled eyes hopped too lithely to his feat for someone who had just ploughed into a stationary person like a bludger. She knew it had probably been an accident but her pride wouldn't accept it.
"Sorry Evans, I really am. You just apparated out of nowhere" He offered her a hand to help her stand, managing to arrange his usually excited features into something more repentant. Lily looked at his hand, considering for a brief moment but took Mary's hand instead, trying to get to her feet with some measure of dignity intact. Wrong day to wear a skirt. "Is there any other way to apparate?" She asked Potter as she smoothed down her Jumper. The sarcasm was lost on him, he just grinned as if they were having the sharpest banter the world had ever known.
Lily appraised him for a moment. "You've grown again." she said, almost shocked "Is it even healthy to grow that much?" He chuckled "You sound like my mum." James said fondly, head snapping up as a call came down the street "Oi oi Prongsie! Stop flirting, we've got work to do!" Sirius Black's voice called from the direction James had presumably been running in before Lily apparated. "Listen Evans, I am sorry…" he insisted "I know; its fine. Now go" Lily smiled, returning them to their uneasy truce; the land of limbo in which their friendship so tentatively wandered.
The boy turned to go before pausing "Wait, is it alright for you to be out here, Lily?" he asked. His tone and the use of her first name made his meaning clear. Lily nodded "Yeah, Mary's mum is here and there are plenty of Aurors about." She nodded "Right well take care and uh, congrats on the head girl thing." he smiled, turning and loping off to find his friend. Lily decided right then that he was entirely too light on his feet to be so solid, her side was aching a little from the point of their collision, She often thanked Merlin for the miracles quidditch could do. She did not thank it for the miracle of James potter's deceptive strength.
"How does he know about me being head girl? I don't have my pin" She asked out loud to no one in particular. "I told Remus." Mary grinned, the type of grin she had when she knew something that Lily didn't, admittedly it didn't happen too often but it still infuriated Lily when it did. She went to ask but Mary insisted that they had to start shopping and before Lily could argue she was being dragged around by her friend.
Lily sighed and followed. "This isn't going to last, is it?" She asked, gesturing around at the peace of morning. Already people were quickening their pace, shoulders hunched, a vague energy was building in the air, like an electrical surge before a storm. Mary shook her head "We need to be gone within the hour so mum's gone to get some of our stuff for us, she'll meet us after we've been to Flourish and Blotts. Lily we don't have time to browse." She said earnestly, the lightness of the moment before gone as they took a realistic look around. Nowhere in the wizarding world was safe for witches like Lily now. The only safe haven for Muggleborns was Hogwarts. It was an incredible risk to have even left the house.
An Eleven year old Lily had taken one look at the meandering street with overhanging buildings, bright colours and indecipherable objects and declared it as like falling through a looking glass, with every step curiouser and curiouser. Then it became a home to her, place of joy and comfort and belonging. Over the years she had taken to spending her summer holidays in the Diagon alley's shops and cafes, immersing herself in the wizarding world to escape the muggle life she no longer conformed to. But now Lily was being ostracised from this life too. Voldemort's influence was on the rise. He was crafting a cult of personality, cultivating his numbers. Attacks on Muggleborns were increasing. His deranged caste of wizards would kill her if they had the slightest chance. Her blood-status made her weak and inferior to them but it also made her dangerous. Just as deadly to their ideals as every other Muggleborn who knew their way around a spell book. Muggleborns did not fall in line with Voldemort's eugenics, his superior race. Muggleborns with skill and talent and hope threatened the pure-blood aristocracy and values. They had to be extinguished.
...
"So" Mary said once they were in the potions section of Flourish and Blotts "What's the story with you and James now?" She asked, keeping her tone light. Lily concentrated on looking intently at the spines of the books before them, so much so that she didn't notice anyone else enter the stand of shelves. "Potter?" She asked her friend blankly "You know the story there." She said, pulling a book down to inspect it before putting it back "Do I?" Mary prompted with an enquiring look, causing Lily to sigh "FINE. After the whole Snape-Mudblood thing at the end of fifth year, Potter kind of left me alone for a bit. So naturally I thought he must have only been stalking me and asking me out to piss Snape off. I mean I was his best friend and he hated Potter. It would have hurt him badly if I'd agreed to date him. I doubt he ever would have bothered me if it wasn't for Snape…" She explained. She knew Mary knew this and that Mary thought both Snape and potter fancied her enormously but Lily didn't understand it. Why would either half-blood want to be with her? Why would anyone? "But …" Mary prompted, walking to the other side of the shelf to look at care of magical creatures books "But…" Lily continued "A few months into sixth year Potter's little group started hanging out with ours a little more. I tried to hate him as much as I used to, I honestly did, but he was so laid back and kind that it was exhausting trying to invent reasons to dislike him. I don't have the energy for two viscous hate campaigns, trust me I tried it and it turns out it is so much easier to loathe Severus Snape. Potter is lesser of two evils … the path of least resistance." She said "But I do think he could be a friend. I just need a little more proof before I can trust him like I trust you. I don't really know all that much about him other than the mischief everyone else knows too … Maybe he's matured since then."
Mollified, Mary left to hunt down more books and Lily found her potions book, staring down at her booklist as she walked, predictably walking in to someone she hadn't realised was there "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorr-" She stopped as she looked up at the sallow face of Severus Snape. "It's fine." He muttered shortly after a lengthy pause "I wouldn't want to get in the way of your hate campaign" He said meaningfully. He had heard, she cringed a little at that. "You don't get to guilt trip me like that. You don't get to talk to me anymore. You gave that up in fifth year. I suggest you don't try it again" She snapped, her tone made angrier by her embarrassment. She knew she took herself too seriously when she was clumsy, too harsh on herself and it made her lash out but Snape deserved it, Potter had not. "Or what? You'll set the Gryffindor attack dogs on me?" He sneered. She ignored him, going back to how she always acted when around him. She imagined there was an impenetrably thick glass wall between them and she waked away. Trying to chase away the spiteful conversation before it triggered her memories of him and the ache of grief she still felt, despite his betrayal. It wasn't like she had decided to stop liking her best friend that day in fifth year; it was like he had died.
Lily knew she wouldn't have time to find the books on her own, passing her list over to shop assistant she knew with a hopeful smile "You want me to find all of these, Evans?" She asked. Megan Bell was a few years older than Lily but they knew each other well. "For me, Bell?" She asked with a sweet smile. "Fine, but only 'cos I know you're not really supposed to be out here right now, hell I'm not supposed to be working but it's one of the busiest shopping days of the year so..." She said darkly as she led Lily around the shop, stacking the books she needed into a pile which floated beside them as they walked, dodging other shoppers bustling around, all looking equally harassed. "Six NEWTs though, Lils? I'm impressed; I only took thee, got three Os though." She said, trying to keep up a conversation with Lily who was starting to succumb to her thoughts. "Hm? Oh well done … I'd love to have your job, to be surrounded by books all day" Lily smiled. The older girl shook her head "No one wants to work in a shop, Lily. It's just a stepping stone. The novelty of it wears off fast." They finally reached the till and Lily had a reprieve to appreciate the beauty of this shop. Every inch of wall was covered in heavy set shelves which groaned under the weight of so many books, bowing in the face of the knowledge they held. Then of course the shelves themselves grew upwards, up past the two mezzanine floors. Some of the very highest books had to be reached by summoning charms or huge polished wooden ladders on tracks, which she supposed had a charm of their own. Then there were the shelves which sprung from roots every few yards and towered up like ancient trunks, making the layout of the shop into a maze or a forest and casting comfortable shadows throughout the shop. Finally there was the odd squashy armchair and random pile of books strewn about like shrubberies.
"Anything else then?" Bell asked. "Just an owl order please, I wanted to get a few books on healing but now isn't really the time to browse…" "I get that." She sighed. "Healing though, I'm impressed Lils, it's a damn hard job." Lily just nodded. When Bell pulled up the price Lily raised her eyebrows, receiving a wink back "I can't let you give me a discount!" Lily argued but she was shushed. "Muggleborn privilege, you don't hear that everyday … we've got to stick together." she winked gain "Thank you, Megan." She smiled, picking up the bags that weighed tons. "No problem, just get home safe." She said with a sisterly affection in her eyes that Lily hadn't seen from 'Tuney in years.
As she weaved her way back to the door she realised how dark it had become, inside and out; far too dark to be justified by something as innocent as cloud cover, especially so early in the day. At that moment a several things happened in quick succession. The heavens opened and the heaviest rain Lily had ever seen pelted down onto the street, ricocheting back up with the force of its descent. There was a flash of white blanket lightning that illuminated every surface Lily could see and thunder rolled around, making the very air vibrate. Mass confusion broke out as people panicked, their fears realised, people were moving so fast Lily got span round, ending up with a clear view of the potions section where Snape was still standing, joined now by two other Slytherins, one of the Carrow twins and Rodolphus Lestrange. Someone apparated beside them, someone tall, dressed in a cloak and mask, wand at the ready; a death eater. Lily's eyes widened in horror and she yanked her hood up to hide her distinctive hair, running for the door, screaming for Mary. She noticed now that a lot of people were screaming. She broke free of Flourish and Blotts, looking around wildly as she heard her own name being called.
She needed her wand, she needed to fight. Fear, rain and bags were making her clumsy though. Suddenly hands were on her, pulling her down as a blast of green light blew over her. She gasped, in that moment truly believing that she was dead. A few breaths later and lily realised she hadn't been killed, that the hands on her had pushed her beneath the reach of the glow, saving her life. She struggled to see who had held her down, noticing that their grip had loosened. She paled, gagging as she understood. Meg. Dear, sweet Megan Bell, the best sister she had ever known, had thrown Lily from the path of the killing curse. Now she was lying, glassy eyed and pale on the street. All of her life leeched away by the green glow. Lily screamed, only stopping when Mary was in front of her. Mary pulled a cloak over Lily's muggle clothes, trying to disguise her as she dragged her away from the corpse that still held a touch of defiance, even in a death mask.
Mary was pulling an unresponsive Lily along, the weather disorientating her, every way she turned curses were being shot through smoke and fog. Faceless Death eaters were advancing undeterred in droves as people tried to fight back. It would have been a bloodbath if Voldemort's slaves had enough mercy to merely wound. Lily was pulled to the floor by her friend, head protected in her embrace. The only sight she had was a sliver of vision not covered by her hood. Everything was grey; cobbles and buildings, legs running past and the bodies that fell. Only flashes of light from duels now taking place boke up the grey, illuminating the battle in the street. Lily moved her head to see four boys standing back to back, firing curses in every direction. Remus Lupin noticed the girls first, unable to break off his duel to stop the death eater advancing on them. Lily saw the panic in his eyes and understood. She had to protect Mary as Megan had protected her. Lily found her wand in her hand. She didn't know how it got there, or how her hand had started bleeding so profusely but she pushed Mary down, screaming a curse at the death eater who clearly had not expected any resistance from the two girls tangled together, marooned amid the sea of light. He fell to the street, unconscious. Lily was just wheeling to face another when she felt a hand on her cloak and then she was suffocating. She was lost in the dark with no air for so long, too long. Long enough by far to realise she was apparating with someone. She finally landed; face first in the carpet of her own hallway in her house in surrey, so far from the fight where people were dying.
The pink carpet was too warm, too dry, too safe and homely. She clawed at it, panicked and confused. Where were the lights, the screams and the people? She gasped for air, forcing herself to calm and look up. Mrs Macdonald, Mary's mother, was standing over the two girls, piles of books and supplies radiating from them around the hall. "I didn't think I'd get to you in time, loves." She panted, sinking to her knees beside them "You both did so well, keeping each other safe." She said, wrapping an arm around her daughter. That was when Lily's mum emerged from the lounge, paling when she saw them lying in the hallway, Lily's bloodied hand and the grazes on her face.
Mrs Macdonald explained what happened to her in as little detail as possible whilst patching both girls up. Lily vaguely knew she was in shock. That was why her mother was force feeding her tea. She eventually realised it was bloody hot and chocked a little, trying to stop the scorching flow through her mouth. She pulled back and touched her face, checking the damage. No cuts had escaped the attention of the capable healer before her but it was still tender. "The bruises will be mostly gone by tomorrow morning but your hand will need to be looked after for a few days, a curse rebounded, something nasty by the looks of it but barely any of it hit you. I'll let Madame Pomfrey know to take a look at it." She said calmly, seeing Lily wince. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Lily sweetheart?" She asked. Lily gave her a weak smile, still dazed "Can I borrow some of your healing books?" She asked "Sure thing, poppet" she nodded with a smile.
A while later Lily realised the Macdonalds had left and that her mother had taken all of her new supplies up to her room, no doubt stacked them neatly by her trunk ready to pack. She always wanted to help, but she never interfered. Lily let her have this, her last chance to look after her before she left; she wondered bleakly if she would ever come back. That was a mental debate for another day. She drank tea and took painkillers when she was told to, eating to let the sugar pull her back above the surface of the shock. But beneath it everything felt dull and warm, nothing really hurt. When she snapped out of it, it was like her body emerging from a mountain lake in winter, the air was so cold it stung in her lungs and teeth; the pain in her hand was dizzying. She was not going to sleep that night. There were too many lights flaring beneath her eyelids, reflecting on featureless faces that advanced on her in her dreams.