Lily Evans: A History

Chapter 14 - A Death Eater in our Midst

	As much as Lily would have loved to sit around and worry about
Professor Trelawney's weird (well, weirder) behavior, she didn't have a
really good chance. Exams were getting nearer every moment and the
familiar sense of foreboding washed over her due to it. Every available
moment she found herself in front of a book, including meals. The
second year Gryffindor girls had begun study meetings in the common
room, but for some it wasn't helping. It also seemed that she wasn't
the only one with problems, as she found out Friday morning at
breakfast.
	Kassie groaned as she let her head fall into her hands
dramatically. Lily glanced sideways at her, raising one eyebrow. "What
are you doing?" the red head asked.
	"Contemplating suicide," Kassie's muffled voice replied from
where her face was buried in her arms. Suddenly, she jerked her head
up, causing Lily to jump, as well as Kathleen and Gabrielle who were
sitting opposite of them.
	"You're putting too much importance on this," Gabrielle said,
nodding in the direction of the parchment Kassie was staring at.
	"Just pick," Kathleen agreed.
	"Just pick," Kassie muttered mockingly. "I can't! What we choose
to study will affect the rest of our education!"
	Even Lily gave her an exasperated look. "You can always change
third year and drop any subjects you don't like."
	Kassie proceeded to ignore her, not even looking up when Alexis
and Madison joined them, sitting to Gabrielle's left. "What's wrong
with her?" Alexis asked, nodding in Kassie's direction as she grabbed a
sandwich off the plate in front of them.
	"Picking subjects," Lily muttered. Madison nodded in
understanding.
	"What did you pick?" Kassie asked Alexis, who gave her a
dumbfounded expression.
	"Erm--Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies."
	"I thought about doing Muggle Studies," Lily said passingly,
glancing at Kassie's parchment.
	"Why?" Kathleen and Gabrielle asked together.
	Lily glanced up with a politely puzzled look on her face. "You're
Muggle born," Kassie pointed out.
	"So?" Lily replied, shrugging. "It would be a different point of
view."
	"And a guaranteed good grade," Kassie muttered, then brightened.
"What are you taking, Lily?"
	Lily looked thoughtful for a moment, studying Kassie as one might
a rabid dog. "Care of Magical Creatures and Divination." She grumbled
the last part, not happy with it. But the Headmaster had strongly
suggested it to the point that Lily didn't feel like she had a choice.
	Kassie brought Lily out of her thoughts by grabbing her bag up
and searching for a quill. "Sounds good to me," she said, marking her
list.
	Lily paid her little attention, chewing automatically on her
sandwich and flipping through her Standard Book of Spells. "Did you
know that Professor Flitwick is testing us on twenty different
charms?" Lily said suddenly.
	"You've mentioned it a couple of hundred times, yes," Kassie
replied nonchalantly, rolling her eyes. "In fact, if I didn't know any
better, I'd say you've said it enough that the Marauders know."
	"Know what?" Sirius said, having caught the last half of Kassie's
sentence from where he sat on down the table. The other three boys
stopped their conversation to see what had got Sirius's attention.
	"How many charms Flitwick is testing us on," Alexis replied.
	"Twenty," Remus said.
	"Lily told us," James continued.
	"Once or ten times," Peter finished.
	"Hey Potter!"
	Simultaneously, all four boys turned their heads to the opposite
end of the table where Mundungus Fletcher sat. "We're still going to
win the Quidditch House Cup, right?"
	"Without a doubt!" James retorted, grinning. "Speaking of
which," Suddenly, James stood on his chair, gaining everyone at the
Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Staff table's attention. "Emily would like
to announce a spur of the moment practice tonight."
	Emily Tankard, chaser and Gryffindor Quidditch Team Captain,
looked up in surprise. "What?"
	"Seven o'clock sharp, team. We need one more session in before we
play Ravenclaw tomorrow."
	Emily yanked on James's robes as everyone turned back to their
food. "James, what--?"
	"Tomorrow is the match, Emily, we gotta make sure we're ready!"
James insisted, effectively cutting her off.
	"News flash, you're a little young to be trying out for
Captain," Emily retorted, but even from where Lily sat she could see
the amusement in Emily's face.
	At James's rather loud and spontaneous announcement, the whole of
the Gryffindor Quidditch team had made their way up to the end of the
table James sat at. James beamed. "Everyone up for one last practice?"
	"Sounds good to me," Will Roberts, another chaser in third year,
nodded.
	"I'll be there," Lance Prewett, the fourth year keeper, said.
	Emily buried her face in her hands as the rest of the team voiced
their affirmatives. As the bell rang signaling the start of class,
the crowd around the Gryffindor table broke up, students heading off to
different areas of the castle.
	Kassie picked her bag up, signaling for Lily to walk with her.
"I'm going to hand in my subject selections to Professor McGonagall before
I change my mind again."
	Lily nodded, going with Kassie up to the Staff table where
McGonagall was speaking with Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher.
"Excuse me, Professor, but here are my subject selections," Kassie
muttered, rather nervously.
	McGonagall nodded, reaching out to take the parchment, but Kassie
didn't let go. The stern Transfiguration teacher gave her a scandalous
look and tugged harder. "Miss Phillips..." she warned.
	"Kassie, let go!" Lily hissed.
	"I'm sorry!" Kassie squeaked, letting go of the parchment so
quickly that McGonagall shifted back from the effect. Lily's mouth fell
open slightly as Kassie grabbed her arm and dragged her off.
	"You're mad!" Lily finally mumbled once they were out of earshot
and heading towards the dungeons for Double Potions. "What is your
problem with picking subjects, anyway?"
	Kassie stopped just short of the Potions corridor and gave Lily a
sharp look. "I had a vision, ok? That I picked the wrong subjects and
failed third year. I'm just..."
	A look of comprehension dawned on Lily's face and she smiled
encouragingly at Kassie. "Don't worry, you'll do great."
	They walked around the corner, only to find the rest of the
Gryffindor second years, as well as the Slytherin second years,
standing outside the Potions classroom.
	"What's going on?" Lily asked. "Why isn't anyone going in?"
	"I don't know," Alexis replied, turning around. Madison was
standing beside her. "When we got down here the door was locked and,
well, nothing's changed since then."
	Lily noticed that even the Marauders had arrived by now, each of
them looking just as confused as the rest. Lily supposed that meant
they were either getting really good at pretending innocence, or they had
nothing to do with it.
	Pushing her way forward a bit, Lily squeezed beside Mark Johnson
and looked at the closed door. "What's going on?" she asked no one in
particular.
	"We don't know," Bellatrix Black, a Slytherin second year,
snarled, her deep hazel eyes scanning Lily over. Lily knew her by name
only, having never actually spoken with her. But with Gryffindor and
Slytherin ties not being anything less than spiteful, there wasn't many
who did know each other by more than name. The only useful information
that Lily knew was that she was Sirius' less-than-liked cousin.
	Lily couldn't help but think that Black resembled a cat, though,
as she watched her lean up against the wall. She nearly smiled, which
didn't go unnoticed by the boy standing just to Black's left. He was
also a second year and in Slytherin. His cold gray eyes swept Lily over
much as Black's did. "Something amusing you, Mudblood?" Rodolphus
Lestrange smirked.
	"The only thing that is going to amuse me is to see you with
boils sprouting all over that ugly face of yours," Sirius said hotly,
just behind Lily. She hadn't even realized he was standing there.
	"Shut up, Black. You shouldn't stick your wand where it doesn't
belong," Lestrange shot back.
	Sirius opened his mouth to retort, but someone else spoke first.
"Enough!" the firm voice cut through and Lestrange, Black, Lily and
Sirius stopped, their eyes landing on Severus Snape. As slimy and
greasy as ever, he did seem to hold the respect of his fellow
classmates, because both Black and Lestrange seemed to draw further
back. "Can't you go anywhere without throwing petty hexes around,
Black?" Snape muttered, giving Sirius a look that displayed nothing but
pure hatred.
	Suddenly James and Remus appeared on either side of Sirius, and
Lily could barely make out their hands clutching the back of Sirius'
robes. "You better watch yourself, Snape," Sirius spat. "One day you'll
get what's coming to you."
	"What is going on down here?" a voice suddenly demanded, stopping
Snape from whatever comeback was on his lips.
	The Gryffindor and Slytherin second years looked up to see
Professor McGonagall coming down the steps to the dungeons. Peter was
right behind her. "Where is Professor Walsh?"
	"We don't know," Thomas Nott replied.
	The Head of Gryffindor House made her way to the door of the
Potions Dungeon and tried the door, which was still locked. She took
out her wand and said something that the Gryffindors in the back
couldn't hear, but the door remained locked. Looking slightly worried
now, McGonagall once again tried to open the door, using another spell.
This time the door creaked open and McGonagall stepped through, but
didn't make it very far before turning around.
	Her normally strict face had a pale expression that didn't do
anything but enhance the shocked expression she wore. With the hand
that wasn't holding her wand, she shut the door. "Go--go to your common
rooms, now," she croaked.
	"Professor?" Severus Snape said, pushing his way forward. Other
students were moving towards the stairs, but Lily and Kassie stayed
where they were, trying to see what was going on.
	"Get the Headmaster," she muttered. "Now."
	Snape rushed away, his school robes billowing out behind him as
he moved. McGonagall reopened the door, her face turning even more
paler as she rushed in. The door shut firmly behind her.
	"Come on," Lily mumbled, tugging on Kassie's arm. "We might as
well go to the common room."
	A few minutes later, they arrived in the Gryffindor common room.
When the portrait opened, everyone stopped and looked at them, but then
went back to whispering amongst themselves. Lily and Kassie stood near
the fireplace, not talking. Everyone was trying to speculate on what
had happened, but no one knew anything.
	Approximately half an hour later, the portrait door swung open
again, this time revealing the Gryffindor fourth years, followed by the
other years. "What's going on?" Sirius asked Mundungus and Emily as
they approached them.
	"Don't know," Emily replied. "We were told to come straight here
and not leave again."
	As the common room filled with students from every year, the
noise level increased, but from what Lily could hear, no one knew what
was happening.
	The portrait opened once more, this time revealing Frank
Longbottom, a sixth year one of the Gryffindor Prefects. "Frank, what's
going on?" another sixth year asked instantly.
	The room grew quiet, waiting. Frank took a deep breath. "I don't
know much more than everyone else, I'm afraid," he announced, causing
groans to ensue. "I was told by Professor McGonagall to make sure
everyone was in the Tower, and then tell the Fat Lady not to allow
another person outside of the Headmaster or McGonagall in. Is there
anyone who is missing?"
	A murmur of talk broke out, but no one spoke up to announce any
missing persons. After a few minutes, Frank went back out to the Fat
Lady with McGonagall's instructions.
	Lily watched him come back in with a feeling of dread in her
stomach. What had happened that they were being locked in the Tower?
And why didn't the Prefects even know about it? Beside her, Kassie sat
down. "This is just fabulous," she announced.
	"I wonder what happened?" Lily asked quietly. "It must be bad,
for the teachers to lock us in the tower." A couple of first years were
sitting near-by, looking scared to death. Lily smiled at them in what
she hoped was an encouraging way. "Don't worry, we're safe in here, no
matter what's going on," she told them. The two girls nodded, but said
nothing.
	"Come on, Lil, let's go practice for our Charms final or
something," Kassie said, standing again. "I can't just sit here and
listen to everyone speculate on what's happening. We won't know until
McGonagall shows up."

				*			 *

	Twenty minutes later found the two girls in their dorms, flipping
through their Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2. Kassie was laying on her
stomach, holding her wand steady so that the book she was levitating
wouldn't fall as she flipped through the pages. Lily was sitting cross-
legged on her own bed, also turning pages. Casually, she pointed her
wand at Kassie's floating book and made it spin in circles.
 	Kassie looked up. "How do you do that?"
	"Do what?" Lily replied.
	"Just point your wand at things and make them do..." Kassie
gestured towards the book that had stopped spinning and was currently
rocking back and forth.
	Lily shrugged. "I think about what I want it to do, and it
happens. I'm sure everyone can do it, with a little concentration."
	Kassie sat up, dropping her wand down. The book stayed afloat,
however, by Lily's wand. She shut the book in her lap, giving Lily a
meaningful look. "I can't do it."
	"Perhaps you're not thinking hard enough?" Lily suggested. She
knew Kassie didn't mean to, but she was starting to feel uncomfortable.
The same way she did that day on the grounds when she made the
snowballs stop chasing everyone.
	Kassie gave her another calculating look. "Lily, no offense, but
that's not all that common. I know full grown wizards and witches who
can't do that."
	"I don't know that many grown witches and wizards, so I wouldn't
know," Lily replied, a little more firmly than she intended to.
	Kassie's violet eyes flashed. "I didn't mean it like that... I
just meant that it takes a great deal of magic."
	Lily snorted. "Funny how the Mudbloods have so much magic in
them, huh?" She didn't even look to see what Kassie's reaction was.
Lily couldn't tell why she was in such a foul mood, but assumed it had
something to do with the heavy pit she got in her stomach when someone
asked her about her charms. She didn't want to be different, why did
everyone make such a fuss about it?
	Kassie lapsed into silence, obviously haven taken the hint that
Lily was in no mood to talk. Lily stared at the book, her wand still
held before her. The book sprang open, flipping through every page, and
then shut tightly before zooming over into a drawer that had opened
when it approached.
	"I'm sorry," she muttered, laying her wand down and closing her
book. "It's kind of scary, though. I don't know how I do it, and
everyone looks at me strange..."
	Kassie was paying attention, though she had no idea what to say.
	"Over Christmas even two Hufflepuff seventh years were looking at
me like I was... some kind of freak." Lily shuddered at the word,
Petunia's voice ringing in her mind. "But I really don't know how I do
it."
	"You're just very powerful," Kassie muttered, still not really
sure what she should be saying. It was one thing to be a friend when
everyone was happy; another to try and be one when someone was angry
or upset. Words just didn't come easy, and when they did, they never
sounded right.
	Lily threw a small smile in her direction anyway. "I really am
sorry for snapping at you."
	"It's ok," Kassie shrugged, laying on her stomach again. "No harm
done."
	Lily nodded, picking her wand up again. She pointed it at her
trunk. "Alohomora," she said, causing the trunk to spring open. "Accio
parchment, Accio quill." As instructed, the parchment and quill came
flying out of her trunk and to her. She caught them, putting them down
next to her book. Kassie just stared at her.
	"One day, I'm going to be able to rattle off charms we aren't
suppose to know until fourth year."
	Lily laughed. "Maybe in fourth year?"
	"Hmph," Kassie snorted, then laughed.
	Suddenly the door sprung open and Alexis came running in. She
pushed her brown hair out of her face as she came to a stop in front of
Lily's bed. "Come on! McGonagall's here!"
	Lily and Kassie both grabbed their wands and followed Alexis down
the stairs into the common room. When they arrived, the whole of
Gryffindor House was crowded into the circular common room, waiting for
McGonagall to begin speaking. The stern witch looked better than she
had earlier, not so much shocked, as resigned.
	When she felt everyone was present, she stopped pacing and looked
up at all the faces that were staring at her. "I'm sure," she began,
"each of you are wondering what is going on. Let me begin by saying
that Hogwarts is still safe, and all necessary precautions have been
taken after this morning's event.
	"More so, I don't plan on make this sugar-coated for any of you.
Death Eaters managed to get into Hogwarts at some point last night."
	There were several gasps that rippled through the room, but
McGonagall raised her hand and silenced them. Lily felt her hand
tighten over the handle of her wand, and her vision glanced around the
shocked room for a moment. Even the Marauders, usually joking or
playing around, even when a teacher was present, had serious faces.
	McGonagall was talking again: "I don't need to tell you how
serious this is. Most of you have been affected in some way by the war
raging on outside this school, some of you will be in the dark times to
come. Hogwarts will not succumb to this. We will not tolerate any dark
activity inside these walls." She stopped for a moment, seemingly to
catch her breath. Her eyes were alight with passion as she spoke. "I
also regret to inform you that Professor Walsh was killed in the
attack."
	This time when the whispers rose, McGonagall did nothing to stop
them. Lily felt her heart thumping loudly and it felt as if it had
dropped to her stomach. She leaned back against the wall, staring at
the floor as the talk around her penetrated her numb mind.
	"....a teacher?"
	"How did they get in?"
	"What if they do it again?"
	"...safe? Are we really safe?" a first year cried, her hands
tightening around her wand.
	Professor McGonagall didn't release anymore details. She stayed
only long enough to say that classes for the rest of the day were
cancelled, and all students were to stay in the common room until
dinner.
	When she left, Lily felt like she had taken a piece of her own
sanity with her. Quickly, she sat, staring at her wand.
	"Lily?" Kassie asked after a few moments.
	Lily glanced up, noticing that Alexis, Madison, Kathleen and
Gabrielle were sitting around her, all lost in their own thoughts. "I'm
ok," she mumbled, not looking beyond the second year girls. But she
wasn't, not really. She wondered if she ever would be again.

				 *			 *

	That Friday marked a change in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. And it wasn't only the loss of a teacher to a group of Death
Eaters. It ran deeper than that, in the hearts of every young witch and
wizard that attended the school. Students stayed in packs as they
walked the school, most had their wands in their hands at all times. A
sudden noise didn't just make people jump, it made them pull their wand
to the ready and begin mumbling curses.
	Tighter security was seen everywhere. The Headmaster was said to
have put every teacher to some sort of test, and prove they weren't
Death Eaters. No one knew what the test involved, but all knew no
remaining professors had failed it.
	The teachers prowled the school corridors between class and at
night. Even the Marauders, who were known to explore the halls at
night, stayed in dorms after hours. The Quidditch final had been
cancelled, though only a few expressed their dislike of it.
	Finals came regardless of the state the students were in.
Professor McGonagall doubled her class size to include those who would
have been in Potions. This meant no final for potions, but Lily was
sure she would have rather taken the test than have the situation as it
was.
	By the last week of school, students were clamoring to pack their
trunks and leave for summer break. But as they did so, Lily couldn't
help but think that she would leave something behind when she boarded
the Hogwarts Express.
	She sat pondering this the last day of term, staring at all her
robes and belongings that were laid on her bed for packing. In her hand
was clutched a copy of The Daily Prophet which had somehow decided
that Professor Walsh had been a Death Eater spy. Lily didn't know if
the story was true, and wasn't exactly sure if they would ever know
what happened.
	The door to her dorm opened, and Lily grabbed her wand out of
pure reflex. Kassie came in, sat on her bed and blinked at Lily.
	"What's wrong?"
	"Nothing," Lily replied, putting her wand away and feeling
immensely foolish for having yanked it out. She glanced around the
room, and then back at her best friend. "Actually, there is something.
But I can't put my finger on it. It's weird, but, I feel like I've lost
something."
	"Want me to help you look for it?" Kassie offered.
	Lily laughed, her first real laugh in what seemed ages. "No, not
like that. Like, I don't know. A part of me."
	Kassie gave her a perplexed look. "Erm, you look pretty whole to
me." By the gleam in her eye, Lily knew that Kassie was only trying to
cheer her up at this point. "Sorry. I'm listening," Kassie said, the
smile fading from her lips as she pulled her legs up under her.
	Lily sighed. "I feel different now, than I did this time last
year. Last year I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay here. But now,
I want to see my parents. And God help, I even want to see Petunia."
	"Hard times make you grow up faster," Kassie said wisely. "Though
desire to see Petunia can't be an added bonus." Lily gave her a
sidelong glance and Kassie shrugged. "I know what you mean, though.
Suddenly we aren't at war; we're in a war. Everyone, not just the
Ministry and the grown-ups."
	"Yeah," Lily agreed. "Exactly."
	And she hated it with everything in her.

				 *				 *

	The End of Term feast commenced that night. There were subtle
differences in this feast than the one of the previous year. The chair
just to Dumbledore's left remained empty, making many wonder who would
teach potions next year. Kids were more aware of what was going on
around them, and everyone had their wands. It was just a given now.
	And then there were the not-so-subtle differences. The largest
one was the red and gold Gryffindor banners hanging all around the
hall. For the first time in years, Gryffindor won the house cup, which
made for one loud and excited Gryffindor table. But the air of
excitement dwindled down respectfully as the feast came to an end and
the Headmaster got to his feet.
	Lily, as well as the rest of the Great Hall, gave him her
undivided attention. She somehow sensed this speech would not be like
his others, and she wasn't to be disappointed.
	"Another year has gone," he began, looking around the Hall at
every table. "As you re-enter the world tomorrow, many of you will feel
like you have left something of yourself behind. And so you have." Lily
understood his words more than anything at that moment. "Some of the
innocence has been taken from you as the war with Voldemort hit
Hogwarts very close. But this does not mean we will cower and run.
Voldemort has a talent for spreading panic; but we will not give in. We
will fight and learn from our mistakes.
	"When you re-enter this school next year there will be changes.
None you will see. But know that this school will remain a safe place
for you to come and learn. Myself, as well as the staff, will see to
that." He looked around at the tables again, as if to drive his point
home. Lily did feel better after hearing his speech, like a great
weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "On a lighter note, I want to
make sure everyone remembers that after you get off the train tomorrow,
you are no longer allowed to perform magic.
	"Please have a safe trip home and an enjoyable holiday." As he
sat down, the murmur of talk broke out again as everyone began
departing for their dorms. Lily followed her roommates up to Gryffindor
Tower to finish packing.

					*			 *

	The next morning came bright and early as they departed for
Hogsmeade station. Lily walked next to Kassie, their trunks floating in
the air between them as they crossed the grounds. They found a
compartment quickly and put their trunks and animal cages up. Lily
watched out the window silently as students ran here and there, making
sure they had everything and boarding the train. Ten minutes later,
they were headed home.
	The train snaked across the country land, heading south to
London. The Marauders crashed in every once in a while, hiding from
someone or gloating about some prank they had just pulled. Alexis,
Gabrielle, Kathleen and Madison popped in as well, but none stayed
around long, leaving Kassie and Lily to themselves. Not that they
minded.
	Lily sighed, looking out the window at the landscape as they
moved along. "It's going to seem funny," she commented, causing Kassie
to look up from the book she was reading.
	"What is?" Kassie muttered, picking her wand up and looking
around.
	"Going home. Not seeing you every morning." She threw a grin at
her best friend. Kassie nodded and pulled a piece of parchment from her
trunk distractedly. "Incendio!" she said, prodding the parchment with
her wand. It blew up, disappearing at once. Kassie looked up, a
surprised expression on her face. "Well," she muttered. "That didn't
have the desired effect."
	Lily tried to turn her laugh into a cough, but failed miserably.
Looking back out the window again, her eyes followed the tree line.
"Hey!" she said suddenly, causing Kassie to jump slightly. "Do you
think your Mum would let you come stay at my house some this summer?"
	Kassie shrugged, grinning. "I don't see why not. We could ask
when we get to London, she should be picking me up. Please ignore the
dozen or so kids you see running around her, though," Kassie added as
an after thought, wrinkling her nose up. "I have way too many siblings.
You'd think my parents would have been horrified to have children after
me."
	Lily smirked, thinking the same thing. After Petunia, why would
her parents want another one? Thinking of Petunia's reaction if Kassie
came, though, brought a smile to Lily's face. "Oh, speaking of
siblings. Petunia would just love you."
	Kassie gave her a wicked grin. "I'm sure I'd love to spend some
bounding time with her, as well. Try out some... lessons, shall we call
them? That I've learned being around the Marauders."
	Lily laughed, trying to imagine what Petunia would do if she
found her hair green, an invisible wall trapping her inside her room,
or her under clothes flying around on broom sticks. "It's too bad we
can't do magic outside of school. The things I could do to her..."
	"The possibilities are endless," Kassie concluded, closing her
eyes with a smile upon her face.
	A few hours later found the train coming to a slow crawl as it
entered King's Cross Station. Lily stood up, gathered up Morgana's cage
and pulled her trunk behind her. They exited the train and waited by
the wall that separated platform nine and three-quarters from the
Muggle station.
	They went through the barrier and almost immediately Lily saw her
parents standing off to the side. Beside them, sulking, was Petunia. In
one glance Lily could tell she had been dragged here, and was none too
happy about it. Her long, horse-like face was caught in a very
unflattering frown and her long arms were crossed.
	"Kassie!" A little girl with long, straight black hair pulled in
two pony tails came running up between the crowds of Muggles, witches
and wizards. She flung herself at Kassie, who caught her, and latched
her arms around Kassie's neck.
	"Hey munchkin," Kassie laughed. "Wow, you've grown so much!"
	"Uh huh," the little girl agreed. She grinned, turning to stare
at Lily with violet eyes that matched Kassie's almost perfectly. "I'm
seven years old now."
	"You are?" Kassie asked skeptically, winking at Lily. "When did
that happen?"
	"While you were at Hogwarts!" the little girl, whom Lily knew had
to be Kassie's sister, exclaimed.
	Kassie glanced around uneasily. "Shhh, not so loud Kacy," she
said in a hushed tone. "Muggles might hear."
	Kacy didn't look disgruntled one bit. In fact, she looked even
more excited by hearing the word "Muggle". Kassie nodded her head
towards Lily. "Kacy, this is my best friend Lily. Lily, this is my
little sister, Kacy."
	"Very nice to meet you," Lily said, offering her hand to the
little girl who shook it and laughed.
	"Well, Lily, are you going to come say hi to us?" a deep voice
behind her asked. Lily spun on her heel to see her parents standing
just behind her, no sign of Petunia anywhere.
	"Daddy!" she exclaimed, hugging him and then her mother. "Oh,
it's so good to see you. You remember Kassie, right?"
	"Oh yes," Christine Evans said, smiling at Kassie. "How are you
dear?"
	"Great," Kassie replied, trying to put down Kacy, who was
clutching onto her like a letch. "Go find Mum," she muttered, finally
prying the little girl off her.
	Suddenly a box was thrown towards Lily. By surprise reflex she
caught it, and then gave a terrified squeak as it exploded and turned
into a white lily. One glance around and she found who had thrown it.
	"James Potter, are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
	James and Sirius were standing just behind her, laughing heartily
at the look on her face when the box exploded. She shook her head,
smiling a little.
	"Just making sure you didn't forget us," Sirius said, elbowing
James, who, for some reason, looked like he was fighting a blush.
	Olivia Potter came up behind James, putting one hand on James's
shoulder and her other on Sirius's. "Shall I get them home before they
blow the place up?" she asked. Lily's parent's faces seemed caught
between shock and disbelievement. Olivia laughed slightly. "Have a good
summer, Lily. You're welcome to come visit, if you'd like. Come on,
boys."
	"See you, Lil!" Sirius called over his shoulder.
	"Bye, Lily," James added, waving dumbly. Lily grinned and waved
back. Lily looked at the lily in her hand, at Kassie, who was grinning
at her in a stupid way, and at her parents.
	"So, eh, Mum, can Kassie come stay with us some this summer?"
	Daniel Evans seemed to be caught up staring at the flower his
youngest daughter was holding. Christine nudged him in the ribs and he
cough, rather fakely. "This summer? Who? Oh, Kassie?" he asked, looking
back and forth between the two girls standing before him with pleading
eyes. "Oh, I don't see why not."
	Kassie grinned, her violet eyes sparkling. "Thank you!" she
gushed, grabbing Lily's hand. "Come on, let's go ask my Mum!" And
before Lily could utter a word, they were speeding off across the
platform to a woman Lily could only presume was Kassie's mother.
	The first thing Lily noticed was that the woman they had stopped
in front of sure didn't look like Kassie. In fact, she wouldn't have
guessed them to be related. Lily tried to hide her shock. She may not
have been her mother's duplicate, but they resembled each other in many
ways. But this woman...
	"Aunt Grace, what are you doing here?" Kassie asked.
	"Picking you up, of course," the woman said, giving Kassie a
disapproving frown. "Or can the great Kassie find her way home without
me?"
	Kassie looked like she wanted to retort in a somewhat uncivilized
way, but held her tongue. Barely. "Where's Mum?" she said between
gritted teeth.
	"Kassie! I have your trunk!" a boy, about ten years old, said
behind them. He had dark brown hair that fell over his light eyes.
	"Thanks Haden," Kassie muttered, not really glancing over to him.
"Aunt Grace, where is Mum?"
	"At home, I presume. Now let's go." She glanced around uneasily.
"I don't want to be around these... people longer than I have to."
	Kassie and Lily both adjourned insulted looks at that remark, but
said nothing aloud. Two more boys were standing around Kassie's trunk
now, and another little girl was standing beside Kacy. But Kassie
didn't introduce them, in fact, she seem reluctant to move.
	"Kassie..." Lily whispered, trying to break the uneasy silence.
"Just owl me, ok? I'll send Morgana in a few days."
	"Ok," Kassie responded without even looking at her. Her eyes were
still focused on the woman before them. Lily walked away, throwing a
concerned look behind her as she approached her parents.
	"Ready to go?" Daniel asked, clapping his hands together. He
looked around. "Where did Petunia get to?"
	"Probably waiting in the car," Christine suggested in a manner
that clearly said it was a miracle she had came in the first place.
Lily agreed wholeheartedly.
	Putting an arm around Lily, Christine steered her towards the
exit while Daniel put her trunk on a trolley and followed. As they came
out into the sunlight, Lily welcomed the sun shining down and hoped it
was a sign this summer would be better than her last.

--End Chapter 14.