Comedy/Tragedy: The Story of a Doomed Existence

Chapter Four: Flying Purple People Eaters

Once outside, Lily realized that it wasn't all that dark; her vision had been obscured simply by the contrast of the bright compartment to the darker outdoors. Lily gazed up at the stars, obscurely identifying some of the constellations her astrology book had described.

"Lily! Come on, we've got to go!" Alice was tugging on the sleeve of Lily's robes, pointing toward a bending path from which a voice was calling,

"Firs' years, this way!"

"Yes, as much as I know that great joy can be found by watching the stars, we need to get moving." There was a slight hint of sarcasm in Lucy's voice. "I'm sure that many of the people whose way we are blocking would find similar joy in walking right over us!"

"Oops, sorry..." Lily followed Alice and Lucy around the bend, each girl walking slightly briskly in order to catch up with the rest of the first year students and the very large form that was leading them. As they drew nearer, Lily could hear the words of the giant-like being as he spoke to a student next to him:

"...name's Rubeus Hagrid, but call me by my las' name, everyone does. I'm the 'ssistant groundskeeper here at 'ogwarts. Help out ole Ogg an' his wife in carin' for this school," he spoke gruffly, in a strong accent that Lily could not identify as anything in particular. He raised his voice to address entire body of students, "All righ,' everyone? You'll be seein' 'ogwarts for the very firs' time, up 'round this bend!"

Lily's breath caught in her throat. A giant castle, black with the night's discoloration, hailed the approaching first years from across a similarly dark lake. The turrets, towers, and miscellaneous out-branches of the castle were all silhouetted by a large, slightly yellow-toned moon, nearly full. Shadows from the building darted out across sweeping lawns, somewhat distorted in the changes of altitude.

"All righ,' everyone get in a boat! No more'n five in each one!" Hagrid's voice broke into Lily's observations. She joined Lucy, Alice, and one of Lucy's fan-boys in a nearby boat. She and Alice whispered together about the castle's beauty. Lucy made a big show of being astonished for the benefit of her adoring fan, who laughed appreciatively, though he barely glanced up at the castle; his eyes were too fixed on Lucy's face.

When they didn't move for a few minutes, the very hungry Lily began to look around, trying to figure out what was going on. She heard Hagrid say,

"Come on, in yeh get! Go find a diff'rent boat, that one's full, can't yeh see?"

"All right, sorry there good man!" came the answer. The voice continued, "It's alright, Remus ole buddy, I'm perfectly capable of choosing a new boat." The body belonging to the strangely familiar voice jumped out of the boat, causing screams as droplets of water hit those in his locality. The splashing approached Lily's boat, and the very last person she wanted to sit next to clambered in to join her.

He took a very long time of settling down, making a particularly convoluted performance of not being comfortable. Lily was reminded vehemently of a very annoying, shorter version of Lucy. By the time James finally stopped rearranging himself, and the boat had stopped shifting with his constant movement, the self-sailing vessel had halfway traversed the lake. Though Lily had been trying her best to avoid the boy, he wound up sitting right next to her, and gave a very large, fake gasp of astonishment when he saw her. His activity was so severe that the boat really began to rock back and forth. When James sat down again, he slipped right off of the rim of the boat and into the black water.

Feeling rather sorry for the wet, lake water-drenched boy, Lily reached down to help him out - and found herself being pulled into the water by the hand she'd offered to pull him out with. The unfortunate presence of gravity caused the boat to anchor toward the opposite side of the now very wet Lily and James. It was so abrupt that the other three students on the boat soon found themselves in the water as well, their boat completely capsized and their bodies soaking wet.

Hagrid was beside himself.

"'Ow can you fall into the lake? What were you thinkin'?" He berated them for a while before pulling them out of the lake. When he did, all five first-years were shivering uncontrollably. Despite the warm condition of the day, night was cold and the day's sunlight didn't warm the fathoms-deep lake.

The rest of the first-years-to-be had already gotten to the other side and were waiting in a nervous cluster for the remaining people to arrive. Lily shivered deeply under her soaked robes, feeling the material squeak across her equally dampened jeans. She shot a look of pure contempt at James. He had been grinning at her, but the fervor in her gaze made him drop him eyes, though he still smiled to himself.

Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress who had taught at the Hogwarts seminar, was no less angry than Hagrid. She was waiting for the students at the other side of the lake and had apparently been told what happened by James' snickering friends. If Lily had thought the professor was unsmiling before, the thin line of McGonagall's mouth proved that Lily had no idea how irate the teacher could become.

"You have no right to delay the feast so directly and obviously!" she shouted in Lily and James' direction, her mouth so thin it appeared invisible. Apparently, though Alice, Lucy, and Lucy's fan had been able to escape blame, the equally innocent Lily wasn't so lucky. "Detention, for the both of you! I don't care that we don't know what house you're in yet, you'll get that detention! Now come on, everyone's waiting!" She stormed off, apparently expecting everyone to follow her. "You've taken so long that we'll have to go straight in; normally you get a few moments to tidy up."

She seemed to be focused particularly on the dripping students as she said this. Lily looked down at herself and saw that she was leaving a trail of water behind her and that she still hadn't remembered to put on her shoes. Despite her shivering body, a rosy tinge of embarrassment crossed her face. She felt the bottom drop out of her stomach, both from nerves and from the worry that she was going to give everyone a very bad impression of herself, which was exactly what she was trying to avoid if she were to reach the promise she had given her parents. Her shivering increased, though by now it was not just from her frozen limbs.

As for the other lake-soaked students, Alice's hair hung in dampened strings around her nervous face. She was so edgy that she appeared to even have forgotten about Frank, which was a big deal, for her. As for Lucy, though completely soaked, she seemed still to be enjoying herself. She was doing a spirited imitation of the boat's tipping for the benefit of her fan, who was laughing appreciatively. She seemed even more vociferous than she'd been on the train, which was probably her way of showing nerves. James Potter was laughing with his friends, though, like Lucy, Lily presumed this was his way of showing tension.

However, as McGonagall instructed them into a single file line and opened the door to the great hall, even the loud, gregarious students lost their bravado. Lily was suddenly very aware of the constant drip-drip-drip of her saturated clothing and the damp ringlets of auburn hair that surrounded her face haphazardly.

At least I didn't wear my shoes, Lily thought as she heard the squelching of Lucy's sneakers somewhere farther up the line.

Trying not to think of her dilapidated nerves, Lily focused intently on the back of Lucy's fan's head. She was very aware of the whispering that was emanating from the students around them. She knew her face would color further if she weren't so nervous about being sorted.

Lily honestly didn't know what house she'd like to be in, though the prospect of Gryffindor seemed promising. She wouldn't mind Ravenclaw, though, and sincerely hoped that she wouldn't wind up in Slytherin; being Muggle-born would not be considered an acceptable thing in that house, if what she had read was reality. As for Hufflepuff, in Lily's opinion that house seemed very dull. But even more worrying than her house location was how she would be sorted in the first place. Lily thought back to the schoolbooks she'd looked through and tried to remember spells that might help her do whatever was necessary to be placed in a house. Unfortunately, nearly everything helpful Lily had read conveniently exited her mind the moment she started thinking about it. The only thing she could remember at the moment was a charm to turn things indigo, which she highly doubted would help her in any test.

Lily took in her breath in short, steadying gasps, trying her best to restrain the sudden desire to turn and sprint as fast as she could away from the hall. Rather than look at the snickering faces, Lily gazed up into the ceiling and remembered something she had read in Hogwarts, a History: the ceiling was spelled to resemble the sky outside. The same constellations Lily had seen outside were present, and she was halfway through deciphering what one of them was when the girl on her left elbowed her viciously in the ribs.

"Pay attention," she hissed.

Her face almost burning again, Lily looked down to see Professor McGonagall setting a rather bedraggled hat on a stand on the raised platform in front of the teacher's table, which the line was now in front of.

Following everyone else's example, Lily focused on the hat. She nearly jumped into the air with surprise when a rip near its rim opened and the hat began to sing:

Many long years have departed

Since the Hogwarts founders did exist

But when the school was first started

The four shared a common wish.

In times when magic was a frightening thought

To all who didn't understand

The Hogwarts founders came and bought

This lovely piece of land.

And upon these grounds a school was introduced-

A place where gifted students could be trained,

The bounds holding them back the founders loosed

And over the years they reigned.

Knowing they could not live forever

For even immortal in spirit do die

Gryffindor came up with the undoubtedly clever

Idea of making me before he said goodbye.

I was given the most unusual gift

Of recognizing the traits that rest, unsure

In every one of the young minds I sift

In search of aspects of your nature.

I never had the chance to look in the minds

Of the magical Hogwarts Four

But if I had, I can tell you what I'd find

Abundant within their core.

In Gryffindor's scarlet soul,

In addition to nerve's noble land

I'd find bravery in utmost control

And chivalry second in command.

As for Ravenclaw, the girls' heart

Was filled with intelligence galore

A woman who loved learning from the start

She'd be constantly hungry for more.

Slytherin, the sly old dog

Had a cunning, reckless streak

Quite frankly a power-hog

Slytherin was anything but weak.

The final founder, Hufflepuff the sweet

Honored those who were loyal

Though most of all she wanted to meet

Hard-workers, she accepted all!

The hall burst into applause, and the hat bent at the tip in some kind of unusual bow. Lily felt much of her nervousness dissipate; putting on a hat would be far easier than many of the situations her distressed mind had created. Lily noticed that most of the students looked far less nervous than they had beforehand.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a long piece of parchment.

"When I call your name, please step forward and place the hat on your head," she addressed the first years. "Abbot, Michael!"

A boy with a rather pink-looking face ran forward and placed the hat on his head. He sat for a few seconds before the hat shouted,

"Hufflepuff!" Michael walked down to the table that was cheering for him.

"Ackerly, Malcolm!"

"Ravenclaw!"

McGonagall went slowly down the list, reading off each name. There seemed to be a lot of first-years.

"Black, Sirius!"

"Gryffindor!"

"Black, Narcissa!"

"Slytherin!"

Lily wondered if the two were related.

"Bones, Lucy!"

The wet girl swaggered forward, not nervous in the least now that she knew all that she had to do was put on a hat. The frayed piece of material had barely touched her head when -

"Gryffindor!"

Grinning hugely, Lucy jogged down to the table cheering for her.

Lily was beginning to feel her nerves come back, even worse than before. The B's were almost done...Carlson started the C's (Slytherin!), then the one D came and went. Before Lily knew it, McGonagall was calling the girl who had poked her earlier up to the stool.

"Elphick, Jennifer!"

With the loud call of Ravenclaw, Lily's heart took a nasty drop. Here it was, it was coming -

"Evans, Lily!"

Lily walked forward as quickly as she could without showing her bare feet, and sat down on the small stool. She took one final glance at the watching school and put the hat onto her head.

It was so large that it fell down almost to Lily's chin. Unsure of what to do, Lily tried to squint through a tiny hole in one of the patches.

"Soo...hmm, very promising indeed," a small voice spoke in Lily's ear. It was all she could manage not to leap into the air in surprise. "There is courage, but it's hidden under other traits...very promising magic-wise, and well read, that's always good...the desire to do very well, to make new friends...I'll leave it up to you, Miss Evans. Where would you like to go? Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?"

Gryffindor, please, Lily thought as hard as she could. It seemed as though the hat could read her mind, and she didn't much want to speak out loud with everyone watching her so closely.

"Very well...GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted the final word so that everyone in the hall could hear - and as far as Moscow, Lily presumed, for the hat's shout had nearly taken her eardrum out.

She smiled contentedly and walked down to join Lucy at the applauding table. The blonde squealed and hugged her. Once both girls had calmed down, they turned back to see "Gudgeon, Davey" - who also happened to be Lucy's adoring fan - become a Hufflepuff.

Lily smirked as she watched him glance longingly at the Gryffindor table as he walked toward the cheering Hufflepuffs.

The sorting went a lot faster when you weren't being sorted, Lily realized. The whirl of faces all blended in her mind. After watching "Lupin, Remus" get sorted, (GRYFFINDOR!) Lily's eyes flicked down the rest of the line. Standing next to a Black boy with a very round, large hairstyle, was Alice. Far from being calm now, she was shifting up and down on the balls of her feet and not smiling at all - it was a strange look for the happy-go-lucky girl. All too soon, Professor McGonagall called out,

"Surrideo, Alice!"

She stumbled forward. He shoes squelched very obviously and a number of students at the Slytherin table began to laugh. Lily shot them a nasty look and turned back to see a very green Alice sit down on the stool.

Lacking Lily's self-control, a few seconds after she sat down, Alice leapt into the air in an aura of complete surprise. Lily presumed that she'd heard the voice in her ear.

However, Alice's embarrassment wasn't over yet. When she landed back on the stool, her slippery robes caused her to slide off and onto the floor with a dull thud. Nearly everyone laughed, but both Lily and Lucy were filled with concern for their friend.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat finally shouted, but the damage was done.

Alice's blue-green eyes were filled with tears when she joined the Gryffindors. Lucy hugged the sad girl gently.

"Alice, honey, it's okay!" Lucy told her best friend. "Don't worry. Slimy pr icks...don't think on it; it's just the stupid Slytherins. Ignore 'em...you're bloody well better off with us. And Frankie..." She nudged her friend obviously and pointed down the table to the brunette boy Alice had been so obsessed with earlier.

"Don't curse," Alice spoke through her silent tears, though she was now smiling. Lily had to hand it to Lucy; the girl had a talent for cheering people up.

"Come on, Alice, everyone had their little embarrassments," Lily told her softly. "I nearly did the same thing as you! I very well may have, were I not used to hearing voices in my head."

Lucy laughed, and Alice smiled at the redhead, wiping away her tears.

"You're right. You're both right. I was just...so nervous," she explained. Lily nodded; she understood completely. "I don't even know why I'm crying..." she continued to cry silently, "I always wanted to be in Gryffindor. Much of my family's been in Hufflepuff, see, but I like this house better. And there's no one I'd rather be here with than you two," she told Lily and Lucy, giving each a one-armed hug.

"I can think of one person," Lucy announced, glancing obviously toward Frank.

Lily joined in Alice's laughs, but she felt inclined to take the round-faced girl's comment more seriously than Lucy had; she felt warmed from the inside. No one had ever actually wanted her company before, and she discovered that it was a wonderful feeling.

She turned back to see the "Zabini, Xavier" get sorted (SLYTHERIN!) and watched Professor McGonagall roll up the long parchment and carry the stool out of the hall. Lily's attention was drawn back to the teacher's table when a man with very long, silver-gray colored beard and hair stood up and surveyed the students through his half-moon glasses. He shook his scarlet, celestial robes from his hands and spoke in a melodic, carrying voice:

"I have a number of announcements to make, but I'm sure that many of you are very hungry. Nothing that cannot wait until after the feast." With these words, the tall wizard seated himself and Lily looked down at the empty plates, wondering if perhaps someone had forgotten to cook.

Suddenly, however, the golden silverware filled with foods of all kinds. Lily's hunger, which had dissipated in her nervous state over the sorting, returned full-blast. This was understandable; she hadn't eaten anything since her goodbye supper the night before. The starved redhead piled everything vegetarian onto her plate and began to eat vociferously. She wasn't the only one; nearly everyone in the giant room managed to devour second or third helpings. While she ate her way through a slice of pecan pie, smiling at the expression of remembrance that came over Alice's face when she saw the food ("Pecan pie! How could I forget! I remembered mincemeat, but not pecan?"), Lily listened in on some of the conversations around her.

The boy Lily remembered as Sirius Black, James' friend, was glancing over at the Slytherin table, looking slightly put out.

"What's wrong?" a fifth-year boy with curly brown hair asked him.

"My mum's going to kill me," Sirius answered. "Never been a Black who didn't get into Slytherin. Never. I can expect a Howler tomorrow morning..."

"That soon? She might not find out right away, you know."

"Oh, she will. 'Cissa, or Bellatrix, my cousins, will definitely tell her, as soon as possible. It's another common Black trait to enjoy the suffering of others. I'll bet Bella's heading up to the owlry now," he pointed at the back of a fourth-year girl's robes as she left the Great Hall. "And if she doesn't, 'Cissa - Narcissa Black, she's in my year - 'Cissa'll go write her."

On Lily's right side, Alice had retrieved her damp sketchbook - which was filled with doodles, nearly all containing the words 'F.L.' somewhere - and was comprising a list of all the kinds of pie she knew. With the best of interests in mind, Lily pulled the notebook away from her friend and stashed it under the table.

Lucy, who had broken free of the pea-entertainment she was providing for a group of third year boys, seemed inclined to make a smart remark about this, but she was stopped when the silver-bearded man stood up and clapped his hand together to draw everyone's attention.

"Let me just say, first of all, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you did not already know, my name is Albus Dumbledore. I am headmaster of this school. Now, there are a few reminders I need to give out. First and foremost, the Forbidden Forest is, self-explanatory. Any students caught there without expressed permission are risking more than house points. Also, planted just this summer is Hogwarts' first Whomping Willow. Whomping Willows are highly dangerous trees; they are also very valuable. We are asking that all exercise great caution when nearing this specimen. Also forbidden is the town of Hogsmeade to all under third year.

"Mr. Pringle, the caretaker, has asked me to remind you that no magic may be performed in the corridors. For any other information about Mr. Pringle's restrictions, please go to his office on your own time."

"This year we have also made some changes in staff. At the end of last year, Professor Flavius, the potions teacher, deputy headmaster, and Slytherin head of house, decided to go into his well-deserved retirement. Professor McGonagall has taken over deputy duties, and our new potions professor, Professor Dulcissa," he indicated a smiling blonde witch a few seats down. The school applauded politely. "Professor Dulcissa will take over duties as Slytherin head of house."

"That is all that comes to mind at the moment; house prefects will instruct you on any other rules and restrictions. Now, trot off to bed; I'm sure that you're all quite exhausted. Full bellies and long train rides equal exhausted students." Dumbledore gave a slight nod of his head, and, following this indication, the students in the Great Hall began the trek to their common rooms.

"Gryffindors! Gryffindor first years, please follow me. Excuse me, I'm a prefect! Gryffindor first years, this way please!" A tall girl with very short, layered dark brown hair called over the sea of students. Lily and Alice hurried to the doorway, looking around for Lucy, but she was nowhere to be seen. They met with some of the other Gryffindor first years and the prefect who had called out to them. "This way, first years," she spoke again once the young students were gathered around her.

"My name is Kelsey Mullet," she told them in a strong Irish accent as she walked briskly thorough the halls. Most of the first years had to sprint to catch up with her. "I'm one of the Gryffindor Prefects. Kirley McCormack is the other; I guess he's leading the other first years..."

She continued to talk, but Lily dropped back to walk with Alice. Both girls were too sleepy to exchange much conversation, but there was something about the silent presence that was far better than talking would have been anyway. Lily lazily watched Mullet lead them through corridor after corridor, up staircases, and even through a few secret passageways. She had no idea how she was going to remember it all later, but the was too tired to think about it very much.

The part of their trek through Hogwarts that was by far the most interesting was the paintings. Unlike in the muggle world, these constantly moved. It was like their occupants were alive, and truly entertaining to watch. Lily and Alice drew considerably behind the rest of the company when they stopped to watch a woman in a crinoline hoop skirt engage in a very elaborate swordsmanship duel with a knight who had walked into her portrait. They had to run fairly hard to catch up, but by the time the reached the corridor where they'd last seen Kelsey leading the first years, it ended in a solid wall.

"Great...where'd they go?" Alice said, feeling the wall to be sure it was solid.

"I don't know..." Lily answered, looking around. "Maybe it's another secret passage?" She tried to lift a portrait of a bowl of pasta, which began squealing shrilly when she touched it and wouldn't budge.

A few moments later, Alice leapt backwards into Lily, causing both to fall onto the floor.

"What, Alice? What's going on?" Lily tried to untangle her robes from the spike on a nearby suit of armor's boot.

But Alice could only gasp and point; a wicked face was now sticking out of the formerly solid wall and grinning down at the two collapsed girls. Lily's mouth fell open and she stopped trying to free herself from the suit of armor.

"Ooh, ickle firsties!" The head's oily voice rang out above them. "Wanting to get to bed, little ones? Let Peevesie help you!" His head disappeared for a second, then returned, followed by his body and a very long rug. He dropped this on top of Lily and Alice, who coughed with the dust that emanated the corridor. The rug settled over Lily and Alice's bodies; the only part of them that was free of its itchiness was their heads. "Just follow the rug, and you'll get to your common room, ickle Gryffies!" He then made a very big show of walking up and down the rug.

"Get - off -" Alice struggled, gasping for breath as 'Peevesie' walked over them. Though clearly a ghost of some kind, he definitely did have substance, Lily realized as she felt a small indentation form in her ribcage where his foot had been.

"What - are -you doing?" Alice asked, exasperatedly.

The wicked little man, who was now floating in the air, juggling Lily's still-damp astrology book and Alice's sketchbook, made a short gasping, offended noise, and dropped the books. "What am I doing? What am I doing?? I'm helping you get to your common room...I'd've thought you'd noticed! Kids these days...Hopeless, I'm telling you!" His tone changed to be an attempt at sage-like. He blew a very wet raspberry (actually producing one of the fruit) and dove into the suit of armor, clattering around inside for a good few moments. The wall that formed a dead end across the corridor and the rug 'Peevesie' had brought in disappeared in a poof of nasty-smelling, purple dust.

"Ugh!" Lily tried to brush the powder from her clothes, but it appeared that the stuff was attracted to the dampness.

Alice stood up shakily and followed Lily's example, but she had no more luck than the redhead did.

"Come on, let's get to the common room," Lily suggested, bending down to pick up the books. She handed the sketchbook to Alice. "I know that we don't know where it is," she continued when Alice opened her mouth to protest, "but maybe we'll see some Gryffindors on the way.

Alice consented and the two began their walk down the corridor, Lily slightly ahead of the strawberry-blonde. But before she'd gone more than two meters, there was a loud crack and an "Ow!" from behind her. Lily turned around - and nearly walked into the same wall that had been created by Peeves.

"Alice! Alice, where are you?"

"I'm on the other side of this stupid wall," there was a dull thud and another "Ow!" Lily presumed that Alice had kicked the wall in exasperation.

"Hang on," Lily called through; there was something on the tip of her tongue. Then it clicked. The next words that left her mouth were Latin; a spell that Lily had found in the last chapter of one of her schoolbooks. "Nusquam substantia!"

As though someone had blown up the wall from the inside, thousands of flecks of purple powder covered the corridor. But at least Alice, purple as she was, could now get through. She and Lily laughed about it for a while, then continued on their way. Neither had any clue where they were going, but they were lucky to see the end of a cloak as someone walked around the corner in front of them. Lily sped up.

"Hey! Excuse me, whoever just walked down that corridor? Could you tell us -" Lily stopped speaking quite abruptly. She and Alice had just come into sight of the person she'd seen and he into theirs.

"Ahh!" James Potter gave a huge leap of fright backwards. "It's the flying purple people eaters! Run, Remus, run! Run for your life! The school's being taken over by the figments of overactive muggle imagination! Ahhhhhhhhh..." He acted as though he were seeing something truly terrifying. "Remus, why aren't you mov -" James turned back to look at the entirely purple girls.

"Wait...I know that purple people eater! And if she's who I think she is...then that is one purty monster!" He turned and swaggered toward Lily and Alice, mussing his hair and smirking. "Lily, baby, you need to figure out what you are! Having a bit of a character crisis is okay, but I'm getting worried about you! First a butterfly, then a flower, then a fish, and now a muggle monster! Figure it out!" he threw his arm over her shoulder.

All Lily could do was make an indistinct noise in her throat. Inside her mind, she came to one conclusion: this boy was completely off his rocker.

James, however, took Lily's snort to be something else.

"Don't get offended, my sweet little monster! You've been a very pretty butterfly, flower, fish, and are quite a fine monster, but I think you need to sort things out. I'll leave you to it. But come find me, once you know what you are; I'd be glad to hook up some time!"

He walked away from the two girls, his back facing Remus and his arm waving a princess wave.

Alice burst into laughter as soon as he was out of sight. She wouldn't stop, and probably couldn't stop; she was laughing so hard it looked painful.

"Purple - people - eaters -" she cracked up all over again. Lily dragged her after James and Remus, who had carelessly left a portrait ajar; Lily presumed it led to the Gryffindor common room.

Sure enough, as Lily walked through, she saw a round room filled with cozy chairs and a merrily burning fireplace. No sooner had she shut the door then James called out again:

"Back already? That's great, I love a woman who can make quick decisions, especially when the decisions are the right ones! I was hoping you'd pick the flower - or the fish, your hair looks great when wet - but I'm content with a purple people eater too!" his announcement was met by roars of laughter.

Lily rolled her eyes and stomped up the staircase to the girl's dormitory, though she couldn't help but grin once she was out of everyone's sight.

She continued climbing up the staircase. Doors began to branch off on the sides; each leading to a dormitory, Lily presumed. The doors each bore a plaque that read the year and names of all of its members. Lily continued up and up the staircase, getting more than a few surprised looks when people saw her purpleness. After trying to explain once or twice, Lily gave up and just told them she was a purple people eater. It was easier, and if it didn't frighten people a little it made them laugh. Not all knew the muggle song, but the fact that she was purple seemed to amuse them more than enough.

Finally, Lily came to the end of the staircase and a large, wooden door. Written on the plaque at its front, in indented letters, were the words:

First Years

Lucy Bones

Lily Evans

Alice Surrideo

Hana Suzuki

Leanna Thompson

Lily pushed open the door and stepped inside. The only person in there was a girl in the corner. She was crouching, and shifting back and forth on the balls of her feet. As Lily drew nearer, she heard what sounded like crying from the other side of the girl's raven-colored head.

"Are - are you all right?" Lily asked uncertainly. The girl she was addressing gave a frightened squeak and leapt up.

She was very pretty. Her stick-strait black hair fell down below her waist and very thick lashes framed her almond-shaped eyes. But at the moment, tears were pouring down her face. She looked at Lily fearfully, than stood up and ran past her and onto the stairs. Before Lily could so much as move, the girl was gone.

Lily blinked, startled by the encounter, and stretched languorously. She looked down at her body, nearly having forgotten about her unfortunate, smelly purple self. On the way up the staircase, she'd seen a door marked 'Showers, so she grabbed a hairbrush, some shampoo, and went out the way she'd come in.

The showers were very nice; like the great hall many floors below, they portrayed the sky outside. A very simple swimming pool was in the center and the walls were lined with little cubicles, each containing a shower. The only unfortunate aspect of the room was the fact that it smelled very strongly of some type of cleaning solution.

Wisely coming to the conclusion that people wouldn't want smelly purple dust all over the swimming pool, Lily chose a shower instead.

The purple redhead closed the curtain and turned on the water, still in her clothes, for they were just as purple as her skin. She stood there happily, glad for shower's warmth; she was still damp from the swimming fiasco. For a good five minutes, the only water that came out of Lily's shower was an incredibly bright purple. After the streaming purple water had ceased, Lily stripped down and took a proper shower. When she'd finished, she hung her wet clothes out to dry on a rack that was probably meant for towels.

Feeling clean, warm, and more tired than she'd ever imagined was possible, Lily turned back upstairs and slipped into her dorm. There was no one there, so Lily changed and climbed into bed. She'd been intending to wait up for Lucy and Alice, but she was fast asleep before her head hit the pillow.