Chapter Four: Coming Back
Lily shook her shoulder-length auburn hair out of her face brusquely, a frustrated growl escaping pressed lips as she stormed down the length of the Hogwarts Express. That Potter was aggravating so much of the time; no, make that all of the time. What exactly had she done to be designated as the object of his eternal and unrelenting pursuit, she wondered, not in a delighted way like the multitude of other girls, either. He could have easily had his share of the 6th and 7th year, which he and Sirius probably did, but was that enough?
No, of course not. Apparently she was still on the "Wanted" list.
Finally having reached the compartment holding her Gryffindor dorm mates, she plopped herself down between two girls who were looking on curiously. "Head's meeting's over then, I see?" commented the brunette on her door side, fingering her golden Prefect's badge while speaking.
"Thank the lady it is. Don't know if I could have lived—or if anyone else could have lived if it lasted any longer," muttered Lily darkly. Her eyes yet showed traces of crackling emerald flames, and it was a sign that one Head Girl was nearly at exploding point. She sighed, leaning back and staring out at the blurs of colors flashing by.
Life was so unpredictable at times, like the people, whether Muggles or magical, they all held their share at least of spontaneity. Dumbledore must have been having one of those indescribable, eccentric moments when he was selecting Prefects and Heads. Remus Lupin was the natural, being responsible, polite, and just about everything else. Even Snape was a possibility; he wasn't half stupid, sarcastic and callous, perhaps, but he was easy enough to understand. But as Head Girl, the duty of keeping peace seemed to have fallen to her, and it was not even one that Lily looked forward to.
A pale, thin hand reached across the foot space in the center of the carriage and shoved a bag of Chocolate Frogs into her lap. "Thanks, Sveta," Lily murmured absently, her voice barely carrying across the car to her blond friend since the racket outside was drawing closer. She pulled out a pack, card first, and blinked several times at the face.
It was Dumbledore, auburn hair beginning to gray, a twinkle in his blue eyes as he winked at her from behind half-moon spectacles. Letting out a soft gasp of delight, she flipped it over, almost as if expecting a special flashing design on the back that screamed, "The Great Albus Dumbledore!" But there was nothing except the usual swirls of purple and black in the form of a vortex ending at the farthest point of space.
"You got Dumbledore? Should've just asked, I've got two or three of him." Svetlana Raminov rolled icy blue eyes skyward, friendly contempt lacing every word. "Want the chocolate by any chance? I'll take it if you don't want it…"
"It's a wonder you're so thin, Sveta, you pig," grinned Alice. Gratefully Lily popped the quivering frog into her mouth, flicking a glance out the window at the same time.
"Shoot…I've got to go!" She grabbed her wand and ran out the door, dumping the entire bag of candy on the ground. Right behind her was Mattie, long brown braid bouncing on her back. The Prefects were needed early too, as one of their duties was to escort the younger students up the trail to the front door of the castle.
Drifting after them was a soft, high-pitched voice cast in a half-hearted attempt at imitation. "Lily, you pig…"
* * * * *
A thousand candles bobbed in salute to the lanky headmaster as he rose to his feet, a good foot taller than the other teachers also standing on the elevated dais. Albus Dumbledore, robed in a starry, midnight blue garment, swept his eyes over the four tables for a moment that seemed to last for an eternity, each student feeling that the headmaster looked upon him alone for an instant. Then a more solemn expression spread over his creased face, and he nodded in quiet acknowledgement.
"Students, teachers, I welcome you back to Hogwarts after a long and hopefully, restful summer. I hope I find you as well as myself, for the months of holiday have undoubtedly been most restful…"
Resonating and powerful, Dumbledore's voice permeated every corner of the Great Hall, even every reluctant student's ear. But Albus Dumbledore was not a fool and thus knew and accepted what prior Headmasters had failed to. He understood that more often than not, some would ignore his words, remain silent, perhaps, but blow his words away. He understood why some felt words to be meaningless.
Meaningless and useless.
As he skimmed the sea of faces once more, his heart felt a creaking strain at the hidden, mutinous expressions, the sneers of arrogance, the glares of raw hatred. He was but an old man now, experiencing too well the limitations of age. And it hurt something deep inside, questioned whether he, or anyone in all of Britain or the world, could succeed. For failure led to a life far worse than the most terrible death.
"On a heavier note, the problems facing the wizarding community must be addressed. No longer are they distant, and no longer are we protected. As you already know, I'm sure, Voldemort, yes, Voldemort, is rapidly growing powerful. He is dangerous, I will not try to conceal that or pretend that he is not, but he is not invincible. We must unite, all Houses join together to form the stronghold of Hogwarts, if we are to have even a slim chance of winning…"
He ignored the gasps and hisses of awe rising throughout the room and continued giving the speech as if it were an afternoon tea conversation. The students of today…saviors of tomorrow…leaders of the not-so-distant future. Reality was slowly dawning upon them, and the sooner they learned to deal with it, the more powerful they could learn to become. But all the same, it hurt to force them into the world of adults. Children, though Dumbledore was sure some of them had never been children, were pure and brilliant, never acting the jaded fools.
"In conclusion, I have but four words to say: Let the feast…begin!" Spreading his hands out simply, he smiled down at his charges and sat down to a mixture of hearty applause and various chewing noises. Informing the students hadn't been so terrible after all, he thought, and picked up a fork and knife and began carving up the pork chops.
* * * * *
James grinned at the three Marauders over a heaping plate of mashed potatoes and sweet and sour chicken. "That was some start-of-term speech old Dumbledore gave," he said, not caring who overheard him. "I mean, Voldemort. How many wizards alive dare to say his name? And how many are alive for too long afterward?"
"That's right." Remus rolled his eyes and pointed at his friend's nose. "I'm sure we appreciate that opinion, but you," he nodded crisply, "have sauce all around your mouth." He watched calmly as James grabbed a napkin and pulled it across his face roughly, brown eyes showing barely the trace of a smile. Yes, this was most definitely Hogwarts again.
The Gryffindor table eventually quieted to a constant hum of chatter, leaving James Potter to his food and his thoughts. Of food there was plenty of, since the table's entire wooden surface was covered in white china plates holding dishes from celery and carrots to sliced ham to trifle tart. But he was strangely quiet today, dreamy hazel eyes focused on Dumbledore's crooked hat. It wasn't every day that one found "the Potter boy" ignoring Lily Evans, after all.
All too soon the feast was coming to an end, and then the headmaster rose again in his starry blue robes. "Thank you for a most delicious start-of-term feast, and we can only hope that future ones will even surpass it. Prefects, lead your Houses to the dormitories at this time. I would like to speak to the Head Boy and Head Girl, James Potter and Lily Evans, before they leave as well. That is all, and Hogwarts, good night." With that, he and the other teachers filed down the side steps of the dais and stood in a long line before the hall, eyeing the passing students with critical eyes.
"Prongsie! That's you," Sirius nudged the boy sharply in the stomach, and he snapped his head back, mouth open in a round "O".
"Er, yes." He stood up and surveyed the rapidly clearing Gryffindor table for a brief moment, noting that Lily had already began walking up to the professors. "Sorry to be so abrupt, but I must speak with each and every one of you ladies later." With that, James shot them a trademark smile and strode purposefully up the crowded aisle. However, he was walking against the current, so to speak, and barely walked forward a few paces before being swept back. Shaking his head, James leaped onto the bench and began making his way forward once more.
"Right then…g'night. Classes start t-t-morrow." A yawn escaped Sirius's mouth, but those black eyes were sparkling with malice. For Severus Snape, stormy and alone, sniveling yet headstrong, had just stalked by…
AN: Part I liked-Dumbledore's speech
Part I thought was terrible-the rest of the chapter
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I love you all *bows* And I know THE ULTIMATUM was a bit unfair, but I did want some more reviews so…I'll be continuing this, don't worry.
And thanks to werbinich and gymgirl for telling me what "MWPP" meant.