Witch Way
Name suggested by Cateagle
A.N: Text written like $this$ is parseltongue
Chapter 4: Friends and Enemies
It was the first Saturday afternoon at Hogwarts. Lillian was sitting in Professor MacGonagall apartment in the castle, sipping on the tea which the older witch served.
"So – how did you like your first week at Hogwarts?" asked Minerva.
"Oh, it's wonderful! I've succeeded making two potions. I only fear I'm no good with my wand."
"Why do you think so? Professor Flitwick told me you showed extreme power with the wand."
"That is the problem, actually. It seems I can't control the power. Whatever I try I get too much power into the spell, with some very disturbing results."
"Can you show me?"
"Sure!"
Lillian took out her wand, pointed it to a piece of scrap parchment that lay on the table and pronounced "Wingardium Leviosa" while flicking and swishing her wand, exactly as taught. The parchment flew up to the ceiling at an amazing speed, embedding itself into the stone.
"That is quite impressive!"
"It is, but all I wanted was just to float that parchment a few inches above the desk. I can easily do it without a wand, though."
She demonstrated on another parchment, pointing her finger at it and making it rise and fall as she moved her hand up or down.
"Have you done this in class?" asked Minerva with some worry in her voice.
"No. It was irrelevant," shrugged the girl.
"Fine. I'd rather not have you do this kind of magic at school. It may make others get false ideas about you or about magic."
"But how can I do the same using a wand? Whatever I tried - it's still overpowered."
"You should practice as much as you can. Try to restrain your powers, to channel only the needed amount into each spell."
Lillian didn't seem to like the response.
Minerva sighed. "There may be another way to help you, but I don't like it. I may cast a spell that will bind your magic, allowing only a small portion to still be active, yet you can't learn restraint if I do it."
"Dad used to have such a binding on him. I found it and Mom helped remove it, but that action proved very dangerous. Once released, Dad's magic had a backlash which uprooted most of the trees in our backyard and almost knocked us down as well."
"Wait! Are you telling me that Harry conquered that war while his magic was still bound? That is... unbelievable!"
"I thought my parents have already told you... Anyhow – such a backlash of magic is too dangerous. I wouldn't like to be the cause of such."
"Then you must just practice until you can control your powers – I don't think there is any other way," replied the old witch.
"But how can I do it? If others would see me practice then it would be quite clear I'm more powerful than most. They will fear me, and I wouldn't like that to happen!"
Minerva smiled. "We both know you can go wherever you choose. You may go someplace else to practice, as long as nobody notices."
"Well, I could practice at one of the estates..." said Lillian, contemplating the possibilities.
"Tell me some about your new friends. Who are they? What are they like?" prodded Minerva.
"Well, first there's Dianna De-Poitier."
"You know she is actually..."
"A Malfoy? We've already talked about it and I've told you I knew! She told me as soon as we met, but I could sense she is a good person and I liked her. Even her mother is not bad, once she lets you come close."
"What do you mean?"
"Professor Malfoy is very nice. She loves Dianna dearly, only she doesn't know how to show it. She could use some help on that."
Minerva looked puzzled by the last remark but decided not to ask for clarifications. Instead she asked: "How is Dianna?"
"Oh, she's smart and funny and she loves reading and learning just like me. She is probably very powerful as well, although she doesn't show it."
"What do you mean?"
"She had no problem using the wand and she hasn't yet shown me any wandless magic."
Minerva thought for a moment. "And your other friends, who are they?" she asked.
"Well, there's Brenda Weasley. She is nice and loyal, but not very bright. Yet it may be fun to teach her about muggles."
Lillian turned serious again. "You must really do something about most pure-bloods not knowing anything about muggles. Maybe some field-trips, where they would visit muggle towns and get to know the muggle way of life? It could be really helpful, you know."
Minerva sighed inwardly. The girl's idea was sound, but how could she convince the board? "I'll see what I can do. We can't do it this term, though, but it may be possible on the next."
Lillian parted from her friends, intending to go to the library and study with Dianna. She was only a few steps away from class when one of the Slytherins, who were taking this class with the Gryffindors, bumped into her, making her crush into the nearest wall. He mumbled something which could be taken for apology and hurried away. She only took a few more steps when another Slytherin bumped into her. This time she felt him approach and managed to escape, only feeling his shoulder brush hers forcefully. She didn't believe it was a coincidence.
Lilly opened her mind and sensed around. Sure enough, a third Slytherin was running towards her. This time she didn't budge. She only erected a strong shield around her and when the boy ran into it he was slammed to the wall and slumped to the floor. She immediately cast a privacy charm around them, keeping her shield as well.
She could now read his mind like an open book, but she preferred to make him speak, so that whoever initiated this harassing would know that his plan was discovered.
"What were you trying to do?" she asked the boy, who was quite big for his age.
"I was asked to bump into you and try to harm you without letting it look intentional." The boy sounded quite frightened.
"Who asked you to do this?"
"It was Crabble. He is sixth year Slytherin perfect. I had to obey." He sounded almost pleading.
"Why?"
"He would have beaten me to pulp, even without magic."
"O.K. I'll handle him. Tell him that his plan failed and that I want to see him." There was a sharp edge of command in her voice. The boy cringed.
"He will beat me…"
"He'd better not, or I'll make his time very difficult."
The boy seemed to lose all fight. He just nodded. Lilly removed the privacy charm and the shield and walked away, not sparing the boy another glance.
Lillian had heard many stories about her father's adventures at school. The one that impressed her most was the tale of the chamber of secrets. She believed it was true, of course, but she still couldn't imagine the size of it all. She wanted to see it with her own eyes.
After transfiguration, she asked her friends not to wait for her, citing a stomach-ache as the cause for going to the restrooms.
She came into Myrtle bathroom a few minutes later. The ghost was sitting in mid air and crying.
"Hello, Myrtle," Lillian called cheerfully, "Would you like to be my friend?"
The ghost looked at her gloomily. "Why would you want to be my friend? What's in it for you?"
"I just love having friends of all kinds, and then, Dad told me you were his friend as well."
"Who's your Dad?" the ghost asked, looking at the girl with some surprise. She noticed the green eyes and the bushy hair. "Oh, I think I know who your parents are," she said gleefully, forgetting her previous disposition. "Your Dad must be Harry… Harry Potter. Isn't he?"
"Yes he is…"
"Then your mother must be his best friend, Hermione."
Lilly clapped her hands. "Well done! Do you think we can be friends? I'd love to hear the stories of all that you have seen and heard at school, and I can tell you a lot about things elsewhere."
The young ghost seemed eager, yet reluctant. "Will you really be my friend? Some children offer to be my friends just in order to laugh at me later."
Lilly seemed infuriated. "Those are no friends at all! I'll help you punish them if you want to."
Myrtle was touched. "Most of them are not at school anymore, yet I'll be your friend if you want to."
"I'll try and visit you at least once a week and bring you all the gossip that I know. Maybe some of my friends will like to befriend you as well, I'll ask them."
"You are really your parent's daughter, although your mother didn't have many friends at school."
"She has already told me, yet she had my father as her best friend, and that was a full-time occupation."
"Yes, it was. I remember when he and his friend took a professor down to the chamber of secrets…"
"You've seen it?"
"Well, only some of it. I was hiding. I didn't like boys coming here. This is a girl's bathroom, you know. I saw your Dad standing in front of that sink and hissing, and it opened!"
"Which sink was it?"
Myrtle floated to the sinks and pointed at one of them. Lilly looked at it as she came to stand in front of it. She could see the serpent decorations. Without even thinking about it she said "$Open!$"
The sink moved, revealing an opening to a large tube or tunnel, leading downwards. It fit her father's tales perfectly, yet she didn't like jumping into the unknown. "$Stairs!$" she said.
The tunnel in front of her changed into a spiral staircase leading down comfortably.
"You are really your father's daughter!" Myrtle said with admiration.
"Would you come down with me?" Lillian asked her.
"Why do you want me to go with you?"
"You're my friend, and the only friend to know about this ability of mine. I'd like to have somebody to talk to when I'm down there."
Lillian started down the staircase while Myrtle floated down near her. It took awhile to reach the lower level.
"Dad told me it was very filthy in here, but now it looks clean."
"It used to be filthy, but the house elves cleaned this corridor and restored it after the war and are keeping it as clean as the rest of the castle now. They were unable to enter the room, though."
"Can you?"
"No. That room is warded so well that none can enter except by opening the door."
They have now reached the door. It looked impressive, with all the serpents carved into it and the locks all around it.
"$Open!$" Lilly hissed again. The locks moved and the door swung open. An extremely strong stench came from the open door.
"$Close!$" Lilly hissed, almost overwhelmed by the stench.
The door closed immediately. Lilly used her wand to refresh the air, just as she had done at Ollivander's.
"Wooh! I don't think I'll go in there any time soon!" she exclaimed. She then thought a little. "Do you think that the Basilisk carcass is still in there?"
"Nobody has taken it out. Nobody has been there since the war, when your mother and her redhead friend came to harvest some fangs. There was no stench then, I believe."
"I'll have to ask Mom about this… Let's go up again."
As Lilly stepped on the staircase, it started rotating like the one leading to the headmistress' office, taking her up with no effort. Myrtle followed.
"Please don't tell anybody of our visit there," Lilly asked the ghost when they were back in the bathroom.
"I'll keep this our secret. When will you come next?"
"I'm not sure. I'll come during the weekend, but I may come earlier if I have some free time. Would you like to meet my friends as well?"
"One at a time, please. I'm all alone most of the time and I find it intimidating when there are many people around."
"Fine. I'll only bring Dianna first. Bye now!"
She waved at the Myrtle and left, leaving a very bewildered ghost behind.
Lillian didn't hear from the Slytherins until a few days later, when Crabble blocked her way in a corridor while she was on her way to the library to meet Dianna. The sixth year prefect was tall and wide and his muscles were evident even through the school robes. He was flexing hic knuckles in an intimidating way.
"What do you want?" Lilly asked, unaffected by his display. She also sensed that he posted a few other Slytherins to block her way, although not too close.
"Your father killed my brother. I want revenge." The boy exclaimed.
"My father killed nobody, not even Tom Riddle. My father always tries to save and protect. Are you sure you are talking about my father, Harry Potter?"
"Yes. I know there was a fire and he saved Malfoy and Goyle, but he wouldn't be troubled with my brother, leaving him to die."
Lilly recalled the tale of the Room of Requirements. She remembered it was Crabble who started the fire and was consumed by it. "It was your brother who started the fire in the first place. He would not have needed saving had he not started it."
"How do you know?"
"It's in all the books, confirmed by both my parents as well as Malfoy and Goyle. Dad wanted to save your brother as well, although he didn't deserve it, but could not find him. He was probably engulfed by the fire before anything else."
The boy seemed to think hard for a moment, and then gave up the effort. "It doesn't matter. It's still Potter's fault."
He stepped forward menacingly.
"Oh, I don't think it is. Only an idiot would think so." Her wand was already in her hand. "Lumos" she said, making the tip of her wand shine like a miniature sun. The Slytherins had to protect their eyes from the sudden brightness. By the time they could see again, Lilly wasn't there anymore. An hour later everybody noticed something on Crabble's forehead. Looking closer one could see a flashing message: "I'm an idiot."
Two days later, Myrtle was fascinated to hear about the confrontation. She could tell Lilly that Crabble was still staying in his bed, waiting for that flashing message to disappear. She could also tell that most of the Slytherins were quite happy to get rid of the bully, at least temporarily.
Lilly introduced Myrtle to Dianna. They were both surprised to hear about the confrontation between Draco and Harry which had taken place in that bathroom. Myrtle kept her word and told nothing about the chamber of secrets and Lillian's visit there.
Lilly didn't tell the headmistress either. She told her only of her confrontation with Crabble. Minerva was surprised to hear of the power of that "Lumos" spell. She was somewhat concerned about the flashing message, though. "Are you sure you didn't cast any spell on him?"
"I don't even know such a spell and had I used my wand to cast one, it would have probably killed him. Then, the message only appeared about an hour later. How could I do it while still in the library?" She looked so innocent that Minerva had to laugh. She was sure that the message was Lilly's work, yet there was no way to prove it.
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