Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters, places, and ideas belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, not me.
by Auror5
"Fi, do werewolves exist?"
"Aye."
"They do?"
"Sure, but there aren't many left."
"What happened to them?"
"Most were killed off. My dad said that only a few remain but they don't let on that they're werewolves. No one likes werewolves."
"So, there could be werewolves anywhere, right?"
"Erm, I guess so, but you wouldn't know it. They would be stupid to let on that they were werewolves. I wouldn't want to be around them. My mum and dad said that no wizard or witch in their right mind would befriend or hire a werewolf. The werewolf could bite you any old time, when the moon is full!"
"D'you think they would allow werewolves into Hogwarts?"
"Of course not! If my parents found out that I was in school with a werewolf, they would take me out of here real quick. I wouldn't want to stick around and get bitten."
"Even if the werewolf is nice?"
"Lily, no proper wizard or witch would want to be around a werewolf, nice or not! Besides, werewolves aren't nice when the moon is full. D'you want to go outside and build snowgoblins?"
***
A few days later, Lily decided to spend some time in the library reading about werewolves. Fiona looked at her oddly and shrugged her shoulders when Lily told her that she would be in the library. However, Lily did not tell her the reason she would be there. Fiona did not seem too interested to know at any rate, and went off to pester her brother, Craig, and his friends.
In the library, she found much information on werewolves: how to distinguish them from regular wolves, which signs to look for to determine whether a witch or wizard was a werewolf, werewolf prey, and the wholesale slaughter of witches and wizards deemed to be werewolves. After an hour and a half of reading, Lily sighed. She had not told anyone, not even her best friend, Fiona, what she suspected.
Just like this book, How to Spot a Werewolf, says. He disappears every month around the time of the full moon, and when he returns he always looks pale and sickly. I thought it was because of his ill mother, she thought.
He seems awfully nice. I can't imagine him biting me. Where does he go when he disappears? Does he really hunt down people to bite them? He's small! Perhaps he gets bigger when he transforms. I would like to see him transform, but at a safe distance. I wonder if he would try to attack me if I told him what I know. No. I don't think so. We're friends. I think I'll ask him, but not today. With that resolve, she picked up her belongings and left for the Gryffindor tower.
***
The following week, in Flying Lessons with Madam Hooch, the Gryffindors and Slytherins found themselves shivering on their brooms practicing various flight manoeuvres. It was already mid-December, and on this day, it had been snowing since early morning. That afternoon, the snow began to fall fast and heavy.
"Ow!" Oliver and Boris Henchman of Slytherin yelled as they collided into each other, nearly falling off their brooms.
The snow was falling so thick and fast that none of the students could see one another properly. Just then, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and shouted for them to come down.
"Class is dismissed early due to this dratted snow. You can do whatever you want. But without breaking any rules or creating a disturbance in the corridors!"
"Really, what is there to do, except sit in the library or our common room? We do that all the time!" Lily grumbled to Fiona, Samantha, Daisy, Ivy, Oliver, and Anders as they trudged up to the castle.
Whomp! Anders, Samantha, and Oliver were hit in the back by snowballs. All of them turned around and as they did so, all were hit in the face by snowballs thrown by the Slytherins. The war was on! Gryffindor and Slytherin staged a snowball fight, magical style. Charms were being used to aim snowballs with deadly accuracy. Both factions were having much fun, though. Lily realised that Azusa Kernville, Tara Yolke, and Inga Erstwhilst had marked her.
"Fi, you must help me!" Lily said behind their walled snow fort. "Those Slytherin girls won't let up on me."
They could hear Azusa, Tara, and Inga baiting Lily.
"I have an idea. Let's make a bunch of snowballs; use the Levitation Charm to keep them in the air; the Tracking Charm to have the snowballs follow them, and the Descent Charm to make them fall on them at once. With the both of us doing it, we can really get them. Hurry!"
"Brilliant!"
They quickly put together one hundred snowballs.
"We have to keep cover, though. We need someone to watch them for us."
"All right. Peek around the corner, Fi, and see if you can't grab someone."
"I see Oliver. I'll go get him!"
"But I don't want to stay behind the fort," Oliver whined, a moment later, as he and Fiona ran behind the fort. "It's more fun out on the battlefield."
"It's only for a short while, Oliver. Pleeeaaaaase?" begged Lily.
"Oh, all right! What do you want me to do?"
"We want you to watch Kernville, Yolke, and Erstwhilst. You know, tell us where they are. We want to dump a load of snowballs on them at once, but without them seeing us."
Oliver grinned mischievously, "That's crackin'. Let's do it!"
Lily and Fiona pointed their wands and said, "Leviosa." The snowballs rose into the air.
"Are they together, Oliver?" Fiona said.
"No! Not, yet. Make the snowballs go a little higher so that no one sees them."
"Where are they now?" said Lily.
"I think they're looking for you, Lily. Yes, they are! They're coming this way. Drop them! Drop them, now!"
Suddenly, they heard several girls scream.
Lily and Fiona laughed, ran out from behind the fort, and blew their cover. Severus Snape, Evan Rosier, and Damien Wilkes immediately pelted them with snowballs.
"Eat this!" yelled Lily, and shoved a handful of snow into Rosier's face.
Lily yelped as she felt something wet and cold slide down her back. She turned to see Snape laughing at her. He had sneaked up behind her and quickly dropped a snowball down the inside of her cloak.
"You!" shouted Lily chasing after him.
The snowball fight grew as other students, at the end of their lessons, joined the fray. They played until dinnertime. The cold air and exercise made for hearty appetites that evening.
***
On a Thursday, a week following the great snowball battle, Lily decided to not show up for History of Magic. On their way to the lesson, Lily pretended she had forgotten her textbook. She entered the common room. It was deserted. Lily reckoned that Remus would return at any time because he was usually gone for three days following the full moon. Lily decided to wait in the corridor leading up to the girls' dormitory so that Remus would not see her. About twenty minutes later, she heard someone walk into the common room. Lily peeked around the wall and spied Remus. Before he could climb the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory, she quickly stepped out into view.
"Hullo."
Startled, Remus turned. Lily observed, expectedly, that he was pale and appeared ill.
"Erm, are you all right, Remus? You don't seem well."
"I'm fine. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in History?"
"Yes, but I decided not to go."
"Really? Why?"
"Binns is so dull. Remus?"
"Yeah?" He looked at her quizzically.
"Would you mind if I ask you question?"
He shrugged, "No."
"I hope you don't get upset, but, er, are you, um, are you a, erm, a werewolf?" Lily held her breath.
Remus appeared frightened. "No. No! Why would you ask me a question like that? Werewolves deserve to be killed, you know!"
Lily exclaimed, with tears filling her eyes, "Remus, how could you say that? You don't mean that!"
"Yes, I do!"
"No, you don't! I'm your friend, Remus. I already know! I sorted it out. I haven't told anyone, not even Fiona and she's my best friend. Please, Remus, is it true? You can tell me. I'm your friend!"
Remus, with warring emotions crossing his face, turned and walked toward a corner of the room. Lily followed. He sat down on a stuffed armchair. He whispered, with eyes downcast, "It's true."
"Oh, Remus!" Lily said with pity on her face.
She surprised Remus and herself by hugging him tightly. Awkwardly and a bit embarrassed, he returned the embrace.
"You don't hate me, do you?" he whispered.
Pulling away, she punched him lightly on the arm, and said, "Of course not, silly!"
"It doesn't bother you that I'm a werewolf?"
"No."
"Most wizards and witches hate werewolves. I'm lucky to be here. Headmaster Dumbledore let me into Hogwarts, even though he knew that I was a werewolf. I really like the headmaster. He planted the Whomping Willow because of me."
"When did you become a werewolf?"
"One night, when I was five, I was playing on my toy broom near the woods by my home when I heard a noise. I stopped and called out. Then I heard a snarl, and this large wolf ran towards me. I was so scared that I froze. I wet my pants. The wolf leaped. Then it was on me, biting me. I screamed and screamed, and then I passed out. When I came to, I was inside. My mum was crying, and my father looked very sad."
"That is so awful!"
"They took me to many healers, trying to find someone to cure me, but they couldn't find anyone. We had to move when everyone found out that I was a werewolf."
"What is it like when you transform?"
"Terrible! It hurts awful! It feels like I'm being turned inside out. When I'm a wolf, I think angry thoughts. I see everything as though I'm looking through red-tinted glass. Mostly, I think of attacking humans."
"Remus, you wouldn't bite me, would you? If you saw me outside?" Lily inquired, tentatively.
"I don't know. Maybe. Yes, I would. I'm dangerous when I'm a wolf. I wouldn't want to bite you because you're nice, but I would anyway. I don't think like a person when I'm a wolf. I would see you, smell you, and then attack like the werewolf who bit me. But, I would kill myself if I found out that I attacked you. You're really nice. I like you, and I wouldn't want to hurt you."
"I'm sorry you're a werewolf," Lily whispered, sadly.
"Promise you won't try to watch me transform. I'm dangerous when I'm a wolf. I could kill you! Don't come near me when I'm a wolf. Promise!"
"I promise! Where do you go when you transform?"
"I go to Madam Pomfrey. She knows I'm a werewolf. All of the professors do but they have sworn to Professor Dumbledore that they won't tell anyone about me. Madam Pomfrey takes me to the corridor underneath the Whomping Willow. There I go to transform. I'm stuck in that corridor. The only place I can go to is an empty house in Hogsmeade, where the corridor leads. It's hard because there is no one for me to bite. I can't get out, and I really want, need, a human. I desperately want to attack a human, so I end up biting myself. I'm so tired, thirsty, and hungry afterwards. That's the reason I look so terrible when I return."
"Poor Remus," Lily murmured.
"You, James, Sirius, and Peter are the only students who know. I'm glad you're one of my friends."
Lily held out her right hand. "Let's shake."
Remus, confused, shook her hand.
Lily then said, "Friends forever."
"Friends forever," Remus repeated, smiling.
"Friends forever, and your secret is forever mine. D'you want to play chess?"
***
Lily, Fiona, Daisy, Anders, Oliver, and a number of other Gryffindors were sitting in the common room playing games or chatting. It was the night of the Yule Ball. Only fourth years and higher could attend the Ball. Third years and younger could attend it by invitation only. In three days, the Christmas holidays would start. Lily was excited about going home.
"Ooooh, look at Melissa!" pointed Oliver.
They glanced up from their game of Exploding Snap to stare at Melissa. She had her rich brown tresses pulled into a bun wound up on the top of her head. Her earlobes were decorated with long, dangling earrings with bells on the ends. When she moved her head, the carol, "Jingle Bells," could be faintly heard. But, that was not what caught Oliver or any of the boys' attention. Her red and gold dress robe had a plunging, albeit revealing, neckline.
"Really! I'm surprised she's walking around like that, like a scarlet woman!" Fiona hissed, disapprovingly.
All of the boys in the common room gaped at Melissa until she left to meet with whomever she would attend the Ball.
Lily noticed Anders gazing at the door to the common room with his mouth hanging open. She narrowed her eyes and hit him on the forearm with her fist.
"Ow! What did you do that for?" He indignantly exclaimed while rubbing his arm.
"Because!"
"You're just jealous, Lily, because you don't look like Melissa," Oliver foolishly stated.
Lily, Fiona, and Daisy immediately began to pummel him. Anders jumped in to defend Oliver.
"Oy! What is this?" Virgil shouted as he, Craig, and friends pulled them apart.
"They're just jealous because they wouldn't look like Melissa in a dress robe!" Oliver exclaimed with his hair tousled over his head.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" screamed Lily, attracting the attention of everyone in the room.
"Yeah! We don't want to be scarlet women!" Fiona said.
Craig, Virgil, and their friends glanced at one another and laughed.
"Don't worry, billiwig; you and your little girl chums will, er, grow up someday."
"Oooh, I hate you, Craig," Fiona yelled, throwing one of the chair pillows at him and missing.
Craig, Virgil, and his friends chuckled as they headed to the door on their way to meet their dates for the Yule Ball.
"Try not to step on Sasha's feet, Craig. You can't dance! Remember?" said Fiona to Craig's back as he stepped outside the door.
He and his friends ignored her.
Oliver and Anders quickly and wisely joined James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus in another corner of the room.
"Jorkins said that Melissa is attending the Yule Ball with that Travers fellow in Slytherin," volunteered Daisy.
Fiona raised her eyebrows. "A Gryffindor with a Slytherin? What a traitor!"
***
Ah, how quickly time passed! Lily and most of the Hogwarts students returned to King's Cross, three days later, to spend Christmas with their families. Lily was overjoyed to see her mother and father waiting for her at platform nine and three-quarters. Petunia did not accompany them. Lily and her parents stayed in London overnight before returning home, to Keswick, on Christmas Eve. Lily was glad to see her older sister despite their miserable parting. Petunia was on speaking terms with Lily, but said very little. Lily felt good to be home. So did Snowball.
On Christmas, Lily received lovely gifts from her parents. The most surprising present was a magical broomstick from Diagon Alley. They bought her a Nimbus 1001, similar to Fiona's. Her father told her that he visited Diagon Alley while at a medical doctors' convention in London. While there, he opened an account at Gringotts in her name. Fiona gave Lily the magical version of the game of chess and a warm, green sweater that perfectly matched her eyes. She received a book entitled, Witches of 18th Century England from Petunia. Lily thanked and hugged Petunia for the present. Afterwards, Petunia sulked. Lily had given Petunia a beautiful doll to add to her collection.
During the remainder of the vacation, Lily regularly corresponded with Fiona via Capricorn. Fiona thanked Lily for the earrings and the fashionable sweatshirt she gave her for Christmas. Also, Lily spent time practicing transfiguration, to the delight of her father. Her mother was not exactly thrilled when her nice teacups were turned into mice. Her father tried unsuccessfully, on numerous occasions, to perform magic with Lily's wand. Eventually, he gave up and just watched as Lily, for his entertainment, transfigure various household items into rabbits, beetles, feathers, birds, puppies, and once, accidentally, an elephant. Her mother told her to give it a rest after the elephant incident.
In no time at all, it seemed, Lily was back at Hogwarts, back in the schooldays routine.
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Note: Yes, in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, the Yule Ball was held in conjunction with the Triwizard Tournament. However, I could not find in Book 4 where it stated that Yule Balls were only held when there was a Triwizard Tournament.