For all her life, Lily would never forget the look in Boden Olsen's eyes.

Their duel had begun as Lily was still trying to calm her mind and as a result she ended up with a nasty cut across her cheekbone from a particularly violent slashing spell. Boden had been so quick to shoot it out after the manticore's call that she had wondered if he hadn't in fact jumped the gun a little.

Lily had been forced to rely on her speed once again and had found shelter under a huge waterfall. Now there she was, cowering and shivering behind the curtain of water as spells flew like rockets towards her.

But Boden was not as fast as she, and he struggled to see her from behind the wall of gushing water. His attacking spells became more sporadic and badly-aimed, wizzing through the waterfall and crashing into the rocks to the left and right of where Lily actually stood.

Lily was undoubtedly still distracted by Albus's loss. And yet, her practice with Ebele was proving to have been immensely helpful. Because though her mind was still racing with worried thoughts, she managed to produce several blocking charms through instinct alone.

Lily forced herself to watch the stream of water in front of her in order to clear her mind. And once it was cleared and there was nothing but raw emotion running through her- sadness that Albus had lost and anger that he had taken her wand- she found it was much easier to produce the spells that she attempted. She shot the Rictusempra spell out her palms and through the water. She knew it had found its target when Boden was temporarily reduced to a giggling heap on the ground outside.

Having quietened the humming in her head, Lily felt at ease. She was still angry and still sad, but somehow more comfortable with these feelings and more comfortable with how she could feel her magic flowing out of her.

Lily burst through the wall of water with a spell that sent a ripple of hot air shooting through the air around her and straight towards her opponent. It hit a still giggly Boden straight in the chest, blowing him backwards. But even then his wand remained firmly in his hand.

It appeared that he had once again charmed it to stay in his fist at all costs. It would be neigh impossible to disarm him, Lily thought grimly.

Nevertheless she ran forward, hoping to physically pry the wand from him whilst he was still down. But he got up much quicker than she had anticipated and immediately held his wand up at her.

She skidded to a halt but it was too late. His wand tip was but inches from her face when he screamed out 'Zahhāk!'.

In a flash of silky black and red, Lily felt a wave of something cold, scaly and moving hit her across the face and push her off her feet.

She fell backwards onto her back, hitting her head hard on the rocky island surface. Her eyes snapped open, her hands thrashing wildly about to try to get whatever it was that was squirming all over her off.

It was only then that Lily realized she was covered in dozens of slithering black and red snakes. They circled around her arms and even her neck, sliding into the collar of her dueling jersey.

Lily opened her mouth to scream but all that left her lips was a long hiss.

Immediately the snakes froze and raised their heads, turning their beady black eyes towards her.

'Please get off me' Lily yelled out in panic, but again all that she heard leaving her mouth was a series of low hisses.

The snakes slowly slid away from her, pooling on the ground around her and watching her expectantly.

Lily got up, being careful not to step on any of them.

She looked over at Boden and saw that he was staring at her with wide, shocked eyes, his face pale.

Lily knew this was her moment. She lunged forward, palms outstretched and sent a blast of petrifying yellow light at him. He was frozen from the waist down, unable to dodge her as she crashed into him. Lily pinned him down and grabbed his wand arm around the wrist with both her hands.

Boden let out an angry cry and she felt a sharp pain in her collar bone as he brought a fist to her in an attempt to get her off him.

She held on tightly to his wrist despite the pain. Then she slid her hands up to grip the tip of his wand and attempted to pry it from his grip. But it was clear that whatever sticking spell he had used would not allow that to happen.

Boden brought the fist of his free hand up again and punched her violently in the side of her stomach, causing her to splutter and roll off him and onto the ground.

But still, Lily did not let go of his wand arm. With one last desperate cry that came out as another hiss, she pushed her thumbs against the wand in his hand with all her strength.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw him raise his first again, but then suddenly his arm was covered in snakes, circling his wrist and sliding into his sleeve cuff.

She forced as much power out of her palms as she could muster.

Then there was a loud snap of splintering wood and suddenly her thumbs went slack as they lost the pressure they had been keeping up against the dark wood.

She had snapped Boden's wand and now the silver unicorn hair core was exposed and glinting in the afternoon light.

Lily let out a breathless gasp. Then she lifted her head to check her opponent's reaction.

The look in Boden Olsen's eyes was one of pure loathing and rage. The intensity of it made Lily deaf to the roaring crowd who celebrated her victory.

'Did you talk to him? What was he like? What did he say?'

Lily stood in the small courtyard she had practiced in with Ebele the night before, only this time it was Scorpius who stood before her, his ice-blond hair looking rather ghosty in the moonlight.

Albus and Scorpius hadn't been at dinner that night. Lily had begged Scorpius to come out and let her know how he was doing using her pocket watch, since no amount of knocking at Albus's bedchamber door had received any response.

'He's been with Professor Raleigh all evening…' Scorpius sighed. 'I've hardly had a chance to speak with him'

'But when you did speak with him, what did he say?' Lily pressed him.

'Well I asked him why he took your father's wand… even though he must have known it wouldn't listen to him. But…'

'But?' Lily was desperate to know the answer to that question herself.

'It was like he didn't remember that you'd won it from him' Scorpius shook his head and frowned.

'He insisted that he'd given it to you after your duel. That it had been handed to you freely, not won over by you…'

Lily clenched her jaw.

'There's something wrong with him…' her throat tightened painfully as the words came out.

'It's like he's forgotten who he is, forgotten what he's been through. He couldn't even remember the most memorable episodes from our childhood, the kind of ones that Grandma Molly has told us over and over…'

Scorpius nodded gravely.

'I thought it was strange that he didn't show more remorse for how he had hurt you during your duel. But maybe… maybe he just remembers it differently'

'It has to be Raleigh' Lily cried. 'He's using Albus for something… He was trying to get Albus to win the duel from the beginning, giving him extra lessons before the Hogwarts competition even began so that he might win'

'But he lost today' Scorpius pointed out. 'Why try so hard to get him to come to Beauxbatons only to have him lose?'

'Perhaps he needed him here for another reason…' Lily's eyes fell to the ground in front of her and glazed over as she tried to think what that reason might be.

'Do you suppose he didn't want the Uagadou defense against the arts professor here for some reason either?' Scorpius asked quietly, his face darkening.

'That, or he wanted someone else here in his place' a pompous voice interjected from behind.

Lily and Scorpius's faces whipped around to see Poppy standing with her chin in the air and her hands on her hips in her nightgown and slippers.

'What're you-? How'd you-?' Lily spluttered, stepping back from where she had been standing very close to Scorpius.

'Oh don't think you're so discrete Potter' Poppy chuckled. 'I know that you two are accomplices. That you're up to something.'

The blonde haired girl had a look of triumph on her face as she pointed at both Lily and Scorpius in turn.

The pair froze, but Poppy carried on all the same.

'I even know what you're up to!' she cried with a smirk.

'You know about the Hetaeria Sodalitas?' Scorpius burst out, aghast.

'The what now?' Poppy sounded intrigued.

Lily elbowed Scorpius in the ribs and shook her head at him. There was no need to go giving Poppy hints before they had determined how much she actually knew.

'I may not know what that is…' Poppy went on, seeing that Lily and Scorpius we're now much more tight lipped.

'...but I do know that the two of you and Scamander have been sneaking around trying to perform magic that is far too advanced for you'

Lily stepped forward, her hands twitching, wondering if she should attempt to stupefy Poppy and force her to promise not to rat them out. But before she had gotten further than a few hurried steps the girl in front of her had disappeared.

With a dramatic wave of her arm and a victorious smile, Poppy began to expand. Her face morphed into a long snout, her legs and arms shot out into thin, muscly legs and her long silky hair grew into a shaggy mane.

Lily's breath caught in her throat, whilst Scorpius let out a rare gasp.

Standing right in front of them, where Poppy had been but moments before, was a shinning, fully grown, palomino horse.

'You- you've done it' Scorpius said weakly. He turned to Lily, utterly dumbfounded.

'She's done it…'

Lily just looked back at him with a disbelieving expression on her face that soon turned to an angry one.

'You've been spying on us!' she yelled at the horse. The creature whinnied back at her as though to express displeasure at the accusation.

Then the gold coated, white manned animal morphed gracefully back into Poppy in her floral night clothes.

'There's no need to be so hostile' Poppy said haughtily. 'I'm not going to tell anyone. Well, that is to say, I won't tell anyone as long as-'

'As long as what?' Lily shot back roughly, not appreciating her threatening tone. With Poppy there was always a catch, she thought ruefully, of course there was.

'As long as you let me join you' she finished in an uncharacteristically sweet voice.

Lily gawped at her.

'Not in a million years!' she yelled, causing Poppy to scowl.

'But why not?' Poppy sniffed. 'I'm much cleverer than all of you twats put together. I could help with whatever it is you're doing this for!'

Lily had her arms folded and her head was shaking back and forth as Poppy spoke, her entire body screaming 'no'.

'Do you have any idea how much I hated Hogwarts in first year because of you?' she seethed. 'Why on earth should I let you join us?'

'Oh don't be dramatic' Poppy muttered rolling her eyes. 'We had some fights yes, but…'

'Dramatic?' Lily was furious now, her hands curled into fists. 'You told everyone that I was a squib!'

'I did no such thing!' Poppy yelled back scandalized. 'I never, ever said you were-'

'Never said it perhaps, but you wrote it on my robes didn't you?' Lily glared at her.

Poppy let out a short rueful laugh.

'That wasn't me Potter'

'Then who was it? Are you saying it was Alanna then? Or Hazel?'

'No! I don't have the faintest idea who it was, but I can tell you that it wasn't one of us'

Lily stayed silent and narrowed her eyes at her. She didn't trust Poppy Balfour and she was quite sure that she never would.

'Well either way-' Lily said finally. 'you are absolutely, never, never ever going to be part of this. I don't care if you can transform into a ruddy flying elephant. You don't belong with us'

'Unbelievable!' Poppy cried throwing her hands up in frustration. 'How do you ever plan to manage it if you hold grudges?'

'Manage what?' Lily shot back with a frown.

Poppy looked as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

'You- you said you wanted to make friends at this tournament!' She cried, her astonished voice reverberating around the small courtyard.

'Not with you!' Lily yelled back in disgust.

To Lily's horror, tears sprung instantly to Poppy's eyes and she let out a sudden, loud sob.

Then her tears were pouring over her cheeks and her chin was trembling.

Lily opened her mouth to say something but her mind was utterly blank.

Poppy shot one last spiteful look at her through tear-filled eyes before spinning on her heel and storming away.

Lily turned to look at Scorpius in astonishment and was surprised to see that he didn't look anywhere near as shocked as she felt.

'What on earth was that about?' Her voice came out in a croak.

But Scorpius just raised an eyebrow at her.

'What?' Lily demanded.

'Well, you must have noticed that she's been alone a lot lately… ever since that fight with Alanna…'

'So?'

Lily had noticed. But nothing ever seemed to bother Poppy and Lily had thought that her ability to be just as self assured as she always was despite her solitude was proof of that.

'I know she has an odd way of showing it...' Scorpius said carefully, 'but on the way over, when I was teaching her French. She said she was doing it so she could help you as your Second. I think she sincerely wants to be your friend'

'My friend?' Lily was appalled. 'Have you forgotten that she almost had me killed yesterday? She took away the only way I had to forfeit that duel'

Scorpius shifted uncomfortably and looked at his feet.

'I'm not saying it was the right thing to do...' he cleared his throat and looked up at her hesitantly.

'...But it just goes to show that she believed in you'

Lily's mouth flew open to protest but Scorpius quickly went on.

'Which is more support than your own brother has shown you'

There was a hint of bitterness in Scorpius's tone. Lily didn't want to think about Albus right now and she certainly didn't want to analyze his behaviour towards her.

'So you're saying...' Lily's mouth had gone dry. 'You think we should let her join us?'

Scorpius studied her for a moment before shrugging.

'You're the leader. So that's up to you. But she was right about one thing-'

Lily sighed and looked up at him.

'-She is very clever. And we could use her help figuring out what on earth is going on with your brother and Professor Raleigh'

A/N: i know i say this every time, but thank you so so much for all your lovely reviews.

I still find it crazy that I can just put my story up here with so many other stories and people will actually read it!

Also someone said that their friend had recommended my story to them? That's so lovely to hear! Please thank your friend for making the recommendation.

I'm hoping to post more often (I would do it every day if I could but I have to go to work unfortunately lol) but also please let me know if you find the quality is dropping because I don't want that to happen either.