Chapter 8: Constant Vigilance!
Lily POV
I opened my eyes and stared at the sunlight coming in. I sighed with content. I was back in Hogwarts. I couldn't believe it. It was like a second chance almost. I was 10 years younger. Maybe I could figure out some way to change the future. I know Remus said it was dangerous to NOT do everything exactly the way it was done the first time.
"Come on Lily. Breakfast will be gone soon." The last girl in the room called as she closed the door and left as well.
I was having trouble remembering the girls' names and what exactly I did that day. I guess I was just going to have to try my best.
I got up and got ready for my first day of Hogwarts.
~~ /(|)\ ~~
I sat down with the usual Gryffindors for breakfast. I saw Sirius, James, and Remus with their usual fan club. It was strange because I knew what most students turned out to be. My heart quickened slightly at a glimpse I got of Severus. Anger clogged my throat when I saw that rat Peter Pettigrew who became a Death Eater.
The one person who I couldn't find was Linda.
"Have you seen, Linda?" I asked coming into step with James after breakfast. He shook his head. It was strange that he didn't talk much. I remembered that he constantly asked me out when we were this age. I blushed at the thought and moved on.
I finally spotted Linda walking ahead of me, bent over a book. She was good at blending. It was like she was the original 15-year-old Linda.
"Hey Linda." I walked fast to catch up with her. "Meet us in the Room of Requirements. We need a plan to destroy the Horcruxes."
She nodded and went back to her book. I shrugged at her inattentiveness and remembered that we weren't best friends until next year. So I hurried along to my first class.
"These are the basic properties of the spoon you are to transfigure." Professor McGonagall preached. "It is important to know the compounds of the object because-"
I took furious notes. Transfiguration wasn't my best subject but I had been decent. Now it was twice as hard because I couldn't remember anything. Not at the moment anyway.
Charms was easier but Sirius sat with me and he kept asking how to do things. I could not fully concentrate. I noticed that James was also struggling but he didn't ask for help. I guess it was "manly pride". It was strange though because the first time around, he had been the one pestering me.
By dinner time, I was exhausted. I plopped myself at a random seat and began eating without even looking at my food. I stopped chewing. It was corned beef. I hated corned beef. I reluctantly swallowed. That was when I heard a snort. Like someone trying very hard not to laugh. I looked up to see James who was sitting in front of me.
Sirius was beside him but he was talking to a pretty girl on his other side. James was trying to look anywhere but me, which was hard since his best mate had his back to him and Remus was reading.
"I hate corned beef." I finally said.
"I know." He said in a strained voice. He was still trying not to laugh. I wondered how he knew.
"You may as well laugh." I sighed trying to be serious-like but its funny when someone is trying really hard not to laugh.
He finally burst and let himself laugh. It was like he had been holding it in for years. And it was very contagious. So I laughed with him.
"What's so funny?" Sirius turned back to us. He seemed to have ditched the girl in mid-sentence. She glared at the back of his head, stood, and left.
This only made us laugh harder.
~~ /(|)\ ~~
Remus POV:
I had noticed Lily and James laughing together at dinner but decided to not interrupt it. Now in the Room of Requirement's they were finally speaking to each other. Lily talked friendly but James was still a little careful. The main thing was that they were talking to each other.
I looked back down at my History of Magic homework. We had planned to use this time to think of a plan for collecting the Horcruxes but it turned out to be more of a study hall.
"Why do we have to do this again?" Sirius complained after I refused to let him see my homework.
"We don't." Just then Lin came in. "at least I don't."
"Explain yourself!" Sirius demanded.
Lin motioned toward the still open door and another Lin came in. Wait. Another Lin? We all stared at both of them.
"This is my past self." The original Lin introduced her clone. "She has volunteered to help in any way she can."
"Lin, this can be too dangerous." I said carefully.
"Actually, she understands." Lin shook her head. "I've always believed in time travel so I was always prepared for a visit from my future self. My past self understands the dangers of knowing too much so she won't ask anything more then we tell her. She will also go on with her life as if we didn't exist."
The past Lin nodded. She was even shyer than our Lin. And harder too read.
"This is too confusing." Sirius rubbed his temples. "Don't try to explain it to me either. Just tell me if she can help me with my homework."
Our Lin nodded. The past Lin approached Sirius and sat beside him.
"Okay, there are certain things we have to talk about." I put down my finished homework. "About the Horcruxes."
Lily pulled her bag from beside her. From it she produced a glass tube.
"Is that one of Slughorn's potion tubes?" James asked surprised.
"Yep." She nodded. "The first horcrux."
I took a quill from my pocket.
"Is that McGonagall's?" Sirius asked. "So we already have the first two Horcruxes. Four to go."
The past Lin that was sitting beside Sirius looked up quickly. Her eyes met the other Lin's. Our Lin shrugged and nodded as if she understood.
"My past self knows about Horcruxes." She said. "There is perhaps not only a paragraph written about them in all of those dark arts books in the library put together. But she agrees with me that it is very strange that the horcruxes that Voldemort did are items this common."
"He wanted to have items that weren't conspicuous." I shrugged. I saw nothing wrong with it.
She looked at me frustrated. "This is Voldemort. He is vain. He wouldn't choose these items."
"Lin, that would mean that Dumbledore was mistaken."Lily told her gently.
Lin looked at Lily. She seemed to have given up. "Sometimes trust makes us blind." She whispered so softly that I didn't actually hear it, I only read her lips. She sat in a couch and pulled a book out.
A/N: I have been sorted into Gryffindor by pottermore. I always wanted to be a Ravenclaw but I'm good.
Chapter Song: Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine (because I just discovered it and I it!)
Quote in Chapter Title: Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody
