A/N: By football, I mean, European football, not American for those readers from the States. Thanks to all who followed/favorited and left comments. It is deeply appreciated.
Title: A Lily in Time
Chapter 2: Dumbledore's Inquiry
Lily followed the old man into a finely lit corridor where a tall bronze gargoyle stood. Its mighty appearance astonished Lily and she gawked at its elaborately detailed feathers. It was the hugest statue of a bird she had ever seen in her life. Dumbledore stopped as they reached the pointy beak of the eagle. She heard him murmur the word "butterbeer". She narrowed her eyes at this. 'Mr. Dumbledore sure doesn't seem like the type to be drinking alcoholic beverages.' Her mother always said beer was bad for good girls and boys, including grown-up ones. She said it made them very sick and do wicked things. Lily couldn't fathom why such a horrid drink would therefore be permitted on campus.
Her musings were interrupted as the gargoyle slid from view and revealed a circular, stone staircase. Just like the other ones they rode, this staircase was mobile.
They continued their journey up the stairs until they reached an enormous room filled with the most entertaining of things. Moving pictures containing only who Lily could assume to be previous headmasters littered the walls. A particular painting featuring a heavyset woman stared at Lily, causing the latter to blush. Unknown silver instruments sitting upon spindle-legged tables released little puffs of smoke. One puff went off near Lily's face and she coughed in response. A similar thing happened to Albus, but he didn't seem bothered by it; he merely waved the smoke away from his face. There was a massive brown desk in the center of the room as well cluttered with quills and rolls of parchment. Beyond it was a shelf where the adorable hat from earlier sat– the Sorting Hat, she believed they called it.
Dumbledore followed her gaze and cleared his throat upon realizing the object gaining her attention. "Please, come sit." he insisted. With a flick of his wand, the mess on his desk disappeared and in its place was a tea set. Lily awkwardly approached the desk and, having nowhere to sit, began to settle for the floor, when a chair suddenly cushioned itself beneath her bottom. She let out an "Umph!" at the unexpected contact.
Dumbledore chuckled. "I hope you will pardon the furniture. They can sometimes come off as a bit too hospitable." He handed her a teacup. "Milk or sugar to go with your tea?"
"Two cubes of sugar please."
He nodded his head. "And would you like to try any of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans? I reckon you haven't had any due to your current predicament. I do not believe they are made where you are from. I personally don't share a particular fondness for them, but a student bestowed it to me as a gift for the start of the school year. Since I do not eat them, it would be wasteful of me not to offer them to others. So please, do try some. From what I recall, the green apple has a truly acceptable taste." He pushed the bowl of jelly beans towards her and she timidly reached for a dark green and white one. Her face quickly turned sour after popping it into her mouth. She hastily snatched for a napkin and spat it out.
She licked her lips. "Yuck! It tasted like a rotten egg!"
She was not amused by the way the Headmaster's skin seemed to crinkle around his eyes. "I am afraid you had the misfortune of selecting the Rotten Egg jellybean my dear girl. I advise you take that red one on the left there." He gestured to the one he was referring to but Lily politely declined. She really didn't want to risk vomiting on the Headmaster, especially not if he was her only hope in returning home. She took a sip of her tea.
"Well," he began, resuming a serious expression. He folded his hands together. His eyes were now trained solely on her, something which did little to settle Lily's anxious belly. "You mentioned a strange light and voices? Was that all that took place before you arrived here?"
She shook her head, choosing to look at her teacup in an attempt to avoid his deep stare. "No sir. There was this sharp, hot pain that was also radiating all throughout my body. It felt like I was being electrocuted. That was when the voices I never heard before began speaking in my head. Well, at least I think they were only in my head. They sounded pretty real and close."
"Were these voices speaking directly to you?"
"Some of them were, some of them weren't. But..." She paused. Her lips pressed into a thin hard line and she subconsciously tapped a finger on the side of her cup. "...But the way they talked made it seem like something horrible had happened."
The professor's eyebrows rose at this. "And what was this horrible thing, Lily?"
He took notice with mild unease of the worried look she was sporting. Confusion soon replaced this worried expression though, and he too began to feel wondrous. 'What a swift change in emotions...' he thought.
"I...wait." Her puzzlement increased. She appeared to be having an inner battle with herself. "This is going to sound really weird sir, but I can't remember anymore. I - I just had it! I can still feel it at the back of my head too, but I just...ugh." She groaned. She placed her head in her hands and shook her head in bewilderment. 'Come on! Think Lily, think! Why can't you remember?'
"Hm..." Dumbledore began to contemplate for a moment. "Do not be alarmed by what I am about to do, Lily. I mean you no harm in my actions."
She started to say something back when she abruptly experienced the eeriest sensation of something moving along her mind. No, not something. Someone. She inhaled sharply and tightened her grip on the armchair. She felt bare. Naked. Exposed. Her brain was suddenly being stripped. Different scenes began to play behind her eyes. Her in this chair. Her seeing Hogwart's for the first time. Blackness. The last meal she had with her family, including Severus. Another prod at the blackness. A peek at her and Tuney's fight. Back to the blackness. Blackness, blackness, blackness, blackness-
"How peculiar." The old man withdrew from her brain and she let out a sigh she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He patted her on the hand. "Sorry about that child. I wanted to take a look myself. But it seems I too am being blocked from the memory. However, I believe there is another solution."
He stood up from his chair and walked over to a table beside the far wall. On it was a metal dish decorated with fine carvings and beautiful gemstones. Seeing her amazed stare, Dumbledore said, "This is a Pensieve, my dear. Not many people have had the chance to witness one in their lifetime. Only the most powerful and advanced witches and wizards have been able to obtain one. It grants a person the ability to review memories."
He took out his wand and gestured for her. She timidly obliged and moved to stand next to him. She flinched away, however, when she realized he planned to connect her left temple with the tip of his wand. He faintly smiled. "Do not be afraid Lily. I will never let any harm come to you. I swear that on my life." He reached for her again and to his astonishment, she wrapped her fingers around the body of his wand. "S-sorry." she sputtered. "It just makes me feel safer if I touch it myself."
She embraced herself for his reprimand, but it never came. "That is quite fine Lily. I do admire your bravery. Not many people would dare to touch Albus Dumbledore's wand, especially not in his grasp."
She gulped and put on a determined face. She let go of the wand. "I am ready." she declared. She no longer wanted to be scared of magic.
He nodded and continued his task. Lily's eyes trailed the white, ghostly light that emitted from her temple as Dumbledore retrieved it to place it inside the Pensieve. "Please make yourself at home. This shouldn't be long." he murmured. And with one final glance at Lily, he dipped his head into the dish.
Lily shifted her eyes around the room. Now what was she to do?
Albus traveled along the swirls of memories in search of the one he most sought. Trivial past events he did not care for kept appearing here and there, and every time he would brush them away. There were heated arguments between Lily and her sister, crushes on nameless boys, visits from muggle family members. Episodes of accidental use of magic, primarily when there were bursts of anger or some other heightened emotion.
All of these matters he tried his best to ignore on behalf of Lily's privacy and to avoid distraction from his goal. There was, however, one memory he did pause at, albeit for a small amount of time. Something he would consider for further inspection later.
A young Severus was laying on the ground beneath an old willow. Beside him laid Lily. They were both gazing up at the sky. He knew of his younger ally's bleak childhood, but witnessing it more up close and personal through the perspective of his best friend made Albus feel somewhat perturbed. Based on Lily's account, Severus did not smell pleasant; in fact, it was just the opposite. He held a malodorous odor that was reminiscent of mold and sweat.
He didn't look very washed either. He was a scrawny child, and his black ill-fitted clothes and long greasy hair made him resemble a bat. Dumbledore recalled the nickname the Marauders had given him; Snivellus. He supposed it was in regards to his grotesque appearance. Severus was never viewed as an appealing man and his disregard for the "fancy of looks alone" was infamously known. Yet Albus always remembered him having good personal hygiene. He certainly never had anything negative to say about Snape's image in the past. Or had he just not been looking hard enough? Nonetheless, this boy's awful appearance was obviously due to the neglect of his parents.
A scar labeled the curve of his jaw. It wasn't quite fresh, but Dumbledore knew he had never seen the scar in his life. Severus had to have hidden it well before attending Hogwarts.
The nine-year-old future double agent suddenly turned his way, as if sensing his scrutiny. Albus stared back. The boy blinked for a second before resuming his attention to the girl beside him. Lily was humming a tune and swirling a cloud of daises above them. A small smile played at the corner of her lips. She selected a little flower and made it fly towards a tall one until the two were side by side. The two daises then began to circle around one another before slowly stopping and bumping into each other. It was supposed to represent a kiss. She giggled.
Albus noticed with benign curiosity that the taller of the two was uglier compared to all of the other daises. And the tinier one was the most attractive.
Snape gazed long fully at the girl. Without even reading his mind, Albus knew what he was thinking; that the girl in front of him was the most beautiful sight in the whole world. More beautiful and enchanting than any of these tiny flowers she was so mesmerized by.
The boy averted his eyes however when Lily unexpectedly looked back at him and smiled. His cheeks turned a dark shade of pink. Albus chuckled at the boy's embarrassment. This was a person much different from the Severus he knew. It was someone who was buried underneath all of the coldness and bleakness of the strict, young man.
Dumbledore felt Lily's emotions change from gleefulness and content to worry and sympathy in the memory. She went to touch Severus's scar but he pulled away. A brief flash of hurt crossed her features but she swiftly masked it. 'I don't want him to hide from me again.' she thought.
"Is everything going okay at your house?" she gently asked.
He shrugged. She bit down a sigh. She hated it when he shut her out. She didn't want him to have to handle the hurt alone. She wanted him to know that she was there for him. 'But...perhaps it is too soon. We've only known each other for a few weeks anyway. I am probably going too fast for Sev. He needs time to heal and open up. I need to remember that.'
Albus could feel tears forming in his eyes. Part of it was because of this kind-hearted girl he missed so much. The other part was because of the great loss Severus experienced the day he yelled that ugly word. Lily hadn't seen Severus as other children did. He wasn't some pathetic, grumpy, waste to be ignored and repulsed by. She saw him as a boy who carried much talent, endurance, and a thirst for knowledge; three things she admired and she herself shot for. No, Lily did not hate young Severus, not in the slightest. He was a cherished friend.
Seeing them like this, as two companions who were stuck like glue - despite them only knowing each for a short time - made Albus all the more sympathetic towards Severus and his cause. He wondered just what could have made Snape betray Lily's trust as he had. Had the Dark Arts truly been that precious to him?
Albus shook his head at that and grimaced.
He watched as the boy and girl finally arose from the ground. "It's becoming late. I must go home now." Lily said, although reluctantly. They stared at each other for a while, neither knowing what to say to the other. Severus began to fiddle with the end of his shirt. He tore his eyes from Lily and kicked at a tuft of grass awkwardly. "I wish you didn't have to go." he mumbled under his breath. But Lily didn't hear it.
They then walked away from their secret place and headed back towards the playground. Several muggles were there. Some were busy spinning around on the merry-go-round while others swung on nearby swing sets. There was a particular kid with dark auburn hair that held a football in his hand. He was playing catch with a boy who Dumbledore could only assume was his younger brother. The younger one had just tossed the ball high in the air when the other boy had caught it and noticed the presence of the two friends.
He smirked.
"Hey Tim. Watch this." he said. He placed the ball on the ground before glancing around, looking out for any signs of danger. When he saw that there were no grown-ups around, he kicked the ball with as much force as he could towards Severus. It hit him square on the head.
Severus, not expecting the violent action, stumbled backward. He clutched his head. "W-wha?" he groaned. He looked to where the ball had come from. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Stupid muggles." he hissed.
Lily frowned at the terminology but said nothing. What they had done was wrong anyway.
She turned to see the two boys laughing at their antics. "Hey!" she yelled. "That wasn't funny, you toad heads! Stop laughing!"
The older boy kept on cackling, ignoring Lily's disapproval. "Oh - ha- yeah -uh? And what are you gonna do about it, redhead, if we don't?"
Lily clenched her fists at her sides and huffed. She faced Severus. "Don't pay any attention to them Sev. They aren't worth your time."
He nodded and weakly smiled, putting on the misleading impression that he agreed with her, but Albus could tell that the potions professor was lying. His false smile was easy to detect through the knowing headmaster's eyes. Lily, however, was oblivious to it.
As soon as Lily left the park, Severus returned his focus on the opposing boys who had just retrieved their football. His expression became dark. It was a look filled with much loathe and distrust. This wasn't the first time the boy had played a dirty trick on him. The bee stings on his upper right leg was a painful reminder of that. Severus never enjoyed football. He thought it was pointless and not worthy of his effort. But today he would make the exception.
Unbeknownst to Severus, Lily had decided to ask him if he wanted to walk home with her and had come back. She was now studying the situation from afar. She had seen his intense expression; whatever nice side Severus had shown her, she realized, was reserved for her eyes only; this Severus was obviously bent on revenge.
The brothers were only talking now, their previous joke momentarily forgotten. The football was resting beside Tim's feet. Severus thought hard and pushed all of his magic forward. The next thing anybody knew, the older boy was falling flat on his face. "Gah!"
Tim blinked at his brother. What had happened?
"Hey John, you ok-" But John cut him off, feeling furious and betrayed.
"Shut it you little twit! You think it's funny to trip me?" John quickly got to his feet. He grabbed a fistful of his brother's shirt. "I'll show you- Ow!"
Something had struck him on the side of his head. He looked around. The soccer ball?
"W-what? H-how did you do that when you're over th-"
The ball hit Johnny again. But this time, hard enough to make him blackout.
Tim's eyes grew large. The soccer ball was - was flying! And it was aiming for him next!
"Ah!" he screamed. The eight-year-old tried to duck but it was useless; the ball collided with his bottom and he fell to the ground. He began to cry. "Mummy! Mummy!" he wailed.
Severus snickered at the unfolding events. He looked pretty smug until he noticed a little girl gaping at him from a seesaw. He shot her an expression that Dumbledore identified as the prerequisite to the infamous look Snape would later give his students whenever he wanted them to be silent.
The girl understood the message rather quickly. She made a zipping motion over her lips before running over to play on the slide.
Lily giggled. She stepped from behind the parked car that was her hiding spot and strolled to Sev. He appeared alarmed when his eyes met with hers. He looked like he wanted to be swallowed by the earth.
"Lily? I thought you went home." he said hesitantly. He was fearful of her reaction after witnessing her anger when he last used his magic on a muggle; her sister. But to his surprise, Lily took his hand. "Let's go Sev. I want you to walk me home."
This was when Albus chose to drift from the memory. It was interesting to see the interactions of his greatest agent, but it was not important. He needed to get back on task.
A swirl of black and gold fog wound itself around the image, causing the playground to become an odd entanglement of sorts, before the scene finally shifted and Dumbledore was standing outside of the Evans' household. He glanced for Lily but could not find her.
He quirked up an eyebrow. This was odd and...slightly alarming. The Pensieve never showed a memory without its host. What was going on?
Keeping this matter in mind for later analysis, like a ghost, Dumbledore stepped through the front door of Lily's childhood home. It was a two-story house, he realized, decorated with many pictures of Lily's relatives and previous family achievements. A fireplace was lit and not far from it was a bookshelf containing literature of all genres. On the top of the said shelf were the games Twister and Battleship. He knew from the lingering imprints of Lily's memory that she and Severus had played them earlier that evening.
The vague smell of dinner suddenly drew his attention. He inhaled deeply; ah, yes. The feast certainly had been delicious. He could still taste it on his tongue, just as Lily had.
He followed the scent and was, in turn, led to the kitchen, where Mr. and Mrs. Evans were conversing. Never personally getting the chance to meet them, Dumbledore took in both parents' appearances. Mrs. Evans was a plump woman with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. Her facial structure was what earned Lily her beautiful features, he noted, but it was from Mr. Evans that she inherited her striking green eyes and fiery red locks. Although he couldn't remember how Mrs. Evans died, he remembered that they were both deceased by the time Harry was born. He believed Mr. Evans had gotten pneumonia.
Mr. Evans was sitting at the kitchen table with the London Times in his hand. It was turned to the weather section. Mrs. Evans was leaning against the stove and sipping tea from a cup. Leftovers had already been thrown away or packed into the refrigerator. "Lial, I am truly worried for that boy. I want to call the authorities. I don't believe for one second that he got that bruise from merely falling. He's only putting on a tough show."
Mr. Evans nodded in agreement. "I know Patty. Maybe we could get somebody to check the place out, but Severus needs to be willing to comply if we want the police to get involved. He won't even tell us where he lives. If he keeps covering for his parents, he might not be able to get the help he needs."
"And how do you suppose we get him to listen then? I think he's gotten used to the treatment! I read somewhere that kids like him tend to accept the abuse as a part of their everyday lives. Do you know how terrible that is Lial? To know that a child doesn't know the difference? It's horrific!"
"Yes, it is Patty."
"Then what do we do if he sees it that way? What if he views our help as pity? I don't want him to get the wrong idea..."
"I don't know Pat. I honestly don't know."
They both then sighed, fretting over the future of their daughter's new friend.
They were good folks. Anyone, and most certainly Dumbledore, could see that. It was sad to know they wouldn't live much longer in this world.
He tipped his head at them before dismissing himself to venture up the stairs.
When he reached the top, he could hear someone talking from the first door on his left. Curious, he peered through.
It was Petunia Evans. The last time he had seen her was several years ago when he was checking up on Harry. She had been complaining then; she was complaining now. She had yet to write her letter to him, begging to join Hogwarts despite her nasty attitude towards Lily for being a "freak". She wouldn't do that until much later after Lily received her invitation to join the school of witchcraft and wizardry.
He watched in partial amusement as she stared harshly at a fork. She was wanting it to move like it had for Lily the week before.
"Ugh! Blast it! Why won't you move?!" she griped. She slammed her hand against the dresser where the fork laid. The corners of Dumbledore's lips turned downwards. If she wasn't more careful, she'd accidentally stab herself. She rested her elbow next to the silverware and thought hard, trying to conjure up another tactic that might awaken her "magical prowess".
Finally coming up with something, she got up off her knees and stood up. She shrugged her shoulders back and then took a deep breath, visibly calming herself. She glanced into the mirror for reassurance. "I can do this. I just have to concentrate. Concentrate, Petunia."
She placed her hands out in front of her and spread her feet apart. She appeared to be getting ready to perform a martial arts technique rather than a form of rudimentary magic. She stood in her stance for a minute. Nothing. Two minutes. Nothing. Three minutes. Zilch. She gave up.
By this time, her face had turned into a shade of purple. She kicked the bed in a fierce manner and grabbed her pillow. She screamed into the fluffy cushion. That was when her bedroom light decided to flicker. She abruptly paused her screaming and stared at the ceiling where the dying light swung. A victorious smile stretched across her face. She stuffed her head back into the pillow and began screaming again. Albus didn't need to see anymore. He exited the room swiftly. The girl wasn't going to accomplish anything anytime soon. Especially not like that. Coincidences and magic were not the same things after all.
He started to approach what he believed to be Lily's room on the right side of the corridor. However, he soon stopped in his tracks. The tiny hairs on the nape of his neck suddenly stood on end and goosebumps erected all over his arms and face. He stepped back from her door instantly. Someone or something was in there with Lily. And what he couldn't fathom was why he was having a physical reaction from the memory.
Recollecting himself, he hurriedly went to barge in the room but soon discovered that whatever it was would not allow him entrance. He futilely attempted again, only to be blown back by an invisible force. He could sense a presence manifesting itself inside the hallway. Now it was with him.
This presence was not evil, but it didn't feel nice either; it seemed rather upset. Upset that he was interfering? But this was only a memory; how could it be aware that he was there? Whatever it was, Dumbledore had a feeling it was a formidable foe to his cause. Was it a spirit? An unknown kind of dementor? He was not sure. Never had he encountered such a thing in his life.
He suddenly heard Lily screaming from the other side of the door. Several voices, which he recognized to be James, Remus, Petunia, and Severus, began to echo from inside the bedroom.
He lifted his wand to where he believed the mysterious thing to be. "Expecto Patronum!" he yelled.
Yet to his astonishment, his wispy phoenix never came out of his wand. He glared. "Who are you? Show yourself!" The being did not comply to his demands. Instead, everything turned black and with a puff of fog, Dumbledore was once again viewing the memory of Snape and Lily laying beneath the willow tree.
He immediately dismissed the memory and returned to Lily's house. Only to have the same thing occur again and again. He even tried watching the memory before Lily's unfortunate time incident happened; he managed to take two steps into the room before she was about to get dressed, when the unknown force shoved him back into the playground again. Just what was he missing?
After the fifth attempt, Dumbledore decided he would have to continue another day. The first day of class started tomorrow and he could not afford to miss a single second of it. But he would come back to this. That much was guaranteed.
He now needed to focus on his second troubling matter; what to do with Lily?
Lily yawned. Pensieves must have taken forever to look through.
The hand clock above the headmaster's desk read 10:30 pm. Include the time in which she originally left her house, and Lily was sure it would be after one in the morning. In short, it was way past her bedtime.
She rubbed her eyes and stretched. She glanced over at the elderly man who still had his head buried in the dish. She sighed. Maybe she should take a nap? He wouldn't mind, would he? He had to have known she was going to get tired at some point.
She positioned herself horizontally on the chair and put her arms behind her head. Not the best of pillows but it would suffice. She closed her eyes. However, not even two minutes later did they flutter back open. Nope, this wasn't going to work. She was uncomfortable and she was in unfamiliar territory. Not a good combination for someone trying to sleep.
She stood up. Agitation and drainage from today's events caught up to her and she began to quietly sob. She felt hopeless and bothered. She wanted her mummy. She wanted her daddy. She even wanted Tuney. A whimper escaped her lips as snot began to dribble down her nose. She wiped the mucus away with the cuff of her sleeve.
"You shouldn't cry, missy. You'll get back home eventually." came a familiar voice. Her head shot up. It was the hat.
"H-hi." she said, embarrassed that she had been caught crying.
"Hello. Waiting for Dumbledore to return, I see. He should be coming back anytime now. Don't worry Lily. He will give you a cozy place to rest." he assured her.
She dried the few tears remaining on her cheeks. "Really? Where will I stay?"
He thought for a second. "Hm, well probably not in the dormitories. At least, not for tonight. Perhaps in one of his many bedrooms. They're located all over the school, you know. There are many secret passageways and tunnels that even his most trusted faculty have no clue about."
"And you? How come you know about them?" she inquired. All sadness was gone. Her curiosity had been ignited. The hat had accomplished his goal.
"Because I've been around since the beginning of this school, silly girl! Ask me any question and I shall know the answer. I once belonged to Godric Gryffindor himself and he and the other founders of this school gave me their intelligences so I could decipher and read any person's mind who wears me. No student that has ever attended Hogwarts has not worn me; I am the one who determines their house."
Excited now, Lily leaned in and said, "Do you think you could get Mr. Dumbledore to let me wear you? He said earlier that I wasn't going to be sorted, but maybe if you-"
"You do not need to be sorted for you have already been sorted, Lily Julia Evans! I never forget a mind such as yours. A unique individual you were with many talented gifts. I already know where Dumbledore shall place you once he returns. And it will not be where I originally put you."
Lily became confused at this. "What? What do you mean?"
But he didn't seem to hear her question.
"Hmm. Yes, yes. Safe does he need you, so safe you will be. You are not quite the same as you were when you first wore me, Lily Evans. You are still young and innocent. You have bravery, no doubt. But you also have a compassionate side that is like no other. You are ferociously loyal to whatever or whomever you believe in and you will protect your friends and family until your last dying breath. Love comes first above all. The light and the good is what you seek. You turn away from darkness and have a low tolerance for it, yet despite this, you are willing to have patience for your dear friend Severus. This house will supply you with what you need while also keeping you as ambiguous as necessary to keep you out of harm's reach. Even when I originally placed you, I had to take a moment to ponder between this house and your other."
Lily practically leaped onto the hat. The anticipation for the answer was killing her! She pressed her nose against its shabby cloth. "What house am I in then?! What house?! Wait, what are the houses? What's their names? Oh! Aren't they - "
And that was the moment Dumbledore decided to make his reappearance.
Lily, still elated, continued to try and prod the hat, but it seemed to have suddenly fallen asleep and was now snoring lightly away.
She pouted. "Lily?" Dumbledore questioned. She slunk from the hat. "Yes sir?"
He studied her greatly. "Has there been anything else you remember about your dream since I've been gone?"
She thought long and hard. She finally shook her head. "No sir."
He slightly grimaced but didn't look all that surprised by her answer. He observed her close proximity to the shelf behind his desk. "I see you were consulting with the Sorting Hat?"
"Y...yes. Am I not allowed to sir?" she asked.
"No, you can. But please humor me; what did he say?" He seemed to measure her next words carefully.
"He said I was kind and loyal. But he wouldn't tell me what house I was in. Does that usually happen sir?"
The headmaster was relieved at her words. He shook his head. "Not most of the time, but there have been a few cases where it has happened."
"Oh." she stated.
She observed that he was exhausted. "Are you okay sir?"
"Yes, Lily. I am fine. Thank you." He paused to glance at the time. "But I need to be getting you in bed! We both have longs days ahead of us. I promise to get you back home Lily, but until then, I will have to insist that you stay here at Hogwarts. There is a room adjacent to mine higher up in this tower. You will reside there until I have prepared other sleeping arrangements for you. I will have a house-elf escort you there now. His name is Popper. He will be your personal assistant from now on."
Lily's jaw dropped. "You have elves here? I didn't know elves exist!"
Dumbledore let out another one of his warm chuckles. "There are many things you have yet to know about this world, Lily. And Hogwarts will be honored to unveil it to you as it has for thousands of other students in the last few centuries."
Lily smiled before yawning a second time that night. Shortly thereafter, a house-elf popped up and led her to where Dumbledore had promised there to be a room. The girl was soon out of the robe the older girl had given her that night and fell fast asleep on the queen-sized bed.
Dumbledore would have gone to bed himself. Except, there were two more things he needed to do.
A/N: Sorry for any errors in this! It is getting closer to midnight and I have been working on this for the last 4 to 6 hours straight! I made a promise to myself that I HAD to publish this chapter by Christmas, REGARDLESS! If Dumbledore feels OOC, I deeply apologize. As always, please comment and review. It really encourages me to write and I love seeing feedback from my readers. :)