It was far too hot in the car, even with the windows down. They'd been sitting in traffic for what felt like hours, although, in reality, they'd just gotten back to the bustling town where the Grangers lived, just as the sun was beginning to set in the sky far above them. It was at such an angle where it was always glowing straight into Lily's eyes, no matter how she tried to hide them. She wished she had it in her to nap, like Hermione was doing, but she rested on the train home. Both the adults were yawning and seemed anxious to get home. Mr. Granger, bless his soul, decided they'd just order delivery tonight, rather than make a stop or cook. Lily was excited for that. She'd never had delivery before.
Mr. Granger was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Occasionally, he'd take one hand off, just to wipe at his forehead. He kept his brown hair short, unlike the two women who lived with him. There was some song playing through the stereo, although Lily could not have possibly said what it was. She liked it, though. It didn't sound like anything she'd ever heard. Aunt Petunia never listened to any music, and Dudley's music was always a lot more violent sounding.
"How about pizza?" Mrs. Granger suggested, she was playing with a strand of her hair as she sat in the front seat, her face a bit flushed from the heat. "Haven't had that in a while, have we?"
"Not since last summer," Mr. Granger said. He nodded firmly. "Why not? Pizza it is! Sound good, girls?"
"Sounds great, dad," Hermione mumbled. She had great, bushy hair that spread wildly from the back of her head, and overly large front teeth. Lily thought she was absolutely lovely, even when she was leaning against the car door with her eyes closed, and even when she was wearing far baggier clothing than Lily was used to seeing.
"I've never had pizza before," Lily admitted. She was drumming her own fingers on the outside of the car, her arm hanging out the window. She wasn't as good at it, though. She'd never heard the song before.
"Really?" Mr. Granger asked curiously. "Suppose you wizards don't have it, then?"
"Err-" Lily stammered. She didn't want to admit she'd spent most of her life living with Muggles.
"Not a problem, dear," Mrs. Granger said kindly. "Don't get used to it, though, today's just a special treat. We might even break out the ice cream, how about that?"
Hermione's parents were dentists, of course. It was no wonder they seemed hesitant to break out the sweets.
"I've had ice cream before," Lily said with a smile. "They have a place in Diagon Alley, Fortescue's."
"We stopped there last summer," Mr. Granger said. "Good stuff, too. Much better than what we have on this side, I'm afraid to say. I suppose that's the magic, too."
Hermione's parents were both full Muggles. They couldn't do magic if they wanted to, and they'd lived their lives brutally unaware of it until just a couple of years ago, when their daughter received an invitation to a magical school and an explanation of the unnatural things she'd caused over the years.
Hermione was a witch, of course, and Lily was one, too. They both attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, alongside their friends, and there they learned all the best sorts of magic. They were even both Gryffindors, the best of the Houses. The proud house of lions, the land of red and gold, led by Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.
Or, at least, they both were Gryffindors. Lily got resorted just a few months ago. She was a Slytherin, now, and she shouldn't forget that. She'd be wearing green in just a few months instead of the red she was accustomed to.
Now she was feeling a bit irritable. She wasn't looking forward to the next semester, although she felt like she was doing a good job of hiding it. Every time she thought about it, a sinking feeling went through her stomach, and she felt like she might vomit. She tried to shove the feeling aside, to think of something else, to listen to the music on the radio.
"What band is this?" she asked to get her brain off the topic.
"Pardon?" Mr. Granger said with a laugh. "Haven't heard of Queen? Really? Blimey, you wizards are really missing out on a lot, aren't you?"
"They have their own bands, dad," Hermione said. "I'm sure Lily listens to the Weird Sisters or the Galloping Griffs."
"Err- yeah, that's right," Lily said. "Big fan of the Griffs."
She just hoped nobody would ask her to name a song. She'd have to make one up and hope.
"Hope you like them," Mrs. Granger said. "Hermione thinks they're a bit too old sounding. Imagine that!"
Mr. Granger chuckled and shook his head at the mere thought of it. Lily was sure Hermione would roll her eyes if they weren't closed.
"I like them," Lily said. "I think they- err- sound great." She didn't quite know the words to describe it. And they really didn't sound old, as far as she was concerned. For the most part, they sounded very similar to most of the wizarding bands she'd heard (a very small and prestigious pool, filled by their old roommate Lavender Brown).
"I'm sure you'll get along great with my dad, then," Hermione said. "They're practically all he listens to because he knows it annoys me."
"What else are dads for?" Mr. Granger asked with a cheeky smile. "You're lucky electronics don't work at that school of yours, or I'd send some with you."
"Lucky me."
"Record players work," Lily said with a hum. She was getting used to the song, she thought. "That's what most wizards listen to, I think. Lavender had one in the dorm, but she didn't use it very often."
"Blimey, they're still stuck in the 70s, are they?" Mrs. Granger said.
"I'll keep that in mind," Mr. Granger said as he winked into the rearview mirror.
"Please don't," Hermione said quietly.
"How about The Who, then?"
"Dad, please."
"Oh, come on, Hermione, who doesn't like The Who?"
They finally pulled into a drive, right as the sun was approaching the horizon. They still had an hour or two of daylight, Lily was pretty sure, but she was looking forward to relaxing. Her legs felt cramped from the tight confines of the car. They didn't stop a single time on the way back. Lily took a look around them, eyeing the locale she'd be staying in.
They lived in a nice neighborhood, apparently, and in quite a nice house, as well. It wasn't as tall as the one Lily lived in herself, but it was certainly a lot sturdier looking, and it still had two levels to it. It stretched a bit further than Lily could see from her current side, and she thought she saw the makings of a small yard or garden in the back. It was hard to tell which. There was another car parked here as well, although this one was much smaller. Lily assumed that belonged to Mrs. Granger. She had no idea how to describe either vehicle, other than black and blue, with the blue being adorably tiny. Uncle Vernon never allowed her to take any sort of interest in motor vehicles. Overall, not bad for a house in Skipton, considering she'd never even heard of the place before last year. She hoped Hermione didn't make good on the threat to teach her geography.
"Don't worry, Hermione, I've got it," Mr. Granger said from the trunk of the car. He set Hermione's trunk on the ground. Normally they could pull it, but Hermione broke it somehow right before they got on the train back. Mr. Granger produced a smaller trunk for Lily, and she took it in her own arms. It wasn't her usual trunk; that would be at the Burrow with the Weasleys, by now. This one had to be carried.
Lily waddled behind the others as they led the way, Mrs. Granger getting the front door opened for them all.
"Thanks," Lily said as she passed the threshold.
The first thing she noticed was how impeccably clean everything was inside. There was a rack for shoes, where Hermione was already placing her own, as well as two house plants sitting on either side of the door, basking in the light from the windows. Lily sheepishly pushed off her own shoes, and placed them beside Hermione's.
"Why don't you carry Lily's things upstairs, Hermione?" Mr. Granger said with a deep breath. "Lily, you can go help Vera order the pizzas, if you'd like."
"Sure," Lily said. Hermione was already lifting Lily's trunk from the ground. Mrs. Granger waved Lily in towards the kitchen which, conveniently enough, was right next to the entryway.
It was significantly larger than the kitchen at the Burrow, and it didn't even share the room with the dining table. That was still attached, but had enough space to be its own room, with a large window overlooking the garden in the back. There was a little table setup for tea, and the plants looked well-groomed. It was bigger than the garden back at the Dursleys, although Lily was pretty sure that was only because they were confined to the tight spaces of London suburbia. She heard Vernon complain about it almost every day.
"Do you mind if I ask a favour, Lily?" Mrs. Granger said. She had the phone in her hand, and was twirling the cable idly in her other.
"No," Lily said with a shrug. She leaned against the nearest counter, admiring how clean and new everything was. They had a bowl of fruit resting near her, and she was very tempted to take an orange. It felt like ages since she'd last had one.
"Well, Hermione probably won't ask it herself," Mrs. Granger began, "But- err- she's been having a problem with- with nightmares ever since- well, you know- but she said it helped when she shared the room with the other girls back at school. Would you- would you mind sharing hers while you're here? We have a guest room, of course, if you don't want to."
"I don't mind," Lily said. "Really, I thought that's what we were doing, anyway, I don't think I've ever gotten my own room somewhere."
"Really?" Mrs. Granger asked in surprise.
"Well, I have my own at the Burrow, I suppose," Lily admitted. "But I've only gotten to use it for a few weeks, it's a bit new to me."
"Where were you before?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"At Neville's," Lily said. "I had my own there, too, but I wasn't there for very long."
"And before that?"
Lily hesitated, drumming her fingers to the song she'd heard in the car.
"I- err- don't like to talk about it much."
"I understand," Mrs. Granger said, not fully understanding. "Why don't you head on upstairs and get settled, hmm? Send Henry back down, would you?"
Lily followed the instructions quickly, if only to get out of the awkward conversation, turning back into the hallway and heading up the stairs. The hallway split off in two directions, but she could hear Hermione talking to her father on the left, so she went that direction. There were all sorts of family pictures and paintings hanging on the walls. Lily passed by one in particular that she quite liked. Hermione looked about six or seven in it, and she was wearing a bright yellow shirt with a pink flower on it, her big smile lit up by the braces she was wearing. Lily ran a finger over it, then went on her way, feeling sad for reasons she couldn't describe.
"Excuse me," Lily said as she reached the room. "Mrs. Granger needs you downstairs, Mr. Granger."
"Right!" Mr. Granger piped up. Lily was pretty sure she'd interrupted a hug, but she pretended not to notice. "We'll be downstairs if you need us, girls. We'll call you when the food is here."
Mr. Granger smiled at Lily as he passed, and Lily pushed her way into the room.
"Is this yours?" Lily asked, taking a look around.
"Yes," Hermione answered. She sat on her bed. It had a yellow blanket on it, and her pillowcases were a light red. Her walls were a pleasant blue, and mostly covered by posters. Lily didn't recognize any of the things. She was pretty sure a few were bands, but she'd never heard of them. None of them moved, so they clearly weren't from the wizarding world. She had her own telly, which Lily found interesting. It stood directly across from her bed, and some sort of gray block sitting next to it.
"What's that?" Lily asked, pointing towards it.
"That?" Hermione asked. "It's- err- well, it's a Nintendo. I don't play much, though, if- if that's what you're worried about."
"Why would I be worried about that?" Lily asked with an eyebrow raised. She leaned in to look at it more closely.
Hermione opened her mouth to answer her question, but no sound came out.
"What does it do?" Lily asked as she lifted open the flat. There was a gray rectangle on it, with a label Lily couldn't quite read in this lighting.
"It- it plays games?"
"Oh!" Lily said happily. "Dudley did that, I think, but I-"
Lily shook her head at the thought. She knew Dudley was always playing with something similar, based off the way he talked with his mates, but she'd never actually seen it. The one time she tried to join them in his room, they-
Well, it was best not to think about that, really. She pushed the memory aside.
"Who is Dudley?" Hermione asked.
Lily froze a bit, then turned with a fake smile on her lips.
"Do you want to play?" She asked, pointing towards the gray block again. "I've never tried it before."
Hermione paused for a moment as a smile grew across her face.
"How do I jump?" Lily asked again.
"Just press the A button, Lily," Hermione explained happily again. She didn't seem to mind that Lily had to ask every time it was her turn to play. Lily glanced down at the controller again. She could never remember which button was which, even though there were only two of them on that side.
"I think I died again," Lily said as her little guy fell to the bottom of the screen.
"I think so, too," Hermione said with a happy hum. Lily was pretty sure she was going along with the music the game was playing, but she was being very quiet about it, as if it embarrassed her.
"I'm not very good at this, am I?"
Hermione laughed. "No, but I appreciate you trying. Really, Lily, thanks. Nobody- err- Nobody ever wanted to play with me before."
"Why?" Lily asked.
Hermione shrugged, but she didn't answer the question.
"Want to try a different game?" she said instead, glancing over at Lily nervously.
"Sure," Lily said with a shrug.
Hermione glanced over to her clock on the wall, then let out a gasp of surprise.
"You should get unpacked!" she said. "I didn't realize how late it was getting. Your room is down the hall, Lily, last door on the left."
Lily cleared her throat to grab Hermione's attention.
"Actually, Hermione, I was- err- wondering if I could sleep in here?"
Hermione looked surprised, but then she smiled widely again.
"I'll go grab your things!" she said as she hopped up from the floor. She liked to lay flat on her stomach as she played games, apparently. Lily thought it was cute. She just sat with her legs crossed, herself. Lily grabbed another slice from the pizza box that had, just a moment ago, been sitting between the two of them. She didn't really know what was on it, other than some sort of meat and some peppers, but she was really enjoying it.
Lily could her Hermione throw a door open quickly down the hall. Moments later, her feet were running back down towards her, and then she came in eagerly, holding Lily's things in between her arms.
"You didn't need to run," Lily said.
"Sorry," Hermione said. "I- err- got a bit excited, didn't I?"
"You don't have people over often, do you?" Lily said with a smile. She immediately regretted it, though. Hermione's face fell at the comment. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean-"
"No, it's fine," Hermione said quickly. "I- I think I told you before, during last year. I- err- I didn't exactly have many friends before- before Hogwarts. I think you're the first I've had over since I was eight."
Lily laughed, although not at Hermione.
"You're doing better than me," Lily said. "I don't think I've ever had people over."
"You got to visit the Burrow, though," Hermione said.
"You were invited, too," Lily argued. "You just didn't come, is all. If you're back by my birthday, you're more than welcome to come, Hermione."
"I thought you'd be with Katie for it?"
Katie Bell was a year ahead of them at Hogwarts, but was one of Lily's dearest friends. Just thinking of her brought a smile to Lily's face.
"Right," Lily said. "Forgot for a moment. We can meet you somewhere, maybe?"
"What about that Quidditch game you wanted to go to?" Hermione asked. Lily quite liked the wizarding sport; she played it at school. Hermione wasn't much of a fan, but she tolerated it for the sake of her friend.
"After my birthday," Lily said. "And I might have to work. Merlin, I wish I hadn't signed those contracts."
"Just another thing to hate Lockhart for, isn't it?"
"Do you want the last slice?" Lily asked. She pointed to the tempting piece, hoping Hermione would say no.
"You go ahead," Hermione said. "I think I'll go brush my teeth, it's getting late."
"Bloody hell," Lily groaned. "I left my toothbrush in my school trunk, it won't be here. Merlin, how could I be so stupid?"
"Lily," Hermione said gently. "You're in a house of dentists."
Lily's teeth felt very fresh and minty. She'd forgotten how much stronger the toothpaste was in the Muggle world. Her mouth felt a little too clean compared to what she was used to.
She also missed the poster of Gwenog Jones, Captain of the Holyhead Harpies, that she had hanging on her ceiling back at home. She thought it a bit creepy the first time she saw it, but it felt awkward laying on a bundle of blankets on the ground, staring up at an empty ceiling, with no Quidditch player smiling down at her. Hermione was snoring softly in the actual bed. Lily could only glance at the alarm clock occasionally, wondering how anybody could sleep with so much noise going on.
There was too much traffic outside, even in a much smaller town than London. It felt like every ten minutes she heard a car driving by, or even saw some headlights flash through the window, even with the curtains drawn. She hadn't had to deal with this much activity in years, since she left the Dursleys. And then, she'd been confined to the very center of the house, where it was much more difficult for noise and sound to reach her.
Plus, it was extremely hot in the house. Lily didn't know how Hermione could stand sleeping under that thick blanket of hers. She was dying, down on the floor. The one time Lily crept out into the hallway to use the bathroom (and to cool down a glass of ice cold water), she was pretty sure she heard some creaking noises coming from the adult Granger's room. Lily was just happy Hermione wasn't conscious to hear that part. She felt awkward enough as it was.
Her pajama bottoms were too tight. She'd meant to buy new ones before the last winter holidays ended, but she never got a chance to. Now, months later, they were far too uncomfortable to sleep in. Plus, since the room was so warm, her shirt kept clinging to her skin, and that made her itchy. She was having a miserable time, all things considered. She settled on at least removing the bottoms. She'd just let the baggy shirt hide the rest. It almost went down to her knees. It was the only shirt she had left from her time with the Dursleys. She always got the remnants of Dudley's clothes, and he was over twice her current size. She'd kept it just to sleep in. It was actually quite comfortable for that one purpose.
Lily kicked her blanket off, but that made her too cold. Any higher than her knees, and she was too warm. She settled for covering her feet. She glanced at the clock again. It was almost three in the morning. She'd spent the last three hours trying to sleep, completely and utterly failing at it. She felt exhausted, but it wouldn't come. Her mind was racing. She briefly considered giving up, heading downstairs, and settling in on the couch to draw. Unfortunately, her sketchbooks and tools were also in the school trunk. Which meant they were now at the Burrow, with her cat and her spell books. She could write, but she wasn't very good at it, and rereading her own material made her miserable. No, she was much better at art, for sure.
She tried counting Hermione's soft breaths. They fell in an easy enough rhythm. Surely that would be enough to lull her to sleep. She even tried mimicking them, hoping the calm sensation would convince her body it was time to give up.
Hermione was groaning now. Lily's eyes flew open, glancing at the clock. Almost five in the morning. She swore, and then rolled over, tossing one of her pillows over her head to block out the light and the sounds.
"No," Hermione mumbled. Lily glanced back up, head perched in the dark. She could see Hermione tossing and turning, and even heard it if she paid enough attention.
She was having a nightmare. She wondered briefly what she was supposed to do in this situation. Hermione rolled again, letting out a whine. Lily sighed, but made her decision, and pushed out of her suddenly very comfortable false bed.
Hermione's body had almost completely thrown off her own blankets. Her pajama top was bunched up around her stomach, a pale light illuminating her skin and her scared face.
Must be a bad one, Lily thought. She sat on the bed as carefully as she could, not wanting to make too much motion, and then pulled the blanket over the both of them. Hermione's breathing came in scared, ragged gasps at first, as her body feebly tried to fight whatever demons she was dreaming of.
"It's okay," Lily said softly. She put an arm around Hermione's body, and the girl relaxed. "It's okay."
There was a knock at the door. Lily let out a small groan as she was roused from her sleep. Her head was pounding from the lack of it. Light was trying to burn through her eyelids. She briefly risked opening them, squinting out into the world with her crusty eyes.
Hermione was still sleeping calmly, tucked into her arm. That brought a smile to her face. It was far too warm in the bed, though, especially with that blanket over them. A glance at the clock told her it was only nine in the morning. That was absolutely terrible. She closed her eyes to try fading back to sleep.
There was a knock at the door again. Lily chose to ignore it, but this time it managed to wake Hermione. The bushy haired girl stirred, then quickly rose from her position. Lily heard a little gasp of surprise. She pretended to still be sleeping. Hermione crept out of the bed as stealthily as she could. Lily imagined it was to not wake her.
Bless her, she thought. It was far too late for that.
Lily heard the door open quietly, then heard a few whispers before the door clicked back shut. She heard cars outside again. That was even more terrible. Especially when one had the indecency to honk. That was really quite inconsiderate. She could hear Uncle Vernon complaining about the indecency in her head, and she tried to block him out of her mind.
Hermione wasn't coming back. Lily took that chance to open her eyes again. She was alone in the room. Just her and Hermione's posters. And a few stuffed animals on a bookshelf. Lily didn't notice those before. They were pretty cute. She'd never had any of her own. She especially liked the small, pink bunny sitting in the middle of the shelf. It was obviously the oldest one. Lily wondered what little Hermione named the thing. She settled on Ears. It wasn't very good, she knew, but she didn't have much experience in the field.
Lily stretched and let out a loud yawn. She needed a drink, but she didn't want to head downstairs by herself. She settled on snoozing in Hermione's bed instead. It was way too soft. She sunk into it far more than she would have liked. She preferred the firmer ones she'd enjoyed at Hogwarts and home. There were also far too many pillows on the bed. Lily felt like she was resting way too far down on the mattress. She had to curl her legs slightly to avoid her feet dangling off the edge, where the monsters could grab at them.
The door clicked open again several minutes later. Lily glanced up with one eye, then quickly shut it again.
"Good morning," Hermione's cheery voice said. She had a towel wrapped around her hair and was wearing the same pajamas. Lily heard her open her wardrobe and rummage around inside.
I don't see what's so good about it, Lily thought. That was far too mean, though.
"Morning, " she grumbled instead.
"Sleep well?"
"No," Lily said. "Hardly slept a wink."
Hermione hesitated before speaking again. "I'm sorry about that, Lily."
"Not your fault," Lily said as she sat up. "Really, Hermione, it's just a new place, is all. There was too much noise. Couldn't fall asleep until- err- a few hours ago."
Hermione wasn't looking in her direction. Her face was hidden behind the doors of her wardrobe.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
"It was quite comfortable, actually," Lily said with a smile. "You were nice and warm."
"Don't get too used to it," Hermione said. Her face seemed a bit flushed as she shut the doors. She was holding some fresh clothes in her arms.
"I think it's a bit too late for that."
"Bathroom's down the hall on the left," Hermione said. "You should go have a shower. I'll be downstairs when you're done, so you can get dressed in here. Mum and dad both had to run to the office. Dad was supposed to go by himself, but that's why Mum knocked. Said they were busy, and she needed to go, too."
"Okay," Lily said. She swept out of the blanket, stretching widely as she stood.
"Oh!" Hermione squeaked again. "Err- is there any particular reason you weren't wearing bottoms?"
Lily shrugged. "Got too warm on the floor. And they're- err- too short. I need to buy new ones. Which door is the bathroom?"
"First on the left, past the stairs," Hermione said. Lily gave her a pat on the shoulder as she passed.
Their bathroom was quite nice, although it was decorated in entirely too much yellow for Lily's taste. The shower had great water pressure, too, much better than what she was used to at the Burrow. The hot water didn't quite last as long as she would have liked, though. She hadn't even started washing her hair when it ran out. It was fine, she supposed.
Her hair was still wet when she made her way downstairs. She didn't feel like tying it back, so she was letting it hang loose around her shoulders. She thought she needed a trim, to be honest. She hadn't gotten one since before she left the Dursleys. That was almost two years ago. And there were a couple more years between her last cut and then. Her hair dangled way too far down her back.
"Want some eggs?" Hermione asked from the kitchen. "Thought I'd scramble some for the both of us."
"You really know the way to my heart, Hermione," Lily said eagerly.
The next few weeks passed very quickly, far faster than Lily would have liked or expected. The two teenage girls spent it confined to the house, heeding to the advice of their elders. Hogwarts students got out earlier than Muggle ones, and it wouldn't do to bring attention to themselves.
Early in their break, Lily's interview with The Daily Prophet arrived, and she still had the article cut out and pressed in a book up in her trunk. She fully intended on getting it framed. It was her first one, and she liked how nicely it treated her.
HAZEL POTTER: ORDER OF MERLIN, SECOND CLASS
Pictured below, Ronald Weasley, Order of Merlin, Third Class, and Hazel Potter, Order of Merlin, Second Class
Hazel Potter. The Girl-Who-Lived. She'd already done the impossible. She'd already made a name for herself. It was already expected that she'd be a remarkable witch.
She has utterly smashed all expectations of her.
By all accounts, Hazel Potter has been tremendously successful during her time at Hogwarts. Her professors have relatively few complaints, and her marks have been exceptional. According to Filius Flitwick, resident Charms Professor, she is even truly spectacular, with a talent of her caliber not being seen in decades.
And that was before she slayed a Basilisk.
As our readers may know, throughout the previous year, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was beset upon by a monster, one that was petrifying the student body during its reign of terror. It was previously suspected that Hazel Potter, herself, was behind the attacks, the belief only increasing in popularity upon the discovery that she was a Parselmouth, the last known of which was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
These suspicions were incorrect, as we at the Daily Prophet hoped they would be. Hazel Potter, of Gryffindor House, and her companion, Ronald Weasley, also of Gryffindor House, not only uncovered the truth behind the Basilisk that was stalking the Muggleborns of the school, but located the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Upon this discovery, they entered it to save another dear friend of theirs, who had been taken hostage inside the Chamber. This student's name has been withheld to protect their privacy.
In the Chamber, they found the true culprit behind the attacks: a remnant of the Dark Lord himself. According to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, suspended at the time of these events and recently reinstated, You-Know-Who imprinted a memory of himself into an old diary, which, unfortunately, came into the possession of one of the students. This student was possessed by You-Know-Who, and was used by the Dark Lord to attack their fellow students. No disciplinary actions have been taken, as the student has been cleared during a private investigation.
We have Hazel Potter to thank for these good tidings. She and her companion have both been awarded an Order of Merlin, the highest honor possible, and are the youngest individuals to receive the award in at least a century. Who was the youngest prior to them?
Albus Dumbledore himself. It seems we have been blessed with a second one, and we will eagerly be watching her career.
Thank you, Hazel Potter.
The article came with a picture, as well, Lily's tall, gangly body smiling awkwardly alongside her friend, Ron Weasley, his own gangly body taller even than hers. He smiled a bit more confidently, his freckles wrinkling in his happiness, although Lily was pretty sure that was only because they hadn't asked him a single question. Both had their ribbons pinned proudly to their chests, and Ron's pet rat, Scabbers, was poking out from shirt pocket, blinking its eyes from the bright flash the camera admitted. It wiped at them with both paws, while Ron and Lily just continued staring awkwardly. Neither clearly had any idea what they were supposed to be doing. Occasionally, Lily would wave stupidly at the audience, Ron nudging her with his elbow to make her stop.
Lily passed the time determined to get better at Hermione's set of games. She was still absolutely miserable at them, but, at the very least, she no longer needed to glance down at the controller for every little action. She still had trouble controlling her momentum and movements, though. Hermione would lay on her bed pretending to read while she played. Every once in a while, Lily would look up, and Hermione would quickly look down at her book, her eyes hastening across the lines as if she'd been reading the entire time.
Hermione only ever played with Lily during the last few hours of the day. Before then, she was always reading or studying.
"I like to stay ahead," she said with a shrug when Lily asked.
"We don't even have the new booklist yet, Hermione," Lily countered.
"Which is why I'm reviewing my notes," Hermione said. She had several books stacked next to her, with all her year's notes spread across her mattress. "When we get them, I'll be ready.
Lily didn't envy that. She knew she'd be studying quite a bit when the booklists came in, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it before then. Hermione never pushed her, though; she just let Lily continue playing.
Occasionally, the Grangers would take them to a movie or something similar on a day off. That was something that always impressed Lily; she'd never been to one, and they were always an exciting experience. She was a bit too noisy during their first one, but Mrs. Granger kindly explained to her the proper etiquette, and she didn't repeat that behaviour.
On a particularly nice day, Lily found herself outside in the garden, lounging at the little table with a cup of tea and a notebook open in front of her. She tried to sneak away when Hermione wasn't paying attention, desperate for just a bit of alone time. She felt like she was going mad, and needed to exercise her mind. She wasn't studying, though; she was trying to write a story.
Whenever she was locked in the cupboard by the Dursleys, she always passed the time with one of two methods: drawing or writing. While one she was particularly good at, and certainly enjoyed, she always found herself daydreaming about being published in the future. Then she'd read over her work, and she'd be brought back down to reality, tucking it away until the next time the urge came over.
She was reading over her work, now, after spending two hours in the pleasant garden, growing increasingly frustrated, and crossing out several full sentences. She didn't want to scrap the whole thing, but she was terrified at the thought of anybody coming across it and reading it. She'd have to hide it away at the bottom of her trunk, first chance she got.
She came inside before the dentists could return from work, and found Hermione sitting across from the telly, watching a program. Lily found that unusual; that hadn't happened a single time since they arrived.
"What were you up to?" Hermione asked kindly as Lily sat down next to her.
"Working," Lily said with a shrug. She tucked the notebook to her side, where Hermione wouldn't be able to see it. She was wearing a smile that told Lily she had, though. Lily just hoped she wouldn't go digging for it. That was the last thing she needed.
"Why are we walking to the store?" Lily groaned. The sun was beating down on her neck. She could practically feel it burning. They turned the street corner, reminding Lily that they really hadn't gone very far at all.
"Mum needs us to pick a few things up," Hermione said. She was sweating, although she didn't seem to be taking the heat as badly as Lily did. She never did well with either temperature extreme.
"How are we supposed to get everything back?" Lily asked.
"We're not getting that many things. Besides, I think you could use a few shirts. Your robes have to be sweltering this time of year."
"They're usually quite comfortable, actually," Lily said. She was currently wearing a black shirt she borrowed from Hermione, with some band's logo that she didn't recognize, along with a pair of shorts also borrowed from her friend. Apparently, her own clothing was too unsuitable for Muggle society, and Hermione didn't want to be seen around her in those conditions. That was how Lily was taking it, anyway. She wiped her forehead again, wishing for death.
"It's not very far, Lily," Hermione said. "Just around the corner, really, I walk there all the time, and there's a nice clothing store right next door, everybody in the neighbourhood buys from them."
"If you say so," Lily said. She kicked at a loose stone, and it clattered into the busy street next to them. As to why it was so busy, she couldn't have told you. It wasn't even a weekend.
Lily woke up that morning expecting to idle away the time with more games and food. She'd been briefly interested to learn that Muggle schools were now out, and when Hermione invited her to get out of the house, she took it eagerly. She'd been promised a normal day. Instead, she got the hottest on record for the still virgin summer.
The corner store Hermione dragged her into for groceries turned out to be quite a bit bigger than Lily expected. It actually had a decent selection, too. They were perusing the fruit at the moment, trying to settle on a few pears to bring home with them. Lily had never had one, and Hermione thought that was far too interesting to give them a pass.
"I think this one might be good," Hermione said as she squeezed one. "Are pears even in season?"
"Hermione, I don't even know what a pear is," Lily said. "Just take whatever seems good?"
"This one, then," Hermione said as she set down the one she was holding and grabbed a completely different one. Into their bag it went.
"Are pears even good?" Lily asked.
"Who knows?" Hermione said with a smile. "Do you want to grab anything else while we're here?"
"I need to grab some biscuits," Lily said, "Just in case Katie writes. Her owl gets nasty if you don't give him at least one."
"We have some at home," Hermione said.
"Are they chocolate?"
"Yes. Why does that matter?"
"He hates them," Lily said as she shook her head. "We better grab another kind. I'll pay, don't worry."
"Suit yourself," Hermione said with a shrug. "You may want to keep your pounds, though. Mum didn't leave me enough to grab your clothes."
"I've got it covered, Hermione," Lily said as she pat her pocket. "You know, if we wanted to, we could just head down to London."
"Lily, it's too far," Hermione said.
"We could just take the Knight Bus," Lily suggested. "It'd only be a few minutes with that."
"Neville told me about that!" Hermione said excitedly. She grabbed a tin of biscuits off the shelf for Lily. "He said it made him sick!"
"I don't think I've ever heard somebody say that so happily before now."
"Hush. Well, I- I suppose if you want to, I- I wouldn't oppose it."
"Hermione," Lily said with a hand placement on Hermione's own. "We don't have to if you don't want to. It was just a suggestion, really."
"No, it sounds great," Hermione said. "It's just- err- I'm not sure my parents would- would like it if we went by ourselves. Maybe- maybe if one of them wants to come?"
"Sure," Lily agreed. "We'll just- oh, no."
"What?" Hermione asked innocently. She glanced around as Lily froze, a cold sweat replacing her warm one.
"No," she said as she tucked behind a shelf. "No, no, they're not supposed to be here."
"Who?' Hermione asked. She leaned in close to Lily, glancing around. "Lily, what's happening?"
Lily risked a peek, then hid again before the tall, long-necked woman and her large, rotund son could see her. They were both still just as blonde, just as shrewd looking, and filled her with just as much dread as they had before.
The Dursleys were here.
"Find everything yet, Petunia?" A familiar voice barked. Lily pulled away from Hermione's grasp, moving herself to another angle to better hide herself. She could almost see them if she peeked through the shelving.
Aunt Marge was here, too. Lily hadn't seen her since she was seven. She was waiting outside, that horrible dog of hers peeing on the pavement. Marge smiled down at him, that cruel smile plastered on her fat face. Uncle Vernon was standing next to her, shooting glares at every person that dared to walk by. Neither had much neck under those thick heads of theirs.
Of course. That made sense. They were visiting Aunt Marge. She lived here. Lily hadn't known that.
Wonderful.
"Lily, are you okay?" Hermione whispered. The sound of her voice made Lily jump, and she knocked a few items off the shelf, then scrambled to pick them up before anybody could come to check on the disturbance. Only a few nearby people bothered to turn to look at her, but none said anything.
"Mum, can we go?" Dudley said in that bored, whiney voice of his. He messed with the gaudy watch he was wearing on his wrist.
"Just a moment, Duddykins," Petunia said with a pinch on Dudley's cheek. The sweet tone in her voice made Lily want to throw up. She wasn't sure if that was the fear or the disgust. "Mummy needs to pick up a few things, and then we'll go, okay? Hmm?'
"Fine," Dudley grumbled. Lily couldn't take it anymore. She brushed Hermione off again, then made for the door, making sure to keep her head down so she wouldn't be noticed. It was worth the risk, just so she didn't have to be in the same building as them. Her hands were trembling, her knees were shaky, and she could feel bile rising up her throat.
But she did it. She made it past Uncle Vernon and Aunt Marge without so much as a glance in her direction. As soon as she was free, she bolted back down the street, running the way they'd come. She didn't stop until she reached the Granger House, at which point she collapsed onto the front step. She didn't have a key. She couldn't get inside without Hermione.
She didn't feel very warm anymore. She just felt cold. She huddled to herself as she waited, wondering if she should take the chance, and head back to Hermione. Surely, they wouldn't still be there?
It took Hermione half an hour to get back, carrying all the things by herself. That made Lily feel bad.
Hermione took a seat next to Lily, put an arm around her shoulder. Lily leaned into her. She really liked hugs, especially from Hermione. The girl gave her the first ever one she'd gotten, back in their first year at school. She'd been hooked ever since.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked.
"No," Lily answered. "I- no."
"Do you want to go back?" Hermione asked. "I don't know who those people are, Lily, but I could tell that they scared you. I don't think I've ever seen you like that."
"No," Lily said again.
Lily didn't last long on the floor that night. This time, she had her own nightmare, although she didn't remember it. She never remembered any of her dreams. One moment she was awake, staring at the ceiling, and the next Hermione was shaking her out of her fretful slumber, offering the same spot in her own bed. It was big enough for the two of them. Lily didn't argue. The day's events left her feeling strange and unsure of herself. Her parents even commented on it over dinner, when she wasn't talking anywhere near as much as the previous day. She tried to explain it away with her lack of sleep the night before. Hermione backed her up on it, although she kept giving Lily a sad look afterwards.
Thankfully, she was much better off the next day, and even the day after. She still clammed up the one time Hermione tried to bring it up again, but she was fixed by the time their movie finished. Lily enjoyed it. She just wished Hermione's parents hadn't picked such a scary one. They kept laughing whenever she squeaked at something that was happening on screen, or when she had to grab on to poor Hermione, who had the unfortunate task of sitting right next to her.
Lily woke up late the next morning. Hermione was already out of the bed, leaving her alone. There was a plate sitting on her desk, though, signifying that the adult Grangers were once again both absent. Lily could tell because the plate only had cold eggs on it. That was all Hermione ever made for breakfast, if she had to do it herself. At least she made toast this time, though. That was a marked improvement. Lily ate it all happily.
"Are you ready yet, Lily?" Hermione asked through the door.
"Almost!"
"What are you even doing in there?"
"Trying to get my hair nice," Lily answered with a hum. She hadn't paid any attention to it in a while. It was a bad habit, especially when it was this long.
"Why don't you just tie it back like you normally do?"
"Trying something new!"
"Why?"
"Because I want to," Lily said after a brief moment of hesitation. She didn't really have any other answer.
"What are you even doing with it?"
"Trying to braid it," Lily said with her hair in her hands. It wasn't going very well, to be honest. She'd never done this before. She was never allowed to.
"If you need help, I can fetch mum."
"I can do it," Lily said with a frustrated grunt. She definitely could not do it.
"We're supposed to leave in ten minutes, Lily."
"Fine," Lily sighed. She started undoing her previous work. "Can you get me a tie? I'll put it up."
"There should be one in the drawer."
"So," Mrs. Granger said as she locked the door behind them. "How do we summon this Knight Bus?"
Hermione was running ahead in her excitement. She seemed more interested in this trip than anybody else. Lily got the feeling she'd never had a day excursion with a friend before.
She felt similarly.
"Stand next to the road with your wand out," Lily answered. She started reaching for her own, when she remembered she'd sent it off with Mr. Weasley. Otherwise, she'd have been too tempted to use magic outside of school. They weren't supposed to do that.
"Like this?" Hermione asked. She held her wand out, glancing around nervously to make sure no neighbours were watching. A second later a bang filled the air, and a double decker appeared in front of them, stretching as it appeared into view with a sudden stop. Hermione jumped back on instinct and let out a little squeak.
A pimply teenager jumped down from the bus, his shirt untucked and his collar undone. His hat was dangling awkwardly from his head.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus," he recited in a bored, thick accent. "Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this afternoon."
"Hello, Stan," Mrs. Granger said nervously. "Err- emergency transport, did you say? Are you sure we can use it, Lily?"
"It's what we're here for," Stan said. He ushered them all inside, and Lily hopped in first, pressing a silver sickle into the man's hand.
"Diagon Alley, please," she said with a smile. She took a seat first. The bus was fairly empty today. There was only one other passenger, as far as she could tell, sleeping on a mattress at the very back of the bus. Hermione and Mrs. Granger sat down next to her a bit more reluctantly, and Stan went back to reading his newspaper as the bus shot off again. Lily let out a laugh when both other women toppled from their seats. She managed to keep her own without a fight this time.
"I don't think I'm ever doing that again," Hermione said queasily as they got off the vehicle. The Knight Bus dropped them off on the Muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron, and the street was filled with pedestrians and other motor vehicles. Lily heard Mrs. Granger swear in response.
"We have to, don't we?" she said with a nervous laugh.
"We could rent some brooms, if you want," Lily said with a shrug. She didn't much fancy that option, though, even though she enjoyed flying; the air in the city was far dirtier than it had been just moments ago.
"Look at that!" Lily said in excitement. She ran forward from the other two, her bags swaying in her hands.
"Wait up, Lily!" Hermione called after her.
"A Firebolt!" She said in amazement. Her mouth was actually hanging open, but she couldn't help it. This was, by far, the nicest broom she'd ever seen in her life. It was sleek, shiny, and perfect in every single way. She was pretty sure the stirrups were actual gold, although she couldn't prove it. The twigs at the back were absolutely immaculate and polished to a splendor. There was a sign next to it, but Lily could hardly tear her eyes away for long enough to read it.
She needed one.
"How much do you think it is?" Lily asked out loud. She wasn't the only person gawking at the thing, and a nearby man laughed.
"More than most of us have in our vaults," he said with a scoff.
"Do you really need a new broom, Lily?" Mrs. Granger asked. "Hermione said your current one is the fastest ever made." She shifted her heavy package in her arms. Lily had no idea what she'd bought, and she refused to say.
"The Nimbus 2001 has nothing on this," Lily said. She gestured to the sign posted below the broom. "Nought to 150 in ten seconds? That's incredible, Mrs. Granger, really- and an unbreakable Braking Charm! Look! You can order the shaft in hazel!"
"I think she's in love, Mum," Hermione said from behind.
Lily wasn't happy when they returned home. She wasn't even allowed to check her Gringott's Vault, just to check how much she had. She was sure she had far more than a thousand Galleons in there. She had mountains of the stuff the last time she checked. Buying brooms for all her Quidditch friends the last Christmas hardly made a dent in one of them, and that had cost her nearly 200.
She'd listened to common sense, though. Mrs. Granger seemed quite shocked at the mere notion that Lily had that much wealth stored away, and she didn't want to make anybody feel any worse. She'd bought plenty enough as it was. She'd need to stop by Gringotts after her birthday. She used her up every one of the coins she had on her.
Lily stared into the mirror. She was squeezing at her nose, trying to get the best angle to pop an annoying pimple that was sitting right on her bridge. She just couldn't get it right. If she tried too hard, her eyes would start watering from the effort and the pain. She gave it up as a bad job, and put her ruby, lightning bolt earring in her left ear. She'd lost the other one a long time ago.
Somebody knocked on the bathroom door.
"Are you almost finished in there, Lily?" Hermione asked. "Mum's supposed to be here soon."
"Do I really have to get my teeth cleaned?" Lily asked through the door.
"You're the one that told them you've never been. It isn't all that bad, Lily, I'm sure you'll be just fine."
"If you say so," Lily said nervously. She'd heard horrible things about the dentist before, although it was mostly from Dudley. She was aware that he was probably just lying to scare her, but it seemed such a strange chance. The Dursleys never would have taken her to one, not even if her life depended on it. She was fairly certain of that.
"At least you don't have to pay for it," Hermione said with a wink. Lily didn't comment on that. She didn't even know the NHS was a thing, and she earned herself a thorough teasing from the whole family when she asked how much the bill would be. She had to pay for her own hospital bills at St. Mungo's. It was just another thing the Muggles had over wizarding kind.
"Nothing to be scared of, dear," Mrs. Granger repeated on the drive over. Her car was very small. Hermione had decided to stay home because of it, rather than join in on what was potentially one of the most traumatizing moments in Lily's short life.
"Right," Lily repeated to herself. If only she was still a Gryffindor, she'd be able to call on that courage.
"Nice place," Lily said as they walked up to the building. It was squished between some other offices, but it had a nice sign out front.
"Thanks," Mrs. Granger said proudly. "Took a big risk, opening our own practice, but it was worth it! I don't think we'd have been able to pay for Hermione's schooling, otherwise."
"Is it really that expensive?" Lily asked.
"God, yes," Mrs. Granger said with a laugh. "You really don't know the half of it. How much do your textbooks cost?"
"Err- well, the Lockhart books were a few Galleons each, but that's just because he charged far too much. I think the Charms book was three, and the others were around that?"
"Exactly," Mrs. Granger said with a point to emphasize. "It's 30 pounds to a Galleon, did you know? That makes 90 pounds for a single book. They're practically robbing us."
"90 pounds?" Lily repeated in awe. "Really? Blimey, I didn't even notice when I'd exchanged a few, I didn't think anything of it."
"Don't tell Hermione," Mrs. Granger said in a whisper. She was holding the office door open for Lily. "But I think it's to keep Muggleborns out; we happened to be well-off, and we still had to cancel our previous two holidays to afford it all. I don't know how other families would manage."
"Yeah," Lily said with a nervous chuckle as she thought of the poor Weasleys and their seven children. It was no wonder they bought their food in the Muggle village; they'd paid two Sickles for a pantry full of food. She tried to do the maths on that in her head, but she was having trouble recalling how many Sickles were even in a Galleon. It was some strange number nobody in their right mind would have chosen for an actual currency. Lily was pretty sure wizards just did it as a joke.
"Have a seat in the waiting room, dear," Mrs. Granger said. She pointed to the first empty seat. They were all empty, of course, but still. "I'll have to go change into my scrubs. Dorothy will be right with you."
The middle-aged woman sitting at the reception desk smiled at Lily. She must have been Dorothy. Lily waved back with a nervous smile, then tried to seem as interested in the nearest magazine as possible, as she dearly hoped the woman wouldn't try to chat with her.
The bell swung open with a ding, and Lily just happened to glance up. Four familiar figures walked in, and none were looking in her direction. Lily froze, then lifted the magazine to hide her face, and scrunched down into her chair as far as she could. It was much harder to seem small and insignificant when you no longer were.
"It hurts," Dudley said. He had a fat finger poking around in his mouth, and he winced as he touched a tooth.
"Don't touch it, Duddykins," Aunt Petunia said sweetly. She sounded as if she was about to cry at any moment.
"Really, son, how did you manage to break a tooth on a candy bar," Uncle Vernon said in a bemused chuckle. He strode over to Dorothy, and had a quiet chat with her while Petunia escorted Dudley to the seat opposite Lily. She squirmed in her seat, fighting the urge to make another break for it. She had no idea where she currently was in relation to the house.
"How soon can they see him?" Petunia asked in distress.
"Soon," Vernon answered. He pat a firm, fat hand on his wife's leg, then gestured in Lily's direction with his head. "Only one person in front of us. Lucky for us it was a slow day!"
Lily risked a glance. Dudley was staring at her with a puzzled look, and she tried to hide behind the paper better.
Please, Dudley, she prayed. Please don't say anything. She could feel her hands shaking, and she willed them to stop.
"Dreadful little place, isn't it?" Marge said in a bark. That earned a glance from Dorothy, but the fat woman didn't seem to care that she was making a fool of herself. "Why mum lived here, I'll never know. Could have joined me anytime she wanted."
"Well, you know mum," Vernon said with a fond chuckle. "Always did what she wanted, until the end, didn't she?"
"Look at this one," Marge said, cocking her head towards Lily, who sank a little further in her seat. "Not a parent to be seen, is there?" Marge's face was already a beet-red, and Lily realized quickly that she'd already been hitting the bottle. Every time she visited her brother, there was always one nearby, always within her grasp.
"Marge, I don't think this is quite the place to-"
"Oh, hush, Petunia," Marge said indignantly, waving a hand, "Nobody's paying us any mind. Do you see what I mean, though, Vernon, with those jeans? Mum's got to be turning in her grave, at this point, I doubt she'd ever have let me out of the house looking like that."
"Quite right," Vernon said, sounding nervous. Lily didn't risk glancing up.
Lily let out a sigh of relief when the door opened, Mrs. Granger standing there with a kind smile.
"Come along, Lily," she said, and Lily hopped right up, trying her best not to look at the Dursleys, praying they wouldn't-
"What are you doing here?" Dudley said in that thick, stupid voice of his.
"You know them, Lily?" Mrs. Granger asked curiously. Lily quickly shook her head, trying to-
"She's my cousin," Dudley said, and Lily knew the ruse was over. She turned back to face them. Dudley had his brow furrowed from how hard he was thinking, while Vernon and Petunia seemed horrified to be in the same room as her. Marge was growing a cruel smile.
"I thought you said she'd been nicked by the police, Vernon," she said, "Got off, did you?"
"No," Lily said through her clenched teeth.
"On probation, then," Marge said with a nod, as if it made total sense.
"Hold on a moment," Mrs. Granger said. "Lily hasn't been-"
"I suppose you've been looking after her, then?" Marge continued, sizing up Mrs. Weasley from her comfortable seat. "Bit of advice, dear: don't believe a single word this delinquent tells you. Comes from bad stock, that one."
"Shut up," Lily said, her face growing red.
"See?" Marge said, waving a hand. "No proper manners, that one, never grateful that Vernon took her in. If she'd been dropped at my doorstep, I would have shipped her off to an orphanage, straight away." Marge snapped to emphasize her point, and Mrs. Granger grew an expression of horror.
"Marge," Vernon said, trying to save himself a bit of public embarrassment, "I really think we should-"
"They were both worthless, weren't they?" Marge said, turning to Petunia, who was looking petrified. "What did her husband do again, Petunia?"
"Nothing," she said quietly, looking Lily in the eyes, as if hoping she would go along with it. "He didn't work."
"Of course he didn't," Marge said, shaking her head and making noises of disapproval. "A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who-"
"He was not," Lily said suddenly, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Marge looked at her and narrowed her eyes.
"Proud of your parents, are you, girl? They go and get themselves killed in a car crash, drunk, I expect, and-"
"My parents didn't die in a car crash!" Lily shouted.
"They did," Marge said, her whole face turning red, finally standing on her wobbly feet, "They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden to their decent, hardworking relatives! You are an insolent, ungrateful little-"
There was another loud crack, and Lily caught the next weird amidst the screams and shouts of the others around her. Her head was pounding, and she felt far angrier than she ever had before.
"It's like I've always told Vernon," Marge continued, oblivious to her surroundings. "If something's wrong with the bitch, then something is wrong with the pup."
"Shut up!" Lily screamed, the lights in the building flickering with the surge of anger she felt. "My mum wasn't-"
"Lily," Mrs. Granger said, trying to pull her away by the arm, "I think we should-"
"Of course, it's no wonder they went and got themselves killed," Marge said with a sneer, "No good, were they? No doubt they were hooked on drugs, I told Vernon he should get you tested the day you showed up, but he didn't think it proper, thought he could steer you right." Marge clenched her fat fist. "I'm sorry, Petunia, I've got nothing against your family, but sometimes someone just comes out wrong. You can try to teach them, give them a firm hand, but they're just no good, they end up mean and weak like this one. You get those sometimes, with dogs. I had Colonel Fubster drown one last year. Ratty, underbred thing, that, just like this one."
"Marge," Vernon said pleadingly. Mrs. Granger swore behind Lily and tried to pull her away again.
"Just shut up," Lily shouted. She heard glass crack nearby, right overhead, and the lights flickered again. Marge narrowed her eyes, then pointed a finger at Lily's face.
"You best listen," she said stupidly, "Your mother ended up selling herself, and if you keep on this track, you'll be going the same way." Marge sneered one, final time. "The Potter might not have even been your real father, there's really no way of knowing, is there?"
"My mum was not a whore," Lily yelled. There was another crack, the lights flickered one more time before shutting off completely, and then the tip of Marge's finger inflated to the size of an unripe melon.
Lily took a step back in her surprise, and Marge's eyes opened in shock as the swelling spread down the rest of her arm, faster than anybody could really react. The already large woman expanded, ballooned, her clothing threatening to burst. Lily glanced around, the angry feeling replaced by horror. Dorothy was in hysterics, lifting the phone to no doubt call the police. Vernon was roaring, and attempted to steer Marge away from the window, which Lily just realized was broken. Some sort of force was pulling Marge away, and Vernon couldn't keep her out of it. In just a few seconds, Marge was leaving through the shattered glass, Vernon clinging helplessly to her leg, floating off into the sky while bystanders gawked at them. Petunia followed them out, her shrill voice calling Vernon to let go. Dudley stayed seated, his mouth hanging open stupidly.
Lily stood there, feeling much the same, ignoring Mrs. Granger's attempts at pulling her away. She glanced around at the scattered magazines and papers, as if a hurricane had blown through the waiting room area. The lamps in the corner and the fixtures overhead were all shattered, and Lily could feel a bit of glass in her hair. Mrs. Granger's face was stark white, as she stared in horror at the girl she was still attempting to drag away. Mr. Granger had, at some point, appeared behind his wife, and he looked lost for words as he stared at the destruction around them. Lily finally understood, and swallowed the lump of fear that was now rising.
She accidentally used magic, in the middle of a Muggle business, with dozens of witnesses around.
She'd be expelled for sure.