Hi guys,
thank you for your patience. I know I promised to upload the next chapter already in July, but due to exams and all the workload it was just not possible.
Also I want to thank you for all the likes, subscriptions and favourites. You guys are awesome.
To avoid further fooling around, here is the next part.
Chapter 6: The paths diverge
The seeds of the past are the fruits of the future. - Buddha
13 October 1985 Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland, Europe
Tension. Restlessness. For over a year now, the hunt had been lingering in the forest outside the school gates. Always careful not to be discovered. Always the protection of their mistress as the highest commandment and duty in mind. So far, they had not been discovered.
But there were several situations in which they were almost discovered. This worried them all. They knew they would have to return back to the states sooner or later. The monsters there would not cease to exist just because they were in Europe. Quite the opposite. And yet something held them back. A force that made it clear to them, subconsciously and without words or signs, that their work here was not yet done.
The ways and intentions of the Moirai puzzled them. What were they supposed to wait for? Several times Zoë had asked them all to be on the lookout for a sign. So far, to no avail.
But then one cold but clear day in mid-October they realized what their task was here. Their time to watch over their mistress was over. Their task was done. Because that was the day, they recruited Lyra Lupin.
Their day had started as usual and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Ananke's brood had learned very early to tolerate the merciless, two-legged hunters in their territory and leave them in peace. They had developed a routine over the year as far as hunting, keeping watch, and their other duties were concerned. It was already early evening when those stationed on lookout spotted two people rapidly approaching the edge of the forest.
The two subjects, a boy with a scarred face of about 13-14 years old and a girl of about 12-13 years old were involved in a heated argument.
Amy and Daphne, the two who had been keeping watch, quietly and inconspicuously stalked the arguing couple. While Layla stole back as quietly as she could to inform the others.
"Lyra, I love you, but please be reasonable. I am a monster..."
"No Remus, now you listen to me. You're my brother. Bite or no bite I'm not going to abandon you just because you turn into a monster once a month."
"You don't understand. You're all I have left...I don't want to lose you too after
everything that's happened... I made a promise to mom... "
"I understand that, and I think it's really sweet of you to take care of me big brother. But how are you going to protect me and why are we talking here and not in the
common room with the others? And why do you keep sniffing around? Is there something wrong? What's wrong Remus?"
The hunters froze. Even at the word monster, their hands had slid to their weapons. And what was it about sniffing and biting? A dark foreboding spread through them. Had they already encountered Lycaon and his pack in human and furry form a time or two. Nevertheless, they hoped that their fears would turn out not to be true.
"It's all right Lyra. Don't you worry about a thing. The people I want to meet and who I hope will take care of you are here waiting in the shade of the trees."
"Remus John Lupin, you shut up now. You can't just decide over my head. Just because Dad is gone and Mom is seriously ill, you can't just decide for me. And who are these ominous benefactors? Nobody helps a stranger for a favor. And what about my friends at the castle?"
She was about to rant on with her brother, getting further and further into her tirade, when a wolfish growl escaped the boy.
"Enough…. that's enough. The group I want to entrust your well-being to are all girls. Who they are and what they stand for is best explained to you by themselves. You can come out now, Huntresses."
Still in shock at the evening's developments, the Hunters stepped out from behind the trees in the lead. Still agitated, Zoë opened her mouth, but the boy stepped forward and bowed to her.
"Greetings Huntresses, my name is Remus Lupin. I ask you, no I beg you please take care of my sister and protect her. She is all I have left... "
"Silence boy, although your intentions seem honourable you are not the important person here."
Remus fell silent and nodded mutely. He knew that he was not to be trifled with these young women, if he was to believe the stories of his "fellows".
Lyra looked at the armed girls who had emerged from the shadows from wide, fear- filled eyes.
"Don't be afraid little one, we would never hurt you. It would go against everything we stand for. My name is Zoë Nightshade, leader of the Hunters of Artemis."
She turned to Remus
"You, boy, speak: how do you know who we are, and how did you know we were here? Does anyone else know of our presence? Speak quickly, dare not lie, or you will be punished"
Remus swallowed and lifted his gaze, looking into the eyes of the young woman with the silver tiara.
"Alright Huntress, I caught your scent when my year and I were at the lake. That was last year. I've been noticing it ever since. Over summer break, I questioned others about this unusual smell. They began to tremble and tell me of the merciless huntresses of the woods who hunt us when we pose a threat. Werewolves have heightened senses in smell and sight at night due to the curse. And no, I have not told anyone of your presence, this is a matter between hunters."
The bitter undertone with which he had described his heightened senses was not lost on Pheobe. That and the fact that he saw himself as a monster and wanted his sister to be safe from the monster, foreboded evil.
"One last question boy. Then you shut up for the rest of the conversation. Were you involuntarily bitten?"
Remus tensed noticeably but did not lower his head. He knew why he was one of those creatures and he would do it again.
"Yes, yes I am Huntress, our father had insulted the leader of the pack living here, Fenrir Greyback. I hadn't been his actual target though he had taken it out on my little sister."
"I'm not little. " Grumbled Lyra, still finding it sweet on one hand from her big brother
that he cared about her and always wanted to protect her. But on the other hand, guilt flooded through her. Guilt that her big brother, her role model, had succumbed to the wolf's curse because she had been careless during the full moon.
"Apart. I had realized too late that he was around and the only thing I could do to
protect her was to push her out of the way so that I became the victim. A thing I have
never regretted to this day."
Looking into the faces of the hunters, he could perceive bewilderment and a hint of respect and recognition. It was Zoë who finally broke the silence with a glance at the nodding Atalanta:
"Alright Lupin, we won't attack you unless you do something to incur our wrath."
She turned to the now trembling Lyra
"Lyra, as I just said, my name is Zoë Nightshade, Lieutenant of the Goddess Artemis, protector and patron of all young girls and women, and Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt. My sisters and I would invite you to come with us and become part of our sisterhood. To return to your question to your brother, you are right, there is a cost to joining us, but I have never regretted it in my 3000 years. "
"Three thousand years?! And what was that about the goddess Artemis? Are the gods really real and not just stories?" it burst out of Lyra, her uncertainty and fear blown away; one look at her brother, however, seemed to make it clear that this was no joke.
"Indeed. The gods are real. We are Lady Artemis' servants and loyal retainers. Some of us have been with her since the time of the ancient heroes. The price we paid was the oath of renouncing the company of men. A fact your brother seems well aware of. If you are unsure of your decision, there are two of us in our retinue that we have only recently joined by our standards. If you wish, you may speak with them about your possible new life to clear up any uncertainties. We are not forcing you to join us but would love for you to join us. But be warned, before you join us, we consider our oath the most sacred and important thing in our lives."
Lyra now looked stunned at her brother. He had put his life on the line, it seemed, just so she could have a better, carefree life. The voice of reason in the back of her mind made it clear to her what would have happened if he had approached the hunters alone. She had to choose between her brother and his enduring concerns for her or joining this group. Her brother even wanted her to join them, afraid of herself. She definitely didn't want to disappoint her brother but never seeing him again, not saying goodbye to her mother and her friends and Lily...It wasn't an easy decision.
She had a few more questions, she hoped they would give her the clarity she needed to make a decision.
"Before I answer you Zoë, I have one or two minor questions. Why me? Why don't you ask Remus' best friend Lily Evans, she's the best in his year? And provided I take the oath and join you and your mistress would I ever see my brother again? He has been my rock these past few years through all the troubles our family has faced. I would hate to never see him again he is still my role model in his decisions. That he sought you out at the risk of his own life just to give me a better future makes that clear. Would I be able to say goodbye to my mother one last time? What about my things in the castle? Could I say goodbye to my friends and classmates in any way?"
At the mention of Lily Evans, the hunters tensed noticeably and on Zoë's face, Lyra could see a cloud of pain and sadness for a moment.
"We invite you because we are talking to you right now. If your brother hadn't brought you here and started the ball rolling, we would have only approached you if you were alone at the edge of the forest. Why we didn't approach A…Lily is for other reasons.
Reasons you will learn should you join us. Unless your brother moves to the States one day, it'll be hard to see him again. You have to understand that even for us, this territory is very dangerous. Even in the States, you would have to present your request to Lady Artemis, and she would decide. You would then have sworn off the company of men, even your brother's."
She raised her hand not to be interrupted, for Lyra had already opened her mouth.
"Whereas visiting relatives who are still alive is rarely refused. We would give you the opportunity for you to say goodbye to your mother, for you would be a part of our family and we would do almost anything for each other. Your personal belongings one of us would go with you to get, because saying goodbye to the old life is hard, I have seen it many times. If you want, I'll even go with you. The only thing we can allow you to do is leave a letter for all your friends explaining the situation vaguely. You must know, Lord Zeus has made a law that only direct relatives or guardians can know about the existence of the gods. When your friends have read the letter, they will accept it and will not ask any more questions. For though we are not fond of boys, I see that your brother loves you more than his own life to help you. He knows what he is and is trying to protect you, especially from himself. That is something we respect too, despite his...being…I hope I was able to help you in your decision, a
situation like yours has rarely happened before and I can see how it is tearing you apart. Take your time and think carefully."
For several minutes it became silent. Only the sounds of the forest and the night could be heard. Lyra had sat down on a nearby tree stump and was thinking hard. She looked into the eyes of her brother, her idol. He nodded at her in encouragement and affirmation. And yet she could already see in his eyes the pain of parting. The decision had been made. She rose and strode towards the group, her eyes fixed on the hunters.
"I have made my decision. I want to join you and your sisterhood. What do I have to do?"
A smile spread across the faces of the young girls and women. One of them, who had been standing next to the leader, stepped forward.
"I am pleased with your decision. My name is Pheobe. Third of Command. Repeat after me:
"I consecrate myself to the goddess Artemis." "I consecrate myself to the goddess Artemis."
"I renounce the company of men, take upon myself eternal virginity, and join the hunt."
"I renounce the company of men, take upon myself eternal virginity, and join the hunt."
A silver glow enveloped Lyra and in the darkness, she seemed to glow silver. Remus had tears in his eyes but nodded and stepped towards his sister.
"The Mistress has accepted your oath, welcome to the Sisterhood young Lyra. Remember your oath, it is your life now."
Lyra for her part threw herself into her brother's arms and sobbed. Had she made the right decision, but a painful one. The siblings held each other in a tight hug, rocking back and forth as the tears flowed. The hunters gave them both the privacy they needed, some of them understanding what it was like to say goodbye to their siblings forever. For several minutes, no one said a word until brother and sister broke away from each other. Remus, though still with reddened eyes and tear stained cheeks finally broke the silence that had fallen:
"Provided you allow it I would escort and guide you up to the castle, I know several shortcuts and less used corridors that will save you from being discovered."
He earned an approving nod, whereupon the company of two hunters and a werewolf set off up to the castle. Always careful to avoid Filch, the caretaker and his cat. They arrived without trouble and in no time at all at the common room, which was deserted. Lyra and Zoë turned to the spiral staircase to the left and disappeared towards the girls' dormitory. Lyra hurried, though she made sure to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake her former roommates and gathered her things.
Zoë, for her part, was extremely distracted, her mind a few rooms away from her wife. A fierce battle raged inside her, intensified when she realized that Lyra would need a moment to finish gathering her things and write the letter. Temptation won out over reason, and so she stole into the fourth-grade dormitory. She recognized directly upon entering which bed was that of her Artemis. Quietly, heart pounding, she crept to the headboard and pulled aside the curtains of the four-poster bed. There, asleep, lay her, her Artemis. Her anchor, her everything. Before she knew what was happening to her, the Demi-Titan pressed a fleeting kiss to the sleeping woman's forehead, and after a moment's hesitation, to her mouth as well. The sleeper twitched briefly but immediately relaxed again and a smile spread across her face.
"Sleep well and dream sweetly my moonshine" she whispered lovingly and with one last look she pulled the curtains closed and headed back to Lyra who had just finished. Together they carried the suitcase to the common room where the werewolf was still waiting for them. Lyra had left the letter on her nightstand so it would be found. In it, she explained that she was leaving Hogwarts to begin an apprenticeship with a family acquaintance. She cited her family's growing money problems and concern that neither of them would be able to pay for both of their educations as the reason for her spontaneous dropout from Hogwarts. The apprenticeship however was only possible because her Master only accepted female apprentices and Remus would be staying at Hogwarts. Zoë concentrated for a moment on the letter that flashed silver for a moment. In the common room, she explained to her that this ensured that the existence of the gods would remain secret. Remus, who had been silent until then, shifted his gaze to the Huntress before him.
"I thank you Huntress, for all you have done, are doing, and will do for Lyra. Please protect my sister and make sure she is always well, Zoë Nightshade. You and your sisters, take good care of my sister and comfort her when the moment comes to say goodbye. May your arrows always hit their target and your senses always be sharp" Remus spoke and held out his hand to her, which she shook after a moment's hesitation
"You have a good character young wolf. Keep it and you'll probably be the first man the hunters will tolerate. And maybe if you keep it up, there's hope for men in this world yet."
One last time brother and sister embraced each other and swayed back and forth. Remus gave Lyra a kiss on the forehead and nodded to her. And with that, the two hunters stole out of the lions' common room, leaving the young werewolf behind. For Lyra Lupin, a new chapter of her life began.
June 3, 1987. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland, Europe.
The events of last week had spread through the school like wildfire. Every student no matter if they were first years or seventh years knew that Severus Snape had called Lily Evans a Mudblood and had trampled on the friendship that had previously prevailed. Lily Evans, the student who helped every student no matter what house.
Half the school was in such an uproar that the teachers eventually had to intervene several times to stop angry mobs of young girls. But also, the revenge actions of the friends around James Potter increased in unimagined proportions. Still, the Slytherin boy couldn't seem to wrap his head around the fact that he had missed his chance with Lily Evans and destroyed it. For six days he had practically been running after the young witch, begging, and pleading over and over again to be heard and given another chance. But said Gryffindor rigorously ignored him, even at Slug Club meetings and gatherings she vehemently kept her distance and spoke to the others present.
Said redhead could hardly wait for the beginning of the summer holidays to finally escape from this nightmare. During this time, her friends were always by her side, trying to distract her. It got to the point where Marlene and Alice eventually invited her to Gryffindor Tower every night. The first night the young Hufflepuff entered the lions' cage, everyone stared at her. The perfects even fetched Professor McGonagall; they weren't comfortable with the thought of a house stranger being in their common room. However, the transfiguration teacher gave the action her blessing, Lily Evans, though she would never admit it was one of her favourites.
And so, the time of packing suitcases and the endless search for lost items rolled on. On the day of departure, even after five years, the fifth-grade girls' dormitory was in chaos. Calls for wanted socks, ties, and such items kept Lily on her toes, keeping her mind from wandering. She spent the train ride back, however, not with her friends, but with Ted and Andromeda and little Dora. In the company of the three of them, Lily forgot all her worries and dulling thoughts, her goddaughter was just too cute. And with a smile on her face and after many hugs, she entered the muggle world and on to her family.
September 14, 1989. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland, Europe.
The summer holidays that followed her fifth year at Hogwarts were once again a test of nerves for the young witch. But not because she was waiting for news from her friends and wanted to know what there was to report, or because Petunia had now become even more dismissive and increasingly cold, and her tone was getting rougher. No, the reason for Lily's renewed running up and down the garden at Cokeworth was the unbearably long wait for the results of the O.W.L.s. These would decide her future school career and her possible careers in various professions.
Although she was very sure that she had done quite well in the examinations and had definitely delivered her best possible result, she could not suppress a certain uneasiness. After all, it was about her future. At the beginning of August, the time had finally come. After her parents had already had to call her to order several times and had threatened to ground her and ban her from owls several times, the letter Lily had so longed for arrived. It was a glorious summer day the sun was shining brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky. The family had just risen from the breakfast table when a brown, highly official-looking barn owl swooped in through the open garden door. Lily let out a lacy shout. The owl, however, was not fazed by the teenager's sudden burst of emotion and sailed unerringly towards the chair at the head of the table. She folded her wings carefully and then proudly stuck out her chest. The young witch stepped towards the animal with cautious steps. The owl stretched out its leg gracefully, to which a thick letter of the finest parchment was tied. With trembling hands, Lily untied the fastening on her leg and accepted her letter.
Even Petunia, who threw nasty and derogatory comments at Lily at every opportunity, was silent. Your owl gave the redhead one last look, spread her wings, and flew away out the door. Her hands were shaking so badly that finally her father had to open the letter. Her mother escorted her to the kitchen chair, where Lily sat down, still nervous as an animal. She pulled out the folded letter with her findings and unfolded it. A dead silence fell, none of the Evans family members present said a word and everyone held their breath. A scream. A cry of joy broke through the silence, causing father, mother, and sister to flinch violently. Lily jumped to her feet.
The chair tipped backwards with a bang, and she rushed towards her mother, father, and sister too, pulling them into a fierce hug.
"Judging by your happy dance, it went very well?" asked her father, smiling.
"More than that, I have top grades everywhere except in History of Magic. There I only have an E+, but that's the second-best grade from so I'm extremely satisfied."
Beamed Lily at her family
"Good, then you can stop driving us all crazy. That was extremely tiring. Just for your magic grades there." Poisoned Petunia, feeling left out once again.
"Petunia, dear, that's enough. Every chance you get, you turn on your sister. That's enough. I don't like it you used to be best friends and could hardly be separated. Now all you do is bad mouthing her. Why?" her mother asked with a sigh.
"It's all your fault. Ever since that nasty letter came, it's been Lily this, Lily that. Aren't I your daughter too? At least I'm normal and don't have to go to that freak school to learn magic tricks! Don't you see that she has cursed you to forget me?!" Petunia bawled, fighting tears.
"Honey, you know that's not true. Your father and I love you just as much as we love your little sister. All three of us were equally excited about your grades when you brought them home at the beginning of the holidays. You're twisting the truth. We didn't favour you or Lily," Rose spoke softly.
"That's not true. You're lying. I've had enough of this. I'm going out. At least there I can meet normal people and not freaks and parents who aren't bewitched." And that last outburst and still in tears she left the three of them in the kitchen. Both mother and daughter cupped their hands in front of their mouths, letting the tears run free, while the father wrapped his arms around both of them, placating and reassuring. But his face also clearly showed the pain they all felt.
The rest of the holiday season was extremely tense for the Evans family, none of them having forgotten Petunia's words, although they tried to consider the matter forgotten. Lily was therefore especially glad when she started her sixth year at Hogwarts on the first of September, and the tensions between her and her big sister would hopefully come to a halt. She said goodbye to her parents with a hug and tried the same with Petunia, who relented after some hesitation.
Arriving at the Hogwarts Express, she looked for her friends, but first bumped into James Potter. She smiled briefly and was about to walk past when he gently but firmly held her back
"Hey Evans, you I was wondering if we could go to the village together at Hogsmeade weekend?"
"The answer Potter is no"
With those words, she strode down the hall, still dragging the suitcase behind her. She ignored his calls as to why. She had arrived just before the others' compartment when she was stopped again. However, not as gently as James, eh Potter. She turned around and there stood Severus, a smile on his face. However, she didn't feel like smiling at that smile, the good mood she had been in for a few moments evaporated immediately.
"WHAT do you want, boy?"
"Hello Lily, I was wondering if we could talk for a moment. I'm begging you please give me a chance to explain myself, I..."
"What didn't you understand about my statement that I never want anything to do with you again, BOY?! YOU HAD HUNDREDS OF CHANCES; YOU LOST THEM ALL: I'M DONE WITH YOU." with these angry ones she jerked her shoulder free from Snape's grasp and stalked into her friends' compartment
"BOYS, terrible. Don't they have any brains. Or do they just not want to listen?! I was in such a good mood until just now!" Lily groaned in frustration.
"Oh boy, Lily, what's happened now?" came from Alice.
"Was that Snivellus? What did he want?" asked Olivia and Amelia at the same time, looking at each other with amusement "If you're always this uptight you'll die an eternal virgin. Don't forget Potter is interested in you and he's not bad looking. He's got that Quidditch look. Say what you want, but you're into him. " Marlene giggled with waggling eyebrows.
"What you see again, Marlene. I'm definitely not interested in James. He's a bully who puts others down to make himself feel better. Just because he might be good looking doesn't mean I'd throw myself at him. He..."
"Wait a minute" Marlene raised her hands wildly gesturing for time out. "The fact that you just called him James and not Potter makes a lot clear" she grinned widely, and it got even wider as a hint of red crept onto her friend's cheeks
"Shut up Marlene, that's easy for you to say. The way you're always staring at Black's ass. Or generally pining after him with dreamy eyes." Now it was Marlene's turn to blush, whereupon renewed laughter rang through the compartment.
Amelia, however, had noticed something:
"Wait a minute, by saying you're good to talk, you're actually saying. Yeah, I totally dig him, if he wasn't such a bully and a good-for-nothing. Did I hear that right, Lily?"
"I um...I...NO, you completely misunderstood me. And what about you and..."
Time passed quickly as everyone in the compartment got their comeuppance and many a truth came to light. For example, it was revealed that Alice was pining after Frank Longbottom, that Olivia was head over heels for an extremely silent Hufflepuff named Erwin. Amelia didn't want to reveal her object of desire, Sally was apparently into older men. Before they knew it, the announcement rang out that they would be arriving at Hogsmeade station in just a few minutes and should therefore change. In good spirits and chatting happily, they stepped onto the platform and turned towards the carriages which were moving by themselves.
Sally, however, faltered for a moment. Her face contorted into a sad and pained grimace. At Lily's questioning look, she told her that she would tell her later. But the depressed mood lifted again as Olivia began to sing one of the new muggle pop songs. Lily and Sally, who both knew the words roughly, joined in crookedly. They all sang along to the chorus at the top of their lungs, making them laugh over and over again and nearly falling out of the carriage by the end. The evening was saved, and the mood was relaxed again. The new school year could come.
And it came and went at a rapid pace. Apart from a few exciting events within the school, nothing else happened. The teachers tried to keep the school running as normally as possible, despite the increasingly frequent bad news. They tried to create a feeling of normality and security, but this was only deceptive to those who looked only once and not very closely. Because even they had worry lines on their foreheads more and more often and every student could see them whispering quietly to each other when the whole school was sitting at the table. But it was not only outside the castle that acts of violence and sick fantasies occurred again and again. Increasingly, Muggle natives were also being attacked in the corridors and if the school rumour mill was true, there had even been an attempted sexual assault or two. What made Lily so angry about the whole situation was mostly the fact that their headmaster, Albus bloody Dumbledore, did nothing about the acts. Instead of addressing the situation openly and setting stricter rules, all that was done was deduct house points and hand out punishment work. If the rumours were true, he gave them a speech about forgiveness, equality, and humanity, and gave the person a second chance, or in some cases, multiple chances. Absolute dragon crap in their eyes. Such acts should be warned once under the heaviest of conditions, and if repeated, punished with expulsion from school and handing over to the Aurors.
Attention: The following scene contains the depiction of abuse and violence against women, insinuation of rape.
I would also like to emphasize here that such acts of barbarism, neither are advocated nor supported. Any man who indulges in such urges is in my eyes a monster and should be punished with the severest possible penalties. He discredits his entire gender and is nothing more than a rabid animal, which belongs to one castrated and locked up.
Each of us men should treat a woman like a queen. We encounter three queens throughout our lives.
The one that gives birth to all of us, provides for and raises us;
The one who walks with us as friends/siblings or partners
And the one who gives us the greatest gift a man can ever receive. Our children.
So please, treat them as such,
Thank you
She was just on her way to the library to meet up with Sally to do Ancient Runes homework together when an obstacle appeared in front of her. Three Slytherins from her year, Snape's new circle of friends it seemed, were blocking her way. Jacob Travers, Connor Selwyn, and Kyle Mulciber were grinning in a wicked way. As they did so, they blatantly let their gazes roam over Lily's body. Since it was the weekend, the students weren't forced to wear their school robes. A disadvantage as it now turned out for the young witch. Lily shuddered under the gaze. An extremely uneasy feeling spread through her stomach. Still the three of them had not spoken a single word, but their mere manner made the Gryffindor extremely nervous.
"Well, well. Who do we have here?! The mudblood Evans, and all alone to the boot."
Selwyn let sickly sweet out
"Then the mudblood might as well make himself useful for once and lend a hand to his superior class" Travers agreed in a voice drenched with dark desire
Lily swallowed and tensed. She was perfectly aware of what these three wanted from her and would try to take by force if necessary. She clutched her wand tightly to defend herself.
"Get out of here Travers, I don't want anything to do with you and your cronies. I'm not afraid of you"
Travers stepped toward her while Selwyn moved to her left and Mulciber to her right. They all wore a face of dark lusting on their faces. Panic seized her. Her primal instincts awoke. Her adrenaline surged through her body, making her heart race. When the three boys had already moved close to her and Lily felt the breath of the two revenants in her ear and neck, she overcame her fear.
A scream. A piercing shrill cry of pain. A boy's scream broke through the silence of the corridor. Lying there on the floor, the Slytherin boy writhed and writhed with a pain-ravaged face.
Lily had put all her courage and all her strength into a juicy kick into the attacker's genitals. With resounding success, it seemed. So stunned by the redhead's reaction and resistance, it took the other two a moment to understand what had happened. Then with a mighty leap she jumped over the one crouching on the ground and tried to escape.
With their friend and crony still rolling on the floor of the corridor, they stared at the young witch for a moment. But then anger spread at the behaviour of the lowly witch in their eyes. How dare the mudblood bitch defy them, pureblood wizards.
Lily hadn't fled 10 steps when she was roughly grabbed by the shoulder and slammed against the nearest wall.
"How dare you, you little bitch?! You Slut should be honoured to serve purebloods like us. I'll teach you a lesson!" Mulciber roared and punched her in the face with all his might.
"You will obey us. Whether you like it or not." He laughed dirty and with a diabolical, dark laugh he raised his wand
"Imperio" was the last thing Lily heard before the world around her faded and she felt like there was a blanket over everything and it was warm and comfortable. She heard Mulciber's voice speak to her...
"Satisfy me"
"Satisfy me, you were meant to"
But as the voice spoke resistance stirred within her
"NO, this is wrong. I don't want that" her voice spoke softly and meekly
"But you will" with considerably more emphasis...
"NO, I don't want to" but also the voice that advised her not to was getting louder and firmer
"Satisfy me. Go ahead and do it, On your knees you dirty little mudblood!"
"NO! NO, I WON'T!"
"YOU have no choice, do it now. DO IT"
"I said NO" the last word Lily yelled out at the top of her lungs.
The boy who had been standing lustily before her only a moment before flinched and backed away, stammering
"YOU...YOU...YOU...YOU just...this can't be. No one fight me off. I will have you..."
But he was not to finish his sentence, for several voices shouted "STUPOR" at the same time, and four flashes of red light struck the two Slytherins in the back. They slumped down.
Lily was trembling all over. The danger was over. Her legs gave way and she found herself on the ground at the feet of her attacker. Her vision blurred and tears rolled down her usually cheerful face. A hand gently but firmly placed itself on her shoulder. She cried out, tore herself away, and slid back against the wall.
"Lily?! Oh, my God, Lily? Are you okay? Are you okay? What happened?"
She recognized the voice. Potter no James. Had he saved her?
"Lily, did they do something to you? We'll make them pay!" raged another familiar voice. So Black was here too. If those two were here, then Remus and little Peter weren't far either.
She looked up. There they stood. Her four saviours. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, or Marauders as they had been calling themselves for some time. James held his hand out to her, a sad smile on his face. But his eyes spoke volumes. Naked, cold anger she could see.
"Moony" he spoke without taking his eyes off Lily.
"Run and get Professor McGonagall. We can't let these assholes get away with this."
Remus nodded and took off. Lily swallowed and once again tears ran down her face. A hand appeared in front of her face. She swallowed again, but nodded and grabbed James hand, who gently pulled her up and into a hug. She tensed immediately, yet he cradled her gently until she relaxed.
Still embraced in the hug and sobbing, they found Professor McGonagall and Remus not 5 minutes later. The three Slytherins were still lying unconscious.
"Ms. Evans. What on earth happened here?"
"Mr. Potter, why are your classmates lying on the floor? Stunned by the looks of it? Care to explain?"
At this new torrent of words, Lily's dam broke again, and she began to sob unrestrainedly. She clung to the shoulder of the boy who had saved her. Then haltingly and with a violent hiccup she began:
"Pro...Profe...Professor McGonagall, I...I...I was on my way to the library to do m...my homework with...with Sally. The...the…three intercepted me here. They blocked my…way. And...And...And then...they kept coming closer...and getting touchy. "
A groan from one of the three Slytherins brought the stock narrative to an abrupt end. Mulciber, whose trousers were still undone, straightened up.
"WHERE is the mudblood. I'm going to do her till she can't hear or see. That little bitch is going to wish she'd obeyed me in the first place."
Lily flinched back and cowered. She started shaking again and the only thing that came out of her mouth was a "Please don't. Stop it."
James Potter stood protectively between her and the three boys. His gaze was fixed on his teacher, his head of house, who had turned chalk white. The look on her face was one of pure horror.
Minerva McGonagall, for her part, had thought until a few moments ago that it was merely a student who had been injured or that a prank played by the four childish teenagers that had gone a little overboard and awry. Now, however, her mind was racing. Three young men alone in the corridor with a young witch. All shocked and, in ' case, physically injured. A completely distraught young girl who cowered at the sight and voice. A girl who was otherwise so incredibly strong and would not be intimidated by anything or anyone. Not to mention the repulsive words of Mr. Mulciber. Such words were more than wrong. She closed her eyes for a moment to collect herself.
"Mr. Lupin, thank you so much for bringing this matter to my attention. Twenty points to Gryffindor.
Ms. Evans, did any of these young men touch you in any way or the like? Be assured that you will receive a severe punishment and will think twice about ever thinking of such thoughts again."
"Yes Professor, even though they didn't...touch me…in that sense, Mulciber punched
me in the face and...and…and...he…he...used the…the…the…Imperius Curse on me...He... wanted…he wanted me to satisfy him and touch him" Again the young witch burst into a crying fit
"You lie, you filthy mudblood. I did no such thing! Well, wait until…"
"You stay where you are MR. Mulciber. The way things are shaping up for me here, Ms. Evans is speaking the truth. After all, your pants are still unzipped…Despicable, vile behaviour. Make no mistake about it, I will inform the headmaster of this and report you to the Aurors. I have never encountered anything like this in all my time at Hogwarts...You will all follow me now. Don't argue," Professor McGonagall fumed.
Where they had smiled at the word headmaster, the word Aurors wiped the smiles off their faces in the blink of an eye. They froze in fear and turned pale as cheese. In an instant, their wands flew into the hand of the transfiguration teacher.
The stern Scottish Woman now turned to the four Gryffindor boys.
"You all did the right thing. I'm proud of you. Take all ten more points for Gryffindor. However, I would ask you to escort Ms. Evans to the hospital wing."
Before Professor McGonagall had even opened her mouth to address Lily, she had gathered her courage and addressed the teacher in turn:
"Professor, I know this is going to sound harsh, but...but...I don't think today, was the first time for these three. They...they seemed very organized…I had no chance of escaping from the start. How...How can we witches feel safe here at Hogwarts while animals like these...boys… running around?! I want them gone.!"
Professor McGonagall swallowed but nodded. As a witch, she understood all too well what this incident would mean for the castle and its female inhabitants. Even as Deputy Headmistress and Head of House, she supported the attitude, but she knew it would be hard to convince the headmaster that this punishment would be the right way to go. Not to mention that the parents of these students would probably bribe one person or another to spare their children the punishment.
"Ms. Evans, I understand your point of view and will do my best to ensure that everything humanly possible is done to ensure that the appropriate punishment is given. However, you should still go to the hospital wing, just as a precaution. If they ever need anything from me, do not hesitate. My door is always open for you" the teacher spoke, giving her student a warm, yet sad smile.
She turned and grabbed young Mulciber by the ear, dragging him towards the seventh floor. With a flick of her wand, the other two Slytherins were pushed in the same direction.
The Gryffindors could still hear their stern transfiguration teacher's upset voice for quite a while, until it grew quieter and quieter. Then without another word, the Gryffindors also went on their way.
The event spread like wildfire. Witches of various ages and house affiliations were henceforth encountered in groups. They were all more than concerned about what had happened and no one wanted to be a potential next victim. It was all the more reassuring to the witches when one evening meal the doors to the Great Hall were flung open and a group of red-clad witches and wizards burst in, taking the three accused with them. The cheers of the female castle residents echoed from the walls. The mood lifted immensely at that moment, only the headmaster looked deeply saddened. He was convinced that everyone deserved a second chance for reparation and rehabilitation, no matter what crime they had committed. The high spirits only lasted a good two days, however, as, grinning smugly, the three deportees entered the great hall around noon and took their places at their house table.
The ensuing surge of rage that erupted over several weeks was almost impossible to describe. And yet, it had two effects. First, for the first time in several decades, the houses, with the exception of the Slytherins, stood united. But even in the Serpent's Nest, there were those few who joined the rest of the school.
Another effect was that from now on Lily Evans was seen more and more often with the self-proclaimed Marauders. Although she still ignored James Potter's advances and turned down every invitation for a date, her tone towards the four boys had become much calmer and more relaxed, almost friendly. The school year continued on its course and nothing out of the ordinary happened for Lily. At least that was true within the castle.
Outside the walls of Hogwarts, the world began to darken more and more. Every third day, news appeared in the Daily Prophet about missing people or attacks on parts of the non-magical population. In some cases, those responsible now claimed responsibility for their actions, leaving behind a survivor who told true horror stories. These stories made stomachs turn and a few of the younger years, who had muggle relatives, had nightmares about it. Of the perpetrators, a surprising number were from the last graduating class of Hogwarts. Prominent names were Goyle, Crabbe but also Lestrange and Nott. The night the Prophet ran another article about the Lestrange's was particularly hard and difficult for Lily. The article reported on a particularly barbaric murder of a Muggle family. The names of the victims were Emely and John Crane and their children Julius and Charlie. They were survived by eight-year-old Amy, who was able to describe the perpetrators and the events to both the police and the Aurors. The main culprit, according to the Aurors, was young Bellatrix Lestrange born Black. The article described in detail how in an inhumane way the remaining family members had perished, and Lily threw the newspaper from her into the fireplace of the common room. Tears of grief and helplessness streamed down her face and without another word she rushed into her dormitory and threw herself onto her four-poster bed. There, behind the protection of the curtains, she could let her emotions run free and mourn the fate of her blood-sworn big sister, Bella. She hadn't heard from or about Bella in so long that she had begun to hope that the clever and cunning young woman had found a way to escape her fate. She cried herself to sleep, hoping it was all just a bad dream. But alas, this was no dream from which she could not awake, and so she withdrew more and more over the coming week. Her friends were perplexed and didn't know what had happened, but it dawned on them that it must have something to do with the newspaper article. However, they didn't want to press Lily, they all could feel the various emotions leeching of their friend so they decided but could all see how much the young redhead could use a partner to talk to. They decided to give her another week and then approach her in the shelter of the dormitory and be there for her. Because what else were friends for! That evening, Lily did open up to them without any of them having approached her about it. Tentatively and haltingly, she told them about the prevailing friendship between Bella and her. She told them, tearfully and completely distraught, how she had met Bella, that she was sceptical of Muggles and Muggle-borns but understood that they too played their part in the wizarding world and kept it alive by bringing in new blood. Accompanied by heavy sobs and recurring crying fits, Lily told how Bella had helped her with her homework, taught her spells and explained the wizarding world to her in more depth. She described her loyal, helpful, warm, and jet calculating, and deprecating nature. Lily thought of Bella as the big sister she had lost since the beginning of her time at Hogwarts. And all of them knew the story of Lily's biological sister and her hatred of something which wasn't "normal" and how the both of them grew apart.
And now another big sister had been taken from her. Saying those words felt good. Naming Bella as the person she was in her eyes. However, Lily kept quiet about the blood pack and the final Goodbye note, something inside her advised her that it was better to leave that part out. Blood magic was an extremely obscure and very frowned upon, if not forbidden aspect of magic.
The words shock and horror were just a few of the many words and adjectives the Gryffindor girls would have used to describe her state. They now understood why Lily was so distraught. She had lost a good friend, nay her big sister yet another time and there was no telling what would happen when the two met. However, everyone agreed that Lily now needed all of their support. In a large ball of arms and hands, they all found themselves embracing, the still distraught Lily in the middle. They would stand by her, come what may. For the next few weeks, the troupe of girls could hardly be separated from each other, whether it was during free periods, in the library, the practice rooms for using magic, or in the common room. The weather and climate were getting warmer again and hopefully the spirits of the inhabitants of the castle would rise too.
The end of spring and the beginning of summer heralded the end of another year at Hogwarts School. As is always typical for this time of year, the castle was in a brooding, quiet, and reflective mood. The sixth formers were preparing for exams in their usual nature with their usual study circle meetings and all in all, they were in good spirits. The exams came and went and before they knew it, it was time to pack their bags and go on holiday. Normally a reason to celebrate and rejoice, but for one person the time had come to say goodbye to their friends forever.
Sally Jackson had received a letter a few days earlier from both her parents back home and from her half-siblings in America. The letter from her siblings was mainly a warning to turn your back on England as soon as at all possible and flee. The reason for this was only vaguely described, but Sally had an uneasy suspicion that the storm of events which had now long been brewing around England would be fully unleashed. Her parents, too, wrote in their letter that they had had a dream in which they had been strongly advised to leave England, and thereupon they had made all possible preparations as quickly as they could. After arriving at Kings Cross station, her parents and she would head to the airport to catch the next plane to New York City. She fought the rising guilt, she would be lucky to be spared from the war, but her friends...she didn't even want to think about who she would see again first in the underworld. The death of her half-brother last summer always weighed heavily on her, even if Chiron, her siblings and her parents all made it clear that she wasn't to blame. If she didn't at least warn her friends now, beg for them to at least consider leaving, the thought of losing one of them...it was just too hard for her...
And so, she cleared her throat during the carriage ride down to Hogsmeade station, trying to get her friends' attention.
"Girls, I have something to tell you..." she began haltingly.
The lively chatter of the eight occupants of the carriage died away, all looking expectantly at the badger
"This was my last year at Hogwarts..."
As expected, a hurricane of voices and exclamations erupted, Amelia and Marlene the loudest.
"Why...?"
"What..."
"Did something happen...?"
"You can't do that, you have to graduate from school..."
"No, that can´t be true, why?"
The pandemonium of voices would surely have continued for ages, but Sally, already fighting tears, raised her voice again
"I've only known for a few days too, my parents..." at this she gave Lily a meaningful look.
"...Have thought long and hard about the move...I...They enjoyed our vacation in America so much...and the way things are here right now, they don't feel safe..." the first tears rolled down her cheeks and she lowered her head
"I..."
But she should not come further, because the carriages had already arrived at the station. Without much thought, the clique of friends looked for an empty compartment. Their anticipation of the holidays was gone. When all were seated inside and the door was pushed shut, Sally began again:
"I didn't...know how to tell you, I...you're my best friends...my anchor here at Hogwarts..." she sniffed
"I don't want to leave you...but...my parents have decided...I'm not of age yet so I have to comply...I'm sorry..." she lowered her head expecting a torrent of angry outbursts, but instead, she noticed hands reaching for her from all sides and pulling her into a group hug. She looked with tear-stained eyes into equally reddened and weepy eyes
"Sally...we're not mad at you...we...I...oh lord, this is difficult..." began Amelia
"What she's saying Sally,..." continued Alice, "is that we're sad you won't be here next year,...how many times have we talked about graduation...But it doesn't matter...and wherever you go..."
"We're your friends and we'll stay friends, no matter if you're in the colony now..." came from all in chorus
"What we'd like to know, though, is what do you mean by things standing now?"
continued Marlene; the others nodded affirmatively
"I...you...how...what did I do to deserve you..." came sobbing from the distraught Hufflepuff.
"We said that already" smiled Amelia through her tears.
"Well, my dad was in the Navy and we get the Daily Prophet at home...My parents read it very carefully...Dad thinks it's only going to get worse here in England soon...He and Mom...they think it's better to get out of the country now where we can..."
Silence. Grave silence filled the compartment. Sally continued insistently, almost fanatically
"He also told me to warn my friends...He...He...He thinks that things like this will keep escalating until...until...there's a big bang...And that there will be many victims. I don't want to lose you...please think about your lives...and please...come soon too if you can...I already had to bury someone last summer...he...he was really important to me...I don´t want you…" she broke off, unable to continue, but the message she wanted
to deliver had arrived.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything sooner, but I had to digest the news first too and then I didn't know how. " She swallowed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve
"I'm going to go wash my face...be...right back. " She muttered and stood up
"I'll go with you, you're definitely not going alone" Lily declared in a final voice, the
others nodded
The two young witches got up and started walking. On the way, they passed a few compartments occupied by Slytherins. Travers and the like. Travers spotted them and rose with a grin and opened the door. Before he could open his mouth, however, a
"Get lost Travers, I don't have time for bastards like you. I prefer to spend my time with people whose family tree isn't a circle. "
And slammed the door and marched on. In answer she heard booming laughter behind her. Behind the open-mouthed Sally, were the four Marauders. Three of them were imitating the Hufflepuff's facial expressions to a tee, while Black had fallen to his knees in laughter.
"What?! What are you looking at? Are you coming Sally?" asked Lily curtly
Sally still gobsmacked by the answer, nodded absently but followed. The four-troublemaker left them behind without waiting for a reply. But she heard an exclamation from James who shouted something.
"Brilliant, brutal, but brilliant. I would marry her..." for some reason unknown to her she smiled and was happy about the praise
They reached the washroom and closed the door behind them. Lily took her friend in her arms.
"Be honest how are you doing? Are things so bad for all of us here that your family wants to get you out of here?"
"I'm okay; still dead sad, but okay. I've had a few days now to get used to the idea of leaving you all behind...and that I might not see some of you again until Hades...It's tough...but it also gives me strength. Because no matter what, we'll all see each other again."
"You worry too much...no matter what. We'll meet again before the end, I promise you."
"I just worry about you a lot, you're kind of the sister I grew up with...and now...I have to leave my sister behind...it's just not fair...I keep thinking about last summer and Al's death and...and…"
"Schhhh, it's going to be alright sis. You will see nothing will happen to me and we will meet again. I'm also still so incredibly sorry for what happened to your brother. You needed my help...and I wasn't there. What am I going to do when you are injured in the states. Your life is much more dangerous than mine here. That's what worries me the most"
"No Lily, it doesn't have to. You were there for me when I needed it and I needed your help, that's what counts. You've always been there for me from the beginning...that alone means so much to me…Don't worry about me, where we're moving there are strong protective stones that will keep the monsters away. Nothing will happen to me. It means an awful lot to me that we are sisters in everything but blood...I...I'm just going to miss you an awful lot sister. "
"I love you too sis. But come on now, we've been in here forever and the others are probably wondering what we're doing and where we're staying."
Both washed their faces again and stepped back into the corridor. They passed the compartment of Travers and the others again, but this time none of the occupants dared to show themselves. Their comment had apparently had an effect. Back in her own compartment, Sally answered her friends' questions and tried to act composed, but they could all see how much the situation was gnawing at her. And so, without words, it was decided to drop the subject and move on to other more enjoyable topics. Lily's comment must have made the rounds already, apparently, because there were a noticeable number of remarks about circles. But also gossip topics like: Who was currently dating whom or who was pining after whom drove the friends away.
They pulled into Kings Cross station and once again an oppressive silence settled over the compartment. Marlene finally broke it by throwing herself into her friends arms and seeming to crush her with all her might. What followed was a wild hug from everyone and a group hug. Olivia had a flash of thought at the end. Her father had given her a camera for her birthday. One levitation spell and dozens of flashes of light later, the group broke free from their embrace. Olivia promised to get the photos to everyone as soon as she could so that everyone had a souvenir photo of their troop. The seven remaining in England, however, didn't want to miss out on walking the last few yards with their friend, so the eight of them all stepped through the barrier and sought out the Jacksons at the busy train station in the non-magical part of London.
Again, and with tears, they all said goodbye to Sally, with the promise that she would write to them and tell her. The ride home was a most unpleasant and sad one for Lily. She could hardly perceive anything, as she simply let her tears run free. She fervently hoped that the holiday would lift her spirits.
I hope you enjoyed it very much, feel free to let me know. Either via a review or a private Message. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
See you next time