Accio Evans

Chapter 33: Hurt

Exiting the portrait hole quickly Lily and Hestia made their way down to the Great hall in almost silence, the only sound their feet hitting the flagstone floors. Considering it was early on a Saturday morning, the Great Hall was far from quiet; almost every table – except Gryffindor – was almost half full, unheard of for a Saturday morning. As they entered the crowded hall they made their way for the Gryffindor table but their route was blocked by Isaac Athold, a Ravenclaw in their year.

"Morning." He said brightly, his lips curling into an uncomfortable smile. His blonde hair gleaming in the morning light and his brown eyes sparkling, Hestia had to admit he was good looking, 'shame about his ugly personality' she thought, fixing him with a look of distain.

"What?" Hestia snapped, the last thing Lily needed now was being hit on by a pathetic excuse for a gentleman, of which Isaac definitely was.

"Just coming to see how you were." He replied defensively. "Lily looked down that's all." He added with a smile that made Hestia's skin crawl. Isaac was awful. He'd tried it on with pretty much every girl in the school, Lily however still thought he was wonderful – 'But he's a prefect!' she'd say, sometimes she was so naïve!

"I'm fine thank you Isaac, now I'd like some breakfast thank you." She pushed past a confused Isaac and settled down at the Gryffindor table, leaving her plate remarkably bare, despite her declaration of hunger to Isaac.

"Brushing off Isaac – good one. I was getting ready to tell him where to stick -"

"I don't care." Lily interrupted, taking a cold piece of brown toast and nibbling on the edge unenthusiastically. Hestia sighed – Lily's face told her everything she needed to know, she was miserable and there was nothing humour or Hestia mollycoddling her could do, she would remain miserable until a certain Potter arrived.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Lily had had enough. Scraping back her bench as she stood, she walked slowly out of the hall, a few eyes from around the hall watched her leave but on the whole no-one noticed the Head Girl's foul mood. Waiting a few seconds, Hestia stood and followed her, the rest of the hall completely unaware of the turmoil between the Head Boy and Girl.

Lily wasn't sure how long she just walked around the corridors; she was sort of in a daze, just running through the events of last night again in her head. Vaguely aware of Hestia's quiet footsteps behind her she carried on walking, not even looking where she was going.

"Lily!" Hestia hissed, but it was too late...

Lily let out a small squeak as she collided with what felt like a brick wall; she looked up to see not solid wall, but the torso of Calix Mulciber.

"Well, well, well what do we have here, little mudblood all on her own without ickle Potter?" Mulciber taunted, pushing her away from his body with a sharp shove, she stumbled backwards, just managing to catch her balance. Lily was about to shout she wasn't alone, that she had Hestia, but a quick look behind her told her she was indeed unaccompanied – either Hestia had cast a very quick disillusionment charm or she'd run to get help, leaving Lily very, very alone.

"Out of the way Calix, you wouldn't hex the Head Girl." Lily seethed; every mention of the world mudblood making her blood boil with memories.

"Not a Head Girl – but a mudblood yes." Stellan Avery hissed from Mulciber's left shoulder. Piers Wilkes on the other side raised his wand threateningly.

"We've been waiting all year to get you alone Mudblood." Wilkes threatened. "Turning down the offer from the Dark Lord – you could have saved yourself – but no, and now I'm afraid, you're going to die." He added with a sadistic smirk that made Lily feel violently sick. Lily's heart was hammering so hard in her chest she thought it might break free and tear out into the daylight. Blood pounded in her ears and an involuntary shiver ran down her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand erect pulling goose bumps on her porcelain skin. All three of the Slytherin students had their wands raised ready to strike, all wearing the exact same menacing grin. Without any further hesitation they all screamed hexes simultaneously. Reacting as quickly as she could Lily cast a protego charm to shield herself, but under the battering of heir hexes, it began to crumble and crack.