Are you still there? It's been ten minutes.
Lily stared blankly at the page, wondering what on Earth could possibly be happening. The words disappeared into the page again, and she took a gulp to steady her nerves.
"You can talk?" she wrote.
I can. I see I startled you. I apologize; I should have learned from Hermione's reaction, but I thought a pure-blood like yourself would be more accustomed to magical objects of this nature.
Lily didn't understand what being a pure-blood had to do with anything. She wasn't even sure she was pure-blood. She took a long moment to think as the words faded away once more.
"Where did Hermione get you?" was what she started with.
From Flourish & Blotts, or so I am told. I must admit, I wasn't aware that I was for sale. Before Hermione obtained me, it had been ages since I last heard from somebody.
"What are you?"
Apologies again, I should have realized this would be confusing for you. It just occurred to me that Hermione said you were raised by Muggles, just like her. I am a magical journal, as you might have guessed. We come up occasionally. Our creators imprint a bit of their own personalities into each book. We're hear to talk with whoever writes in us, to offer comfort and advice.
"Like a diary?"
Exactly! You can call me Tom, if you'd like. Hermione does.
"Why did she send you to me, Tom?"
She thought you might have some questions for me, and she wanted you to hear it directly from the source.
Lily bit her lip before writing once more. "Why would I need to ask you anything?"
Well, it just so happens that my creator, the actual Tom Riddle, was there 50 years ago when the Chamber of Secrets was supposedly opened.
Lily took in a sharp breath. Why would Hermione keep this a secret? This could have solved everything ages ago.
"Why didn't Hermione tell anyone if she already knew?"
As I said, it was only supposedly opened. The truth of it is that the Chamber was only ever a rumour during my time. A student did die, yes, but it was due to another student caring for a magical creature in a storage room that broke free.
"How do you know all this?"
I was the one who caught the culprit. I got an award for it, if you'd like to check. Just look for Tom Riddle in the Trophy Room at Hogwarts. It was a plaque, if I remember correctly, for Special Services to the School.
Lily leaned back in her seat as she chewed the end of her quill.
"Why would Hermione want me to talk to you if you don't actually know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"
I don't know, to be perfectly honest with you. I told her much the same myself. I think she just wanted you to talk to me. She's been rather lonely, as you must already know, but please, don't mention I told you that. I'm supposed to be a diary, and what kind of diary openly tells others the secrets of its master?
"You're sure the Chamber was never opened?"
Quite sure. You can check official records, too, if you'd like. Doubtlessly Dumbledore keeps them in his office, and you could always write the Ministry or even the Prophet about it if you don't want to go directly to him.
"Who did it, then?"
I'm afraid that's a secret I'll be keeping, for now. You wouldn't like the answer. Hermione didn't talk to me for two weeks after I told her, but she came around eventually.
"What did it, then? Was there even a monster?"
Of course there was. A student was keeping an enchanted Acromantula in a storage room, and it attacked a student during the night. These things were bound to happen, really.
"If it was an Acromantula, then why haven't any of us heard of it before now?"
Kept hush by the Headmaster, I suppose. That's just speculation, though. It was quite well-known amongst the students during my time at school. Feel free to ask any of them, they'll tell you.
"How do you even know all this? You're just a book, you weren't actually there."
As I said before, when a magical journal, such as I, is created, we are left with the personalities of our creators, as well as an assortment of memories that they leave for us. Mine left me most of his memories, although I'd prefer not to share them. They're meant to help give us more sound advice, to make us more relatable.
"You said you were owned before, earlier. Who had you first?"
My creator, Tom. He never meant to sell me. Hermione tried to track him down for me after she got a hold of me, but I've apparently died. I was horrified after learning that.
"I thought Flourish & Blotts didn't sell secondhand items?"
They usually don't, yes. I thought it a bit strange myself. But it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for them to make an exception for a rare magical item. You certainly don't find a magical journal every day, do you?
"And she's been writing in you every day?"
Well, except for the two weeks I already mentioned, yes. I have been her constant companion through these hard times. I was reluctant to leave her, actually, but seeing as how I am a book, I thought it best to agree with her wishes. Thus, here I am. Do try to keep good care of me; I'm not sure she'd be able to forgive you were I to get damaged.
Lily chewed on the end of her quill again as she thought. She jumped when she heard a creak come from above her room. Looking around at her incredibly dark room only made her realize how late it was, which, in turn, made her eyes feel dry and heavy. She considered saying goodnight to Tom, but decided it was currently just a bit too weird for her. She closed the diary and got into bed just as quickly as she could throw her clothes off. After blowing the candle out, she realized she forgot her pyjamas, and had to do her best to pull them on in the dark. She was almost certain her bottoms were backwards.
It took her a long time to fall asleep. She couldn't help but feel like her reluctance to be courteous to the sentient book would make him mad at her, and she really didn't want Hermione to ignore her again. She decided she'd ask Ron about magical journals tomorrow, just to gauge how normal they were. She'd do her best not to mention she had one in her possession.
But even with that, she still found it a bit weird. An Acromantula? Really? She'd read about them already, and while she didn't like the descriptions and drawings very much, they just seemed like extraordinarily large spiders. Even if the attack in the past was one, it didn't explain the current ones. She'd have to ask more questions.
"A talking diary?" Ron asked curiously as they tossed rocks into the not-quite frozen pond. The ice was still thin enough for the rocks to break straight through, although it was almost impossible to skip one on the surface. It was far more likely to just slide on a thicker portion, but they both considered that cheating.
"Yeah," Lily confirmed. "How often do you see one?"
"Well, not too often, I suppose," Ron said. "They're hard to make, from what I know, and expensive when you do find one. Why are you asking?"
"I was thinking about getting one," Lily lied. "But I wasn't sure if they even existed. How do they talk to you?"
"Well, they write back, don't they?" Ron said. "Dad had to confiscate a few before, they almost got sold to Muggles."
"How do they work?"
"Like paintings, from what he said." Ron tossed another rock, this one sinking straight into the water like, well, a stone. "You know how the portraits all have a bit of personality to them? It's like that."
Lily nodded; that made sense, and perfectly correlated with what Tom had been trying to tell her. She tried tossing a rock, too, but this one just skidded to a halt on the other bank.
"You should have mentioned you wanted one before all the shopping got done," Ron said.
"I thought you said they were expensive?" Lily said. "I can buy one for myself."
"Yeah, but dad could have just gotten one of the ones from storage," Ron said. "Ministry workers are allowed to claim non-dangerous items if the owner never comes to get them. I'm sure there's at least a few in there."
"I'll keep that in mind," Lily said as she tossed her final stone. This one skipped on the water once before crashing through the thin ice. That was the best she got all day, and it seemed like an appropriate place to stop.
"Say, Ron?"
"Hmm?" Ron's stone slid on the ice before falling through a hole one of Lily's made earlier.
"Did you happen to see an award for a 'Tom Riddle' while you were cleaning out the Trophy Room?"
"Riddle? Yeah, he had something for 'Exceptional Service to the School,' I think. Spent almost an hour on it; it's the one I dropped when you scared Neville, bloody thing got a dent in it. Why?"
"No reason," Lily said with a satisfied smile.
I'm sorry if I offended you, Tom wrote. I didn't expect you to leave so abruptly, let alone for so long.
"Sorry, Tom, it's a bit busy around here for the Holidays. I was worried I made you mad, actually."
She'd meant to write him immediately after talking with Ron, but she got distracted for a whole two days as she tried to help the Weasleys around the house. Plus, she was busy trying to get through her book before the Holidays ended. She found quite a bit of useful information for Potions in it, and she still needed to add half of those to her text. And on that note, she really needed to catch up on her studying, as well. Keeping up with classes was already going to be a complete and utter nightmare. Best to minimize the damage while she still had the chance.
Never! I wasn't given the capacity to feel anger, even with all my memories. Merely the memory of the emotion, so that I know how to properly give advice on the manner.
"You're sure you don't remember being put up for sale? Surely somebody wrote in you to at least test what you were."
The Ministry gets involved when a wizard dies without a will, and they thoroughly test every object to be sure of its magical nature. Its entirely possible a worker slipped me away without my knowing and pawned me off, and then, from there, I somehow wound up at Flourish &Blotts. Again, I don't know the details. I only know what Hermione told me.
"You died without a will?"
I'm afraid it wouldn't have mattered if I had left one. I had no family to leave any possessions to.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm an orphan, too."
I know, Hermione told me. I didn't want to bring it up in case it was a sensitive topic, but I want you to know that I'm here to talk, should you need. The real Tom made me for that purpose; nobody else understood what I was going through. What you are going through.
Lily leaned back in her seat again, listening to the rhythmic creaks of the house as it settled. It was already quite late at this point, and her room was absolutely freezing. It snowed a few more inches today, and she'd spent most of it out playing with the other kids, or at least trying to. All but Ron got a bit funny whenever she came around. She didn't know what was going on there. Still, though, something that Tom said there filled her with warmth, even as she felt sad. She didn't quite understand it.
"I'll think about it, Tom. Its really late, and I should get to bed."
Goodnight, then. I'll talk to you next time. Take as much time as you need; I understand if this is strange for you.
Lily closed the diary again without saying goodnight; it felt a bit too weird to be so proper with a book of all things. She wished she had any idea why Hermione would send this to her; she was still waiting on Hermione's owl, so she could send a letter back. As she drifted off, she contemplated getting her own owl. It really would solve a lot of her problems. As Weasley curled up on her chest, she decided she was quite comfortable with what she already had.
Lily helped Mrs. Weasley inside the house most of the next day, since her own children were unwilling to do so. They did a full clean of the thing, from top to bottom. Mrs. Weasley even helped Lily clean out the ghoul's attic since she was too nervous to go up by herself. They didn't talk much, aside from the constant orders from her superior. Lily collapsed into her bed at the earliest opportunity, forgetting all about writing in the diary. Weasley curled up on top of her, again, preventing her from rolling over, or even adjusting slightly. She slept with her face in her pillow.
The next day went the same, except she just spent the whole day reading up in her tree. She got tired of Ron arguing with Ginny about some inane thing, and she just wanted the peace and quiet. It was only long after she settled in and got comfortable that she realized she was wasting a good opportunity to talk once more with Tom. She didn't mind. She really was interested in finishing this book. She still needed to go back and cover the entries she skipped, but there was plenty of time for that, later. She was saving the cockatrice for last, since that was basically just a really big chicken from the glimpse she'd gotten earlier. She was very excited for it.
She skipped the next day, too, but only because she really needed to get some studying in. She realized in horror upon waking up that she'd missed a full month of Transfiguration classes, now, and that was almost certainly going to make her life a living hell once their break was over. She was holed up in her room the entire day, pouring over her previous notes and copying Ron's from the days she missed. She was only ever interrupted by Mrs. Weasley bringing her well-needed meals, since she apparently missed every single one with the family in her fervor. She was up really late that night, but she felt confident that she'd learned at least one new spell. As she finally crawled into bed, all snuggly and warm with Weasley curled up next to her, she wondered if McGonagall would be willing to give her a bit of extra credit for the effort.
The next day was Christmas, and she woke up bright and early (and extremely groggy). The rest of the house was still asleep, since the sun hadn't even begun to rise. Lily wondered why she was already up; she couldn't have been asleep for very long at all, judging by both the sky and how tired she still felt. She felt like something must have woken her, but she couldn't tell what. Her scar was prickling slightly, so she assumed she must have been having yet another nightmare. She almost wished she could remember the things, even if they must be dreadful. Weasley's fur was standing on end, and he flinched at her touch. She supposed that should probably trouble her, but there really wasn't anything to worry about in the Weasley-
"Trevor is in here, isn't he?" Lily suddenly asked. She glanced nervously over her shoulder, towards the door. She nearly screamed when Gwenog Jones winked at her from above.
It was far too dark in her room to see anything, even with moonlight trickling in through her window, and she was now too nervous to risk crossing her room to light a candle. She briefly considered using Aterlumen on herself, but she still didn't know how long it lasted, nor how to dismiss it. She settled on finding the answer to that question as her activity for the day, assuming she could ever pull herself away from the Weasleys. They'd more-or-less ignored her the last few days, but since she was supposed to be helping cook their dinner, she certainly hoped they'd make an exception just this once.
Lily eventually found her courage, ignoring the painful cold of the tile beneath her feet as she hurried over to her desk, where she'd unfortunately left her slippers the previous night. She couldn't find her matches in the dark, so she had to shuffle her way back over to her bedside table where she'd left her wand. She ignited it with a whispered "Lumos" and used the light to find her box of matches. It was, unfortunately, empty, as she'd used the last one during the previous night. A careful Incendio solved that problem, although she was very nervous that she'd set her room on fire. She didn't think the Weasleys would appreciate that very much. Finally, working by candlelight, she opened the black diary once more, turning it to the first blank page.
"Merry Christmas," she muttered happily as she wrote.
Merry Christmas, Lily! Is it really that time already? It feels like just a few days ago I was meeting Hermione for the first time.
"Sorry I was gone so long, I had to help the Weasleys get the house ready, and then I got caught up with studying."
Is there any subject you need help on? I was quite adept at Herbology and Transfiguration, myself, and am more than happy to give you advice, if you'd like.
Lily paused for a moment. She supposed Hermione must have mentioned to Tom what her worst subjects were, although she couldn't imagine the context was any good. There was simply no way Tom would have led with those two in particular, otherwise. It made her a bit uneasy.
"Maybe later," Lily said while her quill scratched away. "I don't know if I have the time right now, I think the others will be getting up soon."
It's still early, then? Hard to tell when you're stuck in a book like this. Why did you get up so early?
Lily chewed on the end of her quill.
"I don't know, I just woke up. My scar was hurting a bit and Weasley seemed upset about something. I think I must have just been having a nightmare, it happens often."
Do you remember what you were dreaming about?
"No, I never do. Not a thing."
You never remember any of your dreams?
"Not a one. Do you dream, Tom? What do you do while nobody is writing in you?"
Think, mostly. Try to make a plan to act on the last words I was given. In your case, I was thinking about our last conversation. I didn't realize it was Christmas; I know how hard the Holidays can be without family. I'm here if you need to talk at all.
"I'm supposed to be with the Weasleys all day, Mrs. Weasley wanted my help in the kitchen."
I don't suppose- never mind, I shouldn't ask, I wouldn't want to offend.
"No, go ahead, I don't mind."
Are you sure? Really, I wouldn't want to make you upset.
"You not asking it now is making me upset, Tom."
Very well. I apologize if I offend you any further. I was just going to ask if- if you don't suppose that- are you really sure you want to hear the question? I fear I may just be projecting my own experiences onto you, here.
Lily didn't find that very charming.
"How do you even stutter? You're a book. Ask the question, Tom. I won't get mad."
What you see are my vocalizations. I actually have no idea how they appear on the page, they are simply the way I am saying them.
"The question, Tom." Lily couldn't stand the stalling. She wanted to either be mad and leave, or to laugh about it afterwards.
Yes, well, as I said before, I fear I may just be projecting my own past onto you. Are you at all worried that the Weasleys are only keeping you around for the free labour? The comments about working around the house and having to cook for the family had me worried, is all.
"I'm just helping out because I want to, Tom, they've made it perfectly clear that I don't have to if I don't want to," Lily wrote.
It was a silly question, I shouldn't have asked.
"I understand, Tom. I thought you said you didn't have a family, though?"
Well, I used the term family quite loosely, I'm afraid. They kept me locked away in my small quarters most of the time, only letting me out when they needed something. Sometimes I even went a few days without eating. Don't mention that to Hermione, though; she'd worry far too much.
Lily bit her lip. "Why are you telling me?"
I was worried you might have been experiencing the same, and I wanted to help you if you were. Now that I know you aren't, I felt I at least owed you an explanation.
Lily paused for a minute as she thought about this. Did Hermione mention the Dursleys? She couldn't have, Lily thought. She never talked about them, not even with Hermione. She couldn't even bring herself to mention them to Katie, and she was-
Well, never mind, that.
Still, though, she had to ask just to make sure. She didn't like the idea of Hermione discussing her personal life behind her back. What Tom mentioned about being confined in a dark space, going without food for days, it was just too close to the mark.
"Tom, what has Hermione told you about me?"
Only what she said everybody else should know. You-Know-Who attempted to kill you as a child, failed, and then disappeared, leaving you an orphan. I'll be honest; I tried to learn more, just to help her with the difficulties she was having with you, but she refused. Said she didn't want to talk about you without your permission. I think that may partially be why she sent you to me.
"You sure she didn't mention anything?"
I know only your name, that you prefer to be called 'Lily,' that you have red hair, green eyes, are in Gryffindor, are quite pretty, and that Hermione often worries that you're smarter than her.
"She really thinks I'm smarter than her?"
She does. Or, at least, that's what she's told me. You probably shouldn't mention that to her, either; part of the charms placed on me mean I can't lie to the writer, but that's likely something Hermione wanted kept private. I did warn her about the risks beforehand, though, and she still accepted.
"You can't lie? Why didn't you mention that earlier?"
It slipped my mind! You had more pressing questions to answer. Now you know, though. Please don't abuse it. I'd hate to regret letting that slip.
Lily smiled as she thought of the possibilities. She could really dig for information on Hermione here, if she wanted to.
"I won't ask anything about Hermione," Lily wrote instead. "If she wanted me to know something, she'd tell me herself."
She was immensely curious, though. She was only just now realizing how little information they'd shared with each other during the last year. All she knew about Hermione was that she was Muggleborn, liked reading, did well in school, and had dentists for parents.
And I will tell her the same about you once I am back in her possession. I apologize ahead of time if she breaks that trust, but I really have no way of stopping it. I'm sure she wouldn't, though, just like she was sure you wouldn't ask about her.
"But she didn't mention what my life was like at all?" Lily wrote in an attempt to get back on topic.
No, she didn't. I did ask, I'll be honest. I was curious about you. I don't think she knew much. Would you like to talk about it?
"No," Lily quickly wrote. Some things were best left buried.
Something else then, perhaps? It is Christmas; were you hoping for any gifts in particular?
"No," Lily wrote. "The Weasleys don't have much money, I didn't want to ask for anything. I was sure they'd get it for me."
And yet they took you in as well? They must be good people.
"They are," Lily agreed. "I may have splurged on their gifts, myself. I bought brooms for the twins and Ginny, and I got Ron a signed robe from the Chudley Cannons. They're his favourite team."
The Cannons? Really? Are they actually decent now? They didn't have any fans at all when I was at school.
"No, they're still terrible. I think Ron likes them because all of their merchandise is affordable."
A shame. I had a friend join them after we graduated. I was wondering if he'd gotten them into shape.
"I think the real Tom would have mentioned it if he did."
You'd be surprised. He hardly ever talked about anything at all, really. Sometimes he'd go years without writing in me, come back for a ten-minute chat, and then go silent again.
"That must have been lonely, Tom."
I wish I could say it was, but I hardly have a concept of time at all. I only knew years had passed because he told me so.
Lily paused before writing again. He said earlier that he knew Hermione was ignoring him for two weeks, didn't he? And he knew she'd left him a few days? She shook the thought out of her head.
"Is there any gift you got that you can remember, Tom?"
No. As I said before, my 'family' was not very kind to me. I'm afraid I never had a proper Christmas.
"I'm sorry, Tom, I shouldn't have asked."
It's quite alright, Lily. I don't mind. Sharing these experiences is why I'm here, after all. I think that's part of why the real Tom ignored me so much; I don't think he liked himself very much.
"What was it like at Hogwarts while you were there?"
From what I've heard from Hermione, much the same as it is for you. Old Dumbledore is even still there. He taught Transfiguration while I was a student, though. Armando Dippet was Headmaster. Horace Slughorn taught Potions; Hermione tells me he's retired, now. McGonagall was just a student while I was there, but I barely remember her at all. We were in different Houses and years. I'm told Professor Binns is still there as a ghost now, we had him for History of Magic as well. I think he'll be there long after the both of us are gone. I hardly doubt he's even noticed that he died.
"What House were you in, Tom?"
Slytherin. Don't let that scare you off of using me, though; it wasn't all that bad while I was there. From what I've heard, it got much worse decades after. I was sorry to hear it. Some of the best people I ever knew came from Slytherin. We used to be quite chummy with the other Houses.
"I find that hard to believe, Tom, but I suppose I'll just have to trust you on that one. Every Slytherin I've ever met was a complete and utter git."
Perhaps they'll come around, eventually, once they get a better Head of House. Slughorn kept us all in good shape when he was there. I don't know a thing about this Severus Snape, but from what Hermione's told me, the man is completely dreadful.
"Hermione said that about a Professor? Really?"
Really. I was shocked, too. Didn't have that conversation until a few months into our relationship, and it caught me off guard. Didn't expect half the things she said. I have to admit, if I was still at Hogwarts, I would have been ashamed to be a Slytherin under his control. I'm sure most of the problems stem from him.
"I didn't mind him during our first year, but this year he's been particularly nasty for no reason at all."
I'm sorry to hear it. Slytherin is clearly in dire need of new leadership.
Lily perked her head up as she heard somebody coming down the stairs. They passed her room, heading down towards the living room and kitchen. She scratched at her eyes again, trying to wipe the sleep away from them. The sun still wasn't rising.
"I should go, Tom, I think the others are starting to get up."
A final word of advice, then: give the family some space if they need it. I'm sure this day will be just as awkward for them as it will be for you. They're not used to having another person around for the Holidays. Merry Christmas, Lily.
Lily closed the diary without writing a final farewell, then tucked it safely into a drawer in her desk. She gave herself one final stretch before standing, then exited her room as quietly as she could, clicking the door shut gently behind her as Weasley slinked his way out and past her legs. She shivered a bit as she made her way down the stairs, wishing she'd grabbed a robe to tie around herself. It wasn't too late to go back, but she felt like it was.
She found Mrs. Weasley stoking the fire as she made her way down. The woman briefly looked up as the bottom stair creaked, and her face lit into a smile.
"Merry Christmas, dear," she said.
"Merry Christmas," Lily said a bit less warmly. She couldn't help but think about what Tom said.
"Couldn't sleep from all the excitement?"
"No, I think I had a nightmare," Lily said as she sat on the couch. She closed her eyes to give them a bit of rest. She could feel Weasley hop up into her lap, and she scratched at his ears.
"Well you're always welcome to head back up for some more sleep before the others get up. I'm surprised Ron and Ginny aren't already down here. Just two years ago, I found them both getting a head start on their presents while they thought I was sleeping."
"What did you do?" Lily asked.
"Got the others up, of course. Couldn't be too mad about some Christmas excitement. I used to do the same, back when I was young. Would you like some tea? I was going to brew some while I got the goose started."
"Sure," Lily said with her eyes still closed.
'Two sugars?"
"Yes, please."
"You just stay right there, I'll bring it right to you."
Lily leaned further back into the cushion, stroking her cat idly while she listened to Mrs. Weasley fuss about in the kitchen. She briefly wondered if she should go help, but decided against it.
The two of them were just finishing their tea when Mr. Weasley made his way down the stairs, looking very sleepy but somewhat excited. Lily thought he looked like a much older version of how Ron appeared during the previous year's Christmas. She hoped he'd find his pens a decent enough gift.
Ron came down next, shortly after his father. He didn't look tired at all. Matter of fact, he was quite energetic, and Lily noticed how he kept glancing at the pile of gifts sitting beneath the tree. It was the first time she'd seen him up this early since the last Christmas.
They had to wait for the others, though, so Mrs. Weasley made him go upstairs and fetch the chess set Lily gifted him the previous year. That meant that Lily was suckered into playing, of course, since neither of the boy's parents stood a chance against him. She didn't, either, but she could put up a better fight than they did. She even almost took a game, once, but she was pretty sure Ron was trying to play badly on purpose so she wouldn't feel as bad about losing. She certainly appreciated the effort. She still lost.
Ginny came down next, just as they were wrapping up their seventh game. She watched the remainders with a clearly uninterested gaze as the other Weasleys shuffled down in their own time, Fred and George arriving last.
"Well, I think we all know what we're starting with," Molly said with a smile as she handed each member of the family, plus Lily, an identically wrapped package.
It felt very soft beneath her fingertips, and she smiled fondly; she outgrew her old sweater far too quickly. As she slid this new, green one over her head, she hoped it'd last longer. It felt a bit big on her, as if Mrs. Weasley was fully expecting Lily to continue growing. The sleeves were quite baggy and long, but Mrs. Weasley made it nice and tight around the wrists so it wouldn't slide over her hands.
After that, Lily received a whole container of fudge, as well as a wink from Mrs. Weasley. She motioned for Lily to check the bottom of the container. Lily did so to humour the woman, and found a second layer of fudge hidden magically under the first. That certainly put a smile on her face.
That was all Lily received, for the most part. She got a few trinkets here and there from the children, as well a book from Ron on the history of the Chudley Cannons, but otherwise didn't get anything of note. She still cherished them all, though, even the suspicious bottle Fred and George slid her when their parents weren't looking. She wasn't sure she wanted to drink it. She still had one present sitting by the tree, but Mrs. Weasley passed over it in favour of distributing some other gifts. Lily smiled as Fred and George were handed the ones from her.
"What's this, then?" Fred asked as he held up his long, thin package. George held up his own, identical one, while Ginny glanced down to hers sitting next to the tree, her face full of awe and wonder. That made Lily's smile a bit wider.
"Somebody's ahead of the curve," she said, nudging the other girl playfully.
"You didn't!" Ginny said, her eyes still wide.
"And where's mine?" Ron asked. He didn't sound like he knew what they were, but was just offended not to be getting one of the same.
"You already had one," Lily said sweetly. "I got you something else. Percy, too; I didn't think he'd want one."
"Already had one?"
"You didn't," Fred said incredulously as he tore enough paper to reveal the smooth, brown broom handle. Lily giggled as she saw his eyes lock onto the gold writing near the end that most certainly read as Nimbus 2000.
"You couldn't have," George said as he unwrapped his own.
"Me too?" Ginny asked as she stared openmouthed at her present still sitting on the floor.
"I thought you could use one for next year," Lily said with a wink.
"Lily, you shouldn't have," Mrs. Weasley said sharply. "That's what you were buying in the shop? I knew I should have gone in with you, really, this is too much."
"What did you get me?" Ron asked as he stared in amazement at his two celebrating brothers. They were currently dancing arm in arm and chanting Lily's name. Ginny was still staring at her unwrapped gift, as if she was too scared to mess up the paper.
"Why don't you open it and find out?" Lily said with a wide smile.
Soon enough, she was being mauled by each member of the family as they opened their own gifts, even by Mr. Weasley, who somehow seemed more excited about a few pens than his children were about broomsticks. Mrs. Weasley didn't get one, but she seemed misty-eyed about the whole thing anyway.
The twins and Ginny immediately wanted to go try out their brooms, of course, and ignored their shouting mother in their haste to get away. Ron ran upstairs to grab his own broom, and came back down, proudly wearing his new robes. He ran out shortly after to join the other three, while Percy tucked himself into a nice, quiet corner, to get started on his reading.
Lily sat on the couch, feeling a bit sad, with her cat in her lap.
"Here you are, dear," Mrs. Weasley said happily. She handed Lily a what was clearly a large picture frame wrapped in gaudy paper. Her eyes kept trailing to the window, where she could watch her children swooping about in the yard.
"What's this?" Lily asked curiously.
"Got it from the Prophet," Mr. Weasley piped up from his favourite armchair. He was scribbling away happily at a scroll with his new pens.
"The Prophet?" Lily repeated. She tore off the front, or what felt like, revealing a framed newspaper that she was holding upside down. She turned it, and the headline caught her eye.
"Is this-" she asked. Her voice broke on the last part.
"Molly said you were curious," Mr. Weasley explained. "Spent a few hours in an archive trying to track it down. Thought you might like it."
A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION: HARRY JAMES POTTER
We here at the Prophet are happy to announce, on behalf of James and Lily Potter, that the young couple has introduced a new life into this world. Their son, Harry, was born yesterday evening, during a private birth held at their home in Godric's Hollow.
The couple were even happy to provide a photograph of the newborn, featured below. We are excited to see the future of young Harry, and wish both him and his parents the best. If he has inherited even a fraction of the talent both of his parents possess, we are certain he will accomplish great things.
Lily felt empty, although she didn't know why. This really only gave her more questions. She scanned the rest of the article, but it just kept going on about little baby Harry, and how happy they all were, and how excited they were to see him. None of it was what she wanted to know.
"Why is this in the paper?" she asked.
"A bit of a fluff piece, I suppose," Mr. Weasley said. "You have to understand, Lily, this was at the height of the war, and your parents were popular people. Nobody'd seen them in over a year, they'd been hiding from You-Know-Who. Everybody appreciated the good news."
"But why?" she said again. "Really, why? I don't- I'm not a boy, I never was- why?"
"I don't think anybody really knows," Mr. Weasley said carefully. He wasn't scribbling anymore. "They didn't print a retraction until- well, until after your parents were killed. I'll try to find it for you, I should have before. The Prophet said they did it for your protection, but they didn't say why it would protect you. I don't think anybody ever questioned it. We were too busy celebrating."
The feeling didn't go away even after they finished cooking the meal. Soon the table was piled high with food, and there was barely even any room for people to sit. Lily had to sit at the end of the table, crammed into a corner with Ron. People kept asking her questions, but she just couldn't get into the spirit. Ron only wanted to talk about his Chudley Cannons, and he just went on and on about every player as he pointed to their signature on his robe (that he was, of course, wearing at the dinner table, right over his sweater). Lily felt like she didn't eat much; she could barely remember how anything tasted.
She managed to slip away while the family was in the sitting room, listening to some old Christmas song on a radio while their mother sung softly along with it. She clicked her bedroom door shut softly behind her. She glanced at the desk where Tom was currently resting, but she decided she didn't feel like talking to him, either. Instead, she went to her trunk, where she had to rummage a bit to find her photo album. Hagrid gave it to her at the end of the first year, right after she got into that fight with Hermione. She needed to see them, even if they couldn't answer her questions.
She had to wipe a few tears from her eyes when she found a picture of her parents sitting together next to an extravagant Christmas tree. Her mother was sitting in her father's lap, smiling and laughing towards the camera, occasionally turning to place a kiss on her husband's cheek. There was an advent calendar in the background with only a few days ticked off. Her father had his hand placed protectively over her mother's very large belly, and he looked happier there than he did in any other photo. She thought she heard her door click open as she had to wipe at her face again, but it was closed when she looked up.
She kept flipping through, trying to find something. She felt unwanted and dirty, as if something was deeply wrong. The tears were coming faster, now, and she wasn't bothering to wipe her face.
There! She thought. She'd found what she was looking for, what she remembered being in there.
She was bigger, then, and her mother was bouncing her on her knee. Her father was sitting across from them, his face beaming while he watched his two favourite girls. They were in the kitchen, sitting together at the table, where a cake was perched, next to a pile of gifts. There was a cat running through the frame, a small black one that made Lily miss her own. A banner hung above them, emblazoned with bold letters, hanging before a window with a light drift of what looked like rain beyond it.
Happy Birthday, Hazel!
"They knew," she whispered to herself. It felt reassuring, even though she already knew they must have. It felt better knowing they weren't just pretending because they didn't want a daughter. But it didn't completely reassure her.
"Who took the picture?" she asked as she finally wiped at her face. She wanted to check the article again, just to make sure it didn't mention anybody else, but she'd left it downstairs. She'd have to apologize to Mr. Weasley later. She hoped he didn't feel bad.
There was a tapping at her window. An awful lot of tapping, actually. She managed to tear her eyes from the album, finding two owls sitting at her windowsill. One had a thick package tied to its leg, and was also clearly Hermione's snowy owl, Hedwig. The other was larger and gray, and she bit her lip at that one; she was out of biscuits for the bird. She ate the last one herself when she needed a snack last night. She didn't expect Katie to write her again before the Holidays were over.
The two owls fought over the space on her desk once she let them in. Monty won due to his size, but he also knocked all of Lily's papers from the top, which she certainly didn't appreciate.
"I'll be right back," Lily whispered to the owls (for whatever reason). "I'm out of biscuits, I need to go grab some."
Monty hooted appreciatively, while Hedwig simply stared at her seriously while sitting a top all the things Hermione sent for her. Lily snuck out her door as quietly as she could, unsure of why she'd even need to be quiet, then set off down the stairs, wincing as each step creaked. She could hear chatter still coming from the sitting room, and she slinked around the corner to the kitchen as quickly as she could, heart thumping wildly in her chest. The pantry door was already open, thankfully, as that made it very easy to rummage through until her hand hit a biscuit tin. She stuffed that into her robe as best she could, took a deep breath, and then slinked back around the corner to the stairs, hoping to go unseen.
She managed to make it back to her room in one piece as she closed the door behind her. Monty stared up from her desk expectantly. Lily was sure that if the owl had lips, he'd be licking them right now. She set the biscuit tin next to the owl with the lid closed. That didn't seem to make him happy, but at least he knew they existed now.
Lily took Monty's letter first, then fed the owl a biscuit so he could be on his way. With the desk now free, Hedwig took the place, depositing her package with a heavy thunk. Lily took the package off her legs while the owl stretched. She tried to offer her a biscuit, but Hedwig just looked at it in disappointment before flying off to head home. Lily grumbled about the ungrateful owl as she shut the window. Her room was positively freezing now. She had no idea why she didn't shut the window immediately like she normally did.
Hermione had a small note attached to the parcel that simply read:
Merry Christmas!
See you at Hogwarts!
Hermione Granger
The parcel Hermione sent over was even more than Lily asked for. Not just one but three full sketchbooks and a large chest of charcoal, colored pencils, oil pastels, and paints, plus a book entitled A Witch's Guide to Art. Lily had to wipe her eyes at the sight of it all; it was absolutely beautiful. She wasn't sure if she had enough pounds to repay it all. Lily tucked the treasure into the bottom of the wardrobe, where it'd be safest. She'd get it out tomorrow, then go sit in her tree all day. She'd have to sneak past the Weasleys, but if today was anything to go off of, they wouldn't notice her absence.
With that out of the way, she wiped at her face one last time before picking up Katie's letter. It didn't feel too thick, but it was certainly longer than Hermione's. Lily supposed she couldn't be too upset about that; Katie did say that she wasn't good at writing letters. As she unfolded the parchment, she noticed there wasn't a greeting this time, which only briefly worried her.
Lily, thank you so much! A Nimbus, really, you didn't have to! You should have seen the look on Mum and Dad's face when I unwrapped it, they knew a friend sent me something, but they had no idea it'd be a broom! They said they were surprised somebody actually liked me that much, and then dad gave me an hour-long lecture about not accepting gifts from boys. Didn't even let me tell him you're a girl.
Now I feel bad for not getting you anything, I really didn't expect something like this! When we get back to Hogwarts, you better watch out, Lily, because I'm going to get you back for this one!
Lily didn't know if she liked that wording. It sounded rather like when Dudley would threaten to beat her if he got his hands on her. That was all the letter had, though, and she still felt warm inside after reading it, even if she was a bit fearful for her life. She tucked it into a box she kept in her wardrobe, along with all her other letters. Then, she settled back into bed with the book Hermione sent her, eager to find out how to get her pictures to move.
