The door clicked open an hour later, long after Lily succeeded in calming herself down. Lily turned her head on instinct to follow the noise, forgetting for a moment that she couldn't see.
"Gran?" she asked, wondering if the old lady had returned to apologize.
"Has she not come yet?" the voice of Mrs. Weasley called out. "Surely she must have, she was here an hour ago."
"She left," Lily muttered. She didn't know if anybody could quite catch it, though. She could barely hear it herself.
"Mum," Ginny spoke up, "She was here, she-"
"Left early," Lily interrupted.
"Yes, but she-"
"Said she had something important to do," Lily interrupted once more. She'd shoot a glare, but she knew the other girl wouldn't see it.
"More important than making sure you lot were okay?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"We're fine," Lily grumbled.
"Yes, I suppose you are," Mrs. Weasley said from near Ginny's side of the room. "Your father had to get back to work, Ginny, but he said he'll make sure to drop by tomorrow during lunch."
"Mum," Lily heard Ginny whisper, "Mrs. Longbottom, she-"
"Yelled at us both and then left," Lily said loudly, hoping that this time Ginny would finally get the point.
"Yes, I'm sure she did," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "If it wasn't for that, I'd be doing much of the same right now. But as it is, I think you've both had enough for one day."
"Thanks," Lily said before Ginny could get another word in.
"Well, I hate to leave so quickly, dears," Mrs. Weasley said, voice travelling back across the room, "But I'm afraid if I don't get back home soon, Fred and George will have burned the house down."
"You're leaving?" Ginny said nervously.
"Sorry, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said in an apologetic tone. "I'll stay longer tomorrow, I'll even bring the boys with me. How about that?"
"Okay," Ginny said after a few moments, still sounding nervous.
"I'll even see if I can bring the cat, although I don't think they'll allow that," Mrs. Weasley said from near the doorway. "I suppose Mrs. Longbottom will be back tomorrow, as well."
"She won't," Lily mumbled.
"What was that, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Nothing," Lily answered.
"You two be good," Mrs. Weasley said in her stern voice again. "I don't want to hear any bad reports from the Healers."
"Mum!" Ginny called out once again.
"Yes, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a far more gentle tone.
"Mrs. Longbottom, she-"
"Left her regards," Lily interrupted rudely.
"I'll send her my thanks, then," Mrs. Weasley said as the door clicked shut behind her.
"What is wrong with you?" Ginny called out.
Lily chose not to answer that question.
"Why didn't you tell her? She could have helped!"
"She doesn't need to," Lily said hotly. "It's my fault, I'll fix it."
"Lily, where are you going to go?"
"I don't know, I'll figure that out later," Lily replied.
"Just come stay with us, you know mum and dad will-"
"No," Lily said, "I can't, I don't want to be a bother."
"You won't be a bother," Ginny said, tone fed up, "They'd love to-"
"I know," Lily said. "I know, Ginny. I'll handle it. Don't worry."
"But-"
"I'm not talking about it," Lily said.
"Why are you being this way?" Ginny grumbled.
"I don't know," Lily grumbled back. Lily did have a reason, but she kept pushing it into the back of her mind, not wanting to think about it.
Ginny didn't talk to Lily the rest of the day, even during the few times they were interrupted by another potion to drink. They were only slightly better tasting than the first one; at least these ones didn't make her gag in response.
Lily woke up before Ginny the next day, or, at least, she assumed she did. Everything around her was still black, but she thought she could make out the distant, soft snores of her companion. Lily briefly wondered if she'd had any nightmares. Her throat felt rather dry, but she could also assume that was from the lack of water; her last drink was over a day ago.
Now she couldn't help but wonder if St. Mungo's was anything like the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. Madame Pomfrey always liked to keep a glass of fresh, cool water at every bedside. She reached out with her hand, trying to find anything like a table. Nobody ever mentioned one, so she wasn't sure if it even existed.
Her hand bumped something cold and then a second later the sound of shattering glass filled the room. She heard Ginny awake with a start.
"Wazzat?" she said sleepily.
"I knocked over a glass," Lily said grumpily.
"How did you-" Ginny groaned out.
A knock on the door interrupted her. The knob clicked.
"Everything alright in here, girls?" a female voice said.
"I knocked over a glass," Lily repeated grumpily.
The Healer let out a groan of their own. "I told them leaving a glass next to a couple of blind girls was a bad idea, but no, nobody ever listens to me, do they? I'll get that cleaned up in just a second, girls, don't you worry, and then we'll get you started on your next potion."
At that, it was Lily's turn to groan.
Ginny was back to ignoring Lily soon after, despite any attempt she made to mend the gap. The silence was making her rather uncomfortable, especially since she had no vision. Lily could only fill the time by sitting there, staring at the void of blackness, listening to footsteps and chatter in the hallway nearby.
Finally, around lunch, the door swung open once more, and the room was full of conversation.
"You two getting along, then?" Mrs. Weasley asked sweetly.
Neither girl answered that question.
"You alright, Lily?" Ron's voice came from next to her. She heard a chair move, and she assumed he was sitting nearby. That made her feel a bit better; she could hear everybody else heading over towards Ginny. She couldn't hear the twins at all, strangely enough.
There was somebody else missing too.
"Where's Neville?" she asked, looking around despite being blind.
"Err-" Ron stuttered. He didn't continue, but the silence did.
"Where's Neville?" Lily asked again.
"Gone," Ron muttered. "His Gran came by yesterday and took him home."
"Why would she-" Lily started before coming up with the solution herself. She let the conversation lapse back into silence.
"She didn't have to make him leave," Lily said after a long silence.
"I know," Ron said. "We all tried to convince her, but she wasn't hearing it. She was lucky she left right before mum got back."
Lily bit her lip, trying to think of what else to say.
"I never noticed you do that," Ron said.
"Do what?" Lily asked.
"That lip thing," Ron said. "Hermione did that, too."
"You noticed her, but not me?" Lily asked sharply.
"I was always focused on other things," Ron said.
Lily bit her lip again as she considered asking the question again. She wasn't sure if she wanted Ron to know if he didn't already.
"Did she say why?" she asked, making up her mind. He'd find out soon enough, anyway., if he didn't already know. She wouldn't be able to keep it secret forever, although she'd try for as long as she could.
Ron was silent for a moment.
"No," he said at least, dropping his voice to a whisper, "but it was something you said, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Lily answered.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ron asked after another long pause.
"No," Lily answered again.
"Mum made me pack your trunk for you," Ron said as a change of subject. "That way you wouldn't have to rush the day of. Oh, and before I forget, mum made a toy for Weasley, so I stuck it in his cage for you."
"Did you find my wand?" Lily asked.
"Didn't know you lost it," Ron admitted. "How'd you do that?"
"Dropped it when we were blinded," Lily said sheepishly.
"About that," Ron said, dropping his voice to a whisper again, "How did that happen? Mum told us Ginny messed up a spell, but none of us believed her."
"That's just what she wants us to tell people so I don't get in trouble," Lily said in a whisper of her own. "It was me, but I didn't mess it up. I found a charm for seeing in the dark, and I cast it on the both of us, but those green eyes showed up again, and then there was flash of light, and now here we are."
"Did you at least see what it was?" Ron asked. Bless him, Lily thought. At least she could count on his support, if nothing else.
"I saw big ears," Lily said, "Then it snapped its finger before I could get a better look, and that was it."
"Big ears," Ron repeated. She could hear him leaning back in his chair.
"Say, where are Fred and George?" Lily asked. She would have heard them by now if they had come, surely.
"Home," Ron answered. "Didn't have enough Floo Powder for all of us. Mum said we'll go to Diagon to get some more after we leave here."
"Sorry," Lily apologized, feeling sorry for herself again.
"What are you apologizing for?" Ron asked. "Not your fault, is it? We'll find out what's following you sooner or later."
"Thanks, Ron," Lily said, feeling much better after the reassurance. She just wished Neville was here so he could hear more, as well. At the very least, she knew he'd listen to her once they were on the train. "I thought your mum didn't want them home alone."
"She didn't," Ron confirmed, "but dad took their brooms to work with him, and they won't get them back unless the house is still in the same condition."
Lily thought they'd probably still get them back, even if they completely ignored the threat. She hoped the twins wouldn't figure that out, too.
"Say, listen," Ron said. She could hear him leaning forward. "While I was packing your trunk, I found a wad of paper wrapped up in the invisibility cloak. What's that about?"
Lily could feel her face flush. "It's a secret," she said.
"Come on, Lily," Ron said, "Now you have to tell me."
"Maybe later," Lily said. "I have to-"
Lily was interrupted by the door to their room opening once more.
"Good morning, Weasleys!" Mr. Weasley said.
"Dad!" Ginny shouted from across the room. Lily could hear him walk across the room towards his daughter, even if she couldn't see it. She also heard Ron get up and leave, but she knew he'd be back later. It was family time now. She understood.
Lily sat alone for what felt like hours, listening to Mrs. Weasley, Percy, Ron, Mr. Weasley, and Ginny have a lovely conversation. She only knew it couldn't have been that long because they were due another potion at noon.
Right on cue, she heard the door open, followed by the sound of a rolling cart.
"Time for the next potion, girls," yet another different voice said. Lily wished they'd stick to one Healer, so that she could at least recognize somebody. This potion was the foulest so far, and Lily still couldn't get a straight answer about what any of them were made of.
Mr. Weasley left an hour later, needing to head back to work. Ron finally came back to her side of the room once he did, so Lily was now far less bored.
Lily spent the afternoon trying to play exploding snap with Ron on her bed. She could, unfortunately, not see the cards, and therefore had to rely on Ron telling her what each card was. She felt like she was getting burnt a lot more than Ron was, though, so she certainly hoped he wasn't cheating.
Mrs. Weasley gave both the girls a kiss on the cheek before they left at the day's end (an action that most definitely made Lily's face grow red). They left a little before visiting hours were over, since they needed to stop in Diagon Alley before heading home.
Ginny seemed to be appeased by her family visiting, and she was no longer quite as grumpy with Lily. At the very least, she was answering most of Lily's questions and conversation topics. That did a lot to cure the loneliness and dread that was still lingering in Lily's heart.
The twins came with the rest of the family to visit the next day, although Mr. Weasley never made an appearance. Fred put something on Lily's head that felt vaguely like some sort of crown made of paper. She could hear Ron sniggering at it occasionally, but she didn't think it was anything bad. Mrs. Weasley surely would have taken it off if it had.
She didn't get to keep the crown, unfortunately. The Healers discarded it before bed, although they claimed it was an accident. Lily hoped the twins wouldn't ask about it tomorrow before they boarded the train.
Lily woke up with a gasp in the middle of the night. Her scar was tingling, and she ran her fingers over it to calm herself down; it had been months since the last time it felt weird. The last time would have been-
No, Lily thought, trying to push the memory out of her mind. She wouldn't think about it right now, not when she'd rather be sleeping. She gave herself a quick smack on the forehead, trying to push it further back into her brain.
She rubbed at her eyes, trying to get rid of the fuzziness. Her vision was almost back, and the Healers promised it'd be completely normal by the time they boarded the train tomorrow morning, although they might still be foggy before then.
Lily rolled over, trying to go back to sleep, but she had an eerie feeling in her tummy. It felt an awful lot like she was in danger, even though she was perfectly safe in the hospital. Her scar was still tingling as well, but she didn't know if that could actually be taken as a sign. She thought was just a sign of overall stress; it felt off at least once everyday since her sixth day with the Weasleys.
Lily started to doze off when she was startled back into alertness by a loud crack. She sat up in a hurry, eyes flying open. Her scar still hurt, but it wasn't getting any worse.
She squinted around at her surroundings, trying to figure out what was wrong. She could hear Ginny roll over in her sleep, but she didn't seem to be awake. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary in her limited field of vision.
Lily leaned back into her pillow, trying to get comfortable again. She closed her eyes, deciding it must have been her imagination after all, even if her thumping heart didn't quite believe it.
"Hello," a high voice said.
Lily jumped up, reaching around for her wand. She slipped off the mattress, barely catching herself before falling to the ground. Only then did she remember her wand was still at the Burrow.
Lilt tossed herself fully back onto the mattress. She took a wild look around, squinting to find the speaker. She thought she could make out some sort of figure standing at the foot of her bed. It was no wonder she'd missed it before; it was very small.
It's head barely poked over into her view. She might not have noticed it at all, if it wasn't for the large ears wiggling as it moved. That triggered some sort of feeling in the back of her head; it seemed very familiar, but her mind was too afraid to come up with the answer.
"Who are you?" Lily asked in a voice that betrayed her confidence. She gripped onto the sheets to steady her hands, so at least that could remain hidden. She suddenly felt very cold.
"Dobby did not mean to scare you, Hazel Potter," the voice said in the same high tone. Lily relaxed ever so slightly; it did sound genuinely apologetic.
"What are you doing in my room?" Lily asked loudly, trying to wake Ginny from across the room. Ginny was, unfortunately, proving how sound of a sleeper she was; Lily didn't hear so much as a grumble from her roommate.
"Dobby came to warn you, Hazel Potter," Dobby said. "Dobby is out of time, and must warn Hazel Potter that she can not return to Hogwarts."
"We go back tomorrow," Lily said. Her mind was racing very quickly, trying to think of some way to fight off this creature should it lunge at her.
"Dobby knows this," Dobby said. "Dobby was out of options. He thought that, with your stay here, you might not make the train on time, but now Dobby must say something, or Hazel Potter will return to Hogwarts and into danger."
"Why shouldn't I go back?" Lily asked. She tried to settle down; she couldn't find any weapon, so there was no point in trying anything else. She didn't know what this thing was capable of if it could just appear in her room.
"Hogwarts is not safe, Hazel Potter. Awful things will happen this year, and Hazel Potter must not be there to witness them." Dobby was now further away, his voice coming from somewhere to Lily's left.
Lily frowned, squinting around the room again. She lost track of the figure; her foggy vision only reached a few feet away. "What's going to happen, Dobby?"
"Dobby cannot say," Dobby said from further away. "Dobby cannot speak ill of his masters."
"Your masters? Who do you work for, Dobby?"
Lily heard a gasp, followed quickly by a series of thuds. She was briefly worried that the noise would wake Ginny, before remembering that was exactly what she wanted to happen.
"Bad Dobby, bad Dobby," Dobby said in between the rhythmic beatings and grunts of pain.
"What are you doing?" Lily said, trying to figure out what was going on. She still felt bad for the thing, even if she was absolutely terrified of it.
"Dobby almost spoke ill," Dobby said after a long minute of hurting himself. "Dobby had to punish himself."
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Dobby cannot speak ill of those he serves, Hazel Potter. Dobby almost spoke ill of his master, and so-"
"Dobby, nevermind that," Lily interrupted, not quite caring about the creature's plight anymore, "what's going to happen at Hogwarts?"
"Dobby cannot say," Dobby repeated with emphasis.
"Then what's the point of you coming here?" Lily said, huffing as she leaned back into her pillow again. Her fear was starting to go away, replaced by frustration.
"Hazel Potter is a hero, even to use house elves. Before Hazel Potter defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, us house elves were treated like dirt. Of course, Dobby is still treated like dirt." Dobby choked up on the last sentence, and Lily soon heard him crying loudly. That made her feel bad again, even if she didn't have the slightest clue of what a house elf was.
"Dobby, I can't do anything to stop it if you can't-"
"Oh, no," Dobby interrupted, "There is nothing Hazel Potter can do to stop it. It is already happening as Dobby speaks to you. The only thing Hazel Potter can do is not return to Hogwarts. Hazel Potter would be in grave danger if she did."
"I have to go back, Dobby, it's my home," Lily said.
"Hazel Potter is safer with her new family," Dobby said. "Hazel Potter must stay with them."
"I don't have a family," Lily whispered to herself.
"If Hazel Potter returns to Hogwarts, there will no longer be any way for Dobby to help her." Lily flinched as Dobby came back into her view. She squinted at him, noticing his ears were rather bat like, and his eyes were big and green.
Lily was starting to get angry as she put the pieces together, all sympathy for the thing leaving her body. "And what have you even done for me before now?"
"Dobby has been trying to help Hazel Potter all summer," Dobby repeated, fiddling with the edge of the dirty sack he was wearing. "Every opportunity Dobby had to sneak out of the house, Dobby took, even if he had to punish himself for it afterwards."
"You've been watching me all summer?" Lily practically shouted, already knowing the answer.
Dobby hesitated, hang wringing the sack faster as he refused to meet Lily's eyes. "Yes," he replied at last.
"Were you the one who tried to throw me off my broom?"
"Yes," Dobby replied anxiously, looking like he was on the verge of tears.
"Did you trip me while I was going down the stairs?"
"Yes," Dobby answered.
"Is that how I broke my wand?"
"Yes," Dobby said, starting to sniff. He blew his nose on his sack, and Lily felt more disgust.
"Were you the one who blinded us?"
"It was for Hazel Potter's own good," Dobby replied, mustering his confidence back. "Hazel Potter must not return to Hogwarts."
"Dobby," Lily replied coldly, "You're lucky I don't have my wand, or I'd-"
"Dobby is used to punishment from wizards, Hazel Potter," Dobby interrupted sadly, "But Dobby would gladly accept yours, so long as you were safe."
"I'm going back, Dobby," Lily said determinedly, "And that's that."
"Dobby was afraid of this. Dobby will do what he can to make sure you stay safe, although he cannot promise much." Dobby bowed deeply, his head disappearing from Lily's view.
"Goobye, Hazel Potter," he said as he came back up.
"Just-" Lily started
She was interrupted by a loud crack as Dobby snapped his long fingers. Lily blinked in surprise, and Dobby was gone from the room.
"Whazzat?" Ginny said from across the room, suddenly waking up from her deep sleep.
"Dobby?" Lily called out.
"Dobby?" Ginny repeated sleepily.
Lily didn't respond, she was trying to process all this new information. Ginny was back to snoring softly soon after.
Lily didn't sleep another wink that night. She was thinking too much about what Dobby had told her. The only thing about her stressful night that she got any enjoyment from was the gradual restoration of her eyesight; as the hours wore on, things got clear enough for her to tell the difference between objects (so long as she was squinting).
Their hospital room was rather white, but there was a colorful bouquet of flowers on both of their bedside tables. There was also some reading material, which Lily took offence to.
Lily didn't get a chance to tell Ginny about the night's events. The Healers arrived to deliver their last potion before she could. At the very least, this one actually tasted halfway decent. It was closely reminiscent of oranges, and Lily rather liked orange juice. She thought it was criminal that wizards didn't drink the stuff.
"I had a strange dream last night," Ginny said when they were alone. The Healers duties were done, and they were left to change clothes while they waited for the Weasleys to come pick them up.
"Yeah?" Lily asked, pulling on her skirt. She tucker her shirt in, then threw her school robe over it. Her vest was way too warm in the summer heat, even inside the building. She would have preferred normal robes, but that was what Mrs. Weasley had brought the two of them to wear. She left the red and gold tie in her pocket, though; she wouldn't need that until the feast.
"I thought I heard you shouting for someone named 'Dobby,'" Ginny said.
"That wasn't a dream," Lily admitted as she pulled on her boots. They reached up to her midthigh, while her black socks went further up. She wished she'd ignored Gran about buying trousers; the old woman had insisted on the skirt.
"What was it, then?" Ginny asked.
"It was-" Lily started.
"Good morning, girls," Mr. Weasley said, bursting into the room. Lily had to squint still to make out the finer details, but she felt extremely happy to see the balding, rotund man.
"What was it?" Ginny asked, ignoring her father.
"I'll tell you later," Lily said quickly, throwing the Weasley patriarch into a hug. "Good morning, Mr. Weasley."
"Well at least somebody is happy to see me," Ms. Weasley said with a smile. He returned the hug warmly. Lily always got the feeling that neither parent was hugged by their children nearly as much as they would like.
"Where are the others, dad?" Ginny asked. Lily took a look around, realizing that Mr. Weasley was their only visitor.
"Back at the house. Molly is trying to get them all moving so we won't be late."
"They didn't want to come see us off?" Lily asked. She had to admit she was a little disappointed, even if they had come to visit the previous day.
"They'll see you soon enough," Mr. Weasley said, holding the door open for the two girls. Lily took the lead, enjoying the chance to see what the hospital actually looked like.
Mr. Weasley kept checking his watch as they walked down the sterile, white hallways. There were at least paintings on the wall, although Lily didn't know if she like them. They kept shouting at them all, trying to convince them of various diseases they must assuredly be afflicted with.
One in particular was absolutely sure Mr. Weasley and his "daughters" were assuredly afflicted with Spattergroit, due to the freckles on their cheeks. He went silent when Lily pointed out that she didn't have freckles, of course, and they were allowed to continue on their way.
Mr. Weasley kept checking his pocketwatch as they made their way down the stairs, and that seemed to make Ginny feel nervous.
"Do we have time to pack?" she asked.
"No," Mr. Weasley said with a joyful tone. "Molly packed all your things for you, though, so you won't need to."
"Ron said he packed mine," Lily said in an equally cheerily tone.
"That he did," Mr. Weasley confirmed, checking his watch again. "I'm afraid we must hurry, girls, there simply isn't enough time."
"How are we-" Lily started.
Mr. Weasley grabbed both girls by their shoulders, herding them quickly down the last flight of stairs. Lily slipped on the very last step, landing firmly on her rear. She wasn't hurt, but her pride sure was. At least Mr. Weasley helped her up on her feet; Ginny just laughed.
"How are we getting home?" Ginny asked as Lily brushed herself off, finishing the thought Lily had tried to voice earlier.
"Same way you got here, we'll use the Floo," Mr. Weasley answered.
"I hate Floo," Lily grumbled, rubbing her tailbone.
"You'll get used to it," Mr. Weasley said. "You'll have to use it until you learn to apparate."
"McGonagall took me with her when she did it," Lily said.
"I don't like taking side-alongs," Mr. Weasley said. "There's too much that could go wrong."
"I didn't know it could go wrong," Lily said, suddenly worried. They reached a large hall with fireplace after fireplace lining the walls. People were moving in and out, the ones leaving looking happy and healthy, the ones coming in afflicted with various injuries and maladies. Lily avoided one especially nasty looking woman who had large, dripping sores covering her neck and face.
"Go on, Lily, you first," Mr. Weasley said, pushing Lily towards the first empty fireplace. She stepped forward nervously, noticing a pot of Floo Powder sitting on the mantle.
Lily bit her lip, grabbing a pinch of powder. She tossed it into the fireplace, then took a deep breath, making sure to hold it as she stepped inside.
"The Burrow," she said, hoping that was the right keyword. She really should have asked first.
There was a pinch in her stomach, a loud woosh, and a sickening spinning sensation. Then she was thrown out of the chimney, barely keeping her balance, as she emerged in the living room, Mrs. Weasley staring at her sternly.
"You need to work on your landing," Mrs. Weasley said, "you've tracked soot all over the carpet."
"Sorry about that," Lily said, trying to brush off her robes, wondering why on earth they even had carpet in front of the bloody fireplace.
"Nevermind that now, dear, go eat your breakfast quickly, we don't have much time," Mrs. Weasley said, pushing Lily into the kitchen. There were two plates set up on the table, one piled with significantly more food than the other. Lily assumed that was hers, and sat down to get to work.
"George!" Mrs. Weasley yelled upstairs. "You left your Potions book down here, come grab it this instant!"
Lily heard running down the stairs, followed by a rushed "thank you," and more running up the stairs.
"Honestly," Mrs. Weasley said, "does it have to be this way every year?"
"Ron didn't forget any of my things, did he?" Lily asked, halfway done with her food.
"No, I don't think so," Mrs. Weasley said as she returned, herding Ginny into the kitchen and sitting her down across from Lily. "Best go doublecheck, though, I forgot to myself."
Lily finished off her breakfast, muttered a thanks, and then hurried upstairs.
"Welcome back," Ron said as he pushed past on his way downstairs. "Have you seen Scabbers?"
"I just got here, Ron," Lily replied, pushing into Ginny's room. Her trunk was laying on the ground, firmly locked. She threw it open, giving it a quick look over. It all seemed in order. All of her books were there, and she could tell from the empty closet that all her robes had made it in as well. She had to squint, of course; her vision was still fuzzy, and was supposed to be for another hour.
She locked the trunk again, then scooped up Weasley's cage, placing it gently on top. She peered in, seeing red and nodding to herself in content. She'd let him out to play later. Then she wheeled both trunk and cage out of the room and down the stairs. Ron pushed past as she came down, holding Scabbers in his hands.
"Found him in the kitchen," he explained as he hurried past. "Your wand is with dad, I gave it to him."
Mr. Weasley took Lily's things as she came down the stairs, exchanging them for Lily's wand. Lily tucked the lightly covered instrument into her robes, patting it in content. It felt good to have it at her side once more.
"Got to get them in the car," he said, hurrying outside as he lugged the heavy trunk behind him.
Lily followed him out, skipping to keep up. "What kind of car?"
"I don't know the models," he said. "But it's labelled as a 'Ford Anglia,' whatever that means."
Lily nodded as if she understood. She also had no idea what all the different models were. Uncle Vernon hadn't let her be interested; he thought cars were only for boys. Aunt Petunia was rarely allowed behind the wheel of his own. She could only remember it happening three times total. Once when Dudley needed to go to the hospital, once when Vernon did, and once when Vernon was trying to fool Lily into getting captured.
The Ford Anglia, as it turned out, was a bright blue and most definitely resembled a vehicle. That much, at least, even Lily could figure out.
Mr. Weasley threw her things in the trunk, and Lily couldn't help but notice how spacious the whole thing was. It could easily fit not only her trunk but multiple dead bodies as well. Where did that thought come from? Lily thought to herself, blushing from embarrassment even though she had absolutely no reason to do so.
"I might have made a few adjustments," Mr. Weasley said. "Don't tell Molly, she thinks it's all quite normal."
"Your secret is safe with me," Lily said, "But I get to sit in the front."
"You'll have to share with Ginny, then," Mr. Weasley said. Lily started moving around the car, making for the front seat, when Mr. Weasley grabbed her by the arm.
"Before you go," Mr. Weasley muttered, "I think this is a good opportunity for a chat."
Lily paled. "Chat?" she repeated.
Mr. Weasley released her arm and gave a reassuring smile. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to scare you. I just figured, since there's no one else out here right now, it'd be a good time to talk about your lodging situation."
"My lodging- oh," Lily said, blushing as she looked down at her feet. She didn't think anybody else knew yet. "Did Ginny mention something?"
"Not at all," Mr. Weasley said, "I figured it out on your own. Augusta walked up to your room, absolutely fuming, and then storms off with Neville without so much as a word to either of us? Doesn't visit you in the hospital again?"
"Don't tell Mrs. Weasley," Lily mumbled.
"She already knows," Mr. Weasley admitted. "We had a talk about it that first night."
"I-" Lily started, pausing to swallow the lump that was rising in her throat. "I don't know what- what to do."
"You can always-" Mr. Weasley started.
"I- I don't want to impose," Lily said, starting to cry despite her efforts to hold it in. "Gran said- she said- you can't-"
"You won't be imposing," Mr. Weasley said, pulling Lily into a hug so she could let it out into his chest. "And you let us worry about the money. We've always managed."
"But- but-" Lily stammered.
"Just think about it, at least," Mr. Weasley said, still holding her. "We've already written to Dumbledore, he said he'd have a meeting with you soon. If you don't want to, you don't have to. But you'll always be welcome here. I just wanted you to know that."
"I-" Lily said, wiping at her face as Mr. Weasley let her go. "I-"
"Best get in the front seat," Mr. Weasley said, nudging her forward, "I can hear Fred and George coming, you don't want them taking it from you. I'll keep the others away as long as I can."
Lily nodded as she rubbed at her eyes again. She sniffed as she got into the car, trying to impose herself. She heard Mr. Weasley tossing the trunks into the trunk of the car, and her head instinctively turned towards the sound.
The inside was very roomy. It could easily fit the entire Weasley family comfortably, with plenty of leg room to spare. She turned back to stare out the windshield as Percy clambered into the backside, taking up position near one of the windows.
Lily continued trying to impose herself as the rest of the Weasleys filed in one by one. She was thankful they were too busy arguing with each other to notice she was still emotional. Mrs. Weasley got one window, while Percy got the other. Ginny was sitting next to her mother (likely at the matriarch's insistence), while Ron was sandwiched between the twins.
"How come Lily gets the front?" he complained. "You never give it to me."
"She was the first one out," Mr. Weasley responded as he climbed into the driver's seat. He gave Lily a pat on the hand for reassurance before throwing the key into the ignition. "You're always the last."
"You could save it for me," Ron grumbled.
"Sorry, Ron," Lily said, not feeling sorry for anything but herself. She gave one last sniff as they began pulling out of the driveway.
"Last chance," Mr. Weasley called out. "Once I make the turn out, we're not coming back for anything. You'll have to make do with us sending it to you later."
Nobody said anything, and the car rolled out, speeding off towards their destination.
True to his promise, Mr. Weasley didn't turn around for a single thing, even as every single Weasley child took their turn remembering something very important that they had left behind. Lily felt quite smug that she had all her belongings.
"Molly, dear," Mr. Weasley said, eyeing the time displayed on the dashboard as they got stuck in traffic. "If I just-"
"Absolutely not, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said sharply from the backseat.
"But we could easily make it if we just-"
"Not another word," Mrs. Weasley commanded.
"Yes, dear," Mr. Weasley acquiesced. He settled for speeding up, and Lily was quite sure they were well above the speed limit. She was absolutely certain she was a police car chase after them for a little bit, but it quickly faded into the distance. Lily wondered just how much the car was modified; it never should have been capable of that. At least Mr. Weasley seemed quite pleased with himself.
They didn't slow down at all until they hit the heavy London traffic. Lily thought for sure they were going to be there with plenty of time to spare, but she was no longer as certain; the traffic seemed to be deadlocked. Mr. Weasley kept looking at the clock nervously, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.
The car pulled into King's Cross station with ten minutes to spare, and Mr. Weasley sent Fred, George, and Percy on up ahead to grab carts while the others helped unload the car. Lily threw her trunk and Weasley's cage onto the first available cart, pushed along by Percy, and then she rolled ahead with Ron, who was determined to find a good seat on the train.
"We'll never make it," Ron said loudly, panting as they ran through the station. The other Weasleys were behind, attempting to catch up.
"We'll make it," Lily said, wiping sweat from her forehead as they passed platform 8 with seven minutes to spare. "Neville will save a spot for us, you'll see."
Lily ran through the barrier first, feeling relieved when she saw the bright red engine sitting before her. Steam was billowing quickly out of the release, and Lily hurried forward, trying to find a spot. There weren't any students milling about by this point, other than the Weasley's. The platform was occupied almost entirely by parents bidding farewell to their students. Lily could see Hermione, bushy-hair and a bright smile (even with her large front teeth), leaning out a window talking to her own. She briefly considered stopping in there, but she decided it wasn't time yet, and moved on.
She spied Gran standing nearby on the platform, waving at a specific car, and she hurried to that one, assuming Neville would be in there. She pointedly did not look over at Gran again, absolutely refusing to acknowledge the woman's presence in any way.
"Lily!" Neville called (proving Lily right). He quickly hopped out, helping Lily get her things inside. "I didn't think you'd make it, we were about to leave."
"We almost didn't," Ron said, throwing his own things inside as he caught up.
Neville helped Lily up, and she collapsed into the nearest empty seat, trying to catch her breath. Ron sat down next to her soon after, and Neville closed the compartment door.
"Well, that's that, then," Ron said, spreading out to get comfortable. "Back to Hogwarts."
"How's your eyesight, Lily?' Neville asked.
Lily gasped in excitement. "I can see!" she said, finally noticing that her vision was back to normal.
"Very observant," Ron said, rolling his eyes.
The train started rolling before Lily could respond, and she leapt up to the window, trying to wave goodbye to the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. She couldn't see them anywhere, and Lily felt dejected at the thought of it. She felt another lump rising in her throat, and sat back down before either could notice her feelings.
"They'll want you home for Christmas," Ron said, proving that he was more clever than Lily ever assumed.
"What?" Neville asked, not picking up on the same hints.
"Never mind," Ron said so neither of them would have to explain.
Neville could take that hint, at the least. "Did you find out what blinded you?" he asked.
Lily smiled, relieved that Neville believed in her without question.
"I did, actually," she confirmed, starting to him to herself.
Ron's mouth opened in surprise. "You didn't!"
"I did," Lily said, feeling awfully pleased with herself.
"How did you do that?' Ron said in disbelief.
"He visited me last night," Lily said, lowering her voice. "He said his name was Dobby, and that he was a house elf."
"A house elf?" Neville asked. "Did he say who he served?"
"No," Lily said, shaking her head. "He kept hitting himself whenever he was about to say something actually useful."
"So somebody sent their house elf after you, then?" Ron said. "I suppose that's one way to kill somebody. They'd never be able to tell, and the Ministry doesn't keep records of who owns what."
Lily shook her head. "He wasn't trying to kill me, actually. Or, at least, he said he wasn't. He said he was trying to keep me from going to Hogwarts."
Ron frowned. "Why would he do that?"
"He said something's going to happen that's really dangerous," Lily responded, trying to get more comfortable on her seat. "He wouldn't say what, though. He just said I absolutely should not go."
"Fat chance of that," Neville said, shaking his own head.
"That's what I told him," Lily said, smiling in agreement.
"Well, that's that, then," Ron said, taking Scabbers out of his pocket and laying him on the seat next to him.
Lily jumped up in excitement, standing up on the cushion she had just been sitting upon. She reached up, grabbing Weasley's cage so she could let the feline out.
"Do you have to do that while Scabbers is relaxing?" Ron whined.
"Weasley deserves to relax, too," Lily said, sticking her tongue out at her friend. She turned the cage around, making cute noises as she peered inside to soothe her cat.
Inside the cage was a sole, red doll, stitched to look like a large replica of the cat. Lily let out a shout, tumbling off the seat and landing roughly on her backside.
"What?" Ron and Neville shouted at once, jumping up and whipping their wands out, looking around wildly for the attacker.
"I forgot Weasley!" Lily screamed, hands clutched at the sides of her head.