DISCLAIMER! Not mine, don't sue. Falalalalalalalaaaaaa…
A/N-This chapter was difficult for me to write. Let me explain, in order to start writing about life at Hogwarts, I needed to decide what courses Lily would take. But since there's no canon info about 7th year schedules, I had to make all of that information up. Then, I sat down and wrote down her weekly schedule so I wouldn't get confused, included times for all three meals and passing periods. That was rather difficult. After that, I needed to look up what day school would start on, to fit that in with her schedule. Finally, I could write… Unfortunately, half of the things I meant to write about in this chapter won't crop up until the next chapter. There's was more to say about the first four days of school than I thought possible. So, my apologies for the delay!
September 1st, 1976
Ah! This is such a nice feeling. Here I am, sitting on the Hogwarts Express, Karin looking over my shoulder to check if the new charms work, and surrounded by my peers, wizarding peers. It is peace, nothing but peace.
Which is ironic because here I am, headed back to another year at school, and within a few days I know it'll hit me once more that school really does mean work, and more work, and-hey!-work! But, for the moment, school is exactly where I want to be. Like I said, ironic.
The weather's incredible for taking a train ride, thunder, lightning, and the works. Despite spending exactly six years now surrounded by magic, I still can't help but feel a sense of wonderment at how we can ride so smoothly while the wind, I swear, is trying to derail us. If I set one foot outside when it's raining like this, I'm literally blown away. Woosh! There goes Lily, soaring over the trees, using no magic and no broom!
Judging from the fact that Karin just stole my diary, shook it a few times, looked at it, shook her head, and handed it back to me with several ruffled pages, I'd say the security charms are working. So far, all we've charmed the diary to do is to make the writing invisible to everyone but me, even as I write it, and to look exactly like I want it to look. Unfortunately for Karin, the invisible writing charm isn't entirely foolproof, as it has been known, according to the book, to occasionally give the writing a mind of its own and let it reappear when it takes a particular liking to a person. So we're placing a few pre-cast hexes triggered by attempts to pry the journal open without authorization. Karin will also be testing these… I hope they don't injure her too much. There's no hospital wing on the train.
Let's see, between turning pink, growing enlarged ears, constant nose itching and the inability to move one's arms to scratch it, and the disappearance of one's eyebrows, there's no permanent damage, is there? No, no real harm. I'm off to cast more spells!
Karin, thankfully, has been spared of the business of testing the charms, a task which fell quite accidentally upon much worthier victims. This also marks one of the few times her habit of procrastination has really paid off in the long run.
We had finished the necessary charms and spells, which, when triggered all at once, certainly have a most unpleasant though not harmful effect, and Karin was quite adamant that there was absolutely no way she would lay hands on my diary now, or at any time in the future. I told her that I knew precisely how everything could be undone, but she glared at me. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly sure she was thinking of the time when I rather drastically butchered the pronunciation of "Finite Incantatum" and wound up recasting the very spell I was trying to stop.
While Karin and I were having our battle of wills, both of us staring stubbornly at the journal I was holding out to her, who should traipse in but James, looking to remind me that, as Head Girl, I should be ready when the train arrives to step into my duties, followed closely by Peter, his shadow. James was honestly mid-sentence, lecturing me quite ironically about setting a good, well-behaved example for the first years, when he noticed that neither I nor Karin really cared that he was there, both being too preoccupied staring at a book. Being James, and with that overly-curious, nosey, and possessing feelings being invincible, he took the diary from my hands, read the cover with a haughty air of defiance, and tore it open eagerly just as Peter reached out to hold the book as well.
Both received the full force of the protection charms, and all seems to be working well. Neither should be coming near my journal again.
I was nice enough to reverse most of the spells for them after they fell to their knees and begged, but as a bit of revenge for the mistletoe incident, their eyebrows will not reappear until midnight tonight. Ah, the power feels magnificent.
James was right, however, that it's just about time for me to finally let go of the last shreds of the summer holiday and step into my role as this year's Head Girl. Oh, wish me luck.
The sorting ceremony went just marvelously. Perhaps the only glitch was that we're to have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts student teacher this year, giving Professor Purbleschmit a well deserved break occasionally, and he or she did not attend the feast. Aside from that, the food was delicious, as usual, and I wish you could have seen the faces of the new students, especially the ones in Gryffindor. They all looked up to James and me with such adoration; it was amazing to know that so many people take me as a role model. It makes me proud!
One of them, named Bill I believe, seemed especially curious about the two of us, following us around everywhere once we arrived at Gryffindor Tower, and asking the most random questions. Neither James nor I ever got the opportunity to ask him anything once he started talking. He had a unique look about him, with incredibly bright red hair cut short, a fact which he constantly complained about to us, a charming smile, and an odd habit of rolling up the sleeves of his robes whenever he spoke about something he wished would change. For a first year, though, he seemed to know quite a good deal about magic already. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he turns out near the top of his class.
For my part, I'm incredibly excited about this upcoming year. This year, I'll finish learning what the school supposes is everything needed to survive outside of school. Additionally, there are Hogsmeade trips to look forward to (the first of which falls the weekend of Karin's birthday), and possibly a ball, although I'm not too certain whether that's going to become an actuality. I still haven't had an opportunity to pay James, and in all honestly, I'm having second thoughts. A ball would be fun, unquestionably, but it would mean going through the hassle of finding a date.
And then, I'm not entirely convinced that I need to pay James in order to hold one this year. Perhaps if we lift the condition that he wears whatever I ask, he'd agree without taking any of my spending money for the year. If you ask me, he seemed rather eager to hold the dance as well, so maybe he has a girl he'd like to ask. Suspicions are fun to live with, at any rate. Also, the general populace would love him if he agreed, and everyone knows how much James values his popularity…
Except, I don't want James to get all the credit for this! It wasn't his idea in the first place; it was mine.
There you have a perfect example of my jealous streak, one of the banes of my existence. I wish it would just disappear for a while.
On a completely different note, I did manage to owl an order for Karin's poster, since I was unable to at Diagon Alley, and I should be receiving the package sometime this week. Her birthday is on October 1st, and she will be turning eighteen. Remarkable, isn't it? I've known her since we were both innocent and eleven; how did we manage to grow up?
As classes start at nine o'clock tomorrow, I really ought to find some time to sleep tonight. I hope my schedule turns out well.
Eleven hours until it's time to think!
September 2nd, 1976
It's five o'clock in the morning and I haven't the faintest idea why I'm awake. Nothing was supposed to wake me until seven, which would leave more than enough time to dress, eat breakfast, and check my schedule for the day.
Yet here I am at five in the morning sitting cross-legged on the same bed I've slept in since my first year here. I have the oddest sense that I've been in this situation before. Oh, yes, every September 2nd since school began.
I hate nerves. They disrupt my sleep. I was having such a nice dream for a while there, but then it turned rather odd, and I woke up.
I was sitting by the side of a small lake, one I've never seen before, and the water was cool, rippling softly and reflecting the sky above me. Surrounding me on either side were trees, the perfect type to climb in, with their green leaves stretched up to the sun. I began to climb one, and then I reached a sort of tree house. Inside, there was a chess game, and a mysterious opponent dressed all in black sat across the table. We began to play, my adversary black, and I being white, but then all of my pieces became black pawns, except the king and queen, both of whom bowed their head solemnly in defeat. All of a sudden, the tree house crashed to the ground, and Professor Flitwick walked over to me, telling me that he was ashamed at how poorly I'd been doing this year. He said that if I wanted to succeed in life, I needed to stop sleeping through his classes. He began to be joined by the rest of the professors, when I woke up so I wouldn't sleep through my next class.
It would have been a nice plan, if it weren't four hours before classes start.
Howsoever, seeing as I stand little chance of falling back asleep, I might as well dress and head to the Great Hall for a quiet breakfast. I might also be able to obtain my schedule early from Professor McGonagall, just to set me at ease.
Ah hah! I'd do a victory dance, but I'm afraid I might wake Karin, Lilac, or Maggie, my roommates. It's still rather early to be energetic…
Honestly, they'd probably just stare at me if I told them why I'm excited even they saw me though. Granted, it's really not much, but I did manage to obtain my schedule ahead of time, and the wonderful Professor Dumbledore listened to my pleas and has allowed me to drop Herbology in favor of another Advanced Charms class. So, this year, my schedule includes Potions, Advanced General Transfiguration, Astronomy, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, Advanced Charms, History, and Charms Creation. It's rather…busy, granted, but it should be valuable.
All right, so, maybe it's not really something to be incredibly excited about, at all. I seem to forget that this is SCHOOL I'm taking about. Sometimes, I like school. Odd.
Speaking of school, it's nearly seven, so it wouldn't hurt to wake everyone up now. History's first today! Hopefully this year we'll learn about something interesting!
That's it; I'm taking it all back. The professors are seeking some sort of revenge against the seventh years for some unknown wrong we committed over the past few years. I had three classes already today, so naturally, I've been assigned essays in History and Ancient Runes, both on the overall significance of our summer reading, and a write-up in Arithmancy on the numerical implications behind "7", for the year we are now starting. It is all due for the next time we meet next week. Additionally, I have astronomy tonight at 10:30. Ah, the pain! It's terrible!
I suppose it's not all terrible, though. Learning new things should be fascinating, once we move around to it, and there's all the people I've missed over the summer who are going through just the same torture.
So, it's nothing to be taken personally.
For the moment, until it's time for dinner, I think I shall take my chess set to the common room and test it out on any unsuspecting victim. Let's hope I do well!
Most depressingly, I lost my chess game to Peter. He received a good deal of help from James and Remus, though, so all hope is not completely forsaken. Perhaps I really ought to play more if I ever expect to be any good at this game. On yet another sad note, it's just about time to start thinking about the various assignments, eat dinner, and prepare for a long night of learning in the Astronomy Tower. Being myself more of a morning person, I can already tell I will come to detest Thursdays this year. Which is such a pity, since Thursday used to be my favorite day of the week.
Late. Tired. Astronomy as expected. Guys still idiots. Usual comments. Have some obsession with the Tower. Don't understand. Not thinking. More later.
Saturday, September 4th, 1976
I'll be the first to say this to you: how incredibly bizarre! This is, of course, in reference to a rather unsettling event, or, occurrence, that is, more of a realization I had yesterday. Apparently, Frank Longbottom's first real assignment as an Auror was to keep an eye on things at Hogwarts. I don't understand! At first, I thought this was just a big joke someone was playing on him, or on me. Hogwarts, a serious assignment for an Auror? It's just ridiculous.
But no, he tells me. He'll be helping to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, his specialty, particularly after becoming an Auror, while primarily watching out any sign of Voldemort or his minions, I suppose. For whatever reason, there's some speculation that either students here are rather likely to be victims, or that the Dark Lord is seeking followers from among the ranks of our students.
I can't quite fathom it! Hogwarts is supposed to be so well protected as it is, that sending in a trained Auror should be excess, if anyone were to try to attack it. That seems positively ludicrous. Even more impossible, to me, is that my peers would already be Death Eaters. Presumably, this would be more the Slytherins than Gryffindor, but even they are mostly people I respect, if not like particularly. It makes no sense to me. No sense whatsoever.
On a more positive note, I can say with some certainty that Frank Longbottom has not been killed or injured on the job yet, and that most likely he will remain safe this year. It will be nice to talk to him more frequently this year, and I expect we shall learn a good deal about defense as well.
I'm just a bit on edge about the whole ordeal. My perfect, sheltered world within Hogwarts, the protective bubble surrounding my life, has been punctured. Woosh! At this point, I'm hoping it doesn't take my sanity with it.
Naturally, I'm overreacting a good deal, and will probably calm down and return to normal within a few hours, but in the meantime, panic is the prevalent thought in my mind.
Karin, contrarily, hasn't seemed affected by it at all. She's off with Sirius at the moment, so Hogwarts life is falling into place as usual.
In a way, I have to envy her the relationship she does have, despite its rampant oddities. She has a relationship to fall back on, and I have, well, a journal, family who doesn't quite understand the pace of my life, and a best friend who is as wonderful as I could wish but she's only one person! It's not the same to scream at a friend, as it is to cry on the shoulder of a knight in shining armor.
Not that I need a knight in shining armor, either. He doesn't need to fight any wars to find me, or go horseback riding, or be wealthy, or come from an upper class family. Most certainly, he doesn't need to walk around wearing metal plates.
I just wish that for once in my life I could be swept off my feet completely. For that, I envy Karin. No one ever thought they'd be a cute couple, but once things starting happening between them, even if they only "officially" happened for a week, no one questioned that they were ideal, at least for the moment. Whenever she's been out with him, she always comes back in elation, just bubbling over at the edges with delight, and I wish I could be so effervescent because some guy was that wonderful, that important to me, that caring and sweet.
Here I am, the ultimate walking contradiction: I don't need a boyfriend and I don't have the time for one, yet I envy my friend's beau and love.
I envy her free time as well, something I'm beginning to notice I lack. All the free time I do have I seem to spend being an introvert, which is completely necessary, but it takes away from everything else I could do.
I think I'll talk to James again about throwing a ball, see if I can't work my way out of paying for it. It would be a good excuse to make time for myself, and see if I can't find the man of my dreams waiting just around the corner of the hallway on my way to class.
Also, seeing as it's not likely I'll be meeting him anytime soon; perhaps I ought to talk to Karin about going to France with her this summer. If my Prince Charming isn't at Hogwarts, then he must not be in this country.
Her package arrived over breakfast, and it looks wonderful. It's currently all wrapped and safely hidden under my bed.
27 days until Karin's birthday, and 28 until Hogsmeade!
Closing Note: Next chapter should include at least one full moon, a death, more chess games, and a mysterious intruder. Just to keep you interested…