TO: fearless-phoenix. Thank YOU! I was just thinking last night how I would probably have to go back through the books to get find out what type of wand Lily had, but you've just saved me the work! Since you've been so thoughtful I'll make sure Lily ends up back with the original wand but I'm still not going to forget those pearls...in fact...I think they may have a role...

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WANDERER

Lily shivered.

Her feet were freezing.

She was outdoors again.

Confused she wandered past a hut with a darkened garden patch. Her vision was dulled to shades of grey and ended with darkness abruptly a few feet ahead of her. With her vision restricted she pressed on, determined to find a destination.

Ahead of her appeared a tree, lit up by a pallid moon that she hadn't noticed before. The tree swayed in a most peculiar fashion. More than just the leaves moved to the wind that had suddenly picked up, whole branches and even the trunk seem to bend at will.

A long vine like branch cracked-

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"Watch it!" Lily's head snapped up just as she was knocked down from her feet. Above her head she felt the air displace as something whooshed over her and her attacker.

"What the-?" She and the girl who had knocked her over scrambled to their feet, half running and half-staggering back as a strangely agile branch cracked at them. "The Whomping Willow!" Lily cried out when she managed to get some bearing on where she was.
"Well done." The girl replied her light musical voice thick with sarcasm.

Lily felt her temper soar but quickly tried to extinguish it, after all, she did just save her from one hell of a beating. Instead she looked away from the girl who proceeded to brush out leaves from her chocolate coloured hair. Her gaze wondered to the school.

Hogwarts had an exterior that was as awe inducing as its interior. The huge old castle stood proud and timeless in the dim glow. Through the wide windows she could see candles flickering but the majority of the stone school lay in thick shadows. It must be late. Lily thought. She locked down at herself in her vest and shorts that she usually slept in.

Had she been sleep walking? It was not something that she had done before but then, what other explanation could there be for her to wake up outside of the castle? And in an out of bounds area. Lily added. She turned to face the girl.

"Thanks for..." she was going to say 'saving me' but the girl's demeanour told her that she wouldn't be too happy if she had said that.

"Save it." The girl said curtly and gave her robes one last brush.

Lily's eyes narrowed. "What were you doing out here anyway?"

The girl shrugged. "Sleepwalking?"

"Fully clothed?" Lily crossed her arms and saw for the first time that the girl's robes were black and green. She was a Slytherin. Her curiosity was going into overdrive now.

"Oops, blew my cover. I was out walking. Fresh air." She turned to leave and Lily followed.

"Past the curfew and in an out of bounds area?"

"Not everyone is as rule obliging you know." The taller girl answered. "Look, as much as I would love re-enact the whole scene to you, I really must go. The whole story is I was out walking trying to clear my head and I saw you walking like a zombie towards that god-awful tree and the rest you know." She finished.

Lily frowned at her for a while longer but found it hard to be suspicious anymore; it wasn't in her nature. "I am grateful for that." She offered a smile that the girl returned hesitantly as if smiling wasn't something she did often. "Okay, I guess I'll see you around." They had reached the castle and were now in the main hall where they would separate to go back to their rooms. Lily headed up the stairs.

"You really shouldn't be out and about alone in the late hours. It's worth considering that Hogwarts might be watched." Lily spun around and stared at the retreating back of the girl, suddenly feeling a shiver down her spine. Now that was an ominous warning if she had ever heard one.