Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Dedication: To the homecoming dance
A few days before school started, I went to Diagon Alley to get my things. I walked around, saying hi to all of the people who I hadn't seen in a long time. I saw Tyler walking with Ayla. I hurried away, but not fast enough. Tyler spotted me.
"Hey, Lily!" He called, and I hurried in the opposite direction.
"Lily, wait! Just listen to me!" He called, and I kept going. I glanced back and saw that he wasn't following me, which made me happy. I wouldn't have to keep dodging him all day.
Around three, I met up with David.
"Ready to be head boy?" I asked him, and he grinned at me.
"You bet I am. I talked to your brother, and he told me all this cool stuff that head boys get to do." David told me, sounding absolutely ecstatic.
I smiled at him, but I couldn't help feel a little worried. We would see even less of each other when he becomes head boy, because then he has those duties to attend to, also.
We walked around for a while, each lost in our own thoughts. I was thinking about Tyler, wondering if it were fair that I was mad at him. I was mad at him because he was telling everybody that he thought that whatever I was chasing after was wrong. Or was I? Did I just not want to face what would happen if I liked Tyler and he liked me? I pondered this for a while, and then I pondered what I was chasing after or holding on to or whatever. I still was totally clueless, not that it mattered much.
When we were done shopping, I told David good-bye and wandered home. When I got there, I found my mum packing my things into a trunk.
"Hey, Lily." She said when she saw me, and I nodded. I was really tired; and really confused.
The next day, Tuesday, I had a lot to do. I was leaving the next day, which meant I had to get everything together. It took my much longer then I thought, so by the time I was done it was dinnertime. Since I had nothing better to do, I walked down to the muggle pizza parlor and got a slice of pizza. One thing about pizza is that I can only get it when I'm home, so I get it a lot. I hadn't gotten it all summer though.
After sitting down and ordering my food, a girl came up and sat next to me. She was pretty, with long blonde hair and pretty green eyes. Her eyes looked almost exactly like mine.
I stared at her for a few seconds. She was thin, and she looked about average height. Something about her was familiar.
"I'm Lily." I said, finally introducing myself. She looked at me for a second, then said, "I'm Claire." That name rang a bell, but I didn't know from where.
"You look really familiar." I said, still trying to place her.
"You to." Claire, said. I studied her, and finally, I remembered.
"Claire Dursley!" I said incredulously. I hadn't seen her since we were both very small children. There had been a reunion, and she was there.
"Lily Potter?" Claire exclaimed in the same voice. She hugged me and I hugged her. We had been really good friends then.
"I haven't seen you in ages! What happened?" I asked her. Claire looked at her hands.
"I go to this boarding school most of the year. You wont have heard of it, it's somewhere far away from here. Its call Beauxbaton Academy of M- Beauxbaton Academy." Claire said. I knew she had been about to say Beauxbaton Academy of Magic. So she was a witch.
I didn't know she was a witch, nor did she know I was one. The family reunion had been all muggles, and back then both her and me were regular kids.
"I know that place." I said, and just as I expected, she looked at me with an incredibly surprised look on her face.
"You do? How?" She said, suddenly suspicious.
"I go to Hogwarts." I told her, and her whole face lit up.
"Really? You're a muggleborn to?" She said, and I shook my head.
"Nope, my parents are both magical." I said, and she looked at me in surprise.
"My dad got so angry when he found out I was magical. He told me that I already had the Evens eyes from my grandmother's genes, but now I had my uncle's ability. I had no idea he meant Uncle Harry!" Claire exclaimed.
I laughed. My dad and Uncle Dudley hate each other more then anyone else. I could imagine my uncle when he found out his oldest daughter was a witch. He isn't really my uncle, but we pretend.
Claire and I chatted for a while. Claire has three younger sisters.
"Are any of them witches?" I asked, and Claire shook her head.
"Nope, I'm the only one." Claire said, and I grinned at her.
We chatted for a long time about stuff, and I finally walked home at like ten o'clock. Claire said that she would write to me, and I would write to her. I couldn't believe she was a witch!
When I got home, I did some last minute preparations to leave and collapsed into bed, ready to be back at school.
When morning came, it was a mad rush to get everything together. There was only four of us starting this year, but there was still a lot to do. I was the only one who actually seemed ready. I took my time eating breakfast and getting dressed, enjoying the chaos around me.
When we got to the platform, it was ten fifty five. I told my mother and father good bye, as did my siblings, and I went to find my friends. I found them all standing in a group. They were already on the train. Tess, Tucker, Kelsey and Tyler were all sitting in one compartment. I almost didn't go in, because Tyler was there, but at the last minute, I changed my mind. These people were my friends, too.
"Hey guys." I said, sliding into a seat, smiling at everyone except Tyler.
"Hey Lily." Everyone said back.
David joined us about halfway through the ride, for he had been in the head-boy's compartment. He sat next to me and put his arm around me, and I nestled into it. Tyler looked hurt when David did this, but I didn't care. Tyler was still a jerk.
Soon, we arrived at Hogwarts. I was so happy to be here. It took a few minutes for everybody to sit down, and then the new students filed in. There was only one of my cousins this year, John, Bill and Fleur's youngest son.
Soon, the feast was over, and Dumbledore stood up to make his speech.
"Welcome back, and Welcome to all of you! I have some important announcements to make. Of most importance, the Quiditch Cup will not be held this year." Dumbledore said, and whispers filled the great hall. I was furious, but I should have seen this coming. David would have been captain, but he didn't get a badge.
"Why not?" Some one called, as outraged as everyone else.
Dumbledore waited for us to quiet down before continuing, "This year, Beauxbatons will be hosting a Triwizard Tournament." Dumbledore told us, and this time it was quiet. A Triwizard tournament?
After he explained to everyone what the Triwizard Tournament was, he told us about what was happening.
"All Sixth and Seventh Years are allowed to enter, but those that are under age must get parental permission. The students who wish to enter shall accompany me to Beauxbatons on October Thirtieth. The chosen student will stay, and the students not chosen may go home, or stay if they wish. The rest of you will be transported there on the task days, but other then that you will remain here. Any questions?" Dumbledore said, and I grinned.
I was totally going to enter. My dad had been in it when he was a kid, and I wanted to do it now. I had to get my mom to say yes, but I was sure she would. She isn't the type to not say yes to something like that.
"Are you going to enter?" I whispered excitedly to Tess, who shook her head.
"No, to dangerous for me." Tess said, and I shook my head at her.
I asked everybody around me. Tucker was going to enter, but Kelsey wasn't. David said he wasn't going to enter, either, because he was head boy and his duties were here. Matt was entering though.
Now I was thinking twice about entering. If I did enter, I would be away from Tess and David for a long time.
That night, Sirius and I wrote a letter to mom asking permission. I was still not so sure about entering. I wanted permission, just in case I decided that I was going to do it.
Everywhere was buzzing about the Triwizard tournament. The winner got a thousand galleons and didn't have to take exams… I wanted to enter the tournament, but I didn't want to be away from my boyfriend or my best friend for such a long time.
My new classes were really hard, much harder then last year. Just as I had suspected, we were learning non-verbal spells. Luckily, I wasn't partnered with Tyler like the year before. That didn't start until winter term. I was glad, because Tyler kept on trying to talk to me.
The time was flying by. I didn't have much time to see David, but I didn't have much time to see anyone. I was always studying, sleeping, eating, or studying some more. My mom had given me and Sirius permission to enter. I was glad that Sirius was entering. I had decided to enter.
In the middle of
September, Tyler managed to corner me.
"We need to talk." He
said, and I glared at him.
"Why are you mad at me?" He asked, and I couldn't remember why I was mad.
"I didn't go around blabbing, you know, about what I think you should do. Ayla picked up my Journal, where I had written it. You can go ask her if you don't believe me." He said, and I felt bad. I had been mad at him for no reason. But still…
"I don't like you like that, you know that, right?" I told Tyler, and the second I said I knew it was true. Tyler may be a really good kisser, but he is nothing more then a friend. He looked a little hurt, but he nodded.
"I knew that. I knew that from the way you reacted." Tyler said.
"Are you going to enter?" I asked Tyler, and he shook his head.
"Nope. This is my last year, and I want to do good. Seventh Years still have to
Take N.E.W.T.'s if they are in the tournament or not." Tyler said, and I shrugged.
"I have to go. I'll talk to you later…" I said, and after some hesitation, I gave Tyler a hug. He hugged me back.
I was planning on entering, but if I didn't make it I was going to stay. So, I was making the most of my time with my friends. I still studied, and at Beauxbatons, the Hogwarts students would take classes with the Beauxbaton Students, so I still had to keep up with my work.
At the end of September, there was a list up in the great hall, and if you were going to enter, you had to sign your name. There was a list of five names. I pulled out a quill and signed it before I could change my mind.
A/N: Ten Reviews, and I will give you a chapter next Saturday. Please review; I haven't gotten very many for the last two chapters.
