.ten years ago.
"Lily, you have to get up now, or we are going to be late to Transfigurations again." Martha said hastily as she stormed out of the bathroom. "Professor McGonagall is going to be furious at us AGAIN!"
"Oh, what time is it?" a groggy voice came from under the blanket.
"7:15."
"Oh, you mean I only have 15 minutes to get dressed, get cleaned and get to the other side of the school in 15 minutes," Lily sprang up from her bed. "I might as well be dead."
Thinking of Professor McGonagall's reaction to their tardiness for the third time this week, Martha thought, yeah, we might as well be dead.
In no more than 5 minutes later, the two girls were on their way to class.
"Miss Evans and Miss Milnor, it's certainly nice to see you that you have finally made it to class. Do you realize that it is your third time being late this week, and it is only Wednesday?" Professor McGonagall's stern voice reached the girls as they stepped inside the Transfiguration classroom with their eyes glued to their feet. "And Miss Evans, might I remind you that it is the duty of the Head girl to lead by example. What you expect of others you have to expect from yourself."
"Sorry, Professor. It won't happen again."
"Fine, this time I will take your words, but I will take off 10 points from Gryffindor though," said Professor McGonagall as she walked back to the front of the classroom. "Go to your seats quickly. The Lesson is about to start."
Martha and Lily quickly walked to their seats. Martha made a face at Lily and mouthed the word 'saved' silently. Lily smiled to herself, but quickly stopped as she saw Professor McGonagall was looking to their part of the classroom.
The lesson was over in no time.
"Don't forget to read for the next lecture," Professor McGonagall reminded everyone. "And Miss Evans, would you stay for a few minutes. I would like to have a few words with you."
Lily waited silently as everyone left the room, and walked up to Professor McGonagall's desk. "Professor, I know I'm always late, but I am trying my best to change that habit. It's just that."
"No need to explain about your lateness problem, Miss Evans. It is not what I wanted to talk to you about," Professor McGonagall looked up from the letters she was reading. "When I recommendated you to be head girl, I knew that your other qualities far outweighed your tendency to be late."
"It's not?" Lily was surprised and turned curious. "Then what is it, Professor?"
"I wanted to discuss our head boy, James Potter, with you before the meeting with all the perfects," said Professor McGonagall in the usually stern voice. "James has a bit of a wild side to him, but he's very good boy. And Headmaster Dumbledore is very fond of him, you know."
"I've heard some rumors about him."
"Well, I hope that being a head boy will calm him down a little, and make him look at rules a little differently," said Professor McGonagall. "And I hope that you will be a positive influence on James. Perhaps calm him down a little."
Lily nodded silently. It looked like to her that Professor wanted to say something else, but instead Professor McGonagall said, "It is all. You can go now," and went back to reading her letters.
Just as Lily was leaving the classroom, Professor McGonagall called out, "And Miss Evans, try not to be late to the meeting next week."
Lily smiled despite herself. She really should do something about this bad habit was hers.
"Lily, you have to get up now, or we are going to be late to Transfigurations again." Martha said hastily as she stormed out of the bathroom. "Professor McGonagall is going to be furious at us AGAIN!"
"Oh, what time is it?" a groggy voice came from under the blanket.
"7:15."
"Oh, you mean I only have 15 minutes to get dressed, get cleaned and get to the other side of the school in 15 minutes," Lily sprang up from her bed. "I might as well be dead."
Thinking of Professor McGonagall's reaction to their tardiness for the third time this week, Martha thought, yeah, we might as well be dead.
In no more than 5 minutes later, the two girls were on their way to class.
"Miss Evans and Miss Milnor, it's certainly nice to see you that you have finally made it to class. Do you realize that it is your third time being late this week, and it is only Wednesday?" Professor McGonagall's stern voice reached the girls as they stepped inside the Transfiguration classroom with their eyes glued to their feet. "And Miss Evans, might I remind you that it is the duty of the Head girl to lead by example. What you expect of others you have to expect from yourself."
"Sorry, Professor. It won't happen again."
"Fine, this time I will take your words, but I will take off 10 points from Gryffindor though," said Professor McGonagall as she walked back to the front of the classroom. "Go to your seats quickly. The Lesson is about to start."
Martha and Lily quickly walked to their seats. Martha made a face at Lily and mouthed the word 'saved' silently. Lily smiled to herself, but quickly stopped as she saw Professor McGonagall was looking to their part of the classroom.
The lesson was over in no time.
"Don't forget to read for the next lecture," Professor McGonagall reminded everyone. "And Miss Evans, would you stay for a few minutes. I would like to have a few words with you."
Lily waited silently as everyone left the room, and walked up to Professor McGonagall's desk. "Professor, I know I'm always late, but I am trying my best to change that habit. It's just that."
"No need to explain about your lateness problem, Miss Evans. It is not what I wanted to talk to you about," Professor McGonagall looked up from the letters she was reading. "When I recommendated you to be head girl, I knew that your other qualities far outweighed your tendency to be late."
"It's not?" Lily was surprised and turned curious. "Then what is it, Professor?"
"I wanted to discuss our head boy, James Potter, with you before the meeting with all the perfects," said Professor McGonagall in the usually stern voice. "James has a bit of a wild side to him, but he's very good boy. And Headmaster Dumbledore is very fond of him, you know."
"I've heard some rumors about him."
"Well, I hope that being a head boy will calm him down a little, and make him look at rules a little differently," said Professor McGonagall. "And I hope that you will be a positive influence on James. Perhaps calm him down a little."
Lily nodded silently. It looked like to her that Professor wanted to say something else, but instead Professor McGonagall said, "It is all. You can go now," and went back to reading her letters.
Just as Lily was leaving the classroom, Professor McGonagall called out, "And Miss Evans, try not to be late to the meeting next week."
Lily smiled despite herself. She really should do something about this bad habit was hers.