Chapter Three- The Beginning of a War
Free! I'm free! Liberated! No one can take me down anymore! I am a free woman!
I'm at Lily's house right now, unpacking my things. Most of my stuff stays in my trunk, though, because Lily's room is kind of small… but I don't mind. Anyways, I'm going so sell things like my books and old school robes. Lily's going to do the same and we plan to go to Diagon Alley in a couple of days.
I love the Evans's home. Her parents are so sweet, they've treated me like a daughter since the first time they met me. The only bad thing is Petunia. She's pretty mean and calls Lily and I freaks and names like that. I've learned to ignore it though, I just avoid being in an empty room with her.
Lily went to sleep way before me, so I usually took that time to take walks outside. My walks officially became my May Time.
Lily's street is nice and quiet. I look up at the moon, and it gives me just enough light because Lily's street doesn't have street lamps either. "Lily?" I hear someone call her name.
I look around until I see the boy who made the voice. It was Snape, he was in Slytherin and graduated this year. For some reason, Sirius and James hate him. I never really had a problem with him, because for a little while, he was Lily's friend. Then they apparently got into some big fight and she still hasn't forgiven him. When they first got onto their fight, Lily had switched spots with me in Potions. She sat by Snape, and I had sat by Remus. I didn't really mind it, he was always pleasant to me, and I was always pleasant with him. I gave him advice and stuff, telling him not to keep telling her sorry, things like that. I actually think he had a little crush on her.
"No, it's May," I say to him.
"Oh… Sorry," He says and then turns and walks away.
"Wait!" I say and he turns back facing me, "Congratulations on graduating!"
He looks shocked that I'm talking to him, but he congratulates me as well.
Then he starts to look nervous again, "Could…" he begins, "Could you tell Lily I said congratulations? And that I'm sorry?" I nod my head at him and give a sympathetic smile. Then he turns away for good and leaves.
I go back to my room, too. Quiet, so I don't wake anyone. Unfortunately, Petunia is in the living room. "Freak," is all she says when she sees me.
"Hey, Petunia," I respond and she pretends to gag when I say her name.
I walk up the stairs and then gracefully fall asleep in my comfy bed.
The next morning, I am awakened by the smell of a delicious breakfast. I go downstairs to find Lily singlehandedly making pancakes, bacon and toast. She has the assistance of magic, though.
"Look at me, May!" She says, obviously proud of herself, "I'm cooking breakfast!" I smile at her and don't say anything, it is way too early for that.
After a have a piece of toast in my tummy, though, I'm free to talk. "Hey, you'll never guess who I saw last night."
"If it was Sirius, I could care less, May," she responds, focusing intensely on flipping a pancake without a spatula.
"No," I start, utterly amused by Lily and then I clap when she successfully flips it. "It was Snape,"
Lily turns away from me so I can't see her face. "Oh," is all she says before she puts more batter on the skillet the Muggle way. "What did he want?"
"He wanted to say congratulations. And he's sorry." Lily still is looking at the stove.
Before Lily can say anything else, Petunia walks in the kitchen, "What are you two freaks up to?" she asks. I tell her good morning and she leaves right after she filled a plate with a decent amount of flapjacks.
"What was your fight with him even about?" I whisper to her, because I know Petunia doesn't like Snape, either. Well, actually, I just think she hates wizards in general.
"Nothing," she simply says. "And plus, I'm with James now."
"You don't have to go out with him to be his friend, Lily. I know you two were friends."
"But James hates him," she says and looks at me with tears in her eyes.
"So?" I say in a sympathetic voice, "That doesn't matter! You can have friends that aren't his!"
Lily looks like she's about to say something, but then she shakes her head. "It's complicated," is her response. I drop the subject, knowing it's going to get nowhere.
"So!" She says in her usual cheery voice, "What do you want to do today?"
I shrug my shoulders. She's finished with breakfast, so with a flick of her wand, all of the dirty dishes were in the sink. She made a plate for her and a plate for me and then we went to the table.
"We could go to Diagon Alley," I suggest, but Lily shakes her head.
"No, not today…" Then she thinks some more, "We could paint each other's nails!"
I smile at her, "That would be lovely."
After breakfast, we put our dishes away and brush our teeth. She has me a French Manicure, and I have her paint my nails bright pink with purple polka dots.
After a couple of days, we all meet up at Diagon Alley. The boys came armed with Every Flavor Beas, and we're ready for a challenge! We've decided to eat every bean, no matter the flavor.
Luckily, Lily and I were smart enough to bring water, and we refused to give them any. I'm pretty sure that we tasted every single flavor, you don't even want to know.
As Sirius and I were making grossed out faces, a giant boom was heard. We all wiped off the silly faces off and then looked to see what made the noise. We looked to our right, and it looked like a couple of buildings had collapsed. Hooded figures started flying by us.
Mothers were frantically calling for their children, and black fog started to fill the alley. Sirius pushed me to the ground, and whipped out his wand. Shit! I forgot my wand! I stay on the ground, but I keep looking up to see what's happening. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were all shooting curses at the hooded figures, while Lily and I stay on the floor, and she mouths to me that she forgot her wand. Oh, the brains of muggle-borns.
Finally, after what seems like hours, the hooded people go away, and I rush to Sirius. He has cuts on his face and arms, and I take his wand in my hand and start so mumble some spells until the bleeding goes down. Then I kiss him, "Are you okay?" I ask and he nods and kisses me again.
"Come on," I hear Remus say, "We're going to Hogwarts,"
"Why?" Lily asks,
"So we can talk to Dumbledore," James answers the question for Remus and then we all Apparate to Hogsmeade, and then we have to walk to Hogwarts.
Sirius takes hold of my hand, and I have to almost loosen the grip because he's holding on so tight. He has a concerned look in his eyes, but he tried to brush it off. When we're at the gate, Remus sends a Patronus, and a couple of minutes later, Dumbledore himself, comes to open the gate. Now that I'm out of school, I actually realize what a big wizard he is. For the last seven years, I had just thought of him as another teacher.
"Children!" he exclaims, and lets us in. I smile at him and then he leads us to his office.
"And just when I thought you weren't going to visit me!" He says with a smile on his face while he sits down at his desk. He summons four more chairs, because only two were in front of his desk.
"Professor," James begins, "Have you heard what happened in Diagon Alley?"
Dumbledore shamefully nodded his head, "What do you think all of these owls are for?" Then he motions behind his desk and I notice at least a dozen owls, "They won't seem to leave…"
"What happened? Who were those people?" Sirius asks, still holding my hand.
"Have you heard of a Lord Voldemort, children?"
I nod my head, and the professor asks me to expand, "I only read a little… But from what I can tell he's a wizard… and he only likes purebloods. He doesn't really care for any of the other people. He has these other pureblood witches and wizards… I forget what they call himself… something Eaters… And they help him with terrorizing people."
"They're called Death Eaters, and you are exactly right, May. His plan is to kill off everyone until only purebloods live,"
Remus laughs, "That's ridiculous!"
"Yes, Mr. Lupin, it is. But it's what he believes. And—I personally taught this boy myself—he is not going to stop until his fantasy becomes a reality." Dumbledore puts a sullen face on and the room is quiet except for the 'who's' from the owls.
"What's going to happen?" Lily asks, tears in her eyes.
"There's going to be a war. What you saw in Diagon Alley? That was just the beginning." A war?
"My family," Sirius manages to crack, "Is my family helping him?"
Dumbledore is silent, and that was a good enough answer for Sirius. He swears out loud and lets go of my hand for the first time to put them on his forehead.
"Now," Dumbledore continues, "I have an organization. The Order of the Phoenix. It's an anti-Voldemort organization. I'm trying to get members for it as we speak, and you six would be an excellent addition."
Sirius is the first to jump on this situation, "I'll join." The rest of us follow and now Dumbledore has six, fresh members.
"Who else are members?" James asks.
Dumbledore begins to name off names, "Professor McGonagall is a member, Mr. Shaklebolt is a member, he works down in the Ministry, most of the Weasleys are members, and Alastor Moody."
"Moody? The Auror?" James asks, in awe.
"That's the one, young Potter." James then looks at Lily with a big smile on his face, but Lily doesn't find this amusing.
"This is serious, James," she whispers and James wipes that smile off his face quicker than you can say "Death Eaters"
"Well," Dumbledore is about to conclude our meeting, "We're having a meeting here at Hogwarts tonight; it would be lovely if you all could make it."
We promise him that we'll be there, and then we all go to James's House.
The Potter's are so sweet. They're an older couple and James is their only child, so you can tell he's spoiled. When Sirius started to live with them, he started to get spoiled to. Mrs. Potter makes us cookies, and then we tried to explain to them what happened in Diagon Alley.
"They were wearing hoods?" Mrs. Potter asked for the millionth time, "Were they white?"
"No, Mrs. Potter, they were black," I respond and gleefully take a cookie.
"Good," Mrs. Potter said as she took a seat.
"No, Mrs. Potter!" Sirius said with a chuckle, "It's not good!"
"Oh…" Then she starts to tell us about a muggle organization earlier this century that killed African American people. She said they wore white hoods.
"Oh!" Lily exclaims, "I think I've heard of them!" Mrs. Potter smiles at Lily. She loves us that Mrs. Potter. She says her boys have found the perfect girls. Of course Sirius isn't her son, but she sure acts like it, though. It's the same with me and the Evans.
"So where does the bird come into this?" Mr. Potter asks looking over his newspaper.
"The Order of the Phoenix, Dad," James says with slight annoyance. "Dumbledore created it to stop this guy, and he invited us to join."
"And you all accepted, right?" We all replied with a respectable 'yes sir,' and then Mr. Potter smiled, "Spoken like true Gryffindors!"
Then we hang out until it's time to go back to back to Hogwarts.
When we get to the Great Hall, it looks almost funny now that we're grown up. I run up to Professor McGonagall and give her a hug. She was always my favorite teacher.
"May!" She says with a smile, "How have you been?" I tell her that I've been all right and then Dumbledore calls the meeting to order.
"Welcome to our first meeting!" He says with a smile as I rush back to Sirius. I know I shouldn't be saying this, but his speech was kind of boring. The boys found it interesting, but I could tell Lily was fighting sleep as well.
The only time I was interested was when he started naming known Death Eaters. I'm actually shocked when I know some of these people! Lucius Malfoy, he graduated a couple of years before me, the Carrows, and then the Blacks. When his family is named, Sirius puts his hands on his forehead again. I can feel people staring at him, wondering if they can trust him. I rub his back and then he gives me a weak smile.
Then, I'm pretty sure we're all in for a shock when the next name is called, "Severus Snape," I hear James laugh an evil laugh and say that he knew it, and then I look over to Lily and she has the most frightening look in her eyes.
A/N: Yay! It took forever to get inspired for this chapter! But I finally found it! The war had to start somewhere, right?