IMPORTANT A/N This is the updated version of my story. There have been a few cosmetic changes to old chapters with the assistance of amazing reviews and feedback from readers like you! For a list of changes please see my profile page, as I don't want to clutter up the story with tedious author's notes. Thanks to my amazing beta, TwilightMoonbeams, you should check out her stories. Any remaining mistakes are mine after I messed around a bit more.


Lily gazed despondently at the owl's retreating form. It receded into the bright morning. Below her, the castle grounds spread out and the bright emerald grass sparkled with dew. Leather tarpaulins covered the Quidditch stands. Dappled sunlight illuminated the windows and the rain gutters of the castle. A cool wind plucked at her hair. Goldeneye darted around a creaking weather-vane and flapped off towards the south. Lily watched him until he became a dark spot, and then disappeared into the purple mountains.

"All done, Lily?"

Lily jumped. She turned around. "Yes, Miss Kumar."

"Then Professor Slughorn wanted you to return to class," Sita nodded, "Muggle Studies, correct?"

Lily sighed. "Yes..."

Lily looked over her shoulder at the dusty owlry. A few of the birds were looking at her balefully, enormous eyes peeking out of ruffling wings. Lily waved sadly. The owls went back to sleep.

Sita led her down the owlry tower. The Prefect seemed content to maintain a companionable silence. Lily studied her surreptitiously. Sita has been really nice, a small voice said slowly, But she is a Slytherin. Sita stood erect, head held high, gliding effortlessly from step to step. Her chin was up. But she had a small smile, as if she was mildly amused by something.

They rode the moving marble staircase to the Second Floor corridor. When they reached the Muggle Studies classroom Sita knocked and then opened the door. Lily peered around Sita at the Muggle Studies classroom. It was a large classroom with wide windows, made out of a little squares of thick glass inside cast-iron frames. The frames divided the grounds beyond into little watery pieces, but Lily could tell it was bright, green, and clear outside. Professor Ellie Cattermole was at the front of the class, sitting on a dark wooden desk. A large chalkboard hung on the masonry wall behind her. Little desks with mismatched wooden chairs were arranged in rows. Lily saw Grace, as well as the other Slytherin First Years, on the left side, and the First Year Gryffindors had taken the right side. Lily recognized most of the Gryffindors. Most were acquaintances from the relatively tight-knit Wizarding community. Some she knew too well, like Cormac McLaggen. Then there was Sabine Thorne, sitting at the back on her own. At the same time, Lily still didn't know half of the Slytherins.

As she looked around, Lily realized all the boys were leaning in very attentively to Professor Cattermole. The Professor wore loose black robes over a sparkling blue sweater with a scoop neck that was pulled tight by an ample bosom. She was perched on the edge of her desk, legs crossed, wearing a tan pencil skirt.

"Good morning, Professor Cattermole, sorry to interrupt," Sita said, "I'm bringing Miss Potter to join you. Professor Slughorn said that he would talk to you about it later."

Professor Cattermole smiled. "Yes of course, Miss Kumar. Miss Potter, I'm Professor Ellie Cattermole. Welcome to your very first Muggle Studies Class!"

Sita backed away and gave Lily a swift, curving smile and an encouraging nod. Lily nodded reluctantly, opened her mouth, closed it, and then turned resolutely and walked into Muggle Studies.

"Do you have your books, dear?" Professor Cattermole asked.

"Uh," Lily said, "I forget them in my room, Professor."

A few people stifled laughter. Lily flushed.

"That's alright, I'm sure you can borrow...Miss Thorne's. Sit down at the back there."

A few people gasped. Lily sent a confused look at Sabine, shrugged, and then walked to the back of the class. There were a few unoccupied desks at the back next to Sabine, who was staring at her book. She glanced quickly at Lily and didn't smile before looking away. Lily slouched in her new seat.

"Well, everyone pay attention and we'll resume class!" Professor Cattermole said sweetly. Lily noticed all the boys perk up as Cattermole slid off her desk and walked over to the chalkboard.

"Now that we've all made introductions," Cattermole said with a smile. "We'll move right along to why we are taking Muggle Studies. I know some of you are Muggle-born and may think this is silly, and some of you Wizards think we can get along quite well without anything to do with Muggles. But you're both just a little, little bit wrong! Muggle Studies is part of a new people's history of magic, history as it was made, by people, for people. We need to learn about Muggle-Wizard relations because..."

A floating piece of chalk wrote down Professor Cattermole's points on the board behind her. Lily didn't try to pay very close attention. She felt strangely tired. It wasn't supposed to be like this, she thought again. And if Daddy can't get me out... No, I just have to wait. I just have to wait.

Lily missed the rest of Professor Cattermole's speech. She was jerked back when Professor Cattermole concluded with a clap of her hands, "...most of all because it's going to be fun!"

Lily snorted quietly. She noticed Sabine Thorne had a tiny smile. Someone stuck up a hand. "Professor!" Deloitte Zabini said coolly, "Professor, what do you mean?"

"Miss Zabini, what I mean is that by understanding Muggles we can also understand ourselves. We can see ourselves in a new light.."

Deloitte made a face as if she didn't like the idea of seeing herself in a new light.

"Professor!"

"Yes, Mister...?"

"Ali, Ali Shafiq, Miss Ellie." Ali gave a simpering smile.

He was sitting at the front with the other Gryffindors. Lily glared at the back of his head. She finally knew the name of Cormac's friend.

"Professor Cattermole, if you please."

"Professor," Ali shrugged, "I just thought, well, you had to be a Wizard to be a Being? So, well...aren't Muggle's, well..." Ali shrugged expressively.

Cattermole frowned a little and said, "It's important to remember that Muggles can think and understand laws just like Wizards do, Mister Shafiq. All thinking creatures that can understand natural and wizarding laws are Beings, Mister Shafiq, not Beasts. Why don't we turn to page twelve for an example..."

Lily sighed. As far as she was concerned Deloitte and Ali were morons. She knew that Muggles were Beings—not animals! It was ridiculous. She knew that everyone needed to be protected equally. And she was going to help do it, like her father.

As the class turned to page twelve, Lily wondered if she was supposed to take notes. She didn't even have her bag. She glanced at Sabine, who was idly drawing twisting vines with inky black thorns up and down the sides of her parchment. Lily also saw a few skulls and a wand casting a spell. Sabine slid her arm down on the desk to hide her parchment from view. Lily scowled and dragged her desk and chair closer to Sabine Thorne and hissed, "What's your problem? Are you going to open the book?"

The Wonderful World of Muggles, by Arthur Weasley, had a bright cover with a moving picture of motorcar and a happy Muggle family. A series of strange devices poked out of the windows and trunk. Lily recognized a rake and thought that the long tube with a brush at the end was a vacuuminator and a long brown stick was a fireleg.

Sabine shrugged and flipped to page twelve, where there was a picture of an old piece of parchment. The chapter was called 'Muggles and Wizards Living Together.'

"This is just an example everyone, I don't expect you to read the whole thing!" A few people laughed as Ellie Cattermole smiled, "Can anyone tell me what the Magna Carta and the Great Charter of Magical Liberties is?"

Lily looked around. Everyone else, except Grace Li, looked confused. Lily had read the book over the summer, because Gramps wanted her to—he had been very enthusiastic and had even helped her test a lot of the Muggle techno-goggy at the Burrow. Lily raised her hand.

"Miss Potter?"

"It was the agreement hundreds of years ago between the Wizard purebloods and the Muggle purebloods. Each got their own council that the kings and queens had to listen to." Lily said.

"Correct, Miss Potter. The Magna Carta was written in 1215, over eight hundred years ago, by Muggles and Wizards making new rules on how to live together. Take five points for Slytherin!"

Lily scowled. "No thanks."

"What?" Professor Cattermole looked shocked.

Lily went pink as everyone craned around to look at her, "No, thank you, uh, Professor. I'm not...I'm not going to be in Slytherin."

Professor Cattermole looked very confused. "Um, well Miss Potter, I'm not quite sure that's how it works."

The other Slytherins were glaring at her. Lily ignored them, bright red, and sat straight up. "I won't accept any points, Professor."

"Oh, um, well. Let's move on, Miss Potter, if you don't want any more points then we'll...um, see." Professor Cattermole looked a little upset and then clapped her hands. "Alright then, now, the Magna Carta was an agreement between Muggle pure-bloods and the four most powerful Chief Wizards of the age..."

Lily sat very still. She didn't answer any more questions, even the easy ones. She barely even read along in the book. Sabine Thorne didn't seem very interested in finding the right page, and didn't take any notes. The blonde girl just covered her parchment in cryptic doodling. Lily spent a few minutes staring blankly at the bright, blinking maps of Muggle Britain, wondering what she should do next. She wondered if Headmistress McGonagall would agree to see her.

The castle bells couldn't chime quickly enough. When they finally did, Professor Cattermole called out, "No homework for today, everyone, just think about what we've said! I'll see you on Wednesday!"

The happy class quickly gathered up their books and bags. Lily, at the back of the class, was closest to the door. She escaped into the hall ahead of the others. It's not fair, she thought angrily, clenching her fists. Sabine Thorne emerged with her book bag clutched to her chest and practically ran down the corridor.

Lily realized she didn't know where to go and pulled out her crumpled schedule from inside her robes. Her next class was History of Magic with the Hufflepuffs, up on the Fourth Floor; after lunch she had Double Potions with the Ravenclaws in the dungeons.

"Merlin, that was ridiculous," Deloitte Zabini said loudly as she flounced out of class.

Deloitte and her friends were laughing. The haughty Slytherin's eyes gleamed when she saw Lily. "You are so annoying! What are you doing in Slytherin?"

"Who cares," Lily shrugged disdainfully, "I'm not going to be in Slytherin much longer!"

Deloitte looked Lily up and down, "I hope not. You do not meet the standards. It's good you didn't take those points because we don't want them."

"Oh yeah?" Lily sneered, "At least I'm not a traitorous Snake!"

Grace stood frozen in the doorway.

"Wait," Lily choked out, "Grace—!"

Grace looked like she was going to cry and then left, holding her books very tightly. "You too?" Lily choked out, "W-well...See if I care!"

Deloitte and her friends laughed and flounced away. Lily was frozen in anger as the Gryffindors came out of the classroom, a few looking at her curiously. Ali Shafiq and Cormac McLaggen came out last. Cormac snickered when he saw her, "Look, I can't decide, it's Princess Potter. She sure is perfect for Sabine. They're both snakes."

"Snakes?" Lily spluttered, "I'm not a Slytherin! And Sabine's a Gryffindor, you moron!"

Cormac growled, "You're a Slytherin. Sabine's a Death Eater brat. You're both Snakes!"

Sabine is what? Lily was stunned. Her parents were Death Eaters? But she seemed so nice, and that was so long ago. How can it be?

"You tell her, Mac," Ali said.

It can't be. Lily felt hot. "It's not true! Take it back!"

Ali smirked and jabbed Cormac with his elbow, "Oo, careful, Mac, Lily's going—"

Before he could finish something snapped in Lily and she whipped out her wand with a muffled screech of anger. "Apis!"

There was a burst of white light and Cormac leapt into the air with a screech and clapped his hand to his forehead. "OW!"

Ali stared stupidly for a second and then sputtered, "What the bloody hell!"

Lily pointed her wand at Ali, who froze, eyes crossed. Lily smirked at Cormac. "That was for jinxing me last night. Git."

"What's going on out here, boys?" Professor Cattermole appeared in the door, then her eyes widened when she saw Lily pointing her wand. "Miss Potter, no magic in the corridors, please!"

Lily, still smirking, put her wand back in her robes.

"She hexed me!" Cormac said, gingerly touching a swelling red welt the size of a grape that had appeared on his forehead. "Look, a Stinging Jinx, Professor!"

"Miss Potter, is that true?"

Lily shrugged. "He deserved it."

Professor Cattermole looked nervous, "Mister Shafiq, why don't you get Mister McLaggen to the Hospital Wing."

"Sure thing, Professor," Ali said, and shot a nasty look at Lily as they walked away. Cormac was still clutching his forehead.

"He jinxed me last night, Professor," Lily said quickly, "He deserved it! It's not fair!"

"What did he do, Lily?"

"A Poking Spell," Lily said seriously, "When we were waiting to be Sorted."

"Did you talk to Professor Longbottom about it?"

"No!"

"So you just thought you'd hex him back."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to have to give you detention," Ellie Cattermole said quietly, "But I'll talk to Professor Longbottom and they'll talk about jinxing you, okay? And ten points from Slytherin, as well."

"Take all the points you want, I don't care!"

"Miss Potter, another detention," Cattermole looked shocked, "You can't just say whatever you want to a teacher, Lily, I'm going to have to talk to your Head of House."

"Fine!" Lily ground out, clenching her fists in her robes, "Can I go, Professor?"

Ellie Cattermole ran a hand through her hair, "Lily—Miss Potter, do you want to talk about...anything? I would love to just listen. You can come in for a minute."

"No," Lily said flatly. "I better get to my next class. Professor."

Her professor stared at her for a minute. "Okay, Miss Potter. You can go."

Lily turned and walked slowly and carefully down the hall. As soon as she heard Professor Cattermole's door close, she let out a choking huff of anger. She kicked at the air, squeezing the handle of her wand as if she could jinx him again. He deserved it, Lily thought to herself, I don't care how many detentions I get!

After a moment Lily realized she still didn't know where she was going. She stopped, breathing hard, and looked around. She was near the Grand Staircase. She checked her schedule again. History of Magic was on the Fourth Floor. Lily waited for a staircase to swing into position at the Second Floor and then jumped on. The moving stone steps carried her up the echoing tower. Lily glanced down and got a little dizzy. Staircases swung back and forth, gleaming marble shimmering in the lamplight. She felt like she was flying as the moving stairs carried her higher—and her stomach didn't like it very much. The last stairwell swung into place and Lily leapt off with a sigh of relief.

The History of Magic classroom was already closed. She could hear a voice on the other side. Lily dragged her fingers through her hair, waited a minute, and then tried to open the door quietly. The door creaked open. History of Magic was a long, dim room with narrow windows set with thick iron bars that cast long shadows across the students at their desks. There was a raised dais on the left side without any windows. In the dimness Lily could see the glowing blue form of Professor Cuthbert Binns floating at a lectern. The bookshelves behind him were covered in cobwebs.

Professor Binns trailed to a halt as Lily entered the room. "Miss Pond, you're late, please have a seat."

Lily grimaced. She saw Hugo among the Hufflepuffs turning around to look at her. The Hufflepuffs including the odd addition of Duncan Goyle, a slouching mountain with a vacant expression. Deloitte and the Slytherins were laughing into their hands. Grace wouldn't look at her. But Hugo waved at her with a nervous smile and gestured at the desk next to him. Lily made her way to him and sat down. She slumped low in her seat and crossed her arms. Gideon twisted around in his seat, in front of them, and grinned. His mismatched eyes sparkled. "Want to throw a book through Professor Binns?" he hissed.

Lily tried to smile back. She bared her teeth. Hugo looked nervous, and Gideon opened his mouth as if to ask her something, when Professor Binns said loudly, "Well then! Let's move on. Another thing we will have work around is a new testing regimen. We'll be preparing for your W.O.R.M. with a series of preparatory tests on the history and laws of the Wizarding World—yes, Miss...?"

"Babara Sadler, Professor!" squeaked a small, mousy-haired girl in front of Lily.

"What is it, Miss Sitter?"

"Sir, I'm M-M-Muggle-born, would you mind telling me, what's a wom?"

"The Wizards' Ordinary Registration Mark, or the W.O.R.M., tests your knowledge of how to live in the magical world. The Examining Authority now wants us to prepare you for them, without regard for what's really important..." Professor Binns sounded annoyed and trailed off. "What is it, Mister...?"

"Cuffe, Magnus Cuffe. And what is really important, Professor?"

Professor Binn's ghostly form seemed to swell, "History is important, Mister Guff, history. What happened, when it happened, and most importantly, in the proper order in which it happened."

"Like what, Professor?"

"Well Mister Graff, I'm sorry to say that the Examining Authority has cut a great deal from the syllabus..." The little ghost sighed. "Much of the noble history of the goblin wars has been lost, it seems, lost for the next generation of young wizards..."

A few boys looked disappointed. But Lily had heard that Professor Binns could put you to sleep in sixty seconds flat, bloody goblin wars or not.

"But, as I said before," Professor Binns continued, "With our new book we'll be taking it rather slowly."

Lily almost laughed aloud. She knew what the professor was talking about. A People's History of Magic, by Hermione Granger, had been on the Hogwarts curriculum for almost ten years.

"Now, now, now," Professor Binns said, "With start-of-class notices out of the way, let's begin with the introduction. Everyone turn to page four...and just follow along..."

The ghost waved his hand through his own book atop the lectern and the pages fluttered as if in a wind.

Lily looked at Hugo beseechingly. He smiled and dragged his desk over to her. They propped A People's History of Magic open between them.

"Introduction to the History of Magic and the Wizarding World..." Professor Binns began to read aloud in a low drone. At first, Lily and Hugo tried to follow along. However, Binns would stop every few pages with a startled buzz like an angry bumblebee and grumble, "That was never here before," or, "I'm not sure why we should know that," or "This is not what it was like in my day..."

Almost everyone seemed to be drifting away. Duncan Goyle was picking his nose with an expression of great concentration. Gideon had his head down on the desk. Deloitte was holding a low, whispered conversation with her friends. Only Grace Li was paying rapt attention, making precise notes and nodding along like a tiny bird. Lily was more interested in reading ahead, but Hugo kept grabbing her hand and keeping them on the right page. Lily sighed.

Near the end of class, as Professor Binns complained about the layout of the table of contents and the font of the text, Lily reread the introduction (she had gotten completely lost in Binn's confused ranting). As she read, Lily had a sense of foreboding that rose with each word. Something was niggling at the back of her mind, as if there was something that she was supposed to know, but just couldn't remember.

...the terrible rise of the Dark Arts was met not with courage or strength, but with fear and acceptance. The power of Gellert Grindelwald and Tom Riddle came not only from their magical strength but also from the support of terrible numbers of witches and wizard. In Europe, Britain, and around the world, witches and wizards seemed to support oppression, terror, and violence. In consequence, innocent Muggles and Wizards alike suffered and died at the hands of Dark Wizards.

In the present age the History of Magic cannot merely add to our knowledge of recent events. The History of Magic must help us realize the high cost of ignorance and hatred. We must learn to admit our mistakes and accept the interconnected nature of the Wizard and Muggle worlds. The cost of continued ignorance is a history of bloodshed and violence, a history of magic at its worse. But a people's history of magic shows us that the internal divisions and external bigotry of witches and wizards around the world can and must be overcome. We can't just learn from the mistakes of the past. We must still overcome them.

Lily glanced around the classroom. At Duncan Goyle. Gideon and Hugo. She thought about Sabine Thorne and the Sorting Hat.

Lily Potter scowled ferociously at her desk.

Before she could articulate what it all meant, the bells began to ring from high up in the castle.

"Ah, never mind, then, children. Please finish the Introduction for next class. Don't forget the first test will be next Monday." The whole class groaned as Professor Binns glided through the blackboard and out of sight.

Lily stood up quickly. Her stomach ached. "I'm starving," she said, "Let's get lunch."

Gideon packed up his book bag and said, "Aren't you supposed to sit with the Slytherins?"

Lily glanced sharply at the green-and-silver Slytherins leaving the class. Grace was hurrying away. "No," Lily said bitterly, "I'll just sit by myself I guess."

"Don't be daft, Lily!" Alice Abbott had wavy brown hair, a round face, and a button nose. "We don't mind if you sit with us, I'm sure it's okay."

Lily smiled at Alice Abbott. She was a family friend from before school started because her mother had gone to school with Lily's mother. Neville was her uncle. "Thanks, Alice," Lily sighed.

"Has that been done before?" Hugo wondered aloud.

"You know, I just don't understand the houses," Barbara Sadler said nervously. "Hi, I'm Barbara."

"I'm Lily Potter."

"Oh, I know!" Barbara squeaked. "Everyone told me!"

Lily smiled. "Right! Let's get lunch, I skipped breakfast and I need to eat."

Alice giggled when Lily's stomach growled loudly. "Course, Lily, let's go!"

Lily was so hungry the delicious scent of lunch made her mouth water. "Miss Potter!"

"What is it?" Lily groaned, not quite stopping as Sita Kumar waved at her by the polished doors to the Great Hall.

"Shall we have lunch?" Sita said.

"Ugh," Lily grunted, "I'm eating with the Hufflepuffs, it'll be fine, Sita."

Sita frowned. "Are you sure, Lily?"

"It's just lunch!" Lily rolled her eyes. "Sita, I'm starving, can I go?"

"Yes, Miss Potter, if you must."

"Thanks," Lily said quickly. She grabbed Hugo by the arm. "Come on!"

The Great Hall was full of chattering students. The enchanted ceiling was a glorious bright blue with a fat sun and fluffy clouds. The four long tables were set with white porcelain tureens of soup, baskets of rolls, and trays of little sandwiches. Lily and the others all squeezed into the Hufflepuff table, with Hugo and Gideon across from her and Alice at her side. A few of the other Hufflepuff First Years looked a little surprised. "I say, can you eat here?"

"What's it to you?" Lily snapped.

"I say she can," Hugo added.

"Don't be silly, Magnus, she's our friend!" Alice insisted.

"Well, sorry, just surprised is all." Magnus shrugged. "I'm Magnus Cuffe."

"Lily Potter," Lily said as she grabbed a cucumber sandwich and ladled herself a bowl of pea soup. Her stomach grumbled again.

"I know," Magnus nodded knowledgeably, "Sorry about being Sly—" He grunted.

Alice had driven an elbow into his ribs and giggled shrilly. "Have some lunch, Magnus."

Gideon looked a little cross. Hugo quickly introduced the remaining Hufflepuffs. Everyone complained about Professor Binns for a few minutes—Lily slowed down after consuming her third sandwich and draining half a bowl of soup in a gulp. When everyone else was distracted by the disappearance of an empty tureen and its replacement with a bowl of pudding, Hugo and Gideon leant across the table. Hugo whispered. "How was your first night?"

Lily grimaced and waved an egg salad sandwich through the air, "Awful," she whispered back, "I'm a Slytherin, Hugo, a Slytherin. But I sent a letter to Daddy, and he'll fix it soon."

Gideon snorted. Lily glared at him.

"What about Grace?" Hugo said, worried, "How's she?"

"I..." Lily swallowed, "Uh..."

"What's wrong?" Hugo asked.

Lily blushed... "Well, I mean, you know..."

The conversation trailed away awkwardly. Lily was almost relieved when a Slytherin Prefect named Nathaniel Nott interrupted them and demanded that Lily return to the Slytherin Table. Bruce Abbott, Alice's older brother, stopped him and the Slytherin marched away, disgruntled. Lily watched him meet someone in the next aisle and start whispering. Nott was talking to a tall man wearing plain black robes with a high collar. He had black hair plastered flat to the top of his head with an oily middle part, a wide mouth above a long chin, and tiny black eyes. He turned and stared at her, and Lily shivered.

"Who's that?" Lily whispered.

Bruce Abbott frowned. "What's that? Oh, with Nott? That's Loyola Lestrange, a new S.H.A.M. And I'm Bruce Abbott, Miss Potter, nice to meet you. I've met you before, but you've grown a little since then."

"Nice to meet you too, Bruce," Lily mumbled. "But weren't the Lestrange Death Eaters?"

Bruce shrugged, "A long time ago, maybe. But these ones are from a cadet branch of the House, from France. Didn't have anything to do with the War, I think."

Liy frowned, and then shook herself.

"I heard that Sabine Thorne is the daughter of a Death Eater, too," Hugo said nervously.

"She can't be," Lily said at once," She's really nice, we met on the train, Hugo!"

Bruce frowned, "It doesn't matter who her parents were. We're all students here. Ignore rumours like that, they're bad for you. Anyways, see you later, everyone, Allie."

"Thanks Bruce!" Alice beamed as Bruce ambled back up the aisle.

"He's cute," Barbara squeaked.

"Ew..." Alice sighed, "Why does everyone say that?"

Gideon snickered. Lily glanced at Bruce's retreating back. He had a loose mane of hair and broad shoulders. She shrugged. "I don't think he's cute, Alice."

"Good," Alice said firmly, "You have taste."

Lily and Alice giggled.

"Hold up, what was all that with that Slytherin Prefect?" Gideon shook his head.

"He's jus' a ponce," Duncan Goyle grunted.

Lily was shocked. Goyle hadn't introduced himself. He sat, hunched over a plate of abandoned crusts, a little down the table from them. The broad-faced Hufflepuff shrugged, looking around. "What? Looks like a ponce. Talks a like a ponce."

Lily couldn't help but laugh. Everyone grinned. Duncan looked surprised, then smiled. He had crooked teeth.

"Thanks Alice," Lily said quietly when everyone resumed eating, "And thanks, Hugo."

"Of course," Alice tossed her head. "You're my friend, Lily, and that prefect was being a...total g-git." She rushed over the last part, blushing.

Hugo smothered a laugh. "Your welcome too, Lily."

Lily grabbed one last sandwich and then hesitated. She put it back. "Hugo, Gideon can we talk in the Hall for a minute?"

"What's up, Lily?" Alice asked.

"Family stuff," Lily shrugged uncomfortably, "Sorry."

"Sure," Gideon said slowly. "See you fellows in class, okay?"

Everyone said goodbye as Lily, Hugo, and Gideon got up, Lily re-grabbed her sandwich and stuffed it in her mouth as they walked out into the entry hall. Lily led Hugo and Gideon into a recessed marble arch beneath the broad flight of steps leading up to the Grand Staircase. "Look, I..." Lily choked a little, "Can you talk to your parents, for me?"

Hugo looked confused. "What's this all about, Lily?"

Gideon looked a little mutinous. "This better not be about Slytherin."

Hugo's eyes widened. "Lily, you don't want us to complain to our parents about the Hat, do you?"

"I think you've got it, Hugo," Gideon said coldly.

Hugo hesitated. "I don't get it, the Hufflepuffs have been nice, Lily. What's so wrong with Slytherin, then? Grace and Sita seemed nice."

"It's not enough, Hugo!" Lily glared daggers at Gideon. "What's so wrong about this, huh, Gideon? The Hat's obviously gone mad. We. Are. Always. Gryffindors!"

"No. We're. Not!" Gideon glared back. "My mother is a Slytherin. My grandmother is a Slytherin. And I almost got put in Slytherin, so why don't you just admit you're being completely selfish and a total...a total..."

"A total what!?" Lily hissed.

"Slytherin," Gideon hissed right back.

Lily's jaw dropped. "How dare you!"

"Gideon," Hugo whispered.

"What?" Gideon said stiffly, "Am I supposed to apologize? She should get used to it. No, she should accept it. And you know? My parents aren't world-famous and nobody really cares that I got Hufflepuff and I even like Hufflepuff! I was surprised, but so what?"

"What about me, Gideon?" Lily said, "I don't like Slytherin, and you know what, I'm not sorry anymore. I was, because of your mum, but so what? This isn't about your mum! I'm not supposed to a Slytherin!"

"That's it, Lily," Gideon said, "Goodbye! You're being a total prat. Come on, Hugo."

"Hugo!" Lily said, "Please!"

"Hugo!" Gideon said, "Seriously?"

Hugo hesitated.

"Fine!" Gideon threw up his hands, "So what!"

Gideon stormed off. Hugo looked at Lily reproachfully. "Lily, that was really mean of you."

"Of me!" Lily half-shrieked, "He just... He... No!"

Hugo turned to go.

"Hugo, wait!" Lily said, "Look, I didn't... I don't hate Slytherins. All that much. I just think... We're supposed to be in Gryffindor!"

"What about me?" Hugo said, sounding hurt. "You never even asked about me. About Hufflepuff."

"No, no, Hugo, I just..." Lily struggled to sort it all out, "Hugo..."

Hugo shook his head, "Lily, I'm fine with being in Hufflepuff. They're all really nice to me, and Alice and—"

"What about Duncan Goyle?" Lily snapped, "Come on!"

"We have to give him a chance," Hugo said nervously, "I mean—"

"What about your parents?" Lily said furiously, "Gideon might have his mum, but what's your dad going to think?"

Hugo didn't look happy at the thought of his father. "D-dad will understand, I mean, I sent Mum an owl, she can talk to him."

"I don't think Uncle Ron's going to be happy," Lily said "You should help me convince them the Hat's crazy before he gets mad."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Hugo said miserably, "Do you really think that Dad will be mad at me?"

Lily felt a twinge. But she nodded. "Yes. Come on, help me."

Hugo looked pained. "Lily, I don't think that's how the Hat works."

"Everyone keeps saying that, but I'm going to prove them wrong. Are you going to help me or not, Hugo? I already sent an owl. You just send one too. And then the whole family can talk to McGonnagal."

Hugo looked miserable. "Y-yes."

"Oh, thank you Hugo!" Lily threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

Having rendered Hugo speechless Lily let out a relieved breath, her stomach churning noxiously. She told it to shut up. The bell announcing the end of lunch rang right at that moment, and Lily grit her teeth, "Oh, I have to go!" she said quickly, "Just talk to Gideon, Hugo! We need to stick together. I'll see you soon, gotta go!"

Before Hugo could move Lily waved and started running, red hair flying out behind her. She was determined to get her Potions supplies. She didn't want to share with anyone else today. She pushed thoughts of Gideon and Grace out her mind. They're the one's being stupid, she told herself. And I won't let them stop me. She dashed through the corridors to the Slytherin Dungeon and skidded to a halt in front of the hidden entrance. It opened before she could say the password, and, surprised, Lily leapt back. She avoided a second collision with Scorpius.

"Ah, Lily Potter," Scorpius said, "Thanks for not knocking me over. This time."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Oh get over it. Are you going to move?"

"Of course," Scorpius said, and stepped aside. He gave her an elaborate bow. "After you, Miss Potter."

"Right," Lily said coolly, "Thanks."

She didn't look back at the strange boy.

Lily retrieved her potions supplies and books and stuffed them in her satchel. Grunting slightly at the weight, Lily kicked a pile of robes out of the way and started running for her first Potions class. I'm not going to be late—again!