Landslide 3
Lily couldn't sleep a wink that night. The slip of parchment with her name on it was still sitting on her bedside table, just staring back at her. Taunting her. Lily's conscious would have given it a voice if she hadn't snatched it up at that moment.
'Lily Evans, Hogwarts'
'That's it.' she thought. 'I'm doing it.'
Lily threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. She was so concentrated on getting to the Entrance that she forgot she was still in her pyjamas and bare feet. She crept out of the portrait hole and into the hallway. As she passed a giant grandfather clock, it chimed loudly twice. Lily almost jumped out of her skin. She almost ran back to her room, but calmed down.
"It's a clock," she whispered to herself. "It's allowed to do that."
It was quite a walk from her dorm to the entrance, about eight floors. She remembered the creaky stairs, the stairs that were only pretending, and the ones that moved. The last ones, the grand staircase, were marble. Lily cursed inwardly at forgetting her socks. She was also quite freezing, wearing only a navy t -shirt and boxer shorts. She ran down the staircase on her frozen toes, thankful at least for the silence. She rounded a marble statue at the bottom, heading for the Goblet, when she saw him.
Lily turned on a dime and hid behind the statue. Maybe he wouldn't see her. Well, that was stupid, of course he would. She was coming up with ideas of how to escape, each more idiotic than the last.
James dropped his name into the goblet, and stood watching the dancing flames for a moment.
"That's it." he said quietly to himself. "God speed, little one."
He turned to leave, adjusting his glasses and checking his watch. He rounded the corner of the statue, and bumped right into Lily.
"Christ," he said. And then "- Evans?"
"What?"
Lily could see his eyes looking her up and down.
"Spying on me?" he said, crossing his arms.
"You wish someone would be that intrigued."
"Hmm. Why else would you be down here?"
Lily moved her hand behind her back, but when she had tightened her grip, the parchment crinkled.
"Oh," he said, "I see."
"Just get out of my way."
He stepped past her with a slight bow. She didn't move.
"Still won't do it, eh?"
But Lily had already left his side. She strode up to the goblet, held out her parchment, trying to flatten it out, and dropped it into the flaming cup.
"Please," was all she said.
When she walked back up to James, he was putting a roll of parchment back into a pocket of his robes.
"Nice pj's."
Lily narrowed her eyes.
"Good night." she said firmly. She rolled her eyes when he reappeared beside her on the stairs.
"What? What other way would I go?"
"Fine, just - just don't talk."
"Mmm - hmm."
Lily quickened her pace up the stairs, not wanting her feet to go competely numb on these floors. James, however, took it as a race, and was soon beside her again, if not ahead of her. Lily caught on, and started jumping stairs two at a time.
The two of them were soon racing up the stairs, neck and neck. They continued down the hallways, James surprised at her ability to keep up. After all, he was the Quidditch captain and generally athletic. They ran around a corner - skidding to a halt when they saw Argus Filch walking up towards them with his ancient cat. James grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her back around the corner.
They desperately looked for a place to hide, but there was nothing more than a few statues. They were forced to check the doors, finding them all locked. James took out his wand, and muttered 'Alohomora'. The lock sprang open, and they bolted inside. Lily clicked the lock of the door once it closed behind her. She ran to a far corner of the pitch black room, using the walls as her guide. She bumped into James there, and they both sat on the ground.
"D'you think he saw us?"
"No, no he was looking at the portraits."
"But the cat -"
"I didn't see."
"Where are you?"
"Right beside you, you're sitting on my robe!"
"Am not."
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Lumos!"
The light at the tip of his wand illuminated the dark corner of the classroom. There was a giant desk in front of them, and they could see a few desks just behind it.
"See?"
Lily whirled around to look at James. He was holding his robes up with his free hand.
"Get off."
Lily sighed imaptiently and pulled the robe out from under her. 'It's probably some expensive material paid for by his parents,' she thought.
Suddenly they heard Filch's voice from the other side of the door.
"What's that my sweet? Do you smell something?"
Lily looked at James for a fleeting moment. "No way," she breathed.
"It's a classroom, there's students piling in and out every day. How could the cat not smell something?" he whispered.
Lily peered around the corner of the giant desk they were behind. She could see a sliver of light from the hallway, and the shadows of four feline legs going back and forth in front of the doorway. Suddenly the shadow stopped and enlarged.
"The cat," she whispered to James. "It's sitting in front of the doorway."
"What?" he mouthed. He craned his neck to see. It looked like it was.
"Yes, Mrs. Norris. That's a charms classroom. I cleaned that room up already."
There was a soft meow.
"A mouse, eh? Now I know you want to catch it, but we're patrolling the halls now. We've got bigger fish to fry."
Another meow.
"Yes fish. You can have some when we get back to my office. Come on,"
Lily concentrated on the shadow, willing it to move. 'Just go,' she thought.
James was loving this. He might actually get away with sneaking around the halls at night. And even without his cloak! Sirius would have to hear about this one. Especially if he was picked as school champion.
That was when both students and caretaker heard the scratch of Mrs. Norris' claws on the oak door.
"Mrs. Norris! Bad cat! No - scratching!"
With the last words, the shadow was swept off the floor, and Lily got her breath back.
A click was heard in the lock and the door to the classroom creaked open slightly.
"F-" James started, but Lily clamped a hand over his mouth. She used her other hand to cover the flames at the end of the tip.
Lily chanced to look back around the corner of the desk. Filch's head was in the classroom, looking about.
"See?" he said, stepping inside. Lily could see the cat sitting on his shoulders. "I already cleaned this place. But now we have to tend to this door you mangled. Come on, there's a bottle of Cleaner in my closet. Let's go."
He closed the door behind him, and Lily waited until his footsteps died away until she started breathing again.
She realized that her hand was still on James' mouth, and removed it quickly, wiping it on the side of her shorts. Lily removed her hand from his wand. The magi flames didn't leave her burned, but her hand was still rather hot. She looked at James, and he was about to pull the same piece of parchment out of his pocket like he had before, but he saw her watching, and stopped. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Nothing that concerns you."
"Well why are you walking around with a bit of old parchment?"
"It isn't a bit of old parchment, it's very - no, NO, I'm not telling you. Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"That thing you do."
"What thing?!" Lily said, staring to get annoyed.
"That THING you DO."
"Wow, Potter. Very articulate."
"You can talk all you want but I'm not showing you the map."
"What map?"
"Map?"
"That's what you said."
James gulped. "Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too!"
"No,"
"Yes,"
"No,"
"Oh, fine! I'm not going to sit here and argue with you all night. I'm leaving before Filch comes back."
Lily got to her feet and stormed off. She emerged in the hallway, checking for Filch or his stupid cat. James came out after her, looking relaxed.
"I know which way he went." he said in a know-it-all tone.
"How very interesting. I don't care which way he went, so long as I don't bump into him again."
"Fine. Good night, Evans."
"Hmph."
Lily was momentarily confused by James heading in the opposite direction of their dorms. She hesitated, before catching up with him.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Can I help you?"
"I decided to take the long way back."
'That and I don't trust you,' she thought.
"That and you don't trust me. Well, fine. Tag along."
Lily crossed her arms and walked beside him. It was a few minutes later that Lily spoke.
"Who else put their names in for the tournament?"
James smiled to himself.
"Anya did."
"So did Emanuel."
"Emanuel?"
"Yes. He's from Beauxbatons. I believe you called him 'smart'."
"Hmm - Oh, right, right. Him. Are you stalking him now too?"
"No, Potter, for your information, we had a nice conversation when he was putting his name in the Goblet."
"Really? Wow, how interesting."
James slowed down.
"At the goblet, you say?"
Lily could see where this was going.
"Yes. What of it?"
"Why didn't you put your name in then? Why now, why at two a.m.?"
"I could ask you the same question. One would think you'd be the first to put your name in."
"I had other things to do first. I have a social life, you know."
"Oh," Lily slapped her head in fake exclamation. "I completely forgot about that. What was it today, signing autographs?"
"Y'know, you're just jealous of me being just as smart as you are with half the effort. I have the time to talk to others when you have your head stuck in a book every waking minute."
"I like my books! And I choose to study, I'm not forced to do so because I'm not smart."
"But that's it," he said, "You choose to study! No one needs to memorise the textbooks back to front!"
"I want to!"
"Why? So that you can be better than everyone in your classes?"
"No, Potter. I choose to study because I like studying. I'm someone who actually likes getting good grades for my efforts!"
"Bravo for that, but why do you rub it in everyone's faces that you're top of the class?"
"I dont!"
"Right. So everyone just calls you smug for nothing."
"What?"
"A lot of people notice the self - righteousness."
Lily felt an ice cube drop into her stomach. He was such a liar. She wasn't smug ... was she?
"I - I'm not."
"Oh, sure. Evans, you're the standard teacher's pet, A+ student, goody two - shoes, stuck up, obnoxious and undesirable to everyone except foreigners - Head Girl."
James looked down at her, not knowing that his words had cut deeply into her. Lily's eyes were stinging, and the ice cube was beginning to sizzle inside of her. At once the face of her sister swam in front of her.
'You're a revolting freak of nature, and you better remember that.'
Lily found herself almost shaking with surpressed anger. Enough was enough.
"And you're the egotistical, permiscuous skirt - chasing, A+ student, resident immature wonderboy. I hate you!"
Lily turned around and ran, as fast as her feet could carry her. Her feet were pounding the floor as she went, pretending that every step was upon James' face. She hated him, she hated her sister. She wanted to scream as loud as she could, but she didn't. She just kept running faster and faster until her legs screamed out in protest.
Once she made it back to her dorm, she ran inside and collapsed onto the bed, feeling as if her lungs would burst. She sat up again, and slammed her fist into one of her pillows. That wasn't enough. She sprang up from the bed and started pacing around the room, desperate for something to take her mind off of things.
At once she found herself at her desk, opening up a thick, leather bound book. She hadn't read a page before the book was slammed shut.
Lily rested her elbows on her knees, and buried her head in her hands. Her stubborn nature ebbed, and hot tears spilled from her eyes. Why was it that James Potter was the only one that got to her?
*
James stood dumbstruck after Lily had left. His heart was beating unnaturally fast, as if he had been running. He re-adjusted his glasses, even though they didn't need fixing. Why was it that she was the only one that got to him like thast?
And she hated him? Yeah, well, he hated her too.
*
Lily arrived on time to dinner the next day. Dumbledore smiled at her as she took her spot at the head table.
"Good luck to you both." he said. Lily knew James was beside her, but she had long since decided that she wasn't talking to him.
As the hall became full, and the entrance doors slowly began to close, Dumbledore stood, expecting silence.
"Welcome, again. Tonight we celebrate both Halloween and the choosing of the three school champions for the Triwizard Tournament. Before the Feast and celebrations commence, I will be reading out the champion's names. Oce your name has been called, please rise from your seat and proceed towards the door to your right. May I have the Goblet?"
Filch brought forth the Goblet, and Dumbledore raised it high above his head before placing it down on the table in front of him. Lily was sure that it was just her imagination, but the lights seemed to dim. There was no mistake, however, that the flames on the Goblet had grown brighter. She - and every other face in the hall - didn't take her eyes off of it. Dumbledore clasped his hands together and waited patiently.
About a minute's silence passed, in which the Goblet did nothing. The students began to look at one another in confusion, but Dumbledore remained unfazed.
Suddenly the dancing flames turned a deep red colour, and with a whip-like sound, a puff of smoke rose from the Goblet. Dumbledore reached his hand into the smoke, and withdrew a slip of parchment.
"The Champion for Durmstrang School is - Anya Tvyrnn."
The girl, Anya, rose from her seat at the Hufflepuff table, looking ecstatic at the loud applause she was getting. She almost skipped to the front table, waving childishly at James, before dissapearing through the door.
As soon as the door closed, the applause went mute, and attention again went back to the Goblet, which had turned red once more.
Dumbledore pulled the next piece of parchment from the smoke, and read,
"The Champion for Beauxbatons, is Marc Injuste."
Lily craned her neck to see this boy named Marc get up from the Ravenclaw table. He had been sitting right next to Emanuel. It must have been her eyesight at that moment, but Emanuel had an incomprehensible look on his face. She quickly decided that it was in fact her eyes playing tricks on her. There was no way a face like that could look so foul.
Lily knew what was coming next. The Hogwarts Champion. After Marc had disappeared too, the applause went so deadly quiet that you could have heard a pin drop from upstairs.
The Goblet turned red for the last time, and the puff of smoke rose into the air. Her heart was beating unnaturally against her ribcage. She chanced a look at James, who was staring intently at Dumbledore.
'Let it be him,' she prayed, 'Just let it be him.'
Her heartbeat became the only thing she could hear after a moment. She could see Dumbledore's lips move, but she didn't hear a word of it.
'Let it be him,'
An almighty roar erupted from the students in the hall. Everyone was on their feet, cheering and clapping.
'Thank god,' she thought. 'His applause will always be louder.' She turned to face James.
"Con-"she started, but he cut her off.
His eyes were narrowed.
"Congratulations Evans." he said, extending his hand.
Lily couldn't sleep a wink that night. The slip of parchment with her name on it was still sitting on her bedside table, just staring back at her. Taunting her. Lily's conscious would have given it a voice if she hadn't snatched it up at that moment.
'Lily Evans, Hogwarts'
'That's it.' she thought. 'I'm doing it.'
Lily threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. She was so concentrated on getting to the Entrance that she forgot she was still in her pyjamas and bare feet. She crept out of the portrait hole and into the hallway. As she passed a giant grandfather clock, it chimed loudly twice. Lily almost jumped out of her skin. She almost ran back to her room, but calmed down.
"It's a clock," she whispered to herself. "It's allowed to do that."
It was quite a walk from her dorm to the entrance, about eight floors. She remembered the creaky stairs, the stairs that were only pretending, and the ones that moved. The last ones, the grand staircase, were marble. Lily cursed inwardly at forgetting her socks. She was also quite freezing, wearing only a navy t -shirt and boxer shorts. She ran down the staircase on her frozen toes, thankful at least for the silence. She rounded a marble statue at the bottom, heading for the Goblet, when she saw him.
Lily turned on a dime and hid behind the statue. Maybe he wouldn't see her. Well, that was stupid, of course he would. She was coming up with ideas of how to escape, each more idiotic than the last.
James dropped his name into the goblet, and stood watching the dancing flames for a moment.
"That's it." he said quietly to himself. "God speed, little one."
He turned to leave, adjusting his glasses and checking his watch. He rounded the corner of the statue, and bumped right into Lily.
"Christ," he said. And then "- Evans?"
"What?"
Lily could see his eyes looking her up and down.
"Spying on me?" he said, crossing his arms.
"You wish someone would be that intrigued."
"Hmm. Why else would you be down here?"
Lily moved her hand behind her back, but when she had tightened her grip, the parchment crinkled.
"Oh," he said, "I see."
"Just get out of my way."
He stepped past her with a slight bow. She didn't move.
"Still won't do it, eh?"
But Lily had already left his side. She strode up to the goblet, held out her parchment, trying to flatten it out, and dropped it into the flaming cup.
"Please," was all she said.
When she walked back up to James, he was putting a roll of parchment back into a pocket of his robes.
"Nice pj's."
Lily narrowed her eyes.
"Good night." she said firmly. She rolled her eyes when he reappeared beside her on the stairs.
"What? What other way would I go?"
"Fine, just - just don't talk."
"Mmm - hmm."
Lily quickened her pace up the stairs, not wanting her feet to go competely numb on these floors. James, however, took it as a race, and was soon beside her again, if not ahead of her. Lily caught on, and started jumping stairs two at a time.
The two of them were soon racing up the stairs, neck and neck. They continued down the hallways, James surprised at her ability to keep up. After all, he was the Quidditch captain and generally athletic. They ran around a corner - skidding to a halt when they saw Argus Filch walking up towards them with his ancient cat. James grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her back around the corner.
They desperately looked for a place to hide, but there was nothing more than a few statues. They were forced to check the doors, finding them all locked. James took out his wand, and muttered 'Alohomora'. The lock sprang open, and they bolted inside. Lily clicked the lock of the door once it closed behind her. She ran to a far corner of the pitch black room, using the walls as her guide. She bumped into James there, and they both sat on the ground.
"D'you think he saw us?"
"No, no he was looking at the portraits."
"But the cat -"
"I didn't see."
"Where are you?"
"Right beside you, you're sitting on my robe!"
"Am not."
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Lumos!"
The light at the tip of his wand illuminated the dark corner of the classroom. There was a giant desk in front of them, and they could see a few desks just behind it.
"See?"
Lily whirled around to look at James. He was holding his robes up with his free hand.
"Get off."
Lily sighed imaptiently and pulled the robe out from under her. 'It's probably some expensive material paid for by his parents,' she thought.
Suddenly they heard Filch's voice from the other side of the door.
"What's that my sweet? Do you smell something?"
Lily looked at James for a fleeting moment. "No way," she breathed.
"It's a classroom, there's students piling in and out every day. How could the cat not smell something?" he whispered.
Lily peered around the corner of the giant desk they were behind. She could see a sliver of light from the hallway, and the shadows of four feline legs going back and forth in front of the doorway. Suddenly the shadow stopped and enlarged.
"The cat," she whispered to James. "It's sitting in front of the doorway."
"What?" he mouthed. He craned his neck to see. It looked like it was.
"Yes, Mrs. Norris. That's a charms classroom. I cleaned that room up already."
There was a soft meow.
"A mouse, eh? Now I know you want to catch it, but we're patrolling the halls now. We've got bigger fish to fry."
Another meow.
"Yes fish. You can have some when we get back to my office. Come on,"
Lily concentrated on the shadow, willing it to move. 'Just go,' she thought.
James was loving this. He might actually get away with sneaking around the halls at night. And even without his cloak! Sirius would have to hear about this one. Especially if he was picked as school champion.
That was when both students and caretaker heard the scratch of Mrs. Norris' claws on the oak door.
"Mrs. Norris! Bad cat! No - scratching!"
With the last words, the shadow was swept off the floor, and Lily got her breath back.
A click was heard in the lock and the door to the classroom creaked open slightly.
"F-" James started, but Lily clamped a hand over his mouth. She used her other hand to cover the flames at the end of the tip.
Lily chanced to look back around the corner of the desk. Filch's head was in the classroom, looking about.
"See?" he said, stepping inside. Lily could see the cat sitting on his shoulders. "I already cleaned this place. But now we have to tend to this door you mangled. Come on, there's a bottle of Cleaner in my closet. Let's go."
He closed the door behind him, and Lily waited until his footsteps died away until she started breathing again.
She realized that her hand was still on James' mouth, and removed it quickly, wiping it on the side of her shorts. Lily removed her hand from his wand. The magi flames didn't leave her burned, but her hand was still rather hot. She looked at James, and he was about to pull the same piece of parchment out of his pocket like he had before, but he saw her watching, and stopped. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Nothing that concerns you."
"Well why are you walking around with a bit of old parchment?"
"It isn't a bit of old parchment, it's very - no, NO, I'm not telling you. Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"That thing you do."
"What thing?!" Lily said, staring to get annoyed.
"That THING you DO."
"Wow, Potter. Very articulate."
"You can talk all you want but I'm not showing you the map."
"What map?"
"Map?"
"That's what you said."
James gulped. "Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too!"
"No,"
"Yes,"
"No,"
"Oh, fine! I'm not going to sit here and argue with you all night. I'm leaving before Filch comes back."
Lily got to her feet and stormed off. She emerged in the hallway, checking for Filch or his stupid cat. James came out after her, looking relaxed.
"I know which way he went." he said in a know-it-all tone.
"How very interesting. I don't care which way he went, so long as I don't bump into him again."
"Fine. Good night, Evans."
"Hmph."
Lily was momentarily confused by James heading in the opposite direction of their dorms. She hesitated, before catching up with him.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Can I help you?"
"I decided to take the long way back."
'That and I don't trust you,' she thought.
"That and you don't trust me. Well, fine. Tag along."
Lily crossed her arms and walked beside him. It was a few minutes later that Lily spoke.
"Who else put their names in for the tournament?"
James smiled to himself.
"Anya did."
"So did Emanuel."
"Emanuel?"
"Yes. He's from Beauxbatons. I believe you called him 'smart'."
"Hmm - Oh, right, right. Him. Are you stalking him now too?"
"No, Potter, for your information, we had a nice conversation when he was putting his name in the Goblet."
"Really? Wow, how interesting."
James slowed down.
"At the goblet, you say?"
Lily could see where this was going.
"Yes. What of it?"
"Why didn't you put your name in then? Why now, why at two a.m.?"
"I could ask you the same question. One would think you'd be the first to put your name in."
"I had other things to do first. I have a social life, you know."
"Oh," Lily slapped her head in fake exclamation. "I completely forgot about that. What was it today, signing autographs?"
"Y'know, you're just jealous of me being just as smart as you are with half the effort. I have the time to talk to others when you have your head stuck in a book every waking minute."
"I like my books! And I choose to study, I'm not forced to do so because I'm not smart."
"But that's it," he said, "You choose to study! No one needs to memorise the textbooks back to front!"
"I want to!"
"Why? So that you can be better than everyone in your classes?"
"No, Potter. I choose to study because I like studying. I'm someone who actually likes getting good grades for my efforts!"
"Bravo for that, but why do you rub it in everyone's faces that you're top of the class?"
"I dont!"
"Right. So everyone just calls you smug for nothing."
"What?"
"A lot of people notice the self - righteousness."
Lily felt an ice cube drop into her stomach. He was such a liar. She wasn't smug ... was she?
"I - I'm not."
"Oh, sure. Evans, you're the standard teacher's pet, A+ student, goody two - shoes, stuck up, obnoxious and undesirable to everyone except foreigners - Head Girl."
James looked down at her, not knowing that his words had cut deeply into her. Lily's eyes were stinging, and the ice cube was beginning to sizzle inside of her. At once the face of her sister swam in front of her.
'You're a revolting freak of nature, and you better remember that.'
Lily found herself almost shaking with surpressed anger. Enough was enough.
"And you're the egotistical, permiscuous skirt - chasing, A+ student, resident immature wonderboy. I hate you!"
Lily turned around and ran, as fast as her feet could carry her. Her feet were pounding the floor as she went, pretending that every step was upon James' face. She hated him, she hated her sister. She wanted to scream as loud as she could, but she didn't. She just kept running faster and faster until her legs screamed out in protest.
Once she made it back to her dorm, she ran inside and collapsed onto the bed, feeling as if her lungs would burst. She sat up again, and slammed her fist into one of her pillows. That wasn't enough. She sprang up from the bed and started pacing around the room, desperate for something to take her mind off of things.
At once she found herself at her desk, opening up a thick, leather bound book. She hadn't read a page before the book was slammed shut.
Lily rested her elbows on her knees, and buried her head in her hands. Her stubborn nature ebbed, and hot tears spilled from her eyes. Why was it that James Potter was the only one that got to her?
*
James stood dumbstruck after Lily had left. His heart was beating unnaturally fast, as if he had been running. He re-adjusted his glasses, even though they didn't need fixing. Why was it that she was the only one that got to him like thast?
And she hated him? Yeah, well, he hated her too.
*
Lily arrived on time to dinner the next day. Dumbledore smiled at her as she took her spot at the head table.
"Good luck to you both." he said. Lily knew James was beside her, but she had long since decided that she wasn't talking to him.
As the hall became full, and the entrance doors slowly began to close, Dumbledore stood, expecting silence.
"Welcome, again. Tonight we celebrate both Halloween and the choosing of the three school champions for the Triwizard Tournament. Before the Feast and celebrations commence, I will be reading out the champion's names. Oce your name has been called, please rise from your seat and proceed towards the door to your right. May I have the Goblet?"
Filch brought forth the Goblet, and Dumbledore raised it high above his head before placing it down on the table in front of him. Lily was sure that it was just her imagination, but the lights seemed to dim. There was no mistake, however, that the flames on the Goblet had grown brighter. She - and every other face in the hall - didn't take her eyes off of it. Dumbledore clasped his hands together and waited patiently.
About a minute's silence passed, in which the Goblet did nothing. The students began to look at one another in confusion, but Dumbledore remained unfazed.
Suddenly the dancing flames turned a deep red colour, and with a whip-like sound, a puff of smoke rose from the Goblet. Dumbledore reached his hand into the smoke, and withdrew a slip of parchment.
"The Champion for Durmstrang School is - Anya Tvyrnn."
The girl, Anya, rose from her seat at the Hufflepuff table, looking ecstatic at the loud applause she was getting. She almost skipped to the front table, waving childishly at James, before dissapearing through the door.
As soon as the door closed, the applause went mute, and attention again went back to the Goblet, which had turned red once more.
Dumbledore pulled the next piece of parchment from the smoke, and read,
"The Champion for Beauxbatons, is Marc Injuste."
Lily craned her neck to see this boy named Marc get up from the Ravenclaw table. He had been sitting right next to Emanuel. It must have been her eyesight at that moment, but Emanuel had an incomprehensible look on his face. She quickly decided that it was in fact her eyes playing tricks on her. There was no way a face like that could look so foul.
Lily knew what was coming next. The Hogwarts Champion. After Marc had disappeared too, the applause went so deadly quiet that you could have heard a pin drop from upstairs.
The Goblet turned red for the last time, and the puff of smoke rose into the air. Her heart was beating unnaturally against her ribcage. She chanced a look at James, who was staring intently at Dumbledore.
'Let it be him,' she prayed, 'Just let it be him.'
Her heartbeat became the only thing she could hear after a moment. She could see Dumbledore's lips move, but she didn't hear a word of it.
'Let it be him,'
An almighty roar erupted from the students in the hall. Everyone was on their feet, cheering and clapping.
'Thank god,' she thought. 'His applause will always be louder.' She turned to face James.
"Con-"she started, but he cut her off.
His eyes were narrowed.
"Congratulations Evans." he said, extending his hand.