Chapter 3: Morning

The next day Lily had Potions class first thing in the morning. She and Ezmerelda headed down to the dungeons together.

When they entered the classroom, there were cauldrons set on every table. Professor Slughorn stood at the front of the room and waited for all of the students to enter.

"You may all take your regular seats, but only for now. I will be assigning a project for the rest of the semester, and I will put you together by pairs. You will therefore change your seats accordingly," he said. Some of the students groaned.

"I hope we're partners," Lily told Ezmerelda. It was because Ezmerelda was her only friend. Nobody ever talked to Lily.

"The first pair is… Mr. Pettigrew and Miss Daniels," Slughorn said.

"I'm sorry, Lily," said Ezmerelda as she got up to sit near Pettigrew.

"The next pair is Mr. Black and Mr. Lovegood." Sirius got out of his seat and sat next to his partner.

"Next is Miss Taylor and Miss Easton."

James' girlfriend kissed him goodbye as she went to sit with her partner.

"Mr. Potter…" James looked around at his classmates, wondering who'd be his partner. He looked hopefully at his friend Remus. "… and Miss Evans."

James turned around and looked at the girl he was paired with. Lily got up and sat down next to him, smiling shyly.

"Well, I guess I'm stuck with you for the rest of the semester," he said to her. She blushed and looked down at the floor.

"Why don't you say something?" James asked, "You're awfully quiet."

"I-I'm sorry," she staggered.

"Whoa, relax. It's okay. You don't have to talk if you really don't want to," he said.

"It's not that," she said, looking at him, "It's just that… I've never talked to a boy before, besides my father or my teachers."

"Really?" James said, "I mean, well... I'm sure you've talked to at least one boy…?"

"No," she said, looking at the floor, "I try to ignore boys."

"Why?"

"My mum told me it's not good to talk to boys," she explained.

"Do you always do everything your mother says?" he asked.

"Yes. Well actually, this one time she told me I couldn't answer the telephone when she wasn't home, and I did. It was a telemarketer, though, so she never found out. Oh! The telemarketer was a man! So I have talked to one man before! Oh, but I'm rambling, I'm sorry," she said, seeing as James looked confused.

"No that's okay," he said, "But… a tele-what?"

"Oh. You don't know what telephones are, do you? I'm muggle-born, you see," she said.

"No wonder your mother sounds like a complete wacko," said James.

"She's not a wacko. She really loves me," Lily said.

"You sound like you're under a lot of strict rules," he said.

"Students! Listen up," Slughorn shouted over the voices of the teenagers, "Here is your assignment: You will have until the end of the semester to work on a very difficult potion. This is the Aparadeces Potion. It makes a person seem dead for a good amount of time. The ingredients are hard to come by. I expect you all to find them on your own. If you turn in your books to page 328, you will find the directions for making this potion."

Lily opened her book to page 328 and began reading. James waited. She looked up.

"What does it say?" he asked her.

"We have to put in each ingredient in a certain order, or else it won't work," she explained.

"Okay. What's the first ingredient?"

"A phoenix feather," Lily said.

"That shouldn't be too hard to get," he said, "Dumbledore's got a phoenix."

"No. We're not plucking a feather from Fawkes," she said.

"Why not?"

"Because everyone else will be doing that, and then poor Fawkes won't have any feathers left. We'll find our own phoenix," Lily said.

"Okay…"

When class was over, Ezmerelda and Lily walked to their next class. Lily was silent, but Ezmerelda had a lot to say about her partner.

"He's weird but cute, in a way. He's very shy though. It's hard to believe he's friend with James Potter," Ezmerelda said, "So… how is James anyway?"

"He's nice…" said Lily.

"Oh? I think you like him. My little Lily has a crush on the Gryffindor king!" Ezmerelda said.

"I do not," Lily said.

"Well, I'll let you get away with denying it now… But I still can't believe we're talking to people as popular as the Marauders! It's certainly exciting… Well, I think it's been a productive morning, don't you? This must be a sign that the rest of the day will be good! Yes, I predict that it will be a great day!" Ezmerelda was always making predictions. She wanted to be a seer like her Aunt Audrey. Lily had met Aunt Audrey two summers ago, and she was a very eccentric witch. Lily remembered their meeting like it was yesterday.

"Aunt Audrey, this is my friend, Lily Evans," Ezmerelda introduced. Aunt Audrey looked at Lily with particular interest.

"Welcome, my dear! Would you like me to look into your future?" she asked.

"Um… sure," said Lily. Aunt Audrey took Lily's hands and closed her eyes to meditate.

"Hm…I see… that you will become a very powerful witch," Aunt Audrey said, "A very powerful witch indeed! You have been chosen, Lily Evans. Your life will change greatly. It has been hidden in the shadow for too long. There is one who will help you to fulfill your destiny. He will be your light. However, you must not stray from purity, or else all will be lost!" She stopped and looked at Lily.

"Aunt Audrey… what does that mean?"

"Oh, my. I'm afraid I don't know, dear. These things just come out and I rarely understand what I'm saying. But I'm sure that it must be very important," she said with a laugh.

Aunt Audrey had said that someone… a man… would help her fulfill her destiny. Lily believed it at first, but then she decided it was untrue. But now that she had talked to a guy for the first time in her life, she started to believe. Maybe James Potter, or someone he'll introduce her to, will be that man.

What will happen to Lily now, and is James the one Aunt Audrey prophesied about?

Next chapter: Night