Lily Chapter 40: The Snake, a harry potter fanfic

A/N: Yay! We've reached the big 4-0! Isn't it about time for a mid-life crisis sort of thing? Kind of where our whole series turns completely around? *Ariana bops Clara with the hedgehog again and regains control of the keyboard* Yup. Forty fics of...this. Thanks to all of our faithful readers and reviewers. Just to let you know, I'm planning on continuing this far beyond the Marauders' graduation from Hogwarts. Beyond the wedding, beyond Harry's birth, beyond even the all-purpose cut-off date for MWPP fics (dum dum DUM), October 31, 1981. Of course, it'll be from different perspectives then.

Oh, yes, one more thing. I was reading through PoA, and I don't think it ever really says who did the Fidelius charm. It implies that Dumbledore did, but never comes out and says it. If you have any ideas or information, I'm slightly desperate. :O)

Lily

Chapter 40

There was a Halloween ball in October, but it wasn't a very formal affair. Only one major thing happened during it. Eurydice still was feuding with Jessica, Vanessa's Ravenclaw friend (and Gilderoy's girlfriend). So, when Jessica started smirking at Eurydice for not dancing with anyone, Eurydice decided to prove a point.

She approached the first boy who met her sight, a blonde boy pouring punch for himself. "Excuse me. Would you like to dance?" She didn't wait for an answer; she just grabbed his hands and started dancing. Lily recognized the boy immediately from across the room. It was Lucius Malfoy, and Eurydice was in big trouble if she kept dancing.

Lily started moving quickly to cut off Lucius's date. Narcissa was storming angrily across the floor to where Eurydice and Lucius were dancing. It was too late! Narcissa had already separated them, and was screaming at Eurydice. "Who do you think you are? Get your own date!"

"You're being such a-" Eurydice began angrily, but Lily cut her off.

"Eurydice! Don't!"

Narcissa stopped glaring and smiled very creepily at Eurydice. "So...your name is Eurydice, is it? Well, you certainly have stepped on a snake, haven't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eurydice demanded.

Lily pulled her away. "Please don't get into anything else! We don't need a fight!"

"What did she mean, 'you certainly have stepped on a snake?'"

"In Greek mythology, there was a nymph named Eurydice. She was dancing at her wedding, and she stepped on a snake, and..."

"Oh, no." Eurydice had reverted to her timid form now that there were no adversaries around.

"And the snake bit her...and she died." Lily bit her lip. "I guess Narcissa was likening the snake, you know. The symbol for Slytherin house is a snake...and you made a Slytherin angry." She fiddled nervously with her charm bracelet. "Don't worry. Do you really think you're going to die just by making Narcissa angry?"

Eurydice looked truly nervous.

"Don't worry," Lily repeated. "Anyways, the Eurydice in the story got a second chance. Her husband went all the way down to the Underworld to retrieve her spirit."

"I guess you're right. It's just unrealistic, isn't it? Even to think that a myth would have any kind of significance?"

"Right." What Lily hadn't told Eurydice was the part of the story where Orpheus (Eurydice's husband) had gone back on his deal with Hades...and Eurydice had gone back to the Underworld forever.

The next day, Lily woke up later than usual. She wondered why Eurydice and Juno hadn't tipped her out of bed, but shrugged it off and walked down to the common room.

"Lily! Have you seen Eurydice?" Juno ambushed her at the bottom of the stairs.

"No. Isn't she just at breakfast or something?"

"No! I checked the Great Hall, I asked everyone, I even looked in all the bathrooms! I can't find Eurydice anywhere!"

"Juno, it's a big castle. She could be anywhere, don't worry."

"HELLO? You don't remember what happened at the dance last night. She steeeepped. On a snaaaaaake. You said it yourself, Lily, in that myth, Eurydice died when she stepped on the snake!"

"That's all it was, a myth. She's probably just not feeling well or something."

"Right! The Hospital Wing!" Juno took off with brisk steps towards the Hospital Wing. "Come on!"

Lily rolled her eyes and followed Juno. Out the portrait hole, down the staircase, down the corridor, right up to the hallway intersection where Juno turned right...

And Lily turned left. She was in no mood to miss breakfast over a myth. In fact, she was finishing her breakfast when Juno stormed back in. "She wasn't there! It's like I told you: she isn't anywhere!"

"Relax. If she doesn't show up for classes, THEN you can worry. Have some potatoes," she extended the dish towards Juno, who shook her head.

"No, I'm not hungry. Listen, Lily. Have you ever known anyone to just...up and disappear?"

"No. And I don't think Eurydice disappeared."

"Then where is she?"

"She probably got lost or something."

"Come on, she's been going here for more than four years. She's not lost, she disappeared!"

"We've got Charms. Let's go," Lily said, grabbing her school bag and starting out of the
Hall.

"Just you watch, Eurydice won't be there!" Juno scrambled out after Lily, heading towards Charms class.

By lunchtime, Eurydice had yet to be found. Juno drummed her fingers nervously on the table and looked over her shoulder at the Slytherins. "That's it. I'm going to Dumbledore." She rose and started out the door.

Lily turned to the Marauders, who were looking distinctly confused. "Eurydice hasn't been anywhere all day." She explained about the whole mythological connection, and Narcissa's comment the previous night at the dance.

Sirius, who had never been very superstitious, shook his head and leaned back unconcernedly.
"Knowing girls, she's probably holed up in a bathroom somewhere, still putting her face on."

Remus glared at him. "Knowing Eurydice, and dissmissing all stereotypes as the untrue statements they are, she's probably not. Come on, Sirius, she was here last night for the ball, but she's not here today. She's not in the Hospital Wing, so she can't be sick or anything."

"Sure," Sirius smirked. "And you probably want us all to run around like chickens with our heads cut off looking for a girl who is, most likely, having a discussion with Moaning Myrtle about eyeshadow. Anyways, you WOULD take Juno's side."

"Hey, can we please stay rational?" Lily saw the indignant anger boil into Remus's eyes at Sirius's comment, and tried to calm the situation. "Look, I'll follow Juno. I'll try to calm her down-" that would please Sirius. "And then I'll help her look around Hogwarts for Eurydice." Hopefully, that was going to pacify Remus. Lily rose and walked out.

For as long as she could, she simply followed her knowledge of the castle to direct herself. But there came a point when she had to come to grips with the fact that she had forgotten where Dumbledore's office was. "Excuse me," she said, tapping a particularly tall suit of armor on the shoulder. "Do you know how I can get to Dumbledore's office?"

The suit of armor shrugged creakily and pointed its battle-ax down a corridor. "He usually passes that way after supper."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

As Lily turned down the corridor, she suddenly had a mental double-take and realized how odd that exchange was by Muggle standards. She had just asked a suit of armor for directions. Laughing to herself, Lily kept walking until she saw the stone gargoyle she remembered from her first year, after Voldemort had killed Chrissy. There it stood, not revealing anything. There was no door or even an outline of one in the brick wall behind it, and Lily had no idea what the password now was. All she knew was that it had been a candy. "Er...Twizzlers?" The gargoyle didn't move. "Gobstoppers? Cinnamon drops? Ice Cream? M&M's? Er...oh, wizard candy! Okay, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?
Fizzing Whizbees? Levitating Sherbets? Chocolate Frogs?" Finally, the gargoyle stood up and stepped cordially aside, opening a hidden door. "Why, thank you."

She heard Juno's tense voice from within. "...and the Hospital Wing, even! She's not anywhere, Professor!" Lily cleared her throat softly to make herself known, and Juno's head whipped around to where she stood. "Lily! Lily knows all about it! Tell him, Lily!"

Dumbledore nodded to Lily from behind his desk and conjured up a chair. "Have a seat." He continued as Lily seated herself a bit nervously. "Now, from what Miss Frese has been telling me, Miss Ramsey is nowhere to be found. Has that been your experience, as well?"

Lily nodded, not quite sure of what to say.

"I see. Is there any reason for us to believe that harm has come to her?"

Lily and Juno exchanged a strained glance. They were both feeling a little stupid about magnifying a myth to realistic proportions, but the fact of the matter was that Narcissa had done the same. "Well..." Lily began, looking for the words. "Last night at the dance, Eurydice started to dance with someone-"

"A filthy Slytherin!" Juno cut in angrily. "And the worst one of them all! Lucius Malfoy, the stupid little-"

"LIKE I was saying!" Lily stepped on Juno's foot. "Eurydice started to dance with Lucius Malfoy, because someone was teasing her a little about not having a date. Then, Lucius's date-"

"Narcissa! The little slimeball, if I ever get my hands around her bony neck, I swear-"

"Miss Frese, would you please consider containing yourself?"

"Well, Narcissa went over to Eurydice and Lucius and broke them apart. When Narcissa found out that her name was Eurydice, she got this weird smile on her face and said, 'Oh, your name is Eurydice, is it? You certainly have stepped on a snake.' And in a Greek myth-"

"I know what happened in that myth." Dumbledore rested his chin on the tips of his fingers and looked up at the ceiling pensively. "So. Miss Ramsey 'stepped on a snake.' What, realistically, can a fifth-year do to her that would cause any terrible damage?"