"Oh, cheer up, Lily," Ron said hours later as he sat down across from her once more. Neville closed the compartment doors behind the two of them, then sat next to his companion. "Mum and dad will keep him safe until we come back for Christmas."
Lily glowered at him. He was wearing his school robes, now, red tie and all. Neville had his on as well, although he didn't seem very happy about it. He kept pulling at his tie. He always had a habit of tying it too tightly, and then being incapable of making it looser. He didn't usually pull at it, though. That was more of her thing.
"That's not the point, Ron," Lily groaned leaning back into her seat. She'd spent most of the train ride moping. "How could I forget my own cat? What kind of master does that make me?"
"A terrible one," Ron said with a smirk, having fun at Lily's expense as per usual. Lily was getting used to it, at the least. It no longer hurt her feelings quite as much. This one did, of course, but the circumstances were a bit different. She felt like she deserved it this time.
"Lavender is going to kill me," Lily groaned, sliding down further into her seat. She could practically hear the girl's complaints already.
"What's Lavender got to do with anything?" Ron asked.
"She loves that cat," Lily whined, "Almost more than I do. I'm never going to hear the end of it."
"Just ignore her, Lily," Neville suggested.
"I can't just ignore her, she talks a lot," Lily said. "Besides, I share a dorm with her, don't I? How am I supposed to ignore her when I live with her?"
"The same way Hermione is doing with you," Ron suggested. That made Lily feel a bit worse again, which was quite helpful. She made a run to the bathroom earlier, and she ran into the bushy haired girl who promptly ignored everything she said.
"I should go freshen up," Lily said as she stood. She stretched, feeling her muscles ache. They hadn't gotten much action the past few days.
"What do you have to freshen up for, you're already wearing your school robes," Ron complained.
It was true, of course, since she'd had them on since leaving the hospital. She was hoping to change into some fresh robes before they pulled into the station, but she didn't have the time anymore. She wasted too many opportunities being sad about her cat.
"I still need to put on the tie," Lily said, pointing at her own, bare throat. It was still sitting in her robe pocket, tucked around her wand. She also desperately needed to tuck in her shirt, as well as wash her face. She was starting to feel a bit greasy after being confined in the warm train all day.
"Of course, can't put a tie on in front of everyone else, I completely understand," Ron said with a roll of his eyes.
"I'm glad you do," Lily said nonchalantly as she opened the compartment door. "I'll be back in a bit."
Lily slid the door shut before he could further argue. She wouldn't be very long. They were only a car away from the nearest restroom.
Lily past a few students wandering the hall as the proceeded. Most seemed to clam up as she passed, but she couldn't tell if it was because of her or if they just didn't want eavesdroppers in general. It hurt her feelings, regardless. They'd been doing it all day.
The bathroom was empty as Lily arrived, which she didn't at all expect. She thought it'd be very busy, with how close they were to Hogwarts. She could even feel the train starting to slow.
Lily ran a faucet, waiting impatiently for the water to get warm. She splashed it on her face, then rubbed at it with a hand towel. She felt much better now, she had to admit.
The door opened as she was securing her neckwear, and she turned awkwardly just in time to spy Katie Bell waving goodbye to Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, her two best friends. Katie was wearing her pretty, brown hair in a ponytail which brought more emphasis on her kindly face. It had been too short for it last year, but she'd been complaining at the end about how long it was getting. She must have kept letting it grow out anyway, but found a compromise that made her happy.
Lily tore her eyes away before she could be found staring.
"Hullo, Lily," Katie said, pulling up at the faucet next to her. She got the water running, then began washing her face just like Lily had done a moment ago.
"Hullo, Katie," Lily responded nervously. She couldn't figure out why she was nervous. Perhaps it was because Katie was the first person to say anything all day, other than Neville and Ron.
"Trying out for the team again this year?" Katie asked curiously. "Dumbledore can't say no, this year."
"I was going to, yeah," Lily answered as she tucked her tie down into her robes. Now she looked prim and proper, just like McGonagall would want. She liked the look of these robes a lot more than the ones she wore on the train last year. The sleeve cuffs were lined with gold and red, for her house colors, and the vest was the same shades. You couldn't see it under the robes, granted, but she still liked it anyway.
"You still flying that Nimbus?" Katie asked as she dried her face. "Mum said she'd get me one now that the 2001 is out, but that I'd have to wait until Christmas."
"Err-" Lily stammered. "Actually, I'm flying the 2001 this year, I got it for-"
"No way!" Katie interrupted excitedly. She had a habit of dancing from foot to foot as she did so, which only served to fluster Lily further. "You didn't, did you?"
"Err-" Lily stammered, watching the girl's excitement and trying to process this information, "Yeah, like I said, my birthday was just-"
"You have to let me fly it," Katie said quickly, grabbing Lily's hand and clasping it between her own. "Please, Lily, I'll do anything, anything at all, you name it!"
Lily could feel the heat rising to her face. "I- of course you can, you-"
Katie let out a whoop, throwing her fist into her air as she began doing her little dance again. Lily hid her smile behind her hand.
"Just wait until Wood hears this," she said, "we'll be unstoppable this year, just you wait! No way any of the other teams are getting one."
"What's with the ponytail?" Lily found herself asking. She had meant to think it, of course, but the words slipped out anyway. She couldn't help but stare at it as it swung back and forth with every movement Katie took.
"Keeps the hair out of my face, but I can still keep it long," Katie answered, walking over quickly and then forcing Lily to turn around.
"What are you-" Lily began.
"I have an extra tie," Katie interrupted. Lily could feel her hair being lifted. There was a brief snap, and then Katie turned Lily to face the mirror.
"Err-" Lily stammered out.
"See? Now we match!" Katie said in the same, excited tone, as if their hair matching was as exciting as the world's fastest broom.
Lily was torn. Her neck certainly didn't feel as warm as it had a moment before, which was quite nice, and she did actually like how it looked. Katie even left a fringe, so her bangs weren't completely pulled back. She also did like how she matched Katie, even though her face was currently a much brighter red than the other, beaming one next to her's in the mirror.
What she didn't like was how revealed her scar was. She couldn't stand it when people looked, but there was no way to hide it here. At the very least, Katie didn't so much as spare it a glance.
"I love it," Lily decided to say, which seemed to satisfy Katie even more. She could always change it back later if it was too much, but she didn't want to disappoint the other girl.
"My mum took me to see the Harpies play over the summer, and they all wore one," Katie explained quickly, hardly taking a pause to breath. "I thought it looked better, so I thought I'd give it a try!"
"It looks-" Lily began. Katie interrupted again with a quick gasp, raising her hand over her mouth. Lily's hand involuntarily clamped down over her scar, thinking the other girl had noticed it for the first time.
"I forgot! I was supposed to meet Angelina and Alicia outside, the trains stopping." Katie hurried over to the exit, calling over her shoulder. "See you around, Lily! See you at practice!"
"See you, Katie," Lily called out to an empty bathroom.
"What's with the hair?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow as she finally made her way back into the compartment. The train was now fully stopped, and students were already leaving their compartments. Lily thought she could hear Hagrid out there calling for the first years.
"Katie fixed it up for me," Lily said, blushing again. She'd leave it at that.
"It looks nice," Neville mumbled.
"Did either of you see Ginny?" Lily asked. "I promised I'd see her off before she split up with the rest of the first years."
"Haven't seen her," Ron said. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen any of the family. Not even Percy, and he always makes his rounds."
Lily frowned. "You don't think-"
"You three," a Ravenclaw prefect called out as they passed, "Off the train, hurry up, leave your belongings behind."
Lily hurried to obey, still worrying about where the other Weasleys were. She sincerely hoped they weren't stuck at the platform, arriving too late to miss the train. She didn't think about while she was hurrying forward with Ron, but neither of them ever stopped to check.
"I'm sure they're around," Ron grumbled as he joined her, hopping down onto the station below. Hagrid was making his way down, leading a pack of first years down the forest path they'd taken the year before. Lily definitely didn't see Ginny down there.
"Where do we go?" Neville asked.
"We're supposed to take the carriages," Lily said, pointing forward to where a long line of horseless vehicles were waiting for them. She read Hogwarts: A History last year. She knew the drill.
"You better hurry, Lily," Ron said, nudging her and then pointing ahead. "Hermione's climbing into one now."
Lily followed his finger, spying the familiar bushy, brown hair of her friend. She hurried ahead, waving at the other two as she left them. If she could get Hermione into a carriage alone, there's no way she could be ignored.
"Bless him," Lily said, thinking of Ron. Sometimes the boy could be observant.
Hermione climbed into an empty carriage ahead, and Lily followed right behind, shutting the door after she climbed in so nobody else could intrude. She glanced out the other way in time to see Lavender and Parvati grumbling together as they walked away. She hoped that wouldn't cause her any trouble later.
Lily heard Hermione sniff next to her, as if she, too, was displeased with this turn of events. Lily took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
"Hey, Hermione," Lily said in a cheerful tone.
"Hello, Hazel," Hermione said, staring straight out the window. Lily wished there were glass windows on these things. All she could see was the bushy, brown hair from this angle.
"That's not a good start," Lily mumbled to herself. She tapped her fingers on her leg as the carriage started off. The whole thing swayed as if being pulled by invisible horses.
"What do you think pulls the carriages?' Lily asked, trying to make small talk. It wasn't her best attempt, but it wasn't her worst, either.
"Magic," Hermione said tersely. That certainly wasn't what Lily wanted to hear.
"Well, Hogwarts: A History said-" Lily started. They were the only two students who read the book last year, a fact they'd bonded over more than a few times.
"That the carriages are pulled by several unknown forces," Hermione interrupted. "In the 1800s, they flew through the air. That was stopped when a student fell from them. I read the book, too."
"I was going to-"
"I'm not in the mood for talking, Hazel," Hermione said tersely again. Lily felt her heart drop.
"Did you have a good summer?" Lily asked, deciding to ignore that request.
"It was fine," Hermione said.
"I was at the Burrow for most of it," Lily said. "You know, with the-"
"With the Weasleys, yes," Hermione snapped. "I'm sure you had a wonderful time."
Still a sensitive topic, Lily thought to herself. Hermione was invited last year as well, but she was unable to attend since she stayed at the school the previous Christmas, supposedly for Lily's benefit.
"Did you go anywhere?" Lily asked, trying a different angle.
"I spent it at home," Hermione said, "with my parents."
"They're dentists, right?" Lily asked.
"Yes," Hermione confirmed.
"Did you learn any new spells over the summer?" Lily asked. They practiced together all the time last year, maybe that was something to try.
"We aren't allowed to use magic outside of school."
"Well, I learned a new charm for seeing in the dark, and-"
"I'm sure you practiced several times, eschewing the rules as usual." Hermione interrupted. Lily saw her briefly turn towards her direction, but she never saw any face.
"Well, that's not entirely-"
"Did you know there was an article in the paper about you ending up in St. Mungo's?" Hermione said, finally turning to face Lily.
Lily blinked in surprise, considering her next words very carefully. "Well, err, no, I didn't-"
"It blamed it on an accidental use of magic from a first year," Hermione snapped. "So, congratulations, you got away with making trouble yet again."
"I wasn't trying to-" Lily began.
"No, I suppose you weren't practicing Aterlumen, were you?"
"You even knew the-"
"Of course I know the spell, I bought you the book," Hermione said, huffing. "I suppose that was a mistake."
"Hermione-"
"Did you know you've gotten Mr. Weasley into trouble?" Hermione interrupted once more, finally turning to face Lily. Her skin was twinged red, likely from the anger and frustration she was currently venting onto Lily, and her large front teeth flashed with every word. "He's facing an enquiry at work because of you. He could be sacked, Lily, and you're sitting here not caring in the slightest. You're trying to brag about what you did."
Lily was lost for words. She could feel her mouth stuck halfway open, as if left midsentence.
"I didn't know," she managed at last in a quiet, apologetic tone. "They told me everything was fine, Ron didn't even-"
"Why would it be fine, Hazel? You broke international law! Of course there'd be an investigation. What did you think was going to happen?"
Lily didn't have a response to that question.
Hermione shook her head, then turned to face out the other way, staring out into the trees as the carriage lumbered along.
"Please, Hazel, I don't want to talk right now."
"But you said you'd-" Lily stammered out.
"I said I'd talk over the summer, but you never answered any of my letters, did you?" Hermione said, crossing her arms as she turned to face Lily again. This time, she just looked said and disappointed.
Lily frowned. "Wait, but-"
"Please, Hazel," Hermione repeated, starting to turn around again.
"Hermione, I did write, I thought it was you-"
"Not right now, Hazel," Hermione said. "Maybe later."
"Just hear me out," Lily said, feeling stubborn. "I've had enough with people ignoring me and not letting me explain. I did write you over the summer. I wrote over a dozen times! I even wrote from the Burrow, but I never got a response, not a single one. I thought you were still mad at me, and I kept waiting for at least a single letter asking me to stop, but I never-"
"Hazel, enough," Hermione said. "I never got a single owl from you."
"Hermione, why would I lie, I'm the one that begged you to talk to me, why would I go and not write back, it doesn't make any sense!."
Hermione thought for a moment before responding again. She chewed on her lip, which brought a small smile to Lily's lips. It was one of the few habits they shared; they both did it when nervous.
"We can talk about it later," Hermione said at last. "I'll have to ask- I'll have to think about it."
Now that was curious. Hermione never cut herself off like that. That was far more of a Lily thing to do.
"That's good enough for me," Lily said, leaning back into her seat. Hermione couldn't ignore her all year, they lived together. Lavender, on the other hand, would probably make it to Christmas once she found out about Weasley.
"I didn't say I've forgiven you, yet," Hermione said. "Far from it, matter of fact. If what you say is true, then why did our letters never reach our destinations?"
Lily thought for a moment, chewing on her own lip. "I don't know, maybe they got lost?"
"Owls are supposed to innately know where to deliver mail," Hermione said, "and Hedwig never gave any signs of refusing or failing to deliver. What about your owl?"
"Well," Lily delayed, "Gran's owls were fine, but I could see Errol getting lost, no matter what you say. Maybe somebody stole the letters?"
Hermione scoffed. "The owls are supposed to go straight to the recipient, nobody should have had the chance."
"Gran's owls always go to her, even when a letter is for Neville," Lily said. "I think they might just go to whoever the owner is." Lily could easily see Gran confiscation letters that she didn't want Lily receiving, even if Lily didn't think she had a reason to hold back Hermione's.
"That's ridiculous, An Owl's Life said-"
"Books aren't always right, Hermione," Lily said, cutting her off for once. She had to admit, it felt good to be on that end of things occasionally. "And that one was written centuries ago."
"Wizards have been using owls for even longer, I don't see why the age would be a factor here," Hermione said with a sniff. She hated the very possibility of a book or professor being wrong about something. Lily had seen it all the time, of course. Her muggle teachers were wrong all the time. Her tests were always returned with several questions marked wrong even though she'd done all the right things.
"Well, obviously they were wrong, weren't they? Like I said, our owls always went straight to Gran." Lily never once had a letter go straight to her from one of those owls. The only one that had was from whoever sent the Potions book.
"Are you trying to tell me that Mrs. Longbottom has been hiding your letters?" Hermione said.
"No," Lily said, "I don't think she would." At least, not unless Lily was doing something wrong. She'd learned a lot about Gran those last few weeks.
"Maybe Neville, then?' Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"No, I don't think he would-"
"Lily, even if that was the issue here, Hedwig isn't one of yours, is she? She'd go straight to you, I know she would."
"We can test it later," Lily said, "Once we get to Hogwarts."
"Oh, yes, what a brilliant idea," Hermione said. "Then we'll know you're lying for sure once she flies a few feet away."
"Hermione, I'm not lying," Lily said, starting to pull at her tie again. She realized that would definitely make it seem like she was lying, and quickly stopped. Hermione obviously saw it, though, which only made her hand rise back up in nervousness.
Hermione was silent for a long, long while, which only made Lily's anxiousness increase. She was starting to find it difficult to breath in here, even though the carriage was completely open to the air.
"Aterlumen," Hermione asked at last. "Why were you practicing that?"
"I just wanted to learn a charm before school started," Lily admitted.
"And it had nothing to do with sneaking around at night?" Hermione asked.
Lily tried to force her face to freeze, so as not to give anything away. She shouldn't have been surprised that Hermione would find the truth so quickly.
"I don't need it to sneak around at night," Lily said. It was the truth, too, technically. She didn't need it, not with the map and the cloak.
"So you do intend to sneak out after curfew, then?" Hermione asked.
Lily thought about lying, but decided the truth was best in this instance. Hermione would only be more upset if she snuck out after saying she wasn't going to.
"Yes," Lily said confidently. "I've got something new, too, though, so don't worry about McGonagall catching me."
Hermione turned back to face the other way. Lily started tapping her fingers on her leg again, then let out a gasp as the scenery changed.
"Look we're at Hogwarts," Lily said, pointing up at the castle as it came into view.
The castle was, once again, trying it's best to look very imposing. Every single window was lit up, making the castle seem far more populated than Lily knew it was. In a week, all of the unnecessary lights would be gone from the frame. She had a theory last year that the staff liked to make it as impressive as possible for the incoming first years, and she felt like this was fairly solid evidence of it.
Large chunks of the castle weren't visible; the sky was very cloudy, leaving very little natural light to shine down on the battlements. Lily could see the castle lights reflecting off the nearby lake, so at the very least, the new students would still be getting the full effect. She couldn't see any boats moving across the water yet, but that made sense; the older students had been settled for a while before they entered last year.
"What do you think they'll be serving?" Lily asked after her stomach loudly growled.
"Not enough for you, I'm sure," Hermione replied. Lily couldn't tell if she was trying to be mean about it, but her feelings were hurt regardless.
"How'd you actually spend the summer?" Lily asked as their carriage slowed to a crawl in front of the castle gates. The carriages ahead of them already had students piling out and heading into the castle.
"I told you, I spent it at home," Hermione repeated with an exasperated tone. "We're going abroad next year, but my parents were too busy this year, and couldn't get the time off."
"When did you go to Diagon?' Lily asked as she climbed out. She was now scraping the bottom of that barrel for conversational topics, since she knew she was rapidly running out of time. "I thought we might run into each other, but I never saw you."
Hermione came down right after, doing her best to maintain a stone-faced. "Just a couple of weeks ago. The only people I ran into were the Malfoys."
"I bet they were pleasant," Lily said, trying to smile out of sympathy.
Hermione snorted, then seemed embarrassed at her reaction. "Malfoy knocked my books out of hands and then called me names."
That shocked Lily, even though it probably shouldn't have.
"Really? He hasn't done that before. I mean, he'd always been a prat, but-"
"Actually, he has," Hermione admitted. "He only got worse after our detention together. He just never did it around you."
"Well, that's good then," Lily said, starting to feel rather angry.
Lily did a quick scan of the crowd around them, trying to find the sneering blonde monster.
"Don't start anything, Lily, it's only the first day back," Hermione said, guessing what was on Lily's mind. She said it as if she didn't expect anything, though, which made Lily's blood boil more.
"Later, then," Lily said, climbing up the steps.
"You should really be on your best behavior, McGonagall knows to look out for you," Hermione said.
"She'll never find me," Lily muttered as the two entered the entrance hall together. There were ghosts floating in the rafters, and the portraits and paintings lining the walls were bustling about, trying to look busy.
"There's Lavender," Hermione said, pointing. "Goodbye, Hazel."
Hermione didn't wave as she walked off, but she at least got one from Lavender and Parvati. That's something, at least, she thought to herself as she returned the eager eaves. Of course, they wouldn't be quite as friendly once they learned about the cat. Lily just hoped Lavender wouldn't be too mean about it.
Lily waited in front of the castle, then walked forward as Ron and Neville finally climbed out of their own carriage. They shared one with Dean and Seamus, fellow Gryffindor second years, although they hurried ahead without so much as looking at Lily. Lily got the sense that Dean didn't mind her so much, but since he was best friends with Seamus, he couldn't talk to her. Seamus always seemed very uncomfortable around her, even though she'd never even said so much as a word to him.
"How'd it go?" Neville asked as she fell in beside them. He seemed genuinely interested, if a bit nervous about it. He didn't like seeing any of his friends unhappy.
"Rough," Lily answered dejectedly. "She called me Hazel for most of it."
"That's terrible," Ron said, shaking his hand. He put a single hand on Lily's shoulder for reassurance. Neville's response was, of course, to pull her into a hug, which she appreciated far more. Thankfully for Ron, she'd never expect one from him.
"There you are," a voice said from behind as they entered the Entrance Hall.
"There you are, Percy," Ron said in response. Lily turned to face him as well, feeling happy to see him for the first time ever. At least that was confirmation that the other Weasleys made it.
Percy was wearing his school robes, although he looked a bit disheveled. Lily couldn't quite put her finger on what was off about him.
"Where's your badge, Percy?" Neville asked
"Had to borrow a set of robes from the school," Percy answered. "My badge will be here tomorrow."
Lily frowned. "Why did you have to borrow robes? Where are yours?"
"We didn't make the train," Percy said, shaking his head. "Dad apparated us over to Hogsmeade one by one and then walked us down while mum went to Diagon to make sure our things got shipped. Figures the one time I didn't keep it on me was the-"
"You missed the train?" Ron asked in disbelief. "You were right behind us, how did that happen?"
"That's what we'd like to know," Percy said, placing his hands on his hip to look more stern. "The column turned to stone right after you two went in, and we couldn't pass. You didn't see anything strange, did you?"
Lily and Ron both shook their heads.
"We didn't really have time to look," Lily said, "We barely made the train ourselves."
"Well, still, if you think of anything, let McGonagall know," Percy said, pointing to over where McGonagall was standing next to Ginny, who was wearing a set of robes that looked far too large for her.
"Ginny didn't get to take the boats?" Lily said sadly.
"No," Percy answered, shaking his head with the same feeling. "She's waiting with McGonagall for the rest of the first years to show up."
"That's terrible," Lily said, starting to walk forward.
"No, you don't." Percy grabbed Lily by her collar, turning her to push her inside the Great Hall. "Ginny doesn't need to know what she's missing out on, you'll only make her feel worse."
"You don't have to push," Lily said as they entered the great hall. It was still decorated in the Ravenclaw colors, since they were the winners of the cup last year. Lily knew from experience that it would stay that way for the first month, then transition into normal mode until the end of year, where it would switch to whoever the new winner was. Ravenclaw managed to unseat the seven-time winner Slytherin in a big upset last time. She hoped Gryffindor could swing it this year.
Lily took a seat across from Ron and Neville at the Gryffindor table. She was on the left side, where she wouldn't have to turn around once the first years came in. Percy sat just a few spaces away, where he could keep an eye on his fellow Gryffindors. Lily saw him smile and wave at a Ravenclaw prefect. She couldn't remember her name, but she thought it might be Penelope. She spotted Hermione sitting further down the table, with Lavender and Parvati, who seemed to be discussing earnestly with her. She was sure she saw them glancing at her occasionally.
"I think they're talking about me," Lily said, nudging her head in their direction so Neville and Ron could see.
"Course they are," Ron said, drumming his fingers on the table as he stared at an empty silver platter, waiting for the food to appear. "All girls do is talk about what everyone else is up to."
"That's not true," Lily said, "I never-"
"You're not exactly normal, are you?" Ron said, rolling his eyes.
Lily sniffed. "That's not fair, Ron." She just didn't like to talk about people behind their backs. She had too much of that going on about her.
"Who was it that wouldn't stop talking about Lily all summer?" Neville said, smiling.
"Oh, you were?" Lily said, smiling as well. That was certainly a nice change of pace. Ron rarely got made fun of as much as the other two did.
Ron's ears turned red. "I was not, I was-"
"You know," Lily said, leaning forward as her grin grew wider, "I seem to remember Mrs. Weasley mentioning something like that. Plus, she had all my favorite foods made for my birthday. Where would she have learned that, do you know, Neville?"
"Haven't a clue," Neville said, shaking his head. "Couldn't have been me or Gran, we never wrote to them."
"Knock it off," Ron said, trying not to look at either of them. "She asked, that's all. And you both just happen to share a lot of foods."
"I just eat what's available," Neville said. "I can't blame you for not noticing that my favorite food is pumpkin pie."
"Pumpkin pie?' Ron said, trying to latch onto something to change the subject. "I don't think I've ever even seen you-"
"Well, clearly you're too busy watching me," Lily said, interrupting. She laughed, having fun at someone else's expense for a change.
"Please, it's not my fault that your favorite food is everything," Ron said, finding his footing again.
"That isn't even remotely true," Lily said, spreading her hands. She hated goose, for instance, even if Ron insisted it tasted the same as a turkey. She fully disagreed with that notion.
"The way you shovel down food, it's hard to tell," Ron said.
"You're one to talk," Lily scoffed.
"Yeah, and all of those foods were my favorite, too," Ron said, "They just happened to line up together, since it's all we ever eat here. I just listed all of them off, is all."
"What about the cabbage?" Neville said.
"Pardon?" Ron said, ears growing red again.
"Good point, Neville," Lily said, nodding her head. "How could Mrs. Weasley possibly have known I like cabbage, unless Ron specifically told her I like it. He never touches the stuff himself, just can't stand it."
"Why is this happening to me?" Ron asked, trying to bury his head on the table, laying it in his arms. Hide the shame, Ron, Lily thought to herself.
"Oh, please, you can't spend all summer teasing me and then give up when you get some back," Lily said, trying not to laugh.
"How long do we have to wait?" Ron's muffled voice said.
"I don't know," Neville said. "How long were we on the boats last year?"
"It felt like a long time," Lily said, trying to remember. "But I don't know if that was the nerves, or if it actually took a long time."
"Where are Fred and George?" Neville asked, looking down the table. "We could ask them."
"Oi, Fred," Lily called down the table once she spotted the brothers.
"Oi, Lily," Fred called back down.
"When do the first years get here?" she shouted back.
"Soon enough," Fred responded as if that was an answer. Soon enough could mean absolutely anything.
"There you go, Ron," Lily said, much more quietly.
"Great, and you only got half the hall's attention," Ron said, raising his head from the table. His ears were still red, but they were calming down.
"Malfoy is staring over here," Lily said, meeting the blonde boy's gaze. He was, indeed, staring over at Lily, and he seemed to be laughing about something. His hair was slicked back and as proper as ever, and he was wearing that same self-satisfied smirk he always had. Lily couldn't stand it.
"What's he on about?" Neville asked.
"Who cares?" Ron said. "It's just Malfoy. We'll find out later, if it's something important."
"I don't like him looking over here," Lily said. "Do you think anyone would notice if I cursed him?"
"Yes," Neville answered.
"Lily, we're in a packed hall," Ron said, waving his hands around at the room packed full of witnesses.
"I could-"
"Save it for later, when half the school isn't looking our way," Ron interrupted. That seemed like a sound enough argument.
"He ran into Hermione at Diagon Alley, did you know?" Lily said, starting to feel angry again.
"And I'm sure he was quite pleasant," Ron said, snorting.
"She said he knocked the books out of her hands," Lily said, narrowing her eyes at Malfoy. He seemed to notice, and lost the smile on his face. She saw him nudge Goyle next to him, and then whisper something in the cohort's ear.
"Get him back later," Ron said again. "The first years are here."
Lily snapped back to attention, turning just in time to see McGonagall leading a pack of scared children through the middle of the hall.
"Were we that small last year?" Lily asked in bemusement.
"You were smaller," Neville said.
"You're still that small," Lily retorted. Neville hadn't grown much over the summer or even the year past, but he always insisted the men his family simply grew late. Lily hoped he was right, for his sake. Ron was already almost taller than the rest of his family. Lily was worried she'd stop growing completely, now. She was already taller than the other girls from their year, although not by much for some of them.
Lily spotted Ginny joining the rest of the group, and she waved at the younger girl. She saw Ginny meet her eyes, and then quickly turn away. That definitely hurt my feelings, Lily thought as a pain went through her heart.
"What's wrong with-" Lily started, leaning closer to Ron.
"Shh!" Percy hissed from a few seats down.
Lily rolled her eyes, but turned her attention back on McGonagall, who had just set out the stool. She accepted the Sorting Hat from the new Head Boy (a Ravenclaw, Lily couldn't help but notice), looking just as frayed and wrinkly as last year, and placed it on the stool
There was a moment of silence while everybody stared at the hat. Then, the hat's brim split open, and it began to sing in a loud, echoey voice:
My young master Gryffindor
Prized all those brave and strong
Challenged by Slytherin
Who claimed that he was wrong
His friend wanted only those
That were pure of blood
Ravenclaw said differently
And nipped ignorance in the bud
Hufflepuff scorned them all
And allowed everyone
She welcomed every candidate
Until their job was done
Gryffindor and Slytherin
Often argued and clashed
Until one-night young Gryffindor
Had his young skull smashed
The rest claimed an accident
But Slytherin was cast out
But even so his legacy
Is here without a doubt
Deep inside you I shall find
Where I believe you belong
For in my mind I can spot
Where your heart lies strong
If courage is the prize you keep
With Gryffindor you'll stay
If knowledge is what you have deep
In the Ravenclaw halls you'll lay
Slytherin prizes those who know
That their ambition reaches tall
While Hufflepuff will not mind
Teaching one or all
Keep in mind we are one family
Do your best to get along
Stand among and with each other
In Hogwarts, you belong
The hat stopped singing, leaving Lily confused while the others around her applauded. She glanced around nervously, trying to find somebody that wouldn't find it a stupid question.
"Does the hat always sing a different song?" Lily asked Percy, who was still sitting nearby. He'd never make fun of her, certainly.
"Yes, although it isn't usually that morbid," Percy said. "I don't think I've ever heard him mention Gryffindor's death before."
"I felt like it was longer last year," Neville added. "Although that might just have been the nerves from before we were sorted."
"Did Slytherin really kill Gryffindor?" Ron asked, apparently ignoring Neville.
"It's not actually known," Percy said. "The hat was created after Gryffindor died by Hufflepuff, so it'd naturally believe what she did."
"Maybe the hat wanted to try something new," Neville offered.
"Maybe he just reuses a song when all the students that heard it are gone," Ron offered, drumming his fingers against the table again now that he was bored.
"It's possible that-" Percy began.
"Who is that kid?" Lily said, nudging her head to a small, mousy-haired boy waiting amongst the first years. He didn't seem nervous at all, unlike those around him. "He won't stop staring at me."
"Well, you are famous," Ron said.
"But how does he already know who I am?" Lily said. "Usually it takes until somebody hears my name the first time."
"Lily," Ron said, staring right at her in disbelief.
"Ron," Lily said, smiling at him.
"You still have your hair in a tail," he said, pointing straight at her scar. "You have been since the train."
"Oh," Lily said, blushing and quickly trying to put her hair back to normal.
"Just keep it that way," Ron said. "Now you look unnatural, I'm too used to it."
"You know I don't like-"
"What's the big deal? Everybody's already seen it at this point, you've been walking around like that all day."
Lily bit her lip, glancing around at the rest of the student body as she tried to undo the tie. She stopped as her eyes found Katie, who smiled and waved before facing back towards Angelina and Alicia. Lily put her hands back on the table after that. She'd hate to disappoint the older girl. Ron shook his head as if he didn't understand.
"How can you constantly do the bravest thing, and then still be so scared of the tiniest issue?" Ron said. "For Merlin's sake, Lily, you fought You-Know-Who just last year."
"I don't need you telling me what should or shouldn't make me uncomfortable, Ron," Lily said, feeling a tiny twinge of fear go through her body. Don't think about it, she reminded herself, pushing the image of Quirrell's face down into the far recesses of her brain. That always helped to calm her down.
The crowd at their table started clapping, causing Lily to nearly jump out of her skin. She might not have, but she was already on edge.
"What- what happened?" Lily asked, looking around.
"Colin Creevey just made Gryffindor," Neville said, actually paying attention to the sorting. "The first of the night."
"Did you really forget about the Sorting?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, no, it's that kid," Lily said, trying to hide her face as the mousy individual made his way down the table, coming straight for Lily. She really, really hoped he was going to pass on by.
"Is this seat taken?" Colin asked. His voice matched his face, Lily thought. It was equally high-pitched and mousy.
"Yes," Lily said without warmth, trying not to leave any room. She didn't know why she didn't like this kid. There was just something about him.
"You can sit over here," Ron offered, trying to hold in his smile.
"Thanks!" The kid said excitedly, hurrying over to the other side of the table.
"What are you doing?" Lily asked in a furious whisper.
"Having some fun," Ron said, scooting over to let the first year sit down. Lily was flabbergasted. How could Ron say something thoughtful earlier in the day, and then turn around and do this?
"Hello," Colin said, extending his hand. Lily stared at it disapprovingly. "Colin Creevey, big fan!"
Lily glanced over at the Slytherin table, noticing Malfoy staring at her and laughing loudly. That made Lily steel her heart more.
"No thanks," Lily refused. "I don't like shaking hands."
"Not a problem, I understand completely," Colin said, quickly taking his hand away. "Do you mind if I get a picture of you later? I brought my own-"
"Yes, I do," Lily said, trying to hide her scar behind her hand. She couldn't help but notice that Colin kept staring at it. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen. She thought about putting her hair back down again, but then her eyes flickered over towards Katie again. It did look nice on her.
"I read all about you," Colin said, failing to take any of Lily's hints. "I'm Muggle-born, but know about everything you've done!"
"Great," Lily said, trying not to groan.
"I couldn't believe that you beat Voldemort as a baby!" Colin said while everybody around him flinched at the name. Lily took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
"You're not supposed to say the name," she whispered. "Say You-Know-Who instead."
"It was You-Know-Who that gave you the scar, right?" Colin asked. "Do you know how you, err- How you did it?"
"No," Lily said, refusing to have this conversation any longer.
"I heard what you did against Quirrell last year, too," Colin said, moving past the dismissal. "After that, I just knew I had to join Gryffindor, too, so I could be in the same house you were!"
"Maybe you could start a fan club," Ron said, suppressing his utter joy. Lily shot daggers at the boy, but he just smiled warmly back at her.
"Would that be allowed, do you think?" Colin asked. Ron sputtered at that, almost losing his composure.
"Colin, that is the absolute last thing I want," Lily said, trying to explain it to the boy. It was her only hope at this point.
"But you're great!" Colin said. Lily died a little more inside, losing a last bit of hope she didn't even know she had.
"Colin, if you let anybody outside of Gryffindor find out about this, I will hunt you down," Lily said, trying her best to seem threatening. "Especially the Slytherins. I have a hard-enough time around here as it is."
"How could anybody give you a hard time?" Colin asked.
"That's the first good question you've asked," Lily said. "Now, if you'd please, we were having a private conversation."
"No problem, Lily, I'll see you later!" Colin got up, still smiling like a lunatic, and went off to find a seat near some fellow first years. Lily hadn't even noticed them be sorted; she'd been too focused on wanting to die.
"Bless him," Ron said, wiping a tear from his eye. "He'll be great, he will."
"Please don't egg him on, Ron," Lily said. "The last thing I need Malfoy learning is that somebody wants to start a fan club for me."
"You need ten signatures to start a club," Neville said helpfully, "So I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think anybody else would sign."
"I would," Ron said, "and I'm sure the twins would, too. It'd be a riot."
"I'm sure you want to join for other reasons," Lily said, trying to put the pressure back on Ron now that he'd given her an opening.
Ron's ears turned red again, getting Lily's point. "Okay, I'll back off, no harm done."
"That's yet to be seen," Lily said, clapping along with everyone else once the next Gryffindor was sorted.
"Who just got sorted?" Ron asked.
"Your sister," Neville said, pointing at Ginny heading straight for Lily. Lily didn't realize they were that close to the end; there were only two students left.
"Ah, good," Ron said, "I was hoping she'd get in."
"Welcome to Gryffindor, Ginny," Lily said as she made room next to her. Ginny quickly walked past, heading further down the table and sitting next to Colin and the rest of the first years.
"What was that about?" Ron asked.
"I guess she's mad at me, too," Lily said, setting her chin down on the table in disappointment.
"At least she'll get over it quickly," Ron offered. "She's never been able to hold a grudge long."
"We'll have to congratulate her on Gryffindor, later," Neville said.
"What's the point?" Ron said. "As if there was ever any doubt after the rest of us made it into Gryffindor."
"I was worried I wouldn't be sorted at all," Neville said nervously. "Family all thought I was a squib for a while. Uncle had to drop me out of a window before I manifested anything at all."
"What's a squib?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow.
"People born into a magical family that don't have magic," Ron explained. "Like the opposite of a Muggleborn."
"Oh," Lily said, starting to drum her own fingers on the table in apprehension. "I was worried I'd be in Slytherin."
"Why is that?" Ron asked.
"The hat wanted to put me there," Lily elaborated. "Said I'd do well in any of the houses, but Slytherin would be the best for me."
"He didn't," Ron said in a shocked tone."
"He did," Lily confirmed. "I practically had to beg to be in Gryffindor instead."
"Why did you do that?" Neville asked. "You'd be fine in Ravenclaw, you could have gone there instead."
"I, err-" Lily stammered, not wanting to explain the real reason. She just didn't want to be separated from Hermione, the first person who ever tried to be her friend. That made her heart ache all the more, since the girl was now ignoring her.
"Still, imagine being in Slytherin," Ron said, completely oblivious to Lily's stammering. "Although, green does look pretty good on you. I liked that vest you had over the summer."
"Gee, thanks, Ron," Lily said, relieved that she'd been interrupted for the first time in her life. "Nice to know you pay attention to what I'm wearing."
Ron groaned, setting his head back down on the table, probably wishing for death to come for him, instead, all while Lily and Neville laughed at him.
Ron was, thankfully, saved further embarrassment by Dumbledore standing now that the sorting had been completed. Lily realized, a bit too late, that the only two she had paid attention to at all were Ginny and Colin. At least I got two of the Gryffindors, she thought.
"Before we begin the feast," Dumbledore said once the last rumbles of conversation died out, "I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart. Let us all give him a warm welcome."
"Gran said he was a git," Lily said, eyeing the new professor. He flashed a handsome smile around the hall, and Lily could have sworn she heard some sighing. He was certainly nice-looking, Lily had to give him that much. His dirty-blonde hair was perfectly coiffed, and his smile was a bright white. He was wearing a delicate set of blue robes, embroidered with gold edges.
"That explains why we needed all his books," Ron said, grumbling. "Codger wanted to stuff his own pockets.
"Can't believe he's here," Lily grumbled in agreement.
"Why don't you like him?" Neville asked, curious.
"I read all his books," Lily said. "They're nothing but terrible adventure novels. There's not a single spell in them that we haven't already learned or discussed, and what little new ones there are, there's no explanation as to what they do or how to do them. It's all a waste of time and money."
"Figures it's the spells you care about," Ron said, grabbing some chicken off a nearby platter as it suddenly appeared. Lily didn't mention that he'd also robbed her of several dozens of Galleons, since she had bought two sets of his books. That still stung, even if she wasn't hurting for funds.
"Why wouldn't I care about them?" Lily said, piling her own plate with food. "That's the only reason we're even here."
"I think it's safe to say Defense won't be your favorite class this year, then," Ron said between shoveling morsels into his mouth.
Lily snorted. "He can't be worse than Quirrell, can he?"
"At least he won't try to kill you," Neville offered with a shy smile. Lily smiled in return, even though the thought sent a twinge of panic through her.
Lily was thoroughly beaten by Ron this meal. With infinitely refilling platters of food, Lily simply stood no chance, even with Neville trying to run interference. At one point in the meal, Lily had a vague feeling of somebody watching her, and she turned just in time to see Hermione quickly looking away. That ruined a bit of her appetite; she might have clinched it with another set of hands helping.
Dumbledore stood once more at the end of the meal, waving his hands as the platters and remaining desserts vanished. Ron grumbled something about wanting more, but Lily didn't believe him. He'd been sitting still the past ten minutes.
"Before you are dismissed, we have a few things to go over, as per usual. First, all students are to be reminded that the Forbidden Forest is restricted for all students, with absolutely no exceptions."
Lily sniggered at that, thinking of last year. She wondered how long that would remain true for. Neville gave a weak smile as well, but Ron just looked disappointed; he didn't get to go on that particular adventure.
"Second, more items have been added to the ban list, per Mr. Filch's request. You will find the full list of items in his office, should you wish to visit."
"Fat chance of that," Ron said, "He'll punish you just for coming to ask."
"Third, I must once again remind you all that the casting of spells is absolutely forbidden in the hallways between class periods. First years are not allowed a broom, nor to try out for their house Quidditch teams, without special exceptions. Try outs will begin two weeks into term. Ask your house Quidditch captain for more details."
"Furthermore, our detention policy has been revised by the school governors. No student shall be assigned a detention or punishment without first approval from the immediate guardians of the student. And, yes, this does mean your parents will be notified for every infraction of the rules. The only exception is the deduction of points, from which they will receive a list of all gains and deductions you have achieved at the end of every month."
Lily frowned, exchanging a look with Ron and Neville.
"When did that happen?" she asked Percy.
"I don't know," he responded, "But I do wish he at least told us Prefects before now. How are we supposed to get our duties done if we aren't informed of changes in policy?"
There was quite a bit of grumbling going around the room, and Dumbledore raised his hand to silence it all. Lily took note that not even the staff seemed pleased about that particular change. She also noticed Hagrid, the groundskeeper, waving at her, and she returned it. He was a rather large man, almost a giant. He had a big, bushy beard and small, beady eyes that always managed to radiate warmth regardless. She wondered when she'd get an invite for a spot of tea.
"I know this displeases you all, but keep in mind it has been implemented to keep you on your best behavior, as well as to give your parents and guardians more input on how the school is run."
"Now Gran's going to hear everything," Neville said anxiously. Lily felt for him, even if she no longer had to worry about that particular issue.
"You think you have it bad," Ron said, "mum will be hearing about the twins daily, think about them."
Lily couldn't help but wonder who would be receiving her reports. Imagining Dumbledore writing a letter to himself about her behavior gave her a smile. Imagining Dumbledore calling her up to his office to scold her took that smile away. At least it won't be McGonagall, she thought. She liked their head of house well enough, but she was far more strict than Lily would have liked.
"Lastly, a reminder that the forbidden corridor on the third floor is no longer forbidden and you may, once again, travel it without fear of a very painful death. Now, let us sing, and then off to bed you shall go."
Dumbledore waved his wand to make the lyrics appear in the air. Lily smiled, standing with the rest of the students. This was her favorite part of the feast, although she had been briefly worried they wouldn't do it every year. Every student picked a different tune with which to sing their school anthem. Lily chose a pop song she heard on the radio long ago, although she couldn't have given the title of it.
Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff
For now they're bare and full of air
Dead flies and bits of fluff
So teach us things worth knowing
Bring back what we've forgot
Just do your best, we'll do the rest
And learn until our brains all rot
Lily felt like she finished far too quickly. She finished well before Neville and Ron and most certainly before Fred and George. They were the last to finish this year, just like the last, due to their insistence on using a slow funeral dirge. Dumbledore conducted them to the very end, smiling widely all the while.
"And with that," Dumbledore said at last, tucking his wand into his sleeve, "It's time for bed. We shall see you all tomorrow."
"First years, follow me," Percy barked as he stood, striding off down the table. "Gryffindor first years, this way please."
"Prat," Ron whispered as he stood. Neville stretched as he did so, and Lily copied him.
"What did he do this time?" Lily asked.
"Nothing," Ron admitted, "But he'll earn it soon enough, just you wait."
"Do we know what the password is yet?" Neville asked.
Lily and Ron both went silent as they followed the rest of the group, exiting the Great Hall and beginning to climb the grand staircase upwards to the top floor where their tower dormitory awaited. It was at moments like these, when she was stuffed and exhausted, where she wouldn't have minded being in a different house. There were far too many steps ahead of them.
"We'll find out when we get there," Lily said cheerfully, despite her ruminations. "Someone will know it, surely."
"What classes do you think we'll have tomorrow?" Ron asked. "If it's Potions, I'm skipping. I can't take Snape on the first day of the year."
"You can't skip that early," Lily scolded him, "Your mum will send a howler if you get detention that early."
"Fred and George will have one by the end of tonight, what's it matter if I get one?" Ron asked.
"She expects more from you," Lily said with a deep breath. They were on the third floor now, and she was finding it difficult to keep. She really hadn't gotten much exercise over the summer. Wood definitely wouldn't appreciate that.
"Miss Potter," a sharp voice called from behind.
Lily groaned, but turned to face Professor McGonagall. The Transfiguration professor was wearing the same, dark green robe she'd worn for the sorting last year, with the same shade of hat adorning her head. Her spectacles were perched precariously on the tip of her nose, as always, which served to give her an air of authority, as if she was always analyzing everything you said and did. It always made Lily uncomfortable.
"Yes, Professor?" Lily asked sweetly.
"The Headmaster needs to see you in his office before you retire," McGonagall said, placing a hand on Lily's back and leading her ahead of the crowd. Neville and Ron waved in disbelief as she left them.
"Professor, I haven't done-"
"We know, Potter," McGonagall said in a tone less severe than the usual. She gave a smile that Lily thought was meant to be relieving, but she wasn't at all used to seeing the older lady smile, so it had the opposite effect. "The Headmaster simply has something he needs to go over with you, and believes it is imperative that we do so now."
Lily bit her lip, trying to think of what Dumbledore could possibly have to say to her. "Did he say what it was about, Professor?"
"He did not," McGonagall answered. Lily looked around her, noticing the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students nearby seemed to be staring and talking about her. She couldn't blame them of course. She couldn't imagine someone being escorted by their head of house to the headmaster's office was a normal occurrence before term even began.
Lily hoped this wouldn't reach the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs, although she knew that it would. She was just lucky they'd have to wait to hear about it; only Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were on the upper floors.
It was slow moving at first, until the Ravenclaws turned off at the fifth floor to head to their own common room. Then they only had the Gryffindors to deal with. They kept staring and whispering as well, but they quickly made way for their head of house. McGonagall gave a stern nod to a few students, although Lily didn't know their names. Katie gave a wave and a smile as they passed her, which Lily eagerly returned. She was sad to see the smile dip once Katie saw who Lily was walking with. Lily never saw any of her fellow second year girls.
They turned right at the seventh floor as the rest of the Gryffindors turned left. McGonagall was still leading Lily along, but she was fine with that. She had no idea where Dumbledore's office was. She didn't even know it was on the same floor as her dorm.
Lily had never been down this way, even though she lived up here. Exploring the same floor never seemed very exciting, compared to the rest of the school. The paintings here seemed rather bored with their lives, with lots of yawning and general meandering chatter. They didn't even perk up as two people walked by. Lily did jump when a suit of armor coughed at her, but McGonagall pushed her along soon after.
They approached a solitary gargoyle, one which Lily had never seen before, and stood before it. Lily thought it looked kind of cute, to be honest. It certainly wasn't fearsome like she thought they were supposed to be. It was smooth all over instead of jagged like she'd seen pictures of.
"Fudge flies," McGonagall said, leaving Lily confused.
"What's-" she started to say. Then, the gargoyle hopped out of the way, revealing a spiral staircase heading upwards and leaving Lily's mouth opened in surprise. McGonagall continued leading Lily onwards, walking the both of them up the stairs. She stopped once they reached the top, knocking twice sharply on an old, wooden door.
"Come in," Dumbledore's voice called from inside.
"Go ahead, Miss Potter," McGonagall said. "The password for when you return to the common room is 'Abacus.'"
McGonagall left her standing there, heading back down the stairs. Lily could hear the gargoyle jump back into place below.
Lily took a gulp, then pushed the door open. Dumbledore's office was full of interesting instruments and devices, none of which Lily would be able to describe or name. The closest she could get was a rather large telescope sitting at the very back and up some stairs, but it was way too bendy to be a normal telescope. There was a set of comfy looking armchairs sitting in the corner closest to Lily, with a nice tea set on the table. Lily thought she recognized it from somewhere.
The walls were also lined with portraits, some of which were conversing with each other, some of which were sleeping, and all of which had a label with a name on them. Lily recognized a few of them from Hogwarts: A History from the section on previous headmasters. Armando Dippet, for instance, was the headmaster right before Dumbledore. His portrait was situated directly behind Dumbledore's desk, where the current headmaster was currently sitting, staring at Lily with a kind smile upon his lips.
"Ah, Lily, just in time," Dumbledore said, waving his wand at the armchairs in the corner. The best looking one moved forward, sweeping Lily off her feet (earning a squeak of fright from the girl) and placing itself directly in front of Dumbledore's desk.
"I apologize for the haste," Dumbledore said, "But I'm afraid we must get right to business."
"What's that, Professor?" Lily asked, pointing to an ugly, molting bird Dumbledore had sitting in another corner. It looked over, giving them both a pathetic gaze. Lily was worried it could die at any moment.
"That is Fawkes, Lily," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "He is a phoenix, and my lifelong companion. Soon enough, he will burst into flame and be reborn anew. I think he is a couple months off just yet, however. A shame you had to see him so close to a burning day. He is usually quite beautiful."
The bird squawked, a harmonic tone that comforted Lily, as if he appreciated the complement even if he didn't currently match it. Lily looked around the room, spying the sorting hat sitting on a shelf near the ceiling.
"How did you get up here so quickly, Professor?" Lily asked, eyeing the aged and weathered cap. It seemed to stare back, even if it didn't have eyes.
"The Headmaster has access to a multitude of secret passages not known by the others who inhabit it," Dumbledore said, leaning back into his chair. "I believe the only ones who know of them are the twins and, if I am indeed right, soon to be you."
"Me, Professor?" Lily asked nervously. Surely he can't know about the map already, Lily thought, I haven't even gotten to use it yet.
"We shall leave that discussion for the future, I think." Dumbledore leaned forward. Lily knew he only did that when he wanted to seem more serious, and it did in fact have the proper reaction. Lily's questions vanished from her mind. She was just waiting for the Headmaster to begin what she was called here for.
"Lily," Dumbledore began, "Have you, as I feared you might, decided to leave the Longbottoms?"
Lily stared down at her feet. She should have known this was what it was about. She rubbed her left thumb with her right, trying to find something to occupy her suddenly restless hands. "Yes, sir," she mumbled.
"Is there any chance of you returning to their protection?" he asked.
Lily stayed silent, staring down at her boots. Her left one had a scuff on it; she didn't know where it came from. She heard Fawkes cry in the corner again, but it didn't make her feel any better this time.
"How did you find out?" Lily asked, if only to buy herself some time to think.
"The Weasleys wrote me," Dumbledore explained. "I would have thought Augusta would be the one to bring it up, but she only confirmed it after I asked her. She said you'd been, in her terms, obstinate. She also said you'd been a pertinent troublemaker, making up stories for attention and refusing to behave properly, as befits a lady of your stature."
Lily shuffled her feet around, not wanting to look up at the headmaster. She could imagine his piercing, blue eyes staring straight into her soul already.
"She never believed me about anything," Lily mumbled. "I didn't do anything, Professor, honest."
"I believe you, Lily," Dumbledore said. That did make Lily look up. Dumbledore was looking at her calmly, giving a warm smile.
"You do, Professor?"
"It is true, Lily, that you got into your fair share of trouble last year. And, I have no doubt, that you've told your fair share of lie, as well. But I do not believe you did anything worse than what a normal girl your age would have done. And I certainly do not believe you capable of the malicious things Augusta believes you have done."
Lily sniffed, suddenly feeling emotional. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"You are sure there is nothing I can do to see you back at the Longbottom's, Lily?" Dumbledore asked again.
"No," Lily answered in a thick voice.
"Then we shall find you somewhere else," Dumbledore responded, leaning back into his chair.
"Can- can-" Lily stuttered.
"Take your time, Lily," Dumbledore said. "Deep breaths, if you need them."
Lily did as he suggested, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Can I stay with the Weasleys?" she asked, afraid to look up again. She didn't want to see his refusal.
"Of course you can, Lily," Dumbledore said instead. Lily looked up quickly, smiling even though her brain was telling her to doubt it. Dumbledore smiled back. "They have already offered to take you in. If you wish it, I will let them know, and they'll have your room ready for you by Christmas time."
"I- I-" Lily said, stammering again. She had to wipe her eyes one more time.
"It is quite alright, Lily," Dumbledore said. "It is only natural, what you are feeling. You have had a lot of hardship in your life, for one so young."
Lily took another deep breath, closing her eyes so the stinging would go away. She didn't know why she had feared this conversation so much; she never, in her wildest dreams, expected it to go this well.
"There is one thing I feel I must explain to you, Lily," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat while he interrupted Lily's thoughts.
Lily opened her eyes to look at the headmaster. She found her throat closed up, and she was unable to speak. She hoped only that Dumbledore wasn't about to bring her back into reality.
"I'm afraid you may have understood how your guardianship works," Dumbledore clarified. "I know I said it is your decision, but that was only because I intended to do as you wished. When your parents died, they left the guardianship in the hands of another. But as they were indisposed, and by the terms of their will, the role passed onto me."
"Professor?" Lily asked thickly, not quite understanding.
"I could not take you in myself, seeing as how I live at Hogwarts. And, with your mother's protection, I would not have been the best choice anyway. I passed the guardianship role onto your Aunt, relieving myself of the rights and duties that had been left to me."
"Professor-" Lily began, shaking her head. She didn't want to hear this.
"Apologies, Lily, but I must finish. I did not expect them to treat you the way that they did. As I told you last year, I knew they might treat you a bit differently than I would have liked, for certain, but I still expected them to treat you with some semblance of love and care. To my great shame, they did not. I will never be sorry enough for that failure. Be that as it may, however, if your mother's protection still remained, I would have returned you to them over the summer."
"Professor-" Lily said again, shaking her head more violently. She didn't want to think about the Dursleys, not ever again.
"I apologize again, Lily. The protection kept you safe, and I wanted that for you above all else. But, last summer, they renounced you, as you know. When they did so, the guardianship reverted back to me, as your parents wanted. It remains there. When I said you had the choice, it was only because I intended to put you wherever you wanted to be. The choice, however, does ultimately lie with me."
"I'm not going back, Professor," Lily said quietly. She eyed her boots again, trying to figure out where the scuff came from.
"Nor will you, Lily," Dumbledore said. "If you wish, I will transfer the guardianship fully over to the Weasleys, and I will no longer have any say in your parental matters."
Lily remained quiet. She didn't know if she wanted Dumbledore to have them, to be honest, not after how he left her with the Dursleys without once checking in on her or even caring if she was mistreated. But he did seem to be trying now. He wasn't going to make her go back to Gran.
"I shall let you think on it," Dumbledore said after the silence went on too long. "For now, I think it is time you head to your dorm. Your friends will be waiting for you."
Lily said a hurried goodbye, then quickly left, staring at her feet so she wouldn't have to look at anything. She could hear the portraits whispering among themselves up until she closed the door behind her. Only then did she look up, as she was making her way down the stairs.
The common room was packed and noisy when she arrived, full of students greeting each other and catching up. All of the good spots near the fireplace were taken, but Neville and Ron were waiting for her at a table in the back corner, playing a game of wizard chess to pass the time. It wasn't a great place; it always had a chill to it.
Lily took a seat anyway, leaning back in her chair as she did so. She closed her eyes to gather her nerves.
"What did Dumbledore want?" Ron asked. "Check, by the way."
"He- He said, he-" Lily stammered, trying to close her eyes more tightly.
"Take a breath, Lily," Neville said.
"Checkmate," Ron said.
"He wanted to ask where I plan to stay over the holidays," Lily muttered. She didn't want the rest of the students to hear, even if Ron and Neville both deserved an explanation.
"Is that all?" Ron asked. "I was worried he was going to confiscate your cloak again."
"He never did that, that was McGonagall," Lily muttered.
"What did you say?" Neville asked.
"And what's this about needing a place to stay, anyway?" Ron asked. "I thought you were staying with Neville."
Lily shook her head. "I left. I- I couldn't be around Gran anymore."
"I don't blame you," Neville said. "She's not so bad all the time, but she was worse with you. I didn't get it."
"Where are you going now, then?" Ron asked.
Lily's eyes opened, flickering over briefly to Ron. "Your parents offered to take me in," she answered.
"Excellent," Ron said, smiling widely. "We'll have to go back for Christmas, then, you'll love it. Mum makes the best-"
"Where's Ginny?" Lily asked, looking around. She didn't see any of the first years in the common room.
"Up in her dorm," Neville answered.
"She's moping," Ron said tersely. "She's upset that we didn't wait for her. She thinks it's our fault she missed out on the boats."
"That's-" Lily began.
"I know," Ron interrupted. "She'll come around, give her a couple days. But, anyway, about Christmas-"
Lily stood up. She didn't really want to talk about Christmas right now. "I'm going to head to bed. It's been a long time."
"Yeah, sure," Ron said glumly, turning back to the chessboard now that Neville put everything back into position. "See you tomorrow, then."
Lily hesitated, still standing next to the table.
"Ron?" she asked.
"Hmm?" Ron hummed. He moved one of his pawns across the board.
"Why didn't you tell me your dad was facing an enquiry?"
Ron paused, hand hovering over one of his bishops. He turned to look at her, lips drawn to a line. "You head about that, huh?"
"Hermione mentioned it was in the paper," Lily admitted.
"Figures half the school would know," Ron grumbled. "Don't worry about it, Lily, dad reckons nothing will happen. He already found a second hand book to prove where Ginny learned the spell."
"But she didn't-" Lily argued.
"We know, Lily," Ron cut her off, "But it's better this way. You'd get into a lot of trouble if they thought it was you. And Ginny doesn't mind, she was just angry that you blinded her. She's over that now, though. Now she's just angry about the train."
"But your dad-"
"Will be fine," Ron interrupted, moving another pawn. "Look, they just didn't want you to worry. If it'll make you feel better, you should write to them about it. They'll tell you everything."
"I'll do that now, then," Lily said, determined. She could use the cloak and sneak up to the Owlery. If she was lucky, they'd even write back quickly. She might even get a letter tomorrow morning.
Lily stormed up the girl's staircase, throwing the door open to the second year's dorm. Lavender and Parvati were sitting on the former's bed, chatting about something. Lavender, unfortunately, had Weasley's plushie sitting in her lap. Lily pretended not to say, tossing her trunk onto her mattress and throwing the lid open.
"Where's Weasley?" Lavender asked sweetly. "I brought him some new treats, I wanted to see if he liked them."
"I'll explain later," Lily said. "I don't have the time right now, I have to-"
Lily froze, then rifled through her belongings once more. Something was missing, something very important.
"I don't see him around," Lavender said again. "Did somebody already let him out?"
"Did anybody come in here before you two?" Lily asked quickly, ignoring the cat issue for the moment.
"Nope!" Lavender answered in the same, sweet tone. She seemed proud of the fact.
"Hermione went down to the library," Parvati answered. "Said she wanted to greet Madame Pince before curfew. But anybody could have come in, we just got here ourselves right before you did. We were talking with Dean and Seamus in the common room before."
Lily pulled at her tie, really beginning to panic. She knew she packed it, she even asked Ron before they left, and she saw it there when she doublechecked, it had to be here. She checked under the bed, hoping it fell out, hoping it was under there. It had to be.
"What's wrong, Lily?" Lavender asked.
"Nothing," Lily answered abruptly, hitting her head on the bedframe as she came back up. She rubbed the back of it as she slammed the lid of the trunk closed. She whirled, heading straight out and back into the common room. Maybe somebody else saw someone come in here.
The invisibility cloak was missing.