Lily Potter and Neoma's Trance

Chapter Twelve

Lily was unable to think about the yellow glow in the night with all of the buzz about the Quidditch game the next morning. She walked into the common room the next morning to see everyone had decked themselves out in their best Gryffindor gear, even Eli was wearing a red and gold sweater that Hugo had lent to him. Lily felt proud to be sporting a red shirt sweater with the Gryffindor crest on it that her Grandma Weasley had sewn for her.

“Ready for the game, little sis?” James asked, walking over to her; Lily noted that he was in such a better mood than he was the previous night. “You better watch closely because I know you’ll be joining next year. Madam Hooch was talking to me the other day about how you’re one of the two best flyers in your year, even better than some of the older students! You and Eli Harris both better join the team next year! We’ll win for sure if we’ve got you two flying with us.”

“I thought there was only one spot that was going to open next year,” Lily said, perplexed. “It’s a Chaser spot, right?”

Looking around carefully, James leaned in and whispered, “Yeah, but Coach Longbottom has been looking for a reason to get rid of Tyler Preston, another Chaser, for four years now; Ty doesn’t have a year good attitude, and Coach is sick of it.”

Lily laughed and assured James that she’d be watching carefully and joked that she’d be feverishly taking notes. With that, James walked away and over to a group of girls who looked like they would be willing to cut off their arms just to talk to him.

“Lil!” Hugo called from the portrait hole. “You ready to head down to breakfast?”

Smiling, she sped through the excited Gryffindors and out the portrait hole to meet up with Hugo, Rudolph, and Eli.

“I cannot wait for the game to get underway,” Hugo laughed as he began walking down the stairs. “We’re going to kick some Slytherin butt!” He pumped his fist in the air.

“Yeah we are!” Rudolph smiled, giving Hugo a high five.

Lily noticed that Eli looked a little happier than he had last night, but he still didn’t look very enthused about the fact that they were cheering against his family’s house. She listened intently to Hugo and Rudolph’s conversation as the three made their way down to the Great Hall.

“Eli!” a voice called from behind them.

Despite Eli not being her name, Lily still turned around and spotted Matthew and Nicholas Harris approaching, bearing their Slytherin Quidditch sweaters. She saw that Hugo and Rudolph had turned around as well while Eli had stayed faced straight forward, as if he were frozen and was the only one to not hear his name.

“Cheering for Gryffindor, are you?” Matthew taunted as he boomed towards them. Lily had underestimated his size at the first Slug Club meeting. He was rather large, and Lily wondered what type of broom would be able to withstand his weight.

“How dare you cheer for that house?” Nicholas scoffed, folding his gangly arms across his thin body. “Mom and Dad are still so disappointed in your Sorting, you filthy Gryffindor.”

“I know,” Eli mumbled without even turning around.

Matthew and Nicholas laughed, “What I didn’t quite hear you?” Matthew cooed, putting a hand up to his ear. “Did the little Gryffindor lion try to roar?”

“Shut up!” Lily exclaimed before thinking. Before she knew it, Matthew and Nicholas both had their gray eyes on her. Better keep going, she thought. “You can’t talk to people like that; it’s not right.”

“You need a little girl to stick up for you, Eli?” Nicholas laughed, looking right past her, much to Lily’s anger. “Lily Potter, of all people.”