What in the name of Merlin's baggy y-fronts with extra helpings of plum pudding are you doing here? exclaimed Ron Weasley loudly, knocking over an order of Wildfire Whizz-Bangs in his surprise. His eyes grew wide as he slowly fell into the trance that any male would undoubtedly fall into when in the presence of Gabrielle Delacour. "I am 'ere to see my sister." she explained softly to him "I 'ad not expected to be erm, appreciated at the Burrow." A little voice in Ron's head knew that this meant her veela charm wouldn't work on Molly. He pushed this thought aside contented to wallow in his pool of enchantment.
"I 'ave a problem, you see," she carried on, "a rather important problem and I know zat you are ze only one who would understand." Ron shook his head violently. He was married with two children after all, but Gabrielle was just as stunning in her middle age. Unlike Fleur, she had chosen not to get married to one of her many admirers, but instead set up a business selling beauty products and flirted her way to the top of the market.
"As you know, my father died many years ago of a muggle illness. My mozer, Apolline, do you remember 'er? Well she is very ill, about do die and..." at this point she stuttered "…but I cannot tell you I must tell Fleur. I am sorry to 'ave bothered you Mister Weasley." And with that, she walked out of the shop, leaving Ron in a state of nervous tension. George broke the silence
"Well Ronnikins, it looks like you've finally got a date with a Veela."
"Shut up." replied Ron.
A year ago deep in a forest in Albania, a snake uncoiled itself from a great tree. This tree had a hole in it near the trunk about the size of a small boulder and vines growing all over it. It was in this tree that a dagger was kept. It was a miracle of craftsmanship with a handle made of mother of pearl still glinting after a thousand years of lying on the ground, covered in old blood. The blood of greed, the blood of greatness.
* * *
Minerva McGonagall straightened her pointed black hat and sniffed. Filch's store cuboard was open and bottles of Mrs. Scower's magical mess remover were rolling in all directions. Oddest of all, a paper clip hung from the lock and there wasn't a wand in sight!" The student who was small with blue eyes and flaming red hair gazed up at her.
" I'm so sorry professor I didn't mean to cause all this mess."
" Would you at least explain to me why you didn't use Alohomora, Lily? If you wanted to clean something, why didn't you ask a house-elf to do it for you?"
" Do you promise not to laugh?"
" Naturally."
" I was practicing picking locks because I heard that you have to do that in auror training and I want to prepare for Auror training." she said in a rush. "So you've pinned your hopes on good marks in 'lock picking' have you?" Said McGonagall with a small smile before placing a careful frown on her face and saying "your only punishment is to clean up this mess. Mr Filch will oversee your thoroughness. (And then he'll just arrange it all again she muttered under her breath). Lily's face fell. It would take all afternoon to clean up this mess, and she had a mountain of homework to do for tomorrow. Oh well. Life is such and at least I didn't get a detention,
she thought. Lily was always optimistic she which was odd because both of her parents had very dark moods.
After four long hours scrubbing the cracks in the worn marble, Lily trudged up the stairs of her dormitory coming upon Kristal Patil sobbing by the entrance to the fourth year dormitories.
" What's wrong Kristal?" asked Lily, concerned.
"It's my dad." she cried "he's remarrying."
"I don't mean to seem unhelpful but won't that be lovely for your Dad?" Kristal glared at Lily "He's marrying a part veela!"
"Oh," Lily said in comprehension. There was nothing more to be said and no way to comfort Kristal at all.
"Who is it?"
"Some business woman called Delacour." She stood up and brushed the tears from her cheeks before walking slowly down the spiral staircase and leaving Lily mouth agape and standing there alone.
Gossip spread quickly throughout the school and soon it became the sort of topic of conversation that you have when you can't think of anything else to say. All the Weasley and Potter clan's children knew about the wedding before anyone else in the family.
The usual Christmas excitement sparked and puffed around the students that December like a temperamental bonfire and Lily was positively quivering with excitement when all the decorations went up around Hogwarts. Her best friend Lara Moor was coming to spend Christmas with the Potters as well as Scorpius Malfoy who had strangely befriended her brother Albus. Lily had a soft spot for Sorpius that she was often teased about by her brothers.
On the day before the Christmas holidays started, Lily was giving the dormitory one last check to see if any socks had escaped capture when something she had never noticed before caught the corner of her eye. There was a place in the wall near her bed where the paint was peeling away and a tiny bit of brick was showing. A tiny scrunched up piece of paper was wedged into the gap.
Lily bent down and eased out the paper with a steady hand. It was probably just a piece of parchment she had dropped in her first year, the corner of an essay for professor Binns. However the writing on the paper was not her own. Words were written in a elegant but faded hand. 'Sophia, I hope you read this after I am gone for I do not wish for you to come after me. I wrote this note out of loyalty to you, my faithful friend. All I can say is that my motives are not pure and I am not proud of them; but you do not know what it's like to live your life in shadow. I cannot blame anyone but myself for my greed, I suppose it is my fathers doing. He must've been a bad man, the one wrong choice my mother ever made. I bet it was a relief when he died. What can I say Sophia? My mother must be perfect in every way and her fame will undoubtedly live on for however long this school may last. Hundreds maybe thousands of years. I am truly sorry. Helena Ravenclaw.'
Lily felt tears brewing in her eyes but she held them back. How similar they were. Both in the shadow of a famous parent. Lily hoped that she would never have to write a note such as this to anyone. She made a mental note to ask her Dad about Helena as obviously she was a close relation to Rowena. This could've been me. She thought, hugging the note close to her. So nearly me.
Becca strolled leisurely past the Mckenzie sisters who were playing gobstones. She made a beeline for Lily who was reading a scrap of parchment with a crease between her eyebrows. Lara sat down. "What's that?"
"Just an old history of magic note."
Lily quickly shoved the parchment into her bag, thinking. The clouds darkened and clusters of snowflakes started falling like a Christmas card. Soon the world was white and glittering around them. The two girls gazed, mesmerised, and it was minutes before they realised how cold they were. They stood up and trudged back into the castle.