Chapter 6: Gone in the Wind
Lily opened her eyes. She was in a dark room. From the little she could make out, she knew she didn't recognize it. She suddenly bolted up, which turned out to be a big mistake because her head felt heavy and her body weak. She remembered everything. She wanted to grieve, but she also had to know if she was safe. Maybe Petunia was here too.
Lily's eyes had adjusted to the darkness that engulfed the room. She noticed she was on a bed; the sheets were softer than anything she had ever touched. She began to take a survey of her body and made sure everything worked. She noticed someone was holding her hand, slumped across the bed. It was a man. Lily tried to release her hand from his grip, but it only caused him to stir in his slumber. Lily froze. Once she was she sure the man was still sleeping. She tried again.
"What's going one?" the man slurred.
"James Potter! You scared me half to death. Give me my hand back!"
James bolted up right and just stared at Lily. Once he was satisfied that he wasn't dreaming, he practically jumped on her. He embraced her in the fiercest, tightest hug. James not aware of what he was doing, kissed her forehead and said in the most authoritative tone he had, "Don't you ever scare me like that again. Do you hear me?"
Lily now knowing she was safe began to process what happened. She was not ready to deal with things yet, so she pushed those feelings down.
"What happened after I passed out?"
"Dumbledore asked Remus to go to St. Mungo's and get healers for the wounded and you. Dumbledore asked me to lay you down on the ground, but I couldn't let you go. You inhaled too much smoke, ad you weren't breathing properly. I held you until Remus came back. Dumbledore set my parents aside to talk. I watched them heal you. Do you remember Marlene McKinnon?" Lily nodded in affirmation. "She was the healer working on you. She said she had done everything she could for you. The rest was up to your mind; it needed time to catch up. You do remember what happened, right?"
Lily didn't trust her voice to answer. She was going to twirl her hair, like she always did when she was about to cry, when she noticed that James was once again holding her hand. She just nodded her reply.
"I'm going to go wake up my parents. We have all been worried about you. They'll want to floo Marlene."
"How long have I been out?" Lily managed to ask.
"Three days." James replied with a pained expression.
"Ohhh, where am I? And where is Petunia, I remember seeing her?"
"You are at my house. We thought it was safer to bring you here than take you to St. Mungo's. Look, I need to get my parents. I'll come right back." James said avoiding the second question.
Lily closed her eyes and rested her head against the headboard of the bed. "Why them? Who would do this? Why isn't St. Mungo's safe?" Lily pondered. There were so many things she didn't understand. And then the painful truth hit her like a wave. Her parents were dead. She was an orphan. She was alone. Her eyes began to fill with tears at the thought. She needed to pull herself together; the Potters were going to be here any minute. "You can grieve later" Lily thought to herself.
James came back with four people all dressed in various forms of nightwear. Remus and Sirius stayed by the door as Mr. and Mrs. Potter came to stand by the bed.
"Lily, how do you feel? Do you feel any pain, anywhere?" Asked Elizabeth Potter in the most soothing tone she had ever heard.
"No, but I would like some water please?"
In a flash, James was by her side handing her a glass of water.
"Ms. McKinnon is going to examine you in a bit, darling. And tomorrow Dumbledore will want to speak with you."
Lily had to hold back tears after hearing Mrs. Potter call her darling. That was what her mother addressed her as. She realized she had not shown an indication that she had heard anything, so she nodded her head.
Everything became a haze to Lily as grief took over. The world around her was moving in fast forward and she was stuck on rewind. The boys and Mr. Potter left when Marlene came in to check on her, to give her privacy. She did not hear Marlene tell her that she needed to take it easy for a couple of days. She did not feel Marlene give her a Sleepless Draught potion, so she could rest. All Lily could think was, "They are gone." Eventually Marlene and Mrs. Potter left and Lily was once again left alone.
Alone. She was alone. She could no longer keep it in. Her being was consumed by grief. She cried like she had never cried before. This was her fault. If she hadn't gone out, she would have been home. She could have done something, and if she couldn't have she would be with her parents right now. But she was alone because they were dead. Dead.
Lily had not realized how loud she was crying. She must have woken someone up, because she could hear the door opening. That someone crawled into the bed with her and wrapped his arms around her and held her. He held her as her sobs and cries shook her whole body and strained her voice until it ached. At some point Lily inhaled a deep a deep gust of air. Her nose was filled with a scent and she immediately knew whom her visitor was.
"James, they are gone. And I'm all alone," Lily whispered.
"I'm right here Lily. I'm right here and I'm never leaving you," James said as he held her tighter.
Lily was exhausted. Finally sleep came over her.
XXX XXX
"Prongs you need to go bathe. You're starting to smell." Sirius said in a kind voice. " We'll both stay here and watch her for you." Remus nodded his agreement.
"I told her I wouldn't leave her."
"James, she will understand. As soon as she wakes up, I will call you," Remus insisted.
"Okay, I won't be long."
Lily had been coming up from her sleep, when the boys had been talking. Lily could feel someone's lips against her forehead. And then she gave into sleep once again.
XXX XXX
Lily dreamt of her parents. Memories of her childhood flooded back to her. She was merely an observer. Her parents were dancing in the kitchen with no music while preparing dinner. She could see them waiving goodbye to her from Platform 9 ¾. She saw her father telling her bedtime stories. She saw her mother dressing her up for Halloween. They were happy. They loved and were loved. They were together. She would honor them. She would one day be happy, too. She went back to watching the memories flashing before her. She never wanted to stop watching them.
"We love you, flower." She could hear them calling to her. She wanted to run toward the voice, but it was gone. Just like them, gone. Darkness consumed her once again.
XXX XXX
The first thing Lily saw when she awoke was light. The room she was in was bright with all its windows open. She had to squint her eyes in order to see. She could see she was still in the same room she was in last night.
"Lily, good you're awake. How do you feel?"
"I'm awake James. What time is it?"
"A little past 10. Are you hungry? You haven't eaten in four days. They've been giving you potions, but…." James trailed off; he didn't know what to say.
"I'll eat. Wait, I've been out for four days?"
"Yes. Effie," James called. A small house elf appeared. She was mall and wearing nothing but a pocket dot sham as a dress.
"Can you bring Lily some breakfast, please? She likes waffles and eggs. Blueberries are her favorite fruit, bring some if we have any."
"Yes, master James," Effie said as she disappeared.
"You have a house elf?"
"Yea, all old pureblood lines do. Don't worry; Effie is like family to us. When you are only child, a house elf is the best companion to have" James replied. "Lily?"
"Hmmm."
"Dumbledore wants to see you today. He is due in an hour. I can call my mom to help you shower or something." James said, nervously.
"I can manage. I need clean clothes though."
"I'm sure we can find something for you. The bathroom is right there, works just the same as the Hogwarts' ones. I'll ask mum to leave some clean clothes for you on the bed. I'm right across the hall if you need anything." James said. He had pointed to a door that led to an adjacent bathroom.
While Lily was showering Mrs. Potter had left some clothes for her on the bed. She quickly got dressed. Her body seemed slow to respond, she did everything as if she was on autopilot. She found a note on the desk, next to a plate of food.
Here is your breakfast. If you want company, just ask.
James Potter
Lily headed to the door, opened it, and stuck her head out. The hallway was so luxurious her jaw dropped. The white marble floors illuminated the warming cream color of the walls. Extravagant paintings lined the walls, some moved and other didn't. The hallway contained six doors, including hers. Two on the wall facing away from her, and four on the side she was one.
"James" Lily whispered. Luckily the door to James' room was open, and he heard her. It didn't hurt that he had been waiting for her to call him. He would have heard her call him all the way from France.
"You need something?" he asked, walking towards the door.
"Some company would be nice."
James walked with her back to the desk and sat on the bed, so she could eat at the desk.
"Why is Dumbledore coming to talk to me, anyways?" Lily asked taking a bite of a waffle.
"It's best if he tells you. I don't know the whole story. My parents aren't telling me something. I know it."
"James, where is Petunia?"
"She's with her fiancé. She is staying with him," replied James, avoiding looking Lily in the eyes.
Lily noticed his discomfort and decided to change the subject. "I dreamt about them. Just memories, you know? They were happy."
"They would want you to be happy."
"I will, someday. They wouldn't want me to grieve too long. My mother probably wouldn't want me to grieve at all."
A knock startled them. Tobias Potter was standing in the doorway.
"Dumbledore is here. We are all sitting in the library. We have a lot to discuss with you two, Sirius, and Remus." Tobias said kindly.
Lily and James got up and followed Tobias to the library. Lily couldn't help but notice that they had gone down two flights of stairs to reach the main floor. The main floor was even more luxurious than the third one. Sculptures, leather furnishings, anything expensive you could imagine, Lily saw it all.
The library was much more homier. It was a large room filled with 8 large bookcases covering the walls, filled entirely with books. Many mismatched sofas and couches filled the room. Around a table sat Elizabeth Potter, Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore. They took their seats and Dumbledore began.
"Remus, Sirius, James, and Lily. Some of the things we are about to discuss are sensitive topics. Tell only those you must tell, only those you can trust without a doubt." Dumbledore said while looking at the four young adults.
"Lily, what happened to your parents was no accident. They were murdered. A darkness is starting to fall on our world." Lily felt James reach for her hand underneath the table, lending her some support. She squeezed his hand in gratitude. "A wizard has risen above his peers and has started to pollute our existence. He calls himself Lord Voldemort. He is the last living heir of Salazar Slytherin, and wished to complete his ancestor's goal: to rid our world of muggle borns. There have been disappearances and hushed rumors. He has recruited followers; calls them Death Eaters that do his bidding. The mark you saw above you house is their symbol. The Death Eaters have begun to infiltrate the ministry, but a trusted auror has told me that you parent's death was an initiation of some sort."
"You are not to blame for what happened, Lily. They may have targeted you family because of your talent, but you are in no way to blame. If you allow them to make you feel responsible, then they have completed their job. They want to spread fear, prejudice, and destruction. A war is coming, and we all must pick our side," Tobias said firmly.
"Yes. We are preparing to fight. When you leave Hogwarts, you too will be asked to fight, you must choose between Light and Darkness." Dumbledore continued, "For now you must stick together with your loved ones and cherish your last year, but it will not last forever. Do you understand this?"
A mixture of yes came from the teens. Lily was still trying to process this. Remus and Sirius had already heard of Voldemort's plan from James, who was told by his parents.
"He will not only persecute muggles and muggle borns, like Lily, but all kinds of what they call "half-breeds"; werewolves, giants, centaurs, anything that is not "completely human". They will also persecute those who stand in their way, even purebloods like you parents James." Dumbledore continued.
Lily squeezed James' hand, and James squeezed back.
"Dark times await us. But one can find light even in the darkest of times. Now Lily I'm sure you have questions?"
"Yes, sir. Where are my parents' remains?" Another hand squeezed.
"Unfortunately, you sister decided best to have you parents' funeral as soon as possible; as per their will. They were buried in the cemetery in your town. It was a small event; just close friends and neighbors. As I understand they had no other family members."
Lily was shocked. How could Petunia do this? How could she not have allowed her to say goodbye to her parents. In that moment, Lily hated her sister for the first time.
"Your sister has written you a letter. She has also brought some of the your belongings that were not destroyed in the fire," Elizabeth said, with a look of tenderness in her eyes. "You may read it and go through your things when we are done here."
"Did she even care if I was okay? Did she ask to see me?" Lily asked on the verge of tears.
"She sent your things with Dumbledore. She has not been by to see you, YET" Elizabeth emphasized.
James, Sirius, and Remus took this all in with a grain of salt. How could someone treat their own sister like this? If Petunia wasn't a woman, they would have something to say about this, but they were raised better than that.
"Lily, we know this is a lot to take in right now. We wanted to ask you something," Tobias said as he reached out for his wife's hand. "We would like it, if you stayed here with us. We have plenty of room, and we feel like the least we could do is give you a place to be safe. You are welcome to stay as long as you need. Even well past your time at Hogwarts. Difficult times are ahead, and we would be honored to have you here with us."
"I have no where else to go or anyone to go to. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Potter" she replied. " Professor Dumbledore, Will Petunia be safe?"
"I have people watching her and her fiancé. You have nothing to worry about. I must take leave now, I have some business to attend with the Minister of Magic."
"Thank you, professor Dumbledore for everything," Lily said.
"Albus, we will walk you out," Tobias said. Before turning to leave, Elizabeth handed Lily an envelope.
"This is from you sister, dear."
With that the three Marauders and Lily were left alone in the library.
"That was a lot," Lily said, breaking the silence.
"Lils, mum had Effie move the things your sister sent to your room, Just in case you wanted to look through that now". Sirius said.
"Okay, I guess I should do that now then. How do I get back to my room again, James?"
"I'll walk you."
Once Lily was back in her room, she realized this was the first time she was actually alone. She didn't like the emptiness. She was tempted to call James back into the room, but she knew she had to do this on her own. She nervously opened the letter.
Dear Lily,
I want you to know I blame you for this. If you weren't such a freak, mum and dad would be alive. Your headmaster has explained a lot to me, but I still don't understand all of it. What I do understand is that I blame you. I am marrying Vernon soon. We want a normal, simple life. I don't even want you to contact me again.
Mum and dad's funeral was just what they wanted. In their will they left us the house, but because of you that too is gone. I'm selling the land. The money will pay for the funeral costs and some loans they had taken out to help pay for your school. Vernon managed to save most of your things; you didn't have much since you really didn't live there. Vernon knows the truth about you. I also sent you some pictures of them that weren't destroyed. More importantly I sent you mum's wedding dress. She wanted you to have it; she never offered it to me.
Have a good life, Lily.
Your, no longer sister,
Petunia
Lily hadn't noticed the tears falling onto the letter. She decided to go through the things in her trunk.
"How ironic that all my school things are intact." Lily thought. Amongst the belongings sent to her was her favorite studded animal, a pink bunny, given to her buy her father on the day of her birth. She saw some of her muggle clothes, the small album Petunia sent, and her mother's wedding dress.
Then it hit her. Petunia still cared for her. The album and the dress were proof of that. She could have kept everything to herself, but she had decided to share these things with her.
There was a soft knock in the door.
"Lily, are you alright in there?" came a muffled voice from behind the door.
"You can come in James. I'm okay." Lily replied.
James came in and found Lily sitting amongst her belongings.
"Is this all that was salvaged?"
"I think so. You can ask you know?"
"Am I that obvious? What did she say?"
"She came around James. Here read it."
James had a confused look on his face as he read the letter. I don't get it. She said she never wanted to hear from you again. How is that coming around?"
"She could have kept the dress. She wanted to me to have it. I heard mum nag her about using it, and she had agreed. Now she gave it to me."
"Ohhh, so what now?"
"Now we move forward. I still ache at the thought of them not being here. And I have many more crying spells and breakdowns to get through. But I have to start moving forward. Mum had no tolerance for moping. Her family disowned her for marrying dad. They struggled at first. Before Hogwarts we were poor. That's when I met Snape. Then half way through my second year, dad got a better job. We were able to buy a better house. We had what we needed. Mum had gone from diamonds to no nothing. She didn't tolerate moping." Lily said.
"I'll be here to help you along the way" James said sincerely.
Lily got up and took the letter from James. She went to the open window and began to tear the letter into pieces. She threw them out the window and watched as the wind carried them away.
Her sister was gone from her life too.
She had gone in the wind.
That night Lily cried herself to sleep. She cried for her mother, father, and sister. Her family was gone. Her home was gone. Now she was an orphan living in the Potter Mansion.
A/N:
This was the last chapter that I had that needed updating. From here on out I plan to post at least once a week! Thank you to those that have made it this far and to those that have reviewed! I hope you guys didn't mind the long chapter.