"A Basilisk? Are you having me on?"
Lily frowned as she played with the Sorting Hat between her fingers. She was sitting on Ron's bed in the second-year boy's dormitory. Dean and Seamus were sitting in the common room playing Exploding Snap last time she saw them. She'd made it a week before finally breaking down and telling somebody, but Ron did not seem to like the idea.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. She did tell somebody else that first night, but they didn't believe her, and they hadn't talked since.
"You know what that is?" Lily said. "I had to ask, I had no clue."
"Course I do, half the stories I heard as a kid involved one eating some runaway," Ron said. He placed Scabbers down gently on the sheet next to him; he'd been squeezing a bit too hard on the rat.
"I don't suppose you know how to kill one, do you?" Lily asked
Ron scoffed at the mere idea. "Kill one? Why, you planning on going down there blindfolded? They kill just by looking at you, Lily, we don't stand a chance, nobody does. That's why the Ministry absolutely forbids the breeding of them. Just trying is enough to get somebody a lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban."
"It was just an idea, that's all," Lily said, holding her hands up in defeat. "I just want to find the entrance, anyway, I don't plan on going down there. Here, take the Hat for the day, you should ask him yourself. I already let Hermione talk to him."
Ron took the Hat in his own hands, although he had a strange look on his face.
"Why?" he said, tossing it back to her. "The Mandrakes are supposed to be here in a month, we don't need to find the Chamber anymore."
"You really don't want to know where the Chamber is?" Lily said with a raised brow. "I thought you liked adventure."
"I do, but I don't want you trying to get yourselfkilled again," Ron said. "You've had a lot of that lately."
"Did you have your meeting yet?" Lily asked in an effort to change the subject.
"Two days ago. Mum and dad said they'd be back for yours, don't worry. Well, they won't be here, they have to call in with the Floo, but still."
Lily's meeting with McGonagall was coming soon, where she'd need to pick her electives for the next year. She was feeling a bit nervous about it. McGonagall didn't smile at her as much as she used to, ever since she accidentally revealed she was a Parselmouth. McGonagall wasn't the only one, either. Half of Gryffindor was now actively avoiding her, what few allies she had left in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff actively shunned her, and she was shunning the half of Slytherin that kept trying to hang out with her. Even Hermione and Katie were being a bit strange around her, lately. Hermione kept glancing away and leaving the room every time she entered, and Katie just seemed nervous in general, but she still tried to talk with Lily, for which she was very grateful.
The Weasleys were the only ones who were well and truly on her side. Fred and George even kept announcing her presence every chance they got, telling people to bow to her or she'd add them to her list. She didn't think that was doing her any favours, but she also found it a bit funny, so she kept letting them go on.
"What electives did you take?" Lily asked kindly. She was still going to stick with her three, but it'd be nice to know she'd have a friend in at least one of them.
"I- err-"
"What is it, Ron?"
The boy looked away, his face turning red, as he refused to answer the question.
"Fine, I can take the hint," Lily said as she stood. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
"Wait, Lily, come on," Ron said. "I wasn't trying to- just come back, I'll tell you!"
Unfortunately for him, Lily was already out the door. She hadn't actually expected him to stick with his plan of only taking Muggle Studies and Divination, not after how much effort he was putting into studying lately. She'd hardly seen him at all, even while they were confined to the common room. She would have come up to his dorm earlier, just to talk or even study with him, but she didn't want to be around Dean and Seamus. Dean was a Muggleborn, and he was in the half of Gryffindor that no longer trusted her.
Lily ignored the harsh stares as she returned to her own dorm, where Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender were all sitting around. It was well past supper, and Lavender was already snoring away, Parvati was painting her toenails, and Hermione was writing in Tom with her curtains drawn. She briefly considered asking to borrow him (she still had a lot of questions she needed to hear the truth about), but Tom was a sensitive issue these days. They'd have to talk about it all soon enough, but she was putting the argument off.
Lily hated waiting for everybody else before breakfast more than she hated any of the other rules. McGonagall absolutely refused to escort the House down until everybody was ready to go, and none of the Prefects wanted to escort a sole student, since she tended to get up much earlier than they did. She spent an awful lot of time sitting around in the dark, empty common room, waiting for everybody else to mill their way in. At the very least, it bought her some nice time on the couch directly in front of the fireplace. One of the few perks of her newfound notoriety was that nobody ever told her to vacate the primo spots anymore, and she was using that to her full advantage.
It also meant the table in the Great Hall was far more packed than it should be, since everybody now ate all at one time. And since all the other Houses ate at a similar time, she had to deal with the looks and jeers of those that hated her, which always stung deeply. She sat at the end of the table with Ron (and only Ron), chewing on some beans and toast between sips of pumpkin juice. She exchanged a few glances with Katie, but the other girl kept looking away as soon as they made eye contact. Lily wished Katie would just talk to her. She was running out of friends.
"Just ignore them, Lily," Ron said after one especially rude Ravenclaw pretended to "accidentally" spill some juice on her as she passed by.
"I'd like to see you deal with it," Lily muttered as she wrung the stuff from her hair.
"You ready for practice later?" Ron gave a friendly pat to his trusty Nimbus that he had sitting at his side. Lily gave a glance at her own, faster model, sitting at her own.
"No," Lily grumbled. They had their next game in just a month, against Hufflepuff, and Wood was pushing them harder than ever. There was still snow outside, but he had them doing drills for hours on end every single weekend. She was getting a bit sick of nearly freezing to death.
"Post's here."
Lily glanced up at the cloudy ceiling as the flurry of owls soared into the hall via the open window. She spotted Monty drop an envelope off near Katie, as well as Hedwig dropping off a small package for Hemione. She went back to her toast, not expecting a thing, just in time for a red owl to drop a letter right on top of her beans. She nearly took a bite out of it before she caught herself, and her face turned red as she heard people laugh at her.
"Just ignore them, Lily," Ron repeated.
"Now it's all soggy," Lily whined as she opened her stained envelope.
Dear Miss Potter,
We at Flourish & Blotts were absolutely delighted to hear from you, as I'm sure you could have guessed. It's not every day that someone of your calibre writes to us for a special request!
Unfortunately, it is about your request that I am writing to you in the present. We thoroughly checked our inventories, and indeed we likely spent too long of a time doing so, but we simply could not find anything that matched it. We haven't had a magical diary in several years, as far as I can tell. I will be sure to let you know as soon as we receive another one and, indeed, I shall hold it for you for as long as I am able. We would be delighted to have your continued patronage.
If you don't mind me asking, would it be fine with you if we had you sign a few items for sale? We have an ongoing deal with Gilderoy Lockhart for his books, you see, and as he is your current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, we were wondering if you would be willing to sign a few prestige items along with him. Feel free to write back to us on the matter.
And on a sole matter, we'd be proud to offer you a promotional opportunity of your own. It would be great experience, and quite easy, as well. All you'd have to do is attend a Meet-and-Greet, sign a few books here and there, and assist some customers. You will, of course, be duly compensated for the matter. Hogwarts students aren't allowed to work until they reach 13, of course, so it would have to wait until after your birthday. Let us know if it's something you'd be interested in!
Yours Truly
Guinevere Blott
A few years? Lily's eyes flickered down the table, to where Hermione was sitting nervously with Lavender and Parvati. The other two girls were clearly enjoying themselves, laughing about some private joke, while Hermione stared sullenly at her plate, not saying a word.
"I need to talk to Hermione," Lily said as she stood abruptly.
"It'll have to wait," Ron said as he gestured with his fork to the staff table. "McGonagall's on her way down to take us to practice."
"She can wait, I have to-"
"Are you two ready to go?" McGonagall asked sharply, her eyes narrowing in suspicion at the already standing Lily.
"I just need to have a word with Hermione first, Professor," Lily said, gesturing with her thumb back towards the other girl. "Then I can-"
"You can speak with her later, Potter," McGonagall said tersely. "Whatever it is you have to say to your infrequent companion is not as important as practice. We do have a match coming up, after all. I would hate for us to lose the cup because our prized Seeker was too busy chatting with other girls."
Lily had to disagree, but she knew better than to argue with her Head of House. She grumbled mutinously to herself as she and the rest of the team trudged their way through the snow to the Quidditch pitch. New flakes were already falling from the sky, promising an absolutely miserable training session.
She was right, of course, as she usually was about these matters. She could feel the cold in her bones as they finally landed on the ground well past lunch hours. She couldn't feel a single thing on the entirety of her skin's surface, and she was positive that she simply no longer had a nose or ears. Trying to feel for them didn't do a thing, as she had no sensation of touch. She was sincerely hoping the fireplace would be open in the common room, although she knew it wouldn't be. If she was lucky, it'd be a first year sitting there, and she could boot him from the spot. She might just be able to do it to an older student, depending on who it was.
"Good job, everyone," Wood said proudly. "You especially, Ron, you've really shaped up lately. I really think we've got an unbeatable team going here. Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance."
"Can we go inside now?" Lily said thickly. She could feel her nose still running. Maybe she could convince McGonagall to take her to Pomfrey first, just to head off the sickness she was definitely catching.
"In just a bit, Lily, I have to go over our plans for next week."
Lily groaned, turning her head to stare up at the cloudy sky. She could feel snowflakes landing on her face, which was surprising, considering the lack of feeling everywhere else. She wondered how many unmelted ones were in her hair. Katie's was holding at least a hundred, and she didn't even seem to notice. Lily noticed her briefly look over, then glance away as her face turned a bit red. She wondered what that was all about.
"Excuse me, Wood," McGonagall said sharply. Lily jumped at the sound of her voice; she didn't notice the professor come down from the stands at all. Lily thought she heard Ron sniggering at her side, so she sent an elbow towards his ribs.
"Professor?" Wood said curiously.
"Potter and I have a meeting to attend with her guardians," McGonagall explained, nodding at Lily. "We must be going, if we are to make it on time. I trust I can count on you to escort the others back to the common room?"
"Of course, Professor, you can count on me."
"Come, Potter." McGonagall turned and walked off without waiting, her dark green robe trailing on the snow behind her. Lily jogged to catch up (and to warm herself a bit). She threw a wave back to Katie as she went, but she wasn't sure the girl noticed, since she was busy staring at her own two feet.
"I thought you had to escort us, Professor," Lily said as she held her teeth back from clattering. It was harder to hide the shivers that occasionally ran though her body.
"Quidditch Captains have the same powers as Prefects, Potter. Professors attend the practices only for extra protection. As practice is over, my presence is no longer needed. Besides, Moody is watching from the rafters. He is more than capable of keeping them all safe."
"Mad-Eye was watching us?" Lily said. She winced as she said it, since they weren't supposed to be calling him that.
"Two points from Gryffindor, Miss Potter. You know better than that."
Lily stayed silent the rest of the way to the castle, not trusting herself to speak. She was fuming at the loss of points. It seemed a bit silly to her, since Mad-Eye seemed to like the name. He smiled at her the one time she accidentally let it slip in front of him.
Lily barely warmed up at all by the time they reached the professor's office, but McGonagall already had a roaring fire going when they entered, and she was grateful for the heat. It did a lot to raise her spirits.
"Now, before your guardians arrive, I have a few preliminary questions to ask you," McGonagall said as she sat at her stiff, wooden chair that always sat behind her desk. Lily took a seat in her own stiff, wooden chair, wishing McGonagall had the same grace that Dumbledore did in his office decorations. Her back was already aching from hours of hunching over her broomstick.
"Go ahead, Professor, I'm ready."
"That is good to know. I will be going over your full marks during the meeting proper, but I will say now that I am quite pleased with your progress in most areas."
"Thanks, Pro-"
"In most areas, Potter."
Lily folded her hands together as she tried to hold in her nervousness. She'd thought she'd been doing much better in Transfiguration lately, personally. She'd at least been attempting to answer every question on every assignment, rather than just skipping one when she had absolutely no clue.
"Your marks in most classes are either above average or at the top of the class, I am proud to say. However, you are below average in two key areas."
"I know, Professor, but I've really been trying to-"
"I understand your Herbology marks. Longbottom has always excelled in that subject, and without his guidance, your studies have slipped. It is History of Magic that I do not understand."
"Oh, thank Merlin," Lily whispered to herself. She was doing better in Transfiguration. She was even doing above average! That was the best news she'd heard all day, for certain.
"By all reports, most students do very well in History of Magic. Provided they are attending, that is. Is there something you would like to tell me before the Weasleys tune in, Potter?"
"I have been going, Professor," Lily said quickly, "Its just- I missed two months, Professor, and there's just so much to go over. Even Hermione's notes don't help, because she always writes down every single thing Binns says instead of-"
"Professor Binns."
"She always writes down everything Professor Binns says, instead of the highlights, so I just have too much to go through, and I really needed to catch up on your class so I've- I've been ignoring it a bit, I'll admit."
McGonagall nodded. "Your marks have improved in Transfiguration tremendously. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed. I felt a bit of pride when you conjured that serpent at the dueling club, I must admit."
"Serpensortia?" Lily asked. "I thought- I thought summoning things was a charm, Professor."
"They are, Potter, but summoning something usually requires that you know where that item is. Conjuration is something else entirely, and that is what you did. What you did was Transfiguration. And a very well-done cast, at that. You have come a long way from struggling at every common spell."
Lily didn't know what to say about that. She still couldn't get most of their Transfiguration work done on the first try. Why did making that snake come so easily? She hadn't even heard of the spell before Malfoy cast it.
"I don't suppose that gives me any bonus points, Professor?" Lily tried.
"It most certainly does not," McGonagall said with a sly smile. Lily did her best to hide her disappointment.
"Hello?"
Lily jumped, her head turning to face the fireplace, where she was certain she'd heard a-
Mr. Weasley's face was in the fireplace, amidst the crackling flames and ash. None of that seemed to bother him any, even though Lily would have thought it'd be quite warm.
"Just in time, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, unperturbed by the sudden appearance of a man's face.
"Just me this time," Arthur said, "Molly went down for a bit of a nap, and I didn't want to wake her."
"Sorry," Lily said remorsefully. It was her fault anybody had to attend at all. She should have known the Weasleys would have preferred to rest.
"Let's get started, shall we?" McGonagall said as she cleared her throat. "Lily's marks have been exceptional in Potions, Charms, and Defense, with absolutely no complaints from any of her professors."
"That's great to hear!" Arthur said.
"However, her marks in Herbology and History of Magic leave much to be desired. I believe part of it was simply how much she has been absent this year, due to no fault of her own, but the issue still needs to be addressed. She is barely passing either class."
"That's not quite so great," Arthur admitted shyly. "Still, though, I'm sure she'll back at top in no time flat. She just needs a bit more time, is all, she's only been back a few weeks."
"I will table the matter for now, then," McGonagall said as she made some notations on a paper in front of her. "Miss Potter's grades in her other classes are satisfactory at the least and above average at best. She has, overall, been an excellent student, and seems to have rid herself of her previous troublemaking tendencies."
McGonagall glanced up sharply, and Lily realized she was thinking the exact same thing: that was only because she was missing one Invisibility Cloak.
"Good to know the twins haven't rubbed off too much on her."
"Yes, well, we'll have plenty of time to talk about them later, with their OWLs next year. Have you given any thought to what electives you will be taking, Miss Potter?"
Lily perked up. "Yes, Professor, I wanted to take Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Study of Ancient Runes."
"All fine choices," McGonagall said with a nod. "So long as you agree to pull up History of Magic and Herbology, I see no reason to disagree."
"Nor do I," Mr. Weasley piped in. "You'll have an easier time of it than Ron will, that's for sure."
"I am surprised you did not take every elective like those two friends of yours, Miss Potter, but I admire that you know your own shortcomings," McGonagall said with another satisfied nod.
"Pardon?" Lily asked. "Two friends? Hermione has to be one, but who's the other one?"
"Did he not tell you?" Mr. Weasley said in a curious tone. "Ron took all of them, Lily. I tried to talk him out of it, but his mother seemed downright proud of it. 'Just like Bill and Percy,' she said."
"Yes, well, if he wasn't performing far better this year than the last, I wouldn't have allowed it myself," McGonagall said sternly. "But I have seen the recent effort he has been putting in, and I decided to reward it."
"He's taking all of them?" Lily said in her continued disbelief. "Really? Ron?"
"I suppose that changes things for you?"
"No," Lily said quickly, "I only want the three, I'm just- It's just surprising, is all. I didn't think- I didn't think he'd do something like that."
"Well, with that matter settled, I believe we have wrapped things up very quickly this time around," McGonagall said. "Do you have any questions for Lily, Mr. Weasley?"
"No, not at all," Mr. Weasley denied. "We're both proud of her, of course, and if she already knows what she wants to take, who are we to say no?"
"Then that is that," McGonagall said. "Miss Potter, you may leave now. I have some paperwork I must finish with your guardians in private."
Lily started to stand, then paused halfway up from her seat.
"Professor?"
"Hmm?"
"Don't I need an escort?"
"Percival is waiting for you outside, Miss Potter," McGonagall said. "He has been escorting all of the second years after their meetings, and you will be no exception."
Lily took that as her sign to leave, since Mr. Weasley was waiting patiently in the fireplace, not saying a word. She turned as she closed the door, leaving her back exposed to the hallway (and Percy). She wasn't at all looking forward to walking with him, truth be told, since he tended to lecture her about whatever inane societal rule she happened to be breaking at any particular moment.
"All done, Lily?" he asked. "That was much faster than Ron, I must say."
"I already knew what I wanted to take," Lily said. She took the lead, setting the pace for their trip upwards.
"What did you take? I took them all, myself, but I don't expect anybody else to-"
"I took Care, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy," Lily said. It was best to get your words in as quickly as you could with Percy, or he'd just keep going.
"Good, excellent choices," Percy said, right before clearing his throat. Lily knew what that meant. "If you ever need help, just let me know, I don't know if you've heard, but I achieved an OWL in both subjects, and I'm taking a NEWT in Arithmancy. It's a requirement for half the departments at the Ministry, did you know? I didn't want my choices to be limited."
"Uh huh," Lily said as she tuned him out. It was going to be a long walk back to the common room.
"What are you working on, Ron?" Lily asked as she finally, mercifully, got to sit across from him at a common room table. Ron looked up from the textbook he was leaned over and set his quill down on the parchment.
"Potions," he grumbled. "Have to finish up Snape's essay for Tuesday."
"You can copy mine, if you want," Lily offered. "I'd just have to go get my bag, no big deal."
"That'd be great, actually," Ron said with a sigh of relief. He may be trying harder, but he would still accept any help he could get.
"First, though, you have to tell me why you didn't mention you were taking every elective," Lily said as she crossed her arms sternly. "Why did I have to hear it from McGonagall, first?"
Ron's ears flushed red. "Oh, she told you, huh?"
"Of course she did, she didn't understand why I wasn't, when you and Hermione were. I thought you were just taking the easiest classes?"
Ron scratched at his nose. "Well, it's- err- It's like you said earlier in the year, you know?"
"No."
"You said you- you thought I could do it, if I tried, and I thought, why not? Figured I could drop a few if I hated them, but I might as well give it a go."
"You should have told me!" Lily said again. "Your workload is going to be crazy, you know that, don't you?"
"Course I do," Ron said with a worried nod. "But I didn't want you taking them just to help me out, you should just focus on what you want. I'll be fine, don't worry about it, I'll have Hermione to help me out."
"Well, you can still copy my work from the classes we do share, at least," Lily offered. "I don't want you killing yourself from exhaustion trying to get everything done."
"It's a deal," Ron agreed. "So, how about that Potions essay?"
Lily stood from her seat. "I'll be down in a bit. I need to talk to Hermione, first."
"Oh, yeah, you mentioned that earlier, didn't you?"
"Sure did," Lily said happily as she skipped away, up the stairs.
"Just give it after supper," Ron called after her. "I think I'm going to have a nap."
Lily forgot to knock as she entered her own dorm, which made Hermione jump on her mattress out of the sudden shock. She was writing in Tom, and she quickly hid him away, tucking him under her pillow. Lily wasn't allowed to see him anymore, after all, since he was the cause of all their issues.
"Sorry, Lily, you scared-"
"Don't put Tom away, he's what I want to talk about," Lily said, clicking the door locked behind her. She hoped Lavender and Parvati would stay downstairs just a while longer.
"Talk about?" Hermione repeated. She bit her lip nervously as she glanced towards the pillow. "Is this about the Basilisk thing again? I talked to Tom about it, but I still don't think- Do we really have to have this argument again, Lily?"
"Hermione, it's not about that, even if I do think you're wrong," Lily said as she shook her head. "Look, have you- are you sure you know where Tom came from?"
Hermione tilted her head. "Pardon?"
"You said you got him from Flourish & Blotts, yeah?"
"Yeah?"
Lily dug into her robes and tossed the letter she had tucked away to Hermione, who carefully unfolded it with nervous hands. Her eyes scanned it hastily as she read it, her lip biting growing a bit worse.
"You tried to get your own?" she asked finally as she looked up.
"Not the point," Lily said. "Hermione, they haven't had one in years, but you got yours from there?"
Hermione glanced back towards the letter. "Well, I just assumed, he was mixed in with the rest of my books. Maybe he just belonged to someone else, and they dropped it in accidentally?"
"Then why didn't Tom mention that?" Lily asked sharply. "He told me that he hadn't been used in ages, Hermione."
"Well, he still could have been lost without being used, couldn't he?"
Lily shook her head. "It doesn't make any sense, Hermione, I thought something bothered me about it. I asked Ron the day you sent me Tom, and he said-"
"You told Ron?" Hermione practically shrieked. "Lily, how could-"
"Listen!" Lily interrupted. "I didn't tell him about Tom, I just asked him about magical diaries, he thought I was just looking for one myself. He said they're really rare, and really expensive. Nobody would just lose one, and there's no way your parents wouldn't notice buying it. So why do you have him?"
"Lily, I don't want to talk about this," Hermione said firmly. "I trust Tom, he's been a good friend, I don't know why you're acting like this. Just because you're jealous-"
"Think about it, Hermione," Lily urged as she paced back and forth. "Haven't you ever wondered how he knows all these things conveniently on the same year we get all these attacks? You really think that's a coincidence?"
"Lily, if you're suggesting-"
"And he's been lying, Hermione!" Lily continued. "He lied the first day I had him! He kept saying he had no sense of time, that he could never tell how long it'd been, but then he always knew how many days it'd been since the last time we talked. He even knew how long you'd ignored him for every time you were fighting with him! Don't you find that strange?"
"No," Hermione said confidently.
"And the Acromantula thing," Lily went on, "how does that makes any sense what-so-ever, Hermione? I checked Hagrid's hut when I was feeding Fang, there's nothing there, and he never learned enough magic to keep it hidden. How would he ever have found the Chamber to begin with? I told you what the Hat said, Hermione, he couldn't have-"
"Why was he expelled for it, then?" Hermione asked shrewdly. She sounded just as irritated as the last time Lily brought this up.
"Because Tom blamed him!" Lily said suddenly. "That's it, isn't it? He said he caught the culprit, but he didn't, he just framed Hagrid for it!"
"Lily, this isn't-"
"Come to think of it, we should just go ask Dumbledore about it," Lily said. She clicked the lock behind her open. "He was a Slytherin, Hermione, even if he didn't do it, he may know who did. I'll send for a Professor, this could be-"
"Lily," Hermione said first, "let's just think about this. Why would Tom blame Hagrid for it? He didn't even know Hagrid, he's made that clear enough."
Lily paused as her brain put it all together. She was getting excited, now, and a wild smile was breaking across her face.
"Tom was the one who opened it!" she said with her arms in the air. "That's it! That's why he blamed Hagrid, Hermione! He didn't want them to know he was doing it!"
"Lily, why are you doing this?" Hermione asked. She sounded on the verge of tears, which gave Lily pause.
"Hermione, we have a diary that remembers the Chamber. The real Tom opened it, that has to be it!"
"Hagrid is already gone, Lily!"
"Hagrid didn't do it! I'm going to send for a Professor, Hermione, they should at least question him. That's all I'm asking."
"Fine," Hermione said roughly, crossing her arms. "You go right ahead, like you always do, and just ignore what I say. Go ahead, Lily, see if I care. It's just what you always do."
"You'll see, Hermione," Lily said as she slammed the door behind her. She heard some of the chatter below cease from the noise. Too late to do anything about that, though. She stormed down the stairs, ignoring the stares as she crossed the room to the bulletin board. She could already feel her scar beginning to act up, and that only made Lily more certain she was on the right track.
Dumbledore wouldn't tell me Voldemort's name! She had to be right about this. She'd lead with Tom's, see how he reacted, and then go from there.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle," she whispered to herself. That was his full name. Hermione told her herself.
She tore off a paper from the sign, folded it, and tossed it. It turned into a miniature plane and flew off, darting out the portrait hole. She'd forgotten to write her name on it, but somebody would come to the common room anyway just to check, and she'd follow whoever it was. Lily tapped her foot on the floor as she waited for the nearest Prefect to arrive. She really wanted to get this over with, while she was still sure of herself. She didn't know why she hadn't considered it before. She still needed to go ask Myrtle about her theory, but it all made sense! Tom was a Slytherin, he was there when the Chamber was opened!
Finally, the Fat Lady called for Lily, and she squeezed her way through the portrait hole, landing solidly on her feet as she jumped down. She looked up and let out a sigh as Professor Lockhart offered a smile and a wave.
"Fancy meeting you, here, Lily!" he said with his perfect teeth showing. It was enough to make Lily sick. "Where are we off to?"
"Dumbledore's office," Lily grumbled.
Lockhart stopped short, glancing back nervously. "What- err- What are you reporting on, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I have something I need to tell him," Lily said as she started walking forward. She didn't have the time to wait on Lockhart and whatever issue he was having today.
"Hold on there, Lily," Lockhart said quickly, catching her by her shoulder. "The Headmaster is down on the third floor today, I had a meeting with him in just a few minutes, actually. I was just finishing up my patrol when I received your request. What say we head down and meet him together?"
"Fine," Lily agreed, setting off towards the staircase instead. Whatever got her through this faster. She wasn't looking forward to upsetting Hermione, but she become surer of herself by the second. She was sure she'd be forgiven, once it was all figured out. She had to be right. The pounding in her scar was getting worse.
She's talking to Tom! Lily realized giddily. That was why her scar kept hurting! That was what woke her up at The Burrow, what made Weasley so afraid.
She had to be right.
Lockhart was unusually quiet as they made their way downstairs. Occasionally he would say some sort of nonsense, but he clearly was not his usual self. Lily chalked it up to his nerves. He probably thought she was going to say something that would get him sacked. She only wished that were true.
Lily opened the door to Lockhart's office herself, noticing that all his portraits seemed to be avoiding her gaze. That was a bit unusual, but she'd skipped the man's class the last week, so it wasn't completely undeserved. Lockhart's office was a bit messier than it normally was, his altar to himself a bit unkempt, as if he hadn't had the time to get it all settled.
There was also no Dumbledore.
Lily turned to face Lockhart. "I thought you said he was waiting for us down here?"
Lockhart tried his fancy smile one more time. "I said I had a meeting with him shortly. Why don't you go ahead and have a seat, while I make us some tea? How do you take it?"
"Two sugars," Lily said with a sigh as she sat down. She wouldn't drink it. She didn't trust the Defense professor to not try anything. She settled on staring out the window while she waited, instead, looking at the snowy grounds of Hogwarts.
The sun was finally out, and she hoped that would bring an end to all the snow outside. Hogwarts really was too cold for her tastes. She wondered how other schools in different climates dealt with it. From what she'd gleaned from others, Bulgaria had their school in the mountains. She didn't envy that at all. As she was staring out the window, there was a dull green light reflected on the glass surface, and she suddenly felt very sleepy, the fogginess in her head only interrupted by the dull pain coursing through her scar.
"Right, well, here you are, Lily!" Lockhart said happily.
Lily blinked to clear her mind. They were standing on the seventh floor, in front of the gargoyle, which had already stepped aside. Lily shook her head, trying to get rid of the fogginess that crept up on her. She must have been daydreaming.
"Thanks, Professor!" she said cheerily. "I'll let you know how it goes, I just hope we can get this all cleared up."
"No worries, Lily, not at all," Lockhart said with a kind smile. "Really, I just appreciate you going to all the effort. You really didn't have to, you know? I'm sure this would have gotten cleared up eventually without it."
"Still, though, I can't stand the thought of everybody hating you just because you tried to help me!" Lily said. "I tried to tell them, earlier, but they just wouldn't listen. We still on for tea tomorrow?"
"Of course," Lockhart said. "Right after my meeting with Mrs. Longbottom. You can help me sort through my fan-mail!"
"I'd love to," Lily said as she pulled herself up and onto the stairs. "Can you get some more of those biscuits, Professor? The chocolate ones?"
"Of course!" Lockhart chuckled. "Have a good meeting, Lily!"
Lily hummed to herself as she climbed the staircase. She felt like she was forgetting something she needed to do, but she just had so many things to do, she was sure it'd come back to her later. Her scar was pulsing with a dull pain, but she did her best to ignore it.
She was here for a purpose, after all, and she was already knocking on Dumbledore's door.
"Come in," he called from within. Lily hummed as she pushed it open, welcoming herself to the familiar sights of Dumbledore's office. The chatter in the room immediately stopped, as all the portraits pretended to be asleep. She wasn't fooled by it. Dumbledore had Fawkes sitting on his shoulder, and he was feeding the bird some sort of raw meat.
"Lily," he said happily. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Lily strode forward confidently, taking her usual seat in front of Dumbledore's desk.
"I needed to talk to you, Professor," she said. "About Lockhart."
"Gilderoy?" Dumbledore said with an airy chuckle. "Has he gotten you into some danger again, Lily?"
"No, Professor," Lily said, "That's the thing: I think we should issue an official apology to him. He really was trying his best, and he's gotten a book deal cancelled from all this nonsense."
Dumbledore frowned as his hand wavered on his beard for only a second.
"And where, might I ask, did this come from? I was under the impression that you were not fond of Professor Lockhart."
Lily shook her head. "It was just a misunderstanding, Professor, really. He didn't mean any harm, he was just trying to help!"
"Lily," Dumbledore said carefully. "Have you met with him in private?"
"No, sir," Lily answered. "But we're having tea on Wednesday. He wants to give me some flying tips. Did you know he played Seeker, too?"
"Lockhart was never on his House Quidditch team," Dumbledore said. "Are you sure this is what you want, Lily?"
"Yes, sir," Lily said happily. "Absolutely. It's the right thing to do, isn't it?"
Dumbledore was quiet for a long moment, as he stared into Lily's eyes with his own twinkling, blue ones. It made Lily uncomfortable.
"And you didn't come here for any other reason?"
Lily thought for a moment, but whatever she was going to say slipped away from her mind. She just couldn't remember it.
"No, Professor," she said instead. "Nothing else."
