Lily didn't want to Ron to find out about the wand incident. She didn't want anybody to notice. She tried begging Gran to make an earlier trip, just to get a new one, that way nobody would find out.
"You think they won't notice that you suddenly have a new wand?"
Lily bit her lip. "I- maybe- maybe Ron won't-"
"Girl," Gran said, "If you think that boy isn't going to milk it for all it's worth, then you're in for a rude awakening. And stop that stuttering of yours, you're far too old for it."
All of Lily's attempts failed, and now, her birthday arrived on a clear, sunny morning. She awoke feeling miserable, when she should have been excited. She hadn't seen the Weasleys for a month, and she was looking forward to finally meeting Ginny.
Lily threw on a green waistcoat and tan trousers after her shower. She didn't bother with the tie. She just wasn't in the mood for dealing with it. She'd need to be able to breathe if Ron was going to make fun of her. Maybe Gran would cut her a little slack for once on account of it being her special day.
She grabbed a matching green robe from her wardrobe, although it was a darker shade, then turned to leave the room. She stopped, deciding to grab the Invisibility Cloak from her already packed trunk (they'd be going to the station directly from the Weasleys), just so she could disappear if it all became too much.
She turned back into her room, remembering something else she needed, grumbling to herself about being stupid. She tossed the heavy trunk back onto her bed. She dug around, trying to find it, then pulled out the key to her Gringotts vault. It was tucked way down at the bottom, beneath all her school robes and books. Lily clicked the trunk closed again, making sure to lock it, then set it back on the floor where it belonged.
She passed by her bookshelf on the way out, and stopped, picking up a photo album she always kept on the top. A photo of her mum and dad stared up at her, smiling for whoever the photographer was. They looked just like they did the last time she saw them in the Mirror of Erised, looking happy and proud and every bit in love.
"It's my birthday," she said, looking at a wedding photo. "I hope you're both watching. I- I love you."
Lily wiped the tears from her eyes when she was done, then set it back on the bookshelf. She considered packing it to take to Hogwarts, but it was one of the few belongings she absolutely did not want to get damaged. It was safer here, where Gran could make sure it didn't get touched.
Lily walked slowly down the staircase, not wanting to risk another tumble. She turned into the kitchen and took her customary seat across from Gran, her plate filled by the customary flying pans.
"No tie today?" Gran asked, staring directly at Lily's neck.
"No tie today," Lily confirmed, eating a forkful of eggs, hoping she'd get away with it.
"Well, at least you can't pull at it," Gran said, sniffing. "It's the small things, I suppose. Try not to make such a fool of yourself today, dear. It wouldn't do for you keep falling in front of the Weasleys."
"No Daily Prophet?" Lily asked, trying to ignore the comment even though it stung.
Gran grumbled. "Not yet. Don't know where that bird is. Should have been here by now. And keep those teeth away from your lip, I don't want you tearing it open again."
Lily hoped it would come soon. She didn't like Gran being this talkative, looking at her so intently. She stopped chewing on her sore flesh. It was taking longer to heal than it should have, considering how long ago her fall was, but it was probably her fault. She just couldn't stop picking at it. She still had some bruises from the tumble, too, although they were hidden by her clothes.
Of course, it didn't help that she fell into all sorts of things, always finding some new way to injure herself. She wanted to believe none of it was her fault, but the one time she brought up the possibility, Gran shut it right down.
"You shouldn't frown so much. You'll be much prettier if you smile."
'Thanks, Gran," Lily said frowning more.
"When did you get so uppity?" Gran said, sniffing. "I seem to remember last year you were a terrified little girl who sat silent at the table every day."
"Sorry," Lily said, finishing off her plate. She didn't see the big deal in thanking somebody. It must have been a problem of her tone.
"You certainly eat a lot more, that's for sure."
"I'm a growing girl," Lily said, grabbing some extra toast as it flew by.
"I noticed. You'll definitely need new robes, if only for the waistline, although you're still showing too much ankle. Are your braziers still fitting well?"
"No," Lily said after too long of a pause. She hated talking about this stuff.
"We'll get some new ones, then," Gran said with a long sigh. "I'll need to stop at Gringotts, don't have enough coin on me for all this."
"I can-"
"No, Lily," Gran snapped. "We've had this discussion. I will be paying for you."
"But-"
"Stop biting that lip, child, please. The discussion is over. I don't mind, even if you do go through clothes much faster than Neville."
"Fine," Lily said, losing her temper, "I'm sorry I'm so fat."
Gran gave her a sharp look. "Who said you're getting fat?"
"You said I eat too much," Lily mumbled. She didn't mention the waistline comment. She was fully aware of how big she was getting.
"Good Lord, Lily," Gran said, rolling her eyes, "Of course you eat too much, but that's hardly a problem. You were half starved when you first got here. You're lucky Hogwarts knows their business, or you'd be half your size."
Lily pushed around a sausage on her plate. She didn't even know where it came from, her plate had bacon before. She could have blamed Hermione, who always used to pile food on her plate for her, but as the girl was both not here and not talking to Lily.
"Are you going to be grumpy all day?" Gran asked.
"No," Lily said quietly. "Sorry."
"No harm done," Gran said, drumming her fingers on the table.
"Is the post here yet?" Lily asked, deciding to eat the mystery sausage. Maybe if Hermione had finally written back, she could send off a letter. If it got there in time, Hermione could still meet them in Diagon Alley.
"Not yet," Gran answered, staring at Lily. She seemed to be considering something, her face softening slightly. She leaned forward. "Listen, Lily, I don't think you should get your hopes up too much. That Hermione hasn't written you all summer. Maybe it's time to give it up."
"She has to write this time," Lily said, shaking her head. "It's my birthday."
"Suit yourself," Gran said, shaking her own head. "But don't you go sulking all day when you don't get anything. I won't have the Weasleys thinking I'm mistreating you."
"I should have tried harder," Lily said quietly.
"You'll be getting your present later on," Gran said, trying to change the subject. "I've got it hidden away here, but I'll bring it with the rest of your things."
"You didn't have to get me anything," Lily said. It did manage to make her feel slightly better, though.
"You didn't go arguing with me before you broke your wand," Gran said, drumming her fingers again.
"I was focused on the new spell," Lily grumbled. "Did Neville get it working yet?"
Gran rolled her eyes. "That boy? Not a chance. I don't know how he made it through the last year."
"I could have gotten it if you had just let me borrow his wand," Lily said. She wished she could feel slightly happier, considering what day it was.
"You reap what you sow," Gran said. "Besides, his wand wouldn't have work for you. I was worried it wasn't working for him before I saw his exam results."
Lily frowned again. "Why wouldn't it work for him?"
"Stop frowning. It's his father's old wand, remember?" Gran said. She drank some more of her tea.
"I thought he got a new wand last year," Lily said. "You said-"
"I said we'd think about it. Neville wants to use his father's, and I'm happy to let him."
"But-"
"No more arguing, Lily," Gran said. "Neville is allowed to use whatever wand he wants, so don't go bothering him either."
"But-"
"Maybe I'll have time to teach you the spell before you get on the train," Gran said, trying to change the subject again.
"You could have at least told me what it was so I could practice," Lily said, taking the bait.
"Don't you go practicing at the Weasley's," Gran said, wagging a finger. "You're not supposed to use magic out of school, and I don't want them knowing I've been neglecting that rule."
"But-"
"That isn't up for debate," Gran said. "You could get us all in a lot of trouble if they find out."
"Fine," Lily said. "Am I allowed to fly, at least?"
"I don't see why not, so long as you don't fall off. And quit with the attitude."
Lily didn't say anything. She was thinking the same thing, actually. She was a really good flyer, though. She only fell once last year and that one was entirely out of her control.
"You've got to work on your balance, Lily," Gran said. "I suppose it's the amount of growing you've done. Don't know where your own two feet are anymore."
"They're at the end of my legs," Lily said.
"Ah, there's the owl," Gran said, standing up and walking over to the window. Lily gazed out, spying an owl carrying a package towards the window. Gran opened it, and the bird swooped right in, dropping a heavy, brown package onto the table. It swooped back out of the window without stopping, heading back to the sender.
"That's too big to be your paper," Lily said, getting up to check the cupboard. Gran kept half of it cool with what she called an "Icebox Charm," and Lily wanted some pumpkin juice. She was sick of tea for every meal.
"It's for you," Gran said from the table.
"Really?" Lily poured herself a glass of fresh, cold juice, feeling strangely pleased. "Who sent it?"
"Doesn't say," Gran replied. "Do you want to open it or should I?"
"It's mine," Lily said setting her glass onto the table after drinking half of it in one go. "I'll check it."
"Suit yourself," Gran grumbled, turning to stare back out the window, waiting for her morning newspaper. "Don't blame me if someone sent you a cursed chess set."
Lily tore a corner of the wrapping, then froze. "Why would someone do that?"
"It's a joke, Lily, lighten up."
Lily tried not to glower and tore off the last bit of packaging. She stared down at the book she was now holding in her hands. "Advanced Potions Reagents: Secrets of the Potions Master? Why would someone send me a Potions book?"
Gran looked over curiously. "Check inside, maybe there's a note."
Lily opened the front cover and a parchment fell onto the table. She set the book down carefully, and then picked up the message. "'For your note-taking. Happy birthday.' That's all it says." Lily checked the back of the note, disappointed to see that there was still no name.
"Note-taking?" Gran asked. "What does that mean?"
"I've been leaving notes and tips in my textbooks," Lily said, staring at the handwriting. It was small and neat and quite easy to read. Lily briefly hoped the book was sent by Hermione, but it didn't match hers. She would have sent Hedwig anyway, Lily thought, not some ruddy barn owl.
"Why on Earth would you do that?" Gran asked in the high-pitched tone that denoted trouble was coming. "Do you have any idea how much those bloody things cost?"
Lily blushed, startled out of her musings. "Mr. Weasley suggested it. I- I can do what I want with them, they're mine."
"Well you can pay for your own books, then," Gran said, "I'm not covering them if you're just going to deface the things."
"I'm not defacing them," Lily said loudly, "And I wanted to do that anyway, but you wouldn't let me!"
"Don't go getting uppity again, girl," Gran said, pointing a finger at Lily. "It might be your birthday, but that doesn't mean you get to disrespect your elders."
"I'm not!" Lily said. "You're the one who blew up at me!"
"Morning," Neville said, rubbing his eyes as he walked into the kitchen. He took a seat between the two women. "What are you fighting about now?"
"We're not fighting," Lily and Gran said at the same time, taking their own seats in a huff.
"Hurry up and eat," Gran said, waving her wand at the pans so they'd deliver food faster. "We should be getting on our way soon."
"What's the hurry?" Neville asked, taking a bite of his breakfast.
"We'll need to stop at Gringotts so Lily can get some money out of her vault," Gran said, staring out the window again. "Where in the world is that bird?"
"Why does Lily need to go Gringotts?" Neville asked.
"So I can buy my own books," Lily said grumpily.
"Drop the attitude, Lily," Gran said.
"I don't have an attitude, I'm just-"
"Don't you start this again," Gran said, raising her voice.
"I didn't start anything!" Lily said.
Lily grumbled, crossing her arms again. Gran did the same from across the table.
"How are our trunks getting there?" Neville asked as he ate his food.
"Mr. Weasley will be coming to pick them up after work," Gran said. "I'll meet him here and then head over with him for the party."
Lily frowned. "At the station, Mrs. Weasley said you'd be leaving after Diagon Alley."
"Eager to get rid of me, eh?" Gran said, trying to instill a bit of positivity in her voice.
"No, I was just-"
"Plans change all the time," Gran said, waving her hand. "Go make sure you have all your things packed, I'd like to leave on time today."
Lily sighed, but got up from the table, heading upstairs while Neville finished his meal. She tossed her new Potions book on top of her bed, then grabbed Weasley's cage from her closet. She looked around for the cat, then set the cage onto the floor when she failed to find him. She'd get him before they left; he was probably still out exploring.
Lily bent down to lift her trunk, preparing for the heavy weight. She grunted as she tried to lift, then stopped as she tossed it up onto her mattress with little effort. The trunk felt surprisingly light. Lily frowned, then flipped the locks up and threw the lid open.
Her trunk was empty. Lily put her hands on her hips, staring at the vacant space as if that would change anything. She walked over to her wardrobe once she failed, throwing it open to grab her robes. She must have just forgotten to pack everything. That was it, she could be forgetful at times.
The wardrobe was empty too. Lily bit her lip, ignoring the slight tingle of pain, and turned towards the bookshelf (which she really should have checked first). It, too, was empty.
"Gran?" Lily called downstairs, walking to the third-floor balcony.
"What?" Gran called from downstairs, voice sharp.
"Where did all my things go?"
"Good Lord," Gran said, barely audible. "What are you doing now, Lily? We have to leave soon."
"I didn't do anything!" Lily yelled, returning to her room. "All my things are gone."
"Neville, go help her before I blow my lid."
"I don't need help," Lily yelled, checking underneath her bed. Her notebooks were gone too. "Where did my notebooks go?" Lily shrieked, losing her cool. Nobody was even supposed to know about those.
Lily could hear Neville running up the stairs. Lily came out from under the bed, running over to the hallway. She had a horrible, awful idea come to her while she was down there.
"Neville!" she said.
"What?" the plump boy responded, trying to catch his breath. He was bent over, leaning on his knees.
"Where's Weasley, have you seen him?"
Neville looked up, panting. "Not since yesterday. Did you lose him, too?"
"I didn't lose anything, Neville," Lily said, pulling at her hair. "Everything's gone, I- I can't find him!"
"I'm sure he's around here somewhere, Lily," Neville said, walking into the room. "But where did you put everything else? We need to-"
"I didn't put them anywhere!" Lily said, throwing open the closet to reveal more empty space. "Everything was packed away when I got up, but when I went to throw the Potions book in, it was all gone!"
"Potions book?" Neville asked, checking the desk drawers.
"Yes, the Potions book," Lily said, checking under the bed again. "The one on the bed."
"There's no book on the bed," Neville said. "You must have put it in the trunk."
Lily hit her head on the bedframe as she came up, swearing. She rubbed the back of her head, then threw the trunk open. It was still empty.
"Neville," Lily said. "I'm going to lose it."
"You've already lost it," Neville said. "Are you sure you brought it in here?"
"Neville, please," she said, pulling so hard on her hair that it hurt. "I did, I just tossed it on the bed, I swear."
"Gran," Neville yelled, walking over to the balcony.
"What?" the old woman called from downstairs.
"Did Lily leave her book downstairs?"
"No, she took it up with her. Did she lose that, too?"
"I didn't lose anything!" Lily yelled. "Why won't either of you believe me?"
"Well, where could they have gone, Lily?" Neville asked.
Lily ran over to the balcony, leaning over it precariously. "Gran, is Weasley downstairs?"
"Good Lord, Lily, please tell me you didn't lose the cat."
Lily came back over, collapsing against the wall, head in her hands. She sniffed and pulled her legs to her chest.
"You've been having a bad week, Lily," Neville said, sitting down next to her. "I'll help you look, we'll find where you put them."
"Neville," Lily said, sniffing again. "I don't go anywhere else in the house, where would I have left them?"
Neville thought for a moment. "The garden?"
"Neville, please, I- I didn't do anything with them," Lily said, running her hands through her hair again. It sometimes helped to calm her down, but it wasn't working this time.
Neville stayed silent.
"Neville, please believe me," she said, sniffing again.
Neville nodded his head. "I believe you." He stood. "I'll talk to Gran, see if I can get her to help."
"Thanks, Neville," Lily said as he went down the stairs.
Lily could hear a brief shouting match in the kitchen, although she couldn't make out the words. She was too focused on her own misery. Three minutes later, and Gran was climbing to the fourth-floor landing.
"Well, go on downstairs, then," she said.
"Gran?" Lily said, sniffing.
Gran crouched down (something she very rarely did), and placed a hand on her shoulder. Lily pulled further into herself, not liking or wanting the contact, but she didn't seem to notice or care. "We need to leave so we can hit Gringotts before the Weasleys arrive, especially if now have even more to buy."
Lily buried her head between her legs.
"I don't know what happened, Gran, honest."
"I believe you, Lily, you can drop it now." Lily let the older woman haul her to her feet, but she could hear that the old woman wasn't telling the truth.
"What about Weasley?" Lily asked as they reached the second floor.
"We'll find the cat, don't you worry. Most likely, he's wandering around outside."
"He wasn't-"
"He has to be around here somewhere," Gran said. "I promise you I will find him before I head to the Burrow."
Lily didn't like the idea of leaving the cat behind, alone in this large house. At the very least, Trevor was no longer here to hunt her little buddy.
Lily reached the ground floor, then let Gran pass so she could lead the way. She walked into the sitting room, and Lily followed, confused and miserable. Neville was standing next to the fireplace.
"I thought we were leaving?" Lily asked, standing in the doorway.
"We are," Gran said, stopping next to Neville. "Get over here so we can use the Floo."
"The what?" Lily asked, walking forward.
"Neville, show her," Gran said, nudging her grandson.
"Why am I going first?" Neville asked, grabbing a bag from a top the mantle.
"So I can make sure Lily gets going correctly," Gran said, taking the bag from Neville. "And don't argue, I don't need you taking after Lily."
Lily pretended not to hear that. Gran opened the bag, and Neville reached in, dragging out what seemed like a pinch of dirt. Neville tossed it into the fire, which promptly turned green. Lily tried not to think too hard about the flames; she could feel phantom prickling on her legs, where she still had some pale scarring. Neville stepped in (Lily gasping in surprise), and then turned around, completely unharmed.
"Diagon Alley," he said. There was a great woosh as the flames sprouted upward, following by Neville rapidly ascending up the chimney. He was gone in a flash and the fire died back down into its original orange state.
"That's Floo," Gran said, nodding at Lily's horrified expression. "You go on then, I'll be right behind you." Gran held out the bag for Lily.
"What do I do?" Lily asked, hesitating as she plunged her hand into the dirt.
"Weren't you watching?" Gran asked. "Just step in and say where you want to go. It's quite easy, nothing to be nervous about."
Lily took a pinch, biting her lip, and then tossed it into the fire. It turned green, just as it had for Neville. Gran had to shove her forward; her legs wouldn't move when she tried to. She stepped in, shutting her eyes tight, and then turned around to face Gran's direction. She breathed in on instinct, to try and steady herself, and then began coughing as smoke filled her lungs, her eyes squinting open and filling with blurry tears.
"Lily, wait-" Gran called out, reaching out a hand.
"D-D-Diagon Al-Alley," Lily coughed out, not realizing what was happening.
There was a great woosh again, and Lily flew upwards, rapidly spinning. She coughed and sputtered, desperately trying to bring in enough air to shout or scream, trying to change her positioning, trying to stop the constant spinning that was only making her feel sicker, trying to stop the panic at being stuck in such a dark, tight space.
She was thrown out of a fireplace, landing hard on her back. She groaned, coughing in place, unable to get up. Her body shook with every single one, spittle coating the dirty rug below her.
She opened her eyes in a dimly lit room, filled with strange objects. There were all sorts of old looking furniture, some of which had twisted and terrible figures and faces carved into them. There was, also, a rather large number of similarly frightening objects. There was a human skull sitting on a tablecloth, a clawed hand holding a candle, a necklace that seemed to glow blue with a ghostly shine, and a large skull over the fireplace of a creature Lily couldn't even begin to name, let alone describe.
Lily stood up, still coughing, trying to dust herself off. Her nice clothes were completely covered in soot and ash. She could already imagine the lecture Gran would give her once she got to Diagon. Assuming she could figure out where she was. Lily thought she was in a storefront (there was a rather large window with several spooky items being prominently displayed), but she didn't recognize it as any shop she had seen in Diagon Alley.
Lily heard shuffling coming from the back exit and quickly made her escape out the front door, slipping the Invisibility Cloak over herself. She was now very thankful she decided to take it out of the trunk earlier. She would have been even more miserable if it had also gone missing.
Lily come out into a dark street, filled with dark people. Most of them kept their hoods up, trying to go about their business without being noticed. Lily thought for sure she recognized a hag as she walked around. They saw plenty of drawings of those dark creatures in their Defense textbook last year. She clung tighter to her Cloak, frozen for a full minute before she finally found the strength to start moving.
Lily passed a shop with a sign that read "Flesh Eating Slug Repellant! Buy one, get one! Live demonstrations inside!" She was awfully curious as to what a flesh-eating slug was, but supposing it was absolutely dreadful, she kept on moving.
Lily passed by a row of potted plants, stopping as she considered her options. This really didn't seem like the kind of place to do her shopping, but Neville did still need a birthday present. She didn't recognize any of these, but if she just picked one quickly, she was sure Neville would-
The door opened as a customer walked out; a pungent smell of rotting meat filled the air, and she didn't want to know what would make that. She hurried off, deciding she was not going to do anymore sightseeing.
Ten minutes later, Lily had to admit she was thoroughly lost. She somehow ended up right in front of her starting point, which was apparently called Borgins and Burkes. She briefly peered inside, but she saw the shabby shopkeeper talking with a tall, well-dressed, blonde man, and she didn't want to intrude. Especially since the shop was prominently displaying a necklace in the window that labelled it as "cursed" and having killed "at least a dozen Muggles."
Another ten minutes passed, and Lily was ready to curl up into a ball and cry. This time, she found herself in a section of shops she couldn't even read the signs of. They were a foreign language written in an alphabet she never saw before. She didn't look into any of the windows. She just kept walking, creeping along carefully so she wouldn't brush any of the people around her. Once, she saw children playing in front of a shop, and she thought to ask for directions, but she got scared off by what looked like a vampire walking down the street towards them.
Lily could taste blood as she chewed on her lip. She opened the wound again. She wiped at it with her sleeve and went right back to chewing. A strange man was hobbling towards her, using a walking stick to keep his balance. One of his legs seemed to make a clunk with every step, as if it was made out of metal. The worst part was his eye that seemed to spin in place, even rolling into the back of his head. It seemed to lock onto her as she tried to pass, which only freaked her out more.
Lily let out a sigh of relief as she walked past, happy that he'd gone. Then a hand clamped down on her shoulder, and she was suddenly pulled into an alleyway. She tried to scream, but the man had got a hand over her mouth. She bit at it, but he didn't so much as flinch (he was wearing thick gloves), and she knew it was over, but she wasn't going to go without a-
"Potter," the man growled. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing down Knockturn Alley?" He kept his hand firmly pressed over Lily's mouth as he hobbled down, and Lily tried kicking at him, clawing at whatever she could get ahold of.
"Mmgmam," Lily mumbled as the man held her more firmly.
"Calm down, Potter," the man said. "I'm the one friendly face you're likely to meet down here. You're lucky I needed a new Foe-Glass. This is the only place to get a halfway decent one. I'll give the criminals something, they know how to watch their own backs."
Lily stopped trying to fight, letting the man lead her on. She would have liked to keep on struggling, but she was out of options. She didn't have a wand, not even the broken pieces that Gran kept with her, and she didn't know if wandless magic was possible to cast deliberately.
Her only choice was to trust a complete stranger. She was doomed.
The man stopped at the other end of the alley, glancing down both ways to make sure nobody was there. Lily briefly renewed her struggles, attempting to run away while the man was distracted.
"What did I say, Potter? Stop struggling, I'm trying to take you back to Diagon Alley."
Lily stopped struggling, pausing at his words.
"I don't know what you're doing here, but you can't stay. It's dangerous down here. Likely to get yourself killed. I'm going to let you go, now, just follow behind me. And don't try to run again, I'll just stun you and carry you back."
"Stun?" Lily asked as the man let go of her face.
"Don't even know how to stun someone?" The man laughed, but it sounded more menacing than it did friendly.
"I'm only in second year," Lily said, biting her lip.
"Get your wand out," the man barked, startling Lily. "Constant vigilance, Potter, always be ready. You never know who is around the next corner. And stop biting yourself, you should let the lip heal first, at least. Some of these folks will be able to smell the blood."
"I don't have my wand," Lily admitted sheepishly, now very nervous. She sucked on her lip to try to get some of the blood off it, but she wasn't sure how much it helped.
"Lesson number two, then: Never lose your wand."
"I- I broke it."
"Do I need to explain lesson three, Potter?" The man grumbled.
"How do you know who I am?" Lily asked. She accepted that she could somehow see her, although she had no idea how that was even possible.
"The scar, of course," the man said. "Only one person in the world with a scar like that. Besides, you look just like your mother."
"You knew my mum?" Lily asked, completely lowering her guard.
"Keep your posture squared, Potter, don't just believe any word some stranger tells you," the man barked as he started walking forward, leading Lily ahead. "And keep quiet when I tell you to, we don't want anyone hearing you're down here."
"You didn't answer my question," Lily said, following behind as quickly as she could.
"Course I knew them, we were in the Order together."
"The Order?" Lily said.
"Don't know about the Order yet?" the man said, chuckling to himself. "You'll find out eventually, I won't spoil it."
"Did you know my dad, too?" Lily asked.
"Course, he was there, too. Taught him all sorts of things, not that it did him any good. Couldn't even keep up his guard, let the Dark Lord walk right in on him. Constant vigilance, Potter. Your father never learned, but you still could."
Lily bit her lip, not appreciating what the man was saying about her father.
"Your mother used to do that, too, you know," the man said.
"Do what?" Lily asked.
"Bite her lip when she was scared or nervous."
"Did- What did my father do?"
"He ground his teeth," the man said. "Never saw him scared, to be honest. He was more likely to be angry. Full of confidence, cocky. Never backed down, always willing to do what was needed. A good man."
"I'm nothing like him, then," Lily said, putting herself down.
"You're only twelve, Potter, not everyone can be fearless when they're that young. Certainly can't expect you to be as brave as your parents were." The man continued hobbling along, cane pounding the ground harshly with each step. "Besides, you've run your fingers through your hair a few times, now. Your father used to do that, too, although I don't think it was from the nerves. I think he just needed something to do with his hands."
Lily felt slightly better about that. Everybody only talked about how like her mother she was; they never mentioned any similarities with her father at all.
"What's your name?" Lily asked, realizing he hadn't introduced himself.
"Moody," the man said. "Some folks like to call me Mad-Eye. Not to my face, of course, but I happen to like it. Really puts the fear into people."
"Why do they- never mind," Lily said, stopping herself.
"About to ask why they call me Mad-Eye, Potter?" Moody said, chuckling to himself.
"No," Lily said, blushing under her cloak.
"Your eyes move to the side when you lie, Potter," Moody said. "And you touch your ear, too, the one with the earring."
"They- I- I do?" Lily said, having a hard time forming sentences.
"You'll want to break that habit," Moody said. "Hard to fool people when you give it away so easily."
"I don't want to fool anyone," Lily said, quickly stopping her hand form touching her earlobe.
"Not much further, Potter, then you can be on your way," Moody said. "Why are you down here, anyway? Tried to sneak off, did you?"
"I didn't try to," Lily said. "We used the Floo, and I- I messed it up like I- like I always do."
"You must have coughed," Moody said. "Shouldn't have breathed in. Floo threw you out nearby, at least. You got lucky."
"I didn't-"
"You did, Potter," Moody said. "Just like you touched your ear again."
Lily blushed.
"There it is," Moody said, pointing to a brighter street up ahead. "Just walk out and pull off the Cloak once you're around regular civilians. You'll blend right in."
"You're not coming?" Lily asked.
"Course not," Moody said. "I said I have shopping to do, didn't I? You're a big girl, you can find your way from here."
"How can I thank-"
"By keeping your guard up, Potter. You're famous. You're a hero to some folks and a villain to others. Don't go getting yourself killed by being an idiot."
Lily blushed again. "I wasn't-"
"No, this one was just a dumb mistake. But I've heard from Dumbledore about your little adventure last year, and that was pure idiocy. Could have guessed that based on you getting your wand broken, though."
"Sorry," Lily said quietly.
"Good friend, Dumbledore," Moody said, ignoring her. "Almost pulled me out of retirement, but then somebody applied to the Defense position, so I managed to weasel my way out of it."
"You would have been great," Lily said. It felt like the right thing to say.
"Fat chance of that, Potter, I'm not good with kids," Moody said, hobbling back down the street they had just come from. "Remember: constant vigilance!"
"I don't even know what that means," Lily mumbled as she walked towards Diagon Alley.
It felt good to be in a more brightly lit area., surrounded by families and smiling people rather than the monsters and ruffians from before. Lily pulled off the cloak when she was sure nobody was looking towards her and then stuffed it into her robe.
Lily looked around, trying to find a landmark. She could see Gringotts down the street, so she chose that direction, hoping Gran would use that as a meeting point. That was, of course, assuming that Gran wasn't out looking for her at this very moment.
Lily stopped in front of a Quidditch supply store, eye being drawn to the new Nimbus broom. She owned a 2000 model (although it had likely disappeared as well; she didn't check the broom shed before they left), but this was the new bright and shiny 2001 model. Her old broom dropped down to 50 galleons, while the new model rang up for 150.
Lily suddenly realized she didn't know what a galleon even was; McGonagall paid for everything last year. She bit her lip, wondering if she'd have enough money to upgrade. Maybe they'd give her a discount if she traded the old one in. Of course, she didn't have it with her, but maybe-
"There you are," a familiar voice said from behind, followed immediately by somebody yanking on Lily's ear.
"Get off, Gran," Lily said, pulling the old woman off the attack. She took a deep breath to steady her rapid heartbeat.
"Where'd you end up, then?" Gran asked, crossing her arms. "You had us worried sick, with that stupid mistake of yours."
Neville stood sheepishly to the side, not saying a word, although he did look very relieved to see Lily alive and well, if a bit dirty.
"It wasn't a mistake," Lily said, crossing her own arms. "I didn't even know how to use the Floo, you just told me to figure it out!"
"I didn't tell you to figure it out," Gran argued, "I had Neville demonstrate for you! You just had to follow what he did."
"You could have warned me to not breathe in," Lily said.
"I thought it'd be common sense not to breathe in the smoke when you're walking into a lit fire," Gran said.
"The fire didn't burn, why would I expect the smoke to?" Lily argued.
"Can we do this another time?" Neville mumbled. "People are staring."
Lily and Gran both took a look around, noting that people were, in fact, staring at the two. Lily blushed. She hadn't been aware of how loudly they were talking. Gran didn't seem to care at all, but she at least didn't get the argument going again.
"Let's get a move on, then," Gran said, striding off without waiting. "We'll go to Gringotts, then to Madame Malkin's. Lily wasted most of our head start, but maybe we can still finish a few things. The robes will probably take all day, with how much Lily's grown."
"I've grown, too," Neville said, following after his grandmother. Lily dragged her feet behind. Mad-Eye Moody had been more friendly, she decided, and was far more likable. At least hedidn't make her feel completely worthless with every sentence.
