Chapter 1: The Letter from No-One

1st September 1975, 00:23 am

The raven who delivered Lily's letter was in a foul mood.
His beak hammered the glass so insistently that Lily half expected a woodpecker to hop in as she unlatched her window.
Instead, the raven swept into Lily's bedroom, settled on her overflowing trunk, and proffered its spindly leg with an impatient, 'Caw!'

Merlin the cat sat up straight on Lily's bed. He fixed his unblinking green eyes on the visitor.

'What time do you call this?' huffed Lily.

She began to wade through the jumble of books, robes, and old potions vials littering the floor.

The rest of the Evans family had long since disappeared to bed, knowing they would be up early for the drive to King's Cross.
Lily hadn't quite finished packing. The amount of magical bric-a-brac accumulated in her four years at Hogwarts was unbelievable.

'Caw!'

'Shh, patience please. You'll wake everyone up.'

'Mew?', said Merlin, licking his mouth.

'Don't even think about it, Merlin.'

Lily crouched beside the raven and untied her letter. The bird took fight at once and slipped into the night.
Merlin re-curled himself into a disappointed, furry black ball.

Lily's mind turned as she unrolled the thick parchment. Who was writing to her past midnight? Was it usual to send a Raven?

Her best friends, Marlene and Dorcas, both owned owls. Lily was actually a tad jealous of this fact. As a muggle-born, she hadn't quite realised how useful owls could be. On her first trip to Diagon Alley she had fallen in love with the tiniest black kitten at the Magical Menagerie and bought him home, much to Petunia's disgust. Merlin wasn't any use at delivering letters, but at least he wasn't a toad.

Finally, she unravelled the letter. The handwriting was unfamiliar and, although she didn't realise it at the time, impossible to describe due to a tricky little masking enchantment. As Lily's eyes slid down the parchment, her eyebrows rose.

Evans-

Apologies for the late hour.

It has taken some difficulty to settle on writing to you at all, and this was my last chance before the train leaves tomorrow.

I beg you: do not return to Hogwarts.

I can only say that they will use you to get it and that you will be in grave danger.

I am magically prevented from writing more.

DO NOT RETURN TO HOGWARTS. YOU ARE IN MORTAL DANGER.

- A friend.

It didn't make any sense. Who were 'they', and what was this mysterious 'it' they wanted to use her to get? Was it a horrible prank? Some prejudiced pure-blood trying to stop her returning to Hogwarts?

Lily had been getting the Daily Prophet delivered over the summer. She knew He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was moving ever more out of the shadows. Each day the owl delivered news of more mysterious disappearances, more articles disputing muggle-born magic. Even, once, that horrible word ('Mudblood') printed boldly in black and white. She had discussed these worrisome developments with Severus in their meeting place by the river, but she knew he would never truly understand her fear. No pure-blood or half-blood could.

Lily frowned, re-reading her letter. The writer hadn't used any slurs, hadn't seemed hostile, only worried. Well, they were all worried these days, Lily supposed. Yes, it was a concerning letter, but it was also impossible to think of never returning to the magical world. How could she possibly stay in mundane, muggle Cokeworth? Would she, like Petunia, work at the Spinners-End Factory manufacturing clothes? Would she start waitressing full-time at Railview Hotel?

It was her fifth year, OWL year. If Lily didn't sit these exams she couldn't be a qualified witch. Never pick up her wand again? She almost laughed. No, Dumbledore was headmaster, and nothing too serious could possibly happen at Hogwarts under his protection. She balled up the letter in her fist and threw it into the trunk. Of course such a stupid prank wasn't going to stop her returning.

She swept a few more books into the trunk and squashed the lid shut.

'That'll do, then. Well, goodnight, Merlin,' Lily yawned, trying not to dislodge the cat as she climbed under the covers. She put the letter out of her mind and drifted off to Merlin's rumbling purr.

- . - . -

'Of course it was you!' squealed Marlene, wrapping Lily in a hug so tight she could barely laugh, 'Let's see it then- put it on!'

Lilt bought the little silver badge out of her pocket, grinning sheepishly.

She was stood with Marlene on Platform Nine and Three Quarters. The scarlet steam-engine waited magnificently beside them.

Mr and Mrs Evans had already kissed Lily goodbye- Petunia now refused to pass through the magical barrier. She had given Lily a loose hug and a sad, wistful little smile. They would never be as close as they had as children, not with all the hard things said, but Lily couldn't help feeling guilty leaving her sister behind. At least Petunia still talked to her, even if she did occasionally call her a freak. Lily had left her family on the other side of the barrier and was wiping away a few stray tears when Marlene spotted her with a scream of delight.

Marlene now released Lily and took the prefect badge, pinning it to the front of Lily's cardigan. She fussed like a proud mother to get it straight.

'Take it off, Marlene, I'm not even in my robes yet,' Lily laughed.

'Don't be silly,' Marlene straightened Lily's cardigan, and stepped back, satisfied, 'plus you'll need it to start bossing people around. You can turf the first-years out of a nice compartment. We should really find Dorcas before they fill up- quickly, come on- '

Marlene marched off up the platform, leaving Lily to lug her trunk and cat-basket through the crowd. She craned her neck, following Marlene's tall head with its bobbing brown curls.

She really should ask Marlene what potion she used on her shiny hair Lily mused, struggling to weave through the parents and general chaos. Merlin was making discontented hissing noises at their bumpy progress up the platform.

'Shush, Merlin, I'm doing my best', she grumbled to the cat basket.

'Need some help, Evans?' asked a young man's voice behind her. She closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose. Potter.

'No, thank you,' she said, not looking around.

'Are you sure? Your cat doesn't sound too happy.'

'Quite sure, yes.' She heaved her luggage forward again and the cat-basket yowled.

Another, quieter, male voice that Lily recognised as Lupin spoke- 'You're a prefect, Lily? Congratulations.'

'See, Remus,' said the unmistakable voice of Sirius Black, loudest of them all, 'Lily's already wearing her badge- we told you- now let's get yours on too, come along, there's a good chap-'

'Sirius- no - stop- get off-'

'Yeah, come on Moony, don't be shy about it-'

There was the sound of a scuffle, and Lily turned before she could stop herself.

Black had pulled Lupin's scarf up over his eyes, while Potter and little Pettigrew fought through his flailing arms to pin an enormous badge on his wooly jumper. Someone had clearly used engorio because it was the size of Lupin's head.

'Boys, settle down, settle down,' an aged witch and wizard were bringing up the rear of the Marauders. They were peering over an assortment of the boys' luggage which hovered in mid-air, conducted by the wizard's wand. He let it all settle to the ground with a thump and the boys released Lupin.

The witch stepped over the luggage. She was elegant and Indian, dressed in a deep blue saree. Her dark skin and hair matched that of Potter. These must be Potter's parents, Lily realised with a start.

Mrs Potter waved her wand and Lupin's prefect badge shrunk back to a normal size.

'Thanks, Mrs Potter,' said Lupin, straightening without all that weight and re-tying his gryffindor scarf.

'Let's get you lot on the train so you can stop making mischief,' said Mrs Potter raising a weary hand to massage her temples.

'I really doubt that will stop them' said Lily before she could help herself.

Mr Potter roared with laughter, stepping over the luggage to join his wife. He was extremely tall and lean. His grey hair was fantastically messy, even messier than his son's, and stuck out at the back in bizarre angles. He grinned down at Lily, 'never truer words spoken, Miss-?'

'Evans.'

Sirius grinned like a dog and made a comment under his breath to Mr Potter. The youngest Potter suddenly became very interested in his shoes and would not meet Lily's eye.

'Oh!' Said Mr Potter, bouncing on the balls of his feet, 'Lily, is it? Right. Well, James, lad, help her with that trunk, please, don't be rude-'

'Oh no, I'm really not-' Lily began

'Nonsense, nonsense,' said Mr Potter, waving his hand, 'James, son-'

But Potter was now more interested in glaring at an innocently whistling Black than in carrying Lily's luggage.

Thankfully, Marlene chose that moment to stick her head and all of its bouncing curls out a carriage door ahead.

'Lily!' she yelled, 'Stop lolly-gagging- I found Dorcas, come on!'

'Excuse me- nice to meet you - oh, and congratulations too, Lupin!' called Lily, making a hasty escape.

She could hear Black laughing and Mrs Potter scolding as Marlene helped haul her luggage onto the train.

'What kept you?' asked Marlene, 'You really are red as a quaffle, Lils.'

- . - . -

Dorcas' skin was even darker than Lily remembered after a summer spent in Saint Lucia. She had been Lily's first new friend at Hogwarts after her separation from Severus. They had both felt somewhat anxious, somewhat like outsiders. Lily because her family were muggles, and Dorcas because her family were Jamaican, even if her mum was a witch. British wizarding families, many obsessed with inter-marriage, were not particularly diverse in those days. And then Marlene- boisterous, beautiful, pure-blood Marlene- had been sorted into Gryffindor too and had forcibly adopted them both.

Sitting with her friends, laughing about Marlene's two summer flings and Dorcas' quidditch training disasters, it was hard to feel anxious about the mysterious letter at all. She didn't want to worry her friends, but she knew they would want to hear about it. She stalled, telling them about her summer in the muggle world, which still fascinated them both. They made faces when she mentioned meeting up with Severus, which Lily ignored with good grace. Finally, Lily rose and fished the crumpled parchment out of her trunk. Marlene and Dorcas put their heads together to read it. When they finished there was a long, worried silence.

'I thought it could be a prank' said Lily.

'You should take this straight to Dumbledore,' said Dorcas, ever sensible.

'I don't know,' said Marlene, sucking the tail of a sugar-mouse thoughtfully, 'What could Dumbledore really do? It's not exactly threatening is it? More of a warning. Pretty useless warning though- ''I'm magically prevented from writing more'', really, why bother?'

Lily laughed.

'I'm sorry you got sent this though, Lils' Marlene added, 'it's not very nice'.

'That's Pure-bloods,' said Dorcas, rolling her eyes.

Marlene, whose mouth was full of sugar mouse, made a muffled noise of protest.

'We're not all like that!' She grumbled, swallowing.

'And it came by Raven, did you say?' asked Dorcas, ignoring her

'Yes, strange isn't it?'

'Well, it's not unheard of to use birds other than owls-'

'Did you hear about the Malfoys sending out their peacocks' Marlene snorted, and then she snapped her fingers- 'I know! The Lestrange family emblem is a raven! And they're all massive pureblood fanatics- Oh, but their kids both graduated a few years ago, so it doesn't really fit-' she sank back, disappointed.

Lily smiled. It meant so much to her that they weren't shying away from her, weren't worried to be seen hanging out with a muggle-born in these increasingly dangerous days.

'I just thought I should share,' said Lily, 'anyway, we should change into our robes. I have to be in the Prefects' carriage in 15 minutes.'

- . - . -

Alice Fortescue had been chosen as head girl. She was in Gryffindor, two years above Lily, and seemed incredibly efficient. She was already handing out colour-coded charts as Lily sat down in the empty seat next to Lupin. She studiously ignored the glares of the new Slytherin prefects.

'Welcome, prefects- these are your patrol timetables', explained Ambrosius Flume, the new head boy. Lily smiled at him and he smiled back. She often saw him at Slughorn's little tea parties. He was a Hufflepuff, related to the Honeyduke family, and there was no pastry or sweet he could not whip up. Slughorn simply adored him.

'You'll patrol the corridors in your house pairs,' Ambrosius continued, 'You can take house points from students out of bed, students breaking school rules, anyone duelling or snogging in places they shouldn't be. There must be no leniency just because they are in your house, or', he added, his eyes lingering on Lupin, 'because they are your friend'.

Lily herself had some misgivings about Lupin's ability to stand up to Black and Potter. She'd never had much to do with Lupin (because of his friends' tendency to pick on Severus), but he always seemed very polite. She had once given him her notes on porcupine transfiguration when he'd been too ill to attend class, but that was about it. He looked a little sickly now, as he gazed back into Ambrosius' stern face.

At least it was Lupin, Lily decided, out of the four boys in their year. He would be more reliable than Pettigrew at least- and it would be unthinkable to have to work with Black or Potter.

'Lily' Said Lupin quietly, bringing her attention back to the carriage.

She raised her glazed eyes from the timetable and realised everyone was staring at her. Alice seemed to be waiting for her to speak. The two Slytherins were looking triumphant- stupid muggle-born, their eyes said.

'Say eight' whispered Lupin, barely audible.

'Eight' She said.

'Excellent,' said Alice, 'Well, that concludes things, thank you everyone. We'll meet again after your first week. Oh, Wait! The password for the Prefects' bathroom this term is 'Bubble-suds', okay that's it, thanks guys!'

When the corridor outside had emptied a little she turned to Lupin, 'I'm so sorry- thank you, Lupin, you're a life-saver. What did Alice want?''

'Oh, just to know the number of boys you've snogged.'

'What?!' Lily stopped walking.

The corners of Lupin's mouth twitched.

'Oh, ha-ha, very funny-' They continued down the rattling corridor.

'She wanted to know when you could meet her in the library tomorrow morning.'

'Urgh, that's even worse- eight? why couldn't you say ten? I like a lie-in.'

Lupin laughed, 'Well, our first patrol is at half-eight, and I didn't think you should miss it-'

They had reached Lupin's compartment. He reached a hand out to the door.

'Thank you again, Lupin, you're a life saver,' Lily smiled up at him. He really was very tall.

'Call me Remus, please, as we'll be working together.'

'Okay then,' she turned to leave 'see you tomorrow, Remus.'

The compartment door jerked open an inch. Lily realised Remus' hand had been holding it shut.

'Ooooh, Remus', called Black in a high voice, 'Remus I'll see you tomorrow, Remus. I lurveee you Remus, you're so much better behaved than James, Remus- ouch, James, get off!.'

Lily and Remus rolled their eyes.

- . - . -

The ceiling of the Great Hall was clear and starry, so the first-years had taken a calm trip over the lake. Lily watched the new students lining up before the four house tables. Surely she had never looked so small, so afraid?

The sorting hat stood on its usual stool, as patched and frayed as ever. The hall was quiet, waiting. A rip on the hat's brim opened wide and it began to sing, as the older students had known it would:

Good-Eve, I am the Sorting Hat;

sorting is what I do.

So put me on, I'll look inside

and see the heart of you.

The daring and courageous hearts

in Gryffindor belong.

But Ravenclaw, she'll only take

the wise and witty throng.

Kind Hufflepuff, she knew the worth

of hard and honest work.

But Slytherin thought those who win

know how to plot and lurk.

In times when prejudice and fear

are spreading through our streets,

ask not who waits for you out there

but who is sitting on this seat.

It fell silent. Clapping and muttering spread throughout the hall.

'Bit philosophical for a hat' said Dorcas, her eyebrows high.

'Look insiddeee, girls' joked Marlene, waggling her fingers in Lily's face, 'who areeee you?'

Lily and Dorcas laughed and turned to watch the sorting.

'Good Lord, what is that boy wearing?' mused Marlene halfway in.

'Lockhart, Gilderoy' was making his way to the sorting hat.
He had somehow snuck a sky-blue silk cloak past McGonagall. He had swung it around his shoulders with a dramatic flourish as his name was called, and was now absolutely beaming at the hall. He waved merrily to those catcalling him, sauntered to the hat, and placed it on his honey-curls at a jaunty angle. McGonagall's lips were a thin line.

After quite a lengthy deliberation by the hat, the boy was sorted into Ravenclaw.

And then-

'Shaklebolt, Kingsley' became the first sorted into Gryffindor.

The whole table roared with celebration. Someone- and Lily strongly suspected a certain four boys- let off several spectacularly loud no-heat fireworks. Dumbledore 'ooh-ed' and 'ahh-d' at the appropriate times as they exploded overhead.

Dorcas had risen to her feet to clap, as she did to support any student of colour- even the Slytherins. 'It's important' she had explained, 'On my sorting day I couldn't see anyone like me at all, it was so scary'.

At last, 'Yaxley, Lydia' took her seat at the Slytherin table and the sorting was over. Lily craned her neck but she couldn't spot Severus. She had known better than to seek him out on the train among the muttering Slytherins. She did spot Sirius' young brother, Regulus, who averted his gaze. They looked so much alike, those brothers. Lily concluded there were simply too many students to see Severus. She made a mental note to send a school owl and agree a meeting place.

Dumbledore now rose to address them-

'Another year, another sorting' he twinkled down at them, 'And now, another feas- oh, oh dear.' Dumbledore raised his wand suddenly to the back of the hall. Heads whipped round and several students screamed.

Flames- huge, terrible, intense- were flaring into life on the hall doors. Lily could feel the heat from halfway down the room. Something like a firey wolf took form, peeled its head from the door and snapped at the nearest Ravenclaw. Dumbledore flicked his wand and the flaming jaws closed instead around an invisible barrier. But more fiery creatures were flickering into life, devouring the wooden doors with gleeful crackles and cackles, trapping them all in the hall. Those near the door started running towards the teachers' table, screaming and shouting.

Dumbledore's voice rose magically above the panic, even as he panted with the exertion of holding the flaming creatures at bay. 'Slowly and calmly, please, students, move to the front of the hall. Leave the central aisle empty for the teachers.' McGonagall was first up the aisle, shaking back her emerald-green sleeves and muttering counter-curses. Then little Flitwick- small and fierce. Even pudgy Slughorn was waddling up the rear, looking rather pale.

Marlene, quickest of the three, took a fistful of Lily's robes in one hand, and a fistful of Dorcas' in the other, and hauled them up towards the head of the hall.
'That's fiendfyre,' she shouted as she dragged them, 'we need to get out.'

'There's nowhere to go,' moaned Dorcas.

'Surely all the teachers together can take care of a little fire- you know, augumenti?' said Lily.

'It's cursed fire,' explained Marlene, 'really dark magic. The teachers will be able to put it out eventually, but it won't be quick- and all this smoke- it's really dangerous-'

Lily could see she was right. Or rather, she was finding it harder to see through the smoke building in the Hall. Students around her were coughing, huddled together at the front. Her mind spun out possibilities. Could they break the windows? Summon brooms? Would all the air rushing in make the fire and smoke worse? What about the first years, many of whom had never flown? And there wouldn't be nearly enough brooms-

And then Remus was at Lily's elbow, coughing into his sleeve-

'Lily, we know how to get out' he panted, 'We have to tell everyone- but the spell- you're best at Charms- do you know-?'

'Here-' Lily raised her wand to his throat, 'Sonoros' she said.

'STUDENTS' boomed Remus, 'CLIMB ONTO THE FEAST PLATTERS, QUICKLY.'

'What?' Said Dorcas, 'how's that going to help anything?'

Several students were looking similarly sceptical, but others had begun clambering desperately over the goblets and gleaming silverware. Lily couldn't really see what was happening to them- only shapes moving in the smoke.

'Quickly!' said Remus, disappearing into the smog.

The girls clambered onto the nearest table. Lily spotted an enormous golden platter, and stepped both feet onto it. At once, the air became clear and she began to fall- down, down, down- and then, with a squelch, her feet landed in an enormous shepherd's pie.

To her left Marlene was shrieking, having splash-landed in Parsnip soup. Dorcas was being helped out of a steak and kidney pie by students who had arrived before. All had various dinners splattered up their robes, as more and more students began falling into the feast.

'Don't hog the Shepherd's Pie, Evans!' cried Potter dramatically. He offered her his hand to climb down. It was covered in an unidentifyable goop but Lily took it anyway. Her nerves were too frayed not to accept help in a crisis, even from Potter. She let him help her down from the table and looked around. She knew she was in the kitchens now- a room the size of the great hall above- the same tables- a sadly splattered feast- and, tugging on the hem of her mashed-potato covered robe-

'House-elves!' Lily gasped. She had never seen them in person.

'Miss would like some pie?' asked the little elf, holding up a neat take-away box.

'Oh, um, that's okay, thanks,' she said, and the elf bobbed a curtsey before hurrying off.

'Lily!' Alice was waving her over to a group of students, 'Thank goodness, that's all the prefects. Ambrosia's still up there making sure everyone evacuates. Now, please make sure your house grabs some dinner that hasn't been sat in. We'll all sit tight until we know the castle's safe. Try to check on the first years. If anyone at all has breathing difficulties, Madam Pomfrey's just landed in that lasagne. We'll dig her out and set up a first-aid station by the pastries. Oh and Remus- excellent, just excellent getting everyone out, thank you.' Alice bustled off.

It was the strangest feast Lily had attended. After the shock had worn off, the students settled down to eat at the kitchen tables. The house-elves were simply delighted at their many visitors. They had cleaned up the smashed feast with startling speed, but only the desserts hadn't had anyone's feet in them, as they were only put on the tables after the main course. The students dined on trifle, ice cream, pies and pudding.

At last, Dumbledore and the teachers appeared in the kitchen with a small 'pop'.

'The fire is out,' said Dumbledore to a general smattering of applause.

'Quite, thank you,' Dumbledore held up his hands, 'Now, we are confident that the castle is secure. However, this means the fire was the work of someone at Hogwarts.'

Mutterings broke out across the kitchen- who at Hogwarts would do such a thing? Why?

'This had been a grave incident. Cursed fire is dangerous, dark magic. Students could have been very badly hurt.' he paused, 'We are now aware that the sorting hat is missing.'

Lily turned to her friends. They looked as puzzled as she felt. What could someone want with that mouldy old hat? Was such a dangerous, fiery diversion really worth stealing it?

'If the culprit comes clean before the end of the week then they will be treated with leniency.'

'And now- you are all looking rather too sticky-'

Dumbledore waved his wand and the students were cleaned of the mushed feast.

'Prefects, please lead your houses to their dormitories. I think we could all do with a good night's sleep.' He waved his wand again and the portrait hole to the kitchens swung outward.

'Lily, do you think this has anything to do with your letter?' asked Marlene before Lily left to herd the first-years.

Lily had the horrible feeling it just might.

- . - . -.- . - . -

Hi there!
First of all- thank you so much for making it this far down the page.
I really hope you're enjoying the story- it's such a thrill to write and know someone's seeing it.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions, scenes you'd like to see, or writing pointers (maybe you've just spotted a typo!) please message or leave a review. I would be so happy to hear from you- I'm doing this to grow as a writer after all (well, and because it's ridiculously fun).

Hoping to get the next chapter up on 14/08/2020.

Sneak peak:
What mischief could possibly come about from both Remus and Lily knowing the password to the Prefect's Bathroom... ? Stay tuned!

Caroline x