01. So Strange

"You're joking."

"I'm not. Why would I kid about something like this?"

Lily Potter's mouth fell open and hung there for a few seconds. The ten-year-old's dark red hair spilled out from underneath a Holyhead Harpies cap and her slender body was stretched out upon the bed of her brother James, who was grinning at her with that mysterious twinkle in his eye that Lily knew altogether much too well.

"You going to believe me or not?" he asked, looking more suspiciously pleased than ever.

"But -- well -- I mean... this is ridiculous! How do I know it's not some sort of trick you're playing on me?" Lily was getting rather tired of being her older brother's plaything. Ever since the thirteen-year-old had arrived home from Hogwarts for the summer holidays his sister could tell he was bored, so she had volunteered to play with him to cheer him up. She soon learned, however, that a ten-year-old's idea of 'playing' was very different than that of a teenager's and had stopped paying special attention to him. She wasn't one to be pushed around, anyway. But James was still intent on selling her on this... idea?

And now here he stood, staring down at Lily as though mocking her disbelief: her mouth had fallen open again as she thought over what James had said.

"Your mouth is going to freeze like that," he said with a smirk. "And you'll never be able to talk again. And while that would be a blessing, you really need to answer me."

With that Lily found her voice and, after glaring at her brother, said, "It would be lovely... if it were true! You don't honestly expect me to believe that I can do magic early? I thought it was impossible!"

"Well, so did I, but you learn something new every day," he lowered his voice and spoke with even more enthusiasm, "and besides, where's the harm? I've been itching to see your magic for some time now, you know. Al's no match for me, but as for you... well, you never know."

"I'd love to use magic, you know that! But Daddy said there's a law against it if you're underage or on holiday from school!"

"Please, you think I didn't know that? You surprise me sometimes, Lily. I've been told by some... friends... that there's a way around it! It's in one of these objects over here..." He indicated the few objects on his dresser drawer: a Chocolate Frog card, a tiny glass ball, and a paper cup full of something that looked like water.

"That's a cup of water, James, and you're wasting my time!" Lily exclaimed angrily as she stood up and accidentally knocked over the cup, spilling the liquid all over her bare foot. Lily took no notice as she continued to storm out of the room.

Before she could exit, however, James said in a calm voice, "Look, Lily, I'm not tricking you. I know how badly you've been wanting to use magic so I'm giving you a chance to try it! If you don't want to then that's fine, but if I were you I wouldn't fancy waiting a year, either."

That turned Lily around. A year! she thought, I don't think I'll be able to stand another year of everybody performing magic except for me...

Her facial expression must have reflected her thoughts, as James said, "I know that look. Meet me back here after dinner and… be prepared," he added in a spooky voice. Lily rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the smile that crept up on her face as she turned her back on James and exited the room.

"Can I be excused?" Lily asked her mother. She had barely touched her food, quivering with excitement at the prospect of performing magic.

"You haven't eaten anything," her mother, Ginny, replied.

"I know, I'm... not hungry," said Lily, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

"Yeah, big lunch, you know," James backed her up.

"We had an apple," said Albus, Lily's other brother, in a suspicious tone.

Lily silently scolded him for ruining their elaborate plan... until she noticed that her parents weren't quite buying it, either.

"He's right, and what's up with you..." her father, Harry, indicated James, "sticking up for your sister? Something's out of place."

"Don't complain," said Ginny. "It's a rare sight to see a brother and sister getting along." She smiled at her daughter, and James seemed to take it as a good sign.

"Yeah, we're... bonding," he replied, struggling to keep a straight face. This proved much tougher when Lily burst into a spontaneous fit of giggles. She immediately clapped a hand to her mouth, but by that time James had begun laughing as well.

"Strange," said Ginny. "Usually all James's jokes provoke is groaning and eye-rolling."

Harry and Albus both chuckled at this, and soon everyone was beside themselves with laughter. It was one of those very odd moments that you enjoy immensely but can never recall the causes of. When everyone had finished, Lily remembered her upcoming adventure with James and felt even happier: she was practically glowing.

"Hey, Lily, your foot is wet," Albus told her, regaining his breath and composure.

"Still?" asked James.

"What do you mean?" Lily questioned. "I never spilled anything on my foot."

"Yes you did," said James. "You spilled the cup of... er... water. It, um -- must have sort of stuck or something."

"How long ago was it?" asked Albus, who was always curious.

"I dunno, thirty minutes or so," came James's uncertain reply.

"And what did you spill, exactly?" Harry chimed in immediately; as an Auror, it was sort of second nature to him to question anything that looked suspicious... but, moreover, he had been a father for thirteen years and counting.

"I don't know," Lily told him. "I don't remember spilling anything. I can't feel wetness or anything, either, but my foot looks wet." She frowned at the situation. "Strange."

"You know, that could've been where the neighbor's killer do--" Albus began speaking, but Lily cut him off angrily.

"Oh, shut up, Albus! There was no killer dog! It was just another rubbish story of James's, and you're stupid to believe it!"

She had no idea where this rage was coming from. Albus looked as though he may cry; being home from Hogwarts was making him act exceedingly vulnerable at strange times.

For a while all Lily witnessed was her father scolding her, James sniggering slightly, and Albus making whiny complaints of Lily's behavior towards him... and then...

And then something impressively odd happened. A force seemed to be guiding Lily in everything she did, as though she no longer had control. She closed her eyes and laid her head down on the cool tabletop and thoughts swirled around in her head... literally. Lily couldn't detect what they were but somehow she felt them, turning in every which way at a rapid pace that made her feel sick and dizzy.

One blurry thought cleared up in her head... a single word...

Wimp.

It went as quickly as it had come, but Lily was visibly shaken... what had just happened?

The oddest part was that no one in the family seemed to have noticed. Her mum had gone into the other room to fetch dessert while Harry spoke to Albus and James attacked the last bit of chicken on his plate, eyes on his food.

Lily, however, could not think about chicken or even the delicious treacle tart her mother would soon be bringing out. Something had happened.

And she was determined to find out what.