The Potter Kids

The Potter Kids: Chapter Twenty-Seven, Lily

Bad News

"Hey Alana?" I spoke out in a hushed voice and knocked gently on her door, which creaked open. I peeked in and saw a tear-streaked slightly angry face belonging to Alana looking up at me. She had put on her PJs already: a milky colored camisole and striped light brown boy shorts. 

"I don't really want to talk," she tried replying in a firm voice, but it cracked. She wiped away a tear and looked away. 

"Ehh," I said, making my way over to her and sitting beside her on her deep red four-postered bed. I clutched to one of the mahogany bed posts. "You'll want to hear this." 

Alana shrugged and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees. She stuck her face in her legs and then said, in a muffles voice,"What?"

"Al wasn't going to break up with you." I stated. Alana shot up from her knotty state and stared at me. Then she raised an eyebrow daring me to continue. "He was going to tell you he knew who your half- cousins or siblings were. I forget that part." I admitted. 

Alana opened her mouth to speak, but jumbled words came out. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "Really? So I...broke up with him for no reason?" A wave of realization washed her face. "I have to go find him." she stood up and pulled a dark grey sweatshirt over her top and slid on a pair of plain black pajama pants over her shorts. 

"He was down by the stairs before the Portrait Hole," I piped up, "But he probably went walking. He does that to clear his mind." 

She nodded and tucked her wand in her Ugg boots. "If you find him first, tell him I'm sorry and I'm looking for him, Kay?" 

I nodded and stood up to as she disappeared behind the door. Then I drew a breath and followed her down the stairs, past the emptying common room and through the portrait hole. She said something vague about near the library and I went the opposite direction, towards the Headmasters Office.

The walk was a bit scary, as all the normal sounds were echoed and louder throughout the silent corridors. I guess curfew was sooner than I thought because only some upper years were roaming the halls. I made a face as I saw two students snogging in the corner, looking somehow familiar. A curly haired prefect was strutting through and withdrew 10 points from their Houses for displaying their "disgraceful and disturbing mouth to mouth connection." His words not mine. I missed his scanning ray for mischievous students.

After he left, I sneaked forward to the Headmasters staircase. I hadn't been that sure where it was, but I knew the general direction. After I  wandered for a bit, I found the promising looking statues and marble. Al had said something about how there was a special candy password, so I tried guessing the password. After many (Bertie Botts, Drooble's Best Chewing Gum, Chocolate Frogs,  Madam's  Marmalade) one of the ones I gave worked, though I was rattling them off so nervously I don't remember what it was. Then the weird statue starting to move and revealed a staircase which I hesitantly climbed to the top. 

After the staircase stopped moving, I saw a wooden looking door which I knocked on. "Um, Professor McGonagall?" I whispered, barely speaking.I  pressed my ear to the door to see if anyone was in there and I heard hushed urgent voices. Slightly embarrassed about eavesdropping, I backed up, before a word caught me. Albus Potter. It startled me, and I strained to hear. 

". . . was Albus found?" I heard Professor McGonagall finish. Was he in trouble again? It was probably about the breakup thing, he likes wandering. 

"In a corridor, right out of the boys lou!" a very Irish man's voice chirped anxiously back. 

"Oh dear," Professor said worriedly. "And how? Do we know?" the other person must have shook their head or something because then she continued, "My, my. Just like the Chamber of Secrets all over again!" What was the Chamber of Secrets? Mum and Dad talked about that, when they thought we were asleep. 

"Oh yes me lassie!" the voice whispered back. 

"I will alert the staff and James and Lily Potter." Professor McGonagall replied nervously, struggling to sound official and powerful. I was so scared and worried I was shaking, but continued listening. 

"You already have one sibling," a sly voice drawled, "standing outside your doors, Minevra." 

My face drained of color as I heard the sound of high heels clicking over to the door. I quickly backed up as it swung open and revealed McGonagall's face; I thought it would be angry, but it was sad and worried. 

"Lily, please step in my office." she invited, holding out a gesturing hand.  I shakily walked through. 

"Hello, lassie," the Irish voice said. I glanced around and found that the source was a picture, probably a past Headmaster. He had a long shaggy orange beard and dim green eyes that looked troubled. 

"Nice to meet you, Lily Potter," a happier voice said. I looked at that portrait and it was an elder man, with a very long gray-white beard, which had a bell chain thing tied around it and frizzing old hair, with a blue hat on with one of those little stringy things handing from the top. His  sharp blue eyes pierced me from behind his half moon glasses and I flinched a bit. 

"Lily Potter. Oh, Lily. Lily." another voice whispered hoarsely, as though I brought back memories. I looked at this one and it was a middle aged man with black long greasy hair, distant black eyes and a black tunic on. He smiled warmly at me and feared up. 

Professor cleared her throat. "Yes, this is Lily. Lily this is previous Headmasters: Icarus Buttermere," the Irish one waved, "Albus Dumbledore," the old one smiled and kept piercing at me, "and. . .Severus Snape." she said his name grudgingly. 

"Albus...Severus?" I mumbled, my mind working. "That's Al- Al Potter- Albus's first and middle name. Albus Severus. Dad says he named his after two important people but he never said who or what they did." 

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and gave a tinkling laugh. "So modest of Harry to do that," he chuckled thoughtfully, referring to Dad by his first name. 

"Harry...named one of his own children after me?" Snape   asked. 

I nodded, anxious to get back to our Albus conversation. "He said Snape was a noble and The most bravest man he's ever met." Snape touched his chest with his hand, very flattered as he feared up. 

I turned back to Professor. "What's with Al?" 

She twiddled her thumbs. "He was found by the bout lavatory a little while ago and brought immediately to the Hospital Wing." 

I was in confused denial. "No. Why would he go to the Hospital Wing? He's just in trouble or something." I shook my head, refusing to believe. I coped easier with my saying. 

"Lily," Professor McGonagall said patiently, "You might not want to hear this, but Mr. Albus was-" 

"No," I refused, on the verge of tears. "No. There is nothing wrong. I came to talk not to hear that Al is broken or-" I gulped. "Worse." 

"Sorry, lassie." Buttermere said sincerely. I shook m head again. 

"Oh for Merlin's Pants," the same voice who had ratted me out. Another portrait. "He got hit by some bad evil curse- the same that was used on that half blood Chang girl. He's now in a petrified state." Everyone shot the portrait icy glares. 

I choked on the air I just drew in. "Whhat?" I asked, feeling the sting of tears.

Professor McGonagall walked over and patted me on the back. "We don't know what happened. It seemed like foul magic, but you can see him in the Hospital Wing." 

I crossed my arms and sniffed. "He's not in a... Petrified state. He's not...you're lying." I refused. 

"Lily," Dumbledore said calmly. "We are not. Your parents have already been contacted and he is down in the Hospital Wing, and I suggest you go see him." 

I gulped, taking this all in. I felt the gab on pain in my stomach and how sick it made me feel that Al had gone through the sort of breakup and now this. Did I want to see him? All frozen and such? I nodded slowly. "I want...to see him." Albus would want me too.