A/N: You don't want to know what happened…let's just say I have to run scandisk every single day now :) Anyway, I'm sorry this chapter is late.

Trip

Lily checked the clock on her bedside table and noticed that it was five thirty. She realized she probably wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, but wasn't quite ready to go out of her room. She felt very cold all of a sudden. She looked down and realised that her blanket had rolled of her during the course of the night. So she lifted her blanket and dragged it to the couch, and cuddled up, grabbing the nearest book. It happened to be a worn copy of Hogwarts, A History. Flipping to a random page she read an excerpt about Rowena Ravenclaw.

In her years at Hogwarts, Rowena Ravenclaw taught many subjects, her favoured being potions. Many people at the time did not think that potions require the same concentration and dedication as spell casting, but Rowena thought it was quite the oppisite. If you think about it, if you pronounce a spell wrong, it can only inflict damage on the subject of the spell. But if you botch a potion, the potion may explode and seriously injure or kill anyone in the immediate vicinity. A potion as harmless as a simple Pepper-Up may become deadly if the wrong substance is added.

Potion making is now a refined art, now days there is a potion for nearly everything. But a thousand years ago, potions were a new art, and not one that many preferred to indulge in. Before the introduction of potion making, cauldrons were used for cooking food, mainly soup or broth

Rowena later proved the fact behind her opinion, after dying in a potion experiment. It is safe to say from her extensive research in potions (or at least the research that has survived to the current day), that you should never mix potions or risk inflicting serious harm on yourself and others.

There has been an abundant amount of speculation on what potions she was mixing, and what she hoped to achieve. Some people think that it was an advanced healing potion that could bring people

back from the brink of death. Some think it was a cure for lycanthropy. But the truth is unknown.

Lily stopped there, as it was the end of the page. She didn't feel like reading the rest of what was known of Rowena Ravenclaw's life story. She had already read the book before, in seventh year for an extra credit History of Magic assignment. Dumbledore had told her that she would be able to go to the Ministry today or tomorrow, and she hoped it was today.

All of a sudden, there was a knocking at the door. She took another glance at her clock. Six o'clock. She could not believe it had taken her half an hour to read half a page.

"Wait a second!" She called out, getting changed as quickly as she could. After pulling on her socks and shoes, she opened the door.

"I was indeed wondering when you were going to grace me with your presence." A grouchy Severus Snape said from the doorway.

Lily flushed. "I did tell you to wait."

"You told me to wait 'a second'. I waited for fifty-nine more."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you got enough sleep last night? Oh…wait, I forgot, you're always like that!"

"Let's stop bantering like school-children."

"OK, let's start over. What the hell are you doing here at six in the morning?"

" To escort you to the ministry."

"But I do seem to recall you saying that you couldn't do that? And I also recall that you told me you would take me to Diagon Alley."

Snape inhaled deeply. "Dumbledore thinks that it would be easier if you went to the Ministry first."

"With you."

"I assure you that I have many more things I would much rather be doing…oh, yes, there is something else. Dumbledore wants you to bring Harry there."

"Why?" Lily asked in astonishment.

"Lily, you must know by now that Albus rarely gives any reasoning behind his requests." Snape leant against the doorframe.

"OK…I'll go get him." She pushed roughly past Snape who was still standing in the doorway, heading to Harry's room which was next door.

Harry was already awake, but it was obvious it hadn't been very long. For one thing his hair was messier than ever. And he was still wearing the oversized pajamas that had previously belonged to Dudley. Internally, Lily growled. She had to take Harry shopping soon.

"'Morning." Harry smiled sleepily, grabbing a comb in a futile attempt to brush his hair.

"We're going." Lily said shortly, grabbing Harry's arm.

"What? Where?" Harry replied groggily, "I haven't brushed my hair!" He sat on the end of his bed, running the comb through his hair.

"There's no point. It's a lost cause." "You look just like your father, you know." She smiled sadly, ruffling Harry's hair.

"Hey, Mum, you just made it messy again!"

They went back to Lily's room where Snape was still standing in the doorway. "Ready to go? But Potter, you haven't even brushed your hair!" Snape said sarcastically

Harry growled as Lily rolled her eyes.

"I presume you do know how to Apparate? We may need to stand closer together since we will need to bring Potter with us."

"Do you mean me or Harry?"

"I will not even answer that question." Snape said. They huddled together in the doorway, Lily was unsure of which person had the most disgusted look on their face. Harry certainly didn't seem fond of the idea of being close to Snape.

"Our desired destination is the lobby of the Ministry of Magic." Lily closed her eyes and focused. When she opened them she was somewhere else. And it sure as hell wasn't the Ministry of Magic.

She was standing right in the middle of Diagon Alley. She was standing right in the middle of Diagon Alley in the early morning of a day that she was supposed to be dead. Without Snape or Harry. Oh. Crap. People were staring at her, many people preferred not to Apparate straight into Diagon Alley because it stood the risk of landing on someone. She decided to go to the Leaky Cauldron. She could try and find something to cover her face with on her way.

Lily didn't run, because it would look too suspicious. So she walked at a brisk pace, trying to get there before she attracted too much attention to herself. She was so worried that someone might see her that she walked into someone, knocking herself to the ground.

"Do you need a hand up?" The person asked.

Lily took his hand and propelled herself to her feet. She knew something was wrong. For as soon as she stood up, she saw herself looking into the eyes of Remus Lupin.

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DUM, dum, DUM!

Thank-you to all who reviewed! You are the best! The chapter after next WILL see the start of the school term…all I have to do now is find my copy of CoS.