Disclaimer: If I owned anything, I'd be rich. But I'm not.
Over the past few weeks, Lily Evans had felt chills run down her spine andthe hair on the back her neck stand up as she walked down empty corridors. She would turn her head, but nobody would be there. It was starting to scare her, but she didn't have to worry now. Dumbledore had told the school that there would be students coming from foreign schools, part of an experiment the Ministry of Magic was conducting. Selected students from different schools across the world would be coming to Hogwarts to observe. That was all the students knew about the projects.
"Hey, Lily! The new students are coming today!" cried an eager James Potter as they passed by each other walking down to get breakfast. Lily sighed and nodded. James Potter was always coming up with some excuse to talk to her, and Lily always just nodded. She had done that since she was eleven, in her first year, and now she was seventeen. That was a long time.
But there was that one time in her fifth year, the whole event with Severus Snape, where she just...exploded. She did more than sigh and nod at what had happened. And ever since then, Severus had been looking at Lily differently. Another thing that Lily felt weird about. Of course, she was a witch, and what's weirder than that?
As Lily entered the Great Hall, she noticed that there were now seven tables instead of four. The first empty table had a sign hovering over it, and in big red letters in said, 'Australia's Magic Institution'. The second table looked almost the same, except it said in green letters, 'Iceland -- Colbert's Academy'. Like the other two, the third table read 'Qui's Magical Academy of China' in blue letters. Lily sat down at her normal place at the Gryffindor table, right next to Grace Isaacson and Tina Hemmingway, across from Pearl Stone.
After a few minutes of discussing what the new students were like with Grace and Tina and Pearl, Dumbledore stood up. "I believe that the students from the other schools will be here soon. I must remind you to treat them with respect," he announced. Right after he said it, there was a loud cracking noise and the three tables were filled with students. At the right side of Dumbledore, three adults appeared. "May I introduce you to Professor Perry -- " he gestured towards a tanned woman in red robes, "and her students of Australia's Magic Institution?" The Hogwarts students clapped, then stopped as Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Professor Colbert and his students, of Iceland -- Colbert's Academy." Professor Colbert was a pale man, as were his students, all dressed in green robes. "And, finally, Professor Li and her students of Qui's Magical Academy of China!" Professor Qui and her students all had pale skin and black hair and were all dressed in blue robes. "Now that everyone has been inttroduced, let us begin to feast!
"So, who looks the friendliest?" Pearl asked Lily as they were eating.
"Um, the Qui students," Lily said, barely eating at all. She felt a little sick and nervous. Like someone was watching her. The same feeling she got in empty corridors. She turned her head and saw Severus Snape look down at his food quickly.
After it seemed like everyone had finished, Dumbledore stood up. "I have a small surprise -- tonight there will be a ball. It will take place outside. The ball will not be formal. I urge you to just wear your best robes, as it will only be a get-acquantanced ball."
Grace turned around, and Lily could tell she was checking out the other students. She sighed dreamily and rested her eyes on an Australian student with blonde hair. Lily looked around the Great Hall herself, but she kept feeling that chill on her spine.
Author's Note -- Short. I know.