Mid July, 1976

Dear Marlene,

How are you? I'm well, though I miss you. I've got loads of summer homework since I'm taking N.E.W.T. classes next year. I'm sure you remember what that's like. All my O.W.L.s were good, all E's and O's except for History of Magic. That was bound to happen right? At least now I can drop it. I guess I must be boring discussing homework with you, but it's not like you're going to respond anyway. I've written you several letters already.

Lily hesitated, running her quill over her teeth before adding;

By several I mean twelve. I'm worried and have been checking the papers but I suppose if something was wrong it would be there. Did you see about those murders last week? It was horrible. Any killing is bad enough, but children? Sometimes I wonder how those people sleep at night. Anyway, I suppose my owl is just getting senile.

Hope you are well,

Lily

Lily looked at the letter for a moment before balling it up and throwing it in the corner. There was no point in writing Marlene again, especially with a demented owl. Lily turned to Opal, who was asleep with her grey head under her wing. She did look a bit old.

"I don't really think you're senile dear," Lily informed Opal, who ignored her completely. "Just try and find Marlene ok?"

Lily drew out a fresh piece of parchment and wrote only:

Dear Marlene,

Have you been getting my letters? I miss you and hope you are well. Please respond!

Lily

Opal rustled her feathers with annoyance and tried to bite Lily's hand when she tied the letter to her leg. She surveyed her with haughty amber eyes.

"You can wait until night if you're tired," Lily suggested. Opal blinked unfazed and took off out the open window. Lily watched her fly over the power lines, startling the flocks of black birds sitting on them. The sun had dyed the clouds pink and the heat as finally letting up. Lily rolled over on the bed and grabbed The Prophet, hoping maybe if she read it again it would mention Marlene this time. Lily could see the headline.

Brock Family on Holiday, Friends Frantic.

Lily smiled and put down the paper, listening to the sounds of the house. Somewhere water was running through the pipes and a phone was ringing. It had taken Lily a while to readjust to the odd noises of the muggle world. The castle seemed huge, empty and silent compared to this cramped, beeping house.

"Lily!" Petunia's shrill voice carried up the stairs. "Telephone!"

Lily jumped off the unmade bed and flew downstairs, tripping over boxes, her heart beating fast. Surely this was Marlene, calling to tell her she'd been away and never got my owls and still was my friend.

"Hello?" said Lily eagerly.

"Hey Lily, its Anne," said unfamiliar voice.

"Who?" Lily had momentarily forgotten that anyone but Marlene existed.

"Gee, it's only been a year. Anne Burns, your best friend since kindergarten…"

"Oh yeah, what do you want?" Lily demanded edgily. Marlene was my best friend.

"I was wondering if you'd like to do something tonight. Most people are out of town but I should have remembered that you never do anything."

"Oh, no thanks going out would mean doing something."

An hour later, however, Lily walking to Anne's house, wondering how she had been convinced so easily and what on earth she was going to talk about with this silly muggle girl. Anne was sitting on her porch looking exactly like Lily remembered her, save her slightly longer hair and legs. Anne greeted her and together they made their way down the street in the direction of the town. The air smelt sweet and floral and the sky was clear and opening before them. Lily wondered what it was like to have a simple life, going to muggle school, coming home to your parents every night, not being aware that somewhere people were dying at the hands of dark wizards. Lily was finding it hard to talk to someone so different, but Anne was providing most of the conversation. Lily was beginning to relax by the time they reached town.

"I missed you," Anne informed her, over the towering chocolate milkshake she had purchased from the local dinner. They had loved to come here as children, Lily remembered how the counter had once seemed larger and the kids who sat at it had once been terrifyingly tall. She could still hear the sound her leather shoes had made, a pleasant clicking as she skipped across the tiles. They'd be newer then.

"I did too," Lily admit, realizing for the first time that she had, a bit. They'd been inseparable for years, attached at the hip, people said. If Marlene now hated her, at least she had a muggle friend to talk to on holidays. Or she could drop out and go to school in a grey uniform with Anne. People would say "What happened to that Evans girl?" and people would shake their heads and whisper and someone would blurt out; "I hear she's bagging groceries at that place on the corner" and someone would shake their head and say what a shame it was, she had so much potential, look at her O.W.L.s. If only stupid Marlene would just write and tell her she was alive.

They took the long way home, watching the sun set over the ugly box like houses. Darkness was settling in and the buzzing in the trees was growing louder. Everything seemed at peace for once, the irregular sounds of the cars on the highway above and the clip-clopping of Anne's shoes were the only human noises for miles around.

As they walked through the bad end of the town, Anne looked nervously at the beer cans in the gutters and the mounds of rotting garbage that had been put out for collection that morning. Lily too walked a little faster, not afraid of muggles but remembering now that they weren't supposed to be out at dusk these days.

"Freeze!" said a voice.

Anne froze and Lily spun around. A scruffy looking man was standing in the shadows, looking at them with blood shot eyes.

"What do you want?" Lily said boldly. There was no answer; the man was reaching in his jacket, no doubt getting a gun. Lily pulled her wand out a second faster. In that same second, she realized it was no gun.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted, as he raised his wand.

"Stupefy!" he said, dodging her spell. Lily dove out of the way and the jet of red light hit Anne, who was still frozen in place, her mouth open. Lily paused to watch Anne's eyes roll up in her sockets and her body fall.

"Expelliarmus," Lily said again, causing his wand to fly out of his grip and into the bushes. Rather than try and retrieve it, he came at her, his hands in fists.

"Stupefy! Stupefy!" Lily said, but he dodged both times and Lily retreated. "Petrificus totalus!" She shouted. It hit his arm, but was nevertheless effective. Lily didn't look back at him as she ran to Anne's side and said softly. "Ennervate."

Anne's eyes flew open and she looked around fearfully.

"Oh god, did I fall asleep? I had the weirdest dream, I-" she stopped, looking from Lily's wand to the petrified body beside her. "I'm still dreaming," she said, her voice rising with panic. "Someone pinch me."

"Don't be afraid, but we have to move quickly, I need to get home so I can send a message," Lily said, offering her a hand up.

"Get away, don't touch me!" Anne backed away from her on the sidewalk.

"Anne-" Lily said gently, coming closer

"Get back!" Anne was up and running. Her back disappeared into the night. Felling lost, Lily followed her. She had come to a railroad bridge when she heard a familiar noise in the trees.

"Opal?" Lily called softly. There was a rustling of feathers and my owl flew towards her, a letter clutched in her talons. Lily's mind returned to Marlene, who for once had been forgotten. To her disappointment, it was not a reply but her own undelivered letter. Digging in her bag, Lily produced a quill and ink and scribbled a letter to Dumbledore, knowing he would be interested in what happened. No doubt ministry officials would be there any minute already. Her palms sweaty, she returned home.

There two of cloaked men on the porch waiting for her. Her family too was outside, looking nervous. Petunia kept glancing to the neighbor's houses, fearful that they were watching.

"What's going on?" Lily said, looking from her sobbing mother to the stern men beside her.

"You're under arrest," said her mum tearfully. "There must be some mistake…"

"I was attacked," Lily explained breathlessly, wondering if they believed her. "I can prove it; the man who attacked me is over there paralyzed!"

The ministry officials and her parents followed her down the street, under the bridge and around the corner. Her stomach turned. There was nothing, far as the eye could see, but empty sidewalk.

"I swear, I left him here!" Lily said frantically, wondering if she had gone mad.

"You're still going to have to come with us," said one of the men, moving towards her.

"Now, now, not so fast," Lily looked around to see none other than Professor McGonagall heading towards us. "Professor Dumbledore sent me," she explained to the men, then she had Lily recount what had happened.

"Were you alone?"

Lily paused, it was hard to get used to seeing McGonagall outside of school. That, paired with seeing the cloaked officials standing on a muggle street beside her parents was making the whole situation feel very unreal.

"No, my friend Anne was here, but she ran off..."

"A muggle?" asked the Professor. Lily nodded. "Take me to her house."

Once at Anne's house, the ministry officials banged on the door and Anne's eyes appeared and the window. She shrieked and the men opened the door.

"Get out!" she cried. "That door was locked."

It took a few minutes to convince her to sit down and talk, and when she did she was shaking head to toe. Lily didn't listen to them question her, but rather was questioned by professor McGonagall about what the man looked like and on details of her story. She looked flustered but also as though she believed her.

One of the officials approached them, looking as emotionless as ever.

"Your stories match up, you're free to go," he said gruffly.

"What will happen to Anne?" Lily said, looking at her now limp body.

"We'll be wiping her memory in a moment; she won't remember any of this ever happened." Lily nodded, that was common procedure she supposed, but all the same she had secretly hoped Anne would eventually accept the truth like her parents had.

"My memory? What are you going to do to me?" Anne was shaking again as the official's lifted their wands.

Lily walked home in silence, her parents looking at her fearfully. Her mum's faced was still streaked with tears and her eyes were as blood shot as Lily's attacker's. Her father was avoiding her eyes but thankfully not speaking. Lily found her room silent and empty, Opal hadn't returned so she was left to push her thoughts around in her head by herself, not that anyone would respond if she wrote to them.

It wasn't the attack that surprised her, random killings were becoming common these days; it was getting harder and harder to find someone who hadn't lost someone. Lily herself had watched her favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher being tortured and killed by Death Eaters her fourth year. It wasn't a pleasant memory, but then it wasn't unusual either.

No, what Lily was surprised about was how he hadn't just attacked out right. She was a good enough witch for her age, but having completely only five years at Hogwarts, she ought to have been killed instantly when faced with a grown wizard. In truth, he had warned us he was there by shouting freeze, rather than sneak up from behind. Either he lacked skill in fighting, or he hadn't meant to kill them at all. Confused and restless, Lily lay on her bed in the darkness, sleep a million miles away.