Thank you thank you all who reviewed! You don't know how much it means to me!! I've had a bit of trouble coming up with how to start this next chapter, so bear with me, it isn't as good as I had hoped it to be.
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Don't sue me.
Chapter Four
Lily looked around the Great Hall. All of the house banners had been replaced by black ones, and there were funeral arrangements set in front of the Gryffindor table. It was two days since the meteor shower, and rumors were flying about what had happened to Christina.
"I heard that she was sneaking around the Forbidden Forest, and an ogre attacked her…"
"No, I heard that she fell into the lake and was drowned by grindylows."
"Well, I heard….."
"I'm so glad that you are all so well informed," shouted Lily above all of the chatter. "But I have to remind you that a well-known student is dead, and she was a friend of mine! I would appreciate it if you would cease your gossip until you can talk about it to someone who doesn't care!" Lily burst into tears, and ran from the Great Hall, not even touching her dinner. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Ana gave the group of gossipy first years a dirty look, and followed her out.
"Lily, wait up!" James put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. Tears were streaming down her face.
"Why, James, why? Why did she do it?" Lily and her friends were among the only ones who knew the truth apart from Dumbledore and McGonagall. When James had gotten back to the school with an unconscious Snape, he had run to tell Dumbledore, and then summoned his friends. Dumbledore had decided that since Sirius had lost one of his best friends, that he had not deserved any further punishment.
"I don't know, Lils. I just don't know." James hung his head. Tears began to well up in his eyes too. "I should have stopped her. Something she said just made me go. I should've stayed behind instead of her." He knew that he would blame himself for the rest of his days.
Remus, still pale from changing of the past few nights spoke up, "I think I may know why. Did you ever know that Christina was a seer? She knew things about each of us, she told me once. Things that she could never tell any of us. She told me some things. That's how she knew that I was a werewolf. She knew before any of you. Sometimes, she would come to me crying when she had had one of her visions. I know that she saw this coming. She came to me one night, and said that something horrible was going to happen. She didn't know why, but that we were both involved, and more than anything, I could not let myself feel at fault for it. That she had done it by choice, but she didn't know why. She wouldn't tell me what, and I had no idea that she meant anything like this. I just wish I knew why she would want to kill herself like that!"
Just then, Dedalus Diggle ran down the hallway towards them. "Professor Dumbledore wants to see all of you in his office."
"Oh, great," sighed Lily. "Now, on top of everything else, we're in trouble for something. What have you boys done?"
"Besides the dungbombs in the Slytherin common room, nothing!" said James. He received a dirty look from Lily and Ana. "Hey, someone needed to lighten the mood around here!"
* * * * * * * * * * *
James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Ana, and Peter sat in chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. They all had bewildered expressions on their faces. Professor Dumbledore sighed as he looked at his favorite group of mischief-makers. *These kids sure are something. They all have great potential.* "Well, I'm sure you all wonder why I asked to see you. Taking in recent events, I'm sure that you are wondering what drove Miss Eastman to suicide."
Lily looked up at Dumbledore in surprise, "If you knew, sir, why didn't you tell us before?"
"Well, Miss Evans, I didn't know all events until just recently, and I didn't want to tell you tidbits and leave you wondering." Dumbledore took off his glasses and polished them on his robes before continuing. "I'm not sure if any of you knew, but Christina's parents were both Aurors in the ministry. Six days ago, her home was broken into by Lord Voldemort and a few of his Death Eaters. ("Gasp!" from Ana) After two days of torture, they were murdered. Christina heard the news from me personally the same night as her demise."
"Oh, poor Christina!" cried Ana. "No wonder she was so stricken!"
"Well, Miss Croft, that isn't all. It seems that Lord Voldemort was after you, Miss Evans. He had discovered that you and Miss Eastman were friends here at Hogwarts. He was torturing her parents in an attempt to have them draw you home so that he could convince her to bring you to him. She must have seen that she would give in eventually, and she could not bear the thought of betraying her friend." Dumbledore paused for a minute to watch Lily.
Lily smiled a soft smile as tears ran down her face. "I would have done the same for her, and she knew that. But why is he after me?"
"Alas, I cannot answer that question for you my dear." Dumbledore looked at Lily sadly. He then glanced at James, smiled, and then returned his eyes to Lily's. "However, I can tell you that you have an important life in front of you!
"Now, enough of my ramblings. I believe that you all have a Charms class to be in? Off with you! Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, May I have one last word?" Dumbeldore waited until the door closed behind Peter, Remus, Ana, and Lily. "Miss Evans is in a considerable amount of danger. I'm trusting you boys to look after her. She has a destiny to fulfill, and she cannot be prevented from that course taking place. Do you both understand?"
"Yes sir." James and Sirius both answered.
"Good. Now, go and fill up your head with something useful, and try and put Christina's death behind you. You have many things ahead of you, and dwelling on the past will not help you get through it. And, I have to go and change my socks."
James and Sirius left Dumbledore's office feeling considerably better about the events in the past few days.
A/N Well, there you go. Chapter four. Don't wear yourselves out reading! Sorry so short, but this writing thing's a bit harder than it seems! As always, please, R./R! I need as much boosting that I can take! Kisses! ~~Ryn
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Don't sue me.
Chapter Four
Lily looked around the Great Hall. All of the house banners had been replaced by black ones, and there were funeral arrangements set in front of the Gryffindor table. It was two days since the meteor shower, and rumors were flying about what had happened to Christina.
"I heard that she was sneaking around the Forbidden Forest, and an ogre attacked her…"
"No, I heard that she fell into the lake and was drowned by grindylows."
"Well, I heard….."
"I'm so glad that you are all so well informed," shouted Lily above all of the chatter. "But I have to remind you that a well-known student is dead, and she was a friend of mine! I would appreciate it if you would cease your gossip until you can talk about it to someone who doesn't care!" Lily burst into tears, and ran from the Great Hall, not even touching her dinner. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Ana gave the group of gossipy first years a dirty look, and followed her out.
"Lily, wait up!" James put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around. Tears were streaming down her face.
"Why, James, why? Why did she do it?" Lily and her friends were among the only ones who knew the truth apart from Dumbledore and McGonagall. When James had gotten back to the school with an unconscious Snape, he had run to tell Dumbledore, and then summoned his friends. Dumbledore had decided that since Sirius had lost one of his best friends, that he had not deserved any further punishment.
"I don't know, Lils. I just don't know." James hung his head. Tears began to well up in his eyes too. "I should have stopped her. Something she said just made me go. I should've stayed behind instead of her." He knew that he would blame himself for the rest of his days.
Remus, still pale from changing of the past few nights spoke up, "I think I may know why. Did you ever know that Christina was a seer? She knew things about each of us, she told me once. Things that she could never tell any of us. She told me some things. That's how she knew that I was a werewolf. She knew before any of you. Sometimes, she would come to me crying when she had had one of her visions. I know that she saw this coming. She came to me one night, and said that something horrible was going to happen. She didn't know why, but that we were both involved, and more than anything, I could not let myself feel at fault for it. That she had done it by choice, but she didn't know why. She wouldn't tell me what, and I had no idea that she meant anything like this. I just wish I knew why she would want to kill herself like that!"
Just then, Dedalus Diggle ran down the hallway towards them. "Professor Dumbledore wants to see all of you in his office."
"Oh, great," sighed Lily. "Now, on top of everything else, we're in trouble for something. What have you boys done?"
"Besides the dungbombs in the Slytherin common room, nothing!" said James. He received a dirty look from Lily and Ana. "Hey, someone needed to lighten the mood around here!"
* * * * * * * * * * *
James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Ana, and Peter sat in chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. They all had bewildered expressions on their faces. Professor Dumbledore sighed as he looked at his favorite group of mischief-makers. *These kids sure are something. They all have great potential.* "Well, I'm sure you all wonder why I asked to see you. Taking in recent events, I'm sure that you are wondering what drove Miss Eastman to suicide."
Lily looked up at Dumbledore in surprise, "If you knew, sir, why didn't you tell us before?"
"Well, Miss Evans, I didn't know all events until just recently, and I didn't want to tell you tidbits and leave you wondering." Dumbledore took off his glasses and polished them on his robes before continuing. "I'm not sure if any of you knew, but Christina's parents were both Aurors in the ministry. Six days ago, her home was broken into by Lord Voldemort and a few of his Death Eaters. ("Gasp!" from Ana) After two days of torture, they were murdered. Christina heard the news from me personally the same night as her demise."
"Oh, poor Christina!" cried Ana. "No wonder she was so stricken!"
"Well, Miss Croft, that isn't all. It seems that Lord Voldemort was after you, Miss Evans. He had discovered that you and Miss Eastman were friends here at Hogwarts. He was torturing her parents in an attempt to have them draw you home so that he could convince her to bring you to him. She must have seen that she would give in eventually, and she could not bear the thought of betraying her friend." Dumbledore paused for a minute to watch Lily.
Lily smiled a soft smile as tears ran down her face. "I would have done the same for her, and she knew that. But why is he after me?"
"Alas, I cannot answer that question for you my dear." Dumbledore looked at Lily sadly. He then glanced at James, smiled, and then returned his eyes to Lily's. "However, I can tell you that you have an important life in front of you!
"Now, enough of my ramblings. I believe that you all have a Charms class to be in? Off with you! Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, May I have one last word?" Dumbeldore waited until the door closed behind Peter, Remus, Ana, and Lily. "Miss Evans is in a considerable amount of danger. I'm trusting you boys to look after her. She has a destiny to fulfill, and she cannot be prevented from that course taking place. Do you both understand?"
"Yes sir." James and Sirius both answered.
"Good. Now, go and fill up your head with something useful, and try and put Christina's death behind you. You have many things ahead of you, and dwelling on the past will not help you get through it. And, I have to go and change my socks."
James and Sirius left Dumbledore's office feeling considerably better about the events in the past few days.
A/N Well, there you go. Chapter four. Don't wear yourselves out reading! Sorry so short, but this writing thing's a bit harder than it seems! As always, please, R./R! I need as much boosting that I can take! Kisses! ~~Ryn