8
"Really, Minerva! I am not a Gorgon, so I see no reason for you to stand there like a stone statue gaping at me like a fish…"
Lily just couldn't help herself. Minerva looked so humorous. She always loved the stern witch.
Albus chuckled.
"My dear, you have to admit that your appearance here looks rather strange, considering the fact that you are supposed to be…dead."
"H-how?"
Minerva finally managed to croak the question that was bothering her.
"Yes. I too would like to know how. Why don't we all sit down and have some tea? Meanwhile Lily will let us into her, I have no doubts, very absorbing story."
With a clap of headmaster's hands a tray with tea and cookies appeared on the low table. Lily approached Minerva and took hold of her arm, helping the stunned woman to the armchair. When they all sat down she began her story.
"Perhaps I should start with an explanation of what happened in 1981. It appears that almost everyone in the wizardry world thinks that my little son's outstanding magical abilities stopped Voldemort back then. While Harry, of course, is a very gifted wizard he could not stop the evil that wanted to kill him. He was just a baby.
As you both know I was always fond of charms and spells. When the threat of Voldemort appeared I decided to concentrate on learning two things. First of all, the curses. I thought it was important to know and be able to recognize Voldemort's 'weapons'. Secondly, the ancient magic. The one that was born when people, ironically, knew much more about the world than we do now. I found one very interesting spell. The Deal with a demon."
"Raptoramoris*".
Whispered Albus.
"Exactly. You knew?"
"I suspected it."
Minerva who clearly couldn't understand what they were talking about could no longer stand obscurity.
"Would you mind telling me what is Raptoramoris?"
Lily continued.
"Raptoramoris is a demon, Minerva. Or, better say, a type of demons. They consume the energy that people produce when they love. When someone you love is in great danger you can make a Deal with Raptoramoris that will save the one you love. In exchange for the life of the one dear to you the demon will become the owner of your soul. That way Raptoramoris will be able to feed on your emotions of love forever, because even in death those feelings stay in the memory of your soul."
Lily paused, took a sip of tea and then continued.
"I made the Deal in order to save my son's life. For fifteen years my soul languished in darkness and emptiness. Memory was all I had. I was in personal hell."
Lily was trembling a little. She tried to compose herself.
"Seven days ago a miracle happened. The demon let me go. He gave me not only freedom but also life. He said Voldemort is planning to eliminate love for it is his greatest threat. Such course of actions will cause the death of both humans and this type of demons. Raptoramoris sent me back here so that I could find a way to stop Voldemort."
*~*~*~*~*
Lily was tired. Her conversation with Albus and Minerva had lasted for more than four hours. Naturally, there had been a lot to discuss. Now she desperately needed rest. Lily was in her new rooms. Albus had fulfilled her wish to live in the most deserted part of the castle. Because of her new empathic abilities it was important for her to be as far from the other occupants of the castle as possible at least during night-time.
Lily looked around her new dwelling. It was very cozy. Her windows faced the Forbidden forest. It was a good thing, because the forest was the weakest link in the protective circle around Hogwarts. If someone with bad intentions would want to get onto the school grounds the easiest way would lie through the woods. Strong spells could not be placed on that area. And although the forest was a very dangerous place and it was hard to walk through it unnoticed and unharmed by some deadly creatures, it was still possible to use it as a loophole that leads to Hogwarts. Lily liked the fact that she was close to this area and therefore could keep an extra eye on it.
She neared the mirror and studied her reflection. Lily remembered her surprise when she'd seen herself for the first time after 'rebirth'. The demon had actually aged her body, so that she looked like a woman in her mid thirties and not like a twenty-two year old. As if she'd been alive all these fifteen years. Lily liked her present looks; her soul was older and the new body fitted it perfectly. Of course she would have to change her appearance, for enemy's unawareness was a good weapon.
Tomorrow the school would be full of children. She would finally be near her son, her sweet child. Only he wouldn't know it. Not yet. He was in Gryffindor. Bravery and recklessness… Two traits she was quite familiar with. She hoped the boy at least hadn't inherited his parents' stubbornness.
Lily's mind wandered back to her first ride to Hogwarts…
~*~*~*~*~
FLASHBACK
September, 1970. King's Cross Station.
"Really Black… You disgust me."
"Coming from you, Malfoy, it sounds like praise to my ears."
The blond boy who was referred to as Malfoy stepped closer to the two dark-haired boys who stood in front of him. His eyes resembled hot ice, cold but burning with anger. Malfoy's friend who stood beside him regarded the opponents with just as much hostility as the blond.
"You think you are smart Bla…"
Malfoy didn't get a chance to finish his thought because a clear girlish voice interrupted him in the middle of the sentence. Like a little bell it rang through platform 9 ¾.
"Excuse me. You are blocking the entrance to the train."
Four arguing boys, who stood near Hogwarts express, spun their heads in the direction of the voice. Their eyes were greeted with a sight of a tiny red-haired girl, who stood with her nose upturned. She was holding a handcart. The blond boy looked her over from head to toes and smirked.
"If little missy would deign to look around she would see that there are plenty of other entrances that are not blocked".
With that he spun his head back and opened his mouth to insult the dark-haired boy who stood right opposite him but again he wasn't given the chance to continue.
"I know there are other entrances… However it seems I have developed a fascination for this particular one."
The girl was talking in a sing-song manner, her tone and the expression of her face left no doubts that she considered her current company utterly dumb.
The boys stared at her. Malfoy's mouth was still open.
"So if you would just step aside…"
Malfoy looked stunned and annoyed at the same time. The boy he called Black and Black's friend regarded the girl with disbelief and awe. The scrawny boy with long black hair and black eyes who was on Malfoy's side eyed the girl thoughtfully and amusedly.
"…So if you would just step aside perhaps I would manage not to crush your feet with the cart."
The boys simultaneously made a step back. The little red-haired girl smugly walked between them, pushing the cart in front of her. She placed all of her things on the train and then rolled the cart away. When she finally boarded the train herself the boys "woke up". Malfoy quickly followed her, the others were not far behind.
"Hey, carrot!"
The girl was leaving her belongings in a special compartment for luggage when Malfoy addressed her. She calmly took out a book from her bag. The train moved.
"I am talking to you, carrot!"
"Leave her alone, Malfoy".
"Defending the little mudblood, Potter? Look at this knight in shining armour…"
Meanwhile the girl silently flipped through the book. Her brows were knitted from deep concentration. Finally she found what she was looking for.
"Aha…"
She threw a glance at Malfoy, took a wand out of the inner pocket of her jacket, directed it at the blond boy and muttered something. Instantly the boy's mouth disappeared. After a moment of shocked silence Black and Potter burst out laughing. Malfoy made an "ummm" sound in the depth of his throat and swung his body at the girl. Her reaction was so quick that the three boys who reached out to catch the blond before he could hurt the girl caught his falling paralyzed body.
The girl calmly walked out of the luggage section. Potter and Black followed her to the empty compartment.
"Do you mind if we join you? By the way, I am James Potter. This is Sirius Black."
The girl looked at them thoughtfully for a moment and then smiled for the first time since they met.
"I am Lily. Lily Evans."
The two boys stared at the smiling red-haired little beauty before them, realizing that their hearts already belonged to this angelic imp.
END FLASHBACK
~*~*~*~*~
* Raptoramoris (latin) – the thief of love.