Chapter Text
When I calmed down for good, I told Hermione that I’m tired and want to go to sleep. Clearly, she didn’t believe me – a moment ago I had cried a lot of tears – but she didn’t argue. We said our goodbyes and lied down in our beds. Not until now did I realize that mine was right next to hers.
I knew that I won’t fall asleep for the next couple hours, but I didn’t want to talk more about my memories. Besides, Hermione probably didn’t have any ideas, how to comfort me. I was lying on the side, closing my eyes and praying to fall asleep as fast as I could – last three years didn’t want to leave my mind. So, I started to think about today – yesterday – and only now I realized, that all my worries are gone. Without any problem I got sorted into Gryffindor and I found three people, whom I liked very much – Harry, Ron and Hermione.
And finally, heaven listened to my prayer – I feel asleep.
*
I wasn’t sleeping for long.
Hermione woke me up. Transfiguration was about to start soon.
Our dormitory was bustling. Yesterday, you could only hear quiet whispers and shy, sometimes even nervous laughter. But today? The conversations were louder and bursts into laughter were happening more often. Most of the girls found their soulmates. I was glad that I found mine.
I started rooting in my suitcase to find things for my morning routine. Meanwhile, my roommates gradually started to leave our dorm and finally Hermione and I were the only ones left. We decided that she was going to change here and I was going to the bathroom. I took my things and went into the room.
I looked at myself in the mirror. It was hard not to notice the dark circles. But well – after all, I was sleeping in a new place for the first time, I was sure that I wasn’t the only one who had those.
Finally, ready, we left our dormitory. Immediately, we started to talk about our expectations about the lesson.
“I hope that we’ll start to use magic today”, said Hermione thrilled. “If we talk about the rules of the lessons, I’ll fall asleep”.
“Better not”, I replied and took a turn. We already saw the Great Hall. “Professor can later tell us to use magic on you”. I hoped that I sounded seriously, but Hermione laughed, and I couldn’t hold my smile anymore.
We occupied our seats at Gryffindor’s table. In the hall was much less students than yesterday. I didn’t see Harry and Ron anywhere. Maybe they would come later, or they got lost – Hermione and I took a wrong turn a couple of times.
It occurred that, indeed, they took the wrong turns.
A lot of them.
When professor McGonagall told us to find in our textbooks rules, which we should absolutely obey during transfiguration, Ron and Harry ran into the room. Hermione, seeing that, shook her head, done and I was trying to muffle my laugh. I didn’t really succeed.
After hearing professor’s tight reprimand, the boys took their seats, few tables from mine and Hermione’s. Discreetly, I turned around and my and Harry’s eyes met. I shook my head, imitating Hermione’s face and the boy only shrugged his shoulders.
After the lesson, my friend ran towards our dorm, explaining that she forgot her book to History of Magic, and we were just about to have this class.
“Are we seating together on the history lesson?” I shouted to her, but I didn’t know, if she heard me.
She did. “Neville asked me yesterday to sit with him”. Hermione turned to me, having unsure look on her face. “I’m so-”.
“Don’t be”. I smiled. “Go”, I added, seeing that she was still standing in one place and the time was passing.
She nodded and she was suddenly gone.
“So, you don’t sit with anyone on the history lesson?” Harry appeared on my left.
“It isn’t nice to eavesdrop”, I answered and started walking. Harry was right next to me.
“You were yelling so loudly, that it was hard not to hear you”, Ron replied, who was on my right.
“So, I think you have your answer”, I said with a smile. I was glad to have the company.
“So now you’re sitting with me”. Harry smiled. I was so surprised to hear, that it was a constative, not a question, that I looked at him turning my head to the side.
“Okey, sir!”, I shouted and gave him a salute. After a second, I added: “So, how many corridors did you mistake while going on the transfiguration?”
Ron rolled over his eyes.
“Don’t say anything”, he replied, obviously annoyed. “When I was almost sure, that it was a right way, the stairs had to make a prank on us. We had to run around!”
I twisted my face, but didn’t say anything.
“What’s more, I’m hungry”, red-haired added, touching his belly.
“After the dinner in the Great Hall you were also hungry”. Harry smiled.
“It ain’t the same!”
I smiled either, hearing this conversation. Finally, we found History of Magic’s classroom. I sat with Harry and Ron took a seat behind us. Next to him sat a boy named Seamus Finnigan. I liked him.
Later, we had DADA, which was really boring. Quirrell couldn’t teach. After that, we had Herbology, which, to my surprise, was interesting.
*
When today lessons finally ended, Hermione and I went to eat lunch. I put some pudding on my plate, when my friend, after eating her food in a flash, scrambled.
“Forgive me, Lily, but McGonagall gave us such a huge homework that I’d like to go and deal with it”, she said, taking her things. She didn’t even look at me.
“Of course, no problem”, I replied, trying not to sound like I minded. But I did. I didn’t want to be left alone, but I didn’t want to stop Hermione.
The girl only nodded and ran towards the exit. I started staring at my plate and felt that familiar feeling, when you’re alone. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Hermione wasn’t my friend, she was just a good colleague and I convinced myself into something untrue. Maybe I wanted to find someone, who could replace Jeff, so badly, that I imagined too much.
Or maybe she just wanted to do her homework. McGonagall really gave us a lot of it and the girl was ambitious. I was trying to think rationally.
I didn’t feel like eating anymore. I stood up, took my things and walked towards the exit.
Where shall I do my homework? In the common room? In my room? Or maybe in the library? Library! I haven’t been in...
I was so lost in my mind that I didn’t even notice that I walked into somebody. I lurched.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to...” I looked at the face of person with whom I collided.
“Lily, did something happen?”, Harry asked me, looking at me intently.
“No, no, I was miles away”, I lied and forced myself to smile. The boy and Ron next to him looked at me suspiciously. I changed the topic. “Look, you can finally eat”, I turned to red-haired, pointing at the tables full of food. Harry and Ron decided not to investigate, why I was so distracted. I was grateful for that.
“I thought about it all day”, admitted Ron, touching his belly.
“Where are you going?”, asked Harry.
“To the library. I have to do my homework”.
The boy nodded. I finally said goodbye to Harry and Ron and started walking. For a second, I was straying, because it turned out, that the library is on the first floor, but you go there by the stairs to the second floor. Finally, I walked in. I was shocked, seeing how many books were there. Inside the library, I noticed a reading room, in which were sitting some of the students in different ages. I found a free table, unpacked and after that I glanced around one more time. I hadn’t seen so many books in one library. I finally reminded myself why I came here in the first place and started doing my homework.
McGonagall gave us a lot of it. When I was in the middle, I heard how the library door opened, but I didn’t raise my eyes. That homework wasn’t boring – I even found it interesting. Suddenly, I heard the creak of the moving chair, which was next to my table.
I raised my eyes.
“I guess you wrote at length”, said Harry, pointing at my parchment. I wrote down the whole page already.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“This topic is pretty interesting”, I replied. I thought that the boy saw me here by a coincidence and he would go away soon. To my surprise, he started unpacking. Seeing my amazed face, he said:
“I realized that I haven’t been in the library yet”.
I didn’t believe in these explanations, but I didn’t say anything. I was so grateful, that he didn’t know, what was going on, but still came after me.
“Or maybe he didn’t come after you. Maybe he just wanted to do his homework in the library, and he saw you here by an accident”, told me some voice in my head. Indeed, Lily. Think rationally.
“So”, said Harry and I came back to Earth, “have you met somebody else? Some girls or somebody else?”
“Basically, yeah”, I replied. “Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil and Katie Ball, older than us. I liked Hermione the most”, I added. Harry was a bit surprised. I reminded myself that he and Ron had met the girl on their way to Hogwarts. I guess, they didn’t really like her. Me neither, after hearing, what had happened. “And you?”
“Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Ron’s brothers. Twins”. I smiled at the memory of Fred and George.
We were talking for one more moment and I realized that this careless conversation helped me. I was feeling better. Eventually, we both fell silent and started doing our homework. When we finished all of it, it was dark behind the window.
“Forgive me for a question”, I said, thinking, how he was going to react, hearing the following question, “but how was your life in your aunt’s house?”
Harry rapidly looked at me and got sad.
“I’m sorry”, I shrieked, seeing his reaction. “I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry. It isn’t my business...”
“They hate me”, replied the boy, looking at the window. “Every day they were reminding me, that I’m a dropout. They didn’t want me to leave for Hogwarts at all. They were burning all the letters, which were coming, and I didn’t even know any of this. Only Hagrid helped me get out of there.
I looked at him with a silent question on my face.
“Yes, he’s the one who helped us go through the lake on our first day”, he answered and I nodded. “I’m glad I’m here. At least for ten months”.
“I’m sorry I asked”, I confessed guilty. Me and my curiosity. One day, I’ll go to hell because of it.
The boy only shrugged his shoulders.
“You didn’t know”.
“I’m sorry”, I added, despite all of it. “But thanks, for telling me all this”. Only now I realized that he didn’t have to say anything, or he could lie. And he still told me the truth. I appreciated it.
“After all, we’re friends, right?”, he asked, waiting for my response.
“Right”, I replied, and we smiled at each other.
Suddenly, the librarian came and asked us to leave. Was it so late already? We took our things and left.
“What about you?”, Harry enquired, when we started walking towards the Gryffindor dormitory. “What about your family?”
“Really well”, I said. “I have awesome parents. They’re understanding”.
“Didn’t you leave some friends behind? I didn’t”.
What was weird, deep inside I was waiting for this question. I knew it had to come.
Automatically, I wanted to say that I didn’t either. But I knew that Harry didn’t lie to me about his caretakers. I should tell him the truth.
But when we took the turn, we saw the portrait of the Fat Lady.
“Next time, alright?”, I asked. The boy looked at me with a surprise. “Long story”.
Harry, thank God, nodded and we started talking about easier topics.
“Caput Draconis", I said to the portrait, and we went into the common room. Even though, it was quite late, there was a lot of people. Among them I saw Ron. Harry and I approached him.
“You’re finally back!” Red-haired spoke to us. I noticed that he was doing transfiguration homework. “I was so scared, that something happened to you, that I wasn’t able to do any of exercises!”
We sat down next to him.
“In return for your amazing concern”, I said with a discernible sarcasm, “we can help you”.
We were helping Ron for a while, when I finally told them:
“Okey, I’m going to my room. Sleep well”.
I said my goodbye and started walking towards the stairs to girls’ dorm. Suddenly, somebody caught me by my hand and pulled.
“Wait, kiddo”, said George, smiling widely.
“I introduced myself as Lily Witer, not as a kiddo”, I told them, crossing my arms over my chest and I couldn’t resist a smile – like always in their company.
“But we treat you as a younger sister”, Fred replied.
“We had only two conversations between us, I’m not sure, if we know each other this good”, I fired back and got scared, that they could be offended. Luckily, nothing like that happened.
“We feel that we know you so well, that we can easily call you our family”.
“Do you call your sister ‘kiddo’, too?”
They looked at each other.
“No...”
“But biological family is a completely different story”.
I rolled over my eyes, hearing such an explanation. Finally, I stalled it with a hand swipe. “Alright, never mind. What did you want?”
“We wanted to know, how you like Hogwarts”. George showed the common room. “How are your lessons et cetera”
“It’s... good”, I said honestly. “It’s only the second day, but I really like it here”.
The twins clearly were happy, hearing, that I liked the school. After that they looked at each other and then at me. They had mean looks on their faces.
“Have you already had Potions?”, Fred asked me. He didn’t stop smiling.
“Not yet”, I replied, looking at them suspiciously. “Why?”
“Good luck”, said George. “And now go to sleep, kiddo. You have to wake up tomorrow”.
The twins turned around and left me, talking with each other with the muted voices and still having this mean looks on their faces.
Worried, I turned around and climbed up the stairs.
“Hermione, haven’t you finished yet?”, I asked, approaching her bed, when I walked in the dorm. There were some girls in the room, but they didn’t pay attention to us. My friend was sitting on her bed. She had already filled around three pages of parchment.
“No, it’s a really interesting topic”. She didn’t stop writing. I was surprised, that she still hadn’t finished, because from our last meeting a lot of hours passed.
Finally, I shrugged my shoulders and, after I had taken my things, walked towards the bathroom. I washed myself, changed and got ready to sleep.
“Hermione, maybe you should go wash yourself?”, I asked the girl, when I had got back. She was still sitting and doing the exercise. The dormitory was almost full, and it was clear, that most of my roommates was about to do the same as me and go to the bathroom. I didn’t want Hermione to sit here for more hours, waiting for her turn. But she rapidly shook her head.
“I’m going to go as the last one, I have a lot of work left”, she assured me, reaching for some book and looking in there for some section.
“But... you already had a lot...”
“Lily”. The girl finally looked at me. “I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry”. She smiled.
I nodded and walked towards my bed.
Hermione didn’t go change long since the one last girl had left the bathroom.
*
“Who will tell me, what I get, if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”, said Snape, looking around the class.
I already knew, what twins’ mean faces meant. Snape was terrible. My enthusiasm, to the Potions lessons, dramatically decreased. Not only did we have them with Slytherins, but also with that teacher.
If that wasn’t bad enough, this morning Hermione was talking to me only about the facts connected with transfiguration. There was no personal topics about our families, friends or anything else anymore. Only lessons. I was feeling like I was talking with a normal colleague, not with my good friend and especially with my best friend.
“Potter!” Snape shouted suddenly and looked at the boy sitting next to me. It was clear, that Harry had no idea, what to say. Hermione’s hand went high. I felt a bit of anger, seeing that. My seatmate was probably stressed even more.
“I don’t know”, Harry answered quietly.
Snape shook his head nervously – like Harry didn’t know an obvious information.
“Witer!”, professor shouted again, looking at me. I flinched surprised. I didn’t know he knew my name. However, I immediately stood upright, raised my head and replied:
“Draught of Living Death, sir”.
My first conversation with Hermione was about that even though I’m a Pure-blood, I probably don’t know the half of things she does. It wasn’t really a lie.
When I wanted to think about something else after Jeff had left, I was learning. About everything. But the most attention I gave to Potions, because this was the most interesting course for me, and the less to History of Magic, because it was simply boring. So, when I told Hermione, that I probably don’t know the half of things she does, I didn’t lie – I was thinking about the History of Magic, which she was studying then.
Snape looked at me kind of surprised. He probably thought that I wouldn’t know either.
Finally, professor looked like he reminded himself, where he is and looked again at the whole class.
“At least one Gryffindor in this classroom isn’t a complete beetle brain”, he said. That was a weird compliment. Although, I smiled softly and felt a huge pride.
Later, Snape ordered us to prepare Cure for Boils. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was relatively easy.
Harry and I got started. When we finished it, I heard a loud bang right next to me. Automatically, I covered my face and then I looked in that direction.
Neville ruined the potion.
Seamus took him to Hospital Wing and Snape looked at Harry with an anger, like it was his fault.
“Potter, you should have told him not to add the next ingredient until he takes the Cauldron off the fire. Ten points from Gryffindor”.
When Snape turned around, I looked helplessly at Harry, who looked like he was just about to start an argument with the professor.
“It isn’t worth it”, I said. “He’s doing everything just to take our points away”.
“But it isn’t right”, the boy replied, clenching his fists.
“I know”.
*
Few days passed since the last Potions lesson, when the time for a flying lesson came. It occurred that unfortunately, this lesson we had with Slytherins either.
I had a feeling like Hermione and I were drifting apart more and more. Today was the worst day – she woke me up fully dressed and said, that she was going to the library. So, I had to go to class alone. It’s not like I didn’t know the way or something. I just felt lonely. Like Hermione left. Luckily, Harry and Ron were here.
“Stick your right hand over the broom and say ‘Up’ “, ordered us Madame Hooch. We all stepped up to the left side of our broomsticks.
I heard how almost everyone said this command at the same time, but only few broomsticks got up. I concentrated, breathed and sticked my right hand.
“Up!” I said loudly, imperiously and confidently. And suddenly, my broomstick was in my hand. I smiled widely, turning the thing in my hand. I couldn’t believe that I did it. And even first time round!
I raised my head and met Harry’s eyes. He was also holding his broomstick. He smiled back.
When most of the students did the job, madame Hooch showed, how to mount it and corrected our positions. She gave us some important tips, when, finally, we could kick from the ground hard and fly a few feet. My heart was beating fast because of the adrenaline. At the same time, I wanted and not wanted to do that. Madame Hooch started counting and when we were just about to kick from the ground, Neville started flying. And he couldn’t control it.
Everyone was screaming – Neville about help, madame Hooch to him, to try to turn back, Gryffindors also to him, to calm down. Finally, the boy fell off the broomstick and you could hear a loud crunch of a broken bone. I twisted my face. Poor Neville.
Madame Hooch approached him and explained to us, that he probably had a broken wrist.
“I’m taking him to the Hospital Wing. Under no circumstances can you mount the broomsticks. If I see one of us doing that, they will be expelled from Hogwarts”, she promised and started guiding the boy to the school. When they disappeared from view, Malfoy spoke to us:
“Oh, fat man left his Remembrall!”
Just what we needed. Draco took the thing and started watching it.
“Give it here, Malfoy”, Harry spoke, coming up to him. I was looking at one, then the other. It couldn’t end well.
“You want it, Potter? Why won’t you take it by yourself?”, said Malfoy and after that he mounted his broomstick and kicked from the ground. He flew on few feet away. Harry, clearly angry, did the same thing. I didn’t even have time to react. Hermione yelled after him, that we would be in trouble because of him, but he didn’t even look at her.
But before the boy reached the sky, I almost screamed. After all, he was raised in Muggle family, so he had no knowledge about how to fly. He could fall down. I looked at him, scared when he lurched.
I covered my eyes, couldn’t watch it. Suddenly, I heard an applause and blast. Gryffindors’, not Slytherins’.
I dared to look at Harry.
He was flying.
Like he was doing it for years.
Unbelievable. I laughed, seeing, that he made it and joined Gryffindors’ applause. Between Malfoy and Harry was some conversation, which I didn’t hear. Suddenly, the first one threw the Remembrall out. It started falling down. Malfoy flew down on the ground and Harry flew after the thing. Oh God. He was going to crush.
“HARRY!”, I yelled terrified, but my voice got lost in other students’ applause. The boy was flying after the Remembrall, dived and, when I was sure, he would crash, Harry caught the thing and picked the broomstick up. After that, he started flying towards us. I couldn’t believe that. How did he... It was probably the first time he had even flown on the broomstick and now he caught the Remembrall in this way.
When he landed, I was just about to run to him, when suddenly, professor McGonagall ran on the field, looking straight at Harry.
He was in serious trouble.
The professor was completely terrified. She told Harry to follow her.
They will expel him. I was sure of it. They will expel him, because he wanted to help Neville. They’ll expel him, because he broke madame Hooch’s order. They’ll expel him, because...
Slowly, I raised my head and with a deadpan face looked at Malfoy.
They’ll expel him, because he was provoked.
Madame Hooch still wasn’t here. The students were whispering with each other, glancing around nervously. I found Ron right next to me. We looked at each other and started walking towards this Slytherin.
“You”, Ron snapped at Malfoy, when we had been close to him. “It’s your fault. You provoked him”.
“I don’t remember ordering him to mount the broomstick and to fly behind me”, Draco replied, smiling. He was looking at Weasley defiantly.
“Ron said that you had provoked him, not that you ordered him to do it”, I answered, looking angrily at Malfoy and clenching my fists. The boy finally looked at me. I couldn’t read his face. Something between contempt and curiosity.
“Small difference”. He snapped his fingers at us. “I think Snape will be glad that Potter’s leaving. I don’t think he’s good at Potions. Not like me”.
“Snape is advantaging you”, I snapped at him, unclenching my fists. “Probably, you don’t know any answer to any of the questions he asked. Not like some of us”, I added, crossing my arms over my chest.
“You knew the answer on one question”, Malfoy spat. “Snape praises me all the time, it means something”.
“Snape’s advantaging you”, I repeated. “That means that all you hear is a lie. He praised me, because I actually deserved it. And you know what?” I added, before he could say anything. The next words I whispered, so only Ron, Draco and I could hear them: “If they expel Harry, then, one day, during lunch, you’ll learn, how good I am at Potions”.
I turned around and Ron walked behind me.
*
I gagged the water. “Wait, did I hear clearly?”, I asked, coughing for one more moment. “You’re a seeker?”
“Yes”. Harry smiled widely.
He became a seeker at his first year in Hogwarts. Wow.
“Harry, I’m really happy, but...” I shook my head. “Ron and I thought that it’ll be our last lunch with you”.
Red-haired only nodded, because he was too busy with food.
“I was scared too”, Potter admitted. “But luckily, it all ended well”.
“So, by breaking madame Hooch’s order, you became Gryffindors’ seeker? What’s wrong with this school?” I slammed my fist on the table, pretending to be outraged. The boys laughed.
“Having such a seeker, we’ll certainly beat the Slytherins”, Ron said finally, swallowing a piece of the food.
Harry smiled viciously and added: “I can’t wait to see Malfoy’s face, when he’ll find out about it”.