Chapter 34

"Lily!" cried a man's voice in the distance. "Lily!" But Lily couldn't see him; she couldn't get to where the voice was coming from. She was petrified but she wasn't sure why. Something was wrong, really wrong.

--

"Lily!" a voice cried again, but this time it was a female voice. "Lily!" This voice was much closer than before and seemed to have a trace of fear in it. "Lily can you hear me? It's me Lily, its Avril. Oh God, oh God what do I do? Lily I'm going to get you up to the Hospital Wing and – oh why is there no one here to help? Somebody! Anybody! Oh Daragh! Daragh come here and help me! Please! Just help me lift her up; we need to get her to the Hospital Wing!"

"What happened?" came an unfamiliar male voice.

"I don't know! I heard somebody shout when I was going back to the dormitory and when I got down here there was nobody else here. Just Lily lying in the middle of the Entrance Hall. I thought she was… dead…"

--

"Miss Evans?!"

"Please Madam Pomfrey I just found her like this in the Entrance Hall! Can you help her? Oh please say she'll be alright!"

"Calm down Miss Knight, and lie her down on that bed Mr Gillen."

"What are those marks on her arms Madam Pomfrey? Has she been attacked?"

"That much is obvious Mr Gillen."

"I knew it! Its Death Eaters isn't it? They're here! Oh we're all going to die!"

"No one is going to die in this school while I remain the nurse here, is that clear Miss Knight? Now Mr Gillen could you please take Miss Knight back to the Gryffindor Tower and then go and alert the Headmaster for me please?"

"Oh no Miss, please let me stay! She shouldn't be left alone like this; she would want her friends with her – James! James should be here with her! I should go get him!"

"Yes well, you go and do that, and Mr Gillen, the Headmaster? Now please!"

--

"Well Madam Pomfrey it certainly seems that our dear Miss Evans has been attacked."

"Yes Professor but has she been bitten?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean Albus!"

"I have already checked on Mr Lupin, and I assure you he is still securely locked up in the Shrieking Shack."

"Doesn't mean it wasn't him Albus, he was still in the Shrieking Shack the last time something like this happened and - "

"I hardly think Mr Black would have tried the same trick on Miss Evans that he did on poor Severus Snape."

"Well how do you know it wasn't Snape?"

"Because Severus swore to me he wouldn't tell anyone about what he saw that night, and as yet he has remained true to his word."

"Well the fact remains Albus. The girl has been attacked, there are cuts and bruises all over her arms were she has protected herself."

"Exactly. The only marks are on her arms. If a werewolf had attacked her why didn't he finish the job?"

"Maybe something disturbed him?"

"Maybe Madam Pompfrey, maybe, but what? Only Miss Evans will be able to tell us when she comes round."

--

Lily woke up from a very long and confusing dream.

"Hello you." James was sitting by the side of her bed with his elbows resting on it. It looked like he had just lifted his head out of his hands as his hair was stuck to the side of his face.

"Hi," Lily managed to croak back. "Sorry. Morning voice."

"You're alright," James replied. "It's the afternoon actually."

"I just had the strangest dream," Lily continued.

"Really? What happened?" James asked, placing his head back in his hands.

"I don't really know," Lily strained to remember. "Just lots of voices saying I'd been hurt or something."

"So you heard all that then?"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, suddenly realising that it would be impossible for James to be in her room in Hogwarts. "James where am I?" She tried to get out of her bed but found it very painful to move.

"Calm down. Don't try to get up," James said gently. "You've had a bit of an accident."

"James am I still dreaming? 'Cause this looks like my bedroom at home?!" Lily laughed, the situation was too bizarre for her to take seriously.

"Yea it is," James laughed back.

"Then what are you doing here? You should be at Hogwarts! In fact what am I doing here?"

"Dumbledore thought it would be better for you to wake up somewhere you would be more comfortable."

"So he brought me back to my sister?!" Lily asked incredulously. "And why are you here?"

"I came down with you," laughed softly, but Lily could see that his face was far from cheerful. "Dumbledore gave me the time off from school."

"Oh no, does he know about us?" Lily cringed.

"I think McGonagall told him," James conceded.

"How embarrassing."

"Yes well you weren't awake when he was talking about 'the nature of our relationship'. It was… disturbing…"

Lily shrieked and tried to hide under her covers but again the pain of movement prevented her.

"So ignoring that, would you like to explain to me why it feels like I've gone ten rounds with the Giant Squid?" Lily winced.

"Before I do though…" And James made a move up towards Lily to kiss her.

"Yes but before you do that you need to sort out your hair," Lily said putting it into her hands into his hair and ruffling it. Then he kissed her.

"It's nice to be able to do that again," James said kissing her again on the forehead.

"Why? How long have I been asleep?"

"About a day and a half."

"And you couldn't go a day and a half?" Lily giggled. "Horny boy." James said nothing and simply gazed at Lily serenely, stroking her hair. "James what happened to me?"

"Remus is a werewolf," James said without changing his expression. "There was an incident and he attacked you."

Nobody said anything for a very long time.

--

"James," Lily spoke very quietly. The pair of them had sat for what seemed like hours; for so long it was dark outside now. James held Lily close and continued to stroke her hair whilst she cried silently into his chest. "Am I a werewolf now? Is that why Dumbledore sent me home?"

"No," James reassured her. "No, you weren't bitten. Just roughed up a bit, we got him off you before he could…" he trailed off, unable to say the words.

"James who's we?" Lily asked. James said nothing. "I think you better tell me exactly what happened."

And so he did. He told her all about how Remus had been a werewolf since he was a very small boy, how he might not have been able to go to Hogwarts but Dumbledore had a plan that would enable him to attend. How every month Madam Pomfrey took him down to the Whomping Willow and through a secret passage that led straight to the Shrieking Shack. How the shack wasn't really haunted, it was just the noises that Remus made when he was transformed that led to all the rumours. About the argument Caitlin had had with Sirius that night, how Lily had left and gone for a walk. And finally how she had stumbled across Remus in the grounds in his fully transformed state.

"Poor Remus," Lily said when James had finished. He looked slightly startled by her reaction.

"Yea poor Moony," James agreed.

"Moony – I get it now," Lily added with a dry smile. James looked at her warily for a moment.

"Lily you can't tell anyone about this, not even Dumbledore," he said quickly.

"What do you mean? I thought Dumbledore already knew," Lily asked confused.

"He does, he does. But he doesn't know it was Moony that attacked you," James clarified. "And Lily you can't tell him. He'd have to expel him."

"Surely Dumbledore already knows James. I mean if I get attacked at full moon and there happens to be a werewolf living in the castle, it wouldn't take much for him to put it all together."

"Yes but Dumbledore thinks that Moony was safely locked up in the Shrieking Shack when it happened, and we can't let him know that he wasn't." James took Lily's hands in his and knelt down on the floor beside her bed. "Look Lily, I was so scared when I saw what had happened to you, and I am so, so happy to see you awake again – I mean when Avril told me she'd found you in the Entrance Hall she thought you were dead, and I … I … But I'm begging you please, even after what he's done, please don't tell Dumbledore it was Moony. If he gets expelled from Hogwarts it will ruin his whole life." James looked at Lily pleadingly, but at the same time he looked absolutely disgusted with himself.

"James he could have ended mine. And obviously something has to be done if Remus is able to escape from the Shrieking Shack, I mean if this happened again - "

"Moony didn't escape, someone let him out," James said slowly.

"What?!"

"You can freeze the Whomping Willow by hitting a knot on its trunk. When that happens he can get out of the passage. Somebody stunned the tree."

"But who would do that? Who would unleash a werewolf on a school full of children?"

"I would," James said with an empty laugh. Lily just glared at him, she just couldn't find the words. James stood up and let go of her hands. "There's something I need to tell you, something I should have told you a long time ago."

Suddenly an enormous chestnut stag erupted in the middle of Lily's Evans small muggle bedroom. Lily couldn't help it. She let out a soft scream. The stag remained standing in the middle of her room but lowered its head slightly and pawed the ground nervously with a hoof. It was only when Lily heard someone running up the stairs that James reappeared. He was staring hard into Lily's eyes and didn't say a word.

Petunia threw open Lily's door.

"What happened?" she snapped. "What did he do to you?"

It seemed she was even more on edge with having a wizard in the house, than she was whenever Lily had brought one of her female friends home from school.

"It's fine Petunia. We're just talking," Lily replied, her gaze never leaving James'.

"I heard you scream," Petunia said firmly.

"It was… nothing. Just the pain from moving."

"Fine."

"Petunia what are you doing?" Lily looked away from James to see Petunia coming into the room and closing the door behind her.

"If you think I'm leaving you alone in here with him again – You were attacked. Daddy's been worried sick. And don't tell me it's got nothing to do with him," she sneered at James. "Why else would he be here?"

"Because he's my - " She had meant to say boyfriend but stopped herself. Was he still her boyfriend? Could things ever be the same after this? She needed time to think. She needed to talk to James, she had so many questions. "Petunia just get out."

"No."

"GET OUT!" Lily screamed, reaching for her wand from the nightstand beside her. James rushed forward grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her back down into her bed, but the wand was already in her hand. "Don't," she whispered, and shrugged off his hands. He stepped back from the bed again.

"Don't you threaten me with that," Petunia said indicating the wand, her voice shaking. "I have to write to your Headmaster anyway. Tell him you've woken up, he seemed most eager to talk to you. Would only take a few more lines to tell him you threatened me with magic. And you're underage."

"I'm not underage. You come of age at 17 in the wizarding world, not 18," Lily glowered at her. "Don't you know anything?!"

"I don't care," Petunia replied with a slight smirk but she left all the same, slamming the door closed behind her.

Lily was still staring at the door when James spoke.

"So I'm not even allowed to touch you now?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know," Lily replied honestly. "I just don't know." She placed her head in her hands, just as James had done when she had woken up. Now she understood why. "You're an animagus."

"Prongs," James whispered.

"And Padfoot and Wormtail?"

"Sirius is a dog," James went on. "Peter is a rat."

Lily took her head out of her hands.

"How James? When? Why?!"

"Remus used to tear himself to pieces when he was locked up alone in the Shrieking Shack. It would calm him down if we were with him and if we were animals he wouldn't hurt us. We finally learnt how to become animagi in fifth year, took us three years."

"But then why let him out of the Shack? If he was calmer with you there surely you didn't need to let him out?"

"Got cocky didn't we?" James shrugged. "Sirius and I thought we were big enough animals to keep him in check, and it would be more fun to go and explore the grounds than to just sit all night in the Shack."

"And you never ran into anyone? No one ever got hurt?" Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. James just seemed to be so calm about it.

"We had near misses sure. Couple of them actually… but no one ever got hurt… no one got attacked until…"

"So that's what you were doing when you ran into me? You were just larking about. Having a good laugh," Lily said bitterly.

James didn't reply. He couldn't look at her face anymore now either.

"I could have died James."

"I know," he said quietly, and when he replied Lily knew why he couldn't look at her anymore. He was crying.

Lily was filled with a strange emotion. Part of her hating seeing him like this. This was the Head Boy of Hogwarts, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, and he was meant to be strong and brave. He wasn't meant to cry. She wanted to hug him and kiss him, and tell him it was alright and she forgave him. But another part of her felt victorious. He was meant to be strong and brave, and she had reduced him to tears. She doubted whether anyone else had ever seen him like this. And now she was going to hurt him even more. Hurt him like he had hurt her but worse. She was going to reduce him to nothing, watch him break in front of her. Just like she was going to break any moment now.

"Don't pretend to be upset now James. You obviously never cared that much about me."

James looked up sharply. His eyes were glistening.

"You know that's not true." She did, but it didn't stop her.

"If you cared about me you would have told me. What was it James? A quick shag and then you'd throw me on the pile with the rest of the groupies? Only you didn't get that far did you? Shame."

"Why are you being…? Why are you saying this? I've never been like that. You know that."

"I don't know that and I don't know you."

James looked at her blankly for a moment and then –

"Maybe I don't know you either."

It was time for Lily to start to cry.

"So that's it then," she managed.

"I guess."

Suddenly James had knelt on the floor beside her. He was kissing her all over her face. She could taste his tears mingling with hers. This time she didn't try to resist him, she didn't want to.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, his forehead resting on hers. "I wanted to tell you but I was protecting my friends. I had to."

"You were protecting yourself," Lily said calmly, tears still running down her face. "You saw Remus attack me and then you left me in the Entrance Hall for someone else to find me, so that you wouldn't get caught."

"I thought…" but he didn't finished the sentence.

"It doesn't matter what you thought it's what you did. And what you did hurts me so much that every time I look at you it feels like my heart is breaking all over again. I don't care about Remus or Sirius or Peter. I just care about you, and you broke my heart. You left me when I needed you and saved yourself."

James shook his head vigorously in protest but his tears were so thick now he had no words to defend himself.

"I think you better go."

She let him kiss her again on the cheek and then he stood up. He was about to open the door when Lily remembered something.

"What will happen if I tell Dumbledore the truth?"

James cleared his throat.

"Remus will be expelled and Sirius, Peter and myself will probably be sent to Azkaban. We're illegal animagi so they'll probably hand us straight to the Dementors."

"Dementors."

"They're the guards of Azkaban - "

"I know what Dementors are," Lily cut across him.

They said nothing more and James opened the bedroom door only to have Petunia stumble through it. Her eyes were wide with shock as she had obviously been listening to every word.

"Stay away from my sister," she hissed at James, hurrying to Lily's side. "Don't you ever come here again."

James simply nodded and left. Lily heard the crack of him disapparating as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Petunia looked down at her, tears now forming in her eyes.

"That boy," she said. "That awful, awful boy." And she brought Lily into the tightest hug she had had from her in a long time.

--

After Petunia left her, Lily cried herself to sleep. And for one beautiful moment when she woke up the next morning she thought it had all been a dream. That she'd woken up in her bedroom in Hogwarts and her limbs didn't ache if she moved them, and any moment now she'd be able to walk over to James' room to see if he was up yet. But she'd woken up in her room at home, and her limbs were still very, very painful.

She lay in bed all day with her curtains closed tight. She didn't want to see anything outside; she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. And even though her head was now buzzing with everything that had happened over the past few days, her mind still seemed strangely blank, as if it was refusing to even comprehend the information.

It wasn't until late that afternoon that Petunia came in with a bowl of soup.

"Thought you would finally be up to eating something now," she said, placing the tray on Lily's nightstand.

"I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense you haven't eaten in nearly three days," Petunia continued, trying to sound cheery. When Lily failed to respond she added, "You've got more visitors by the way."

"Not Professor Dumbledore? I told you to tell him I was still sick," Lily said quickly. "I'm not ready to see him yet."

"I know, no it's not Mr Dumbledore. It's Caitlin," Petunia added with a grimace. "And a boy."

"Can I see them?" Lily asked, for a moment hoping it was James, then realising that Petunia had sworn the night before never to let him into the house again.

Petunia nodded and left, but when the door opened again it was only Caitlin who came through it.

"Lils! Oh Lils!"

She rushed to her bedside and knelt down beside her, just as James had done the day before.

"Oh Lily! When I heard what had happened!" She stopped and surveyed her for a moment. "You don't actually look that bad though."

"It's only my arms really." Lily lifted them up to show her the scratches. "And the fact that I just ache all over, but I think that's the medicine Madam Pomfrey gave me."

"And you definitely didn't get bitten?" Caitlin asked.

"Definitely not."

"How are you then?" Caitlin said, as she moved herself off the floor to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I'm fine. You know, apart from the bruises."

Caitlin raised an eyebrow at her.

"James came back up to the school last night."

"How is he?"

"Funny enough, he's 'fine' as well. So for two people who've just broken up, you both seem to be doing awfully well."

"I don't want to talk about it Caitlin."

"Well he didn't want to talk about it either, and one of you is going to have to tell me so I can try and fix it."

"You can't just fix this Cait," Lily all but yelped. "This is not like when Sirius buys you the wrong flavour of bubblegum from Honeydukes. I wish it was. If I knew how to fix this I'd do it myself."

"Then why don't you?" Caitlin asked tentatively.

"Because I can't. I can't just forgive him. I want to so much but I can't. He's not just who I thought he was. I knew he didn't exactly stick to the rules, but to run around the grounds with a werewolf just because he thought it would be entertaining?" Lily shuddered.

"They weren't doing that Lily. Remus got out by mistake. Peter froze the tree when he saw Sirius and James coming down but then they went back into the castle and Remus escaped when the tree was still frozen. So they weren't larking about the grounds. They were going back inside to help me," Caitlin finished, her eyes becoming misty.

"That's all very well and true, but if they hadn't been waylaid by you, they would have carried on down to the tree and let Remus out anyway. And you know it."

"No one ever got hurt though, they would have stopped if someone got hurt," Caitlin replied, still trying to defend them.

"There were near misses though. James told me that himself." Caitlin looked away quickly. "And someone did get hurt. I got hurt. And he left me when I was hurt to save his own skin. He wouldn't even leave me up to the hospital wing for fear that someone might accuse him of having something to do with it and discover his little secret. So tell me Caitlin how would you fix that? You've broken up with Sirius for far less than that."

"I know but I just can't blame this all on James. It's as much my fault as it is his."

"Caitlin it's not your fault at all," Lily said, taking Caitlin's hand. "It was only a stupid argument and I know you didn't mean it. Who's to say I wouldn't have gone for a walk on my own accord anyway?"

Caitlin took a sudden gasp of air like she had been trying to hold back tears for a long time.

"No it's not that," she struggled to say. "It's my fault as well because… because… I never told you either."

"Told me what?" Lily asked, but suddenly a thousand memories came rushing over her and she didn't need to hear the answer. The countless jokes about Sirius being a dog. The way James always panicked when Sirius and Caitlin broke up. The slightly off-coloured way Caitlin treated Remus. Sitting up at night waiting for 'Snuffles'. The seemingly unspoken bond they had, ever since fifth year, ever since she had started going out with Sirius, ever since something strange had happened between all five of them.

"You knew," Lily said, feeling like the ground was crumbling away beneath her. "You knew the whole time."

Caitlin said nothing.

"I just thought you knew now because they had filled you in on what had happened to me. I just thought you were just taking it really well… but you… you knew. Why? Why tell you and not me? James said he couldn't tell me, but they told you?!"

"I was one of the near misses," Caitlin said, her tears stopped now. "In fifth year, I was almost attacked by a werewolf, until an enormous dog and a stag fought him away from me. And then Sirius transformed to make sure that I was alright and I knew. I knew who they all were. James was so angry with him. He always believed it wasn't their secret to tell, it was Remus'." She paused for a moment. "Anyway, Sirius brought me back up to the castle, and he was so nice to me that night, he was so concerned. I'd never seen him like that before. Do you remember what he used to be like? Always so cool and composed, like nothing in the world could bother him?"

"Yes, he was an enigma," Lily said dryly.

"Well that night he told me he'd always had a crush on me," Caitlin continued ignoring Lily, a light smile now on her face. "And that's why he was so upset about what had happened, and then we… kind of… started going out."

There was a slight pause before Lily all but screamed.

"Of course he was upset!! He'd just got caught parading around the castle as an illegal animagus!!"

"He was upset because he'd just seen the girl he liked almost attacked by a werewolf! Which is exactly what James is feeling right now, only he's feeling much worse because you're actually blaming him for it!!"

"Because it was his fault!!"

The girls looked at each other, breathing very heavily. Both knew that neither one was going to back down.

"So is that why you're here then?" Lily continued anyway. "To argue with me, even though I'm the one who hasn't done anything wrong?"

"No, of course not. We came to make sure you were alright."

"Who's we? You and Sirius? Petunia said there was a boy here too."

"There's someone else with me but it's not Sirius," Caitlin said slowly. "I don't really know how you're going to take this, but Remus is downstairs."

Lily took a sharp intake of breath. She couldn't help it. She was trying not to blame him, in her head she had already decided it was not his fault, but she had hoped she would have had a little more time to come to terms with everything before they came face to face again. Would she be able to remain unprejudiced? Would she be able to treat him the same as everyone else now she knew his secret? Only time would tell.

"You don't have to see him," Caitlin reassured her. "He wanted you to know that. But he wanted to come down here to show you he wasn't running away from what he's done. And he also wanted you to know that he's ready to face the consequences of whatever you decide to tell Dumbledore."

"Isn't it already going to look suspicious though? You and him asking permission to leave school to come visit me? Won't it look like we're trying to get our stories straight?"

"Not… if we didn't ask permission to leave…"

"What?"

"Well it's a Hogsmeade weekend," Caitlin explained, shifting slightly under Lily's gaze. "And Sirius parked his motorbike in the village after Christmas, so he gave us a lift down. He had to go back though, he had a detention tonight."

"With little wonder," Lily replied. "How are you getting back?"

"Do you want us to leave?" Caitlin answered.

"No, I was just wond - "

"We can leave now if you want," Caitlin interrupted. "I understand if you don't want Remus in the house."

"No," Lily said firmly. "I don't mind at all. I want to see him."

"You're sure?"

Lily nodded.

"I'll go and get him then." And Caitlin left.

It was better like this Lily realised. Better to have no time to prepare. This way she would know what way she felt towards Remus and would be able to deal with accordingly. Before she even had time to run this thought through her head though the door was opening again and Caitlin came back through it. With Remus.

Lily gasped when she saw him. Not because she was suddenly filled with fear or repulsion but because of his appearance. His face was cut to shreds, huge gashes running from his forehead to his chin, and his arms were covered in deep purple bruises which Lily guessed were continued all over his body.

"Remus? What happened? Who did this to you?" For a brief moment Lily had the horrendous thought of James and Sirius turning vigilantes in her honour.

"Oh these?" Remus laughed softly looking at his arms. "These are self inflicted. The boys didn't really feel up to keeping me company, so I'm afraid I got a bit bored when I was transformed and took it out on myself."

For the first time since she had been attacked – attacked by the boy who was now standing bruised and battered before her – Lily got up out of her bed. She walked over to Remus and threw her arms around him. Caitlin gave a little wheeze and then sat down on Lily's bed.

"I'm so sorry," Lily whispered, still embracing him. "I'm so, so sorry."

"What are you sorry for? I'm the one who tried to kill you," Remus said, laughing slightly.

"Oh Remus!" And Lily began to sob into his shoulder. "Why did this have to happen? Not to you Remus, not to you."

"To who then?" Remus asked.

"To horrible people. Werewolves are horrible, nasty people. They're not like you. They're not kind like you, they're not my friend."

"Am I still your friend?"

"Of course you are," said Lily fervently. "Of course, you'll always be my friend Remus." And she hugged him tighter.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you Lily. But that was my fault. I didn't want anyone to know, and I didn't know how you would react… after Caitlin… But I should have trusted you, I see that now. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Lily said, finally breaking away from him. "I understand."

"So does that mean you can forgive James?" Remus said.

"No," Lily answered, turning away from him and walking back to sit on her bed. "No I can't forgive James." Remus seemed to accept this, but Caitlin thumped her fists down on the bed in frustration.

"Oh why not?! How can you forgive Remus and me and not James? When this happened to me it brought me and Sirius closer together, so why is it the complete opposite with you?"

"I don't know alright? I want to forgive him but I can't. I just can't stand him anymore!"

"But why? You seemed to like him so much."

"I guess there's just a fine line between like and hate then."

"No there's not," Remus interrupted. Lily and Caitlin both looked at him in surprise. Nobody had ever interrupted them in an argument before. "I'm sorry but there's not. There's a fine line between love and hate, not like and hate."

"What?" Caitlin breathed.

"Isn't it obvious? That's the difference," Remus continued. "You weren't in love with Sirius when it happened to you. But Lily… was – is, I should probably say – in love with James." Lily noticed that for a brief moment Remus looked almost upset, but then it was gone.

"Rubbish," Lily stated. "Complete and utter – I do not love James. As has been recently proven, I barely even know him."

"Lily…" Caitlin began to speak but then evidently couldn't find the words.

"I do not love James Potter," Lily said firmly. "And I'll prove it. When Professor Dumbledore asks me what happened I'm going to tell him the truth. I'm going to tell him everything I know. Let James deal with the consequences."

"But what about Remus? What about everything you just said? He'll be expelled!" Caitlin pleaded.

"I told you before Caitlin," Remus answered calmly. "I'm ready to deal with whatever Lily decides. She'd be right to tell Professor Dumbledore. I've long since realised I don't belong at the school."

-

Lily's chance to prove herself came sooner than she thought. The very next day in fact, when Petunia hurriedly helped her get dressed and brought her down to the living room to find Albus Dumbledore waiting for her.

"Good heavens, Miss Evans," Professor Dumbledore exclaimed, standing up to greet her. "What a predicament you've found yourself in!"

Lily smiled as she sat down in one of the armchairs, Professor Dumbledore did the same, however Petunia gave a forced nod and hurriedly left the room.

"I'm fine Professor," Lily reassured him. "I'm feeling much better now. In fact I think I should be able to go back to school."

"I wasn't just referring to your health, I can imagine that that is the least of your worries at the moment," he replied, with a knowing twinkle in his eye. Did he already know Lily wondered? "But perhaps returning to school would help. It is not advisable to take too much time off, so close to your NEWTs."

"No it isn't," Lily replied half-heartedly, she was still trying to work out just how much Dumbledore knew. His last comment had left her slightly dumbfounded.

"Which is exactly what I said to Mr Potter when he came demanding to be let to go with you when you were realised from the Hospital Wing. Such a rage he was in when I suggested that it was not the best time for him to be missing lessons. Of course I relented, it is very hard to refuse him, as you would know."

Lily gave him a puzzled look.

"He seems very fond of you," Dumbledore clarified, fixing Lily with a penetrating look.

"Yes he is," Lily replied quietly. Dumbledore smiled at her and lent back in his seat a little more.

"So Miss Evans, what happened to you? What do you remember?"

Lily paused for a moment. She knew exactly what she had to do now. Dumbledore had shown her with just a few sentences. Did he realise?

"Nothing," she replied. "I don't remember anything at all."

"You're sure about that?" Dumbledore asked more seriously.

And that twinkle in those blue eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"I'm sure, but you know what happened don't you Professor?"

"I can only guess," Dumbledore replied. "But unless someone tells me all of the details I'm afraid there's nothing I can do." He fixed her with another look. "So you're sure?"

"Yes," Lily replied defiantly.

"Well then," Dumbledore said jumping up from his seat. The tense mood in the room suddenly breaking. "If that's everything I guess I should be heading on. I shall expect your arrival by the Knight Bus back at school tomorrow then? Or if you preferred I have a threstral drawn carriage waiting in your back garden. You could accompany me now if you would like?"

"Oh yes Professor, if it was not too much bother?" Lily didn't like travelling by the Knight Bus much.

"No bother at all. Probably best actually. Had problems with the Knight Bus recently, what with two of my students seemingly disappearing from the village of Hogsmeade yesterday, and the bus having no recollection of them using it."

"I'll just go and get my stuff," Lily said quickly.

"I'll wait for you here," Dumbledore smiled back.

Lily was just cursing the fact that Remus Lupin was always right when the sight from the window on her stairs caught her breath. There standing in her back garden was an ornate black carriage, drawn by four black, skeletal horses. It was the first time Lily had ever seen threstrals, but then it was the first time she had been near them since her mother had died.