Chapter 26: The Snake in the Grass
This chapter made me sick, rather the end did, I didn't want to write it and it's the reason I've been pushing this off so long...gods please don't hate me it all ends up well but fuck...I hate this shit...please read and review, I think I need to go get drunk, take care all...
WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING-This is a very divisive chapter, in fact quite a few people straight out quit reading this story because of it despite the very beginning of the next chapter ending it all before it goes too far. Trust me on this, if the end of this chapter upsets you just read the next one right afterwards, I'd never subject Lilly to that again, anyway that is all for now.
As tends to happen whilst growing older very little could startle Albus Dumbledore in the twilight years of his life; in the past decade he could honestly say the only thing to really give him pause was Lillith Potter's placement in Slytherin. That had been a crisis he'd wanted to reverse quickly but as luck would have it Severus took control of the girl and eventually his weapon against the misguided Tom Riddle proved herself pliable enough to follow his breadcrumb trail to confront the possessed Quirrell. Too bad it cost him the philosphers stone, Nick was not happy about that at all, alas what can one do.
Now though Albus could add something else to that very short list of things that could startle him, since for obvious reasons the last thing he expected to happen sitting down for breakfast was to have a sobbing half giant rush into the hall and pull the aged headmaster into a crushing hug.
"They're gon' 'eadmaster! Arragog and all 'is kids someones burned 'em all up ta noth'in!" Arragog...Arragog...ah yes that utterly terrifying giant spider he kept meaning to get rid of, a bit late considering he had three dead children to deal with but still at least that was taken care of. Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes Albus managed to get a hand free to pat the hairy sobbing giant gently on the shoulder,
"Now now Hagrid, please, put me down and explain what happened," after much sobbing, sputtering and the occasional wail Albus finally got the gist of what happened, there was currently a massive burned circle in the forest that marked all that remained of the acromantula colony. Hagrid's affections for dangerous beasts aside Albus couldn't understand why the man was so upset, really the bloody things had attacked the school whoever took them out probably did it more humanely then the ministry would have regardless.
Fortunately Minerva was able to draw Hagrid's attention, thank Merlin he really had no idea what he would do without the stoic Scotswoman, she began speaking sternly but not unkindly,
"Hagrid, the colony was responsible for killing three students and very nearly killed Lillith Potter, now I don't condone the extermination of the entire nest-" by the looks on the other professors faces she couldn't have been any less sincere about that statement but Hagrid seemed to buy it, "but surely you expected some sort of retribution?" The gamekeeper sniffled into a blanket size handkerchief before nodding slowly, she gave him a slight smile that seem to reassure him some as she patted his hand gently.
She sighed while gesturing to the open halls, "Why don't you go see Lilly and talk to her about it all right? Get some perspective on how she fought protecting herself from them, maybe you can understand why someone took such extreme measures?" Hagrid nodded in agreement and trundled along, Albus turned his focus back to his breakfast and so missed the conversation between his heads of house.
"I know she's only a second year but I bet you ten galleons Miss Potter had something to do with it," Filius stated before he took a bite out of a buttered muffin, Minerva gave him a sharp glance as she sipped her tea,
"I'm sorry but I won't take a fools wager, she finally regains consciousness and suddenly the creatures that attacked the school all end up dead? I don't believe in coincidence Filius and you know that, now how she managed it is questionable and a bit concerning." he 'hmmed' around his mouthful of food as Severus spoke up,
"I'm a bit surprised, acromantula's are sapient and sentient, I thought you'd be more opposed to their eradication," to her fellow heads of house surprise Pamona spoke up next,
"Those three dead students were sentient too..." nothing else was said on the subject after that all four professors lost in thought.
When Hagrid entered the infirmary the first thing he noticed was Professor Malfoy braiding the girls hip length hair into a single long braid at the same time as young Draco was tapping her tinted glasses changing the colors as she made a negative noise through each choice. As Hagrid came to a stop by the bed she smiled at Draco and nodded as the lenses changed to a near opaque jade green,
"That'll do Little Dragon, thanks for the help, fine detail work is kind of hard when you're wearing what you're transfiguring," the blonde boy nodded as he leaned over and pecked her forehead. Taking his chair back his mother snorted seeing a faint blush crawling up her sons pale face,
"Not a problem Little Fairy, how long do you have to wear those anyway?" She was about to respond when she finally noticed the half giant beside her, she let out a startled gasp then shook her head ruefully seeing who it was. Narcissa tugged the nearly finished braid to get her niece to hold still as the girl in question threw Hagrid a wide smile,
"Hiya Hagrid, is everything all right?" The gentle giant was about to lament the fall of Arragog and his family when he finally noticed that he couldn't see the scintillating emeralds that always showed him so much affection.
"Er, 'iya yerself Lilly, 'eard you was awake and wanted to see how ya were do'in, what's with the err, glasses?" Before she could respond Narcissa let out a slightly disdainful snort, she might have put the Pure-Blood ideology aside for her nieces sake but she still hadn't dismissed her dislike of half-breeds, not that this particular one would notice regardless.
"The acromantula venom did long term and possibly permanent damage to Lillith's body," glancing to the girl she waited until she received a small nod to continue, "The creatures fangs entered her abdomen at kidney level. Incidentally that destroyed the organs in question and the venom eventually dissolved her liver, a meter of intestine, and caused minor damage to her lungs." Draco was growing paler hearing this and grabbed Lilly's hand which she immediately gave a hard squeeze, this was the first either had heard the injury list and while not surprising it was sobering.
Narcissa took a breath in and held it a moment before continuing, "The reason she has to wear the glasses was as the healers focused on removing the dying organs and replacing them before she ...before it was too late the venom made its way into her circulatory system causing nerve and sensory organ damage. Miraculously they were able to reverse almost everything but they had to essentially regrow some of the components of her eyes. At least that's how my sister explained it."
Hagrid for his part looked as pale as the pair of Malfoy's before him as he was given the details of what happened to one of his favorite people, Lilly for her part smiled sadly as she took up the line of conversation.
"My eyes are going to be very sensitive to light for awhile so I have to essentially be "That Guy" and wear sunglasses inside, it...isn't something I'm happy about but hey, it most likely isn't permanent and I'm put back together with all my parts so no complaints right?" Hagrid managed to return the smile as he patted her on the head gently,
"I...I'm just glad yer ok li'l one, Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without ye lead'in yer friends about on some grand adventure or 'nother...I err...I need ta get go'in, things ta do ya know?" She nodded slowly as she cocked her head to the side,
"I understand Hagrid, is something wrong you look upset?" He forced a strained smile as he shook his shaggy head quickly,
"Noth'in fer ya to worry yer pretty 'ead about Lilly, when ya get better come out to me shack and ya can teach me a few more of them muggle songs al'right?" His reward for the suggestion was a beaming smile and an enthusiatic nod, turning to leave Hagrid began ringing his hands musing over what he just heard.
Arragog was his oldest friend, and he'd never hurt no one, but...his kids had killed three students, and well...he threw another look over his shoulder as he left the infirmary giving James and Lily's daughter one final glance. She'd almost died and...this was something he'd have to think about at length for some time...
"You don't like him much do you Aunt Cissy?" Narcissa snapped out of her reverie as she turned towards her niece and son, she allowed a perfectly sculpted eyebrow to raise seeing the held hands but made no comment on it. Sighing she gently laid the finished braid across Lilly's shoulder as she stood straightening her robes,
"Not as such no, he's...he means well but he is uncouth, uncultured, and-" she was going to throw out 'a half-breed' but stumbled on the word not wanting to upset the girl but thankfully the child in question supplied an out.
"And he has absolutely no common sense when it comes to dangerous creatures...I know, still his hearts in the right place I just hope it doesn't cost him down the line..." Narcissa nodded as the now bespectacled heiress cocked her head to the side, "What's going to happen about the dead students? I'm sure there must be a bit of an uproar?" Draco released her hand at this looking nervous, he rubbed his face with both hands before sighing slowly and throwing his mother a pleading look, Narcissa pinched the bridge of her nose knowing full well there was no easy way to say what needed to be said.
"There...isn't going to be an uproar because there was no investigation, the bodies were buried and the Ministry obliviated the families into thinking they never had children..." Lillith sat silently staring at her aunt, the blonde in question gulped silently as she noticed black arcs of raw magic crackling through the pre-teens hair and jumping between her fingers, the pungent smell of ozone now filling the room.
The girls only verbal reaction was a single, succinct word that managed to convey her entire opinion on the matter, "What." Draco gathered his courage meeting Lilly's gaze, his silvery gray eyes staring into the glowing points behind the dark lenses,
"They were all muggle-borns Lilly...Minister Fudge decided that instead of investigating it would be easier to just pretend it never happened, and since muggles have no rights in our world..." Lilly for her part began gritting her teeth as she clenched her small hands into tight fists, shaking in impotent fury she eventually let out a calming breath and the building energy in the room seemed to settle. The two Malfoy's sighed in relief as Lillith regained her composure, rubbing her temples she eventually pulled her glasses off wincing at the bright light, meeting both her aunt and friends eyes she gave them a sad smile.
"Thanks...thanks for not sugar coating it, I'm...I'm gonna get some rest...take care and tell the others I'm all right ok?" Narcissa reached down and gently touched her nieces hand,
"If it means anything love, I'm just as angry about this as you are, I may have followed the Pure-Blood doctrines for much of my life but ignoring the deaths of children and making the parents forget they ever existed, I..." Throwing her aunt a pained smile Lilly patted her hand slowly,
"It's...fine...just give me some time ok?" Nodding slowly she freed her hands and turned to her son,
"Come along Draco Lilly needs her rest, the sooner she gets better the sooner she can return to classes," Draco snorted at that rolling his eyes in an obvious attempt at levity,
"I give it a day before she tries to break out of here," saying their goodbyes they began walking towards the door as Lady Malfoy let out a small scoff,
"You've obviously never tried to get away from Madam Pomfrey before my dear son, you haven't seen scary until you've riled that woman, this one time cousin Sirius actually tried to arrange a distraction to escape her clutches and well..." As the conversation faded away Lilly stared down at her glasses and eventually sighed,
"Hey Tom?" A brief moment later she got a response,
"Yes Love?" Sliding the near opaque lenses on she pushed them up her nose with an extended middle finger as she lay back down into the bed,
"When I take over, Fudge dies, slowly, publicly, and in the most humiliating manner either of us can possibly think of..." The Dark Lord in her head scoffed in good humor,
"Lilly-Flower, I'd think less of you if you'd decided otherwise," nodding slowly she tried to force herself to sleep,
"Good...just making things clear, family is everything, and if a politician dares to take that from people..." with that thought in mind she soon fell into the realm of Morpheus, several hundred kilometers away an overweight man in a lime green bowler hat shuddered for an unknown reason. Wiping his sweaty brow with a handkerchief he glanced about in confusion trying to figure out what had made him feel like someone had just walked over his grave.
After another week of bed rest Lillith finally got a clean bill of health and upon her release from the clutches of Madam Pomfrey she'd become the resident star of Hogwarts yet again; it didn't matter that she considered the three dead students as a mark of failure, that she felt it was her own hubris that led to innocents falling in her wake. No, what mattered was that the Girl-Who-Lived was still kicking and taking names, and it was with this news that the new dueling club was announced sponsored by none other then Gildroy Lockheart. Lilly glared at the flier with loathing as Blaise threw an arm around her shoulders, she remained silent until he quietly asked,
"What has you so angry Lils? You usually hide your emotions far better then this, keep it up and even Crabbe or Goyle will notice your lack of reticence." She tried to keep a taciturn continence but eventually it cracked as she let a few tears roll down her cheek,
"It feels like my failure is being used to give that bloody peacock more room to strut, Blaise, kids are dead, people our age, all because I wasn't fast enough they're gone...and Lockhart is using it as an excuse to show off and their parents won't even mourn them because the ministry wiped their minds; and of course the flaxen haired fool had to wait until I was out of the hospital wing for optimum coverage..." Grinning slyly the Italian wizard guided her away from the gathering crowd as he whispered in return,
"If he disgusts you that much why not show the world what kind of wizard he truly is then? I happen to know who's been training you for the past six years after all, it could be very...educational for our classmates." Pausing for a moment processing what her friend proposed she suddenly shared his subdued smile,
"Why not indeed my friend...why not indeed..." She and her friends had all signed up for the club but the first meeting wasn't until after Yule, so a week after everyone returned from holiday the Great Hall was set up into a series of dueling rings with the central one positioned on a raised dais; it took a few moments but Lilly soon realized it was just a repurposed table. Idly twirling her mothers wand in her hand as Hermione rattled off at her Lilly waited for the damn thing to start with barely restrained anticipation,
"Now don't forget the rules of dueling Lilly, I know you operate on the policy of 'she who strikes first wins' but you can't attack until the duel begins in earnest, you're obligated to follow the niceties as much as it grates on you," she interrupted her best friend there with a cocky grin spreading across her lips.
"That's why I normally hate dueling 'Mione," her eyes rolled up as she began tapping her chin with a forefinger looking thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "it's the same reason I hate chess as well actually, it isn't the way the real world operates." Hermione snorted and gave the bespectacled ravenette an amused smirk,
"Well sadly you can't just poison the ponce to win today, by the way did you figure out how to get him to duel a student?" Wagging her brows up and down Lilly's grin turned downright cheeky,
"There are upsides to being a daddy's girl my dear bookworm, watch and learn..." Eventually the grinning ponce known as Gildroy Lockhart stepped up on the table coughing loudly to get the surrounding students attention,
"My adoring public, I'm ever so pleased to announce the creation of Hogwarts first dueling club in over fifty years, my assistant professor Snape-" at that Lilly glanced to her dad who immediately looked like a bear that had just been poked with a sharp stick as he glared at Lockhart. Silently praying daddy could keep his wits together she tuned back in to the ponce "-has ever so delightfully offered to lend me his expertise, now we shall show you a proper duel!" Not moving a muscle the Potions Master glanced at Lillith then smiled ever so slightly,
"I believe my apprentice should be the one to demonstrate the skills I've taught, do you not agree?" Turning Lockhart noticed Lilly locking stares with Snape sharing a knowing smirk, his own grin didn't falter at all as he replied,
"Surely you don't think a twelve year old could hold herself against a full grown wizard?" Snape actually smiled, full fledged grinned actually and this caused a few first years to faint in panic as he responded,
"Don't call me Shirley, and my disciple is more than capable of protecting herself, Lillith, you are not to hold back outside of that which would have you judged," long short, don't use tooDark Arts, grinning she ran up to the table and did a quick handstand and flip to take her position. Lilly glanced about in confusion at the awe she heard from the student body at her act, she was honestly a bit lost for once, didn't any of them practice gymnastics and calisthenics? It was part of her and Hermione's basic Black training, shrugging the thought off for now she turned to the flaxen haired fool before her trying her best to suppress her grin,
"Terms of the duel are simple, no permanently debilitating curses and that's about it, dirty tricks are allowed if you can pull them off, agreed?" Lockhart nodded but she saw doubt in his eyes, good, approaching the man wand drawn Lilly bowed and about faced, approaching the end of the table she brandished her mothers wand waiting for the first move as she spun on her tip toe facing her foe. Lockhart didn't disappoint, as her dad declared the duel beginning Lockhart sent a stunner at her, rolling her eyes Lilly batted the spell into the ceiling and decided to play with the fool, with a muttered incantation the floor around his feet shifted and transmuted into grasping skeletal hands.
Lockhart, much to Lilly's amusement screeched like a first year girl as the sharp taloned nails held him in place cutting through his expensive robes as if they were butter, allowing her eyes to glow since they were behind tinted lenses Lilly began conjuring animals and sending them at the weighed down git, she'd contemplated magical beasts at first but honestly she felt honey badgers were the best choice for this situation. A lot of screaming, a large amount of blood, and a pair of sexually satisfied conjured animals later and Lockhart was a sobbing broken mess, glancing to her dad she shrugged as he gave her an approving nod,
"I'd say the victory goes to Miss Potter, well done," after that very few girls showed Lockhart the affection they had before the duel, getting torn apart and ruined by a twelve year old girl kind of hampered that sort of thing. Lilly personally didn't care one way or another, if she'd been allowed to actually fight the way she'd wanted to she'd have sundered his soul and tortured it for hours before allowing it to pass to the Other World, sadly the school would look down on that sort of thing.
So it was with very little surprise that Lilly got a detention from Lockhart in early February, for once she didn't deny it, she really had been trying to get him pissed off enough to erupt and she'd accepted the punishment with grace. Hermione of course berated her for getting caught (not for committing the crime, goddess did she love that bushy haired prankster) and Lilly simply shrugged, what was one lost evening to the embarrassment she'd caused the man? Approaching Lockhart's offices Lilly rolled her eyes as she knocked on the door,
"Come on in young Lillith! I have a special chore for you!" Groaning inwardly she pushed the door open and entered the portrait filled room, glancing about she refrained from rolling her eyes again upon the realization that every picture in the room was of her professor. Sitting in the empty seat she did her very best to not twiddle her thumbs in annoyance, Lockhart finally met her gaze and pushed a tray of tea and biscuits towards her.
Still grinning that goddess be damned smile he nodded towards the offered refreshments, "Oolong tea, not as traditional as a good breakfast tea but still quite good, you should try it." Lilly sighed and poured herself a cup before sipping it, she turned back to the professor who was grinning wider then earlier,
"What is my detention supposed to entail?" He nodded towards her cup before speaking,
"Where I'm from young lady we finish our snacks before we get down to business," not refraining from an eyeroll this time Lilly downed the scalding drink in one gulp to get this over with, as the drink settled in her stomach she felt a weird heady feeling flood her senses. Glancing to Lockhart who was grinning widely now she had no time to react as he bellowed, "Confundus!"
As the spell hit Lilly she suddenly lost track of everything, her mind was torn in a thousand different directions at once, eyes roiling about she turned back to Lockhart who jabbed his wand into her forehead as he snarled out "Imperio!" Suddenly Lilly felt safe, secure, she had no idea why she had been panicking before, turning back to her professor she grinned as he began petting her cheek.
"So resistant, you know I tried casting that on you three separate times but it never took, had to obliviate you and that still ended in me acquiring a few third degree burns, glad I finally figured out the balance. Now, are you ready to be a good little girl?" Lilly felt her head nodding despite her resistance to it, she felt real unadulterated fury build in the back of her mind as her body stared at the professor in adoration, grinning even wider he leaned down and kissed the twelve year old forcing his tongue through her lips.
After a time he pulled back and began undoing his belt, "Now young lady, I do believe you wrote in one of your exams a rather lovely idea, it's about time you 'worked the shaft' don't you think?" As Lilly was forced to her knees and her hands began fishing into the blonde mans robes a malevolent entity known as Tom Marvolo Riddle began snapping the bindings on his charges mind, there was only one man allowed to touch his Lilly like that, and he was going to make all those who didn't recognize it remember the horrors of the Dark Lord Voldemort.
I need to take a shower, then I'm going to write the followup...fuck do I hate Lockhart, please forgive me guys it doesn't go too far...well...Lets say Tom isn't happy and that'll be a good indicator...fucking hell I hate the fact this shit actually happens...alcohol...alcohol is a really good idea right now...anyway please review...