Five Friends

Chapter 2

"Come on, Lily."

"No."

"Please?"

"Absolutely not."

"It would only be for a minute."

"I said no."

Sirius sighed. "Fine. I'll get Remus to do it."

Lily shook her head. "Sensible Remus? No way."

"But with his mother being sick and all, they'll have to cut him some slack if he gets caught," Sirius explained. Remus had come back the day before, still looking ill and weak, and reported that his mother was getting better.

With those words, he bounded off to the portrait of the Fat Lady to hopefully convince Peter to set off a Whirling Wheezy during Potions to get them out of a pop quiz (a rumor was going around school that during your first Potions lesson, there was going to be a major test).

A Whirling Wheezy was something Sirius had invented a few years back. It looked like a normal quill for writing, but if you dipped it in ink, it would change into a firework. But it wasn't an ordinary firework. Once you set it off, it whirled around the room, shooting sparks everywhere. After about two minutes, the entire firework would explode, finally setting off an entire magnificent show of colors. The final colors weren't just colors, however. They were paint, and everyone within distance would get sprayed with it.

When asked by Remus why he named it a 'Whirling Wheezy', Sirius explained, "Well, it whirls around the room, and one time I set off the prototype when my Uncle Allen came over to dinner. It ended up exploding all over him, and he was laughing so hard he wheezed. He asked me what I named it, and it was the first thing that came to my mind."

Lily also sighed once Sirius was out of earshot. He asked her to set one off, since she had a clean record in that class and he and James would automatically be placed in detention whether they did it or not. Lily sensibly asked, "If you're going to get detention anyway, then why not go ahead and do it?"

"Because," Sirius said exaspertley, "The professors capable of anything. They might slip some Truth Serum into out pumpkin juice during dinner--"

"Truth Serum?" Lily inquired.

With a look of dislike on his face, Sirius answered, "Truth Serum. It makes you tell the truth to whoever asks a question. One drop can have you spilling your deepest secrets. Trust me, I know the consequences." He paused and shuddered for a moment, then continued, "Anyway, the look on their faces when they see that we didn't do it will be priceless. They'll have to take back the detention."

Lily laughed, "You expect them to do that?"

"Forget it," he smiled, then proceeded to beg her to let one loose. Lily point blank refused--she wasn't going to get a weeks' worth of detentions for it.

The portrait hole then swung open. Lily glanced over, expecting to see a begging Sirius and a nervous Remus. But instead, she saw one of her roommates, Arabella Figg. With her long, blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes (not to mention a slim figure), she reminded Lily of a Muggle model that used to be on the covers of those magazines Petunia read all the time.

Arabella glanced around the nearly empty common room and spotted Lily, then slowly made her way forward.

"Hi," Arabella said kindly. "You're Lily, right?"

"Yeah," Lily also smiled. "You're Arabella." She could easily put a name with that face: Arabella was one of the best people to work charms--she was right behind Lily.

Arabella waved her hand. "Please, call me Bell, or even Bella. Arabella is way too fancy."

The two proceeded to talk for about an hour. It was strange how much they had in common. They both had mean older sisters, weird neighbors, and had no clue magic existed until they got their Hogwarts letter. The only difference was that Bell had two magical parents, only they'd wanted her to grow up as a Muggle (learning their ways) until she could go to Hogwarts.

"So they just sprung the truth on you?" Lily asked, suprised.

Bell nodded. "I was angry at first, them hiding something that important from me for so long, but then I figured, hey, why be mad--I'm a witch!"

"I'm a witch!" Both girls turned their heads towards the sound of a horribly immitated voice. To their suprise, it was Peter who was mocking them. From his shy manner to his tendency to try and hide in the shadows behind everyone, neither of them expected him to dare taunt someone else.

"What's wrong with you?" Bell said, raising an eyebrow. Lily knew that you didn't have to be Merlin to know that Peter wasn't setting a good first impression.

Peter looked like he might start stammering and apologizing, but he just held his head up high and said hauntingly, "I don't have to explain myself to you---girls." Lily had enough. She menecingly stood up and cracked her knuckles.

"What's wrong with girls?" she demanded.

Peter now looked like a frightened puppy. "E--e--ebullio!" he shouted, pointing his wand at Lily.

Lily was too suprised to react, so the jet of purple light hit her with sudden force. Immediatly, her head began to swell and grow larger at an alarming rate. She opened her mouth to scream, however, only a strangled gasp made its way out, for her lips were too large and puffy to form words. Panicking, she looked at Bell for help.

Bell was staring in horrified awe at Lily, her jaw almost to the floor. Seeing Lily's eyes turn to her, she regained her composure and strode over to Peter. "What's the counter curse?" she yelled.

By now, the few people in the common room were also staring at Lily; some staring, some snickering slightly. Her head was now the size of her cauldron, and she was finding it hard to breathe.

"I--I--I forgot," Peter stammered.

Bell's eyes widened. "YOU WHAT?" she shrieked. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS, PETER!" Peter, now trembling from head to toe, turned heel and ran as fast as his legs would carry him out of the common room. Bell stared, once again, at Lily. "Er--er--" she said hopelessly.

"Vegrandis!" Lily's head started shrinking again, to her relief. Soon, it was back to normal, and she turned to thank whoever helped her.

She was found staring at a girl with large, blue eyes and a delicate face. She was wearing her black Hogwarts robes like everyone else, but she added some things to her outfit: over her robes, she wore a black leather jacket with little rhinestones around the collar. Her sleeves were rolled up past her elbows, revealing her small hands, which were painted with blue fingernail polish that glittered. On each hand, she wore two silver rings. The bottom of her robes had a thin line going all around, which held more rhinestones. But what shocked Lily most was her hair--long, dark brown that hung loosely down her back...had blue streaks in them.

"Thanks," Lily said gratefully.

The girl nodded and then popped her gum. "Don't mention it. I hate the guys that do that." Her accent suprised Lily more than her clothes did.

"Where--" she started.

"I'm from America. My family moved here about three years ago, saying I should go to Howarts rather than whatever American school I was going to have to go to," the girl said, voice carrying a bit of boredom.

Bell was staring at her choice of uniform. She noticed. "I like blue," she said matter-of-factly. "And this is my style." Once again, she popped her gum--blue, of course.

Bell raised an eyebrow, and Lily discovered that Bell's face betrayed her emotions. All you had to do was look closely to see how Bell was going to react. And now, she could tell Bell wasn't impressed. Lily agreed with her. As kind as this girl may be, he didn't really make friends with...rebels.

"Er--thanks again," Lily said hurridly, then took Bell's arm and steered her towards the portrait hole. Before leaving, she took a glance at Blue-Girl. Her face flashed with a look of hurt momentarily, but then hardened back into her hard-core expression.

"Whatever," she said softly, then sat back down in an armchair, propped her feet up, and went back to looking at some kind of magazine.

* * * * *

Dearest Liliah,
We miss you! How is Hogwarts? Are you getting along with your classmates? Have you made any new friends? That boy who you taught a lesson to, he's not bothering you anymore, is he? If so, go straight to the Headmaster. What was his name again? Dumblybore?

Life here isn't the same without you. Petunia is doing well in school, minus math. She just can't get a hold on it. We may be getting her a tutor. Your father is doing well at his job, in fact, he got a pay raise! We're going to splurg for Halloween this year, all of our old decorations are very ratty. I'm doing the normal things a housewife should, including worrying about my youngest daughter.

Please write back soon, Lily, so we can know you got to Hogwarts safe and sound. I won't rest until I get word from you.

Love,
Your mother

"Liliah?" Sirius asked.

"My full name. You didn't think it was just Lily, did you?" Lily replied. Sirius chose not to answer, just look back down at his cauldron.

It was their first Potions class, and Lily was excited. Her schoolbooks made the art of potion-making seem wonderful and challenging, and she couldn't wait to get started. She even heard that the professor was nice and fair, which was a change from some of her Muggle-school teacher. The only thing that could possibly change her mood was the fact that they had it with the Slytherins.

She had the strange feeling that someone was watching her. She turned around in her seat from between Sirius and Bell and looked behind her. Who was staring at her? Could it be that blond kid with the spiked hair in the back of the room? Or that girl sitting next to him, giggling? Or maybe it was Blue-Girl?

Lily gave a start. She had never seen Blue-Girl in any of her classes, although now she realized she had never gotten what year she was in, so she couldn't know. She also felt a pang of guilt that she hadn't even learned her name.

"Good morning," said a soft voice from the front of the room. Lily turned around and smiled in a way of greeting their Potions Professor. She was very tall and pale, with black curls pulled loosely back into a ponytail. She smiled back at Lily, making Lily get the impression she would like this professor.

"My name is Professor Nightfall. I will, obviously, be your Potions teacher this year. I expect you all to strive to learn the art of creating and experimenting with these delicate liquids. Not all of you will be cut out for it, and for those people, I say that it's not your fault. Some persons do not have 'the touch' as I like to call it, and therefore will not be able to work properly," she said, voice still soft. Lily had to strain to hear it.

Remus raised his hand. "Excuse me," he asked. "Can you please speak up? I can't hear you."

"Ah, Mr.--" she glanced down at her roll "Remus Lupin, I'm afraid I cannot. I talk quietly so you will have to have your direct attention focused on me and nothing else, except maybe your potion."

Now Lily was very impressed. Nightfall obviously knew what she was doing. She looked back down at her roll and began to call names out. Everything went routine until she called out, "Jessmyn Moon." At this, almost everyone broke out into whispers. Sirius's eyes lit up and he frantically looked around the room. James's mouth made an 'o' shape and his darted everywhere. Remus buried his head in his hands and moaned. Even Bell looked excited.

Lily spotted Peter, across the room. He looked interested but was trying to keep up his non-chalant act. Ever since he'd cursed Lily, he'd been hanging around by himself, shutting himself up in his dormitory ever spare minute of the day. It was a good thing, too, for when James, Sirius, and Remus heard what he'd done, they were ready to curse him.

"Jessmyn Moon?" Nightfall repeated.

"That's my name," came a voice from the back. It was Blue-Girl.

"Thank you, Miss Moon. Carrie O'Brian?"

Lily whispered to Bell, "It's her." Bell responded with a slight nod of the head, still staring at Jessmyn.

"Lily," Sirius said excitedly, "Do you know who that is?" Lily shook her head, and Sirius leaned in closer. "Jessmyn's parents were famous during their Hogwarts days. Their names were Sabrina and Jacob Moon. They were known for their pranks and gags. And Sabrina's mum and dad were the great-great-granchildren of the couple who created Zonko's!"

Lily waited for more. "And?" she pressed.

"Zonko's! The most famous store of pranks and practical jokes in the world!" Sirius looked extremly shocked that she hadn't known. Lily rolled her eyes.

James butted in, "They've been our role models since we were little children."

"James Potter."

"Here," James replied, raising his hand. More whispers broke out in the room. James looked embarrassed. "My parents are Aurors," he said, voice low. "You know, Dark wizard catchers."

"Dark--?"

"Is there anything you'd like to share with us?" Nightfall interupted. Lily hung her head in shame. She was supposed to be getting on this teacher's good side, not disrupting class!

Several minutes later, when everyone's name had been called, Nightfall stood up and told everyone to turn to page five in their books. She walked around the room, reading aloud the passage on how to create the Neution Antidote, which was an antidote that made the effects of any minor curse or hex dimish. When she was finished, she instructed everyone to create it and while she went around to see how everyone was doing. She started at the back.

Everyone worked in silence for a while, the only sounds being knifes cutting cospan and bubbling cauldrons. While everyone around her seemed to be getting the hang of it, Lily herself was failing miserably. She didn't know what she was doing wrong, all she knew is that the potion was supposed to be white, only hers was green.

Nightfall came by and congradulated everyone on their work. Then she told Lily that she'd get it right next time and not to worry. "It's probably just the first lesson anxiousness getting to you," she assured her.

With these turns of events, Lily was happy to get out of the lesson. She was practically the first person out of the door.

"Hey, Lily!" Bell called her to. "Hold on!" She came rushing up, books almost falling out of her bag because they weren't put away correctly in her haste. "I have to go to the library to work on that Herbology essay. Want to come?"

"I guess," Lily sighed, and joined her in walking to the library. Seeing Lily's crushed spirit, Bell told a joke to lighten her up. It worked; Lily and her shared a good laugh and entered the library. They recieved a stern glare from Madam Yunion, the librarian, and only calmed down once she threatened to throw them out. Lily then got a good look at the library and gasped.

It was huge, with rows after rows and shelves and shelves of books. Thin, little, fat, short, long...all the different kinds of books stood out in her eyes. Just by looking, she could tell that some were very, very old. On the contrary, she also knew some were new, by the brightly shining covers. Tables were lined up orderly, taking the space of half the room. People were scattered everywhere; reading, whispering, scribbling on parchment.

Bell tugged at her arm and it was only then that Lily realized she'd been standing there, gawking. She self conciously followed Bell to the nearest table and dropped her books. Bell went off in search of a book, and Lily took out some parchment to write her reply to her mum.

Dear Mum,
I miss you too. Hogwarts is great, with its winding starcases and trick steps. Once, I was almost late for class because I was trying to get into the classroom for Charms, but it turns out that the door wasn't even a door at all--it was just a wall pretending!

Lily got engrossed in her writing and couldn't stop. She wrote everything she could about Hogwarts, from her classes to professors. She briefly mentioned her friends, and when she reached two feet of parchment, she winded it down.

No, the boy has left me alone now. But if he does aggrivate me again, I'll go to Dumbledore and get him to stop, don't worry. You sure are getting on the ball this season for Halloween, it's only the third week in September! Oh well.

Remind Petunia about PEMDAS, tell Dad I'm happy for him, and don't wear yourself out.

Love,
Lily