Lillith's Father [2]

Lillith's Father: Chapter Five:

Chapter Five:

“Do you think she'll be strong enough, Headmaster?” Severus Snape questioned Dumbledore as he paced to and fro in the office. His cloak billowed behind him and the elder portrait Headmaster's stared at the Potions professor, never having seen him so worked up in all his many years at Hogwarts.

“With you as a father, I have no doubt Severus,” Albus laid his large, weathered hand upon the normally withdrawn man, trying to comfort him. “You have two months, we'll need to begin the training immediately. I'll inform Minerva, she'll help train her as well,” Headmaster Dumbledore spoke and Snape nodded at once, though his mind was elsewhere.

How would he explain this?

There wasn't an easy way to say something of that magnitude, Severus surmised. Not only that, but how did you go about training a fifteen year old girl for an encounter with the Darkest wizard?

More than anything, Severus wished he could simply send her away, far far away to protect her. But that was out of the question, she was now a valuable part of the mission to take down Lord Voldemort.

But he wished she weren't.

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“You look horrid,” Ron commented, as I sat down at the Gryffindor table. I watched as Hermione elbowed him in the side, and smiled slightly, though even that small action was tiring to me. It'd been an entire six days since I received Fred's letter, and I had wrote him back the very next day otherwise I'd probably have forgotten to. That night I'd had another memory dream, and every night since then whenever I fell asleep.

I'd done all I could to stay awake for as long as possible every night, but eventually (usually at four in the morning) I'd simply... fall asleep.

I was exhausted, pure and simple, and everyone noticed. It seemed that when I was acting normal, nobody would notice me but the moment something seemed out of the ordinary, I was the center of everyone's gossip.

People whispered that I was staying up late in the boys' dormitories, whoring around, but I knew better. Girls couldn't even get into the boys dormitories, it was a well-known fact!

Rumors flew, and I was glad that the few friends I had weren't the type to listen to the words being spoken about me, otherwise I'd not have a single friend at all.

“Quidditch tryouts are tomorrow,” Harry stated to the group surrounding us. They argued for a bit about Ron trying out, he was terrified he'd make a fool of himself but Harry and Hermione were sure he could handle it and make the team easily. I hoped he could, he deserved that, I knew he was good on the broom. I just hoped he was better than everyone else.

Suddenly, the Great Hall was filled with over-buoyant cheers and yells, and I realized that the owls for morning post were swooping around.

Three letters landed in front of me, and I went to pick them up but one lifted itself in the air and seemed to transform.

...a microphone?

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY-KINS!!!!!” The paper microphone yelled, the entirety of the Great Hall being to hear it easily, and before I knew what was happening, the letter had ripped itself up and rained down upon me like confetti.

What?...My birthday? My brows furrowed as I fought to remember when my birthday was. December...no... October? No. Today was definitely not my birthday, my birthday was in April.. so what was with the card? I looked at the other two envelopes in front of me, one from Fred and one from Remus Lupin... the name sounded so very familiar but I simply couldn't place it.

Lupin... Lupin. Huffing, I turned to Harry.

“Who is Remus Lupin?” I questioned, my mind going round and round trying desperately to remember exactly where I'd heard the name...

“He was at Sirius' house, one of the Marauders,” Hermione answered, and though I hadn't been asking her, I was grateful for the answer. Immediately I remembered my biological father talking about him... but why was he writing me?

Shaking my head, I put his letter into my robes and eagerly opened Fred's letter.

==

Lily,

You'll have realized that I sent you a birthday card by now. Though I'm sure it isn't your birthday, I've known you a bit over a year now and I know that within that year somewhere, was your birthday. Tomorrow, you'll get a box with your presents in it and I hope that you like every single one of them.

Happy Birthday.

Love Always,

xo-Fred-xo

==

I grinned at his absolute thoughtfulness and I noticed a few others looking over towards me in curiosity. I carefully folded up his letter and tucked it away next to Lupin's letter before standing up and making my way to my first class, Transfiguration.

* * *

“Miss Deacon, stay behind please,” I winced at McGonagall's regal voice as it carried through the classroom. I was definitely getting a detention. I didn't mean to fall asleep in the middle of the lesson! I was exhausted and had no power over my eyelids which seemed to have a mind all their own.

“I'm really sorry, Professor, it'll never happen again!” I rushed, the moment the last student had exited the brightly lit classroom.

“What are you going on about, child?” Professor McGonagall spoke, her voice showing her exasperation as she took off her witches hat and set it aside on her desk.

“Nothing?”

I smiled before asking her why she had kept me back from leaving to my Charms class.

“I want to give you extra lessons. I've talked to the Headmaster and your father, and we feel it is in your best interest to become an animagus. Though the Ministry does not allow minors to legally become one, we'll still go along with it, if you agree that is.”

My mind had frozen. Animagus? But it would be illegal for me to become one, yet they still wanted to do so. Why would I need to be able to shift into an animal? Whose best interest was it in?

“Err, sure Professor. If all three of you feel that it should be done, then I trust you,” I answered, my mind still going in overdrive wondering what could have caused this to be needed.

“Right then. We'll begin tonight, after supper come to my office. Your father will prepare all that is needed and if all goes well, by the time Halloween rolls around, you'll be able to transform.”

I nodded once again before thinking... “How will I know what I transform into? Can you choose?”

“No, no dear! Your animagus is an animal that usually reflects your personality, just as your patronus does. Most of the time, your animagus is the same as your patronus.” She stated, pushing her spectacles up on the bridge of her nose.

“So...I'll be a snake?” I questioned, shuddering at the very idea. I did not want to be an animal that I had a phobia of! What if I couldn't change back? What if I was stuck as a slimy, slithering serpent for the rest of my life?

“If that is your patronus, then most probably.”

Thats just...great.