Past experiences good and bad

Before Lily's eyes her friends crumpled around her, until she was sitting alone surrounded by sleeping dead. Why hadn't James woken up yet? He'd been the first one to be put under the charm and already Lotti who had been the most recent in the class to be caught in their worst nightmares, had reawoken looking shaken but after she had eaten the chocolate she seemed alright - she managed to have a go at Lily; which was about as good a sign as Lily could have hoped for, that once the spell was over her friends would be back to normal.

Just as Lily was getting used to this new form of torture Professor Stilten had devised there was a gasp from beside her and Sirius jerked upright looking around wildly. Professor Stilten was there within seconds of Sirius' recovery and shoved an extraordinarily large block of chocolate in Sirius' mouth rendering him speechless for a couple of minutes.

James gave one last shudder and whispered something Lily couldn't hear then his eyes flicked open full of such immense sorrow and deep longing Lily had to look away she couldn't bare to see him in such pain.

"Lily –" he whispered barely audible above the sounds of their classmates, "I – I'm…" but before he could say anymore Professor Stilten was back and shoved an even larger piece of chocolate in his mouth. For what seemed like for ever he fought with the immense quantity in his mouth, desperate to make Lily understand. With a struggle he gulped the rest of the semi-melted lump, clearing his mouth and enabling him to talk again but as he opened his mouth Lily collapsed her face twisted in horror and pain.

#*#

Lily checked her shoulder bag one last time: wand, muggle and wizard money, lip gloss, photograph of her family – a wizard one… where was it? The photos of Carma, Lotti and Bec where gone! And so was the photo she had of James – her crush – that lived in her purse, it was taken just after he'd won Gryffindor the Quidditch cup. He was still on his broom and was grinning ear to ear; Lily smiled remembering every detail about it.

"PETUNIA!" she yelled at the top of her voice, it was all to obvious who'd taken the photos from her bag.

"Yeah freak?" came the reply as a bony horse like face stuck out around its door and into the hallway.

"Give back my photos – NOW! I have to go." Lily said angrily pushing her way into Petunia's bedroom as she did so.

"There in the shed – well they'll be ashes now." She said laughing menacingly at the horror struck expression on Lily's face. Lily turned around and dashed out to the shed followed by Petunia who put her hand into her pocket and pulled out Lily's photos, she'd  set some of the discarded wizard she'd found in Lily's room alight instead and had a nasty surprise waiting for her instead.     

The shed was pitch dark except for a flame flickering in the grill – Lily rushed over, the photos had curled and were being licked by the yellow flames, but as she looked she realised that they weren't her photos at all. She whipped around as her sister came in, flicking on the light as she went. Lily gasped, the shed had been fitted out like a prison cell with a bed chained to the wall on one side, the fire place had been blocked and the windows and door had been locked from the outside. Petunia laughed, Lily cringed at the sound, she knew where this was leading.

"That's right freak, your own special cell! You won't be ever seeing those freaky friends again or going to that- that precious school of yours." Lily cowered under the crazed gaze of her sister, there was no point saying anything it would only make it worse – Lily knew that from experience. Petunia had engineered it so Lily no longer had her bag with her wand or anything else for that matter. "There's food and water over there – oh and here you may as well have these, shame I won't get to see how long it takes to break you. But mother and father are waiting, where of to Paris to see Aunt Jesmand and don't think those creepy friends of yours will come looking for you, I've taken care of that don't you worry." She continued in a fake high voice that sent chills down her back, "Dear Carma, I'm sorry I can't come to your house these hols, my Aunt's really sick – maybe even dying and the whole family will be moving up there for 6 months. Don't expect any owls, Silver is sick and can't come to Paris with us. Sincerely Lily Evens."

With that Petunia shoved the photos at her and slammed the door, the lock clicked and she was gone. Minutes later a car started up and crunched down the gravel driveway and was gone.

Lily looked down at the photos in her hand, her friend's smiled back at her. Then there was James doing his victory lap around the field, his hair even more rumpled that usual making Lily itch to run her hands through it.

It didn't take long for the food and water to run low, and Lily's body to shut down making it harder to get up forcing her to stay lying down to fight off the ever present dizziness and hunger pains. At last she collapsed, she had nothing left to keep her conscious, the picture of James that lay beside her along with those of Carma, Bec and Lotti. 

#*#           

~                      ~          The Lesson       ~                      ~

"For those who have already been under Memorius Petrifica may now the advanced cheering spell which will also be on your Exams – in the practical section. So watch carefully; 1,2,3,4 – Hilarium!

She bustled around the room paring them up, that is except Lily and Peter who were the last to fall under the Memorius Petrifica spell and were still struggling with their memories.

=          *          =          *          =

 Remus was thirteen, sitting at the kitchen table with his parents eating breakfast when an owl fluttered in – this of corse was not unusual in the Lupin house hold as Remus' Parents were both highly thought of wizards even though their son was a werewolf. But what was different about this morning was that the owl dropped the letter in front of Remus, it was made of thick yellow parchment and was addressed in green ink to: Mr R J Lupin, Kitchen table, 3 Wentworth crescent, London. He flipped it over fingering the red seel on the back – the Hogwarts crest.  No doubt it was going to be another refusal as he was not fit to be taught magic being what he was. Slowly, careful not to break the seel in half as he wanted to keep it, it would fit in nicely with his collection from all the other wizarding schools in London and the rest of the world.

* Dear Mr R Lupin, we are pleased to announce that you have been accepted into Hogwarts school of Witch craft and Wizardry. We feel that so long as the necessary precautions are taken that there should be no reason for you to not commence your magical tutoring. We do however what to meet with you and your parents to discus details of your stay with us…* Remus looked up from the letter suddenly beaming, his eyes bright. "I've-I've been accepted to Hogwarts!!"

=          *          =          *          =

"Give up Carma, we all know Evans isn't coming back! And who wants her to? Sniff sniff Carma that's right you go and have a cry." Bec taunted grabbing the Letter from Lily out of Carma's hands and tossing it in the fire.  Carma launched herself at Bec, wand at the ready but Lotti got there first.

"What's up Carma? Can't control your body? Here let me help you. Portrificus Totalus!" She laughed as Carma froze toppling to the ground helpless.

Out of nowhere a flash of orange hit Carma and the ice melted, she was able to move again. No-on own up but it gave Carma the advantage she needed, she held her wand steady and hit both Bec and Lotti with a glue like solution that remodelled their hair into a mass of spikes as hard as rocks. Lotti screamed and grabbing Bec they ran helter skelter into the bathroom to reverse the damage to their precious hair. No-one spoke, Carma crossed the dorm floor to the door in two steps and flung the door open ready to storm out and down to breakfast but she was blocked by someone standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened taking in a dishevelled red head flanked by a Hogwarts trunk. LILY! She pulled her into a hug, it was so good to see her again, Bec and Lotti could go to hell – LILY EVANS was back to stay! She'd grown in the last year, becoming even more pretty with a fuller figure… she grabbed her trunk and hurried her inside now the games had begun. "I'm proud to announce Lily Evans is back – our queen of fairness has returned!" she said loudly and as she had know they would, everyone rushed over. Evans was back, she may have been insignificant to the rest of the school but she was loved by the Gryffindor girls that shared her dorm, she kept the peace, always seeing both sides of an argument and nightmares were almost wished for as Lily seemed to know even before they did when some one had one and would sit by with a glass of hot chocolate each and wait till you went back to sleep. Carma beamed – things were looking up!

=          *          =          *          =

Sirius kicked off the hard earth, he was back in first year in their flying lesson. Sirius not unlike his best friend James was a natural when it came to flying and coming from a wizarding family already was confident on his older brothers broom.

"Today we will learn how to refine the art of flying, as we have already learnt how to kick off and land…. LOTTI! What do you think your doing come down immediately!" but Madame Hooch was too late Lotti had already flown higher and been caught by the strong wind over the forbidden forrest. "All of you stay put, I don't want any more accidents." With that she took off after Lotti and disappeared out of their sight.

Malfoy grabbed Carma around the waist pulling her onto his broomstick and taking off. Carma screamed, Sirius fumed she had no way down and even if she could get out of Malfoy's grip she couldn't fly even with a broom. Sirius didn't stop to think he took of after them ignoring Malfoy's taunts and the classes 'Ohhhh's and Ahhhh's' he focused on getting Carma before Malfoy hurt her. They were level now and Sirius could see Carma's worried face, Malfoy had obviously planned this stunt with Lotti.

"Come get your girlfriend Black," Malfoy yelled over the wind as he shoved Carma off the broom and sped back to the ground leaving her to fall on the tree below them. Sirius dived reaching out and grabbing her arm just as she hit the top branches of the tree. He pulled up hard finally managing to get clear of the tree and pulled her up to sit in front of him as he carefully brought her back to the ground and her friends Bec and Lily waiting anxiously on the ground. Back on the ground she threw her arms around his neck thanking him profusely for saving her.

~          /           ~          /           ~          /           ~                            

They all woke at simular times, no chocolate this time instead Stilten gave them an essay to do and sent them off to dinner. But not even the foot long essay could wipe the smiles off their faces as they headed off to dinner without Lily and Peter who were only just waking up from the first charm.