The lights clicked on suddenly, and Lily groaned, pulling the blanket over her face. She could hear an assortment of similar reactions from around the room. She heard Sae sigh from below her, followed by the sounds of the other girl getting up from her mattress. Lily was disappointed she hadn't frozen to death after all, although it certainly felt like her body tried its best. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be warm. When she tried to shower, the warm water felt like it was boiling.
"You could have warned me about the lights," Lily grumbled over breakfast. She had a plate piled high with nothing but eggs, and she had a stack of toast sitting next to her.
"Sorry," Sae said with a yawn. "Slipped my mind. They come on every morning at half past six. Half past nine on the weekend."
"Lovely," Lily grumbled.
"Some girls still have a bit of a lie in," Sae said. "Just put a pillow over your eyes. Works well enough."
"I'll keep that in mind," Lily said. She waved sleepily to Hermione as she entered the Great Hall. The girl was alone, now. Lily was the only Gryffindor that ever got up with her this early. She probably wouldn't see Ron or Neville until their first class together. Lily gestured towards the door, intending to invite Hermione to eat outside, but the other girl wasn't looking in her direction any longer. She was conversing with Professor McGonagall, who was handing her a slip of paper.
"Snape's coming with the schedules," Sae said with a jerk of her head.
"Good morning, Professor," Lily said with a smile as he approached the two of them.
"Potter," Snape said, hardly looking at her. "Asari. Your schedules."
Snape handed each girl a sheet of paper. Lily noticed that hers seemed a lot more crowded than Sae's did, but that made sense, seeing as how she had three extra classes this year. She also noticed one thing that caused her immediate distress and, judging from the look she shared with the Gryffindor girl, Hermione had also noticed it.
"Professor?" Lily said before he could walk away.
"What is it, Potter?" Snape said impatiently.
"We don't have Potions with Gryffindor this year?" Lily asked. She had it first thing in the morning on Mondays for three hours, but it was noted as "Slytherin and Hufflepuff."
"Clearly not," Snape said in a bored tone.
"We don't have any classes with them, Professor?" Lily asked a bit more nervously.
"I believe you share Care of Magical Creatures, Potter," Snape said, "You will serve your detention Saturday morning. Do not be late."
He strode away before she could ask another question, which was good, because she had about a hundred of them. She swore, instead, and tucked the schedule in her bag, standing to leave.
"Where are you going?" Sae asked.
"To the library," Lily said. She noticed Hermione standing from the Gryffindor table. "Oh, and happy birthday, Sae. Mrs. Weasley said she'd send some biscuits for you from home. Watch for Errol: he'll be the owl that looks like he's about to die."
"You didn't have to do that," Sae called after her.
"What do we do, Lily?" Hermione asked again as they made their way back down the stairs. Lily had to get to Transfiguration, while Hermione had to get to Charms.
"What can we do?" Lily said. At least Ron and Neville weren't here yet. She was sure she'd hear enough of their complaining when they had Care later today. At least they'd be in Hagrid's first ever class. That was a blessing.
"I still think we should go to Dumbledore," Hermione said.
"Why? Dumbledore's not going to change the schedules just because we don't like it. I'll be fine, Hermione, I'll just be a bit bored."
"You're sure?" Hermione asked. "Maybe I could ask him to-"
Lily gave her a firm pat on the shoulder, and that snapped her out of it.
"I'm sure," Lily said with a confident smile. She nudged her head towards the Charms classroom behind her. "Go on, Hermione, I'll see you after lunch."
With that, and a final hug, Lily found herself walking down to the first floor by herself. There was still ten minutes before class, but when she arrived, she found every Slytherin student already sitting, all the prime seats taken. She took a seat in the back, near the door, right behind Malfoy and his friends. They didn't seem to notice her. Malfoy was still drumming his fingers on his desk, staring at the cat sitting on McGonagall's desk at the head of the classroom.
Interesting, Lily thought. She'd never seen this cat around the school before. It was a tabby, with some square markings around the eyes. It seemed to be staring sternly at them all, its tail swishing back and forth in disapproval as it watched Crabbe picking his nose.
Millicent Bulstrode was coughing from the seat next to Lily. It sounded dreadful, and Lily wished she'd cough in another direction. Even Malfoy seemed a bit perturbed by the burly Slytherin girl, based off the glare he shot her. That got her at least trying to stifle the things.
The bell was ringing far above them, now, but Professor McGonagall still hadn't arrived. Lily briefly considered leaving, since the professor was never late, when the cat suddenly jumped from the desk. Before Lily could even blink, the cat morphed and stretched, growing longer limbs and a long, green robe, as it transformed into Professor McGonagall, who threw them all a thin smile. Lily matched it with a broad one and clapped along with most of the class (Malfoy just stared straight at her).
"Thank you," McGonagall said proudly. "That, students, is an example of an Animagus. Those who are especially talented in the field of Transfiguration will be able to perform this feat by the end of their seventh year, although you will not start learning how until your sixth. We will cover the very basics of Human Transfiguration in this year; you will need to pay closer attention than before. This is, by far, the most difficult magic you will do at Hogwarts, and it is imperative you do not make mistakes. We will be covering only hair, this year, and we will move on to other body parts before you reach your OWLs. Open your books to chapter one and let us begin."
Following that was probably the most fun class Lily had ever had in Transfiguration. For once, McGonagall managed to capture her complete attention, and her parchment was completely covered in notes and diagrams by the time the bell rang at the end of the hour. They were thankfully spared homework, as it was the first day, and Lily left the classroom feeling good about herself. Even Malfoy's rude comments about the Gryffindor Head of House didn't spoil her good mood, although when he moved on to her, it did sting a bit. She couldn't stand the sound of them laughing at her, but she didn't dare retaliate in the crowded hallways.
Charms went even better, as it normally did. They were starting Skating Charms today, a curious little spell that made the soles of the caster (or whatever else the target was) act as if one was gliding along ice on a pair of skates. Lily got the charm to work wonderfully but found she didn't have the talent for it. Her posterior was still hurting her as she sat down to enjoy a spot of lunch. She didn't mind being assigned homework, though; she clearly needed to work on her balance.
She spotted Hermione, Neville, and Ron all coming down from their previous classes (although not together, curiously enough), and they quickly wolfed down their own meals before meeting her in the Entrance Hall, with huge smiles on their faces. Hermione's seemed a bit fake, but Neville's and Ron's seemed genuine.
"Just had Defense with Lupin," Ron said cheerily as they strolled onto the school grounds. "He's brilliant, best teacher we've ever had for the class."
"Really?" Lily said. "I don't have him until tomorrow morning."
"Well, you'll love it, Lily," Hermione said, her voice neutral. "Even Neville did well."
"Really?" Lily said again, shooting a happy look at Neville, who scratched the back of his head. He seemed awfully pleased with himself.
"He had us fight a boggart!" Ron went on. "You should have seen it, Lily, the way that Neville-"
"Oh, let her see it for herself tomorrow, Ron," Hermione said. "We don't want to spoil her, do we?"
"What's a boggart?" Lily asked.
"Turns into whatever you fear most," Ron said before Hermione could stop him.
"That doesn't sound very pleasant," Lily said. She noticed Hermione look away from her.
"Well, that part wasn't," Rona admitted, "But the point is he actually had us defending ourselves, and it was brilliant! Just wait, Lily, you'll see."
"What did yours turn into?" Lily asked.
"A spider," Ron said, not sounding quite as confident anymore.
"Mine was Snape," she heard Neville mutter.
"What about you?" Lily asked Hermione. Hermione's face paled, and she heard Ron start up again.
"Doesn't matter," he said quickly. "Hardly got to see the thing before Lupin jumped in front of it."
"What was his?" Lily asked instead. Clearly, Hermione didn't want to share right now, and she was fine with that.
"A crystal ball," Ron said with a shrug.
"Really?" Lily asked for a third time. They were nearing Hagrid's hut, now, where most of the Gryffindors were already waiting. Lily was the first Slytherin to arrive. She waved to Lavender and Parvati, who waved back eagerly, then went back to chatting with the group. None of the students looked particularly happy to be there, holding their Monster Books, each of which was bound with a different form of cord. Lily still had hers in the ropes she conjured over the summer, Ron had a worn leather belt over his, Neville's was tied with a strip of cloth, and Hermione's was bound in dozens of strands that Lily sincerely hoped was not actual dental floss.
Hagrid trudged out of the forest before the Slytherins arrived, waving happily at them all, his face lit red from his excitement. Lily waved back eagerly, trotting forward to greet him.
"Morning, Hagrid!" she said, even though it wasn't quite morning anymore. "What have you got for us?"
"A surprise," Hagrid said with a wink. "You'll love it, trust me."
The rest of the students didn't seem to appreciate it, but Lily didn't share the apprehension. She'd been looking forward to this all summer. She might not have read the text, but she did pore over all the books she owned, including new ones she bought over the summer.
The rest of Slytherin finally showed up just as the bell was ringing. Lily was surprised to see every single one of her fellow third years here. She really expected half at most. Malfoy was sneering at Hagrid, and Lily saw him nudge Crabbe at his left, whispering something nasty that got the both of them laughing. She thought about saying something to him, but Hagrid called cheerily to the class before she could.
"Right, then," he said with a friendly little wave. "Follow me!"
"Can't believe they've got that oaf teaching classes," Malfoy said from behind. "Just you wait until father hears about this."
Lily chose not to comment on that, instead jogging ahead to catch up to the Gryffindors, where Hermione, Ron, and Neville were waiting for her. She did her best not to seem too grumpy.
"Wonder what Hagrid's got for us," Ron said as they started off after him. They were leading the rest of the class, Lily hardly able to contain herself. They followed Hagrid around his hut, where he led them onto a wooded path away from the Forbidden Forest. At least he had the sense not to host a class in there, although Lily thought it was only a matter of time until he did so. They came to a paddock five minutes later, with nothing at all inside.
"Right," Hagrid said as he turned to face them all again. "Everyone gather around the fence, then- that's it, make sure you can see- so, first thing yeh'll want to do is open yer books so-"
"How?" Malfoy said snidely.
"Eh?" Hagrid said.
"How are we supposed to open them?" Malfoy elaborated, rolling his eyes as if it was a huge chore. He had his book tied by an extravagant silver chain, and he gestured to it quite rudely.
Hagrid looked taken aback. He glanced at all of the students around them, and Lily quickly tried to hide her own behind her back, so he wouldn't see.
"Haven't any of yeh been able to open yer books?" he asked.
"Hard to do, when they're more likely to maul you," Pansy said. She sounded delighted at the prospect of embarrassing Hagrid. Lily started grinding her teeth together.
Hagrid looked a bit embarrassed, as well as a bit frustrated. Lily could see his face redden underneath his shaggy beard.
"You've got to stroke them," he said, petting his own arm with a large hand to demonstrate. "Right on the spine, see?"
"Oh, of course," Malfoy said crudely. "How silly we've all been, we were supposed to pet the monsters!"
"I thought they were funny," Hagrid said quietly. Lily already had her rope off the book, and she tried not to let out a little shout when it clamped down on her hand. She, unfortunately, could not hide the rest of her reaction, and she threw it to the ground far too loudly. Most of the class turned and watched it happen, the Slytherins laughing loudly. Lily didn't dare look at Hagrid.
"Sorry," Lily said sheepishly. She picked the book up before it could scurry away, petting the spine to soothe it. It behaved itself, afterwards, falling limp and allowing her to open it to peer at the pages within.
"Right," Hagrid said far less confidently. "So- so you have your books- and now you need the creatures. I'll- I'll go get them."
Hagrid turned off, heading further off into the woods. Lily heard Malfoy make some more rude comments, which she chose to ignore, instead flipping through her book with a growing smile on her face. There were quite a few creatures in here she hadn't seen in her previous books, and she was looking forward to the possibilities.
"This is going well," Ron said after a few minutes. He was leaning on the fence post, watching the spot where Hagrid disappeared.
"I agree," Lily said happily. Lily was sitting on the top of it, leaning against a post, with her book spread open on her lap. She wasn't sure where Hermione and Neville positioned themselves. The rest of the class was milling about behind, the Slytherins growing ever louder with their complaints. She flipped the page, her smile growing a bit wider at the sight of a Flobberworm. She was probably the only person to ever be happy about the slimy, white maggot, but there she was.
"I wonder what's taking him so long," Hermione said. She was right behind Lily's back, as it turned out.
"I hope he isn't in trouble," Neville added nervously.
"I doubt he'd get lost, Neville," Ron said in a bored tone. "Hagrid knows the grounds better than his coat, that's for sure. Have you seen how many pockets are in there?"
"I'm pretty sure I felt something move in there the last time he asked me to get something for him," Hermione said.
"Wouldn't doubt it," Ron said. "Charlie said he keeps mice in them to feed any critters he comes across. Still, though, he has been a minute, hasn't he?"
Lily glanced up at the tree line, and then pointed towards the moving silhouette.
"He's right there," she said.
"Where?" Neville asked.
"There," she said, pointing her finger forward more forcefully. Finally, Hagrid's form came out of the trees, and the class started hushing up as they noticed his approach. He was leading a pack of differently coloured, feathered horses on a series of leashes, and Lily hopped off the fence in her excitement, separating herself from the rest of the class on accident. She saw Hagrid gesture to her, and she crawled back to the other side.
"Right," Hagrid said with a huge smile on his own face. "Can anyone tell me what these wee things are?"
Lily realized they were the only two wearing one, but she didn't care. She couldn't stop staring at the majestic creatures in front of her. She'd been too hasty to label them as horses, but she had been excited, so she didn't blame herself. They had the bodies of a horse, to be sure, but they had scaly legs like a bird, and the beak and face of an eagle. They had large wings that, when unfurled, would easily fill a few meters. Lily shot her hand into the air eagerly, the only one to do so (Hermione seemed like the wanted to but was far too nervous). Hagrid gestured to her again.
"Hippogriffs," she said.
"Yes!" Hagrid said. "Exactly right, Lily, take two points for Slytherin. Now, who can tell us all about hippogriffs?"
Lily's hand shot into the air again, and this time, she didn't even wait for permission to speak.
"Hippogriffs are carnivorous creatures," she said, "with the body of a horse and the legs, wings, and head of an eagle." Hagrid waved her on, so she continued. "They feed mostly on small mammals and large insects, but they've been known to catch birds, too. They're dangerous until tamed, and they can be all sorts of colours." Hagrid started smiling more broadly, and Lily simply couldn't contain herself. "They build nests on the ground and only lay a single egg, which hatches within 24 hours. They can fly within a week but need longer to build endurance. They're generally friendly around humans, especially when tamed, but they're proud, and will attack if offended."
"Excellent, Lily!" Hagrid said proudly. "Ten points to Slytherin, go on, yeh've earned it. Now, like Lily said, Hippogriffs are very proud critters. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do. Yeh want to wait for the hippogriff to make the first move. It's polite, see? Walk towards him, and yeh bow, and yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed to touch him. If he doesn't bow, then, well, best get away sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. Now, who wants to try?"
He didn't even really need to ask. Lily was already hopping the fence again, after pushing her book into Hermione's arms for holding. She stopped when Hagrid held out a sharp hand, and he led the hippogriffs over to a further post, where he tied all but one. The last one, a great gray one with sharp, yellow eyes, he led near to Lily, stopping a few meters away.
"Go on an' bow, Lily," Hagrid said. He was still holding the giant bird's leash, just in case. Lily dipped into a large bow, head tilted slightly so she could keep an eye on the beast in front of her. Lily could hear a few nervous whispers behind her, a few sniggers of mirth, but she wasn't worried. She kept her back arched, waiting for the hippogriff to judge her.
Finally, it made its decision, and it bent low with its scaly knees, lowering its head and neck towards the ground.
"Well done, Lily, well done," Hagrid said happily. Lily could hear a few cheers from the other side of the fence, and she strode forward eagerly, petting the magnificent beast on its beak. It leaned into her hand, and it felt oddly warm. She became very aware of the stupid smile she had on her face, but she didn't mind.
"I think he migh' let yeh ride him, now," Hagrid said.
"Can I?' Lily asked with her face lit up
"Just go ahead and swing yer leg over him, there, just like that," Hagrid said. He had to give her a bit of a boost, and she had to scrunch her robes up her legs (she was now very thankful she'd switched to trousers), but they got her seated comfortably
"Keep a firm grip round his neck, now," Hagrid said, "And try not to pull out any feathers, they don't take kindly to that much."
"Got it," Lily said with a too vigorous nod.
Hagrid slapped the beast's behind, and it lurched forward quickly, Lily scrambling to hold its neck before she fell off. She heard a few screams from nearby, but before she could even process what was happening, the hippogriff was jumping, the wings were unfurling, and they were soaring through the air, Lily cheering herself hoarse.
They didn't fly very far, nor very high, and before she knew it, they were descending back through the leaves and branches, and the hippogriff landed softly on the brush below, cantering back towards Hagrid. Lily heard cheers coming from the other students, this time, and a few (Ron leading the pack) were even hopping the fence to join her.
She was the only one to get a solo flight, to their disappointment, and then they were divided up into groups, each with their own hippogriff, to set about on grooming and cleaning by following the instructions in their book. Lily was scraping at the talons of a great, black hippogriff with a file, happily humming away, while Ron and Neville brushed the feathers and Hermione picked at the beak (with a terrified look on her face). Buckbeak, as she learned the gray one was called, was over with the Slytherins, with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle looking after him. Lily kept shooting looks at them in her jealousy.
"Wonder if the rest of us will ever get to ride one," she heard Ron grumble again. She secretly hoped not (she'd love to have that over everybody else) but she didn't bring a voice to it.
"I don't think any of them will ever let Malfoy on," Hermione said, shooting a dark look over at the rest of them. Lily missed it, apparently, but they'd been quick to inform her of Malfoy's taunting while she was in the air.
Lily glanced over at the Slytherin boys, who were laughing with those stupid, evil smirks of theirs. Lily got a bad feeling, and she rose to her feet.
"I'm going to go see what they're up to," Lily said.
"Suit yourself, mate," Ron said.
Lily made it close enough to hear them before it happened.
"This is easy," Malfoy said with a sneer. "I knew it had to be, if Heiry could do it. I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you great ugly brute?"
Lily ran forward without thinking, just as Buckbeak squawked angrily at the three boys. Faster than Malfoy could process, faster than Lily could process, Buckbeak reared back, his talons lashing out towards Malfoy's robes. Lily could hear Hagrid roar something, but she didn't quite catch it. She shoved Malfoy out of the way just in time, putting herself firmly in the reach of Buckbeak's talons, which slashed across her belly. Lily was thrown to the ground, her head colliding roughly with a stone, as screams erupted around her.
"Lily!" she heard Hermione, in particular, screech.
"BACK!" Hagrid yelled. Lily blinked away the spots as she clutched at her bleeding abdomen. She could see him pushing Buckbeak away from the Slytherin boys, who he was still trying to pursue. She closed her eyes shut again to try and force down the sudden nausea she was feeling. Somebody was clutching at her torso with their own hands, and she groaned from the pain.
"Don't," she said with a sharp gasp. Whoever it was took their hands back.
"What did I say about insultin' them, Malfoy?" Hagrid roared. "That'll be a detention. The rest of yeh, don' move, get back on the other side while I take her up to the Hospital Wing."
Lily groaned again as Hagrid scooped her up in his burly arms. Every step he took sent a little pain back in her, and he was moving very quickly. Lily thought she could hear him sniffing, and when she opened her eyes again, she was surprised to see he was crying.
"Sorry, Lily," he said with a thick voice. "I shouldn' have-"
"Malfoy's fault," she said with clenched teeth. She glanced down at her hands and was startled by the amount of blood coming out of her. She'd expected far less, and the shock of it was enough to make her faint.
She woke up in the Hospital Wing hours later, with the light of the setting sun pouring through her windows and Hermione, Katie, Ron, Neville, and, surprisingly, Sae sitting at her side. Sae was, of course, sitting further away from the other Gryffindors, but she looked equally as nervous about Lily's condition. All of them smiled as her eyes flickered open, and Ron even let out a whoop. He might have pulled her into a hug, too, if Pomfrey wasn't standing nearby with fresh gauze in her hands.
"Have to change the bandages," she said in her bossy tone. "Rest of you, out, it's well past visiting hours.
"Oh, come on," Ron complained loudly. The others quickly joined him, but Pomfrey would hear no arguments, and she pushed them all out the door, then locked it shut with a wave of her wand. Then, she turned to face Lily, with an expression of annoyance on her face.
"Miss Potter," she said sharply as she approached. "It is the first day of classes. Would you like to tell me why you are already here in the Hospital Wing?"
"Wasn't my fault this time," Lily said in the same tone. "Malfoy was insulting a hippogriff, and I pushed him out of the way."
"That is not what I was asking, Miss Potter," Pomfrey said. Lily was pleased to see her wound was mostly healed as Pomfrey peeled off the old bandages, if still a little gnarly looking.
"What do you mean, then?" Lily asked. She winced a bit as Pomfrey poured some sort of substance on her gash, then began wrapping it in fresh gauze.
"What I mean, Potter, is that we just had this discussion the previous evening, and, yet, you've wound up right back in here, with a terrible wound, on the first day of term."
"Right," Lily said. She leaned back into her pillow. "Well, it wasn't my fault, like I said. I don't think this one should count."
"I will have to write home regardless of your opinion, I'm afraid," Pomfrey said. She tapped Lily's bandages with her wand, muttering an incantation Lily didn't catch.
"Do you really need to?" Lily asked.
"I'm afraid so," Pomfrey said. She began packing up her cart. "Miss Potter, your tendency to nearly get yourself killed has gone entirely out of hand, and it is time some sort of action is taken about it. I do not have the authority to do so myself, but I will be recommending banning you from Quidditch and removing you from Care of Magical Creatures for your own safety."
"Absolutely not," Lily said hotly. "Just because Malfoy screwed up doesn't mean-"
"We will see, Miss Potter," Pomfrey said. She stuck some sort of potion to Lily's lips, forcing her to drink. It felt cool, and she recognized the taste as a sleeping draught. She could already feel it going to her head.
"I like Quidditch," she muttered as she drifted off into another dreamless sleep.
By the time she woke up the next morning, Pomfrey had already sent the letter, and Lily absolutely refused to talk to her. She left the Hospital Wing in a bad mood and ate a solitary breakfast in the Great Hall. She left her robe unbuttoned as she went onto the grounds; it was still hot from the summer days, and she didn't spend the last night in the freezing dungeons. She walked straight down to Hagrid's Hut, where she had to barge her way in to talk to him. He tried to refuse her at first, but she wasn't having it. He was moping at his table over a cup of tea, and he didn't even try to offer her one when she sat down across from him.
"All my faul'," he said darkly, staring into his cup. "Should've started smaller. Flobberworms or somethin'. Just wanted to have a good firs' lesson, was all."
"It was great, Hagrid," Lily said, a bit of her enthusiasm returning as she recalled her experiences prior to the mauling. "I absolutely loved it, really, the way Buckbeak flew, it was almost better than a broom! And they're so pretty, aren't they?"
Hagrid stared at her for a few moments, unable to stop a grin spreading over his own face.
"Yeh should see the way they hunt!" he said in equal enthusiasm. "Oh, yeh'd love it, Lily, really, the way they dive at their prey, wings tucked in for speed." Hagrid's face fell again. "I imagine I'll be sacked, now."
"Oh, come off it, Hagrid," Lily said with a smile on her face. "If it was Malfoy that got it, maybe, but you won't see me complaining, really. At least this one was nonmagical, I don't even have a scar!" She pulled up her shirt just to prove her point. Her tummy was nice and smooth, with not a single scratch on it. Pomfrey really did know her stuff.
That seemed to cheer Hagrid up a bit, and they spent the next hour chatting all about hippogriffs. Lily even brought out a scroll to take notes. As it turned out, Hagrid knew a lot of things about hippogriffs that weren't in any of the books.
"And yeh have to make sure to collect the talon shavings," he said. "Bloody useful in Potions, I'm told. Thicken a solution righ' up. Matter of fact, I jus' gave some to Snape jus' the other week."
"Speaking of Snape," Lily said as she wrote that down, "Does he hate Professor Lupin? I saw him staring at him during the Welcome Feast."
Hagrid smiled fondly. "Oh, yeah, the two of 'em never got along back in their school days, did they?"
"Why not?" Lily asked.
"Well, Lupin was always runnin' around with yer dad," Hagrid said, "And the two of 'em never much liked each other. Always gettin' into fights, and what not. Why, I remember one time they-"
"Lupin was friends with my dad?" Lily asked in a surprised tone.
"Course he was," Hagrid said with a nod. "Four of 'em were inseparable, weren' they? Don' think I ever saw such a good bunch of troublemakers, not even the twins can compete."
"Four of them?" Lily asked. She assumed one must be her mother, but she'd never heard of any of their friends. She'd never even considered it, as a matter of fact, even though they must have had friends. Still, though, it was hard to think of her mum as a troublemaker; her professors never had anything but great things to say about her.
"Sure," Hagrid said, his smile faltering just a bit. "I don' think it's my place to talk about 'em, though."
"Thanks for the tea, Hagrid," Lily said as she rose from her seat, hastily packing her things back into the bag. "I'll just ask Professor Lupin. I'll see you next week, don't you go trying to quit on me, now."
"Wouldn' dream of it," Hagrid said with a big smile. "Jus' yeh wait, I've got somethin' great planned out."
Lily got to the classroom just as the bell was ringing, cursing herself for staying as long with Hagrid as she had. At the mention of a great plan, she found she couldn't leave, and only ran up to the castle at all when she realized she'd be late if she didn't.
The rest of the class was already sitting in the classroom, waiting for Professor Lupin to arrive. Lily was used to having Defense with another House, and this year they shared with Hufflepuff. Lily wanted to sit next to a dark-skinned girl, who she was almost certain had to be related to Gwenog Jones (they had the exact same nose and eyes), but the girl was already sitting next to a different Hufflepuff. Perkins, she was pretty sure. She took a seat in the back, next to Pansy Parkinson, who shot her a fake smile. She supposed that was good enough. Malfoy shot her a look of hatred from the front, which she felt was unwarranted. She did just save his life.
"Where were you this morning?" Pansy asked after a minute of waiting. Professor Lupin was running very late for his own class.
"Visiting Hagrid," Lily said. She was resting her head on her left hand and didn't bother looking over.
Pansy scoffed at that, giving a little laugh that caught Lily off guard.
"That oaf? Really?" she said. "I'm surprised he hasn't been sacked yet, the way that monster of his attacked you. Really, what is Dumbledore thinking, having that savage walking around?"
Lily shot her a sharp glance, then turned to stare back at the front of the classroom.
"Hagrid's brilliant," she said. "Don't let me hear you call him a savage again."
Pansy looked taken aback at her support, but before she could protest, Lupin arrived through the entryway.
"Sorry about that," he said with a tired smile. "Had to stop by Professor Snape's office for a bit of a chat."
Lily heard Malfoy snigger at the front of the class. He nudged Goyle next to him, pointing at Lupin's shabby clothes. Lily didn't like that, but she didn't say anything. Now wasn't the appropriate time.
"Now," Lupin said as he reached his desk at the front. He placed his hands together as he looked at them all. Lily saw his eyes lock onto her for a moment before they moved onto Pansy. "I had a practical planned for you all with a Boggart, but I'm afraid the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws got a bit- err- overzealous, we'll say, and the Boggart has been quite vanquished. I'll keep an eye out for another, in the meantime, and I'll make sure to reserve it for you all. In the meantime, I'd still like to have us all moving, so we'll start on the next lesson: The Anti-Intruder Jinx. Who here can tell me the incantation?"
Lily heard a few grumblings over the lack of a Boggart, but she raised her hand into the air, and Professor Lupin quickly called on her.
"Intruscutum," Lily said, putting a heavy emphasis on the second "u."
"Excellent," Lupin said with a small smile. "Two points to Slytherin. Someone else, now, who can tell me the wand movement?"
Lily glanced around the room, but not a single person raised their hand. Pansy was staring at the ceiling, as if she had much better things to do than be here. Lily raised her hand again.
"Hazel?" Lupin said after a pause.
"It depends on the size of the area, Professor," Lily said, "But, generally, you draw a large circle in the clockwise direction."
"Another two points for Slytherin," Lupin said. "Now, if you'll all stand, and pick a partner, we'll get started on it. Draw your defense around yourself, and the other person will try to step into it. When your turn is over, use the counter jinx to remove it. That one is exciptus. Easy enough to remember. Just point with your wand, but only the original caster can dismiss it with ease."
"Come on, Potter," Pansy said in a snippy tone. Lily assumed she was still reeling from her Hagrid comment, but she didn't argue; she was just happy that she wasn't left by herself. That honour went to poor Millicent Bulstrode, who Lupin had pair up with Crabbe and another Slytherin boy near the front. Lily watched her push Crabbe straight out of his circle, and she had to resist the urge to laugh. Her own Jinx was impenetrable, she felt; Pansy couldn't get so much as a single finger through. Lily managed to get a hand through the other girl's, but not much more. It was a strange feeling; her skin felt like it was burning when she penetrated the field, but appeared normal, and all pain vanished when she pulled it back. Neither girl talked much while they worked, and when the bell rang, Pansy left with the other Slytherin girls without so much as word, leaving Lily wondering why she'd offered to pair up at all. She saw them laughing about something, shooting glances in her direction. She was tarting to hate that.
Lily stayed behind, waiting for the others to leave. Malfoy pushed into her rudely, and she had to resist sending a Jinx at his back; she was pretty sure Lupin would have noticed. He didn't seem as easy to fool as her previous Defense professors.
That, and he was staring right at her, waiting for the last of the Slytherins to leave the room.
"You wanted to speak to me, Hazel?" he asked with a kind smile. Lily took that as her chance and walked forward with her bag slung over her shoulder.
"I was talking with Hagrid earlier, Professor, and he mentioned you," she said.
"Did he now?" Lupin said curiously. "I suppose he would, he was the groundskeeper while I was at school. May I ask what he said?"
"He said that you used to be friends with my dad, sir," Lily said. "But I don't think anybody ever mentioned his friends."
Lupin smiled sadly at her. She noticed she was almost the same height as him; he was shorter than most of the other adults she knew, and he didn't seem very well fed, based on the way his flesh clung to his skull.
"I was friends with him, yes," Lupin said at last. "And your mother, too, although only in our last year. She and James were at odds until then."
"Really?" Lily asked. "I have a picture of them in my album, sir, back when they made Head Girl and Boy, and they seemed to get along well enough."
Lupin smiled fondly at the memory. He was staring past Lily, but she felt as if he was gazing into the past.
"Yes, I remember that," Lupin said. "Your father never made Prefect, did you know?"
"I didn't," Lily admitted.
"Well, no sane Headmaster would have made him one, not even Dumbledore," Lupin said with a quiet laugh. "James was the biggest troublemaker the school had ever known. He calmed down in our sixth year, right when the war started getting bad."
"And they made him Head Boy because of that?" Lily asked, suddenly feeling much better about her own chances.
"Well, not just that," Lupin said carefully. He glanced at his watch, then looked back up at Lily. "You should be going, you don't want to miss lunch, and I have another class starting soon."
"Alright," Lily said, "But I'll get more out of you later. Hagrid wouldn't tell me anything when I asked, said it wasn't his place."
Lupin hesitated before nodding, and Lily waved to him as she left the classroom, pushing past a Ravenclaw first year on her way out.
Lily had no idea who decided four hours of History of Magic on a single day was a good idea, but she was cursing their very existence after just ten minutes. It was a miracle she made it as long as she did before falling asleep, and she woke up well after class ended, drooling on the notes she'd been taken on the seventh Goblin rebellion (there really were far too many to keep track of).
She still felt sleepy as she made her way into the Great Hall. Supper was almost over, but she ate a hurried meal of the various seafood left on the platters, and then returned to the Slytherin common room to ready herself for Astronomy. They had them at ten on Fridays, a vast improvement over her previous Midnight sessions, but she still felt the need for another nap beforehand. Plus, she really should check the notes she missed. She hoped Pansy was still feeling at least a bit friendly. She really didn't feel like trying to hunt down Hermione. As she passed by the entryway, she walked by the noticeboard, and just happened to see a new posting that got her blood boiling.
"They rescheduled Quidditch tryouts," Lily said to Sae as she slammed her bag down on the table. Sae jumped from the noise, glancing around nervously to make sure nobody was looking.
"Pardon?" she said.
Lily handed her the notice she'd torn down. "They changed the date. It's tomorrow. After lunch. When I have my detention with Snape."
"Oh," Sae said in a sudden understanding. She shook her head as she read over it. Lily sat down across from her, drumming her fingers on the table in her irritation.
"Fat load of good bringing my broom was," she grumbled. "I'm assuming Malfoy got this done so I couldn't go. He's still mad about Buckbeak."
"Who's Buckbeak?" Sae asked. She slid the pamphlet back over to Lily, who crumpled it into a ball and tossed it as far away as she could. She saw her cat chasing after it shortly after.
"A beautiful baby," Lily grumbled. She watched Weasley swat around the paper ball, noticing Pansy watching the cat with a grimace from her nearby bed.
"What?" Sae asked. "You know what, never mind, Potter. Just ask Snape to reschedule."
Lily snorted at that. "Ask Snape for a favour? Really? He'll just extend my current one, you know that."
"Lily," Sae said gently, setting her quill down on the scroll she'd been writing. "You're a Slytherin now."
"So what?"
Sae smiled at her. "So, he's your Head of House."
Lily ate a hurried lunch the next day, waving goodbye to a Ron and Neville who were trying to call her over, then ran through the dungeons on her way to Snape's Office. She took a moment to catch her breath before knocking, and pushed the door open only after hearing Snape's deep drawl beckon her within.
"Professor," Lily said politely as she pushed the door closed.
"Potter," Snape said in acknowledgement. He was writing something at his desk, and hardly bothered to glance up at her.
"Sir," Lily said, while her courage lasted, "I was wondering if we might be able to- err- reschedule?"
Snape stopped writing immediately, set his quill down, perched his hands together, and then sneered at her.
"Have an important engagement to get to, Potter?" he said. "Too important to attend your own punishment, is that it?"
"No, sir," Lily said quickly, "It's just-"
"The world does not revolve around your schedule, Potter," Snape cut her off sharply. "It is high time you learned that. Gryffindor was too lenient on you, just as it was your father."
Lily ignored the spike in temper she felt. "Sir, if you'd just listen-"
"Your punishment, Potter," Snape said, picking his quill back up, "is to assist Madame Pomfrey with scrubbing the floors of the Hospital Wing. Without magic. And then you may attend the Quidditch tryouts."
Lily blinked in surprise. "Sir?"
"You heard me, Potter," Snape said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I have instructed Montague that the Seeker tryouts will wait until after supper. You best hurry, or you won't be done by then."
"Yes, sir," Lily said, already running out the door.
Lily was sprinting down the school grounds hours later, her arms and shoulders sore beyond belief, but a feeling of excitement rushing through her regardless. Her broom bounced against her leg as she ran, and she felt like she made really good time. She was out of breath when she arrived at the stadium, and she felt a bit sick, but she was sure she'd get over it. She walked far more slowly to join the lineup of those waiting for Seeker tryouts. There weren't many. It was made up entirely of Malfoy, a fourth-year boy she didn't know, and herself.
She felt good about her chances, and she carried herself very confidently.
"About time, Potter," Malfoy said. "Thought you'd never show up."
"You were hoping for it, Malfoy," Lily said. "It was the only way you're getting back on the team."
Malfoy sneered at her. "Fat chance of that. Montague prefers strength over grace, and you're lacking in both."
"Tell that to your jaw," Lily said. "Or, if you want, I can do it for you."
"I'm surprised you're even up," Malfoy went on, "Really, we had a bet going on in the common room. Most of us thought you'd be back in the Hospital Wing by this evening."
"Morning, actually," Lily said. "It was just a detention, though. Try not to look so disappointed."
"Pucey takes the pot, then," Malfoy said with a shrug. "Shame you aren't dead; that's what my money was on."
"You mean your daddy's money. I doubt he gave you permission to gamble, Malfoy. Did you spend your month's allowance on it? I'd hate to have you write home begging for more, even if he is used to you disappointing him."
Malfoy squinted his eyes down at her but was cut off from responding by the sudden landing of Montague in front of them both. The ugly brute sized them all up, his eyes barely lingering on Lily (and the parts he did linger over made her very uncomfortable), then spoke in that thick, stupid voice of his.
"Alright, you three. Get in the air, let's get this over with."
And then he launched off on his Nimbus 2001 without waiting for any sort of questions. Lily followed soon after on her own broom, with Malfoy and the other boy following after her. She felt great once she was in the air, and the fatigue in her muscles seemed to melt away as she soared around the field. She came to a stop with the other Seeker candidates shortly afterwards, Montague shaking his head at her excitement.
"Right," the brute said. "We're going to launch some bludgers after you while you do some laps. I'll take the Quaffle, and you come after it like the Snitch. First one to get it out of my hands wins the spot."
Lily dug into her robe, searching for the golden ball she'd brought with her.
"I've got a Snitch if you need one," she said helpfully, holding it in front of her. Malfoy and Montague both laughed at her, and she suddenly felt a bit stupid.
"That's not what we're testing, Heiry," Montague said. "Just get the ball from me, and you get the spot. I'll warn you, though: this Snitch fights back."
And with that, he flew off, Pucey tossing him the large, red, leather ball with a twisted smile on his face. Malfoy and the other boy soared off, chasing after Montague, and Lily followed after them, wondering what the point was supposed to be. Montague wasn't at all hard to follow, and the bludgers were easy enough to avoid, especially when both Beaters only seemed to be aiming for her. She just had to keep her eyes on them, while making sure Montague didn't get too far away. And that certainly wasn't hard to do, either; Montague was a terrible flier. She still had no idea how he'd managed to get the position as Captain.
Malfoy went for the Quaffle first, diving in quickly to Montague's left. The burly troll saw him coming, though, and punched Malfoy square in his nose, finally making the scenario click in Lily's brain.
"Strength over grace,'" she said with a laugh. No wonder nobody expected her to win; she was taller than most of the boys her age, sure, but she didn't have much muscle, even if she had made a few jokes about it last year.
What she did have, though, was her superior flying skills, and she intended to make full use of them, just as she had done during her last match against Slytherin. Lily dived, just as one of the Beaters smacked a bludger at her, plummeting straight towards Montague. She could hear the Bludger whizzing behind her, and she enjoyed the look of surprise on Montague's face as he glanced up at her.
He only had a moment to choose; attack Lily, and take a bludger to the face, or try to avoid her, and risk losing the Quaffle. He made the dumber of the two, just as she expected, and she spun right as he threw a punch at her. She rammed into his chest, knocking him off his broom at the exact moment the bludger collided into Flint's shoulder. He dropped the Quaffle in a different direction, and Lily went after it, ramming the fourth-year candidate out of the way. She closed one arm around the Quaffle and then pulled up, spinning just in time to avoid Malfoy colliding into her.
All in all, the affair lasted half a minute at best, and Lily felt pretty good about herself. She did a victory lap with the Quaffle, hooting and hollering, watching Malfoy and Montague screaming at each other from below.
"You weren't supposed to hit me," Malfoy said, a bit of blood leaking from his nose.
"And you were supposed to come at me last," Montague yelled back.
"Just you wait until Father hears about this," Malfoy said just as Lily landed next to the two.
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear you lost your spot to me, Malfoy," Lily said. "Don't worry; I'll be the son he always wanted."
Malfoy turned red, then got closer to her, stopping just short of her face. Lily stared back at him with a smile on her face, fighting every instinct in her to step back.
"That's three times now, Heiry," he said with a tone of venom. "Best watch yourself. We wouldn't want you to meet with an unfortunate accident."
"If you're threatening me, Malfoy," Lily said calmly. "Then let's make it official; I challenge you to a duel. You can name the time, place, and conditions. I'll still mop the floor with you."
Malfoy scoffed at her, then strode away without an answer, leaving Lily feeling quite pleased with herself.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning for practice, Potter," Montague grumbled. "Don't screw it up."
Lily left the field in high spirits, wondering how she could possibly screw it up any worse than Malfoy had.