Chapter 6

Lily spent the night in the hospital wing concentrating hard on her work and trying to ignore the looks Snape kept shooting her. Plus, of course the constant glare she received from Bathurst proved more difficult to ignore as they were often accompanied by rude remarks. Lily wasn't sure that vindictive cow ever blinked.

Her dorm mates came to see her, but couldn't help but bursting into laughter when they saw her and getting shooed out by Madam Promfrey. The Gryffindor boys appeared too, but only to laugh at the Slytherins, though Lupin did apologize for the group. Lily was surprised, but in no mood to except it. She ended up staring sulkily ahead until Lupin said he didn't blame her, glanced quickly at her swollen hand and started after the retreating backs of his three friends.

Lily actually appreciated the company of Loretta Knightly the most. She came, bringing quite a few interesting books and handed Lily a few on Potions. Then, she talked with her a while and Lily discovered they had so many things in common that perhaps she would have been happier in Ravenclaw than in Gryffindor with those obnoxious boys. However, she pushed that thought away when she thought of the other people she had met. It didn't matter that much anyway she decided. All the houses really had their good and bad people. Plenty of the Ravenclaws where hard working and many of the Hufflepuffs were brave. The slytherins, she decided weren't all that bad. It was really only the way they were raised. Actually she found it easier to Excuse their behavior than that hypocrite James Potter.

After a few more days, Lily was allowed to leave. She had not fallen behind, and had actually excelled faster on her own. In potions the back round information let her be almost impulsive with her potions and hers turned out always completely perfect according to the descriptions in the book.

She found herself in an unofficial competition with Snape and would always compare her grades to his above all others. He alone seemed worthy of this, though she would never admit it to anyone else. He would have called him a genius perhaps if she had liked him. He was as unpopular as dung, but always had his hooked nose pressed against some advanced book and had the same knack for potion brewing as Lily. She sat in back of him for quite a few classes and noticed certain similarities between the two of them. There were actually quite a few talented ones her year. The professors were regularly astounded by the number of raised hands and perfect grades. Though by the middle of the first year the four Gryffindor boys had officially ticked off the Hogwarts staff, the continued to dominate in many classes with out showing effort. Lazily they would continue to laugh and joke through out the whole lesson, while alwas achieving the desired result. Though this was due to Lupin who would be done and badger the rest until they had completed theirs as well.

Their Flying courses had been near unbearable. The lesson started when a young woman, Madam Hooch, set down brooms beside each student and told them to call it upwards. James was the first to manage it. He was followed closely by William Barclay (HP), Anneliese and Edric. Lily got it soon also with the remaining boys and a few girls. Most everyone had managed it after a few minutes except Beatrix and Peter.

Beatrix had her arms folded and was not looking at her broom. Lily nudged her, but she said calmly " I don't want to. Foot ball is the only one for me." Madam Hooch came toward her and said quite plainly, "My girl, you will give it a shot or I shall have to talk to your head of house. Lack of participation is not tolerated. Even if you do not wish to try out for Quiditch, you still will need a broom in your later years."

Beatrix looked at her briefly before holding out a stiff arm and commanding "UP!" in a quite stern tone. The broom dared not to disobey and rose immediately. Madam Hooch was appeased and moved on to the hovering and soon the two houses were zooming around the quiditch pitch together and practicing their moves. Anneleise had quite gotten the hang of it; she was and aggressive flyer and was good at darting up around people when they least expected it. To Lily's immense pleasure, Anneliese startled James Potter nearly off of his broom giving everyone there laugh. He had been flying around for a while in an obvious attempt to get attention, though honestly he needn't have bothered. It was quite plain to see he was an extraordinary flyer. Lily did enjoy herself immensely on the broom, but admitted she had very little natural talent. She did not have the aggressiveness of Anneliese or the speediness of James Potter, but she managed to stay on the broom and that was good enough for her.

Severus Snape she soon found out, had not been so lucky. Rita Skeeter, who had heard it from a fellow Ravenclaw in the first year told anyone who would listen that Snape had been unsuccessful in mounting a bucking broom and eventually and been flown into the lake when he managed a firm grip where he met a young ghost named moaning myrtle. Lily heard that moaning Myrtle had died at Hogwarts and spent her eternity wailing in the girls' bathroom, occasionally flushing herself down the loo.

After the excitement of flying had worn off, the first years became pretty sedentary and spent most of their time getting a head start on studying for their exams. That is, until James Potter and his little gang somehow set off some sort of storm in the corridor by the one eyed witch. It rained and thundered for five days strait until Professor Flitwick was called to put it strait. Until that time students had arrived, thoroughly soaked for class and Lily unfortunately had been one of them. Shivering and sopping wet she marched angrily up to the four during transfiguration.

"Why do you always insist on causing trouble?" she exclaimed.

"I have had quite enough of getting the worse end of your pranks and advise you to cease immediately"

She turned heal and would have marched away had not a voice stopped her.

"Why should we stop? Yours was not a very convincing argument, don't you think Sirius?" Potter had spoken the arrogant prat. Lily did not see how he would make such a remark when both of them knew quite well that he was no better at any charms or hexes, and yet he still talked to her as if he were years more experienced. Lily did not move. She simply said, "Fine" gave him a very cold look and once more turned to leave. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of blue light and she saw her robes suddenly change to a bright green color. Potter called out, " Slytherin colors for someone with the sense of humor of a Slytherin." Lily was severely annoyed, but didn't let it show

"Real mature Potter" She grabbed a slice of toast and hurried away to change her robes, she would set them right later.

"You should have gotten her hair, mate" Sirius laughed

"Yeah, but it's such a pretty color, it would be a shame if she couldn't set it back, besides her hair is as red as the Gryffindor banner. It is good house spirit."

Lily was overly confused by this whole event. What was going on here?