HARRY POTTER AND THE LAST LINE OF SLYTHERIN

Chapter 4: Late OWLS

Lily woke up with a splitting headache. "Hello gorgeous. Nice to see you're finally getting over your hangover." Lily moaned pitifully, adjusting her eyes to the morning sunlight so she may see the dolt who seemed quite amused over her pathetic state. "You're lucky that we're underage, dear brother, otherwise. I would've hexed you a million times by now." The obnoxious blond chuckled at his sister's usual grumpiness and brought out the breakfast tray that Mrs. Weasley gave. Although he enjoyed bigger company, it was nice to sit and have breakfast with his sister quietly like old times. It gave them time to connect with one another and sort out their problems. Like the problem she had yesterday.

"So, mind telling me why you got yourself drunk last night?" he asked casually as he ate her portion of the breakfast. She chewed the piece of pancake he forked for her and tried to get her mind sorted. Her dark brows furrowed as she remembered how attracted she felt towards Harry and how jealous she was when he looked at Ginny only. She thought to diminish the feeling by downing the strong shot she grabbed from a hovering tray. Whatever happened after that…?

"You sung tremendously well for an ogre and grew quite the armpit hair! I couldn't stop laughing at you." James fondly recalled causing a horrified look on Lily's face to appear. "What happened at the wedding James?" she asked anxiously.

"What else happens at weddings? The couple gets married, though in this case there were two, so they both got married and then they kissed and —"

"YOU KNOW THAT"S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" By then she was breathing fire and her twin proceeded to tell her about the four glasses of firewhiskey, the Weasley twins and the Schneider girl song she sang for the audience. When James had finished, the look of horror on Lily's face was unsurpassed. She covered her face and bemoaned her embarrassment of the situation. "I grew armpit hair?" she cried. James nodded as solemnly as he could, though he couldn't stop smirking. "I AM GOING TO MURDER THOSE WEASEL WARTS!" she screamed.

Like a bandit queen, she charged downstairs, in her pyjamas and all, only to be surprised yet again by the twins. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY AND JAMES!" the crowd shouted as the Weasleys' famous Filibuster fireworks — improved version, burst before them. Now, magic dust would pop out of the fireworks and make the birthday twins see strange fantasies. James leered at his vision and made a grab for it, accidentally knocking Lily downstairs. She tumbled down but was still grinning like a fool when she sat up. Everyone laughed heartily, while Mrs. Weasley scolded the Weasley twins for yet again "pestering the poor girl, even on her birthday".

After the Randhulphus twins recovered from their fantasies (much to James' dismay), the entire Order gathered around the boy and the girl to sing 'Happy Birthday'. Lily's eyes were as big as saucers when she saw Mrs. Weasley bringing forth the cake. It was one of famous double chocolate fudge decorated with coloured icing in the shape of the twins' faces. Lily glanced nervously at her brother, but Jamie, being the pig he was and taking what life gave him, blew out the candles and cut a piece and fed to his sister. Flying cameras clicked to record the joyous celebration. Throughout the entire evening, they danced and made merry though Lily chose the opportunity not to drink.

When Mrs. Weasley's strange clock stuck all its hands to 'sleep', she shooed them all to bed, even the twins, though they were already eighteen. After they changed into their pyjamas, they all sat down again in Ron's room and joked about the past events. Lily entered and all went silent as all pairs of eyes stared at her. Shyly she said, "I really don't know how to thank you. This is-James and I- we never ever had a birthday like this much less a cake. Thank you." She gave a thin smile and before anyone could say anything, she left the room.

"Honestly, James, what is up with your sister? She's so…uptight and all. Needs to loosen up a bit, mate." Fred commented as he finished his butterbeer. "Yes, really James! I can't talk to her without seeing the back of her face a second later. Is there something wrong with her?" James just shrugged fiddling with Harry's snitch, which was trying to run away. "She's not used to company." "Why? You lived with at least forty other orphans! Why wouldn't she be?" Now everyone was nodding their heads just as curious as Ginny. All of a sudden, Harry's snitch broke free of James' grip, and swerved over Ginny and Hermione. "Watch it!" Fred warned. "Ooops. Sorry there mate. Hmm…about Lily…I'm not sure, but I guess I'll talk to her. Excuse me for a moment."

As he left Ron's room, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys couldn't help but think that there was something about the twins they didn't like one bit.

Harry yawned as he trudged downstairs for breakfast. It had been a late night, for the group kept talking about their plans for Hogwarts until Mrs. Weasley threatened to make them de-gnome the garden in the morning. "But Mr. Lupin," Harry heard Lily say, "How will we be able to pass these …OWLs? Ms. Vance rarely let us do practical magic and it's been almost a year since we've done or read anything magical." Harry saw both James and Lily dressed in robes and ready to go somewhere. He nudged James and asked, "What's going on? You're doing OWLs already?" James nodded, intently listening with a serious expression for the first time. "Yeah, we got called to Hogwarts to give our OWLs, since we were already supposed to have in our fifth year but didn't because we never attended." He said with slight annoyance.

"That's kind of weird. Why weren't you allowed to attend?" James slowly shrugged. "Beats me…" Lily turned away from Professor Lupin and gave an exasperated sigh (much like Hermione). "This is absolutely ridiculous. Because we're underage wizards we aren't even allowed to practice our magic!" "Under normal circumstances they might have, but with Dumbledore gone and it being such a bad time with the Second Wizarding War going on…" Lupin shrugged, shoving his books back in his suitcase. "I will escort you to Headmistress McGonagall's office and then Moody will bring you back. Ready to floo?" he slipped the corny joke which none of them paid any heed to. Harry noticed a slight aloofness between the brother and sister. Had they had a row last night? He watched as the Randhulphus twins slipped into the fireplace and became engulfed in the green flames. He kept staring until Mrs. Weasley called him and the others for breakfast.

As both Lily and James recovered from the floo travel, which they still haven't gotten used to yet, Lupin went up to a large desk, said a few words and left with a curt nod to the twins. Lily didn't bother to take the hand that Jamie offered and he grudgingly shoved them in his pockets, annoyed at his sister's stubbornness over that stupid fight they had about her weird behaviour with their hosts.

The twins walked timidly towards the shadowed desk observing the office around them. It was quite medieval, the stone structure like a castle with moving paintings of principals in the past. "Is it another mudblood coming to Hogwarts Headmaster?" one painting was bold enough to say. "That's quite enough Phineas." Said a calm voice from behind the desk. Lily and James peered into the shadows and saw an old woman with a tall black hat scribbling over a piece of parchment. When she finished signing the parchment, she eyed the two twins from behind her glasses. "I trust that you had a tolerable journey?"

Lily nodded unsurely while her brother continued to scrutinize her with his green eyes. The headmistress tipped her head in approval. "Good, then we may begin right away on your OWL examination. What's that you ask? It's your Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Usually it's tested by more professionals but due to the circumstances," she paused and looked forlornly out the window at a lake." We must do it this way. Now, if you don't mind. We will begin with Transfiguration. I trust that Ms. Vance has taught you at least the elements of transfiguring a match stick to a mouse…?" And on they went to test their skill relying solely on the wands that she handed them to deal with for the day and their intuitions.

McGonagall frowned sceptically over her reports and marks from the tests that the twins had done. Strangely enough, both had done well in Transfiguration, extremely good in Charms though Lily had seemed clumsier at it than James who seemed to look bored while taking a two ton axe fly all over the place. At Defence Against the Dark Arts, Lily was more apt as if she relished the thought of vanquishing the Boggart while James was always hesitant and needed to try at least once more before performing the spell correctly.

McGonagall hadn't tested them upon Care of Magical Creatures and she would certainly have hexed the witch or wizard if they had asked her to test them upon Divination. Right now, they were sent to the Dungeon to complete their Potions examination. Though she still mistrusted Snape, she had to follow the orders that he had left behind. She looked to her left at the old cupboard where Dumbledore's Pensieve was hidden and heaved a sigh. If only you were here

Almost at once, she returned to order, put on her glasses and furiously began scratching her quill on the parchments that were to be sent to several wizarding parents in order to convince them to send children to still come to school.

Lily and James walked silently out of the dungeon. Neither of them had spoken much the entire day. Quite odd considering that they were inseparable before. However, their results during the Potions examination left them at odds. Snape had congratulated Lily for completing the task of concocting a brilliant Love potion (I forgot what potion they exactly brewed for OWLs) while for James, he simply sneered and made snide remarks about the strange odour that his bubbling purple Love potion gave off. It was obvious that James didn't like him and Lily disagreed, though she wouldn't admit it.

"Just say that you think the bloody lout is the greatest." He scoffed. Lily shrugged. "If you say so. Least he seemed to appreciate me." James shook his head, a little disgusted by how high and mighty his sister became after being accepted to Hogwarts. He noted this as he walked around sullenly remarking the castle.

When they returned to the Burrow and were asked how the late OWLs went, James grinned and said how Professor Snape and Lily would be getting along fabulously during the year. The remark gained her some questioning looks which she answered by quietly walking back to her room and staying there for the rest of the day. For the next few days, none of the teens bothered talking to her.