Lily was extremely groggy when she woke the next morning, and her mouth tasted like death. She forgot to brush her teeth before bed. She'd forgotten a lot of things, actually. She fell asleep wearing her robes from the day, with the new Charms book open in her lap. The required text, not the French one. She wasn't ready for that one yet.
"Bloody hell," Lily said in a scratchy voice when she checked her hands. She'd spilled her ink bottle in her tossing and turning, and it was staining not just her clothes, but the sheets and blankets she'd borrowed from the Diggorys. Her right hand was completely black, and she could only guess how much had gotten onto her face and hair. Weasley was sleeping on the very end of the bed and was spared from the carnage.
She struggled to get most of it off of her in the shower. Her skin was still stained a bit, with streaks running across her cheek, and she wasn't able to get much out of her hair at all. Mrs. Diggory got most of it out for her after she was found crying in the bathroom for half an hour. Lily certainly appreciated it. By the time they were done, Lily thought she was almost pretty. Her eyes were still a bit puffy from the crying, though. She'd have to do something about that.
Lily didn't bother with a full robe. She just threw the apron she'd been given over her waistcoat and trousers. It had the store's logo on the chest, a spread open book with an F on one page and a B on the other in green lettering. She was getting a bit sick of that color.
Mrs. Diggory let her take the Floo, and she arrived in Diagon Alley just a quarter before eight. She yawned as she strolled down the relatively empty market street, waving to a few people who bothered to notice her.
It was going to be a long day. Lily knew that much from the instant she entered Flourish & Blotts. Mrs. Blott wasn't there, so a young lady, who couldn't be more than five years older than Lily, instructed her instead. She carried a long pole with her, and she already looked like she'd rather be anywhere else than here. Lily had to agree with that. She led her over to the display where the monster books were, and Lily felt her heart sink.
"Your job will be easy today," she said. "We're just putting you in charge of greeting customers and providing any students with a monster book. Anyone taking Care of Magical Creatures needs them, so it should keep you nice and busy."
"Lovely," Lily said as she took the pole. She couldn't help but notice all the bite marks at the end of it, and she was pretty sure this used to be a handle for a broom. The books below were growling at her. She didn't like that one bit.
"I am not going back in there," Lily shouted in the back room. Her hair was still a gnarly mess, her apron was torn (and her trousers, too, for that matter), and her arms and legs were covered in dozens of bruises and scratches. The only reason she wasn't actively bleeding was because Mrs. Blott, at the very least, had the decency to heal that.
And it was only the second day. She still had weeks to go.
"You most certainly are," Mrs. Blott said. She had her arms crossed against her chest. Lily was getting sick of that pose. "Somebody has to man the station, and Angela is busy-"
"You can do it," Lily said, "I am not-"
"Miss Potter," Blott said coldly, "I believe we had a deal. If you are incapable of upholding your side of it, then you are breaking the terms of our agreement, and I will have to-"
"Fine," Lily said. She stormed out of the room, not even bothering to plaster a smile back on her face.
There was a fourth year girl Lily was supposed to be helping, and she looked utterly terrified as Lily reached into the containment area with her bare hands and tore two gnawing and gnashing books apart, dumping one of them unceremoniously into the waiting customer's arms. She held the book at her chest, looking horrified, and Lily pointed her ever-so-kindly over to the register, making sure to shoot a scowl at Mrs. Blott.
"Wow, Lily," Lavender Brown said nervously. "You- err-"
"Look like a right mess," Lily said as she wiped the sweat from her face. She had her sleeves rolled up, and was busy stocking shelves. It was the first time in the four shifts she'd worked where she wasn't forced to deal with the monsters. Angela finally decided to take mercy on her. They wouldn't have gotten away with it if Mrs. Blott was here, but she was away for the day. Lily was currently avoiding that direction at all costs just in case Angela changed her mind. Every so often, Lily could hear her screaming or yelling about the books. She knew how that felt.
"I was going to say pretty," Lavender argued. She batted her long eyelashes at Lily, but she wasn't in the mood for it. Lavender always looked her absolute best, and today was no exception. Lily had never seen her in normal clothes before, and she was wearing a long, pink set of robes. They didn't look like they were capable of closing around her, and she was wearing a silver waistcoat underneath it all.
"You would have been lying to me," Lily said. "What books do you need? I can grab them for you."
"Oh, I was just here to chat, actually," Lavender said happily. "I saw in Teen Witches Weekly that you were going to be working here over the summer, and I thought you might get lonely!"
"Thanks, Lav," Lily said with a genuine smile. "Almost brings a tear to my eye."
"I could use a few things, though," Lavender said as she leaned in close. "Take your time, I'll just pretend to be having trouble, you can spend the rest of your shift with me!"
"Lav, I'm here until five."
"Really? That long? I thought they had you on part-time, we're only thirteen!"
Lily let out a grumble. "Mrs. Blott had 'business' to attend to, so they extended my shift."
"Well, I'll have to let mum know," Lavender said anxiously, "But I'll stay here with you, if you want."
Lily looked around in all directions, just to make sure nobody was watching, and then pulled Lavender into a tight hug. She smelled like her normal, flowery perfume.
"Thanks, Lavender," Lily said. She squeezed her a bit tighter.
"How was work?" Cedric asked just as Lily came out of the fireplace. He was sitting in an armchair across from his mother, and he didn't even raise an eyebrow at how disheveled Lily looked (and felt). He was too used to it by now. Lily still didn't know where the armchairs came from. She came home from work the first day, the room was bigger, and there were more seats available. Mysteriously, the door she saw on that first day was completely gone.
Lily groaned at him as she collapsed face first onto the open couch.
"How many shirts have you gone through now, dear?" Mrs. Diggory asked with a tut.
"Seven," Lily groaned. That was one for each of her shifts. She was almost out of them. Mrs. Diggory couldn't mend them with magic; the books were magical in nature, and so damage couldn't easily be repaired. Fixing them manually would leave them looking patchy and unusual; the books tended to tear whole chunks of fabric out.
"Want to go flying?" Cedric asked cheerily. "Sun's finally out, it's a nice day."
Lily grunted into the cushion.
"I'll get the brooms, then," Cedric said as he rose.
Lily was satisfied with her victory, even if she was incredibly sore. She felt like she might fall over at any moment, and Cedric offered to carry her on his back, just so she could rest. She took him up on the offer, just the once, and climbed up happily. He was actually quite comfortable. Cedric even carried both the brooms, which was really completely unnecessary. She gladly would have held them. She yawned and closed her eyes, just for a second.
"Well, she looks comfortable," Mr. Diggory said with a laugh. "You did good, son."
"She just looked tired, dad."
"Of course, of course. That's why you're letting her drool on your back."
Lily didn't notice the drool. She considered wiping it, just to be courteous, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Her body was just too sore.
"Take her up to bed, dear," Mrs. Diggory said softly. "I'll leave a plate out for her, just in case she wakes up later."
"Alright," Cedric said. Lily heard somebody else open up the door for them both, Mr. Diggory said something about how proud he was of his boy, and then Cedric was grunting as he took her up the stairs. She hoped she wasn't too heavy for him. She was almost the same height. Cedric might be taller than his parents, but he still came from short stock. He was breathing hard by the time they reached the top.
Her door clicked open, and she heard Weasley meowing at the both of them. Cedric brought her down onto her bed as gently as he could, and Lily felt her cat hop up next to her. Cedric had the grace to take her shoes off for her, at the least. Somebody placed a blanket over her, and then her door clicked shut carefully. Lily didn't even have to roll over before she was enthralled in another deep sleep.
The sun wasn't even quite up yet when she woke, but she'd slept long enough. She had last night's dinner sitting on the table, cold, waiting for her. She wasn't going to bother trying to heat it back up. She liked cold chicken, anyway. It was almost better that way. She sniffed it, first, just to make sure it was fine, and then bit into it. Then she checked the paper, wondering if they'd caught Black yet so she could go home.
As it turned out, she made the front page, and she did not like the headline.
Potter Breaks Statute: Ministry Refuses Action
Hazel Potter, now thirteen, is a hero, yes. That much simply cannot be denied. Ignoring her defeat of You-Know-Who, Miss Potter is the youngest to earn an order of Merlin, Second Class, in over a century.
What most readers may not know is that Ms. Potter has a petulant streak and, by all accounts, is one of the worst troublemakers on record at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Inside sources tell us that during Miss Potter's first year, she received almost two hundred counts of detention.
"Rubbish," Lily said angrily, her hands creasing the paper in her tight grip. Sure, she earned quite a few, but she certainly never broke triple digits, she was pretty sure she didn't even reach half that.
How is it even remotely possible for one student to earn that many in a single year, let alone all seven? Current Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, refused to comment on the issue, citing that "Hogwarts has every intention and obligation to keep the matters of its students private and secure."
Perhaps you aren't yet sold on the matter. After all, it was just one year, surely she hasn't kept up the record? For the most part, you'd be right, but don't get all smug about it quite yet, dear readers. Miss Potter had a little over a dozen detentions during her second year, a certain improvement.
But she was suspended before the Christmas holidays. The first suspension on Hogwarts record in half a century.
In addition, we have it on good authority that, shortly after escaping from the Chamber of Secrets, Ms. Potter was caught out after hours dueling another student. Said student has spoken with us, but has requested that their identity remain anonymous.
"She set a snake on me," he says, "She's a Parselmouth, did you know? I imagine Dumbledore's been keeping it under wraps, but the whole school knows, she summoned a serpent in front of them during the first Dueling Club meeting. She even tried to sic it on a Muggleborn! Thank goodness Professor Snape was there to stop her, or who knows what would have happened."
"How did they know about that?" Lily said out loud between bites of chicken. She was starting to think she'd set another serpent on Malfoy first chance she got.
So, Ms. Potter has a spotty record and, even when seemingly keeping her toes in line, still has a tendency to bully and assault her fellow students.
What about what she's been up to outside of school?
In the summer of 1992, before starting her second year of school, Potter was admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. What was the cause of this visit?
Blindness. Ms. Potter and one Ginevra Weasley were kept at St. Mungo's for a case of spontaneous blindness. On record, Ms. Weasley is listed as the caster, and the Ministry has ruled it a case of accidental magic, quite common for girls her age.
Ms. Potter fought the Basilisk by blinding herself. She has admitted to it. She has even explained exactly how she did so to her classmates immediately following the event (for a full description of these events, see page 32).
Lily took a deep breath, considering tossing the whole paper into the bin.
"It was the Night Vision Charm," she is on record for saying. "I learned it over the summer. Cast it in bright light, and you'll go blind."
"I do not talk like that!"
So Miss Potter was admitted to the hospital for blindness. She knows the very spell that did it. She used it again during school. But the official records state somebody else was behind the casting. That seems awfully convenient.
But the law breaking doesn't stop there, oh, no, Potter is too good for that. When asked if she has continued her practices during an interview at Flourish & Blotts just the last week, Miss Potter claimed she had absolutely not done a single spell outside of the school. I, like many of you, would love to believe this.
Or, I would, if it wasn't for another source. This source, who also wishes to remain anonymous, overheard Miss Potter discussing the matter with a boy (who she claims she is not involved with, but that is another matter; see the newest Teen Witches Weekly for details).
"She said she'd already used a few just in the last few days," our source tells us. "She's used a charm to create fire, as well as an Incarcerous Jinx."
A few of you may have read that and thought 'so what?' After all, who doesn't use those simple charms in their everyday lives? The difference between you and her is that she is only a twelve-year-old girl. It goes directly against international laws for Ms. Potter to cast magic outside of school. Students are made aware of this law after their first year at school, as many of you may remember.
So, dear readers, our hero, the Girl-Who-Lived, is willingly and knowingly breaking the law, and, by all accounts, seems to expect absolutely no punishment what-so-ever.
And she isn't wrong to believe this, either. You see, the Ministry has already received word of Miss Potter's doings, and even dispatched an investigator just a few weeks ago to investigate one such incident.
Miss Potter was visiting a dentist (a Muggle Healer, specifically for teeth) when multiple strong points of magic were detected. Upon arrival, the investigator found that the front window of the building had been smash outwards and the entire foundation was shaking.
The cause of this? One angry, screaming, teenage girl, standing at the center of it all.
"I wasn't screaming," Lily grumbled.
.
The Ministry again ruled it a case of accidental magic, and no punishment was doled out to the perpetrator for a blatant breaking of the Statute of Secrecy. Why would the Ministry pointedly refuse to seek punishment for breaking our most important law?
I'll let you brew the potion on that one.
Rita Skeeter
Special Correspondent.
Lily was shaking again by the time she set the paper down. She once again considered tossing it in the bin before anybody else could see it. Not for very long, though, because then she was actively doing it. She even crammed the remains of her meal on top of it, just to better hide it. She didn't have much of an appetite anymore.
And she still had to go to work.
"Potter," Mrs. Blott shouted, "Need you to restock the textbook shelves, they're almost empty."
Lily didn't respond. She shuffled past the angry older woman, grinding her teeth in her anger.
"Really," Mrs. Blott continued, "I shouldn't even have to be telling you to do so, it should have already been done."
Lily stayed silent.
"When you're done, you can scrub out the water closet," Mrs. Blott said. "And then you may leave."
Lily said a silent curse as the woman finally walked away.
Lily hated it here, for certain, and decided long ago not to shop here ever again. But this was, by far, one of the worst days she'd ever experienced. She almost would have preferred fighting the Basilisk again, or even fighting Quirrell in the Forbidden Corridor.
She would have preferred the Dursleys screaming at her. At least then there wouldn't be so many people to see her shame.
Almost every Hogwarts student had chosen this specific day to do their school shopping, and, of course, each and every single one of them had read the article before heading out.
"You should be locked up," one girl told her.
"Can't believe you'd show your face around here," a grown woman told her.
"You really don't have a boyfriend?" one cheeky boy said. At least that one had been nice to her, although she didn't like the way he kept looking at her every time she'd bend over.
She stacked the last of the charms book and then headed off to the back, where it felt significantly cooler. She wiped the sweat from her forehead as she pushed open the door, scrub brush and bucket in hand, and then let out a curse when she saw the mess some miserable excuse of a human being left her.
She left an hour late that day.
Lily erupted from the fireplace faster than she would have normally. She heard Mrs. Diggory say something to her, but she was already on her way upstairs by the time her brain registered it. She bumped into Cedric in the hallway as she passed. He was holding both of their brooms, clearly excited to see her back.
She went straight into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door tightly behind her. The tile was nice and clean and felt cold on her bare feet, once she wrenched her socks off. She ran the shower as hot as it could get as she threw off the rest. Somebody knocked at the door, but she ignored whoever called from beyond it.
When she was done, she retreated to her room as carefully and as quickly as she could. She heard the Diggorys talking down below, and found her Nimbus 2001 propped against her bed. She tucked it under her bed, then crawled under her sheets, her stomach still feeling tight. She could smell some sort of food cooking downstairs, but she wasn't in the mood for checking what it was. She missed her cat very dearly; he was still out exploring.
She woke up a few hours later, not sure how she'd fallen asleep at all. She didn't feel very well rested. She couldn't remember anything, as usual, but she was almost certain she'd had a nightmare. Her head was pounding from the leftover stress of it.
Somebody was knocking gently on her door. She raised her head to look at it, but it never opened.
"Lily?" Cedric called softly. "You awake?"
Lily got up as quickly as she could, given the situation. She pulled the door open ever so slightly, then laid back on her bed. Cedric slid in quietly, then shut the door behind him. The room was dark, but there was enough light coming from the setting sun that she could see him.
"What do you want?" Lily asked grumpily. She didn't know why she'd bothered letting him in, now. She felt like she wanted him out, but that wasn't fair. This was his house, not hers.
"You seemed upset," Cedric said plainly. He leaned against her door casually, running a hand through his hair. "Thought I'd check on you."
Lily snorted at that. "After what you did?"
Cedric's brow furrowed. "What do you-"
"Didn't read the paper today, did you?"
"Never came," Cedric said. Lily felt a bit bad, now. How was she supposed to be angry about it when he didn't even know?
"Skeeter's article came out today," Lily said hotly, finding the willpower to be angry about something. "Any idea what she said?"
"Probably some rubbish. Dad's always said not to trust a word that woman says."
"She knew I've been casting magic out of school, Cedric," Lily went on. She could feel her eyes burning, but she didn't think Cedric could see. "Any idea how she found that out?"
"Hold on," Cedric said quickly, no longer leaning quite so casually. "You don't think I- Lily, I wouldn't have said anything, I swear!"
"Then how did she find out? Nobody else knew but you."
"I don't know, but-"
"Just get out, Cedric," Lily said quietly. "Please. Just leave me alone."
"Lily, I-"
"Get out," Lily shouted, tossing one of her pillows at the boy. That seemed to do the trick, and Cedric retreated out the door. Lily hopped up from her bed, clicking the lock so he couldn't come back in. She heard his heavy footsteps heading back down the hall, heard him exchange a few words with his mother.
She jumped back onto her bed, burying her face into her remaining pillow, and tried to force herself back to sleep.
"Miss Potter!" Mrs. Blott yelled out, interrupting Lily's tirade. Lily backed away from the grown man, who left the storefront as quickly as he possibly could, other customers shooting him disgusted looks.
"What?" Lily asked rudely. She wasn't finished with him yet, but it was too late now.
"What in Merlin's name do you think you are doing?"
"Teaching a lesson," Lily said, crossing her own arms to match Blott.
"You never yell at a customer, what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking," Lily spat, "That the vile creature grabbed me when I bent over."
"Is that all?" Mrs. Blott said with a scoff.
"Is that all?" Lily repeated. "Are you-"
"Language, Potter!"
"You know what?" Lily said, ripping her apron off. "You can take the bloody apron back and shove it up your-"
"Potter!"
"I quit," Lily said, dropping it on the floor.
"You can't quit," Mrs. Blott said, her face completely red. "Doing so will result in-"
"So send me the bill," Lily said, walking straight out of the store. She was sure she'd see this story in some sort of publication in just a few days, but she didn't care. She had a plan, and she was going to act on it while the wild impulse was still with her. She ran over to the marble steps of Gringotts bank, hoping they wouldn't be too busy. She wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.
"This all seems in order, Potter," the Gringotts goblin said, shuffling the papers around and stacking them to the side neatly. "There is, of course, only the matter of who you would like to operate the business. Young witches and wizards are not allowed to own property until they come of age, after all."
"The Weasleys," Lily said quickly. "They'll do it, if I ask them." Lily was fine with not running it herself. It wasn't like she knew how to run a business in the first place; she'd be absolutely miserable at it.
"They will need to fill this out," the goblin said, sliding over yet another form over with his gnarled fingers. Lily took a glance at, her eyes already glazing over from how long the scroll was. The goblin tapped it with a single finger, and it rolled up. He stamped it with the wax he kept right by his hand, and then handed it over gently to Lily.
"Is there a timeframe on this?" she asked. The impulse was gone, just as she feared, and she'd need to work up the courage for it.
"A year," the goblin said. "We will need that time to secure the premises. You want a prime spot, Miss Potter, and it will not be easy to secure. If you cannot get this form back to us by the next summer, Gringotts will take possession of the property, as stipulated in the contract you have signed, and we will use it as we see fit. Your funds will be nonrefundable, of course."
"Got it," Lily said, hopping up from her seat. There was no way she'd need the full year, she was pretty sure of that.
"Then I shall see you at the grand opening of Potter Publications," the goblin said, holding out his hand for her to shake. She did so happily, not enjoying how rough his palms felt.
As Lily wandered back down Diagon Alley, scroll kept securely inside her robe, she started to feel nervous again. What if they say no? She had no idea who else to ask. She joined the queue at the Floo center as she thought, her mind racing at the possibilities. She hardly knew anybody in the Wizarding World that she could trust with this. She didn't even know if she could trust the Weasleys, as a matter of fact. She hadn't received so much as a letter of explanation from them since being whisked off to the Diggory's.
Come to think of it, she wasn't sure if this was even a good idea anymore. Sure, she was still furious at Flourish & Blotts, but she wasn't sure if spite was a good enough reason to open a bookstore of her own.
But it would be nice, she thought. It'd give her a nice little spot of her own, right in central Diagon, where she could read or draw to her heart's content. That was good enough, wasn't it, even if the spite ran out? She decided that was how she was going to sell it to the Weasleys. It sounded better that way.
Of course, there was the small matter of where the funds came from. That'd be hard to explain. They knew she had money, but they didn't know how much. Would they try and take it from her? Or would they just forbid her from using it?
It was her turn to use the Floo now. She grabbed a handful of the ash from a nearby pot and then tossed it into the fireplace.
"Diggory House," she muttered quietly as she stepped into the green flames. She was used to travelling by Floo now (hardly ever came out completely covered in ash), but it still made it very uncomfortable for anybody to hear where she was going. She didn't want strangers popping in to say hello to the Girl-Who-Lived.
She landed gently on the other side, stepping out into the sitting room without really paying any attention to her surroundings. Then she gave out a little cheer when she saw a familiar face, throwing her arms in a tight hug around the small, smiling woman.
"Hello, dear," Mrs. Weasley said sweetly, returning Lily's hug with equal enthusiasm. The red-headed woman looked more tired than Lily remembered, and perhaps a bit thinner, but absolutely much happier. Visiting with her eldest son had clearly done her some good.
"Where's the rest of them?" Lily asked as she glanced around the room. Only Mrs. Diggory was present in the room, smiling softly at the both of them.
"Getting unpacked at home," Mrs. Weasley said. "Why don't you run upstairs and grab your things? I'll have a little chat with Aubrey, don't worry about me."
"Be back in a bit," Lily called back as she ran up the stairs. Weasley chased after her, swiping at her heels. She almost stumbled as she made the landing. Her cat was far too fond of trying to kill her.
The excitement didn't vanish anytime soon. She threw all her things into her trunk as quickly as she could, ran to the bathroom to grab her toiletries, almost forgot her broom (still tucked under her bed), almost left her bound Monster Book of Monsters laying in the corner, and then, finally, when she was absolutely sure she had everything, she made her way down the stairs, her trunk hitting every step loudly.
"Got everything, dear?" Mrs. Weasley said. She'd been talking quietly with Mrs. Diggory just a moment ago, face serious and dark, but it lit back up as Lily entered the room.
"Pretty sure," Lily said with a nod.
"We'll send anything she's forgotten later, Molly," Mrs. Diggory said. "You should get on home, I'm sure you've both had quite the day."
Lily went through the Floo by herself, Mrs. Weasley offering to take her luggage back by Apparition. That seemed fair enough. She almost tumbled out of the familiar fireplace in her utter glee to be back where she was more comfortable. There was already a pot on the stove, some sort of stew simmering away happily. That made her feel a bit worse; the Weasleys must have been back hours before they'd bothered sending for her. She felt a bit better when she remembered she'd been at work.
"Blimey," Fred, one of the twins, said from near the fridge. Lily was horrified to see that he'd pulled further ahead of her again height-wise. "You look terrible."
"Did you get into a fight with another troll?" George, the other twin, added. He matched his twin in the infuriating inches.
"A book, actually," Lily said happily, forgiving their growth spurts. She pulled both twins into a hug at once, something neither was accustomed to. They returned it, at least, although not as tightly. It was as good as she was going to get.
"Listen," Fred said as they finally broke off, "Try to avoid Percy, he's-"
"Ah, Lily," Percy said as he entered the kitchen. He was wearing his nicest sweater, and had a bright, gold pin stuck on the front of it. "Nice to see you again, have you-"
"Percy!" Lily said. She moved across the kitchen, pulling the new boy into a hug. He was the oldest of the Weasley kids (that Lily had met), although not nearly as tall as the rest of his brothers. He was thinner and tended to be more stuck up. He returned the hug awkwardly.
"I see you've heard the news, then," he said as they broke off. He tapped the pin on his chest proudly, and Lily read it for the first time.
"You made Head Boy!" she said with enthusiasm. "That's great, Percy, really, you deserve it!"
"Bloody hell," she heard George mutter. "He's got a fan."
"We'll never hear the end of this one," Fred agreed.
"We can hear you, you know," Percy added. "Really, I don't know why the two of you can't show the same amount of enthusiasm for your own family."
Lily backed away out the kitchen, trying to avoid hearing the ensuing row. Her enthusiasm had been dampened a bit by the comment on family, but she tried to summon it back to hug the next person that entered her line of sight.
"Ginny!" she said, pulling the younger girl into the tightest hug yet. Ginny was much shorter than Lily was, although she was certainly growing into her own height. Lily was pretty sure she'd still be taller in the end. Ginny's face was awfully red, but so were her neck and shoulders. She must have gotten a lot more sun than the others did. Lily could sympathize; she always burned really easily.
"Hullo, Lily," Ginny said happily. She was the first to return Lily's hug with equal enthusiasm. "Did you have a good holiday?"
"Yes," Lily lied. "Should be better, now, though, now that you're all back. How was Egypt?"
"Hot," Ginny said, "But pretty. Bill took us on a tour of the pyramids, but he wouldn't let us see any of the really cool stuff. Mum wouldn't let him. There was a Pharaoh's tomb he tried to sneak us off into, but-"
"Ron!" Lily said suddenly, running towards the smiling face of one of her few friends. He was at the next landing, on the creaky steps, and his face broke into a genuine smile as they locked eyes. His crooked nose had a bit of dirt on it, but it almost always did. Lily had no idea where it kept coming from.
"Tell you later, then," Ginny muttered.
Lily threw Ron into another hug, and received one back, which was a first from the boy. He wasn't normally very affectionate at all.
"How's work been?" he asked.
"I quit," Lily said with a shrug. It felt very good to say it. "Today, as a matter of fact."
"Lasted longer than I thought you would," Ron said with another smile. "Say, I have a surprise for you, for your birthday, I got-"
"The Quidditch game?" Lily said. Ron's face fell, and she hurried to provide an alternative explanation. "We already planned on it, Ron, it was my idea in the first place."
"Right," Ron said quickly, "Well, I got us some tickets. Harpies versus the Catapults, next weekend. Neville and Hermione already said they're coming."
"Can't wait," Lily said happily. "Say, did you-"
"Ah, Lily," Mr. Weasley called from above. "Could you come up here for a moment?"
"We'll catch up later," Ron said with a clasp on her shoulder. She gave him a shrug, then started up the stairs.
Mr. Weasley was waiting for her outside her room, and he gestured inside. He looked far more tired than his wife did, his gaunt face looking even more haggard. She was pretty sure he had even less hair, too. Lily got the vague impression that he'd spent their holiday worrying about something. Lily didn't want to cause him any further issues, so she went inside without arguing. Gwenog Jones winked at her from the ceiling, and she winked back just as Mr. Weasley closed the door behind the two of them. She'd meet her, soon enough. She hoped she wouldn't mention the poster in her nervousness.
"I just wanted to talk to you about something," Mr. Weasley began. "Didn't want the others to overhear."
"The Diggorys were fine," Lily said as she sat on her bed. She had to resist the urge to lay down. Her exhaustion was coming back now that the excitement was waning. She still had quite the long day.
"Not about that," Mr. Weasley said, "Although I'm happy to hear it. We'll start with the more pressing issue: You didn't see anybody watching you over the holiday, did you?"
Lily thought about the throngs of people staring at her every hour of every day.
"No," she lied.
"Good," Mrs. Weasley said in relief. "If you see anybody, don't approach them, understand? It could be trouble."
"Is this about the Sirius Black thing?" Lily asked. "You called right after I read the paper. Nobody's seen him since he broke out."
"And that's precisely the issue," Mr. Weasley said firmly. "Dumbledore doesn't want me to give you the full information, but you deserve to know. Black was a strong believer in You-Know-Who, back before- well, you know- and he went a bit mad after his fall."
Lily was feeling a lot more nervous now. "You think he might be after me?"
"Can't be sure," Mr. Weasley said quickly, "But, yes. That's why I had you stay with the Diggorys. I didn't want you to go to the Quidditch match, either, but Molly managed to convince me. You should be safe around all those people, but still, do not follow anybody you don't know. Stay with Ron and the others, and never leave their sight."
"I promise," Lily said.
"Then the second thing," Mr. Weasley continued. "I had a few ales left when we left. Do you know what happened to them?"
Lily's mouth fell open in shock. "They aren't there anymore?"
"No," Mr. Weasley said with a knowing smile. "It's all right, Lily, it's not that big a deal. I had more than a few drinks at your age, and we let Ron have some over the-"
"I didn't drink them," Lily interrupted quickly, "Really, I didn't-"
"It's alright," Mr. Weasley said with a laugh. "I won't mention it to Molly, don't worry. I just ask that you be safe if you're going to have any more, and that you ask first. Like I said, we let Ron have-"
"Really, Mr. Weasley, I didn't drink them, Aunt-"
She stopped in her tracks. She was about to say, "Aunt Petunia always told me women can't drink without permission." She pushed it to the back of her mind. The last thing she wanted was to take any lessons from her.
Mr. Weasley was still smiling at Lily the same way, and she couldn't bring herself to protest any further, even though she felt wronged.
"I won't do it again," she said.
"Really, Lily, there's not a problem," Mr. Weasley said kindly. "You're welcome to have one with your supper, if you want, we let the boys have a pint when they want it. Err- not tonight, though, we're fresh out."
"I'll think about it," Lily said, feeling awfully embarrassed.
"I'll let you get unpacked, then," Mr. Weasley said as Lily's trunk magically appeared in the room, mewing cat cage sitting on top of it. "Molly must have sent it ahead. We'll call you down for supper, yeah?"
Lily nodded, and then leaned back onto her mattress the very second Mr. Weasley left the room, staring up at Gwenog Jones.
"Why doesn't anyone ever believe me?" she mumbled.
It didn't take long at all for Lily to unpack her things. When she packed it in the first place, she just threw random articles of clothing in. It was a bit more involved to return it all, since she came home with more belongings than she left with, but she was still finished long before the Weasleys were. She spent her time afterwards helping Mrs. Weasley clean the bottom floor, feeling sorry that she never had the opportunity to get it all done before.
She was also, of course, trying to figure out how best to approach the topic that was currently sitting in her pocket. She felt like Mrs. Weasley was her best chance; Mr. Weasley was really far too busy to consider helping her, and she'd never get him to leave his Ministry post.
"Can you get in that corner, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, pointing over to the opposite side. Lily hurried to obey, bringing her duster over. It'd be much faster if Mrs. Weasley just did it all by magic, but Lily got the impression she enjoyed spending time with whoever she could get to help her, even if it was the Potter girl (who it almost always tended to be).
The tail of her cat brushed past her legs. Lily glanced over, saw him head up the stairs, and then turned back to her work, making sure to clean as thoroughly as she could. She heard somebody else coming down the stairs. Ron sat himself down on the couch without so much as a "hello," fussing about with his pet rat, Scabbers. Lily rolled her eyes, and then moved on to another corner. She had to stand on her toes to reach the highest parts. She was starting to wonder if she was actually tall, after all, or if she was just pretending. Ron could have easily reached it without stretching at all; somehow, he was even taller in just the short two months it took to see him again.
"Get off," Lily heard him say. She spared a glance at him. He was moving Weasley softly away from his lap. The cat was staring at the rat. Lily thought nothing of it. He did that all the time.
"I could use your help in the kitchen, dear," Mrs. Weasley called. Lily set down her duster and hurried off. Just as soon as she entered the room, Mrs. Weasley handed her a loaf of bread and a sharp knife, setting her to work on slicing it for their upcoming meal. The bread was still hot to the touch, being fresh out of the oven, and the knife went through it with hardly any effort. Lily used a different knife to butter each slab of bread, then set them in a basket on the table.
"Lily, can you get your bloody cat?" Ron shouted from the kitchen.
"I'm busy," she shouted back.
"I'll get him, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, hurrying off in a fluster. Lily had a feeling she'd give her son some sharp words.
She came back faster than Lily expected, plopping the cat right in the middle of the kitchen floor. Normally, he would have stayed there, staring up at Lily while she busied over whatever it was she was doing. She saw him slink back off into the sitting room instead.
Lily let out a sigh, set the last piece of bread in the basket, and then hurried off after him. She turned the corner just in time to see Weasley leap into the air, soaring straight towards the rat Ron was trying to take upstairs.
"GET OFF!" Ron shouted. Lily let out a squeak, very similar to the one Scabbers was currently making, and then dove for her cat right before he could sink his claws into the rat. Scabbers managed to get behind a shelf, and Lily held tightly to Weasley, making soothing sounds to calm him down.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly to Ron, "I don't know what-"
"Keep your bloody monster away from Scabbers," Ron said angrily, his arm trying to dig Scabbers out from his hiding place.
"He was only-"
"He's ill," Ron said, "He's been losing weight for weeks, look!"
Ron held out the shaking rat, and Lily had to agree he looked dreadful. His hair was coming out in patches, and he was nowhere near as plump as he used to be. Lily had to readjust the weight in her arms; Weasley was still trying to get out.
"I'll keep him in my room for now," Lily offered. "Just until Scabbers is better."
Ron pursed his lips for a moment, as though he was considering saying something else.
"Thanks," he said instead.
"Get up, Lily," Ron whined. "Game's in three hours, you need to get ready."
Lily groaned and rolled out of bed. Her body felt stiff and awkward and greasy. She still felt gross. She chalked that up to the dirty outfit she was still wearing. She could almost smell herself. She spent the time leading up to the game helping Mrs. Weasley out with whatever she needed done, trying to find a good time to bring up her scroll. Yesterday they spent entirely in the garden, pulling up weeds, planting new seeds, tossing gnomes over the fence, and trying to get Weasley to stay put and stop going after Ron's pet. She went to bed still covered in dirt. She meant to change and freshen up, first, but she also only meant to lay down for just a few minutes while Mrs. Weasley readied dinner.
Instead, she woke up to a bright and sunny room, still feeling groggy despite how much sleep she got.
She grabbed a fresh set of robes, a new waistcoat, a pair of trousers, and one of her new pairs of boots. They were a nice, dark leather, as Hogwarts required, and went halfway up to her knee. As for the colours, the robe was a dark green, and her waistcoat was a solid gold. She had to settle for khakis on her trousers, but they were close enough to the Harpies colours. She didn't think anybody would mind.
She did feel much better as she exited the shower, she had to admit. She felt nice and clean at the very least. She could hear Ron calling for her again downstairs but couldn't quite make it out through the closed door. He'd have to wait just a bit longer. She still had to do her make up and try taming the wild mass of curls that was her hair. It didn't seem to be getting better anytime soon. Even the Weasleys noticed. Mrs. Weasley had seemed especially pleased; she was the only one with curls in the family. She confessed that Ginny used to, but she always wanted to be more like her brothers, and her hair changed a year before she entered Hogwarts. It made Lily feel better about it, at least; it was a perfectly normal thing for a witch's hair to modify itself. Mrs. Weasley even let her borrow a book, A Witch's Guide to Erratic Beauty.
"About bloody time," Ron whined as she finally made her way down. "We're supposed to get on the Knight Bus to Hermione's, Nev's going to meet us at the stadium."
"Hermione hated the Knight Bus," Lily said. She clicked her holster shut around her wrist, tucked her wand in, and pulled her robe over to hide it. She'd just used it to dry her hair. She didn't think anybody would notice. She had it tied up, not wanting to deal with doing any more.
"Then you better hope she didn't give up on us," Ron said. He was already heading out the door, clearly anxious to get moving. Lily took the time to hug Ginny before heading out, since she was standing awkwardly in the border between sitting room and kitchen. Ginny returned it, but refused to pull away when Lily tried to.
"Think you can get Gwenog's autograph for me?" she asked nervously.
"Yes," Lily said with a nod. "Err- if she'll do two. I want one."
"Neville!" Lily called out. She ran forward, closing the boy in a tight hug before he could so much as respond. "Did you get the gift I sent you?"
"Hullo, Lily," he said. He closed his arms around her back awkwardly. She had them pinned to the side. "Planted them the same day, thanks a lot!"
"Thanks for the book!" Lily said as she squeezed tighter. "Took a while to find me, though."
"You've lost weight, mate," Ron said as he gave Neville's shoulder a firm pat. Lily finally broke off from him, letting Hermione get in her turn.
"Gran made me," he muttered. He rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, one arm closed around Hermione. "Said I might not have been petrified if I could run a bit faster."
"You look great, Neville," Hermione offered.
"Yeah, Neville, really," Lily agreed. His hair no longer clung to his head as awkwardly, and with his face less round, his features got more room to shine. Lily hadn't realized his nose was so big, but she was pretty sure it only seemed that way. She was used to the rest of him being larger, too.
"Grew a bit, too," Ron said. "You're taller than Hermione, now."
Hermione shot him a glare. She was the shortest of the four, now.
"Not as tall as us, though," Lily said with a smile. Just yesterday, Mrs. Weasley commented on how much she'd grown, and she was still riding high from it.
"They can't all be freaks of nature like us," Ron said. Lily sent her elbow right back into his ribs.
"I am not a freak," Lily argued. She wasn't sure where this spike of anger was coming from, but she didn't like that word very much.
"Please," Ron said. "Where did all this come from, then? Two years ago, you were half your size."
"I am not a freak, Ron."
"Well, you sure grew like one."
"What does that make you?" Neville asked.
"A bigger freak," Ron said with a shrug.
"GO!" Lily shouted with the rest of the crowd. She nearly dropped her pie as she rose from her seat, but Hermione caught it just in time. Well, it was her pie to begin with. She just couldn't finish it, so Lily took over. On her last count, she'd had seven, but she felt like she could go for more.
"Easy there, Lily," Hermione said softly. They were very high up, and Hermione was always nervous with heights.
"COME ON!" Lily shouted with Ron. They were both nearly leaning over the railing, pounding on the side of the frame. Lily could feel Hermione trying to hold her back.
"AND GRIFFITHS DROPS THE QUAFFLE!" The announcer shouted. Lily groaned and collapsed back into her seat, her arms crossed against her chest. She heard Ron swear loudly as he did the same.
Lily glanced around the field, looking for the Golden Snitch that would end the game. It was much harder to do than it had been at school. Professional fields, despite what she'd been told at school, were actually not larger than the school league's. At least not length or widthwise.
The third dimension was another story. The six goalposts, three on each side, rose far higher into the air, leaving more vertical space to maneuver for every player, not just the Seeker. Since the players were all much higher up, the stadium seats were, too; from where they were sitting (and they were rather nice seats) they still looked down on the field below, giving them a nice vantage that Hermione was simply incapable of appreciating.
"There!" Lily shouted finally, the same time the announcer spoke.
"TAEKO HAS SEEN THE SNITCH!"
The crowd roared, drowning out the rest of her words, as the green and gold blur shot directly past Ron and Lily, who were standing and leaning over the ledge again. Lily was leaning so far out she could almost feel the cloth of the player's robe flapping in the air nearby.
"GO!" Lily and Ron shouted as one. The green player stretched out her arm just as the opponent Seeker caught up to them. It was too late, though, and Lily saw the Harpie's claw close around the golden speck.
"TAEKO ASARI HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! THE HARPIES WIN, 420 TO 170!'
"YES!" Lily screamed loudly with the rest of the crowd. Somehow, she was hugging Ron tightly, both teenagers wearing the same, stupid grin.
"Do you think they'd give me an autograph?" Lily asked excitedly as they inched their way closer. Lily's legs were burning from the amount of stairs they had to climb. They were on the Harpies' entrance side. A couple of female guards were blocking off the entryway to their changing rooms.
"They're signings usually take a really long time," Ron said, "But I don't see why not. Don't start for a while, though, they just got off the field, they'll be changing. Doubt they'll let us in."
"I bet I can get in," Lily said with a wink. She strolled forward, not sure where this sudden confidence was coming from. She liked it, though.
One of the guards stepped into her path, shaking her head.
"No entry," she said, holding a hand up. "The Harpies will greet fans later."
"Pardon me," Lily said, brushing the hair aside on her forehead. "I'm Hazel Potter. I was just wondering if they'd make an exception?"
The guard's eyes widened, Lily's little trick working wonders. She exchanged a look with the other guard, who quickly ducked into the changing room while the other stayed in front of Lily. Half a minute later, and the guard came back out, nodding.
"Head on in, Miss Potter," the first guard said, stepping back out of the way.
"Thank you," she said with a satisfied smile. She actually hadn't been sure that would work.
"Bloody hell," she heard Ron say from a distance away. She threw him a wave over her shoulder.
The locker room was plastered in the dark greens and golds of the Holyhead Harpies, and there was a collection of robes framed and lined along the far wall. Lily didn't recognize any of the names, but some of the fabrics looked truly ancient. Half of the team were in various states of undress, something which made Lily feel a bit embarrassed, but they didn't even seem to notice or care. A tall, dark skinned woman was still wearing her full regalia, though, and she offered a broad smile and a handshake as Lily approached nervously.
She's just as pretty in real life, Lily thought. Her mouth was suddenly very dry, all the moisture redirecting itself to her suddenly very clammy hands. She tried to rub them off on her robes before clasping them firmly on the those of her idol.
"Hazel Potter," Gwenog Jones said. "Pleased to meet you. I'm-"
"Gwenog Jones!" Lily said excitedly. She couldn't bring herself to let go of the woman's hand, even though she was sure it must be awkward by now. "I know! I have a poster of you on my- err- wall!"
Gwenog Jones laughed, and Lily heard most of the team follow after it. She even heard herself chuckling, although he had no idea when she started. She finally let go of Gwenog's hand.
"Did you hear that, girls? Potter's a fan of mine!"
"Guess we don't have to ask who her favourite player is," a dark-haired girl asked from the back. Lily recognized her as the lady who caught the Snitch, but she was having a hard time thinking of the name with how flustered she was.
"Do you know the rest of the squad, Hazel?" Gwenog asked, gesturing for Lily to follow her forward. "Do you mind if I call you Hazel?"
"I go by Lily," Lily said, "It was my mum's name." She almost stumbled on her first step. That wasn't a good sign.
"Let me introduce you, then, Lily," Gwenog said happily. "Japanese girl back there is Taeko Asari, she's the Seeker. Probably already knew that. She caught the bloody Snitch. We like to call her Empress, because she's always telling us what to do."
"Nobody can tell you what to do, Jones," the same dark-haired lady from before said. Gwenog was pointing at her. That meant her name was Taeko. Lily tried to remember, then realized something; she looked very familiar.
"You look like Sae," Lily said stupidly. Taeko laughed loudly.
"I hope so," she said. "She's my sister. Didn't notice the surname, did you?"
"No," Lily said with her cheeks flushed. "Sorry."
"Watch out for her, will you?" Taeko asked. "Don't think she has too many friends, she hasn't written to anyone all summer."
"I told you to have her meet up with my niece, Tae," Gwenog said. Lily tried to commit that part to memory; she never knew Gwenog had a relative at Hogwarts, and she was very much looking forward to meeting her. For now, she brought her attention back to the Seeker in front of her.
She had the same pretty eyes and face that Sae had, although her nose was a tad bit longer, and seemed to be bent at the bridge. She must have taken a bludger to the face too many times. Pomfrey loved to warn everybody that a nose could only be mended so many times before it didn't sit right.
"She wrote me for her birthday," Lily said. She couldn't seem to stop herself from talking.
"Did she?" another lady said. She had brown, curly hair, and sounded Irish. Lily was pretty sure she was the other Beater, but she'd only ever paid attention to Gwenog. Some fan she was. "Did you hear that, Tae? We told you not to worry about her so much."
"That's Arabella," Gwenog whispered. Lily felt her face flush as Gwenog leaned in closer. "We call her Artie. Don't ask why."
"Arabella Blake," Lily said quickly, putting two and two together. She hurried forward, offering her hand to shake, which Artie did gladly. She wasn't wearing a shirt at all. Lily tried not to stare.
"Ah, she does know me!" Artie said in a heavier lilt. Seemed it got more pronounced when she got excited, just like Katie Bell. Lily liked that. She didn't mention she only knew her from Ginny; Artie was her second favorite player, right after Gwenog.
Lily was sorely tempted to ask about the nickname, despite the warning, but she was already shaking Taeko's hand., and then, right after, a blonde lady, who didn't seem too pleased to see her.
"Harriet Evans," she said in a pompous accent. Lily couldn't quite tell where it was from.
"My mum's surname was Evans!" Lily said in a happy tone. "And- err- I get called Harry all the time."
"People still gaff you about that?" Gwenog asked with another laugh. "You'd have thought people would have more interesting things to talk about. Blimey, here's a free lesson, Lily: just hit anybody that gives you any trouble. Solves all your problems."
"Until the coppers nick you," Artie said leaning in closer to Lily to whisper. "She spent a night in a Muggle jail just a few weeks ago for slugging a bloke."
"Had it coming, didn't he?"
"Sure, Gwen, no one's arguing otherwise."
"I'll- err- keep it in mind," Lily said. Gwenog glanced over her, looking her up and down.
"Taller than I expected, Potter," she said with a satisfied nod. "Not much muscle, though. You know how to throw a punch?"
"No," Lily admitted.
"Here, I'll show you," Artie said, taking up position fully behind Lily, who now found herself very flushed. Artie walked her through the motions, while the rest of the team gabbed and joked with her. By the time it was over, Lily felt very hot, but all the Harpies seemed satisfied with their work. She could hardly remember a word of what transpired, but the motion was now locked into her brain.
"Just remember to put your weight into it," Artie said as they finally broke away.
"And don't take any gaff from anybody," Gwenog said. "Nip it in the bud and you won't have to worry about a thing. That right, Artie?" She was suddenly wearing very casual clothing. Lily had no idea when that happened. She still had her robe slung over her shoulder, though.
"Right, Gwen," Artie agreed.
"We need to get going, Jones," Harriet said, sounding more annoyed than the last time she spoke. Judging from the look the other Harpies were giving her, Lily got the impression she wasn't much liked.
"First, though," Gwenog said, pulling the Quidditch robe off her shoulder. "Something for you. Go on, take it."
"I-I-" Lily stammered, her eyes going wide. Gwenog Jones was handing her an official Quidditch robe. It had her name emblazoned on the back, with her number, and the sigil of the golden, crowned Harpie. "I can really have it?"
"Go on," Gwenog insisted with a cheeky smile. "You play Quidditch, don't you?'
"Seeker," Lily said with a voice full of wonder. The robe felt a lot softer in her hands than she would have expected.
"Really? Well, you're lanky enough for it, I suppose, but you're almost as tall as me and Artie, I would have pegged you as a Beater for sure. Guess you still have some filling out to do."
"Yeah," Lily agreed, not really hearing a word Gwenog was saying. She was too busy trying on the robe. It felt a bit loose around her, Gwenog really was far more muscular, but it was almost the right length. Just a couple of inches off.
"You look great in green, Potter," Gwenog said with a satisfied nod. "You take good care of that, now, and when you're done with school, you come play for us, got it?"
"Got it," Lily said happily.
"C'mon, girls," Gwenog said, pulling the Taeko and Artie in closer, since they were nearest her. "Let's get a group photo. It'll look good in the paper."
"Oh!" Lily said quickly, happy she'd remembered. "I- err- promised a friend I'd get your autograph for her."
Gwenog winked at her, then pulled Lily into the very center of frame. Lily hadn't even noticed a photographer enter in her excitement, but there was one, standing before them all. Lily was surrounded by the Quidditch team, all friendly and joking with each other and smiling at her.
"I'll send you a few signed copies," Gwenog said. "For your 'friend.' You'll have to tell me where to send them, though."
"Thanks," Lily said with a dumb smile on her face. The whole thing hurt, really. She must have been wearing it the entire time she was in here. She hoped she didn't embarrass herself too much.
There was a loud click, a bright flash, and then her eyes had dark spots in them.