Chapter 6
Lily sighed, sitting by the lake.
"Exams are going to be killer," she said to herself.
Lily studied for a long time until Jenni and Gabby walked over to her.
"Lily, you've been out here for three hours, what have you been doing?" Gabby asked her.
"Studying for exams," said Lily, packing up.
"Why? Exams aren't for two weeks."
"Because if we don't start now, then we'll have to cram and that would suck," said Jenni.
Lily nodded.
"See?" said Lily.
Gabby rolled her eyes and they walked in for dinner. The three girls sat down.
"Where were you?" Remus asked them.
"We went to find Lily," said Jenni.
"And did you find her?" asked Sirius, sitting directly across from Lily.
"No, we couldn't find her, it seems she'll be lost forever," said Lily, sarcastically.
"Oh, well that's too bad, Gryffindor never would have won the Quidditch Cup if it hadn't been for her."
Lily laughed. Peeves came screaming through the Great Hall, trying to tell Dumbledore something, but no one could understand him.
"Peeves, please slow down," said Dumbledore, calmly.
"Dead. Teacher. Fifth Floor. Ghost."
The students were dumbstruck, and the teachers bewildered. Dumbledore and McGonagall ran to the fifth floor, instructing all the students to stay put. Lily looked around.
"Where's Cliona?" she asked.
Jenni and Gabby looked around.
"She wasn't feeling well, she was in the bathroom on the—oh God," said Gabby, "On the fifth floor."
"What're we going to do?" asked Jenni.
"Let's go," whispered Lily. "Shoot, my ring fell off. Jen, Gabby, can you help me look?"
The two looked at one another and followed Lily under the table and the three crawled toward the door and sneaked out.
"We did it," said Jenni.
Lily grabbed them by the robes and sprinted up to the fifth floor and into the girls' bathroom.
"Cliona?" said Lily.
"Yes?" came a falsely high voice.
The three girls walked further in and saw Cliona on the floor, a ghost man standing above her. The ghost was tall, dressed in dark robes, he had a handlebar mustache, and short, dark hair. Gabby screamed. Lily panicked and held her wand out to the ghost.
"Plasterum Spectrus!" she shouted.
The ghost suddenly became rigid and opaque. Dumbledore and McGonagall ran in and saw the four girls. Lily ran to Cliona.
"Lily?" she said weakly.
"Right here."
"That was awesome."
Lily laughed hollowly.
"You all right?"
"Aye, you know me."
McGonagall lifted Cliona on a magical stretcher and took her to the Hospital Wing. The next morning everyone had heard about Lily's bravery to save Cliona. At breakfast, Dumbledore stood up.
"Last night tragedy struck our school. Our Divination professor, Professor Taryn Saint Pierre, was murdered. The perpetrator was prevented from killing a student, Cliona Roark. The murderer was the ghost of Jean- Michael Sucre, a French hit man, who was executed last month. His apprehension was managed by a first year, Lily Evans. She will be given fifty points to Gryffindor, and a Special Services to the School award, along with another fifty points each to Gabrielle O'Connor and Jennifer Alexander for their assist." The three blushed deeply as three out four houses and all teachers applauded. "Now, eat up. The funeral for Professor Saint Pierre will be held tonight and dusk."
Breakfast began, but not very many people ate. After breakfast, Lily, Gabby and Jenni went to see Cliona in the Hospital Wing.
"How're you feeling?" Lily asked.
"Good, you?"
"Shaken, but good."
"What happened?"
"We don't know, we saw you on the floor, I screamed, and Lily did something and Dumbledore ran in," said Gabby.
"Well, I remember I was upset because Malfoy was making fun of me."
"Irish comments?" asked Lily
Cliona nodded, her sandy hair falling in her face a little.
"And then when I looked up, there he was, standing behind me, I turned around and I screamed and yelled, but no one came, then he pulled out a knife, that's when I noticed I could see though him. Then he came at me, that's the last thing I remember."
Lily hugged Cliona.
"Well, you'll be all right. Madame Pomfrey may be a bit out there, but she's a great Healer," said Lily.
"Well, I'm glad you think so, Miss Evans, now, if you'd be so kind as to get out, Miss Roark needs her rest," said Madame Pomfrey.
Lily blushed and the three ran out. Outside of the Hospital Wing, they burst out laughing. Two third year boys walked by them and Lily had and idea.
"Hey!" she called, stopping them.
"Yeah?" the tall blond on the right asked.
"Can you do us a favor?"
The shorter, darker haired one looked gave her the once- over.
"Wha' is it?" he asked.
"We need to get some gifts for our friend, and, since we are first years, we cannot go into Hogsmeade. If we gave you some money, would you go to the candy shop and buy her a lot of candy?"
"You're Lily Evans, right?" asked the blond.
"Yes."
"Sure thing, and don' bother wif de money, i's on de 'ouse," said the shorter one.
Lily smiled.
"That won't be necessary—"
"We know, but it's the least we can do for saving my cousin," said the blond.
"Your cousin?"
"Yeah, Cliona's me secon' cousin on me mum's side, we aren't as close as Billy an' she are."
"Well thank you very much!"
Lily smiled at them and they walked off. Lily grinned at Jenni and Gabby.
"Wow, Lils, I didn't know you could do that," said Gabby.
"Do what?" asked Lily, innocently, but trying not to grin.
"You just manipulated those guys out of their money!" said James coming towards them, Sirius, Peter and Remus behind him.
"I did not! I would have given them money!" she objected.
"Whatever."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Grow up, Potter, at least ACT like you're mature."
She went to walk by him, but he blocked her.
"Why should I, Evans? To make you happy?"
Lily pushed him to the side, into the wall, and she walked away, not even looking back when the suit of armor fell apart and falling on top of James, Peter nearly impaled by its spear. She only kept walking away, Gabby and Jenni running to catch up with her.
"Why'd you do that?" Gabby asked her.
"He was in my way, I wanted to leave, he was preventing me from doing so."
"You and James need to lay off one another."
"It's all James, Lily only retaliates," said Jenni.
"Exactly," said Lily.
The three went back up to Gryffindor Tower, and later met up with Billy and Greg, Cliona's cousins.
"Here ya go," said Billy, handing Lily a bag full of candy.
"Thank you SO much, how much was it?" she asked.
"We said it was on th' 'house," said Greg.
"I know, but I feel bad about that."
"We'll make it even by putting our name on the card," said Billy.
"Deal, thank you again."
She smiled at them and went to Gryffindor Tower. Jenni and Gabby made the card and sent it around the Common Room until every Gryffindor had signed it. The Lily asked someone where she could find flowers and picked a bouquet. Lily then took the bag, the flowers and card to the Hospital Wing.
"She's resting," said Madame Pomfrey, strictly.
Lily smiled sweetly.
"Well, can you at least put these by her bed?"
Madame Pomfrey sighed.
"Fine."
She took the gifts from Lily and placed the flowers in a vase on the stand next to Cliona and the bag of candy next to the flowers. Lily smiled and went back to Gryffindor Tower. Lily was recognized and stopped in the corridor as people asked what happened, and Jenni and Gabby were only too quick to recount the night's events. Lily only smiled at them as the other two reenacted some parts. Exams had been cancelled because of Professor Saint Pierre's death, and Lily was worried her grade might suffer, even if she was glad she didn't have to take exams. The next week was nothing but rest and tanning for Lily, Cliona, Jenni and Gabby, since the teachers were calculating final grades.
"You ready for summer?" Gabby asked them, all lying on towels next to the lake.
"Heck yeah!" said Lily, causing the other three to laugh.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know, maybe go to my grandmother's summer manor, or possibly go somewhere as a family. What about you three?"
"I'm going home to Ireland for a long, hopefully boring vacation," said Cliona.
"Home, I think Mum said we might go to New York," said Gabby.
"Wow, that's awesome!" said Lily.
"I'm staying home, probably, Mum and Dad don't really like traveling," said Jenni.
"Well, if you get bored owl me and you can stay with us."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Thanks Lil."
Lily sighed, sitting by the lake.
"Exams are going to be killer," she said to herself.
Lily studied for a long time until Jenni and Gabby walked over to her.
"Lily, you've been out here for three hours, what have you been doing?" Gabby asked her.
"Studying for exams," said Lily, packing up.
"Why? Exams aren't for two weeks."
"Because if we don't start now, then we'll have to cram and that would suck," said Jenni.
Lily nodded.
"See?" said Lily.
Gabby rolled her eyes and they walked in for dinner. The three girls sat down.
"Where were you?" Remus asked them.
"We went to find Lily," said Jenni.
"And did you find her?" asked Sirius, sitting directly across from Lily.
"No, we couldn't find her, it seems she'll be lost forever," said Lily, sarcastically.
"Oh, well that's too bad, Gryffindor never would have won the Quidditch Cup if it hadn't been for her."
Lily laughed. Peeves came screaming through the Great Hall, trying to tell Dumbledore something, but no one could understand him.
"Peeves, please slow down," said Dumbledore, calmly.
"Dead. Teacher. Fifth Floor. Ghost."
The students were dumbstruck, and the teachers bewildered. Dumbledore and McGonagall ran to the fifth floor, instructing all the students to stay put. Lily looked around.
"Where's Cliona?" she asked.
Jenni and Gabby looked around.
"She wasn't feeling well, she was in the bathroom on the—oh God," said Gabby, "On the fifth floor."
"What're we going to do?" asked Jenni.
"Let's go," whispered Lily. "Shoot, my ring fell off. Jen, Gabby, can you help me look?"
The two looked at one another and followed Lily under the table and the three crawled toward the door and sneaked out.
"We did it," said Jenni.
Lily grabbed them by the robes and sprinted up to the fifth floor and into the girls' bathroom.
"Cliona?" said Lily.
"Yes?" came a falsely high voice.
The three girls walked further in and saw Cliona on the floor, a ghost man standing above her. The ghost was tall, dressed in dark robes, he had a handlebar mustache, and short, dark hair. Gabby screamed. Lily panicked and held her wand out to the ghost.
"Plasterum Spectrus!" she shouted.
The ghost suddenly became rigid and opaque. Dumbledore and McGonagall ran in and saw the four girls. Lily ran to Cliona.
"Lily?" she said weakly.
"Right here."
"That was awesome."
Lily laughed hollowly.
"You all right?"
"Aye, you know me."
McGonagall lifted Cliona on a magical stretcher and took her to the Hospital Wing. The next morning everyone had heard about Lily's bravery to save Cliona. At breakfast, Dumbledore stood up.
"Last night tragedy struck our school. Our Divination professor, Professor Taryn Saint Pierre, was murdered. The perpetrator was prevented from killing a student, Cliona Roark. The murderer was the ghost of Jean- Michael Sucre, a French hit man, who was executed last month. His apprehension was managed by a first year, Lily Evans. She will be given fifty points to Gryffindor, and a Special Services to the School award, along with another fifty points each to Gabrielle O'Connor and Jennifer Alexander for their assist." The three blushed deeply as three out four houses and all teachers applauded. "Now, eat up. The funeral for Professor Saint Pierre will be held tonight and dusk."
Breakfast began, but not very many people ate. After breakfast, Lily, Gabby and Jenni went to see Cliona in the Hospital Wing.
"How're you feeling?" Lily asked.
"Good, you?"
"Shaken, but good."
"What happened?"
"We don't know, we saw you on the floor, I screamed, and Lily did something and Dumbledore ran in," said Gabby.
"Well, I remember I was upset because Malfoy was making fun of me."
"Irish comments?" asked Lily
Cliona nodded, her sandy hair falling in her face a little.
"And then when I looked up, there he was, standing behind me, I turned around and I screamed and yelled, but no one came, then he pulled out a knife, that's when I noticed I could see though him. Then he came at me, that's the last thing I remember."
Lily hugged Cliona.
"Well, you'll be all right. Madame Pomfrey may be a bit out there, but she's a great Healer," said Lily.
"Well, I'm glad you think so, Miss Evans, now, if you'd be so kind as to get out, Miss Roark needs her rest," said Madame Pomfrey.
Lily blushed and the three ran out. Outside of the Hospital Wing, they burst out laughing. Two third year boys walked by them and Lily had and idea.
"Hey!" she called, stopping them.
"Yeah?" the tall blond on the right asked.
"Can you do us a favor?"
The shorter, darker haired one looked gave her the once- over.
"Wha' is it?" he asked.
"We need to get some gifts for our friend, and, since we are first years, we cannot go into Hogsmeade. If we gave you some money, would you go to the candy shop and buy her a lot of candy?"
"You're Lily Evans, right?" asked the blond.
"Yes."
"Sure thing, and don' bother wif de money, i's on de 'ouse," said the shorter one.
Lily smiled.
"That won't be necessary—"
"We know, but it's the least we can do for saving my cousin," said the blond.
"Your cousin?"
"Yeah, Cliona's me secon' cousin on me mum's side, we aren't as close as Billy an' she are."
"Well thank you very much!"
Lily smiled at them and they walked off. Lily grinned at Jenni and Gabby.
"Wow, Lils, I didn't know you could do that," said Gabby.
"Do what?" asked Lily, innocently, but trying not to grin.
"You just manipulated those guys out of their money!" said James coming towards them, Sirius, Peter and Remus behind him.
"I did not! I would have given them money!" she objected.
"Whatever."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Grow up, Potter, at least ACT like you're mature."
She went to walk by him, but he blocked her.
"Why should I, Evans? To make you happy?"
Lily pushed him to the side, into the wall, and she walked away, not even looking back when the suit of armor fell apart and falling on top of James, Peter nearly impaled by its spear. She only kept walking away, Gabby and Jenni running to catch up with her.
"Why'd you do that?" Gabby asked her.
"He was in my way, I wanted to leave, he was preventing me from doing so."
"You and James need to lay off one another."
"It's all James, Lily only retaliates," said Jenni.
"Exactly," said Lily.
The three went back up to Gryffindor Tower, and later met up with Billy and Greg, Cliona's cousins.
"Here ya go," said Billy, handing Lily a bag full of candy.
"Thank you SO much, how much was it?" she asked.
"We said it was on th' 'house," said Greg.
"I know, but I feel bad about that."
"We'll make it even by putting our name on the card," said Billy.
"Deal, thank you again."
She smiled at them and went to Gryffindor Tower. Jenni and Gabby made the card and sent it around the Common Room until every Gryffindor had signed it. The Lily asked someone where she could find flowers and picked a bouquet. Lily then took the bag, the flowers and card to the Hospital Wing.
"She's resting," said Madame Pomfrey, strictly.
Lily smiled sweetly.
"Well, can you at least put these by her bed?"
Madame Pomfrey sighed.
"Fine."
She took the gifts from Lily and placed the flowers in a vase on the stand next to Cliona and the bag of candy next to the flowers. Lily smiled and went back to Gryffindor Tower. Lily was recognized and stopped in the corridor as people asked what happened, and Jenni and Gabby were only too quick to recount the night's events. Lily only smiled at them as the other two reenacted some parts. Exams had been cancelled because of Professor Saint Pierre's death, and Lily was worried her grade might suffer, even if she was glad she didn't have to take exams. The next week was nothing but rest and tanning for Lily, Cliona, Jenni and Gabby, since the teachers were calculating final grades.
"You ready for summer?" Gabby asked them, all lying on towels next to the lake.
"Heck yeah!" said Lily, causing the other three to laugh.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know, maybe go to my grandmother's summer manor, or possibly go somewhere as a family. What about you three?"
"I'm going home to Ireland for a long, hopefully boring vacation," said Cliona.
"Home, I think Mum said we might go to New York," said Gabby.
"Wow, that's awesome!" said Lily.
"I'm staying home, probably, Mum and Dad don't really like traveling," said Jenni.
"Well, if you get bored owl me and you can stay with us."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Thanks Lil."