Well, another chapter done and dusted! Hope you enjoy…
Chapter 12 – Silver Lining
"Merlin, what the heck just happened?" Sirius said in shock.
"No idea. That was the weirdest thing I've ever felt. Seriously spooky." James seemed strangely distracted as he replied.
"Well, everything about Neffy is seriously weird. I'm not entirely convinced she's human."
James snapped back to himself. "Well, I'm not entirely sure you're human, but it's not polite to just come out and say it like that. But I know what you mean. There's definitely more to Lily Evans than meets the eye."
***
Back in his office, Dumbledore surveyed Lily carefully over his half moon glasses. She looked away, feeling vaguely guilty.
"I'm sorry about all the noise, sir," she said, more to fill the silence than anything else.
"Not to worry, my dear Miss Evans. My ears stopped ringing a full ten minutes ago." He smiled cheerfully. "It appears, Miss Evans, that we have unearthed hidden depths."
Lily, glad the subject had finally been broached, burst forth with a torrent of questions.
"Professor, what was that? It felt really weird but I didn't mean to, honestly. How could I have done that without meaning to? I thought I couldn't do magic now. You haven't given it back, have you?"
"My dear, slow down before you choke on your own questions. I will get to them, in time. Lily, I believe that you are a song mage."
Dumbledore held up his hand as a pre-emptive strike against Lily's next flood of questions.
"That means that you are able to communicate your emotions through song, and – more importantly – to change your surroundings by this."
"Wow! That's really cool! Is it rare?"
"Oh, no, my dear. Approximately half your classmates will have a similar ability. Even Muggles have it, you know. Oh, not all will have Song Magery perhaps, but there are other forms. Art, Dance, Writing, Drama, Music – there are even a few people with Sport Magery. The magic connects, you see, with a particular talent. What was unusual about what you just did was the sheer scale. Most mages of this kind can share their emotion with a handful of people, normally close friends or family, and many never get close to being able to manipulate anything with this magic. You managed not only to share your emotions with the entire school, but also to manipulate their own emotions and – even more remarkably – their actions."
"So why…" Again Dumbledore stopped her. "You want to know why you have so much power?"
Lily nodded, blushing.
"There is a simple, and to by frank, rather mundane explanation. Your power has no other outlet. Muggles have no innate magical power, so they can do little with Magery – they have the ability, but not enough power to pull it off properly. Other witches and wizards are tapping off power constantly, in spells and enchantments. Excess power is used up before it can build up to any extent. Your power, however, is trapped, simmering beneath the surface, building its strength, gaining momentum until it is so energised it just has to go somewhere, do something. You sing, and whomph! Out it gushes!"
"So I can't do that all the time?" Lily's face fell. "It's just, I was wondering, if I could use this Song Magery to do the lessons properly. I mean, to be able to do spells and things."
"Miss Evans, magic of this kind is far more difficult to use than ordinary magic, if the term can ever truly be applied. Very few people are Magery Adepts, and even they usually take it up as a post-graduate course of study." Lily, now completely disheartened, gave a resigned half-smile. "However, there are exceptions to every rule and as you, Miss Evans, have proved yourself an exception to practically every rule you've come into contact with so far, maybe this one will be no different. You are welcome to try and, I am sure, determined enough to succeed. I will inform the staff, although," his eyes twinkled as he recalled the recent scene in the Great Hall, "many of them may have an inkling already."
Lily smiled, more sincerely this time, and turned to go.
"Miss Evans? Do not be too hard on your friend. It was he who put your name forward. Mr Lupin is a true friend, and worthy of your trust."
Lily was flabbergasted. "Not Rem? Then who…"
Lily's astonishment grew even greater as she observed the headmaster… blushing?
"Miss Evans, I must confess it was I who entered your name. On one of my midnight strolls, I overheard Mr Lupin and yourself out by the lake. Your song was absolutely exquisite, if you'll forgive my saying so."
"But… why would you enter me?"
Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he replied. "I am merely an old man, my dear, seeking to aid you in your search for the elusive silver lining. That, and I also couldn't resist the opportunity for an encore, after listening to your last performance."
***
Lily was seriously disappointed that the end of term was upon them, and she couldn't start experimenting with Song Magery. She was short-tempered and waspish as the students packed and on the journey home, snapping sarcastically at anyone who dared to question her about what had happened, congratulate her on her win or even those who just stared as she passed.
Only Remus, who had accepted Lily's grovelling apologies for her suspicions of duplicity, was spared this treatment. Remus disliked spending too much time with his family, and regretted the end of term even more than Lily did. Since he had been bitten, he had become rather estranged and detached from his family, as if they were carefully extricating themselves from the association, slowly but surely. Holidays – especially Christmas – were always slightly depressing.
Lily, despite her eagerness to begin studying Magery, was looking forward to Christmas. She was spending it with Arabella, her first proper Christmas since her mother had left when Lily was four.
Arabella was waiting on the platform as the Hogwarts Express pulled up. She saw Lily pick her way through the crowds towards her, dragging a pale boy with serious grey eyes along behind her – evidently the famous Remus Lupin she'd read so much about in Lily's letters. She was slightly worried about the cold manner in which the rest of the students treated Lily, but was broken out of her musings on the subject by Lily's enthusiastic greeting.
"Mrs Figg! Arabella! Hiya! How are you? Arabella, come and meet Remmy!"
Arabella surveyed the children. Lily looked well and happy, despite her bandaged face, and her eyes shone with a combination of excitement and some strange power. The boy, Remus, looked rather pale and gaunt – he could do with some fattening up, she decided. He had sandy brown hair, and grey eyes that seemed somehow rather old and tired. Then his face split into a smile, and he transformed into a rather mischievous looking child.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs Figg," he said, shaking her hand solemnly. Arabella smiled widely at him. Lily had a good friend in this one. "The pleasure's mine, Remus, dear." An enigma, but a very good friend.
***
The first week of the holidays passed in what seemed to Lily a joyous haze, where the days somehow melted together and, in thinking back over the week, the only distinct memories she had were of a constant sense of contented, cheerful busyness. Her and Arabella baked mince pies and Christmas biscuits, picked holly from the woods nearby, and decorated the house from top to bottom. Lily especially liked the sparkling fairies which gathered in the corners of rooms, whispering and giggling. Arabella also managed to drag Lily along to a carol concert, which in the event Lily enjoyed so much that she spent the rest of the week dancing around the house singing carols, making up the words when she didn't know them.
Christmas Eve dawned clear and cold, with frost on the ground and a chill in the air. It was a perfect winter's day, glittering and glistening magically. But Lily couldn't enjoy it as it deserved. Before she and Arabella could commence that most pleasant of activities – the celebration of Christmas – Lily had to undergo one more ordeal. The removal – finally – of the bandages covering her face.