According to Dumbledore, we had one week before the school year actually begun. I decided to be productive with my time and also indulge in a real fan based area by going to Diagon Alley for my second year at Hogwarts. I couldn't help but feel like I was being electrocuted or having excitement pumped into my veins. That's probably what woke me up.
Once my eyes were opened I quickly jumped out of bed. I ran to Xavier's frame and flipped it around even though he wasn't present in it. I dressed in a green turtle neck and jeans, slipping into a day robe.
I had a list sitting on my desk that I had worked on all night, mostly consisting of the books that I would need to study for my Wizarding final test. It was a very long list, which gave me a headache just looking at all the work ahead of me.
I pushed open my porthole and walked out. Xavier wasn't there to make a snappy remark as I ran down the corridor, skipping and grinning. A few of the paintings that I passed starred after me, wondering what I was on, but I didn't care. I was going to Diagon Alley for the first time.
I hadn't the slightest idea how I was going to get there last night but Dumbledore had offered to transport me. It seemed kind of an honor to be traveling with Dumbledore, like I was going to be walking along side the President.
I ran up to the moving staircases and quickly made my way to Dumbledore's office. I pulled my bag higher up over my shoulder and knocked on the large doors. I waited for the usual whispery, "Enter", but nothing came from the other side of the door. I leaned forward and pressed my ear to the door only to hear the snoring of the paintings and the ticking of the clocks.
I looked at the cheap watch that was around my wrist, seeing the minutes ticking away. I pushed open the door and walked in, the idea in my mind that I would just sit and wait for Dumbledore. I entered and dropped my bag by the door, running my hand through my hair which was down, keeping my neck warm. I spun around looking at all the paintings and watching them snore.
I strange squawk came from Dumbledore's desk and I turned to see Fawks for the first time. The first time that Harry saw Fawks, he was old and disheveled and molting. But I was lucky I was seeing him on a very good day. His long neck extended, his scarlet and red feathers shinning in the lamp light.
"Wow," I whispered, putting my hands up and walking closer, my eyes fixated on his black eyes. "You really are amazing." Fawks tilted his head to the side, as if inspecting me. I reached forward and slowly stroked his head, my fingers gliding through his feathers.
"Do you really think you should be doing that?" I jumped, spinning around, my hands in their karate position. No one was there. My eyes shifted around the room, my face turning red.
"Hello?" I said. There was no reply. I turned back to Fawks, petting his head again, slower this time. "Did you hear anything boy?" I asked.
"He's not a dog, in case you want to know." I wiped around and spotted the Sorting Hat on the shelf, a crease forming a brow and a mouth.
"Oh." I said my heart jumping. "You're uh, talking to me." I said. It was a stupid sounding sentence but in a way it covered how I was feeling. The Sorting Hat seemed like a kind of magical privilege that real Witches and Wizards got.
"What did you expect me to do? Sing a little jingle?" The Hat said, smirking.
"Something like that." I said, walking closer to the bookshelf, craning my neck to look up at the tattered old hat.
"I remember you." He said, watching me as I got a stool. "Witty little first year, Gryffindor."
"Hmm." I muttered, climbing up so I was looking at him eye to uh, crease. "So, can you place me by name?"
"Lily Evans."
"Of course," I said, leaning against the book shelf, crossing my arms.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked.
"Waiting for Dumbledore." I said, picking at the spines of the books.
"Oh really, I thought that you might be trying to steal his bird." I looked over at Fawks who was watching me and the Hat as if our conversation was the most boring thing in the world. I was quiet for a while, closing my eyes then it happened.
Sudden images flooded my head. I was little, eleven or twelve maybe, walking down some sort of aisle, putting something on my head. My head throbbed and I stumbled down the small stool, sprawling across the floor, gasping, a few books fallowing me.
More images flashed through my head and I crawled to my bag, my eyes unable to stay open for more than a second. I unlatched it and pulled out a small crystal vile filled with a glowing blue liquid.
Snape had given me around fifty of these for my dreams. It was a sleep inducing potion that put me in a state of knock out so I could get some sleep. This was the first time something like this had happened when I was awake. I popped open the vile and drained it's condense.
The office grew blurry and my eyes fluttered before closing, the last thing I saw was Fawks flapping his wings in alarm. It seemed like a stupid move, but when I was in my potion induced sleep, all the visions that I was having vanished along with the head cracking pain.
Someone was shaking me. It felt as if I had just fallen asleep but I knew at least half an hour had past since I had drank the potion. Dumbledore's watery blue eyes found mine and sat up, rubbing the back of my head.
"Lily, goodness what happened?" he asked, helping me up. My mouth started working, but no words where coming out. I had never told anyone about the dreams, in detail anyway, but now that they were becoming freaky vision migraines instead of nightmares.
"I-I uh, I fell asleep." I said, which was not a lie. Dumbledore's silver eyebrows went up. "Ya," I said, nodding and producing a fake yawn. "I was up all last night, I was so excited." Dumbledore gazed at me for a long while before waving his wand, so the books that fell when I did. They floated back to their shelves neatly, tucking themselves back into place.
"Can-can we go?" I asked, tucking my hair behind my ear. Lying to Dumbledore was a hard thing to do, considering everything he had done for me. But I didn't feel like sharing what had happened just yet. Dumbledore nodded.
"Very well, to Diagon Alley." He said, holding out his arm to me. I picked up my bag and nodded, wrapping my arm around his and closing my eyes. The next moment, after what seemed like five seconds of pressure in my ears and being compressed in every direction, I stood in a busy street with brightly lit shops, witched and wizards bundling up together and creating blockages in the small street.
Diagon Alley.
