Chapter six! I'm having so much fun writing this, I've got loads of ideas for it! Thank you to everyone who read, alerted or favourited this story. It makes me so happy to think people are enjoying this. Oh, a quick note, I changed Stephania's name to Helen. My sister said that Stephania wasn't a very good name for a girl in the Marauder Era, so I changed it. If you spot anywhere in this chapter or other ones where I've called her Stephania, could you point it out please?

The ride up to the castle was silent, each girl preoccupied with their thoughts. As much as Lily tried to convince herself that this was just something normal, nothing sinister, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

And that something, she guessed, was to do with Celia. Why else would they all have been summoned? They couldn't all have timetable trouble, or problems with prefect duty, and if McGonagall had wanted to see her because of something to do with Head's duties, surely James would have had to come as well? Despite all this, she still felt a pang of irritation when she thought of him. How on earth would they get along this year? She would have to share a dormitory, as well! The Head Boy and Girl always did, a tradition that went back centuries, apparently, and was supposed to highlight the maturity of the girl and boy in question, as well as making their shared duties easier. She wouldn't put it past him to bore a peepy-hole into her bedroom wall so he could watch her. The thought made her shiver.

Soon, they arrived outside the gravel drive to the castle doors, and each girl got out, dragging her trunk, and in Mary and Danni's case, their owl cages with them. To their surprise, Professor McGonagall was waiting for them on the castle steps, a tartan-lined cloak wrapped around her shoulders to ward of the developing chill, and standing beside her was Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, her patched had clutched in her slightly trembling hands.

'Girls, please come with me,' she said as they climbed the steps. Lily tried to search her Head of House's expression, but to no avail. As always, the Transfiguration Professor's face was a blank mask, tight lipped and severe. But Lily was sure that there was something different, a look in her eyes that she couldn't place.

From behind her, there came a clattering of a carriage door being thrown open. Lily looked back down the driveway to where another horseless carriage had pulled out, and out of the door spilled five girls Lily recognised as fourth year Hufflepuff.

They were Helen's friends.

She glanced back around in horror, taking in Professor Sprout, whose expression had turned grave at the sight of these girls, who seemed to be in a flurry of youthful ignorance at what Lily had twigged was happening.

Something was wrong. Something to do with Celia.

Not looking at any of her friends, Lily followed Professor McGonagall into the warm Entrance Hall, and up the marble staircase. She glanced into the Great Hall with its hundreds of floating candles. Without the masses of students chattering away inside it, it looked odd and empty, the dark sky casting a bleak shadow over the four house tables.

Wordlessly, Professor McGonagall led the four, equally silent, girls to her office and ushered them inside. Once they were all in, she swung herself behind her desk and gestured them to sit.

'I'm sorry, girls,' she began in a voice that sounded pained. 'There was an incident this morning involving your friend, Miss Kelley. They were ambushed by as they left their house for King's Cross. I'm afraid there is no easy way to say this, but Celia's mother and her sister, Helen, were killed outright.'

There was a collective gasp of shock as each girl present was hit with the impact of those words.

'What's happened to Celia?' Danni croaked, staring at Professor McGonagall.

'Celia was taken to St Mungo's, along with her father,' Professor McGonagall said gently. 'They are both in critical conditions, but it is believed they will live. I have to say, girls, it is unlikely that Miss Kelley will return to school this year.'

Lily was reeling. Numbly, she thought of the Hufflepuff girls who had tumbled out of the carriage after them, how they would be hearing similar things now, but that their friend was dead.

'Who attacked them?' Mary asked. There were tears pouring down her cheeks.

Professor McGonagall stared at them for a long moment, before taking her spectacles off and cleaning them on a handkerchief from her pocket. It was only after she put them back on her nose that she spoke.

'The Ministry of Magic believe it was the Death Eaters who ambushed them. Mr Kelley is a senior member of the Department Magical Law Enforcement. He has written and enforced several laws that have proved problematic for the Death Eaters. He was probably their intended target.

'But they missed him,' Tarragon said bitterly. 'Why did they attack them all? They killed an innocent woman and her daughter!'

'They were trying to kill an innocent man,' Professor McGonagall said. 'Do you really think the Death Eaters will make such distinctions? They were ordered to kill, and they certainly do not care who gets in their way, even if it is two underage witches who pose them no threat.'

The girls were silent, tears slowly tracing their way down their cheeks. They had not known Mrs Kelley, but Helen was always a bright presence wherever the feather-headed Celia happened to be. Of all the people, Lily could simply not comprehend that she wasn't alive any more. That all her bubbly, vibrant life was gone. She would never come running up to Celia in the corridor bringing something her older sister had forgotten from home, or her share of sweets from their mother.

'Life isn't fair,' Danni said in a small voice.

'No, Miss Cartwright, it is not,' Professor McGonagall said firmly. 'And with You-Know-Who on the rise and his Death Eaters getting bolder every day, life is set to get considerably less fair. But we can't let these dark times bog us down. A terrible thing has happened, but surely that serves to remind us how short life can be and that we shouldn't waste time locking ourselves away when there is a life to be living. We have to be strong in times like these.'

'Miss Evans,' Professor McGonagall added, 'Professor Dumbledore feels that in light of these events, it is probably best if your first Head's meeting with him takes place tomorrow night instead of this evening. He will see you and Mr Potter at eight o'clock in his study. The password to the Head's dormitory is Constantine. If you could inform Mr Potter, please.'

Lily nodded, wiping a tear away from her eye.

'The Sorting Feast will begin shortly,' Professor McGonagall said. 'You should make your way to the Great Hall now.'

So, poor Celia! Thanks for reading this chapter, and please, please, please, PLEASE review! It would really make my day, I've only got four on here. The next chapter should come really soon, I've already got most of it written!