Lily Potter and The Pearl of Fate

Chapter 4: Headquarters and whispers

"Hugo... Look at the words..." Lily muttered, making the slightest noise.

"What? I don't see any words. This building looks just as similar as the other ones. So why panic?"

"There! Floating above the doorway! Just there." Lily pointed earnestly.

"Is this a joke? I don't know what you are talking about!" Hugo frowned.

"I see them too. Headquarter--" a timid voice sounded behind them, and Lily jumped.

"Shhh... We don't want them to notice!" Lily said, not knowing who exactly have said it. The new comer was a blonde haired boy. He was tall and had freckles on his cheeks. "Who are you?"

"Steve Starlight. I'm going to Hogwarts this year. Surely by the look of you, you are as well. Quick, in here." he swiftly dragged the two into the nearby bush.

"Why I am here, good question. My parents let me wander around while they help me buy my school things. I have a sister called Annalisa, she's a year younger than me. It is very dangerous in here, we have to get out." Steve warned.

Abruptly, footsteps which seemed like sprinting to Lily approached her ears. Lily froze. It sounded more than just sprinting. It sounds like - like - fighting.

Their eyes were disturbed by flashes of green light accompanied by constant flashes of scarlet red. "Expelliarmus!" Lily heard a familiar voice. Rose! What is she doing here?

Then she understood once her sight has been focused. There stood Hermione, Ginny, Angelina... and ... James and Albus? The sudden glimpse of her brothers flashed her a message - they were in mortal danger. All of them. Danger of being captured, or worse, killed, by the Death Eaters.

Lily witnessed it all. James dodging a blinding green light and returning it with a red one. Albus receiving a blow in the chest by a stunning spell. Fred blindly shooting powerful spells at the Death Eaters, being cast the Confundus Curse but trying to close her mind to it. Lily could not take it anymore. She had to do something. Anything to save them. Or at least something to let some of the group escape and ask for help. Come one, she told herself. She has done this more than once. Willing something to happen even though it is not possible that magic is constructing it. It was more like... changing someone's fate. She did not know why she could do so. In the debris of sparks flying in all directions, Lily was concentrating desperately. She had to do something. She had to.

The scene surprised her. With a shout of "Go find Harry and Ron!", Hermione, Ginny and Rose managed to escape from the treacherous battle. But something was wrong. She could not believe it. Rose was being dragged along, unconscious but worse of all, her ginger hair - which used to be ginger - was gradually turning into an icy blue. A shock struck Lily. Why was it, that every time she wills something to happen, there must be some part of someone turning into the same shade of colour?

Hermione passed the bush. "Pssst. We're here" Lily whispered, trying to be loud enough for Hermione to hear but soft enough not to let the Death Eaters eavesdrop. "We're here." Lily said, louder. Hermione turned. "Lily? How - Why are you here. Oh, you must have escaped from George's shop haven't you?" She was eyeing the broomsticks, abandoned in front of the bush. Oh no. Did the Death Eaters notice it? Or maybe not... Hermione being Hermione, after all.

Stealthily and steadily, Hermione, Ginny escorted Lily and Hugo back, holding the broomsticks while apparating. Further and further away the Death Eater's headquarters grew, as the flashy sign of "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" zoomed into view.

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione called, thrashing into the shop. "You stupid little red hair! Haven't you noticed that these two have gone missing?" Hermione laughed at Ron, remembering their years at Hogwarts, especially when she first met him. "Doesn't matter right now. Look at Rose! Look at her hair!" she sounded desperate.

Ron raised his eyebrows and he stared at it. "Poor girl...Isn't... there a spell ff-or cure?" he was astonished by the colour. Harry, too, was stunned, and he was speechless. "W-hat happened?"

"Ronald, you say poor girl to your daughter! And, if I knew a spell, wouldn't I already have cured her?"

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Steve noticed that the Death Eaters were stomping towards him, he did not know who they were specifically, but one of them was a Malfoy. Steve had to do something, but... what? The trees were swinging from side to side as he backed up and searched for a bigger bush to hide.

"Aha! The Weasley is beaten up! But, I think somebody is here." A low bark floated into Steve's ears. He knew that he is terribly late to meet with his parents, as the sky is darkening.

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Rose was still unconscious and her icy blue shade of hair was still not retreating. Desperation spread through the group as they could not find any decent cure.

"Lily, Hugo, did you get hurt?" Ginny questioned caringly. They shook their heads for all they did was hiding and nothing else.

"Guys, Rose is not everything right now. The others: James, Albus, Angelina... they are still in the headquarters fighting. There is also another boy who was hiding with Lily and Hugo just now. We have to go and help them." Hermione said with intelligence in her tone.

"So," she continued. "I propose that me, Ron and George can go back to the headquarters to help them - "

Harry had cut her. "Me, Lily and Hugo should go home then. I still need to plan about going to head north following the Death Eaters. That should be safe."

"Are you stupid? Now that the Death Eaters are on loose, and we know that they know perfectly well just like we do that we live in Godric's Hollow."

"So?" Ron was confused.

"So it's not safe! Harry, you have to take Lily and Hugo to a Muggle hotel. Carry Rose with you too. I don't think they can find us there. Remember to book enough spaces for us to. Angelina, me, GInny, you, Lily, Hugo, James, Albus, Fred, Roxanne, Rose and George. That should be twelve people."

***

Lily lay on her bed in the hotel. All the others were back safe, since the Death Eaters had already left the headquarters to head north. Steve had joined them in the hotel, since he could not find his parents...

But, something was puzzling her. First of all, why did she see those words floating above the headquarters? Clearly Hugo couldn't see it, and nor could Hermione or Ginny. Who was this Steve? Why could he see the words too? Why could she will something good to happen just like that? And, why would that result in Rose's hair and her unconsciousness?

Lily's sleep was not a great way to solve this. In her mind, a weird sensation was floating through it, but worse, a voice inside her head was whispering.

"Deflarazion. Deflarazion"

What was it? Or worse, why was everything happening like this? Deflarazion... What?