Lily Potter And The Secret Bewitchment

Chapter Twenty-Two - The Dream

Lily's mind was busier than ever towards the end of the holidays. Two days before she was due to go back to school, Ginny received a surprise owl from Hogwarts. Harmony delivered the letter, and Lily said hello before she flew back to Hogwarts. Lily read the letter over her mother's shoulder.

Dear Mrs. Potter,

Following a complication at our school over Easter, the train journey has unfortunately been affected. We would like to reassure parents that all students are safe and have not been involved.  However, the train will depart at nine O'clock in the evening on the day, April 14th, that we were originally planning on returning our students to school. 

Hoping you've had a pleasant holiday,

Professor Flitwick, deputy headmaster.

All too soon for Lily, it was early evening on the day she was departing for school. Having her friends around but not taking classes was a wonderful feeling, despite the endless revising she was doing. Lily hadn't dare break the law and practice magic, despite the fact that she knew she would not be punished because this was her parent's house. By the time they reached the station, Lily's head was buzzing like anything with everything she had to do.

"So, how's my house?" Lily asked, jokingly, as they took their seats.

"Amazing, Lils. Honestly, so good. You're so lucky." Jayla said, earnestly.

"It is really cool to see a house that runs on magic." Oli agreed, nodding.

"But is anyone else exhausted?" Hugo asked loudly, as the train pulled out of the station. The others laughed.

"Yes!" Lily said, "I don't want to go do more work in class, though. It's really tragic that we have exams like the OWLS."

"I think all of us should catch up on sleep this journey." George said. "Oli, you better try." Lily nodded.

"I mean, I'm good." This was indeed true, Lily had a blanket and comfortable muggle clothes on. "Oli, can you set your muggle alarm-thing for seven, seeing as we arrive at eight and have breakfast straight away?" Oli nodded. Reassured, Lily closed her eyes. Listening to the bustle of her Hogwarts fellows, she fell into a deep but disturbed sleep.

***

Lily was at Hogwarts. She was by the Quidditch Pitch, and Molly was snapping her fingers, wearing Quidditch robes. James and the rest of the team were there, staring at Lily and all holding broomsticks, as Lily realised she also was.

"Snap out of it! We need to beat Hufflepuff today!" Molly said, sharply. She sounded almost hazy and unreal. 

"Sorry. Not with it." Lily muttered, as they stepped out onto the pitch, to a wild, unusual applause. Everyone in the crowd was wearing yellow. There were no Gryffindor supporters. Lily's heart sank right into her Quidditch boots. After a painful introduction to the game, during which Gryffindor was frightfully booed by the stadium, the match began. Lily circled the bludgers, unsure where to go, or what moves Molly wanted to play. Lily had just shot the bludger at a Hufflepuff chaser. At least, she thought he was a chaser. Her vision was hazy, and all she saw was canary yellow.

Ten minutes into the match, and Gryffindor were left sixty - nil to Hufflepuff. The score continued to climb for another thirty minutes, until Hufflepuff had to win if James caught the Snitch. Lily was looking out for a bludger, and saw one. As she went to hit it, Molly shouted something. Before Lily caught it, she had felt a dull pain to the back of her head. The other bludger seemed to have hit her, and she was sliding, sliding through a black tunnel.

At the bottom of the tunnel, all there was was darkness. Groups of illuminated  people stood in a room. An odder combination, you could not find in Lily's mind. Her horrible History of Magic teacher. A thug-like man she didn't know, and her own father, mother and brothers. As she turned, she saw her entire family, every known Weasley, stood on her right, all lit up.