Disclaimer: Not mine, don't kill me, falalalalalaaa!
A/N: Yet more from the files of my mind. 3 entries, each of decent length, making this the longest chapter yet and just about the length you can expect to see in the majority of chapters from this point on. This chapter covers up through a little after Diagon Alley, and sets the groundwork for most of the entire plot for the first portion of the story, so pay attention!
Another A/N: I haven't received much feedback on this story, good or bad, so please, I beseech you, if you read my work, at least review one chapter of the story so I know you're out there. If you have criticism, and it actually makes sense, please give me that as well.
August 16th, 1976
Firstly and foremost, above and beyond all other concerns, unquestionably most important, 4 DAYS UNTIL DIAGON ALLEY! Eeeeeeeeee! I cannot wait!
Along the same thread, Karin returned to England today, and quite frightened my family during lunch by stepping through into our fireplace. She didn't stay long, but it was unquestionably nice to talk to her in person. She hasn't changed at all during the holiday, although she claims to have been burned by the sun, ruining her complexion. We talked through where in Diagon Alley we plan to visit, so we won't waste any time arguing. It will probably take us all day to purchase everything on our collective lists, but as we have one real shopping trip a year, we'd best put it to good use.
As I have a good deal of time to myself right now, I might as well set about the writing of above mentioned lists.
(Petunia's on a date with the most recent object of her adoration: none other than poor Frank Longbottom, a very intelligent wizard friend of mine from Gryffindor and Head Boy last year, who was sitting in the kitchen yesterday giving me advice for taking charge of the school when Petunia flounced in the door after an unsuccessful bout of boy hunting and mistook him for our new muggle neighbor. Well, she set her sights on him and when Petunia requests something, as I've told Frank countless times before, it's best to go along with her until she's bored. My parents, for their part, are trailing the couple to ascertain that she doesn't enjoy herself, and Frank leaves a free man. Being muggles themselves, they run no risk of accidentally using magic to accomplish their goal, or I guarantee I'd be in their place. Anything for a chance to disappoint Petunia…)
SCHOOL NECESSITIES (BOOKS)The Second Course Book of Advanced Spells by Wynn Doe
Modern History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot (What possessed that woman to write so many history books?)
Advanced Transfiguration by Leonard Trade
Magical Plants: A force to be reckoned with. by Leif Fere (I have this odd feeling that herbology will be a class to dread this year.)
A Beginner's Guide to Potion Invention by Arsenius Jigger (Once more, a wizard so in love with his avenue of study that more than one textbook on the subject is printed under his name.)
Naturally, I'll also need potions refills, a new quill, ink, and far too much parchment.
CLOTHING NEEDSSadly, I only really require a new winter cloak, which leaves little room for creativity.
WANTEDBook of charms to protect journal with
Book of hexes to assail invaders of journal with
A nice wizarding chess set
Large bag full of random items used for practical jokes (honestly, it's for self-defense)
Poster-sized copy of the picture of Karin and I at the end of last year to give her for her birthday in October (which I must purchase before she arrives)
As much ice cream as we can eat!
On a more depressing note, I've recently learned, through both Frank's and Karin's visits, that the wizarding world is in as much chaos as ever. Little progress has been made since school ended to eliminate…Voldemort. Muggle deaths and disappearances have increased to be expected at least once a week, and St. Mungo's takes in far too many witches and wizards who fronted the fight against him. Thankfully, all of the names I've heard mentioned were foreign to me, yet I remain fearful not so much for myself, although not being of wizard blood I am a potential target, but for the families of friends from school, and especially for former Hogwarts students, notably Frank Longbottom. He was accepted over the summer as one of the select group of Aurors for the Ministry of Magic, hired to work against dark magic, and if what he's let drop is any indication, he's to become one of their foremost investigators soon. That is, if Petunia doesn't kill him first.
Goodness, I don't want to think about what I'd do if someone I know personally were to be attacked. If I can't associate the name with a face, I think I can manage, though. What drives him, though? What possesses Voldemort to go to such extremes for power and fear, and why does he attract such a following? I don't understand people, really, I don't.
August 20th, 1976
I am sitting in my room the morning of my trip to Diagon Alley to shop and already five minutes late for my meeting with Karin because my parents are upset with me. Honestly, I haven't an idea why!
All right, so maybe I did call Petunia an ugly, horse-faced, ignorant pig over the breakfast table, but she had it coming! She hadn't said anything, but I could tell by the way she was glaring at me that she poor Jasmine would be taken hostage again today if I didn't keep her carefully out of sight.
The bottom line is that I'm not to be allowed out of the house or given my shopping money until I apologize. Honestly! They expect me to apologize to the lousy, sniveling, good for nothing, wizard-hating wench? I have a few savings, so perhaps I could just sneak out of the fireplace when they aren't looking…
They were sitting in front of the fireplace waiting for me. Why me? Why isn't Petunia on house arrest too? Ugh. Fine, I will apologize, but I doubt she'll appreciate it at all. She'll probably just gloat over how she made me fifteen minutes late. I hope Karin hasn't given up on me and left already…
Oh my, what a day. It all began this morning. My parents finally surrendered the fireplace after my pitifully humiliating apology to Petunia, who merely laughed in my face. Then, I proceeded to use a good portion of the Floo powder Karin lent me to travel to the Leaky Cauldron. From there, I managed find a rather impatient Karin seated at a corner table, nibbling subconsciously on her fingernails. Several minutes later, we were strolling through Diagon Alley, window-shopping and strategizing, and all was exactly as planned.
Even this brief lapse into normalcy had its interesting moments. While in Flourish and Blotts, making our mundane schoolbook purchases, I explained to Karin my journal dilema, which lead to a lengthy investigation of every book filled with unheard-of charms and hexes. I am quite pleased with the final selection, convinced thoroughly that the requirements necessary to be met before one could read my private thoughts are far enough out of the norm to dissuade most pesky intruders from my writings.
Our next traditional-stop-turned-unorthodox was Madam Malkin's. We both had a few standard items to replace, yet Karin insisted that we each stretch a little to purchase a set of "elegant yet eyecatching" dress robes, "just in case Professor Dumbledore allows a formal ball." She's really almost overly confident in my persuasive abilities, and not just slightly enthusiastic about any excuse to bat her eyelashes more than usual at Sirius. Unlikely as it may be that we'll ever wear our new robes in public, I'll admit it was extraordinarily amusing to try on such beautiful clothing, then walk away in possession of what I consider to be the most beautiful set. Oh, I love them! I could go into such detail, but I'm afraid that might make them cease to exist…
What was I talking about, anyway? Oh yes, the rest of the day. Well, we had just completed buying all that we'd set out to obtain, plus a little extra, when who should stroll up alongside us and drag us rather forcibly to Fortescue's but the motley crew itself: James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. As is their habit when anyone could be watching, Sirius and Karin acted perfectly indifferent towards each other.
As I was saying, our capture proceeded as follows:
Simultaneously, Peter snatched my bags from my hands while Remus likewise took Karin's. In yet another utterly synchronized movement, Sirius threw his arm around my shoulders, and James around Karin, and then marched us in procession to the ice cream parlour.
"Hello, girls!" James sung, to no particular melody.
My response would have been one of the three things that came immediately to mind ("Amazing, I'm actually glad to see all of you. How was your summer?", "Dear God, James, you're even taller. Stop growing and surrender our bags!", or "Please don't subject us to something too humiliating because I have to work with you until June.") but Karin beat me to it with more or less the same statements.
"Nice to see you, boys. How was your summer? Mine was going great, but I'm afraid you all might do something drastic to make it take a turn for the worst. Goodness, Sirius, you've grown even more. I didn't think that was possible."
I turned my head up to look at my captor, nodding my assent. "Congratulations on making Head Boy, James," I added for good measure, and, I am unashamed to admit, to fish out a compliment or two. Naturally, the boys paid no heed whatsoever to either of us, but continued prodding us towards the ice cream parlour, where they sat us opposite one another at a largish table, returned our bags, and fetched two milk shakes waiting at the counter with a not-too-well-concealed wink to Florean. Karin and I sent each other worried glances as we were surrounded noisily by the co-conspirators to our embarrassment. The milk shakes were actually rather delicious, something like strawberry banana I'd guess, but the after-taste, or, I should say, after-occurrence was certainly unpleasant.
I felt myself stand up against my will (Karin later reported a similar sensation), grab the nearest individual, who happened to be Peter, kiss him on the tip of his nose, then sit myself back in my chair. Remarkably, it was only at this point that the boys began to chuckle, and I soon discovered it was because a post had sprouted from the crown of my head with a sprig of mistletoe firmly attached to it. And may I remind you that this took place in AUGUST, nowhere near the usual mistletoe season! Honestly, aside from the Petunia affair that morning, I had never felt like such a laughing-stock. My first reaction was to slap Peter, although in retrospect, I'm almost certain it was neither his idea nor potion, but I had just kissed him without intending to, and certainly that was worth something to justify inflicting pain… Reaction number two was to point my wand threateningly at James, easily the most capable wizard of the lot, and demand that he remove the mistletoe and post immediately. Karin's default "threaten them with lipstick" approach seemed to yield faster results, however, as no one really believed I'd do anything to hurt James or my practically spotless record.
They finally compromised to give us the remedy if we fell to our knees and begged. So, we begged and they set us back to normal.
Honestly, those four!-they drive me insane sometimes, but life would be very dull without them around. For the most part, we're actually friends. I just don't quite understand or agree with their idea of "a friend is a victim who can't be too angry for too long." If they weren't so funny half the time, even interesting to talk to, and if my best friend weren't head-over-heels for one of them, I'd stop talking to them altogether.
For the moment, standings are very much in their favor.
Shortly thereafter, Remus and Peter both departed separately, claiming to be needed elsewhere, while JamesandSirius, being the gentlemen they are, and, as I have mentioned before, nearly always to be found together, escorted us to Gambol and Japes. SiriusandKarin promptly took the opportunity to disappear, creating one of those rare occasions when one could find James on his own. Ordinarily we would have fallen into the accustomed comfortable silence, both thankful for the temporary calm, but for once we had something to talk about.
"Congratulations, Head Girl," James began. This was worthwhile conversation.
"Same to you," I answered, a bit repetitively. "I have no idea what you intend to do with the title and, presumably, the authority that comes with it, but I for one think there's quite a lot we could set out to change. That is, of course, if you agree?"
James rolled his eyes, or, at least, I think that's what he tried to do. "Lily Evans is already campaigning for extra evening classes for ambitious students, optional career seminars, and one hundred and one other ways to drill education into eager young minds. I can already tell I'll agree to a select group of far less than half."
"It's one thing to be a dedicated student and succeed at it, and quite another to have no life beyond textbooks, as you of all people should know, being a prime example of the first yet as far from the second as possible," I retorted, most likely yelling slightly, though I've tried to forget. "I was actually thinking of something more social, something like-"
"A ball!" James rudely interrupted, laughing. "Silly Lily wants to dance! Who with I wonder?"
I gawked indignantly. "It's none of your business!" And really, it wasn't. "But I would pay money to see you in dress robes."
James grinned with the crooked, boyish smile he'd had since I'd met him in first year and always hoped he wouldn't outgrow. "It just so happens," he said with an air of utmost importance, "that Dumbledore will most likely permit us to implement one new event this year. For only two galleons, I will agree to a ball and wear to it whatever you wish." He paused and shrugged. "Otherwise, we'll just think of something else." I would have agreed then and there, but something put the entire ordeal on hold.
(Take this next recounting with a grain of salt, for while I describe it as a highly unusual occurrence, I do not normally spend my days in the wizarding public, living either safely in Hogwarts or sheltered in the muggle world. From what I've been told, events like this are becoming all too common for the rest of the wizarding world.)
A tall, middle-aged wizard with a frighteningly official look about him walked with an equally eerie calmness into the store and requested in a restrained, nearly monotone voice, "Will all licensed adult wizards and witches not in attendance of minors please disapparate from the whole of Diagon Alley. All others should see me for a handful of Floo powder," he pointed to a fairly nondescript black satchel by his side, "then proceed to the emergency fireplace in the back room. Travel to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade if you need to meet with individuals not in this store. Thank you." Moments later, the room emptied slightlyand tingled everywhere of magic as every adult capable of disapparating did so. In all probability, I looked every bit the clueless, confused girl I was, staring stupidly out the window at the Dark Mark hovering in the air.
James, contrarily, knew precisely what was happening and yanked me by the elbow towards the rapidly growing line to obtain Floo powder. "Lily, come ON! Stop staring or there'll be another one hung for you!" With a startled cry, I realized what was going on and ran with him, taking part in the chaos.
"What about Sirius and Karin?" I asked hesitantly, taking a handful of the precious powder. "Will they be alright?"
"Lily, they're probably perfectly fine. Keep your wits about you, and you will see both of them in Hogsmeade."
I whimpered, nodding slightly, and didn't speak again until it came time to state my destination: the Three Broomsticks.
It was rather unnerving to arrive there. So many people were walking around anxiously, searching desperately for friends or exclaiming relief to have finally found someone. Seeing on sign of SiriusandKarin, James and I sat down at the only available table to wait silently. The crowds were beginning to disperse into the streets of Hogsmeade and beyond, to their homes, while we kept sitting petrified, refusing all offers of something to drink. Finally, when we'd just about given up hope of meeting them todayk, they fell out of the fireplace, Karin first, blushing and overflowing with apologies.
From what I could make of their garbled excuses, they were too "busy" to hear the initial announcement, and too "preoccupied" to notice the chaos which ensued. When an annoyed Auror investigating the situation finally dragged them back to the real world, the panic was over, for the most part. Talk about the disadvantages of having a boyfriend, or pseudo-boyfriend, whatever he is to her.
So, several minutes later, we each went our separate ways towards home. Karin promised to owl me the minute she learns any more of the exact details of what happened, and I've decided it's wisest not to tell my parents what occurred. They may never let me out of the house again!
Home life is still just as mundane as ever. Petunia bragged over dinner about how "heart broken" Frank Longbottom must be to learn she would rather date someone else, an actual muggle this time. He seems serious, sending her flowers already, so he'll be gone in a week or two.
I have yet to pay James, so for the moment, there's no upcoming ball this year. He might still turn fickle and back out, so nothing's certain, but just the chance is tantalizing. All school shopping has been completed. Summer assignments were finished midway through July. My Head Girl badge has been affixed to my robes. Everything is ready to go.
Twelve days until Hogwarts begins for the last time for me.
And absolutely NOTHING worthwhile until then.
August 26th, 1976
News of the outside world finally reached me today! Unfortunately, it's just about as confusing and disconcerting as news can be.
The Dark Mark at Diagon Alley didn't appear to be connected with a murder, kidnapping, or torture as the symbol usually is. Common speculation seems to be that it was part of the initiation of a new Death Eater, which is rather bizarre, seeing as such an event has never been noted before, despite the growing following of the Dark Lord. Whoever it was that cast the spell managed to completely evade capture.
The next day, however, the Dark Mark loomed ominously over the location of an actual murder, that of a pureblood former Ravenclaw of Hogwarts named, oddly enough Phaedra Genson. Genson wasn't at all involved in the ongoing fight against the Dark Lord, never stood out as a particularly vocal muggle sympathizer, and was known by hardly anyone, seeing as she worked as an author from her living room and published under an undisclosed penname. Why she was singled out as a victim is mystifying. It just doesn't make sense!
On a more frightening note, Petunia seems quite taken with her man of the moment and shows no sign of giving him up. Even so, she refuses to tell me his name or invite him over while I'm at home because she's ashamed to have a freak for a sister. Talk about courtesy!
Not that it's really any concern of mine, anyway, but it's just rather disconcerting.
Apparently, in the past six days, Karin and Sirius have also sworn once again never to speak to each other again, and then just as promptly gone back on their word.
I know no normal people.
Six days until Hogwarts.