Lily took in a breath of cold and crisp air as she circled the pitch. Only days after Valentine's Day, and the Quidditch match with Ravenclaw was in full swing. But luck was on Slytherin's side this match. Ravenclaw was nothing without the Scamander twins as its Beaters. Not to mention that they'd also lost a great Chaser, and their Seeker, due to graduation the previous year. Lily was starting to understand how Hufflepuff had creamed them in their match together. The match had barely started, and Slytherin was already up eighty points. And not one of their players had taken a Bludger hit, unlike two of their Chasers. Courtney had already rocked Randy Davies pretty good, and Tanner had most likely broken the arm of their new Chaser, Nadia's little brother Joey.
"And Pritchard makes the catch! He passes it off to Warrington, who dodges past young Belby, and ducks under his sister! He passes off to Higgs, who barrels past Davies, dodges a Bludger, and take a shot . . . and it's good! Ten more points to Slytherin!" Barnes announced.
Lily had given her team a small talk on what she wanted for this game. Fewer injuries, a bigger lead, and she wanted Tanner and Courtney to tear apart their team one player at a time. Lily did not want anything near a repeat of their game against Gryffindor. This time, they were going to win without a doubt.
"Goldstein throws the Quaffle to Davies! He quickly tosses it off to Nadia Belby, and she quickly and barely dodges past Higgs. She makes it half way down the field before passing it back to Davies! Davies is going, but Pritchard is getting close. Robert Pritchard has one of the best records for numbers of steals here at Hogwarts, and Davies needs to worry. Oh! But Davies passes it off to Belby just as Pritchard closes in! Oh!" The crowd groaned and gasped with Barnes. "Ow! Davies takes a Bludger to the stomach! He's still on his broom, but he's coughing up a storm! That's the second Bludger he's taken in this match, both at the hand of Courtney Derrick!"
Lily looked down at the game below her. She could see Randy doubled over, his arms around his stomach, the game still going on around him. Nadia still had the Quaffle, but Lily could see John and Lance closing in on her. She turned her eyes back onto the cold sky around her, continuing her search for the Snitch.
"Higgs and Warrington are pressing on Belby," Barnes commented. "Looks like they plan to keep on it until she gets to the goals . . . or not? They're pulling away . . . oh! And Belby takes a Bludger right to the back! She drops the Quaffle, and Warrington grabs it from the air. He takes off, while Higgs makes sure Belby doesn't fall. She looks steady, but she's heading for the ground. Higgs takes off toward his teammate."
Lily circled around faster, her eyes scanning for the Snitch as her mind calculated over how big a lead they wanted. Ravenclaw had yet to score, and after hearing Barnes announce Lance scoring another goal, Lily knew they were up a hundred. Lily knew that Ravenclaw was not who they had to worry about, but Hufflepuff wasn't far from Slytherin in the race for the Cup. So how many points did Lily want to be leading with before she caught the Snitch?
Lily stopped moving, and looked around her. Along with Barnes commenting on the game, the students were cheering around her. And as she looked, she couldn't see Nadia on the pitch anymore. Had she missed an announcement about her? Barnes was usually quick to update the crowd if a player was injured, or not returning.
Then she scanned around until she found Ravenclaw's new Seeker circling the pitch, a little lower than Lily had been circling. Candy Entwhistle was a third year, and a decent player. Apparently during the match against Hufflepuff, she was the one who caught the Snitch. Hufflepuff still beat them by a good number of points, but it had gained Entwhistle some attention. She had beaten Kimberly Rickett in a race for the Snitch, and accepted the loss of the game as a whole with grace.
Lily looked the young girl over. Lily herself had beaten Rickett, and apparently, Entwhistle and Rickett had been pretty even before Entwhistle snatched it. Using a lot of faith and confidence, Lily was sure she could beat her. Lily had been playing longer, and she had a lot more experience. Not to mention, Lily wasn't afraid to take an injury in order to win. And from what Lance had told Lily, the match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff hadn't been too violent a game. There were only a few minor injuries in total. No one was knocked.
"And Davies has the Quaffle now! He dodges past Warrington, and barely swerves past Higgs. He ducks a Bludger, and is more than half way down the pitch now!" Barnes said with excitement. "He gets to the goals, he takes the shot and . . . and Harper barely misses the save! Ten points to Ravenclaw! This may be the real start for Ravenclaw."
It had been a start, but not a very good one. Over an hour later, and Ravenclaw had only managed a little more than a hundred points, mostly thanks to Randy, since Joey Belby's arm was practically useless after being hit by a Bludger. Slytherin was stomping them into the ground. But the irritating part was that Lily couldn't find the Snitch. She'd made the decision to finally start looking for it every second, and scanning everywhere, but there wasn't a sight of a golden ball.
Lily was personally getting tired, and she was beginning to freeze due to the bite in the remaining winter air. And with all the noise and concentration on looking for the Snitch, she was beginning to get a small headache.
"And Entwhistle's seen the Snitch!" Barnes screamed.
Lily turned in a flash to see Entwhistle racing up toward the sky. Lily went after her immediately, her eyes searching for the Snitch. Lily found it after a second, although it blended in with the glare of the sun to where it was almost invisible. Lily easily came up to Entwhistle, making them neck and neck. Lily bit the inside of her cheek. She was determined that Entwhistle wouldn't be the winner of this one. But then Lily heard a splintering crack, and Entwhistle was gone from her sight. Lily spared a second's glance to see Entwhistle spinning through the air, descending at a quickening speed.
"Wow! And a Bludger has broken Entwhistle's broom! That Derrick girl has some wicked aim!" Barnes cheered.
Lily grinned as she locked her eyes on the Snitch. She'd have to thank Courtney for that. Soon the Snitch was reaching distance, and after three tries, Lily was finally able to snatch it from the air.
"And Potter's caught the Snitch! Slytherin wins the game!" Barnes yelled over the roar of the crowd.
Lily held the Snitch high as she descended to the ground below. Once she had, she was surrounded by the team.
"That was domination!" Tanner exclaimed.
"There is no way any team could catch up to that!" Hank cheered.
Lily looked at Courtney, who was smiling at her boyfriend, who, with Bobby and John, was cheering at the crowd, getting them to cheer even more. "Courtney," she addressed.
Courtney turned to look at her, still smiling. "Yeah, Captain?"
Lily smiled at her. "Nice shot," she complimented.
Courtney laughed. "Yeah. The funny part was, Barnes said I had good aim . . . but I was aiming for her back"
Lily just laughed with her, and they watched their Chasers pumped up the crowd even more.
Lily yawned as she sat with the other girls in the library. It was an early morning, and Lily had been patrolling late, but the girls still insisted on dragging her with them to study. Lily had mainly just been skimming over pages in the book in front of her. But she hadn't taken anything in. Her mind was too tired.
"You've got an admirer, Lily," Izzy whispered casually.
Lily looked at her with a raised brow. "What do you mean?" she whispered back.
Izzy motioned very discreetly to the left. The other girls all then discreetly made glances in that direction. Lily was surprised when she saw a boy staring at her, but also felt like rolling her eyes. She was too tired for this!
"Wait!" Lola whispered. "Isn't that Gavin Helmsley?"
"Merlin, it is!" Shannon giggled. "I didn't know he had a crush on you, Lily."
"Neither did I," Lily muttered.
"I rate him a five," Megan said with little thought. "Our one date wasn't that bad."
"Like it matters," Lily retorted quietly. But Megan only shrugged.
"I'm surprised Chris hasn't told me. Those two are pretty good friends," Shannon mentioned as she looked back to her book.
"And Chris tells you everything?" Megan pointed out.
"Of course he does," Shannon replied. "We always tell each other everything."
"So you know how many girls he's been with?" Megan countered.
"He's had three girlfriends, and he's only slept with one," Shannon answered.
"And you know who it is?" Megan demanded.
"Allison Reed, she's in his year. They dated from third year to fifth year, and gave each other their virginity. But then it didn't work out, so they stayed good friends. He's had two other girlfriends since then, and then me," Shannon said, smiling smugly. "We tell each other everything."
"That'll blow up eventually," Megan muttered.
"It hasn't blown up for Lily," Shannon argued.
Megan looked at Lily. "Have you told Scorpius about all the guys you've dated or kissed?"
Lily thought about it. Had she? "Um . . . honestly, I can't remember. I think I've told him about all of the boys I've kissed . . . or at least most of them. But, it's not like any of them mattered really."
"That's why I like having a simple boyfriend," Lola teased. "It's not hard to know that he hasn't kissed a lot of girls, and it's easy to know he's only had one girlfriend, when said girl is your friend."
"But have you asked him?" Megan mocked.
Lola shrugged. "I don't have to ask."
"How do you know that?" Megan countered. "Maybe he had a kiss or a fling that you don't know of."
Lola looked at her book, and began to scribble down some notes. "It's not necessary. I already know he doesn't."
"Whatever you say," Megan replied.
Lily just felt like falling asleep where she sat.
"So, I didn't know you did a photo shoot for Witch Weekly over break," Hugo mentioned as he and Lily walked to class. Lola and Jace were ahead of them, whispering softly to each other. March had come, and so had a warmer breeze than normal. But when Lily was out on the pitch, she was thankful for the change.
Lily shrugged. "Not for them personally. But one of the labels I modeled for might have put my picture in there. Why?"
Hugo cleared his throat. "You haven't seen the cover of this month's issue?" he inquired.
Lily shook her head. "No. I don't usually bother with getting that magazine. I was on it?"
Hugo began to dig through his bag. "Yeah, but it wasn't just you. The cover was split in half. I think it made a bigger story than the actual picture of you, or article of the other person."
Lily gave him a confused look. "Why do you say that?"
Hugo finally pulled a rolled up magazine out of his bag. "Because look who you share it with."
Lily took it from him, unrolled it, and almost dropped it when she saw who else was on the cover. James. Smiling, giving a wink every few moments, and dressed in his team uniform.
"Potter Sibling Fame: Model Lily Potter, and Star Athlete James Potter." was what was written under their pictures.
"Where did you get this?" she asked quietly.
"Stacy showed it to me this morning. I asked to borrow it," Hugo answered. "I thought you'd like to see it."
Lily sighed. "Just the person I want to be seen on a cover with," she muttered.
"Well, at least they didn't print something on how you hate each other," Hugo pointed out. "And I read over the article about James. No mention of you. It's just about him and the team's winning streak since he joined."
Lily handed the magazine back to him. "Still sets an ugly feeling in my gut," she mumbled. "But you're right. It could be worse."
"Does make me curious as to what they'll put in their next issue to top this one," Hugo commented. "I mean, two of the famous Potter children on one cover? That must have drawn the attention of every gossipy old witch around."
"I don't even want to think about it," Lily retorted.
"I wonder how Albus is going to feel," Hugo said with a chuckle.
Lily glanced at him. "Why?"
Hugo grinned. "With how jealous he is of you? And how he wants to compare to James? Then you two get put on the cover of a magazine, with no mention of him? I'd bet it's eating him on the inside."
Lily almost laughed, but instead just scoffed. "Albus? Jealous of me? Get real."
"You get a clue," Hugo countered. "You've never noticed how angry Albus used to get when James would hang out with you more? Or when he would pick you first when we all played Quidditch together? And then with the fame you've gotten as a model? And being your dad's princess? The guy was born envious of you. It's why his eyes are green," he joked.
Lily rolled her eyes. "I noticed the anger. I know he wants to be James's favorite. I just don't think it's because of jealousy that he hates me."
Hugo shrugged. "Believe what you want. But that's my opinion."
"And you're an expert on sibling jealousy?" Lily mocked.
"Sort of. I used to be really jealous of how Rose was always praised by my dad. I always felt like I had to work really hard to just be compared to her. That was until I realized that Rose worked hard too. And that she was just being a Gryffindor, and Granger, stereotype. She has to be smart, loyal, brave, etc. That was when I decided I didn't want to be like that," Hugo explained.
"And then you and I started talking again?" Lily guessed.
He nodded. "Basically. I mean, I had made the decision to be different before we made up. But I felt that I was so far in, I wasn't sure how I could change and be myself. Then I started noticing how you always seemed to be having fun. Like, real fun. Even if you did get in trouble or screwed up. Then for a while, I was jealous of you, because I wanted that too."
Lily nudged him playfully. "Well there's no need, because now you have it."
Hugo chuckled. "Yeah, I do. Never knew it would be so difficult at the beginning though."
"Worth it?" Lily teased.
Hugo smiled at her. "To be free, myself, and have my absolute best friend back? Totally."
"So, when you say that you're going on a date with him, do you mean you might actually date, or just have a one nighter?" Izzy asked Megan at breakfast.
Apparently, Megan had a date for the Hogsmeade visit in two weeks with seventh year Hufflepuff, Frank Brady. Lily didn't blame Izzy for asking the question. With Megan, you never knew.
Megan shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we'll just see if he's worth a second date."
The first screech of an owl was the signal for the arrival of the mail for the morning. Soon, owls were flying around the ceiling, swooping down to drop mail off to students. Lily was surprised when her father's swooped down to her. In its beak was a surprisingly thick envelope. Lily took it from him, tossed him a piece of her toast, and watched him fly off.
"Who's that from?" Xavier asked curiously. He was looking much better than he had at the beginning of the year. More alert, aware, and well-together. Whatever kind of talks Xavier was having with Liz, they were apparently working.
"My dad. That was his work owl," Lily answered. She opened the envelope, and pulled out another envelope, and a letter. Confused and curious, she read the letter first.
"Dear Lily,
The envelope is a letter from Marcus, your Muggle relative. Again, I'm glad you keep up a friendship with him. But, I also have news for you.
The Board of Governors has been fully examined. Now a debate is starting on who to dismiss, and who to keep. It should be decided by the time Summer comes around. I'll try to let you know if the verdict comes earlier.
Also, a hearing for Jon Ricardo will be in the next week. I can't begin to guess what the verdict will be, and what his punishment will be. But I will say that we were unable to find out the names of the other two boys. I'll also try to send you a letter, telling you the decision concerning the young man. Until then, take care of yourself, and don't get into any unnecessary trouble. I won't bother saying any kind of trouble. You're a Potter, and you know as well as I do how trouble comes to us.
Love,
Dad"
Lily smiled at the letter, and although she wasn't happy to hear that her father was unable to get the other names from Ricardo, she was ecstatic to hear about the governors. She folded the letter, and put it back into the envelope. She'd have to save it and show Hugo.
Then with another smile, she opened the envelope to Marcus's letter. It'd been awhile since she'd heard from him. She pulled out a small, and square piece of paper, and then a normal-sized, folded letter. She read the little note first.
"Lily,
I got a visit from someone, and she really reminds me a lot of you. She asked me to send this letter she wrote to you. I didn't read it, but she said you'd know who it was from. But anyway, I'm doing good. And I hope you are too.
Marcus"
More confused, Lily unfolded the letter. Someone that reminds him of her? Who . . . ? Then a thought popped into her head, and Lily was sure she was right. She began to read the letter immediately.
"Lil,
You'd better not be worrying about me. Because I'm fine. We all are. Actually, we're doing pretty awesome. A lot of gigs. At least three in a week, every week. So don't worry. But, I hope that you're doing good. You probably are, like usual. And maybe you're not, but I like to think you are. I worry less . . . not that I really even worry.
Mitch says 'hi' by the way. He's standing behind me, demanding I write that in. He hopes you're ok too, and that Malfoy is doing good.
Anyway, I just wanted to write and let you know everything was cool. You were right, by the way. Your distant cousin is pretty cool for a Muggle. I mean, he kicks other guys' asses for a living. That's cool in my book.
Just remember that I'm ok, and there's no need to worry. So don't let the family get worked up or worried over me either. And take care of yourself. Don't let your brothers get on your nerves. Just sick Malfoy on them.
Love ya, cuz."
Lily felt emotion pound in her heart as she smiled. Dominique. She really did write something to her. And it sounded just like her. Tough, casual, and laid-back. And that single part also sounded like Mitch. Another wave of emotion washed over her heart as she was reminded of how much she truly missed her cousin. And of how much she missed Mitch, who was like a goofy big brother to her. She folded the letter, and put it back into its envelope as well.
This letter . . . she'd save it for the memories it brought.
Lily sighed as she watched her team practicing. Their next match was against Hufflepuff, and since they had two months until then, she wanted to improve their game as much as they could. Tomorrow, she was bringing the team to watch the match of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and she wanted to find the team's weaknesses.
She looked over at Courtney and Tanner, who were both working on their aim with the Bludgers. Courtney's bat of course was made to weigh more than normal. Lily was impressed and happy that she was able to put more weight on the bat this time. Then she looked at the Chasers and Keeper. The Chasers would start at one end of the field, and would practice different passing techniques as they made their way down the field. Then they'd make the shot attempt, which gave Hank the chance to improve with each complex attempt they made.
Lily had the practice Snitch in her hand. She'd already caught it plenty of times, and was now watching over the rest of the team. But she wasn't the only one watching them. A few of their friends were out in the stands, watching the practice, waiting to meet up with their friends that were on the team afterwards. And, once Lily'd gotten into the air, Megan had waved her over, just to point out that her "stalker" Gavin was there too.
Lily ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Ever since she'd been warned by Izzy that Gavin was staring at her, Lily had noticed him staring at her plenty of time. At meals, if she was in the library, or even in the hallways. With how much she seemed to see him as of late, she was starting to believe that Megan was right, and that he was stalking her. But she tried to ignore it when she could. Which was thankfully most of the time.
An hour later, Lily had called the team into the locker room. As they all showered away the sweat, and then changed into their normal clothes, Lily wondered what she wanted to tell them. They already knew that they needed to crush Hufflepuff. They felt the same way, so Lily didn't need to say it. But what was their strategy for the next game going to be?
Tanner seemed curious too. "So, what's the plan for the next match, Captain?" he asked as he tied his shoes.
Lily bit her lip as she looked at the six of them. Each looked at her as they finished putting on their shoes, or closing their lockers. Finally she just shrugged. "I don't know. Let's just see how Hufflepuff plays against Gryffindor tomorrow. Maybe then I'll have an idea planned out," she answered.
Tanner gave a small salute. "Got it. And don't worry about it, Captain. This is me and Hank's last game on the team. We won't lose it."
"And that's a promise," Hank assured.
Lily smiled. "I hold you to that. Anyway, you guys can go. That's it for today." She sat down on one of the benches as they all began to collect their things, and head for the door. But Bobby noticed that Lily wasn't heading for the door too.
"You coming, Lily?" he asked curiously.
Lily just shook her head. "Nah, I'll be there later. I just really want to be where it's quiet for a moment."
Bobby gave a nod. "Ok. If you're sure." Then he was walking out the door, leaving her alone. Lily sighed as silence wrapped around her. She was tired, and she didn't want to be around the drama her friend's were most likely discussing, or the gossip of what was happening around Hogwarts, and she wanted to avoid having to hear about a single problem. But as she sat there for a while longer, she knew she'd probably want to get something to eat before she had to start patrols, so skipping dinner would be a bad idea. With a sigh, she got up, slipped on her jacket, and made her way to the door. She trudged back up toward the castle, shoving her hand into her jacket pockets. The air around her was cool, but not as cold as it had been in the past months. She yawned lightly. After that practice she was so tired. She hated the fact that she would have to patrol later tonight though. It was really starting to wear on her.
"Lily! Lily, wait!" a voice called out to her.
Lily stopped on the path and turned around to see someone hurrying toward her. She was a bit surprised when she saw who it was. Gavin Helmsley. The one that had been staring at her as of late. Lily politely waited for him to come close to her, but then she raised a brow. "So, you're done staring at me? You're finally going to speak?" she mocked, her annoyance at the patrols leaking in.
Gavin blushed. "Oh, you noticed?" he mumbled.
"Everyone noticed," Lily countered.
Lily could hear him gulp almost, which he followed with a clearing his throat. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be awkward. I've been wanting to talk to you . . . but I wasn't sure if I should."
Lily raised a brow. "I've got a boyfriend, Gavin," she guessed.
But Gavin shook his head. "No. No, it's not that. Um . . . I need your help, Lily. I really, really need it."
Lily sighed heavily, that feeling of being tired weighing down on her. "For what?" she snapped. "Everyone seems to need my help for something! So tell me, what do you need?" Gavin looked at her with a terrified expression, and Lily immediately felt guilty. "I'm sorry, Gavin. I'm sorry. It's just been a really stressful few months. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I'm sorry. Now, really, what is it?"
But Gavin still looked terrified. Then he stepped closer and spoke in a whisper. "You can't tell anyone. And you can't freak out until you hear the whole thing. Promise?" His voice was shaky, showing true fear. It surprised Lily, and she felt her own worry rising.
So she nodded. "Ok. I promise," she assured.
Gavin looked ready to start trembling. "I'm afraid, Lily," he muttered. He brought his hands to his hair, and clenched his fingers.
Lily looked at him with confusion. "Afraid of what, Gavin?" Lily inquired.
"I'm not sure if I should tell you. The dude might kill me!" Gavin cried.
Lily felt her heart beat faster as she began to understand what Gavin wanted to talk about. "You know the person behind the attacks?"
Gavin groaned and pulled at his hair. "He'll kill me if he finds out," he moaned.
Lily grabbed Gavin's wrists and pulled his hands from his hair. "Gavin! Who is it?"
Gavin looked torn. "I can't tell you. Because if he gets caught today or any time recent, he'll know it was me! And he'll come after me, Lily! You've got to help me!"
Lily was speechless for a moment. She'd never seen someone so terrified in her life. Again, she nodded. "I'll help you, Gavin. But you have to help me here. How did you find out about this guy?"
Now he looked ready to cry. "Remember what you promised," he reminded.
"I will, Gavin. I'll hear you out first. So tell me," Lily insisted.
Gavin's arms went limp in her grip. "I know, because the other guy working with him . . . it's me," he stuttered, a sob in his throat.
Lily let go of him quickly, as if she'd been burnt. But she felt frozen. Gavin? Gavin was attacking students? . . . And he was telling her? He was confessing, and stating that he needed help? Lily felt so confused.
Gavin began to fidget where he stood. "I didn't know what I was getting into. Just one day, he got me and Jon together, and he told us about something that was really fun. I didn't know what he was talking about. Not until he hit the kid," he whispered. "He started laughing, and telling us to join in. The rush of power we'd feel would be fantastic. So Jon started in, and then he was laughing and mouthing off to the kid. When I did nothing, he pulled me forward, and commanded me to kick the kid . . . so I did. It was two against one if I didn't listen."
Lily pulled in a deep breath. "So you kept doing it?" she muttered.
Gavin buried his face in his hands. "I didn't think he'd look for me again! I thought it would be over after the first night! But then as I left the library the next night, he and Jon were waiting for me! I couldn't escape them, Lily! He never said, but I knew. I knew, in my heart, and mind, and stomach, that if I tried to get out, or did anything he didn't want . . . he'd come at me. And I've seen what he's done . . . and the idea of it happening to me scares me!"
Lily sighed. "So, then Jon was caught?" her own voice trembled with tension that overtook her.
Gavin ran his hands over his face. "I tried to convince him that he and I should stop. No one knows what will happen to Jon, or what has happened, but it can't be good. And I tried to point that out to him, but he wouldn't listen. And now . . . he knows more than ever that I'm hesitant. I don't want to do this anymore, Lily! But I don't want him to kill me. Because . . . I'm starting that he's capable of it!"
Lily closed her eyes as she thought for a moment. He couldn't tell her. Wouldn't tell her. Gavin was scared, like all the other kids. But unlike Jon, he wasn't keeping the name out of loyalty. Just fear. Lily opened her eyes to look at him. "Gavin, what can you tell me about him?"
Gavin gulped. "He's crazy, Lily. I don't know how it happened. He used to be normal, as far as I knew. And he still pretends to be normal. Like . . . you'd never expect it from him!" he cried. "But he's crazy! For him, it's a power feeling! He does it because he feels powerful hurting people. Seeing them on the ground because of him. Under his mercy. He's a psychopath. He's probably beyond help."
Lily bit her lip. The things he was telling her . . . it was scaring her. If these things were true, things would get worse if they continued. And it would be much worse. Finally, Lily was able to throw the tension away from her body. She needed to be calm, and relaxed. But instinctively, she pulled her wand from her jean pocket. "Come on, Gavin. We have to see Professor Brown," she stated.
Gavin flinched. "You're not going to have me expelled, are you?" he whispered.
Lily locked eyes with him, and saw true fear, remorse, and guilt. She had known Gavin before this. He'd been a good guy. Goofy, nice, and just a normal guy. She trusted what she saw. "No, I'm not. I can't promise that Professor Brown won't question, interrogate, or do anything else, but I'm going to be there. And you'll tell him what you told me. And what I am sure of, is that he'll help you."
The prefects all sat around in the headmaster's office, waiting for the headmaster to say something. They'd all just listened to Gavin's confession, which still didn't give them a name, and then Gavin had been led out by Professor Macmillan, who would keep an eye on him, and make sure he was ok. Now, the prefects and the headmaster were alone.
"Can we trust this isn't a trap?" Hugo suddenly demanded. "I mean, if he was scared, why wouldn't he get help sooner?"
"Fear is powerful," Lily reminded.
"But he already came to us. Why not give his name. Nothing will happen, and we won't let the guy get to him," Tanner Zabini pointed out.
"When you fear that your life will be in danger, you will always be paranoid," the portrait of Albus Dumbledore pointed out very calmly.
"So what do we do with this information?" Kimberly Rickett asked. She flicked Tanner's hand, which had been drawing circles on the back of hers.
Professor Brown sighed as he ran a hand over his eyes. "First, if Mr. Helmsley has a fear for his life, we must take it seriously. He will need to be protected."
"You mean to take him from Hogwarts?" Nadia guessed.
"We may be able to keep an eye for him, but we all know how things can happen in an instant at Hogwarts. And even so, I don't think he'd have a peaceful moment being in the same castle as this boy," Professor Brown answered. "But, I will make sure that he is still able to graduate this year with his peers. After the terror he's been through, I think he deserves that."
"Sir, we're not solving anything ourselves," Dalton McLaggen pointed out. "I mean, maybe we need to bring in the Auror Department."
"That has already been discussed with both Mr. Potter, and the Minister of Magic," Professor Brown mentioned. "But, most of the Aurors are already on a serious case themselves. Otherwise, all they have are new recruits that are still being trained."
"Well, watching over Hogwarts could be like a training mission for them," Rick Whitby suggested.
"They aren't put through mission simulations until their next year of training," Professor Brown answered. "That's their normal routine. Some of the Aurors don't feel the new recruits are ready for simulations until then. And seeing how this is a real situation, I really don't think they'd agree to it."
"But we just have to get Lily's dad to agree," Hugo pointed out. "I'm sure that Lil could convince him. Right, Lil?"
Lily sighed. Her head was beginning to throb, and she just wanted to sleep. But of course, this meeting would end, and then they would all start patrolling for so many hours. "I don't know," she said dryly. "I know he'd love to help. But it's not just my dad's decision. It's also your dad's, Hugo. He's the one that trains them. The one that would know if they could handle something like this. And he's pretty stubborn about some things."
"Well there has to be something!" Lindsey Bletchley cried. "I mean, we're hardly getting anywhere! No closer to the one who started this."
"At least we got two of them out of the equation," Jaclyn sighed. "But it seems like they weren't the real danger."
"They probably never even did the damage to those kids. At least not as much as their leader did," Louis guessed.
"So that means that the most dangerous one is still out there. And, Helmsley thinks that he's murderous," Tanner Creevey muttered. "Fantastic!"
"What if he is murderous?" Dalton mumbled. "It's obvious that we can't let that happen. But it seems to me that if we keep doing what we have been, this guy will keep getting away. He's too smart. He knows we're looking for him. So, if this guy isn't far from murder, then we need to do something more."
"But what?" Courtney groaned in despair.
"Maybe we need to tell the Aurors that we believe the leader isn't far from murder," Jaclyn suggested. "That would get them down here."
"But it would also throw the school into a panic," Lily countered. "Remember: Nothing stays a secret at Hogwarts. And it would also be the perfect chance for the school to be shut down. Word would get out to parents. Some would get scared, and then they'd be pulling their kids out of Hogwarts. Maybe even some of us. And the others, they'd fight to have something done now. It just raises the possibility of parents losing faith in Hogwarts."
"We worked too hard for Hogwarts to get shut down now!" Hugo said firmly. "This is our school. I'm not letting it go under because of one psychopath. Our parents didn't, and neither will we!"
"But what can we do, Hugo?" Dalton demanded. "Something has to change! We can't catch the guy ourselves! He's getting smarter, and not to mention more dangerous!"
"It just means we have to get smarter too," Hugo retorted.
"So you're willing to risk the chance of someone getting murdered? Just so things at school don't get rocky and risky? Guess what, they are rocky and risky!" Dalton argued.
"Arguing amongst ourselves solves nothing!" Lily snapped at them both. Hugo settled into his seat, and Dalton closed his mouth. Lily relaxed her shoulders. "Now, I personally believe that you are both right. Things have gone past the point of simply dangerous. But I also believe that throwing out the information of a possible murderer would solve nothing. Especially when we really don't know."
"So we wait until someone does die?" Carly Corner retorted sarcastically.
Lily sighed. "It may sound cruel. But we can't throw around the word 'murder' to the Aurors. Especially when it concerns the school. The Minister of Magic would be told, and his hands would be tied. I believe that we can get smarter and better as well. We just have to think rationally about this."
"Too bad this isn't a ration situation!" Dalton snapped with a grumble.
"It doesn't mean that we can't be rational," Lily said calmly.
Dalton looked over at her. "Ok, Lily. So tell me something. What happens when he starts to come after us prefects?"
"We patrol in twos to avoid that," Lucy pointed out. "To increase our own defenses."
"But what if he comes up behind a pair of us? He shoots a spell at one, knocks them out, and then it's one-on-one. Then what?" Dalton demanded.
"He's never used spells before. Why would he now?" Lance replied.
"Besides, when Hugo and I chased them all down, none of them had their wands out. We fired at them, and they shot nothing back at us," Lily mentioned.
"And what if he gets smart enough to do it? What if that's his next move? The use of his wand?" Dalton inquired.
"That's when we check the seventh year boys' wands," Kimberly Rickett suggested. "Find the one who used the spell."
"But if we don't catch him when he does it, who's to say he won't do a few small and simple spells before the morning. Clear the traces," Dalton said smugly.
Miley Jordan bit her lip. "He has a point there."
"So what do you want, McLaggen?" Hugo hissed. "You want the school shut down? Do you want to be shipped off to Durmstrang? Lose everything we've come to know and love?"
"I want this guy caught, just like you! But unlike you, I understand that we are getting nowhere alone. We need help!" Dalton retorted.
"I think," Professor Brown spoke calmly, but it quieted every prefect, "that perhaps we need the opinion of a professional. Someone who has faced troubles like this. So, Albus? Any thoughts?"
Each prefect turned to face the famous headmaster of Hogwarts. Lily watched as his blue eyes gleamed and twinkled with thought. Then he spoke, and he was just as calm and relaxed as Professor Brown. "I think that because the generation of the war did not learn from history's tragedies, that now their children must suffer through a repeat of it. And I think that in order to catch this young man, you need someone to walk in his shoes, and step into his mind. You can never know the next move of a chess match, without knowing the basics of the opponent."
"But we don't even know the opponent!" Hugo argued. "How can we fight someone we can't see!"
"You can't fight him?" Albus Dumbledore commented casually.
Hugo stood from his chair. "Sir, you say we have to suffer because our parents and their generation didn't learn. But this is not a repeat! They knew who they were fighting! Voldemort! Tom Riddle! Death Eaters! They knew! But we don't!"
Dumbledore smiled. "You have all given enough evidence to tell you. You know he is a seventh year. You know that he does it for the feel of power. That he chooses no victim, but merely finds one. Take that information, and step into it."
"Sir, how is this a repeat?" Lily asked curiously. She trusted Albus Dumbledore's words. He was wise, and rarely wrong. But she needed to understand them first.
Now he smiled specifically at her. "I remember a certain year. And in this year, dangerous things were happening to students. To this degree? No. Only a few. And was it random? No. The kids were just victims to a mistake. There was only one target, and it was for murder. Not power."
"Then I don't understand how this is a repeat," Lily replied.
"I say it is a repeat because, there was one student, a favorite of mine at the time. In his heart, he knew who it was, he just knew. And he was right, but he had no proof. He couldn't catch the perpetrator. That is how it is a repeat, Lily Luna," Dumbledore answered.
Lily thought, as did the others in the room. For the life of her, she couldn't think of what event he was mentioning. But she understood his point. Someone in their heart knew who it was, but they couldn't catch him. So, that meant they all needed to admit who they really thought it was. Then they could investigate those people.
"If that's true, then this is a really scary repeat," Louis mentioned.
"Why?" Lucy asked.
"Because Dumbledore just admitted that the kid couldn't catch the criminal. Even though he knew, he couldn't catch him. And if murder was the intent . . ."
Dumbledore nodded. "You are correct, Mr. Weasley. The student was not caught. And the one he wanted dead, was murdered in this very school."
"Dumbledore thinks that someone will die, doesn't he?" Hugo mumbled as he and Lily patrolled. The meeting had ended, and now all the prefects were on high alert. The meeting had done nothing to soothe their minds. It only added tension and fear.
Lily bit her lip momentarily. "I think he knows it could happen. But I think he's trying to point out that, somehow, we can stop it before it goes that far."
"By stepping into the mind and shoes of a psycho," Hugo sighed. "How do we do that? How do we step into the mind of someone who just finds kids at random?"
Lily thought about that. "Well . . . we also know that it's a seventh year, and that it's a boy. So, we need to maybe step into the shoes of a seventh year boy with a secret," she suggested.
Hugo was quiet for a moment, but then grinned. "That sounds like an awesome plan! Should we try it?"
"Not now. We still have to patrol at night," Lily replied.
"But during the day, we can go about doing it! We follow each individually, and find who's acting suspicious!" Hugo cheered happily.
"We have to find a starting point first," Lily reminded him.
"Ok. So . . . what do seventh year boys do?" Hugo muttered quietly.
Lily thought for a moment. "Seventh year is a big testing year. So they'd go to the library to study."
"Brilliant, Lil!" Hugo said with excitement. "That's where we start! The library!"
"Think a little more though, Hugo. We can't get caught spying on kids. Plus, would they really act suspicious during the day?" Lily pointed out.
Hugo crossed his arms as he thought. "Well . . . maybe . . . maybe we could get someone to keep . . . not a good idea," he mumbled.
"We can't risk someone's well-being," Lily agreed.
"Well we need to think of something. We can't waste time," Hugo retorted calmly.
Lily nodded. They were quiet as they continued to walk, but then Lily looked at her cousin. "Hugo, I've been thinking about all the things Dumbledore said. And I was wondering . . . is there anyone that . . . you just feel in your heart is behind this?" she asked.
Hugo was quiet, but Lily could tell that he was thinking. But after a moment, he shrugged. "No. I guess I don't. I've got ideas . . . but nothing like that."