Authors Note: This chapter is a preasant (sorry I can't spell, tell it to me in a review hint hint nudge nudge) for Emma you-know-how-you-are and I won't put your last name on the internet seeing as there are lots of psycos out there. Heehee. Anyway, because you're getting braces I posted a chapie in your honor. Maybe, if y'all are nice and give me reviews (I know you love the y'all usage teehee) I'll post another for you this afternoon...maybe...

Chapter 34

Explanations

Lily walked slowly back to the common room and strait up the staircse to the girls rooms.

She could not believe James had treated her like that, with utter contempt for the fact that she

was scared of warewolves! Anyone in their right mind would be! She found the room empty and

was greatfull for the early night, her head was still aching from her lessons with Dumbledore.

Lily was walking down a road, it was dark out and there were no street lights. Up

ahead of her there was a big house, slightly overgrown with vines, and the weeds in the

garden were out of control. She saw next to the house a graveyard, filled with large

monuments and tombstones. Standing in the graveyard, surrounded by masked men, was

a man of about twenty years older than herself. He was not wearing a mask, and was very

handsome. His followers, for he was obviously the leader, were approaching him on their

knees and extending their arms to him. Lily watched with horror as he branded their arms

with a green image that she could not make out. Walking closer she was able to see the

mark clearly, it was a skull. The men screamed as he branded them, all except one man

who was standing tall by the side of Voldemort, he was not much older than Lily herself!

In fact, she recognized him from school as Lucius Malfoy who had graduated last year!

Walking nearer she noticed several other familiar faces, and not all of them graduates.

There was Gegory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and Beatrix Lestrange, Sirius's cousin who was

pure evil in Lily's mind. She was one year above Lily and Sirius, and she made it her duty

to make Sirius's life hell. She would trip him in corridors, make fun of him loudly to his

face and behind his back, and she was very fond of mentioning how he had been disowned

from the family. She had heavily lidded eyes and dark hair. She had a strong jawline and

a storng nose, she did not have delicate features, they were more powerful and harsh than

anything.

Lily saw, to her horror, way back at the end of the line, Severus and some of the

other fifth year Slytherin boys who he liked to follow around. As he neared the front of the

line she distinctly heard him mutter about revenge being very sweet. Lily turned her head

away and covered her ears so as not to hear his screams of pain.

The next day Lily woke up and wrote down the dream in detail, remebering everything

clearly. She went down to the common room with all of the books and homework she would

need for todays classes.

"Hey Lily, I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks." Said Nicky who was sitting on the couch.

"That's because you haven't." Lily reminded him taking the seat beside him.

"Lily, I was wondering," he began, looking nervous and not meeting her eyes. "What's going

on between us? When we kissed before break I thought there was something there, but then you

came back and acted as though nothing had happened." He said, still staring off into a corner.

"Nicky, would you like for something to be there?" She asked, stroking his shoulder with

her fingernail.

"Very much so, Lily, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked her, looking into her face now.

"I'd love to Nicky." She said cheerfully, but in her mind she as somewhat hesitant. She was

not really looking for a relationship right now, and perhaps it was too much, with homework,

school, and her lessons with Dumbledore, there simply wasn't any extra time.

"Cool, do you want to go to the Quiddich game with me this weekend?" he asked

hopefully.

"Sorry, I can't I'm going with Holly, Alice and Janette already." She replied.

"Well, what about Hogsmede on Sunday?" He asked, undeterred.

"I actually wasn't planning on going. I have to catch up on my homework, and I have to

have a meeting with Dumbledore, and write to my family. I'm really sorry." She said, feeling

slightly guilty now about having to reject him so much.

"Lily, hey, I'm famished lets go eat!" Said Alice, coming down the stairs. Lily linked arms

with Alice and they exited the portrait hole, leaving a confused Nicky behind them.

"Guess who just asked me out?" Lily asked, nudging Alice in the side.

"Who? And will I be jealous?" Alice said.

"Nicky, I know you're jealous." Lily said sarcastically. "He kissed me before break, and we

had fun together, so he asked me to be his girlfriend. He's really sweet, I don't want to hurt his

feelings."

"He's cute, you could do much worse you know, besides he's smart and from what I hear

he's really nice." She said, trying to be nice.

"So you like him? I'm not making a mistke like I did with Severus?"

"No, I don't think so. Do you like him? Because you're the one who has to spend time with

him, not me."

"Yeah, you know what? I do like him." She said, feeling relieved and good about her

decision to say yes to him. She took her seat in the dining hall with Alice, not noticing Nicky

walking behind her and sitting at the other end of the table. "I wonder where Nicky went?" Lily

said, looking up and down the table, but not seeing him anywhere.

"I didn't see him, too bad, you'll catch up with him later though, time to go to class!" Alice

said enthusiastically.

"You sound excited, what do you have?" Lily asked, giving Alice a dubious glance, she was

never excited about going to classes.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, you shouldn't have dropped it, it's an amazing class." Alice

said.

"I suppose it doesn't hurt that the techer happens to be a total cutie?" Lily asked, looking up

at the staff table and understanding.

"I suppose not." Alice said, totally seriously.

"You know he's engaged, right?" Lily asked Alice, just to make sure her crush wasn't

destroyed after she found out he was happily married with a pregnant wife.

"Oh, I know he was engaged a few days ago." Alice said, looking pleased.

"Really? How do you know that?"

"Um, eavesdropping, how else?" Alice smiled.

"What happened?" Lily bent closer.

"Well, from what I heard professor Bluebell telling Grumblegutts, it was awful. She's been

cheating on him for weeks, and never had any intention of marrying him for love. She was going

to marry him, get his title, then divorce him and get all the settlement money she could. He broke

it off as soon as he found out, of course." She said, also leaning in, and throwing looks at

Proffessor Longbottom.

"And, you also know he's your teacher right? And that that would be totally, like, illegal.

Not to mention gross." Lily said, also looking at professor Longbottom.

"I know, but he won't be my teacher forever. He's so nice, and he's such a a good

teacher." Alice said slyly.

"Exactly, he's your teacher!" Lily said, shaking Alice by the shoulder.

"Ow, hey, that hurt. I know he's my teacher, but he's only five years older than me, and I'm

almost sixteen. He's only twenty. It's not that wierd Lily, besides, he's so smart and mature, kind,

and funny."

"Okay, whatevs Alice, it's never going to happen, and no matter what you say, it is creepy."

Lily, instead of going to divination, skipped her first period and headed for professor

Dumbledores office. "Marshmallows." She said as the now familiar gargoyles sprang to life and

moved to the side for her to pass. She walked up the moving spiral staircase, it was not moving

fast enough. Knocking on the door to professor Dumbledores circular office, she recieved

permission to enter. "Professor, I had another dream last night, but this one was different from

the others."

"Lily, so nice to see you, if you would be so kind as to step into my other offices." She had

never been in here before, they had always practiced in the front office. Dumbledores private

offices were slightly more disorderly, and there were no pictures on the wall. She saw woolen

socks draped over the back of a chair, and piles of book everywhere, including the floor, after

he had run out of surfaces and bookshelves to cram them into. From their appearance, all of the

books were old, loved, and used, Lily's favorite kind. She could smell the old books in the air,

that musty, familiar sent that was so comforting to her. "I'm sorry to bring you in here, I have

reason to believe that there is a spy in my office, that is why I got rid of all of the pictures in here

and sound proofed the walls, no one can hear what we say if we are in my private chambers.

Tell me about this dream." Dumbledore said as he sat down on one of the chairs in the corner

after first removing the pile of books from on top of it. Lily followed suit, placing the books

carefully on the floor beside her chair before taking her place opposte Dumbledore.

"Last night professor, I had a dream." Lily went on to give him all of the details she could

remeber, occasionally reffering to her dream diary. Dumbledore did not speak for a few

moments, Lily wondered if he had listened to her at all. "Professor?"

"Er, yes, excuse me, dreadfully sorry. Yes, erm, this makes sense with all that is happening

lately. How old did you say the leader was?"

"He looked to be about ten years younger than yourself, sir." Lily replied, curious at his

reaction.

"And this dream, did it appear to be something taking place in the present day? Or do you

think it was more a prophesy of the future?" He asked, clasping his hands in front of him and

resting his elbows on his knees.

"Well," Lily thought about her answer carefully, "in the past, all of my dreams had been

looking forwards, so I assume that this one is the same, I can't be sure of course. I don't see

how Severus would have gotten there if it were now, he can't apperate, so it would have to be

taking palce in the future, wouldn't it? What does it mean professor? Do you understand it?" Lily

said, also leaning forward anticipatingly.

"I think I might have an idea. Lily, have you ever heard of a lad named Tom Riddle?" He

asked, leaning back now into his chair and preparing to tell a long story.

"I think I've heard him mentioned before, he also had prophetic dreams, and he was head

boy too right? He had a trophy in the trophy room, doesn't he?"

"Very good, that is all correct. Lily, Tom Riddle, when I was in my youth, or at least closer

to my youth than I am now, I taught Tom transfiguration. He was an outstanding pupil,

everything came so naturally to him, magic was easy. He was, however, very bitter towards the

world of muggles. He placed great stock in the purity of blood, although he himself was only half

magical. He only associated himself with pure bloods, and looked down on all others. He was

ashamed of his muggle heritage, and hated the muggle world for mistreating him at the orphange

he spent his summer holidays at. He was bitter and angry and hated the world. In his sixth year

he took a great interest in the dark arts and began to devote all of his energy in to studying and

mastering all of the ancient magics and dark powers available to men. He himself is responsible

to creating many of the curses known today. He began to go by the name of Lord Voldemort

amoung his friends.

"He disappeared shortly after leaving Hogwarts, and has not been heard from since. A few

years later I became head master and I tracked Tom down without his knowledge. He was

living in a house that had once belonged to his fathers parents. That, I believe, is the house you

saw in your dream. He began to send envoys to giants, and I believe he has convinced them to

join his cause, what that cause is I do not know. From your dream I gather he is now trying to

gather support amoung the men as well as the giants. Toms lifelong goal has been to achieve

immortality, and as far as I know, he has not yet succeded, no one knows what he needs in

order to achieve immortality through the dark arts, he does not even know yet, but it is only a

matter of time. Lily, he is gathering power, he has spies already well placed. It will not be long

now." Dumbledore said, his eyes glazing over as he looked off into the distance. Lily was

frightened, if this Voldemort character gained all these supporters, immortality, and the giants,

what would happen to the muggles? What would happen to those in the wizarding family, herself

included, if he gainded power? What would happen to her parents?

"Professor? What will happen to me?" Lily asked, not meaning to sound self centered, but

wanting an answer none the less.

"I suppose Voldemort will want you to join his ranks, what with your incredible power

when it comes to prophesies." Dumbledore said, looking at her carefully, to see her reaction to

this.

"No, I don't mean that, I mean will he try to kill me and my family?" She asked again,

clarifying her question.

"Oh, I suppose so, although you might be safe because you are so powerful that you could

be usefull to him. He will most likely try to kill everyone who is not a pure blood, but I assure

you, we will not go down without a fight. I myself am not a pureblood, did you know that? Your

ancestry is not important, it is who your are and what powers you posess that is important, not

the powers of your siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, cousins, or uncles. Do you understand

that Lily? Some of the best witches and wizards the wizarding community has are half bloods,

some have two muggle parents. Without muggle marriages, the wizarding race would die out.

Don't let anyone ever tell you that you are no good because of your blood, okay Lily?"

"Yes professor." She said, but if it was so unimportant, then why did all these people care

so much about it? Lily left professor Dumbledore's office a few minutes later wondering this very

thing, if they were all witches and wizards, why couldn't they live in peace together? Lily could

not answer this question, and so she went to transfiguration ten minutes early and sat,

contemplating the answer.

Authors Note: Sorry guys, it's getting quite plotty and boring if you ask me...I just have a few more plotty chapies that I already wrote and then it's back to the good stuff! Just so you know, for those of you ignoring all of the bits in italics (cough cough KatieandLisacough cough) Lily has always been a prophet and stuff, this is not totally out of the blue, although I suppose I did just sort of drop it on you...anyway, click the little button that says review review and I'll try and post more chapies!