Disclaimer: I am not J.K Rowling, and I do not own any of the characters.
~This is part 1 of the Lily's Story reboot~
Full summary:
Meet Lily Luna Potter. With no astounding magical talent or charisma like her brothers, she's considered pretty unremarkable. She's just trying to navigate friendships, classes, Quidditch and a really irritating (and definitely not cute) blond Slytherin.
Her fourth year is abnormal from the start, what with Scorpius Malfoy's mysterious younger sister appearing out of thin air and being sorted into Gryffindor, of all places. But things REALLY start going south when she finds herself embroiled simultaneously in an Auror investigation of Astoria Greengrass-Malfoy and a bizarre treasure hunt that leads her and her brothers to places in Hogwarts that are better off forgotten.
It all started with a strange book, the Marauder's Map, and a secret passageway...
Prologue
When but one line remains of Peverell's blood
Three shall be born
When their blood is spilled and magic torn
Then shall the three forms of Morgan
Take form
The cloaked figure cradled the tome to her chest, muttering incantations. She turned to ensure that she was alone.
The book glowed with an eerie violet light that illuminated the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library.
She opened the book and inscribed three names on the first page in ink that looked like blood.
James Sirius Potter.
Albus Severus Potter.
Lily Luna Potter.
The ink sunk into the page and disappeared.
The woman closed the book.
And then, she put it back on the shelf, next to Moste Potente Potions.
It appeared to be a book about the history of magic.
It was past midnight, and the thunderstorm had just stopped. The air outside my room smelled sweet like cedarwood and incense since the lightning hit the soft ground.
I stared at the diagram in the book, and attempted to copy the pattern. Each swish of my wand left a trace of pale streaks in the air.
Nothing happened.
Magical theory technically wasn't a subject that we studied at Hogwarts. But once you understood it, everything that seemed strange and random about magic made sense: the properties of wand cores, the words used to channel magic, and how magic existed at all.
At least, that's what I had been told. I confess that my self-study of magical theory hasn't led me to much enlightenment. I spent pretty much my entire summer pouring over obscure books (supplied by Aunt Hermione, of course. She was thrilled that I was taking an interest in academic pursuits outside of school).
Nothing made sense. There was so much complicated physics in magical theory (at least I'll be prepared for Arithmancy?)
Sure, I wasn't anything near Squib-level weak. But a little power boost never hurt.
Especially since I tended to get overshadowed by my extremely obnoxious brothers.
Suddenly, my door swung open and at the same time, a loud 'pop' resounded. My brothers. Of course, they have nothing better to do than annoy the hell out of me.
I sighed, closing the very last book Aunt Hermione lent me.
"Oi!" I scrambled off the bed and to my feet, my hand forming a fist around my wand as angry sparks shot off it and snapped against my thigh. "James, just because you can Apparate everywhere now doesn't mean that you should!"
Albus shut the door and launched himself onto my bed, rolling his eyes.
"Do you two mind? I'm bleeding exhausted and the moron woke me up!"
I put a hand over my face.
"Oh, Merlin. Out. Please."
James picked up the book I'd flung aside. "Turning into Aunt Hermione on us, Lil?"
I snatched the book from him and frowned. "Why are you two barging in my room at five in the morning?"
James hopped on the bed too, whacking Albus with the nearest pillow. They looked like Tweedledum and Tweedledee, with identical mops of black hair, horn-rimmed glasses, and pajamas. Except Tweedledum was scowling and Tweedledee was hugging a lime green pillow and giving me a winning smile.
My brothers looked nearly identical, but that's where the resemblance stopped. James was a Gryffindor: popular, loud, and brash, and Albus was a Slytherin: stubborn, grumpy, and introverted. In fact, the only other trait they shared other than their looks was their disregard for authority. Oh, and they were constantly fighting. Constantly. It was really exhausting.
"James. What. Do. You. Want."
James smiled bigger, "Can't I just want to spend time with my lovely sister and brother before they go off to Hogwarts?"
"No!" Albus and I chorused. James chucked the green pillow at him.
"Do that one more time, James, and I will use Mum's Bat Bogey Hex on you!"
"Ugh, fine. I'll tell you."
"I'm going to sleep. Night." Albus curled up with the lime green pillow and shut his eyes in mock sleep.
I placed the book back on the bookshelf, still frowning at James.
"I can't believe you're reading magical theory books," he mocked.
"Some of us have interests outside of Quidditch and petty pranks, James."
"Mine are superior."
"What did you even come in here for?"
He cleared his throat. "I, James Sirius Potter-"
"Not interested!" yelped Albus, burying himself in the gigantic pillow. Since when did it get so big?
I glared at James. "Spit it out, and get out of my room."
He grinned, practically bouncing with excitement.
"I'mtheteachingassistantforTransfigurationisn'tthatawesomeandcoolandgreatIgettobothermytwofavoritepeopleforanotheryeardon'tyoulovemeandaren'tIawesome-"
"Who cares," Albus moaned, still muffled by the pillow.
He grinned from ear to ear, and then singsonged, "I'm TAing Transfiguration, Hogwarts won't be rid of me yet!"
Albus chucked the pillow off the bed. "Absolute shite. As if the year couldn't get any worse."
I, for one, did not like the treatment of my pillow or the prospect of having James maddeningly underfoot for yet one more year.
James, again clearly in one of his choleric moods, did a series of some complicated little flicks in the direction of the deflated mass.
I watched in horror as the pillow multiplied into four identical copies.
"Put it down, James!"
Albus crawled under my quilt, covering his head and protecting himself from the oncoming onslaught.
"JAMES, STOP IT!" I screeched. I'd had enough.
My door swung open unceremoniously the second time that night.
"Sorry, Dad." James, Albus, and I chorused, Albus coming in a bit late. He stuck his head out of the covers, looking a bit like a turtle in a wig.
"James, Lily, it is five in the morning. Normal people are sleeping, and I'm sure that they heard Lily's screeching in China." My dad rubbed his eyes blearily, clearly having forgotten his glasses. James and Albus were carbon-copies of him, right down to the poor eyesight, which I unfortunately also inherited. He squinted at Albus, who promptly dove back under the covers.
Dad frowned. "Why are there so many pillows on the floor?"
I pointed at James.
"James!" Dad had apparently found his glasses, and looked around scandalized as he finally saw the full extent of the damage.
James grinned sheepishly, tucking his wand in the waistband of his pajamas in a failed attempt to hide the evidence.
"Dad!" James pouted, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I was just excited and I got carried away but since I'm your favorite child-"
Dad sighed. "You are all my favorite. Clean up this mess. And Albus?"
"Yes, Dad?" Came a muffled voice.
"Keep them under control."
Albus poked his head further out of my quilt. "Does this mean I'm the favorite child?"
Dad muttered that it was too early to deal with us, and left. James cleaned up the pillows with a few Vanishing Spells and disappeared with a pop.
"Bye," Albus muttered, stalking out my room with the lime green pillow and my quilt.
I sighed as I shut the door. Finally, back to peace and quiet.
I attempted to go back to reading the magical theory book, but I was too tired and slipped into sleep instead.
A few hours later, I woke up again. My cat, Nisha, yawned and stretched; she was powerful, spotted, and tawny like a baby ocelot.
"Nisha," I cooed. My familiar's large ears twitched intelligently as she turned to regard me with liquid chartreuse eyes, her long whiskers trembling delicately.
She leapt up onto the bed, purring like an engine and settling into the lime green pillow, her eyes shut in kitty contentment. We both liked to take the mornings slowly. I'd had Nisha since she was a kitten; Teddy bought her for me as a gift for my first year at Hogwarts.
I picked up the snoozing cat and padded downstairs to the kitchen, followed by a still very-awake James and a half-asleep Albus, who had my quilt draped over his shoulders.
Dad sat at the kitchen table, drinking tea, and reading the Daily Prophet. He liked to wake up early; Mum liked to sleep in.
I set Nisha down gently; she padded over to her water bowl and drank delicately, then curled up in the warmest corner of the kitchen.
James immediately flung the fridge door open and begun to appraise the contents of the fridge.
"Blimey, I'm starving." He stared morosely at a milk carton. Albus wrapped himself tightly in my quilt. I pushed past James for the milk carton.
"Al, Dad, do you want porridge?" They murmured their assent.
James whined about not being offered porridge, but I ignored him.
Houdini, Albus's great horned owl swooped through the open window. Albus instantly brightened; he emerged from the quilt cocoon and held his hand out to the large bird, who cooed and nuzzled his fingers as he petted him.
I swear that owl is the only being Albus shows affection to on a regular basis.
Dad looked up briefly from the newspaper. "Hmm. Your Hogwarts letters came today," he said, nodding at a small stack of letters on the table.
"Dad, I need to tell you something," James sing-songed. Dad folded the newspaper and looked at him expectantly.
James spun on his heel, advanced towards the table, and sat with a dramatic flourish.
"I got the job."
As Dad got up to congratulate him, I realized something.
"Dad, you knew and didn't tell us he was applying!"
Albus opened his eyes, "Yeah, this kind of affects us, y'know Dad."
"Aren't you excited to spend more time with James at Hogwarts? What's the problem?"
Oh Dad. Innocence is so precious.
Dad had one arm around his eldest child's shoulders and a bewildered expression. His glasses slipped further down his nose.
"You think he's bad at home, Dad?" Albus continued, "Well, you should see him at Hogwarts."
Dad looked confused, "Well, what's he like?"
I started counting off on my fingers. "There was the time he hid the Slytherin's brooms right before the Quidditch match-"
"The time he dueled Scorpius," Albus added.
"He filled the hallways with soap-"
"Teased Nearly Headless Nick about being only nearly headless-"
"Enchanted my shoes-"
"Cursed my broom to sing-"
"Made Rosie's quills turn into pixies-"
"Engorged the gargoyle heads-"
I yawned as Dad began to lecture James and Albus opened the letter from Scorpius Malfoy. I knew who it was from since Albus didn't frown when he opened it, or when he read it. I reached for my Hogwarts letter, nearly upsetting a cup of tea. Albus folded his letter back up and inserted it delicately into the envelope when he finished reading it.
"Dad, Scorpius is going to Diagon Alley tomorrow, can I go with him?" Albus asked.
Draco Malfoy and my dad didn't ... get along. They both worked at the Ministry and sent each other Christmas cards every year, but if not for the fact that their sons were best mates, they wouldn't acknowledge each other's existence at all. Scorpius Malfoy, Albus, and my cousin Rose were all going to be sixth years; I'll be a fourth year. Rose and I had a slightly uneasy relationship with Malfoy; he called us 'The She-Potter' and 'The She-Weasel.' All in good fun, though. Other than that time him and James fought, and Albus had to get between them.
Dad thought for a second, a flicker of distaste lingering on his face. "Fine, why not? Teddy has a day off tomorrow, maybe the three of you can go with him."
James looked up from his porridge, which he had been indelicately shovelling in his mouth. "Absolutely not, Dad. You can't pay me to spend a second in the vicinity of the devil's spawn."
"I'm afraid I can. You're my favorite child, James," Dad said in a monotone voice.
"Dad!"
"How could you!"
Dad shook his head. "Sorry Lily, Albus. That's the price for peace in this house."
"You don't look pleased, Dad," I said. His forehead was creased in the same pattern it always was when he was worried about something.
Dad sighed. "It's nothing."
"Is 'nothing' Astoria Malfoy's codename with the Aurors?" I asked.
Albus snorted.
Dad frowned. "The investigation has been going very slowly."
"Why?" asked James.
"It's difficult to obtain search warrants merely on the basis of suspicious activity."
"So?" I shrugged. "It's not exactly just suspicious activity. She's well known for hoarding Dark artifacts."
Dad folded the newspaper and set it down on the table.
"Often, things are not always as they seem."
"You don't think Astoria Malfoy hoards Dark artifacts?" I asked.
"No. I do. What I meant is that something is not right with her."
"Hoarding Dark artifacts is not right, Dad," said James.
"Some things are best left unmentioned."
Dad picked up the newspaper again. Clearly, that was the end of the conversation.
I resigned myself to reading the shopping list attached to my Hogwarts letter. I tried to maintain a serene expression, but my thoughts kept wandering back to Astoria Malfoy.
What had Dad meant?
I wanted to ask him, but that was clearly not up for discussion.
This is a slightly different version of Chapter 1 than the original! Thanks rebecca-in-blue for the concrit, I didn't quite like something about this chapter but I couldn't put my finger on it.
