Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat loudly. "Welcome back to
Hogwarts! Some announcements to be made. Our new Head Boy, Arthur Weasley,"
a red-haired boy stood up from Gryffindor table and bowed, "And our new
Head Girl, Molly Weas- I mean, Molly Winchester," a red-haired girl stood
up from Gryffindor table again, "Our new fifth prefects, please stand up as
soon as I call your names. For Ravenclaw, Andrew Boot and Seraphina Arson.
Hufflepuff, Dean McMillan and Clarissa Dunt. Slytherin, Severus Snape and
Perpetua Drindone. And last but not the least, Gryffindor, James Potter and
Alexia Cruin. Mr. Pringle, here," Dumbledore gestured to a burly looking
man in the side.
He continued. "Mr. Pringle, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you that
Fizzing Whizbees are only allowed in Hogsmeade from now on and Dungbombs
are strictly forbidden in the dungeons, since our resident manticore grew a
little, er, apprehensive the last time one was set off. Before the feast,
three words I say to you: Lau dati dominum!"
The Headmaster clapped twice and suddenly all the awaited food appeared. Chicken legs, lamb chops, steaks, bread rolls, butter, cheese, and corn were sent up from the kitchens. Sirius wasted no time in getting a few of each, his face being stuffed by his two hands. All Lily's friends were digging in except her. She thought she was fat and she had to go on a diet.
Dana noticed she wasn't eating. "Lils, aren't you going to eat?" She shook her head no.
James added in, "Why not? The food's great!" She just looked down at her hands, thinking, 'If I'm just an ugly geek, how will James ever learn to love me?'
On her other side sat Alice, unfortunately. "So, someone finally put you, little Mudblood, in your place." Lily shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Alice had heard what the Hufflepuff said and not only that, she was going to rub it in.
"You're just an ugly fat geek who no one will ever like. James'll never, ever fall for someone like you. Try as you might to fix yourself up, you'll always end up looking like what you are: a fat Mudblood!"
She'd had enough. "Stop it, okay! Why don't you just go and reapply your make-up or something, just don't bother me!"
The hall turned to look at her. Lily flushed and muttered a "Sorry" and sat down. James leaned over.
"What was THAT about, Lily Flower?"
She shook her head. "Don't mind it. She was just, uh, banging her knee against mine?" It was more of a question than a statement.
A queer expression lit up James' handsome features, his brown eyes filled with concern, and he stared at her for awhile before resuming his eating, as if trying to read her.
Half an hour passed and soon, all the students were sleepy, tired and full. Dumbledore stood up again, this time to end the feast.
"I trust you're all warmed up? Prefects, lead your Houses to their dorms and will the Head students please stay for a while to discuss their duties with me? Thank you and have a good night's sleep!"
James went to the front, seeing he was a prefect, to take Gryffindor to their Tower. As they passed the staircases, the paintings acknowledged them.
"Nice to have you back, eh?" A painting of a large, friendly-looking man said heartily.
"Oh, Tristan, look! The students are here again!" A maiden whispered loudly to her friend.
"Finally, it won't be so boring around here anymore," sighed another.
They reached the Fat Lady's painting on the Seventh Floor and a sixth year prefect gave the password. ("Flibberty gibbet!")
Lily and her friends sank down to the comfy sofas in front of the fireplace to have talk before going to bed.
"D'you reckon we'll have a Yule Ball this year?" Dana asked.
Remus answered, "We didn't have one last year, right? It's got to be this year, as we have one every other year."
James joined in on the conversation. "Who're you bringing, you lot?"
"I think I'll go with Michael Davies, since he asked me out to two Hogsmeade weekends last year," Clara said. Remus scowled at this.
"How about Penny Minstrel from Ravenclaw, she's nice to me and fun to talk to," Remus added smugly and nearly smirked at Clara's expression.
"I don't know who to bring, but I'll make sure she's one helluva kisser!" Sirius said.
Peter chose this moment to go off to bed, muttering a lame excuse about being very exhausted. (a/n: the nasty little bugger!)
James noticed Lily, who was off in her own dream world. "Hey, Lily Flower. How about you, who are you going to bring?" She snapped out of her subconscious state.
"Um, I'm not sure, there's always Clark Boot, from Ravenclaw, you know? The blonde with the blue eyes?"
James looked affronted. "That idiot? Don't you remember what he did during our last match? That dirty git cheated just so Carl Thomas wouldn't score! Result: Carl ended up with a dislocated shoulder!" They were all surprise at James' outburst. "Relax, Jamesie m'boy! Lily'll go with someone else then, won't you Lils?" Sirius made as if to calm down a frightened horse.
Lily nodded her head vigorously. "Don't worry, James. I'll look for someone else."
Dana said thoughtfully, "Maybe I could go with Ian Brocklehurst. He's okay I guess. What do you think, Clara, Lily? Is he good enough?" The girls laughed, as if they just shared a private joke.
"What are you laughing at?" Sirius asked, grumpily. They just giggled more and Remus threw his hands up exasperatedly.
"Women: we'll never figure them out."
James sighed and agreed with Remus. "Au contraire, Remus. Au contraire." He glanced at his watch and announced, "Whoopty do! It's already a quarter to eleven. Let's get some sleep."
The group bid each other good night and when they reached their respective dorms, they all fell on their beds, asleep, thinking the same thing: It's good to be home again.
~*~
Lily had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit her fluffy pillow on her four-poster. She sighed contentedly and went off to dreamland.
"Lily! Take Harry and go! It's him! I'll hold him off-"
Lily looked around in confusion. Where was she? Then, she glanced at the person who shouted at her. He looked so familiar. Messy black hair, brown eyes framed by glasses. JAMES! She tried to signal him, but found that she couldn't move. She couldn't speak either.
High-pitched laughter filled the room, as the front door burst open
"Lily, please, just go! I'll be all right! Take Harry, go!"
She watched her older self cry.
"No, James, I won't leave you-"
The older James looked at her and shouted, "Lily, I love you. Go on! Take Harry!"
Sobbing, her older version picked up a wailing bundle of blankets and ran up the stairs.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
A jet of green light filled the room she was previously in, and the dream Lily burst into a fresh wave of tears as she continued to run. She went in a room and locked it.
The locked door opened. More high-pitched laughter.
"Please! NO, have mercy! Not Harry, please, not Harry! Take me, kill me instead!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl, stand aside NOW!"
"No, please, have mercy! Not my baby! Not Harry! Take me, kill me instead!"
"As you wish." The Dark Wizard raised his wand and roared the same words he used to kill James Potter. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The dream ended, and at the exact same moment, two different students in Grffindor Tower woke up, gasping.
The Headmaster clapped twice and suddenly all the awaited food appeared. Chicken legs, lamb chops, steaks, bread rolls, butter, cheese, and corn were sent up from the kitchens. Sirius wasted no time in getting a few of each, his face being stuffed by his two hands. All Lily's friends were digging in except her. She thought she was fat and she had to go on a diet.
Dana noticed she wasn't eating. "Lils, aren't you going to eat?" She shook her head no.
James added in, "Why not? The food's great!" She just looked down at her hands, thinking, 'If I'm just an ugly geek, how will James ever learn to love me?'
On her other side sat Alice, unfortunately. "So, someone finally put you, little Mudblood, in your place." Lily shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Alice had heard what the Hufflepuff said and not only that, she was going to rub it in.
"You're just an ugly fat geek who no one will ever like. James'll never, ever fall for someone like you. Try as you might to fix yourself up, you'll always end up looking like what you are: a fat Mudblood!"
She'd had enough. "Stop it, okay! Why don't you just go and reapply your make-up or something, just don't bother me!"
The hall turned to look at her. Lily flushed and muttered a "Sorry" and sat down. James leaned over.
"What was THAT about, Lily Flower?"
She shook her head. "Don't mind it. She was just, uh, banging her knee against mine?" It was more of a question than a statement.
A queer expression lit up James' handsome features, his brown eyes filled with concern, and he stared at her for awhile before resuming his eating, as if trying to read her.
Half an hour passed and soon, all the students were sleepy, tired and full. Dumbledore stood up again, this time to end the feast.
"I trust you're all warmed up? Prefects, lead your Houses to their dorms and will the Head students please stay for a while to discuss their duties with me? Thank you and have a good night's sleep!"
James went to the front, seeing he was a prefect, to take Gryffindor to their Tower. As they passed the staircases, the paintings acknowledged them.
"Nice to have you back, eh?" A painting of a large, friendly-looking man said heartily.
"Oh, Tristan, look! The students are here again!" A maiden whispered loudly to her friend.
"Finally, it won't be so boring around here anymore," sighed another.
They reached the Fat Lady's painting on the Seventh Floor and a sixth year prefect gave the password. ("Flibberty gibbet!")
Lily and her friends sank down to the comfy sofas in front of the fireplace to have talk before going to bed.
"D'you reckon we'll have a Yule Ball this year?" Dana asked.
Remus answered, "We didn't have one last year, right? It's got to be this year, as we have one every other year."
James joined in on the conversation. "Who're you bringing, you lot?"
"I think I'll go with Michael Davies, since he asked me out to two Hogsmeade weekends last year," Clara said. Remus scowled at this.
"How about Penny Minstrel from Ravenclaw, she's nice to me and fun to talk to," Remus added smugly and nearly smirked at Clara's expression.
"I don't know who to bring, but I'll make sure she's one helluva kisser!" Sirius said.
Peter chose this moment to go off to bed, muttering a lame excuse about being very exhausted. (a/n: the nasty little bugger!)
James noticed Lily, who was off in her own dream world. "Hey, Lily Flower. How about you, who are you going to bring?" She snapped out of her subconscious state.
"Um, I'm not sure, there's always Clark Boot, from Ravenclaw, you know? The blonde with the blue eyes?"
James looked affronted. "That idiot? Don't you remember what he did during our last match? That dirty git cheated just so Carl Thomas wouldn't score! Result: Carl ended up with a dislocated shoulder!" They were all surprise at James' outburst. "Relax, Jamesie m'boy! Lily'll go with someone else then, won't you Lils?" Sirius made as if to calm down a frightened horse.
Lily nodded her head vigorously. "Don't worry, James. I'll look for someone else."
Dana said thoughtfully, "Maybe I could go with Ian Brocklehurst. He's okay I guess. What do you think, Clara, Lily? Is he good enough?" The girls laughed, as if they just shared a private joke.
"What are you laughing at?" Sirius asked, grumpily. They just giggled more and Remus threw his hands up exasperatedly.
"Women: we'll never figure them out."
James sighed and agreed with Remus. "Au contraire, Remus. Au contraire." He glanced at his watch and announced, "Whoopty do! It's already a quarter to eleven. Let's get some sleep."
The group bid each other good night and when they reached their respective dorms, they all fell on their beds, asleep, thinking the same thing: It's good to be home again.
~*~
Lily had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit her fluffy pillow on her four-poster. She sighed contentedly and went off to dreamland.
"Lily! Take Harry and go! It's him! I'll hold him off-"
Lily looked around in confusion. Where was she? Then, she glanced at the person who shouted at her. He looked so familiar. Messy black hair, brown eyes framed by glasses. JAMES! She tried to signal him, but found that she couldn't move. She couldn't speak either.
High-pitched laughter filled the room, as the front door burst open
"Lily, please, just go! I'll be all right! Take Harry, go!"
She watched her older self cry.
"No, James, I won't leave you-"
The older James looked at her and shouted, "Lily, I love you. Go on! Take Harry!"
Sobbing, her older version picked up a wailing bundle of blankets and ran up the stairs.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
A jet of green light filled the room she was previously in, and the dream Lily burst into a fresh wave of tears as she continued to run. She went in a room and locked it.
The locked door opened. More high-pitched laughter.
"Please! NO, have mercy! Not Harry, please, not Harry! Take me, kill me instead!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl, stand aside NOW!"
"No, please, have mercy! Not my baby! Not Harry! Take me, kill me instead!"
"As you wish." The Dark Wizard raised his wand and roared the same words he used to kill James Potter. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The dream ended, and at the exact same moment, two different students in Grffindor Tower woke up, gasping.
