The Silver Lime

==Prologue==
Two shapes hurried down the dark alley. Cloaks sweeping the alley as they entered the store. It's sign dark and forboding, at which it said Borgin and Burks. The store was in the back of the foreboding alley, with many strange things showing.
"What are we doing here? This place is dodgy." The man whispered, looking at the sign with disdain, the store itself was dark and dirty, the perfect place for death-eaters to go shopping for their general goods. He shivered, obviously hesitating on entering the store.
The girl hissed, "Because, Borgin has many things that could help our cause, poisonous candles, cursed necklaces, undetectable poisons, the works." She muttered as she sweeped into the store, ignoring her partners fear and hesitation.
She was greeted by a frail man, who asked, "You two again? What do you need this time?" He grunted, clearly annoyed with the young witch.
The girl asked calmly, "We need an undetectable poison, do you have some don't you?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
The old man narrowed his eyes, and nodded. "Of course I do, please, wait here." He walked off, and disappeared into the shelves.
The younger of the two was curiously looking at a hand, and when he went to touch it, it suddenly gripped his hand, not letting go, and he jumped in fear.
"Eep." He growled, prying away from the hand, glaring at it angrily, and turning away from the hand.
"Hand of glory that is, only holds light to the owner, especially effective with a poisonous candle, but you wanted a simple undectable poison," Borgin said, handing the girl the poison. "I don't want to know what you're planning to do with it." He muttered.
"Just want to finish something I should have finished a while ago." The girl hissed, paying, then sweeped out of the shop, the young death-eater trailing after her, looking at his hand in worry, where the Hand of Glory had grabbed it.
Borgin was left alone, and he shook his head. "If you wanted to finish it, you would have finished it." He said quietly, going back into the shelves.
==Chapter 1==
Lillian was sleeping lightly, curled under some covers, hoping not to be woken up in the next few minutes, which of course, would not happen, since this was the morning she would get her school stuff, and get ready for Hogwarts.
There was a knock on her door, and she looked up, and saw Mrs.O'Hara walk in, with a worried look on her face.
"How are you feeling, Lillian?" She asked with worry.
Mrs.O'Hara wasn't her mum, more like her mums very good childhood friend, her and Lillians mum went to Hogwarts together, and when Lillians mum died, she was sent to live with Gwenneth, under the careful watch of Mrs.O'Hara.
But, now Lillian was with Mrs.O'Hara, because last year Death-eaters abducted Gwenneth, looking for someone, and she has been having horrifying dreams since the end of last year.
Lillian nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." She stood up, and fixed her hair with ease, walking down the stairs.
Mark and Connor weren't in the living room, Lillian assumed that they were still sleeping, or doing something else, Matt was eating toast though.
She sat down at the table, grabbing a piece of toast, and eating it carefully, Matt was almost finished, and he asked Mrs.O'Hara, "Can I go out and play?"
Mrs.O'Hara smiled. "Yes, just watch out for gnomes, nasty little buggers, if you do run into one, just throw it over the hedge." She said, and continued what she was doing.
As Lillian finished her toast, she asked, "Where are Connor and Mark?"
Mrs.O'Hara hesitated, then said, "I think Mark is sleeping, and Connor is reading," she stopped, then added, "Just warning you though, Mark hates it when someone wakes him up." She laughed.
Lillian smiled, "I'll keep that in mind." She left the table, and walked up the stairs to Marks' room. She knocked on the door, then opened it slowly, looking in.
As she expected, Mark was sleeping, and she rolled his eyes, That's all he's been doing all these days, sleeping, it's unhealthy. She thought, then poked him with her wand.
"Eh... Wha'?" He murmured, barely stirring.
She poked him again, harder this time, and he stirred.
"Will you stop poking me..." He faltered, and glared sleepily at Lillian. "It's not nice to wake someone up." He growled.
Lillan just said calmly, "Well, if you didn't, I was going to pour water on you, but since you're awake, I guess I can't." She shrugged, walking away. Mark just scowled, and waited for her to leave, when she left, she went back downstairs.
Mrs.O'Hara was looking at her watch with worry. "We have to hurry up, we have to get you to Diagon alley." She took out a pot, looking at it carefully.
Mark jumped down the stairs, crashing into Lillian, making her hair turn into a startled red, and she glared at him.
"Wait? We're taking floo powder?" He asked, looking at the pot, then turned to Lillian. "Um, your hair." He sniggered.
"Yeah." Mrs.O'Hara said, shaking the pot a bit, while Lillian shook her hair, turning it to black.
Connor followed after Mark, also crashing into Lillian, who scowled, and hair turned red again, "Will this happen everytime you two come down those stairs?" She asked.
Connor shook his head, and said, "Sorry." She shook her head, turning her hair black again.
Mrs.O'Hara asked Lillian, "Have you used floo powder before?"
Lillian shook her head, and Mrs.O'Hara turned to Connor, "Care to show her?" She asked.
Connor nodded, and Mark was looking at the fireplace warily. "What's wrong with the fireplace?" Lillian asked, as Connor took some of the dust.
"Um, well, that's how you travel by floo powder, by using the fireplace," Mark laughed nervously, "I never liked travelling that way." He shuddered.
Lillian watched Connor step into the fireplace, and he turned to them. Mark widened his eyes, and already started to back away.
Connor nodded to Lillian, and said calmly, "Diagon alley!" He threw down the powder, and Lillian jumped when he disappeared into a green flame.
Mark and Lillian peered cautiously, and sighed.
"That's how it works." Mrs.O'Hara gave her a reassuring smile, and gave her some floo powder.
She stepped into the fireplace, wondering what she had to do, then decided to do what Connor had done.
She finally said nervously, "Diagon Alley!" She threw the powder down.
Lillian closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was happening, but it was obviously very dizzy.
She then fell out of the fireplace, and landed in a drabby store, she wasn't sure where she was, and she knew she said it right, but she certainly didn't land where she wanted to go, since she landed in what looked like a drabby shop, as it was dimly lit.
She got up cautiously, and pointed her wand at everything that moved, and jumped when Connor jumped in front of her, with a playful look in his eyes.
"Ack!" Lillian exclaimed, and then relaxed, "Where are we?"
Connor then looked very confused, "I'm not sure... It wasn't supposed to happen, that's for sure." He said, looking around also.
Lillian was looking curiously at a hand, it was wrinkled, old, and grey, and it obviously might have been dangerous, she didn't go near it.
She felt Connor pull her away from the hand, and she realised that someone was coming from the shelves of books.
As they hid, the old man murmured, "Can't keep their facts straight, those two, should have set cornish pixies on them when I had the chance." He disappeared behind the tall bookshelves again, still murmuring to himself, annoyed.
Connor whispered ina rushed tone, "We have to leave now." He quickly lead her to the door, they sneaked out, hoping not to the disturb the old mans rambling.
They hurried down the dark alley, ignoring the odd looks they were getting from the witches and wizards along the alley, who looked just as odd as the store, with deep dark eyes, and odd smiles. Lillian stuck close to Connor, eying the mysterious witches.
They stumbled out of the alley, and they turned to look where they came from. "Knockturn Alley?" Connor asked, frowning, then shook his head.
Lillian didn't really care at the moment, she just said, "Let's find Mark first, then we can try and figure out why we didn't end up where we supposed to." Lillian shook her head, looking back at Knockturn Alley.
Connor had agreed, and they hurried down the street.
They ran into Mrs.O'Hara, who hugged Connor tightly, and asked, "Knockturn Alley?" She looked at Lillian with confused eyes, while Connor was struggling against her, blushing in embarrasment.
"Yeah." Lillian said, trying not to laugh.
Mrs.O'Hara tipped her head in confusion, then shrugged. "Well, you guys are safe now, Matt is in Ollivanders, and Mark is getting his books." She said.
Lillian said, "I should go to Matt." She hurried to the wand shop, with Connor following her.
As she entered, Matt had already tried several wands, to no avail. Mr. Ollivander started to get impatient, and he hurried to deep within the shelves of wands.
He came out, and scowled, "Silver Lime, 14 inches, slightly springy." He growled, he passed it to Matt, who grabbed it.
To both Ollivanders and Connors surprise, the wand reacted to Matt, a silver mist flowed out of his wand into a calming mist.
Ollivander had narrowed his eyes, "The Silver Lime is rare, but always worked for true seers and those skilled in Legilimency." He said quietly.
Matt widened his eyes. "Cool!" He exclaimed, and paid for his wand, and hurried out.
Lillian was confused, she's heard of seers and the art of legilimency, but she didn't get why Connor was so surprised.
As they both hurried after Matt, who was looking at his wand with wide eyes.
Mark was carrying books in a cauldron, and passed the cauldron to Matt, and they heard him say, "Next time, do everything first, and get your wand last." He muttered.
Mark then hopped up to them, "Let's go get our own books." He pushed them towards over Flourish and Blotts.
As they bought books, the lights started to flicker, all the students in the store looked up in confusion. Connor asked, "What's going on?" He looked up also.
Mark shrugged, "Maybe the lights are running out of electricity?" He asked in a sarcastic tone, shaking his head, and paid for his books.
Connor didn't seem so sure, but he also followed Mark, leaving Lillian to wonder why the lights were flickering, it was quite odd. Lillian grabbed a couple more books for light reading, and hurried toward them.
Matt was still waving his wand around, he had a cat in a basket, who looked very disgruntled, it had a lion-like tail and a squashed face.
Lillian looked back at Flourish and Blotts, and the lights were acting perfectly normal, Well, that's odd. She thought.
She realised that Mrs.O'Hara, Mark, Connor, and Matt had started to walk off without her, and she hurried up to catch them.
She was suspicious at the flickering lights, it was odd, in a bad way.
It was always a bad way.
~*~*~*~
Lillian faced the platform entrence, to Muggles, it was just a brick wall, but to students of Hogwarts, if you ran through the wall, it would take you to platform 9 3/4, where a scarlet train would take you to Hogwarts, a wizarding school for young witches and wizards.
Connor and Matt had already had gone through, with Mrs.O'Hara following soon after.
Mark and Lillian looked at each-other, then started to run toward then entrance in a panic.
"We only have a minute until the train leaves!" Mark said in panic, running towards the train.
Connor was helping Matt get his stuff on the train, and soon Connor was on with his, looking at them both in horror.
Mark had ran to Connor, jumping on, looking at Lillian.
"Where's Butter?!" Matt yelled at Lillian.
Lillian whipped around, looking for the trouble-making cat, the cat wasn't hard to miss, since it was light cream with a lion-like tail, and a squashed face.
She saw Butter run to the train, and she was about to follow, but she realised the train had started moving and her eyes widened in horror.
Matt grabbed Butter, and ran into the train, and Mark yelled, "Hurry up, Lily!"
She knew her stuff was already on, it went with Matt's, but how could she get on a moving train? It wasn't possible without help.
She then hurried toward the slowly moving train, and she jumped when it whistled, meaning it was about to go faster.
She was at where Mark and Connor were, and almost tripped, until she was grabbed by Connor, who dragged her on.
"That, was too close!" Mark exclaimed, while Lillian was helped up by Connor.
Lillian looked at Connor and said quietly, "Thanks, I think I would have gone face first." She smiled sheepishly.
"That would have been likely." Connor smiled, letting go of her, and going into the train.
Mark laughed, "Let's find a compartment, Matt made some friends with the new first years." He nodded to where Matt had disappeared too with some other First Years.
Mark said quickly, "Let's go catch up with Connor." He hurried into the train.
Lillian followed, as the train rumbled on, she finally caught up to Connor and Mark, who were both in a compartment, talking.
Mark smiled at her, then said excitedly, "Well, at least we get to learn about Cornish pixies in Defence Against The Dark Arts, those things are nasty."
Connor just nodded slowly, keeping his gaze straight.
Lillian looked up, the lights had started to flicker, just like they started flickering in Flourish and Blotts. She thought, What? Again, what's going on?
Mark and Connor both looked up also in curiousity, and they shrugged, continuing to talk.
Then there was a large bang, and the whole carriage shook, and soon, black smoke streamed down the hall-way, obstructing their view.
"Bloody hell!" Mark gasped, jumping out of his seat, wand out.
Connor pushed him back down, "Calm down!" He scowled.
Lillian had also jumped out of her seat, and she peeked out of the doorway, surprised at how dark it got so quickly.
"Lillian! You're letting the powder in!" Mark growled in frustration, trying to wave it away with his wand, to no avail.
Soon it got dark in all the compartments, including theirs, and she growled, "I'm going to check what happened." She snuck out of the compartment.
Mark said behind her, "This is Peruvian instant darkness powder!"
Connor muttered behind her, "Who'd want to use this on a moving train?"
"Someone who doesn't want to be seen." Lillian said calmly, feeling her way through the pitch black compartment.
"I wouldn't try using Lumos, it won't work." Mark muttered quickly.
"Thanks for telling me." Lillian hissed through clenched teeth, and then she felt someone push past her.
"He-Hey!" She growled, grabbing the persons cloak just before they hurried off.
When she stood up, she finally growled, "Watch where you're going!" But faltered when she saw the face.
Matt had turned to her, his eyes wide with fright, and he murmured, "Darkness is surrounding us, is poisoning us in secret, even the pure are being posioned from the shadows."
"What?" She asked, and Matt looked suddenly confused.
"Huh? Why is it all black, Lillian? I think it's Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder..." He smiled, acting as if he didn't remember a thing.
"Huh?" She heard Mark say behind her.
Matt just laughed, "Well, hope they clear this stuff up when we get to Hogwarts!" He walked past them acting as if he never said anything.
Lillian just stood there, her eyes narrowed, and she asked, "What was that about?"
Even though neither Mark and Connor answered, she sighed when the train came to a halt, and the darkness started to clear.
Mark muttered, "Come on, I think it's going to rain."
Mark was right about it raining. The lake looked like a raging torrent of water.
Mark tipped his head as they got into a carriage, "I'm confused, I don't get why Matt pretended to forget what he said." He muttered.
"That's because he did." Connor said flatly, with a thoughtful look on his face.
"What?" Mark stared at him.
"He doesn't know what he said," Connor said, and continued, "He didn't pretend, he actually doesn't know what was said." Mark raised an eye-brow at his brother.
Connor scoffed, "He had a prophecy, seers don't usually remember what they said."
"Oh." Mark sniffed.
"Seer...?" Lillian asked, looking at Connor curiously.
"A seer is someone who can see into the future, and predict prophecies, and, according to mum, are stored in the hall of prophecy," he froze, then continued, "Seers don't remember what they said though," he then shook his head, "It's very wooly magic though, true seers are very rare."
Mark sniffed, "If it's so 'wooly' why did Matt have that little vision thing?" He asked.
"Wooly means vague, Mark." Lilllian said, stifling a laugh.
"I... Nevermind." Mark sighed, shaking his head.
Lillian looked at Connor, who looked thoughtful, "How is Matt a seer? I remember someone telling me that true seers only appear in families who had a true seer before.."
Her eyes widened, and Connor said quickly, "Your last name is White... The name is familiar, and not because it's you." He smiled.
Lillian just rolled her eyes, and looked outside, the torches were only dimly lighting the darkness of the storm. Hogwarts was looming over them.
"Well, I don't think there's ever been a true seer in my family... At least not that I know of..." Her eyes went downward to look at the carriage floor.
Connor said nothing. Lillian didn't expect him too, she didn't need to look up to see that he was uncomfortable. He shuffled nervously in his seat, obviously wanting to hurry off the carriage. Away from the awkward situation. She could tell Mark was uncomfortable too.
She looked up. Connors expression was flat, while Mark was nervously clenching his jaw.
"What's the matter with you two?" Lillian asked.
Connor must have been staring into space, because he looked at her with a confused expression.
Lillian shook her head as the carriage stopped. "Nevermind then." She got out hurriedly, because Mark was clearly becoming very nervous.
She looked back, Mark was indeed looking unusually nervous, while Connor looked very relaxed. Which, for both of them, was weird.
What was going on?
==Chapter 2==
As the large brass doors slowly opened to let the students in, Lillian sat down, waiting for the first years to come from boats on the lake. She wouldn't be surprised if one of them was soaked from the rain and lake, or maybe they all fell in, or maybe met the giant squid that made it's home in the lake.
They all sat down, Connor and Mark were arguing about something. Probably about what classes they would have first. Mark said Astromony, while Connor said Potions. That went back and forth for a while, until the first years arrived.
She prodded both of them in the shoulders, rather hard. Because both of them had looked at her in shock. Mark rubbed his arm, glaring. While Connor got the point, and turned to the first years but did kind of look at her with mock hurt.
Lillian was about to give him a prod in the side of his head, but thought better of it, because the first years passed their table, one of them was a girl, tall for her age, and looking around very nervously, then she caught Mark's eye, and he smiled.
She blushed a little, and seemed to float away towards the sorting hat. While Matt followed her, almost skipping to the stool.
Lillian rolled her eyes, and looked at Connor, but he was watching Matt skip away with an amused expression. She also smiled at Matt, and turned to the sorting hat.
Madame Snow looked quite tired and disgruntled, which is usual, being the flying teacher must be quite tiring. She put the hat on the stool, and said, "When I call out your name, you will put on the hat, and be sorted into your houses."
She gave a rare smile, and looked at a parchment, and finally called, "Maria Bell."
The girl that Mark smiled at peered nervously at the hat, and went up to it.
The hat said nothing for 2 minutes, then finally called, "Gryffindor."
Soon, most of the students were placed, and Matt was last.
"Matthew White." Madame Snow called, her eyes looking curiously at Matt, who seemed to have lost his confidence.
He sat on the stool, and he disappeared into the hat. Lillian kept watching, and after 5 minutes, it finally called, "Gryffindor!"
The whole Gryffindor table clapped, and Matt gave a small smile to Lillian. He went to sit down with some other first years, including Maria.
Professor Flake said, "I welcome you, new students, and to older students welcome back!" She hesitated, then spoke, "As usual, the forbidden forest is out of bounds," even though she had stopped, she got a grim look on her face, and she said calmly, "Enjoy the feast."
Food seemed to appear out of no where, but she was more interested in why Professor Flake looked so grim. Was something wrong? And whatever it was, it had Madame Snow disgruntled.
She poked Connor with a bit more gentleness then before, and he looked up, "What?" He asked.
"Does Professor Flake seem... Upset to you?" She asked, narrowing her eyes, waiting for Connor to answer.
He got a thoughtful look on his face, and shook his head. "Well, no, not really." He shrugged. He asked curiously, "Why?"
"I don't know... She seems a bit off..." Lillian faltered, then Mark cut in.
"Well, she's old right?" He asked as if this was the most obvious thing in the world, at which Lillian stared, her eyes widened.
"She can't be that old!" Lillian shook her head.
"I wouldn't be so sure, you don't know how old she is." Mark retorted, and smiled sheepishly.
Connor just shook his head, but Lillian started hearing a cracking sound, like the sound of a bone cracking, or a window slowly eroding away.
She asked Connor and Mark, "Do you hear that?"
Connor and Mark had stopped arguing, and looked at her, tipping their heads with bemused expressions.
"No?" Connor also smiled. "Are you okay, Lillian?" She nodded her head, but he didn't believe her, and when she turned to Mark, he had the same expression as Connor, as if he thought she was extremely tired.
Please! Don't look at me as if I've lost it! She thought, looking at Connor with despair, who's smile had faltered, "You're not serious?" His eyes suddenly concerned.
Lillian looked at him. "I am serious!" She snapped, looking at them both.
Mark still had that almost skeptical look on his face, but Connor seemed to look at her as if though she was not human.
"Can you tell me what's on your mind Connor? Or, if you can't, continue to stare at me like I'm a potions experiment." She said in an almost in a sarcastic voice, but inside, she couldn't help but laugh.
"Hm?" He looked at her through narrowed eyes, then finally answered, "Well, I'm not so sure."
"What?" Lillian raised an eye-brow.
Connor shrugged, then replied, "I said, I'm not sure, and what I mean by that is, I don't know why you're hearing things only you can hear," he hesitated, then asked, "What are you hearing anyways?"
"Um, a bone breaking, or something like that." Lillian muttered.
Mark asked, "Like... A pop?"
"Uh... No, it sounded like something breaking in half... Like, a window shattering." Lillian said quickly, turning to eat.
Connor said, "Well, it can't be someone apparating, you can't apparate in or out of Hogwarts."
Mark sniffed, "Hey! I never suggested it!" He snapped.
Lily laughed, and prodded Mark, "Well, you may not have suggested it, but you implied it." She said.
Mark just grumbled, standing up and leaving the table in a huff, he was one of the first to leave, and Lillian took his spot.
"What's with him?" Lillian asked, a bit surprised on how Mark was acting.
"I have no idea." Connor said quickly, and continued to eat.
Lillian sighed, Connor must know what's gotten into Mark, he has been acting kind of moody.
~*~*~*~
"Lillian!" A voice yelled.
"Ack?" She muttered, stirring from her sleep. She opened her eyes to see Gwen, another second year student, who was trying to wake her up.
Gwen said calmly, "It's almost breakfast, I'm sure you don't want to miss that, breakfast will keep your energy up for the day." She smiled sweetly.
Lillian nodded, and stood up, Gwen looked like she wanted to say something, but shook her head, Lillian looked at her, "Is something wrong?"
Gwen shook her head, and said, "I was just thinking is all." Lillian nodded, and walked downstairs.
She looked around, Matt and some first years were crowded a Chess set, eyes flickering with curiousity, and Lillian came up to them, "And what are you doing?" She asked.
Matt said, "Allen and Camera said it was possible to win in under a minute... It's not really working though," he faltered, looking back down to the chess-board. He then suddenly looked up, "Oh yeah! Mark told me to tell you that they're already down in the great hall." He said quickly.
Lillian nodded her thanks, and walked out the portrait hole, she watched the stairs cautiously, because they liked to move, she finally went down the great hall, anticipating the stairs movements.
When she finally reached the great hall, she didn't even have a chance to sit down when Mark stuffed a newspaper in her face.
"Hey, can I sit down first!?" She gasped, pushing Mark away.
But she was surprised to see his face was full of shock, and he dragged her to the table where Connor was sitting, looking thoughtful.
Lillian sat down, and grabbed some breakfast while Mark whispered, "The Daily Prophet is talking about recent activity from Death Eaters."
Lillian looked confused, "Okay? But aren't they disbanded?" She asked.
Mark shrugged, "Maybe they are, but what's really confusing is that they would choose now to make themselves spotlights for The Daily Prophet, it doesn't add up, why are they causing trouble now?" He asked.
Lillian just stared, while Connor seemed to be interested in something else, because he was looking down at a book.
Lillian asked Connor, "What are you reading."
He didn't answer, but he seemed curious about something as he turned the pages, looking across the pages. She said in a loud voice, "What are you reading?"
Connor finally looked up, and snapped, "Studying." He went back to his book, looking throughly annoyed with Lillian.
Lillian tried to peek at the book, but Connor just moved to the side a bit, and said cooly, "Please Lillian, I'm trying to look for something."
Lillian sighed, and looked at Mark, who was reading the newspaper with interest.
Lillian jumped when the first bell rang, she got her books, and rushed out, ignoring the looks she got from Connor and Mark, who were in no hurry.
She entered the potions dungeon, and sat down at a table, some were already there, and some were just coming in.
Mark and Connor sat beside her, and Connor continued what he was doing, while waiting for Professor Fall. Mark was looking around carefully.
Professor Fall swept into the room, giving some students near the door a scare. She turned to look at the class, and said, "Welcome, second years."
Some of the Ravenclaws looked at each-other, Lillian brought out her book, and she flipped through the pages while Professor Fall spoke.
"This year, we will be mainly focusing on the Hair-Raising potion, and the swelling solution." She said cooly.
Mark whispered under his breath, "I wonder if we can trick some Slytherins to drink the hair-raising potion."
Lillian shook her head, and whispered, "That would be a bad idea." She looked up when Professor Fall asked, "And that is what we are doing this year, any questions?"
Everyone stared at her, not raising their hands or anything, she looked disappointed, and the bell rang.
Lillian walked out with Mark in front and Conner behind, and she said quietly, "A lot of people are more quiet these days."
Mark said, "I guess it's because of all the Death Eater sightings."
Lillian turned to look behing her, and saw Connor looking through the book, and she asked, "What are you trying to find?"
Connor looked up, confused, and said, "Nothing." He continued looking through it.
As they walked down to the Herbology greenhouses, she started noticing something weird, the teachers seemed tense as they taught their classes.
Professor Green was waiting for them at the door, but she was her usual bubbly self as she allowed the second years into Greenhouse 3, and she explained, "Be very careful around these plants! Some of these are very dangerous."
She flicked away a plant, and led the second years furthur down, she grabbed earmuffs, and passed them around, and Mark asked, "What are these for?"
"We're going to be studying Mandrakes most of the year, can any one tell me the one thing that makes Mandrakes unique?" Professer Green asked.
One girl asked sarcastically, "Aside from the fact that one scream can kill you if they're fully grown?"
"Right! That is what the earmuffs are for, these mandrakes are still young, and won't kill you, although their scream will knock you out for several hours," Professer Green said, "So put on your ear-muffs."
Lillian and Conner put their ear-muffs on, but Mark was staring at his, which were pink.
Connor asked, "Is something the matter?"
"They're pink." Mark muttered.
"So?" Connor asked, while Lillian stared at him.
"Pink." Mark grunted.
Lillian rolled her eyes, and he turned to her, and he asked, "Want to switch?"
"Uh, no, you got them, you use them." Lillian said with a laugh.
Mark made a face, and put them on huffingly, he crossed his arms, and glared at Professor Green. But the Professor never caught his look.
As they got to work, Lillian got a feeling of dread, she looked around, and thought, Where am I getting this feeling from?
She looked at Mark, who was repotting the Mandrake with a flat expression, while Connor was already done, but kept his earmuffs as people were still working, Lillian made a face, unsure of where the feeling was coming from, it was a feeling of dread and suspense, as if something was going to happen.
She ignored it to the best of her ability and repotted her mandrake, when Professor Green signalled them to take their earmuffs off, she took it off, and only half listened to her explanation of Mandrakes and what they were going to do next class.
As they walked, Lillian could not shake the feeling. Connor seemed to notice her quietness, and he asked, "Are you all right, Lillian?"
She didn't answer, but jumped when Allen and Cameron ran up to them, and yelled, "Hey!"
"Ah!" Lillian gasped, and then snapped, "Why did you surprise me like that?"
Cameron and Allen looked at each-other, and asked in unison, "Were we planning to surprise someone?"
Lillian scowled at them, and Cameron said quickly, "Anyways, that's not why we're here!"
Allen said excitedly, "We just heard from Scott! Tryouts for quidditch teams are starting," he stared at Lillian, and smirked misceviously, "Want to try it out, Lillian?"
Lillian made a face, and grunted, "No thanks." She continued on, with Cameron and Allen following right behind her, while Connor and Mark followed from a distance away.
"Aw, don't be a stick in the mud, Lily." Cameron whined mockingly.
"I'm not-" but Lillian was interrupted by Allen, who called, "Stick in the mud! Stick in the mud!"
She growled, and turned to face them, and she snapped, "Fine, I'll try out! Just stop bugging me about it!" She grabbed both their arms, and called back to Connor and Mark in a harsh tone, "Either come and try-out or see you in Charms!"
Lillian turned away, while Connor crossed his arms, and Mark muttered, "I don't want to try out."
Connor shrugged, and said calmly, "No one said you had to." They both walked back up to the school.
~*~*~*~
Lillian was still scowling as she led Cameron and Allen onto the pitch, who looked like they had already won a quidditch match.
There was a whole group of Gryffindors waiting to try out, not all of them second years, the captain, a fifth year, Mary Ward, looked stressed out, she turned to her remaining team-mates, and shrugged, then she called over the crowd, "Okay, listen up!"
All the students quieted at her call, Lillian assumed that there was a reason she was captain, She looks intimdating, and no nonsense kind of person... Lillian thought.
"Not all of you will get on the team, it's a fresh start for everyone!" She called over the crowd, and got everyone organised, soon she walked up to Lillian, Cameron and Allen, followed by a stocky fifth year, and she asked curtly, "Second years?"
"Er, yeah..." But Mary stopped Lillian, and turned to the boy beside her, and said quickly, "Get some brooms, we'll try out the oldest students first, youngest students last, get the Nimbus Two Thousands, and maybe the last of the Cleansweeps."
Mary walked away, and Lillian glowered at Cameron and Allen, who looked very excited.
Soon, the older students had tried out, and the small group of nervous second years were soon cowering under Mary's gaze, and she said, "Go grab brooms," she looked at Lillian critically, and said, "Chaser or Beater?"
Mary crossed her arms, waiting for Lillian to answer, and she said, "Chaser...?"
Mary nodded, and passed her a smooth and taken care of Nimbus Two Thousand, and she said, "Well, get up into the air."
Lillian nodded, and walked away from Cameron and Allen, who looked excited, Cameron wanted to be a beater, while Allen wanted to be a chaser, and soon they followed Lillian.
After the trails, they were the only three second years that made it, and Lillian started to have doubts. The practice sessions were once a week, in any weather, and it was in first year she had proclaimed to not like flying, while Cameron and Allen chatted.
She walked to Charms, and saw Conner and Mark, who seemed to be arguing, she sat dutifully inbetween them, and Mark asked excitedly, "Oh, how did trials go?!"
Lillian shrugged, and said, "All right, I'm a chaser."
Mark beamed.
She looked around, and asked curiously, "Where's Professor Wood?"
Connor muttered, "Not here yet."
Lillian looked at Connor, then looked at Mark, who had turned away, his eyes flashing, and she asked, "Okay, what are you two fighting about now?"
Mark opened his mouth, but jumped back when Professor Wood had entered the room, but something was odd, he seemed more alert, when he was usually relaxed.
He looked over the class, and did the attendence, and he frowned, and said, "This term, we will be learning how to use the spell, arresto momentum, can any one tell me what this charm does?"
Everyone was silent, then finally a small Ravenclaw put up her hand nervously, and Professor Wood turned to her curiously.
"Uh, it's a spell that slows down or stops movement of an object." She muttered quietly.
Professor Wood nodded, and said, "Correct." The student looked a lot more cheerful, he took out a small red ball, and looked around the class. He threw the ball up into the air, while the whole class as it flew into the air, and fell back down. He took out his wand and waved it, murmuring, "Arresto Momentum!" 
Some Ravenclaw girls flinched back as the ball headed towards them, but it soon slowed down and came to a stop, and after a moment, fell back down onto the floor.
Everyone looked awed, and Professor Wood grabbed the ball again, and said calmly, "We will be practicing that spell, along with the revision of the levitation spell."
The bell had rang, and everyone scrambled out of their desks, Mark kept talking about quidditch, but it only made Lillian queasy, still a little bit nervous of flying. Mark stopped at her glare, and asked, confused, "You're still nervous of flying? But you made it on the team!"
"I made it on the team because Loren fumbled a lot, and a couple of girls were too busy flirting with the keeper to pay attention to what was happening," she sighed, and said, "I was the best one there by default, not including Allen... Or was it Cameron? I couldn't tell at that point, one of them got chaser, the other got beater."
Mark went silent, then said, "Well, we have Defence Against the Dark Arts next."
They hurried over to the class, Lillian noticed that Connor was quiet, more quiet then usual. They took their seats, where Professor Snow was already waiting for them. There was a small cage, and he looked thoughtful as everyone took their seats as the bell rang.
He turned to the class, and asked, "Can anyone tell me what Cornish Pixies are?"
Some Slytherins giggled, and one of the Gryffindors put her hand up, and said, "Cornish Pixies are small, electric blue tricksters, they are strong enough to pick someone up, and their voices is like hearing budgies arguing."
Professor Snow nodded, and took the cover of the cage, where a single, small, electric blue creature was flying around excitedly. Some people flinched back, while others continued to laugh. Professor Snow smirked, and said, "They look harmless now, but they're very tricky, one charm that'll stop them in their tracks is Immobulus, the freezing charm."
He eyed the cornish pixie, which was making faces at people nearest to it, he pointed his wand at it, and suddenly a blue light shone, and the cornish pixie froze, and he said, "If they're loose, you got to use this charm quickly, because it doesn't last long."
Professor Snow put the cover on the cage, and they went forward with the lesson, soon, the bell rang, and Professor Snow reported that they would be learning some spells, and a creature called a Fire Crab.
Lillian stopped, and let Connor and Mark walk ahead, and she called back, "I have my first quidditch practice!"
Mark beamed, while Connor looked thoughtful, they decided to come watch, and followed her down to the quidditch pitch. Where the rest of the team have gathered, Mary was already there, and she ushered them into the changing rooms to talk about stradegies.
Mary went into this long speech, and welcomed the new players to the team, and finally said, "If we're playing Hufflepuff, I've seen them, they've picked very small players, that's not a bad thing, but a simple hawkshead attacking formation should intimadate them to allow one of our three chasers to score, any questions?"
Lillian nervously put her hand up, and Mary stared up at her.
"What's a... Hawkshead Attacking Formation?" Lillian asked.
Everyone stared at her, and Mary sighed, and explained, "It is where the chasers form into an arrow, allowing the front chaser with the quaffle to score in the range without much interference, it's mostly a ploy of imtimidation."
They soon got ready, and assembled into the pitch. Mary gave them the signal to mount their brooms and soon they took off, Lillian still felt nervous, The ground is so far away...
She suddenly saw a flash of red speed towards her, and she held her hands up, feeling the broom lurch back, and heard Allen laugh, "Pay attention, Lily!" As he caught the quaffle behind her, making her move to the side a bit, she was clutching her broom, and turned to look back at him as he sped away, making faces.
Lillian huffed, feeling frustrated, and turned her broom, glowering at Allen who slowed down a bit, looking at her innocently as he clutched the quaffle.
Lillian narrowed her eyes, and leaned forward on her broom, and sped towards Allen, who got a look of shock on his face.
Everything seemed to speed up in her vision, she was ten inches away when she rushed by Allen, knocking out of the quaffle out of his grip, and grabbing it, and speeding towards the goal posts, and threw it in. She slowed down, and looked back at Allen, who was shocked, and Mary who looked impressed.
They trained after that, Lillian feeling no longer scared, but confident, the sun was setting as they landed on the pitch.
Mary patted her on the back, and said, "That was some change of flying there, Lillian, maybe I should get Allen to do that during the games."
Lillian smiled weakly, and noticed 7 small figures cross the pitch towards them, wearing green cloaks, and she hissed, "Mary, the Slytherins!"
Mary turned to look at them, she smiled icily, and asked, "What are you doing here, Elise?"
The Slytherin quidditch captain, Elise Alborn, looking like the average student, except she had leering eyes, and looked like she was high on a pedastal, looking down at everyone, and she sneered, "Just coming out to train the couple of second years I have on my team." She beckoned two of them forward, one was Scott, who kept his gaze flat. Lillian thought, He has to hide our friendship from Elise I guess.
The other one she recognized was the Slytherin who called her a half-breed in their first year, the one with the poisonous candle. She scowled, while Mary continued cooly, "That's good, second years are pretty new to this game, I was doing the same thing."
Connor and Mark finally headed towards them, Scott gave a little nod of recognition towards them, and slightly smiled, but Elise ignored it, but the other second year seemed to take note of it, and said, "I see, so you guys are done then?" She looked down at Lillian, raising an eye-brow.
Mary nodded, pulling Lillian back a bit, and said, "We were just leaving, let's go."
They all started to turn, but she heard the Slytherin say calmly, "Elise, we won't have trouble, that they have to resort to half-breeds and bad fliers."
Lillian turned to stare at him, she asked, "What did you call me?"
She felt Mark hold her back, and he muttered, "Your hair is starting to change colour, Lily."
She ignored him, and glowered at the other second year, Elise was smirking, while the Slytherin continued with a sneer, "You heard what I said, half-breed."
Allen asked, "How are metamorphmagi half-breed?"
Allen and Cameron looked at each-other and shrugged. The Slytherin team just continued to smirk.
She heard Mark mutter, "I have half a mind to just let her at him."
Connor said back, "I'm not sure that'd be allowed."
Lillian sighed, and brushed Mark away, turning away from the Slytherin, and he called back, "Yeah, that's right!"
Her eyes flashed, and next thing she knew, the boy was on the ground, looking dazed, and Lillian thought in amusement and horror, Did I just punch him?!
The Slytherin team stepped back a little, and she snarled, "I'm not running away because I'm ashamed of what I am, I know what's wrong and what's right, unlike you."
She finally turned away, she heard scuffling behind her, and gasped when Mark pulled her out of the way of a sickly green light, they turned to the Slytherin, and Mary snapped, "Hey!"
Lillian scowled, pulling out her own wand, but Connor stopped her, and said quickly, "It won't help anything if you curse him back."
Lillian frowned, while the Slytherin's eyes flashed, and she nodded, Connor also glanced at the Slytherin, his eyes flashing, with the Gryffinor's leaving the pitch.
She tried to ignore the words of the Slytherin, but it really wasn't working. There had to be something she could do to make him stop calling her a half-breed, something she wasn't.
==Chapter 3==
"What do you think we're doing in Tranfiguration?" Mark asked quietly as they walked down the halls.
Connor muttered, "No idea, I heard another Gryffindor second year talking about beetle buttons, and Vera Verto, she seemed pretty excited."
"Did you ask her about the spell?" Mark asked his brother pointedly.
Connor shook his head as they walked up to the classroom, Professor Westwood was already there, preparing for the lesson, with some students sitting down, looking apprehensive. One girl shivered at the beetles in the box on his desk.
They took their seats, Lillian shivering at the beetles too, she wasn't a big fan of bugs either. The bell had rang, and Professor Westwood called for silence from the Slytherins.
"This year, you will be turning beetle's into buttons, that's the first lesson, then Rabbit slippers, a lot more complicated then a simple beetle button, then at the end of the year, we will be practicing turning bird's into goblets," he hesitated, then added, "Any questions?"
Everyone was silent.
"Good, then we'll start, first take down the note on the board, and share the beetles with your whole table." he turned to the board.
Lillian turned to Connor, who shrugged.
They got to work, but Lillian started to get the feeling of dread again, and the feeling of going to be sick, she took in a deep breath, but realised she couldn't. She reached around for anything, and started to panic.
"Lillian, are you okay?" Connor asked quietly.
Lillian hesitated, then reached for Connor's cloak, and shook her head quickly. and said in a hushed voice, "I can't breathe, Connor..."
Mark who was listening, turned to her, and she whispered, "I think, that green spell..." She got a head-ache, almost letting go of Connor.
She flinched when Connor raised his hand suddenly, Professor Westwood looked up. But Mark answered instead. "Lillian can't breathe sir, I think she's been cursed."
Professor Westwood frowned, Lillian nudged Connor, still unable to breath. Connor reverted his attention back to her, and Professor Westwood came up to them, while the other students turned around to look, Lillian, concious of everyone's gaze, looked back at Connor.
"I've... Never seen this before..." Professor Westwood strained.
"What do you mean?" Scott had asked from his desk in front of Lillian, a look of horror flashing across his face. "She can't breathe, she needs to be taken to the hospital wing before she-"
Professor Westwood interrupted him, and murmured to Connor and Mark, "Hurry, and take her to the hospital wing."
Connor nodded, helping Lillian stand up. Mark and Connor guided her out of the classroom, with everyone staring.
"What is going on?!" Mark asked her hurriedly.
She shook her head, tears in her eyes, Connor growled, "We can ask her questions later, we need to get her to Madame Foster."
Mark nodded, while Lillian clutched on her friends for dear life, and she thought, Who did this...? The head-ache getting worse.
She didn't know how long it took them to take them to the hospital wing, but her vision seemed blurry, and Madame Foster answered the door, but there was a loud ringing in her ears, and she felt her grip on Connor's cloak loosen, as her vision fully darkened.
~*~*~*~*~
Lillian felt terrible, but better than she was before, she opened her eyes to bright light, she sat up, and clutched her head, and looked around.
Mark was poking a book on her bedstand absentmindedly, while Connor was no where to be found.
Mark looked up when she moved, and she whispered, finally able to breathe, "Hi..."
He beamed, and said, "Lillian! How you feeling?" He asked happily.
"Uhm, better than..." She frowned, and asked quietly, "How long was I out?"
Mark frowned, and said, "A couple days, Madame Foster was really worried for a second, when you like, fell unconcious, she immediately got you in and took care of you, I honestly didn't know how you did it, me and Connor both thought you were dead for a second there."
"Where is Connor?" She asked.
"He just left, he left the book, and threatened to curse me if I opened it," Mark smiled, "I've never seen Connor so distressed." He mused.
Lillian widened her eyes, and said quietly, "Oh, I'm sorry for worrying you two..."
"Ah, you've got nothing to be sorry for." Mark said.
"Who else was here?" She asked.
Mark looked thoughtful and said quickly, "Let's see... There was Scott, he was more angry than distressed, then uh, Matthew, but he didn't seem so surprised, which confused me, then me and Connor, but that's obvious."
Lillian looked at the book also, and Mark said quickly, "Connor told me to tell you that he didn't care if you read it, said it was important information to you."
Lillian grabbed it, frowning, turning to the page Connor was on, and she realised it was a list of famous seers. She looked down the list, until she saw her mother's name.
She gaped, and said, "But, I don't understand, she never told me..."
Mark frowned, "I guess Connor knew that."
Lillian frowned also, brushing her hand over the names, and she went to stand up.
"Hey hey!" Mark gasped, standing up also. Lillian flinched though, and Mark continued, "Can't go rushing around, not in your state."
"I want to tell Connor I'm sorry." Lillian strained.
"Tell me what?" A voice asked.
Lillian and Mark looked up to see Connor walking towards them, Lillian noticed he looked more tired than usual.
"Hello." Connor murmured.
"Did I miss much?" Lillian asked.
Connor looked on thoughtfully, and said, "It's a couple days before the first quidditch match, between Slytherin and Gryffindor, we're starting Fire Crabs in Defence Against the Dark Arts soon."
Madam Foster shooed Connor and Mark, and said softly, "She'll be out soon enough."
Lillian watched them leave, and Madam Foster turned to her, and Lillian asked, "I'm feeling better, can't I go with them?"
Madam Foster eyed her, then said, "If you're feeling well, that was some curse you got hit with."
Lillian nodded, and got changed behind the curtain of her bed, and soon walked out of the Hospitol Wing.
She saw the two walking up ahead, deep in conversation, she was about to call out to them, but something was weird, she looked around, her eyes narrowed, but the feeling went away as soon as it came. Lillian then caught up with the two.
"Oh hello!" Mark laughed.
"Hey." Lillian waved, and asked, "Uh... It's the weekend right?"
"Yeah? Quidditch match soon, are you sure you're up to it?" Mark asked quietly.
Lillian remembered the Slytherin and the curse, "I'm sure." She hissed.
They walked with her towards the Quidditch pitch, Mary was pacing worriedly in front of the entrence to the team rooms, she jumped when she saw Lillian, she ran up to her, "Are you okay? I was worried I'd have to get a replacement."
"No, I'm all right, actually, I'm great, let's win this." Lillian growled confidently.
Mary smiled, "All right, come in and we'll talk about the plan, you two," she addressed Mark and Connor, "You better go to the stands."
Mark nodded, and dragged Connor with him, Lillian followed Mary in, Allen and Cameron were passing the quaffle to each-other, and were in deep conversation about bludgers. Mary went up to the board, where a bunch of squiggles were in incitricate patterns. She tapped the board with her want, and muttered, "Okay so, listen up."
Everyone looked up, Mary ran them through the stradegy, "Cameron, you're the bigger beater amongst you two beaters, you're on offense, Allen, as a chaser, keep to the defense, you're smaller and faster, Slytherin is just a bunch of big brutes, they won't expect a small flying missle heading towards them, if they have that quaffle, keep it off the hoops."
Mary finally looked at Lillian, "You're small too, so keep up the offense, duck, weave, bob, anything to get the quaffle into their hoops, let Allen take care of the defense, oh, and if that Slytherin tries anything funny, call a time out, or curse him, I don't care which, cursing would probably get you kicked off the team though, but hey, personally he deserves it." She said quickly.
Lillian nodded, she looked at the older beater, "The Slytherins are probably still sore with her, keep an eye on her and them," He nodded, and grabbed his broom, Mary clapped her hands together, "All right, are we ready?"
Everyone nodded, and they walked to the pitch, Lillian got on her broom, and Cameron asked, "Are you nervous?"
Lillian smiled, "A little..."
Allen walked up to them, "Let's get them Lillian, let's teach them not to curse a Gryffindor." He said loudly.
Mary kicked off the ground, and Lillian followed her, Madam Snow was in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch, setting up the crate. The opposing teams formed into a circle, staring daggers at each-other, Mary went to meet the captain, Madam Snow looked up, and growled, "This is to be a nice clean game."
Mary nodded, and went upwards, Lillian watched as she went above her team, Lillian murmured, "The seeker."
Lillian watched as Madam Snow kicked the crate open, two small dark bludgers flew out, and scattered, she noticed Cameron keeping his eye on both of them, finally, the golden snitch flew out, and quickly disappeared.
Madam Snow finally grabbed the quaffle, and stared up at the opposing teams, she smiled, and finally threw the quaffle in the air.
Lillian felt herself surge forward, but she missed the quaffle by inches, Mary flew past her, chasing the snitch and said loudly, "Relax Lillian, enjoy the game, get the scores!"
Lillian nodded, and followed the Slytherin with the quaffle. She noticed it was the Slytherin that cursed her, she huffed, and narrowed her eyes. The Slytherin seemed to smirk, and veered towards the Gryffindor goal, Allen was waiting for him though, he knocked the quaffle out of his hadns before he could reach the goals.
Lillian saw the quaffle flying towards her, she caught it, and hugged it close to her as she flew away from the Slytherin.
She saw Mary and the Slytherin having a race for the snitch, Lillian thought, She wants to end the game quickly...
Lillian gasped when someone bowled into her, she let go of the quaffle, and instead clung onto her broom as she nearly got thrown off, she looked down, and her vision got dizzy. She looked at her broom instead, and could hear the worried gasps from the Gryffindor side. She huffed, and fought to get up, she could feel someone helping her, and she muttered, "Thanks..."
"No problem." A familiar voice said happily.
"Scott?!" Lillian stared at him, he smiled.
"I think that's my name." Scott said thoughtfully, "Let's get back to the game, good luck!" He flew off quickly. Lillian followed suit, and saw Allen having trouble, she flew towards him, and took the ball from the aggresive Slytherin, and flew towards the Slytherin goal quickly, dodging a bludger as Cameron flew towards her, and knocked the bludger towards a Slytherin.
She sped towards the goal, the Slytherin keeper narrowed his eyes at her, and readied himself. Lillian noticed a movement, and smiled.
Lillian reached the goals, and threw the ball in the left hoop, the Slytherin was taken off guard, and veered to the left, but missed it by an inch. She heard the commentator yelled, "Another point for Gryffindor, the scores tied 20 to 20, and both the seekers are no where to be seen."
Lillian smirked though, Mary was known to be Gryffindor's best seeker, she saw her feinting, the Slytherin was falling for it.
She pulled up at the last second, and the Slytherin crumbled into a heap on the ground. Mary flew upwards, her eyes flashing. Lillian veered towards the Gryffindor goal posts, just as the commentator yelled, "She's got it! She's got it!"
A Slytherin beater flew towards her, Lillian went to fly towards her, but was too late, the beater swung his bat, Mary ducked though, and pushed him away, but lost the snitch.
Madam Snow flew up to him so quickly that everyone was taken off guard, "Penelty, to Gryffindor!" She snapped.
Lillian jumped when she got passed the ball, she was guided by the other chasers to the goal post, Lillian shot the quaffle, and it went through the middle hoop rather clumsily.
"White puts it in, and the game continues." She heard over the loudspeaker.
Lillian saw Mary again, chasing the snitch, with Cameron behind her as back-up. Lillian noticed a golden speck, and suddenly she heard, "She's got it this time! Gryffindor wins!"
There were cheers from the all sides, Slytherin however was silent with shock. Lillian landed, and Mary hugged her out of joy, "That was good chasing, Lillian!"
"More like good seeking, I thought that bat had you there." Lillian laughed.
"I thought that Slytherin knocked you off your broom for a second." Mary laughed, the whole team was group hugging. Cameron dived bomb them from above, and they all laughed as they landed in a heap.
Lillian broke away from them, and saw Scott standing alone, Lillian walked up to him, and murmured, "Thanks Scott, I would have fallen off if you didn't help me!" She laughed.
Scott shrugged, "Good sportsmanship is even more important to me than winning." He said calmly.
Lillian smiled, and Mark leaped at her, "That was so totally awesome Lillian, did you see the Keepers face!? I'll never let that out of my memory, wow!" He said quickly.
Mary was now walking up to the Second Years, "I'm assuming this is the Slytherin that did that quick save when you almost fell off your broom?"
Scott immediately shrunk under Mary's gaze, which was odd, even for Scott. He nodded modestly, the Gryffindor team was peering from behind Mary.
"Well, thank you, people have forgotten that this game was meant to be enjoyed between both teams, if Lillian had fallen, well, let's not go there, it's done." Mary muttered.
Scott nodded, and the whole team except Allen and Cameron left, Allen clapped Scott on the shoulder, "We're sorry we totally beat you Scott!" He laughed.
"It's fine." Scott smiled.
"Isn't your team going to be mad though?" Lillian asked quietly.
Scott shrugged, "It's not like they can do anything, I'll tell them that I love winning, but I do understand what life is." He laughed, he walked away from the group. Connor and Mark frowned.
Lillian sighed, "Let's go celebrate!" She said calmly, and led them away from the pitch.
~*~*~*~
They were back in the common room, and Mary had managed to get them cakes and one bottle of butterbeer, "Share!" She yelled happily.
Lillian sat alone though, pouring over her homework, Mark yelled, "Hey Lillian! You should enjoy yourself!"
Lillian muttered, "I'm sorry... I'm just..." She faltered, and continued staring down at her homework. She wrote down the last ingredient for the swelling potion, she stood up, "I'm sorry, I'm going for a walk." 
She walked out of the portrait hole alone, eyes down at the ground. She found herself heading towards the main hall when an announcement came up on the loud speakers, "Every student is to return to their dormitories immediately!"
Lillian looked up, and rushed back. Everyone had gone dead silent, and was staring up at the roof. They all sat there, and Allen asked, "What's going on?"
Madam Snow walked into the portrait hole, "May I see the Gryffindor quidditch team?"
Mary nodded, and stoood up, Lillian followed Madam Snow, and Cameron asked, "What's going on!?"
"Foul play, some of the teachers expect." Madam Snow muttered, she led them up to the Hospitol wing, Madam Snow pulled Lillian aside though, and shook her head. Lillian asked, "What's happened?"
"A couple of students have been attacked, they were all part of the Slytherin quidditch team." Madam Snow muttered.
"What? Do they think Gryffindor did it? We won! We won't add injury to insult! I haven't known the team long, but I know we're not that type of people." Lillian snapped.
"That's what the Slytherin captain said, strangely, said your team wouldn't have the guts to do that, but someone did do it." Madam Snow muttered.
"Who?" Lillian asked.
"That's what we want to find out." Madam Snow muttered, she sighed, "Lillian, you were cursed a while ago?"
"Yes?" Lillian mused.
Madam Snow growled, "Well, imagine that ten fold on the Slytherin team."
Lillian stared, "But I nearly died! I could have died!" She said quickly, "If it's that bad-!"
"Madam Foster is the best hearler I know." Madam Snow interrupted her, "Don't worry about them, just be wary, now let's go in, they are concious now, but who knows how long that will last..." She muttered under her breath.
They walked into the hospitol wing, both teams were clamouring, asking each-other questions, Mary noticed Lillian, and ran up to her, "Lillian, it's the Slytherin that cursed you, their keeper, and Scott." She said quickly.
"Scott..." Lillian mused, and calmly followed Mary, both the Slytherins were now unconcious, but Scott was still hanging on, being questioned by the rest of his teammates, the Slytherin captain pushed them back, Scott growled, "If you give me a chance to get air I'll answer!"
Everyone took a step back, and the captain looked at Lillian, then asked, "Do you remember anything Scott?"
"No, I don't... I remember hearing a cloak, then I woke up here, that's all." Scott mumbled.
"That's not a lot to go on, Scotty, everyone wears cloaks." Cameron mused.
The Slytherins and the Gryffindors stared at each-other, and the captain sighed, "Don't worry, they did not do this, someone else did, but they are going to help us find out who." The captain stared at the other team.
Mary growled, "Of course, we are all students of this school, we're going to ignore this team difference, and act as peers."
They all nodded determinedly, the captain stared at Mary weirdly, but Mary didn't look at him, Scott waved, "So we're all getting along for now?"
The captain nodded, "We aren't going to let this person get away with it, you three could have died." He growled.
Madam Foster shooed them out, "Go! They all need rest!"
The teams stared at each-other, and walked away, however, Lillian hung back, listening in on Mary's and the other Slytherin's conversation.
"What is it, James?" Mary asked quietly.
"Can you please hear me out Mary? I know you haven't forgiven me, but give me one more chance as a friend, not anything else." James said in a desperate tone.
Mary muttered flatly, "I've been listening, James."
James said quietly, "I know the Gryffindors didn't do it, it took some convincing, my team is still suspicious of you guys."
"We won the game, James, why add the injury?" Mary said darkly.
James flinched away, "Look, I'm sorry!" He muttered.
Mary sighed, "I know you are, let's just focus on getting your team back into shape."
Lillian hurried away from them before she got caught, she ran back up the common room, where Mark, Allen, and Cameron were playing Wizards chess. Lillian walked up to them, "Where's Connor?"
"In the library, asked him why, didn't answer me." Mark said quickly, he looked up, "But, we're not allowed right now to walk around alone without a teacher, Connor asked Madam Snow if he could, and she took him there." Mark added.
Lillian nodded and walked out of the portrait hole, she walked down to the Library, avoiding teachers as she went, she saw Professor Snow and Professor Wood staring up at a statue in confusion, she heard Professor Snow mutter, "How do you open this thing again?"
She ignored them, and headed towards the Library, she opened the door, but it was oddly silent. The librarian was no where to be seen, and neither was Connor. She walked among the stacks of books, and bumped into someone.
"Sorry!" They both said at the same time, Lillian relaxed when she realised it was Connor, and she asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I went to see Scott," Connor looked among the book stacks flatly, "I asked how he was feeling, he was very detailed about that, even if he was vague on everything else." He said calmly.
"Do you think he was cursed? Along with his teammates?" Lillian asked curiously.
Connor nodded, "I'm pretty sure it's a curse, a complicated curse though... Whoever did it it used it non verbally, which I guess lessoned the effects?" He mused, he shook his head, "You should be careful, if they're targeting quidditch players, you could be in danger." He said calmly.
"I've already been cursed once..." Lillian faltered, and muttered, "Hey, Connor? Can I tell you something?" She asked.
Connor nodded while flipping through a book, she murmured, "I don't think they're targeting quidditch players, I'm just getting this weird feeling that those three were just at the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe they saw something they shouldn't have."
Connor stared at her, and Lillian shrugged, "I could be wrong, maybe it was an angered Slytherin about the game, but then again, wouldn't they have targeted us instead? Anyways that's the feeling I'm getting, it's weird, probably not true." She said quickly.
He said nothing, he muttered, "We have potions tomorrow first thing, we have it with the Slytherins right? Maybe they'll tell us something."
"They think we did it." Lillian muttered.
Connor looked on thoughtfully, "Well, we better get back before a teacher catches us." He mused, and walked away from the book stand, Lillian followed him. They reached the common room, and Lillian walked up to the girls room, Connor called her back, "Even if you don't think they're targeting quidditch players, be careful anyways."
Lillian nodded anyways, and walked intot he girls room, everyone was prettymuch asleep, so shesat at the window, staring down at the yard below.
~*~*~*~
She woke up to girls chatting avidly, they stopped when she woke up, and she muttered, "You guys don't have to stop talking."
"Sorry, Lillian," Gwen said quickly, "Everyone's just spreading around who they think cursed those Slytherins."
Lillian rolled her eyes, and quickly got changed into her school clothes, she brushed her hair quickly, one of the girls called, "Lillian! Can I request a hair colour?!"
"Uh, if you want..." Lillian muttered, staring at her.
"Black with red highlights! Red looks good on you!" She said sincerely.
Lillian smiled, and concentrated on the mirror, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, her hair was still black, but there were red strands in her hair, the girls were chittering excitedly about it, "Oh, you're so lucky to be a metamorphmagi!"
Lillian laughed, "Thanks, it's nothing though!"
The other girls got her to change her hair colour a bunch of different times until the first bell rang, they all rushed away giggling. They walked out of the portrait hole, the boys were already gone, or still sleeping. They rushed down to the dungeons.
Professor Fall arrived early, and let them talk for a couple of extra minutes, Lillian sat with Gwen for a little bit before Connor and Mark arrived, Lillian stood up to meet them, and followed them to their table. When they sat down, Mark was staring at Liillian, she asked, "What?"
"Your hair is very distracting." Mark muttered.
Lillian blinked, and concentrated, she turned her hair back to it's black, and she shrugged.
Connor had his eyes on a book, while Professor Fall started the lesson, "Today, we will be studying the Sleeping Draught potion, then begin making it this week."
Lillian looked at the Slytherin girl that was a bit aways from her, looking into her cauldron thoughtfully. Lillian waited until Professor Fall was done, adn she looked at the Slytherin, who looked sad, she whispered, "Hey?"
The Slytherin girl looked up curiously, and leaned forwards, "What?"
"So um, do you have any theories on who cursed your friends?" She asked curiously.
The girl looked at her in shock, then said, "Well, it was mostly Scott that was my friend, but, trust me, I don't think your team did it."
"I think I have a feeling who did..." Lillian whispered to her.
"Your last name is White right? Are you a seer?" She asked curiously.
"No, but I do get feelings, bits and pieces..." Lillian whispered quietly.
The Slytherin girl blinked, and answered, "Well, that's good enough for me to find whoever did this to Scott, my names Alexandra, by the way, so what's the feeling you're getting?"
"That whoever is doing this, isn't part of Hogwarts, I have a feeling there's Death eaters in the school." Lillian whispered quietly.
Alexandra blinked, "Hmm, it's a possibility, have you tried telling one of the teachers?" She asked.
"Would they believe me?" Lillian asked sadly.
Alexandra looked back at her couldron thoughtfully, "Well, if they think you're lying, they could use Vertisarum, the truth telling potion, on you." She murmured.
Lillian blinked when Professor Flake's voice came over the P.A system, "Teachers escort students back to their dormitories, then come to the staffroom for a quick meeting."
Everyone started whispering, Professor Fall looked confused, and a little bit scared. She guided the Slytherins back to their dorm in the dungeon, and finally led the Gryffindors back, she closed the portrait hole behind them, and they all whispered to each-other nervously. Even Allen and Cameron were quiet.
Connor seemed to be looking around for something, and he sighed. Lillian asked, "What's the matter?"
"I forgot something back down at the dungeons." He whispered back to her, while Mark was asking Allen and Cameron something.
"Let's go back down and get it then." Lillian hissed, and they both sneaked their way to the portrait hole. They followed the staircases down to the heart of the castle, and sneaked back into the class.
Connor went back to their table, while Lillian kept watch, but she felt a chill go down her spine. She whispered, "Connor, I've got a bad feeling."
Connor looked back at her, in an almost sad way, she raised an eyebrow. He finally found what he was looking for, and Lillian rushed past as Connor took the lead, she flinched when she accidently tripped him, knocking potions on the front desk over, she pulled him away when a vial broke near him. He said, "I'm fine, let's go."
Lillian nodded, when he left, she looked back at the too calming watery blue potion. She soon followed Connor back, trying to suppress the horrible feeling she was getting.
~*~*~*~
She could barely get a wink of sleep, she woke up to the dawn light, while most of the girls were still asleep, she walked down to the common room. Allen and Cameron were pouring over a book, she laughed, "Is that homework you're actually doing?"
"That shows how much you know." Allen said quickly, and turned to a page, "Professor Snow said that Fire Crabs were rare, we're interested in that."
Lillian heard the door to the boy's dormitory close, Connor came down looking unusually tired, Lillian asked, "Didn't get much sleep?"
He blinked, and murmured, "Well, I did, but I don't know, I kind of feel under the weather, probably getting a cold." He stood beside Lillian, who looked at him in confusion, He's ghost white, his eyes are even clouded, I don't think this is a cold... Maybe it's the flu? She questioned.
Allen and Cameron seemed to notice it too, but they only shrugged, "So like, in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Snow is teaching us about Fire crabs... Hmm, think they have any properties to them apart from being shiny?" Allen asked curiously.
"Maybe so shiny they're blinding?" Cameron mused.
Connor seemed to be shuffling in his spot, Lillian looked at him, and murmured, "Maybe you should go to the hospitol wing?"
Connor shook his head, "No, I'm fine." He said quickly.
Mark finally came down with much energy. Connor waved kind of slowly, Mark blinked, Lillian turned to him, while Connor listened to Allen's and Cameron's theories on Fire crabs.
"Is something wrong with Connor?" Lillian asked.
Mark turned to look at his brother, "Well, last night when he came in, man I don't know, it's like the next minute he was fine, then he got really quiet, and I mean really quiet, I asked him if he was okay, didn't even answer me, and went to bed." He said quickly.
"Then it's not a cold." Lillian whispered, as more people started to come down. Soon, Mark and Lillian were heading down to the great hall, with Connor trailing behind.
They took their seat at their table, Mark ate quickly, Lillian poked him in the side, "Don't eat too fast, you'll get an upset stomach."
Mark sniffed, "I'm hungry," He looked at his brother, "Looks like someone isn't in the mood to eat."
Lillian looked at Connor, who seemed to be staring blankly around. Lillian asked gently, "Aren't you going to eat anything, if you don't, you'll have no energy."
Connor blinked at her, "No, I'm not really hungry." He murmured.
Mark looked at him in shock, and stopped eating himself. Lillian started to get the bad feeling again, but it seemed dulled. Lillian frowned at Connor, who only stared at them.
The bell rang, Mark jumped up, Lillian followed, but Connor took his time, Lillian stopped him, "Hold on Connor, are you sure it's just a cold?"
"I'm pretty sure." He said quietly.
Lillian sighed, and allowed him to get up, she watched him carefully though. She whispered, "I still think you should go to the hospitol wing."
Connor just shook his head as they headed up to Defence Against the Dark Arts. As they walked in and took their seats, as she sat beside Connor,s he realised he was radiating heat, and he looked even more pale than before. She bit her lip, and looked at Professor Snow, who walked down the aisle with a big turtle like thing, and put it on Allen and Cameron's desk, who looked at each-other excitedly.
Professor Snow, "Come on, don't be shy, come take a look at him." He told the class, they all scrambled up, except Lillian and Connor, she was looking at Connor nervously. 
Professor Snow looked up at them, Lillian flinched when his gaze showed shock and horror. He called, "Lillian, may I talk to you for a minute?"
Lillian looked at Connor, who shrugged. She walked up to Professor Snow led her to the front of hte room, he whispered, "Lillian, do you know what's wrong with Connor?"
"No I... I don't." She frowned.
"How long has he been like this?" He asked quietly.
"Apparently it started last night, I don't know why..." Lillian whispered.
Professor Snow looked down at her, "Lillian, you can trust me, I do have an idea what's happening to him, but I need to know everything, what happened before you two went to bed?" He asked.
She admitted, "We went down to the dungeons because Connor forgot something, but as we rushed out, I accidently bumped into something and crashed into him, a watery like potion fell near him, and I thought I got him away from it."
Professor Snow blinked, "Oh... All right Lillian, this is what I need you to do, because I'm not going to lie to you, if you don't do exactly what I tell you, Connor might die."
"What makes you say that?" Lillian said in shock.
"In my last year, on the final attack by the death eaters, one of my friends was poisoned... She didn't make it... The poison was watery looking, I warned her that it was a bad idea, but she did it to protect me..." Professor Snow said quickly.
Lillian stared up at him in horror, he murmured, "This is what you must do, all right, listen to my every word, all right?"
Lillian nodded. He murmured, "I need you to get Mark, and get Connor up to the hospitol wing as fast as you can, Madam Foster knows this poison too well, she knows how to reverse it."
Lillian nodded, and walked up to Mark, dragging him away from the Fire crab, she explained everything, and he got a worried look on his face. They both walked up to Connor, who seemed to be staring at the Fire crab with weak interest.
She sat close to Connor, and she whispered, "Connor please, we need to get you to the hospitol wing."
Connor blinked, and shrugged, "Whatever, I still think it's a cold." He muttered.
Mark grumbled beside his brother, "Oh yes, a cold will make you look like one of the Hogwarts ghosts."
Connor rolled his eyes at that, and he followed them to the Hospitol wing, Mark grumbled, "We're going to miss so much homework."
Connor rasped, "If it makes you two feel better I'll help you with it."
"Connor, it'll make us feel better if you get help about this, and not be stubborn like you always are." Mark snapped at his brother.
Category:Birdpaw's Fanfictions
Category:Fan Fictions