Chapter 35: What A Break!!
"I swear I would hate summer breaks if this is what we're going to get from this year onwards!!" Arabella whined. The three girls just finished their five-hour long training session at the Potters' Manor. This had been going on for the last two weeks, which commenced on the week after Lily returned from the trip.
"Don't ever say that. Holidays are the best time of the year." Lily looked at Arabella in pretended horror.
"Of course you'll say that Lils, because you're not using your powers like us!!" Stefanie complained, massaging her temples. Lily, being a healer, was not able to practice her powers at all. Dumbledore had asked her to check if she had any other power than healing but she had proven that she did not.
"I've been working out in Potters' gym for five hours!! I walked like five kilometers on the treadmill and don't know how many times I had lifted those dumbbells!!" Lily whined as her muscles were all aching rather badly. She had been working out in the gym consecutively for two weeks as it helped to build up stamina. Dumbledore made her exercised to her limit before allowing her to stop. In the first few days she spent three hours in the gym, but now she had to practice for five hours like the rest of them.
"I don't mind a switch sometimes. I'm mentally tired." Stefanie said sleepily, nearly dozing off.
"I'm physically tired and mentally drained!!" Lily complained as she laid in the middle of the king sized bed, arms and leg stretched out. The bed was rather huge and the three girls have ample space on it.
"My mind is too filled with information. Been having some premonitions lately." Arabella sighed as she closed her eyes, thinking.
"What kind of premonitions??" Lily asked, concerned for her best friend.
"Death signs." Arabella whispered. Lily and Stefanie turned to face Arabella, looking horrified.
"Did you tell Dumbledore??" Lily whispered.
"I did. I told him secretly. I didn't want to freak everyone out. I'm not trying to keep it a secret or what. But I just don't want my friends to be paranoid." Arabella said as she turned to look at the ceiling.
"Whose death??" Lily asked silently. Stefanie had the similar terrified look.
"I don't know. Someone close I think. I didn't get to see the faces."
"No wonder you had this distant look on you lately." Lily said as she touched the arm of her friend.
"Yes. I had these premonition since we gathered here together." Arabella said quietly. It had been too much of an ordeal for her to deal with alone. Finally she decided to share it with her two best friends.
"Oh, Bell." Lily gave her friend a hug and the three girls huddled together for a hug.
"I think we better sleep soon." Stefanie said. It was an hour passed midnight and the three girls were still rather awake considering they needed to be up and about rather early the next day.
This is going to be a horrible break. I dreamt of deaths. But whose?? The scene stops whenever I try to see their faces. I had been seeing that for the last three weeks. This is really scary. But I've to be strong for my friends. They're my only pillars of strength. Mum?? Dad?? Where are you?? Arabella thought as she looked at the wardrobe in front blankly.
Who could those be?? Please don't let that happen to Mum or Dad or Aunt Joan or any of my friends and their loved ones. Please don't!! At least I've two best friends. Please don't let anything happen to them either!! I think the one who is suffering the worst is Bell. This is bad. I'm so tired. Stefanie thought as she fiddled with the crystal heart shaped pendant on her neck and tried to drift to sleep.
I think I'll probably be the one. Afterall Voldemort hates muggles and muggle-borns. And that's me!! I've checked and confirmed that I'm definitely their daughter. I hope nothing would happen to Mum and Dad. I won't mind if it's Petunia who die. Oh my god. How can I think of that!! Lily thought as she sighed. Death is definitely a horrible thought.
None of the three girls slept well that night as they dreamt of all sorts of death signs that could happen to their beloved.
"We can give Voldemort a nickname!!" James suggested suddenly as they were eating their dinner around the large table in Potter's dining hall.
"What do you suggest then??" Lily asked, eating a whipped potato with brown sauce.
"We can pool our ideas together. Maybe by giving him a nick he might just sound funny." James said and started eating his potato wedges. Potatoes were their main dish for lunch that afternoon because they need all the carbohydrates that they could for the practice in two hours time.
"How about Voldie??" Lily suggested.
"Moldy Voldy??" James added.
"V-Lo??" Arabella said, thinking of someone by the name Jennifer Lopez.
"Volkie??" Sirius suggested.
"Volmy??" Stefanie spoke up.
"Volcy??" Remus said. Everyone was laughing after each suggestion made.
"Volka??"
"Voila??"
"Volie??"
"Violet??"
"Volty??"
"Morty??"
"Monty??"
"Moolie??"
"Mooshy?"
"Monkey??"
"Mouldy??"
"Smelly??"
"Stinky??"
"Eeky??
"Yucky??"
"Shitty??"
"Ditty??"
"Dimmy??"
"Dim-wit??"
"Dummy??
"Dusty??"
"Volsty??"
"Volly??"
"Volley??"
"Vortex??"
"Volcano??" James suddenly shouted.
"Volcano sounded good." Lily seconded James' suggestion.
"Ok, so let's eat more and train harder to fight the volcano!!" James said excitedly. Nicknaming Voldemort as Volcano definitely lightened the lunching mood tremendously.
"Cheers to the defeat of Volcano!!" Sirius shouted and offered a toast of Sprite in his goblet. The five followed and 'cling' their goblet with one another cheering. After gulping down several sips, they continued eating their potato lunch. One and half more hours before they would start their training.
"Isn't Dumbledore such a sweetie by letting us off for the last two weeks before school term start??" Lily said excitedly as the six of them walked along Diagon Alley to shop for the school stuffs together. After much begging and pleading, Dumbledore had allowed them to have a decent break from all those practices.
"I don't think Dumbledore would appreciate us very much for calling him a sweetie." James commented at the ecstatic Lily.
"Look at that cat!! It's so sweet!!" Arabella pointed at a thick and fluffy ginger furred cat at the counter in Magical Menagerie. The three boys and two girls turned to take a look at the cat through the glass panes.
"It's erm.. nice." Lily said, looking at the squashed and grumpy face of the ginger cat.
"Not too bad." Stefanie added, trying to find the sweetness in the bow-legged cat.
"You call that sweet?!? It looked like a tiger!!" Sirius exclaimed and Arabella punched him on the arm.
"It's rather huge for a cat." James commented as he looked at the cat that was looking out of them, as if it knew that the six of them were talking about it.
"I think that's a matter of opinion." Remus said calmly, looking at the pissed of Arabella.
"I think it's gorgeous!!" Arabella said.
"No comments." Lily said, as they continued walking down Diagon Alley.
"We need to head to the apothecary to get the potions ingredients." James said. They walked into the shop where there was a strong stench. They handed the shopkeeper the list and he gathered six sets of everything for them while they went out of the shop to breathe in some fresh air. After the shopkeeper had packed everything for them in six separated packs, they paid and left quickly.
"Flourish and Blotts next." Lily said as she looked through the last at the few books that she needed for their subjects. The six of them had taken the same combination so they could do and copy one another homework. After less than fifteen minute in the shop, the boys hurried the girls to leave the shop.
"We're done with our shopping right??" James asked as he browsed through his list quickly.
"Books. Checked. Potions ingredients. Check. We need new uniforms." Lily said looking through her list. Her uniform had gotten a little old and short for the sleeves.
"Erm, we've tailor made uniforms for us. We go with you two to Madam Malkins." James suggested. James, Sirius, Stefanie and Remus had at least five new sets of uniforms each year, tailor-made with the best materials. The seamstress came once a year to take their measurements in the last week of their summer break and get about five suits of uniform ready within a week.
"Alright then, thanks guys." Lily said as they headed over to Madam Malkins Robes for All Occasions. Lily and Arabella quickly got their measurements and the uniforms were fitted.
"Let's go to Florean Ice- Cream Parlor." James suggested. The guys winked at one another.
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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LILY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!" The five of them shouted so loudly that everyone in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor could hear them. Some of the more spontaneous customers clapped along.
"Oh my gosh!! This is so embarrassing!!" Lily said as her five friends continued singing the birthday song another time.
"Blow your candles!!"
"Make a wish!!"
"Ok, thank you so much!!" Lily closed her eyes and clamped her hands together and wished. I wish the six of us could be friends forever and ever. I wish my parents would always be there for me!! I wish them happiness!! Lily opened her eyes and blew the fourteen candles on the chocolate ice cream cake. "Thank you so much for the surprise!!"
"It was Bell's and Stef's idea, we just carry it out!!" James said, grinning. The candles relit again.
"What candles did you use??" Lily asked suspiciously.
"Re-lightable candles from Zonkos!!" The three guys exclaimed.
"The ice cream is going to melt!!" Stefanie said as the sideway of the cake started to look watery.
"Get the candles out!!" Arabella told Lily excitedly. Lily blew the candles once again and once again, it automatically re-lighted. After five times, the flames seemed to die off a little.
"I'm getting breathless. Can't you all help??" Lily said, panting a little. I'm so glad that they remembered my birthday.
"It's your birthday!! Take the candles out." James said as he lifted the cake a little slanting towards Lily. She started taking the candles out one by one.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" The five shouted as James smashed the ice-cream cake onto Lily's face.
"AAHHH!!" Lily shrieked behind the cream-covered face.