Chapter 4- Mirror Mirror

As she stepped out of the portrait hole, Lily realised two problematic things. Firstly, sneaking around in her pyjamas was very cold. Secondly, she had to follow four invisible boys without being noticed herself. Luckily, Lily was quite adept at charms. As Ollivander had said all those years ago, her swishy willow wand was particularly good for charms work.

She whispered the first spell, twirling her wand, and was immediately warmed by a sphere of hot air. She muttered a second charm, tapping her own head. She felt the sensation of a cold egg cracking there and dribbling over her. She looked down at her own pyjama-clad legs. She was not quite invisible, but the disillusionment charm allowed her to blend into the background like a fluffy-slipper-ed chameleon. In the dark and shadowy castle it was as good as being invisible if nobody knew to look for her.

But how to follow four invisible boys? This would have been nearly impossible if the Marauders hadn't been in their fifth year and now rather too tall to fit all four of them beneath Potter's invisibility cloak. It wasn't hard for Lily to follow their hairy ankles through the corridors. It also helped she could hear them bickering and joking, hissing curses as they accidentally clanked into suits of armour while navigating as a foursome.

But where were they going? Severus had said he, Avery and Mulciber would be hiding in the entrance hall in wait, so he obviously thought the Marauders were going to slip into the grounds. Lily didn't much fancy squelching through the November mud in her slippers. She wondered if Severus knew about the invisibility cloak. It certainly explained a lot about the Marauders. Although it made Potter's boastful claims about midnight wanderings a little less impressive.

However, when the boys had made it down to the fourth floor, they didn't turn down the staircase towards the grounds. Instead, they carried along the corridor until their ankles came to a stop in front of a large gold-framed mirror. Lily slipped behind a huge ornamental vase and peaked out to watch.

Potter's grinning head popped out from under the cloak. He said something to the mirror. Lily didn't catch it, despite how hard she strained her ears. The mirror seemed to ripple, and the head and its invisible companions stepped through the glass as if it wasn't there.

Lily checked left and right for Filch and Mrs Norris or, worse, Peeves. It was all clear. She darted out to stand in front of the mirror herself. It was a very odd experience to examine herself under the effects of the disillusionment charm. She stood there for a few minutes feeling very foolish- how could she follow them into the secret passage if she didn't know the password? Every minute she wasted their ankles were trotting further away. If she didn't work out how to get through the mirror soon it would be impossible to follow them altogether.

'Um, would you open please?' Lily asked the mirror. It seemed like a straight-forward option. She poked at the glass with one finger but it remained solid. However, the passage-ways at Hogwarts often wanted to be found. There was usually some clue or hint to help out an intrepid student. She examined the gold frame. There were words etched into the surface:

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO IS FAIREST OF THEM ALL?

Was it a riddle?

'Snow? A sunny day? Blonde hair?' she listed hopefully, thinking one might be the password. Curiously, although the mirror did not become intangible, it did show her a picture of each item she named within its silvery depths. Lily folded her arms as a picture of blonde hair faded away. Not a riddle, then.

Perhaps a simple question? Who was most beautiful to her? Dorcas, with her full lips, dark skin and delicate eyelashes? Marlene with her bouncing brunette curls and button nose? Severus her first magical friend, whose sallow, unsymmetrical face she still held dear? Remus her newest friend, scarred and pale as he was? She tried all these, but the mirror did not respond, merely showing her their faces in turn.

Who was she attracted to, then? Black was undeniably one of the most attractive boys at Hogwarts, ridiculously annoying or not. She tried him, and although his aristocratic jawline, elegant hair and sharp nose materialised faithfully in the mirror, it did not ripple to let her through. It was true that she felt nothing seeing his face, although objectively handsome. Annoyingly, Lily didn't have a crush on anyone at that moment that she could name. She had been on one or two dates to Hogsmede last year, but nothing had come of them. Lily had also decided that OWL year was for focusing on her studies, not for being distracted by boys. And.. speaking of distracting boys.. staring at Black's face had called Potter to her mind. She considered Potter, turning his face over in her mind despite the initial revulsion. Trying to look past his impulsive and inconsiderate manners. He wasn't ugly, she admitted to herself. She remembered when she had seen him stripped down to his underwear in the Prefects' Bathroom. She had never blushed so hard, trying not to oogle his tanned, toned torso. His face was pretty nice too, she had to admit- his jaw was stronger than Black's refined face, and his hair, although always messy, did give him a tousled, just-got-off-a-broom sort of look. She absolutely did not fancy him in the slightest- his recent humiliating bravado after truth or dare forbade that in her mind- but she could still find him attractive- right?

'James Potter', she whispered to the mirror, half hating herself. His face swam into view, grinning its usual cheeky grin, her stomach did a little flip. The mirror rippled. Lily stepped through.

She found herself in a surprisingly roomy passageway. A small party could quite easily take place in the high-ceilinged room. And then she heard a voice- whooping-

'You did it, Peter! You did it!'

It sounded like Remus. She squinted into the gloom and gasped. She could see Remus dancing a little jig as three unlikely animals gambolled about him. There was a stag prancing in ludicrous circles, a huge black dog chasing its own tail, and a little rat tottering on its hind legs.

All four froze at her gasp and whipped around. The disillusionment charm had come off passing through the mirror. Remus' eyes met hers - She threw herself back through the glass -

'Lily, wait!' Remus called.

Potter, Black and Pettigrew were animagi she realised, astonished, stumbling back up the corridor. She'd seen Professor McGonagall transform enough times to know it was possible. That was really advanced magic- and so dangerous- not to mention illegal if they hadn't registered. She was so preoccupied with wonder that she almost didn't notice the sorting hat until she was upon it.

The hat was sat, rather sinisterly and suddenly, in the middle of the corridor. Lily felt fear ice down her spine. Had someone followed her? Was there another savage creature lurking in the shadows? She gripped her wand- at least she had it this time.

'Leave me alone' she said, trying to sound braver than she felt, 'I'm not getting anything out of this hat'.

She could hear something clanging towards her up the corridor- coming closer- like a metal pot being banged-

'Who are you? Why are you following me?' She called. The clanging grew deafening. And sprinting up the corridor-

'LILY!' screamed a voice she recognised, 'LILY HELP!'

Severus Snape was fighting back up the hallway- a full suit of metal armour clanking after him. It raised its ancient spiked mace-

'Flippendo!' Snape cried, pointing his wand behind him. A jet of blue light hit the armour in its visor. The spell merely bounced off. Snape threw them both to one side as the mace crashed down, denting the wooden floor.

'All my spells bounce off it-' panted Snape, 'It followed me up from the entrance hall- Avery and Mulciber only just got away-'

CLANG! They were forced to dodge again. Lily knew that someone had planned this- had made it so that the only way to fight this enchanted armour was by retrieving the sword of Gryffindor from the hat. She saw the ruby hilt sparkling in the frayed material. She hesitated- but then Snape hissed as the mace grazed his leg, tearing his trousers. That decided it. She wasn't about to let some ancient armour chop up her oldest friend. Lily grasped the sword and drew it from the depths of the hat. She swung it back like a muggle baseball champion and- CLANK. She lopped the enchanted helmet clean off. The body fell to the floor, lifeless.

'Sev, are you okay?' She panted. Blood was dripping down his leg. But it was another voice that answered her.

'Give me the sword and we won't hurt you,' said Bellatrix Black calmly, her gnarled wand pointed directly at Lily's heart. She and two hooded companions had emerged from the shadowy corridor. Lily recognised Bellatrix's wild black hair, her handsome face so similar to Sirius'. Bellatrix had been in her 7th year when Lily entered Hogwarts, but it would be hard to forget someone like Bella. Rumours had been swirling about her- about the company she now kept-

'GIVE IT TO ME NOW' Bellatrix screamed, abandoning all pretence of calmness. Lily's hands shook.

'What do you want with the sword?' Lily asked, stalling. Her wand was in her pocket- could she get it? Severus had his wand- could they take on these three together? She glanced at Severus, but his eyes were intent on Bellatrix.

'The Dark Lord did not make his reasons plain,' said Bellatrix. Lily tried not to moan. It was true then- Bellatrix had joined his followers. She had set herself against muggles and muggle-borns.

'I'll count to three, little mudblood,' Bellatrix hissed, eyes narrowed,' One, two, th-'

'Stupefy!' cried Sirius Black, tumbling out of the mirror behind Lily. Bellatrix blocked it, but she snarled to see four new Gryffindors join the fight as the other boys jumped through the glass.

'Get out of it Bellatrix!' Snarled Sirius, 'Dumbledore will know you're here, he'll be coming.'

'Hello, blood-traitor cousin,' sneered Bellatrix. Sirius stiffened, as she continued, 'Oh yes, dear Aunt Walburga told me all about how you begged her to stop that night- how you fled like a coward on some filthy muggle motorcycle you found lying in the street- ran to the Potters like a scared child-'

'Shut up,' growled Sirius. Lily saw a shadow of the snarling black dog on his face. Bellatrix laughed. Potters face held more hate looking at Black's cousin than Lily had ever seen.

They were all distracted. Lily saw her opportunity to do something very brave and very foolish. She lunged at the sorting hat laying on the floor. Bellatrix screamed as Lily dove, a terrible noise of rage, and brought her wand down. Lily plunged the sword back into the hat's depths and the hilt vanished in a flash of silver. Lily felt heat sear the back of her exposed neck from Bellatrix's spell- but Sirius had stepped in front of her and diverted it to one side- It accidentally hit Severus, who collapsed to the floor, jerking. Then they were all fighting- wands flashing, spells flying- It was five on three, but those three were Death Eaters- graduated students older than the Marauders and Lily- it was impossible to win- and then, miraculously, one of the hooded men gave a warning cry-

'Dumbledore's coming!' and Bellatrix and her companions summoned a huge shield even as Dumbledore strode towards them and fired spell after spell, bouncing off the shield.

'No- leave the hat- we can't-' Bellatrix screamed as they fled- through a secret passage and away out of the castle-

'Is anyone hurt?' Dumbledore panted, taking them in, spotting Severus- still jerking- and conjuring a stretcher. It sped away, bearing him to the hospital wing.

'My office please,' said Dumbledore as he scooped up the hat.

- . - . -

After Dumbledore had heard the details of their encounter he turned to Lily.

'Miss Evans, I presume something terribly important happened to make you break your promise not to wander the castle at night?'

Lily had never felt so guilty.

'I'm so sorry, Professor- I was following- I saw-' she caught the eye of Remus who looked positively frantic, eyes pleading. She hesitated.

'We lured Lily out of the common room, sir,' lied Black easily, hanging his head in mock shame, 'we took her wand, you see-'

Dumbledore said nothing for a few moments, and Black raised wide, innocent eyes to meet his. Black who, Lily realised, was probably a very gifted occlumens. Black, who had never liked his pure-blood maniac family, who had always had to shield his thoughts from them.

Finally, Dumbledore nodded, 'I see. How disappointing. Naturally, you will all receive detention for being out at night. Yes, you too, Miss Evans- the reason you were out does not excuse such a dangerous decision.' She hung her head.

'Sir, will Severus be okay?' She asked, feeling tired and close to tears. Dumbledore looked down on her a little more kindly.

'It was a very nasty stinging jinx, but there will be no lasting damage, thankfully.'

Lily let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

'Sir, if they want the sword why do they keep targeting Lily? Why not any of us other Gryffindors?' asked Potter, thick eyebrows pulled together. Lily almost laughed- he sounded quite put-out not to be at the centre of the Death-Eaters' plot himself.

'Why indeed? Alas, a mystery!' said Dumbledore, throwing up his hands, 'But the hat is safe here now, so I think the worst is over.'

He dismissed them back to bed. The Marauders and Lily began the long walk back to the common room in awkward silence.

'Did- er- did you see- that is, do you know-?' Remus began, clearing his throat.

'You're animagi' She breathed, 'are you registered?'

They exchanged silent glances.

'So, no,' she surmised.

'It's complicated- Lily, nobody can know-' Black pleaded, 'Please, you owe us- Bellatrix was about to mince you-'

Lily huffed.

'Lily, please' said Remus quietly. She groaned, looking up into the pale, pleading face of that boy. Remus who was so kind, so good- who had such a rough time with his health. Remus who wouldn't do anything too much wrong-

'I suppose it's pretty cool, and it's not harming anyone-' she said tentatively, and the boys breathed out, relaxing. Remus grinned, 'told you she wasn't a goody two-shoes,' he told Black. They began to chat more easily. Lily found herself relaxing into their company- it was much nicer when they weren't showing off for a crowd.

'What was that about a motorbike and the Potters?' She asked Black. A shadow fell on his face.

'I left to live with James and his parents this summer, my family they- well, we don't get along,' he said shortly.

'But a motorbike?' She asked, moving on and not wanting to pry. A true grin split Black's face.

'She's gorgeous- accidentally borrowed her that night, you know, and I can't exactly take her back now I'm not welcome near that house-'

'Can you ride it?'

'Well, not very well- but we're going to make her fly, so it won't matter-'

'Fly?!' Lily laughed, 'I'm pretty sure there was something in muggle-studies about mis-use of muggle artifacts?'

They spent the walk back happily debating their grasp of wizarding law. Both Lily and Black were taking muggle studies to OWL. Black simply to annoy his family, and Lily to see her heritage through a new lens.

Just before they split to walk up to their separate dormitories Black turned to her again-

'How'd you get through the mirror, anyway?' He asked, grinning, 'Who did you name?'

Lily felt herself go a little pink.

'None of your business, Black' she squeaked.

As Lily climbed into bed she tried not to picture Potter's grinning face in the mirror, nor feel the anxious, excited sensation in her stomach. She scratched her cat Merlin under the chin, told herself off rather firmly, and rolled over to sleep.

- . - . -.- . - . -

Sorry Folks! That chapter was a little later than planned.

Welcome to new readers including Yonadear!

I keep musing with the idea of re-working the earlier chapters or plotting things out a little more into the future. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Caroline xx