Lily rolled over to glance at her clock. She had woken to unusual silence
and thought that perhaps it was early. The hands both pointed to twelve,
however, so she climbed out of bed and took time dressing. "Dad? Hermione?"
She shrugged when no one answered, and poured herself a bowl of cereal. She
ate it standing up, hip against the counter, enjoying a few precious
moments of peace before everyone returned. She rinsed off her dishes and
still no one returned to the house. Pulling on her coat, Lily shuffled over
to Ron's house to see if they were over there. She hammered on the door for
a moment, but no one answered. She shrugged and turned the handle. The door
opened silently and she stepped in. "Hello? Ron? Is anyone here? Hello?"
No one answered and slightly worried, Lily headed out the door over to her grandparents house. She knocked on the door and nearly collapsed with relief when her grandmother answered the door. Her relief, however, was short lived. "Oh Lily! I wasn't sure if you'd made it! Oh pet, come in. Peter! She's alright! Oh Lily Marie! We were so worried!"
"What are you talking about? Where's my dad? Grandma, where is everyone?"
"Oh pet, come sit down. Oh sweetheart, while you were sleeping Marit...attacked."
Lily swooned, almost falling of her seat. "Are they dead?" She whispered.
Mary Bones looked at her hands folded on her lap. "No pet, not all of them."
"Who then?" Lily asked, gulping air.
"William and Anna Weasley and Moira Longbottom. Oh darling, I'm so sorry." Mary moved to put her arms around her grandaughter, but the girl stood up.
"Where have the rest of them gone?"
"Hogwarts sweet. You don't want to go there now-"
"If you won't take me I'll walk."
Mary sighed and looked at her husband. "Come child, we'll get you there in one piece."
*~*~
Lily stared out the window as they drove along one dreary road after another. She didn't speak to her grandparents, and they assumed she was thinking of her lost friends. She wasn't, however, thinking of anything. She stared straight out the window, not seeing anything, or if she did, not taking any notice of it. Her mind was blank. Scientists claim that pain releases adrenalin, and adrenalin causes some senses to be blurred. In Lily's case, so much pain had been inflicted that her brain had completely shut down. Her sense level was equivelant to that of someone who had had a complete frontal lobotomy. She was aware of one thing.
This was war.
)(())()()()()()(())()()()()()()()()()()()()())()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()(
Lily got out of the car and walked away. "Do you want us to take you up there sweet?"
Lily didn't answer. She continued to walk. Mary went forward to take her arm, but her husband took her shoulder and shook his head. "Let her go Mary."
Lily walked over to the huge doors where she was stopped by two massive guards. "What do you want here?"
"I'm Lily Potter." She said, snapping back to reality.
The guards stepped to the side. "They are expecting you in the Great Hall."
Lily walked in, pulling her robes tight around her. She pushed open the doors to the hall and everyone turned, as though they had been waiting for this exact moment. She stood there in the doorway, looking aound at all the faces, some familiar, some less so. She went and stood next to her father. He put his arm over her shoulder, but they didn't say anything, then or later.
They watched as Arthur Weasley climbed up on a podium and began to speak. "Last night, the Dark Army attacked for the first time since 2000. Ladies and gentlemen-" The Ministers voice broke. "This is war. I would like to stress the need for secrecy in this endeavor. Would all those who have fought before please rise and move to the left side of the hall." Harry squeezed his daughters shoulder and kissed her forehead, then he rose and walked to the other side of the hall with Ron and Seamus. Hermione was sitting on a window ledge, looking out over the school grounds. Her eyes, unlike Rons, were not rimmed with red and she smiled slightly when Lily looked at her. Lily searched the room with her eyes, and found Daniel and Caroline. She stood and went over to them.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"So am I." Daniel replied.
"What do you think they'll have us do?" Caroline asked.
"Well first they'll tell us to go home, and when we resist they'll find someone to teach us the Unforgivables, and then they'll send us out." Daniel said.
"I'm scared of dying." Caroline said, biting her lip.
"There are worse things." Daniel said softly. Lily took his hand and squeezed it. He didn't let go.
When Mr Weasley finished talking to the adults on the other side, most of them left but Harry, Neville and Seamus came over to talk to their children.
"What are you guys going to do?" Neville asked. "The school has been closed, however they're taking entrants at Durmstrang, Beaubatons and Lady Heathers-"
Harry looked at the childrens eyes and grabbed Nevilles arm before he could continue. "They're staying." He said, not breaking his gaze.
Neville looked surprised. "Daniel?"
"I'm staying dad."
"Your mother-"
"Will be busy."
Neville nodded. "You have that right." He rested his hand gently on his son's shoulder. "I have to go find out where I'm shipping."
Harry looked at his daughter. "Be good. I'll see you in a bit. I have to sign in."
They were left with Seamus. "You three stick together. Don't let anything separate you." He kissed both of the girls and shook Daniels hand. "Don't let anything happen to my girls."
Daniel shook his head. "Don't worry Mr Finnigan."
"Good man."
No one answered and slightly worried, Lily headed out the door over to her grandparents house. She knocked on the door and nearly collapsed with relief when her grandmother answered the door. Her relief, however, was short lived. "Oh Lily! I wasn't sure if you'd made it! Oh pet, come in. Peter! She's alright! Oh Lily Marie! We were so worried!"
"What are you talking about? Where's my dad? Grandma, where is everyone?"
"Oh pet, come sit down. Oh sweetheart, while you were sleeping Marit...attacked."
Lily swooned, almost falling of her seat. "Are they dead?" She whispered.
Mary Bones looked at her hands folded on her lap. "No pet, not all of them."
"Who then?" Lily asked, gulping air.
"William and Anna Weasley and Moira Longbottom. Oh darling, I'm so sorry." Mary moved to put her arms around her grandaughter, but the girl stood up.
"Where have the rest of them gone?"
"Hogwarts sweet. You don't want to go there now-"
"If you won't take me I'll walk."
Mary sighed and looked at her husband. "Come child, we'll get you there in one piece."
*~*~
Lily stared out the window as they drove along one dreary road after another. She didn't speak to her grandparents, and they assumed she was thinking of her lost friends. She wasn't, however, thinking of anything. She stared straight out the window, not seeing anything, or if she did, not taking any notice of it. Her mind was blank. Scientists claim that pain releases adrenalin, and adrenalin causes some senses to be blurred. In Lily's case, so much pain had been inflicted that her brain had completely shut down. Her sense level was equivelant to that of someone who had had a complete frontal lobotomy. She was aware of one thing.
This was war.
)(())()()()()()(())()()()()()()()()()()()()())()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()(
Lily got out of the car and walked away. "Do you want us to take you up there sweet?"
Lily didn't answer. She continued to walk. Mary went forward to take her arm, but her husband took her shoulder and shook his head. "Let her go Mary."
Lily walked over to the huge doors where she was stopped by two massive guards. "What do you want here?"
"I'm Lily Potter." She said, snapping back to reality.
The guards stepped to the side. "They are expecting you in the Great Hall."
Lily walked in, pulling her robes tight around her. She pushed open the doors to the hall and everyone turned, as though they had been waiting for this exact moment. She stood there in the doorway, looking aound at all the faces, some familiar, some less so. She went and stood next to her father. He put his arm over her shoulder, but they didn't say anything, then or later.
They watched as Arthur Weasley climbed up on a podium and began to speak. "Last night, the Dark Army attacked for the first time since 2000. Ladies and gentlemen-" The Ministers voice broke. "This is war. I would like to stress the need for secrecy in this endeavor. Would all those who have fought before please rise and move to the left side of the hall." Harry squeezed his daughters shoulder and kissed her forehead, then he rose and walked to the other side of the hall with Ron and Seamus. Hermione was sitting on a window ledge, looking out over the school grounds. Her eyes, unlike Rons, were not rimmed with red and she smiled slightly when Lily looked at her. Lily searched the room with her eyes, and found Daniel and Caroline. She stood and went over to them.
"I'm sorry." She said quietly.
"So am I." Daniel replied.
"What do you think they'll have us do?" Caroline asked.
"Well first they'll tell us to go home, and when we resist they'll find someone to teach us the Unforgivables, and then they'll send us out." Daniel said.
"I'm scared of dying." Caroline said, biting her lip.
"There are worse things." Daniel said softly. Lily took his hand and squeezed it. He didn't let go.
When Mr Weasley finished talking to the adults on the other side, most of them left but Harry, Neville and Seamus came over to talk to their children.
"What are you guys going to do?" Neville asked. "The school has been closed, however they're taking entrants at Durmstrang, Beaubatons and Lady Heathers-"
Harry looked at the childrens eyes and grabbed Nevilles arm before he could continue. "They're staying." He said, not breaking his gaze.
Neville looked surprised. "Daniel?"
"I'm staying dad."
"Your mother-"
"Will be busy."
Neville nodded. "You have that right." He rested his hand gently on his son's shoulder. "I have to go find out where I'm shipping."
Harry looked at his daughter. "Be good. I'll see you in a bit. I have to sign in."
They were left with Seamus. "You three stick together. Don't let anything separate you." He kissed both of the girls and shook Daniels hand. "Don't let anything happen to my girls."
Daniel shook his head. "Don't worry Mr Finnigan."
"Good man."