UNLIKE USUAL, LYRA DID NOT find herself sitting alone in her own compartment on the Hogwarts Express that year. Instead she found herself sharing one with her new friends, her legs tucked underneath her as she sat next to Harry and across from Ron and Hermione. Lyra's gaze shifted across the words in the book she was reading, one Hermione had found for her in hopes that it would have more information on her ability.
Beside her, Harry couldn't stop talking about what they'd seen in Knockturn Alley yesterday. "So what was Draco doing with that weird-looking cabinet? And who were all those people?" He was telling them. "Don't you see? It was a ceremony. An initiation."
Lyra sighed to herself at his words, but tried to continue her reading. "Stop it, Harry," Hermione told him with a shake of her head. "I know where you're going with this."
"It happened," he insisted. "He's one of them."
"One of who?" Ron asked obliviously.
Hermione glanced at him. "Harry's under the impression Draco Malfoy is now a Death Eater."
Ron's eyebrows rose. "What would You-Know-Who want with a sod like Malfoy?"
"Then what's he doing in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked pointedly. "Browsing for furniture?"
Lyra finally lowered her book as she looked over at him. "That weird-looking cabinet is a Vanishing Cabinet," she revealed. Even though she'd been more quiet about her musings as to what Draco's business had been at Borgin and Burkes, Lyra found herself wondering about it all night as well. Harry hadn't asked her questions, though, knowing her upbringing was a sensitive subject and respecting her enough not to ask her to give him information. "And the people there actually were Death Eaters, though that doesn't necessarily mean Draco is one himself."
Harry turned to her. "What's a Vanishing Cabinet?"
"They're made in pairs. You're supposed to be able to enter one and end up wherever the other one is," she answered him. "But that cabinet's been in the shop for years. It doesn't work, probably because the other cabinet must have been destroyed, so my mother and uncle haven't been able to sell it."
He considered this, but although none of them could figure out what Draco had been doing with the useless cabinet, Harry still remained confident with his assumption. "Either way, he must be one of them now," he said, looking away. "His father's a Death Eater. It only makes sense."
Lyra couldn't help but feel hurt, even though her expression sharpened in defensiveness. "So is my father, Harry," she pointed out stiffly. "Are you going to accuse me of being a Death Eater, too?"
Harry's expression softened. "Lyra, no. You're different." She ignored him, turning her attention back to the book she still held open in her hands. "Lyra, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." The blue-eyed girl still didn't respond, and he sighed. "I need some air," he told them, then left the compartment.
He still wasn't back when the train finally pulled to a stop at its destination. Ron supposed he'd probably gotten off the train already, and Lyra was about to follow he and Hermione until she caught sight of Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson walking alone.
To most people it wouldn't have seemed like anything unusual, but Lyra wasn't most people. She was well aware that Draco was either with those two, or Crabbe and Goyle. But seeing as how Crabbe and Goyle had already walked past their compartment only minutes ago, a certain platinum blonde boy absent from their side, Lyra had figured he'd be with Blaise and Pansy. However, seeing that this wasn't the case, she had a feeling something was up.
"Lyra, are you coming?" Hermione asked.
"I just want to check something," Lyra told them. "You guys go ahead, I'll see you later."
When they were gone she made her way down the corridor to the back of the train, where the Slytherins always sat every year. The blinds to the door had been pulled shut, furthering her suspicions that something was wrong. When the door suddenly began to open, Lyra threw herself into an empty compartment and held her breath. Draco Malfoy slammed the door shut behind him and stormed past with an arrogant smirk on his face, not even noticing her.
After a moment, she stepped out of the compartment and opened the door Draco had just exited.
The back of the train seemed to be empty of anyone, but Lyra frowned and began walking down the aisle. He hadn't stayed behind for no reason, so surely something must have happened.
A gasp escaped her lips when her foot suddenly hit something that she hadn't been able to see, sending her tumbling to the ground. Lyra grunted as her elbows slammed against the floor, taking the brunt of the fall. She twisted her body and pulled herself into a sitting position, reaching out towards whatever had tripped her. Her fingers brushed along something that felt like fabric, and her eyebrows furrowed as she grasped onto it and pulled it back.
She probably shouldn't have been surprised that it had ended up being Harry's invisibility cloak, and that the boy himself was lying on the ground in front of her. "Harry?" Lyra pulled out her wand, frowning when he showed no signs of response. It was obvious what spell Draco must have cast on him. "Finite," she murmured, pointing her wand toward him.
Harry jolted into movement as soon as he was able to, and she helped him up to his feet. "Lyra," he breathed in surprised. "How did you know where I was?"
"I didn't," she said honestly. "I just wanted to see what Draco was up to by himself back here." The two of them quickly exited the train before it took off with them still on it. "What happened?"
"I was trying to see if Draco would mention anything about what we saw," Harry admitted. He scowled. "But he realized I was there somehow. Cast the body-binding curse on me, kicked me in the face and then left."
Lyra, only just now seeming to notice Harry's bloody nose, grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Let me see it." He flinched slightly when her gentle fingers brushed over the bridge of his nose, but didn't pull away. "It's broken, but I can heal it."
Harry watched her curiously as she pulled out her wand again. "You've healed broken noses and things before?"
A slight, bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "I taught myself as soon as I could, though I was never able to heal myself until holidays were over and I was back at school." Harry's heart clenched at how casually she spoke of her family's abuse. He hated the idea of anyone hurting her, which reminded him of his promise to teach her what she'd missed in the DA meetings last year as she pointed her wand toward his nose. "Episkey."
He groaned as the bones suddenly snapped back into their correct placement, melding together once more. "How does it look?"
Lyra laughed quietly. "Bloody."
Harry made a face. "That's not funny."
"No, I guess it isn't." The witch pulled out a handkerchief from her carry-on bag, since the rest of her things were already waiting for her in the Slytherin girls' dormitory. She used a water-spell to dampen the handkerchief and then reached up, wiping away the blood from his face.
She did not notice the way Harry was looking at her at first, or the way the atmosphere suddenly felt a bit intimate. When she did, a blush painted her cheeks as she pulled her hands away. "Sorry."
His gaze was soft, and it unnerved her slightly as his fingertips brushed hers when he took the handkerchief from her. "It's okay," Harry told her, pressing the small piece of fabric to his face to finish cleaning the blood instead.
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Lyra stood at Hermione's side the next morning, the two of them having been assigned the same potions class together. Slughorn had yet to assign any of the seating arrangements, instead wanting them all to watch closely as he stood before a table with three cauldrons of different potions. "Attention to detail in the preparation," the professor was saying, "is the prerequisite of all—"
He was interrupted as the door to the classroom suddenly opened, and Lyra was surprised to see Harry and Ron enter the room.
"Ah! Harry, m'boy, I was beginning to worry," Slughorn said, clearly pleased to see the Chosen One. Lyra fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing he only looked at Harry as if he were a trophy to be won. "Brought someone with us, I see."
"Ron Weasley, sir," Ron introduced himself to Slughorn. "But I'm dead awful at Potions— a menace, actually, so... I'm probably just gonna—"
Harry quickly grabbed Ron's shoulder,stopping him from leaving like he so clearly wanted to. "Nonsense, we'll sort you out," Slughorn told the ginger. "Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine. Get your books out."
"I'm sorry, sir, I haven't actually got my book yet, and nor has Ron," Harry admitted sheepishly.
"Not to worry, get what you want from the cupboards," Slughorn said dismissively, turning his attention back to the class. Hermione nudged Lyra slightly, nodding discretely to her left, and she followed the gesture to see the same girl from the joke shop— whose name she now remembered was Lavender— looking at Ron longingly. The girl clearly had a crush on him, and Hermione had long since confided in Lyra her own feelings for Ron, so she knew that must annoy her.
"Now, as I was saying," Slugorn continued his lesson, "I've prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?" Instantly, Hermione's hand shot up in the air. Lyra herself already knew the answers, but she had always been a wallflower-type student— save for her outburst in Umbridge's class last year— so she remained silent. "Yes, Miss...?"
"Granger, sir," Hermione supplied, walking closer to look into the cauldrons. "That one there is Veritaserum. It's a truth-telling serum. And that one, it's terribly tricky to make; this is Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them." She paused and took in a breath. "For example, I smell freshly-mown grass and new parchment and... spearmint toothpaste."
Harry and Ron finally made their way over to the group of students, each with a book of their own, and stood with Lyra as Hermione turned and walked back over to her side as well. "Now, Amortentia doesn't create actual love; that would be impossible," Slughorn spoke on, continuing where Hermione had left off with a nod of approval toward the girl. "But it does cause powerful infatuation or obsession. And for that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room." He slammed the lid down on top of it, startling Lavender, Katie and two other girls back to their wits as they'd begun to unconsciously drift closer to the cauldron.
"Sir," Katie spoke up, "you haven't told us what's in that one."
"Ah, yes." Slughorn unscrewed a small vial from its stand and held it up. "What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion known as Felix Felicis. Otherwise known as—"
"Liquid Luck," Hermione supplied.
Slughorn glanced at her. "Yes, Miss Granger," he said, pleasantly surprised at her knowledge. "Liquid Luck. Desperately tricky to make, disastrous should you get it wrong; one sip, and you'll find that all of your endeavors succeed, at least until the effects wear off." Some of the students began to mumble amongst themselves, already interested in the things they could accomplish if they had a potion like that. Their excitement was only fueled when Slughorn continued. "So this is what I offer each of you today: One tiny vial of Liquid Luck to the student who, in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death, recipes for which can be found on page ten of your books. I should point out, however, only once has a student managed to brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. Nevertheless, good luck to you all. Let the brewing commence."
Everyone dispersed immediately,quickly choosing their own stations however they wanted since it was clear Slughorn wouldn't assign them. Lyra, Hermione, Ron and Harry all shared a table together, claiming it before they went around to gather the proper ingredients they needed.
"Hello, Lyra."
She glanced to her left at the sudden voice, only to see Seamus Finnigan smiling at her. "Um... hello."
"How was your summer?"
"It was... okay..." Lyra couldn't help the awkwardness that tinged her response. While in the past she had sometimes hoped that she could have more friends and maybe even a boy to notice her in that way, she quickly found that her opinion on that matter had changed. She did have friends now, real friends that she had made; and Lyra had no interest in boys who only now approached her just because the entire Wizarding World knew of what she'd done at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.
"Great." He grinned at her. "Listen, I was wondering, y'know, when the first Hogsmeade trip comes up—"
"I grabbed your valerian sprigs and root of asphodel for you, Lyra," Harry cut in, unable to keep himself from giving Seamus a sharp look that he wasn't even fully aware he'd given. "Did you need anything else?"
"Oh, no, I've gotten everything else." She took the ingredients from Harry and smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem." He glanced between she and Seamus, and then said, "Best get started, then. We've only got the hour." Ron passed by them with his own ingredients, muttering something to Harry that only he had heard and then snickering at the scowl Harry sent him in return.
As Slughorn had said, the entire class had trouble trying to brew an acceptable potion. Well, everyone except for Harry, apparently, who suddenly seemed to be an expert at potions if his 'instinctive' changes to the recipe in their books was anything to go by. In the end, Lyra completely gave up on her potion and simply stood there, watching Harry work.
When the hour was up, Slughorn awarded Harry with the vial of Liquid Luck and sent everyone on their way. Lyra gathered her things and walked next to Hermione on their way out of the classroom, right behind Ron and Harry; but the sound of someone calling her name had all four of them stopping. Sid Urquhart shot the three Gryffindors a dirty look, to which they gave him an equally dirty one in return, while Lyra simply looked at him in confusion. "What do you want?"
"Call off your guard dogs and maybe then we'll talk," he hissed.
Lyra rolled her eyes, but gestured for her friends to go on. "I'll catch up with you guys later,"she said. They seemed reluctant, especially Harry, but she waved them on. "Honestly, I'll be fine." After a moment, they finally left,and she turned back to Urquhart. "Well?"
His jaw clenched. "There's an opening on the Quidditch team for Seeker. Are you interested?" It seemed to be causing him great pain even asking her this, for the Slytherins all hated Lyra Burke and thought of her as the biggest blood-traitor there was, to be part of their house and still side with Potter. But the fact remained that he needed a Seeker for the team, and he couldn't screw up his first year being the team's captain, so he was sort of desperate.
"Malfoy's the Seeker," Lyra said, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. "And I thought he was the Captain, too..."
"I'm the Captain now, and Malfoy quit," Urquhart snapped impatiently, his voice like venom ashe spoke to her. "Look— I remember how fast you are on a broom, okay? Plus, no one else is really interested. So are you in, or not?"
Lyra's jaw ticked. "I'd like to think that one who is asking a favor of another would, at the very least, speak to them politely," she said through clenched teeth, her blue eyes blazing with annoyance.
He sighed deeply. "Alright, fine. Fine."
"And if I do decide to try out, I expect you to tell the others not to call me any derogatory names, or you'll find yourself in need of a Seeker yet again," she told him matter-of-factly. "I've no desire to play for a team who can't even respect me at least while we're on the field."
Urquhart's nostrils flared in frustration, but he nodded curtly. "Done. So are you in?"
She considered it, then shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
Lyra had always liked Quidditch, but she'd never had the guts to try out for the team. Slytherins never really played fair, and she also didn't get along with any of them,but for some reason Lyra felt like this year could be different for her. It was as if her new-found friendships had given her the boost she had needed to finally stop being a wallflower and bloom where others could see her. Even though her friends were Gryffindors— and one Ravenclaw, counting Luna— it was still nice to feel less alone. Besides... she admittedly couldn't wait to see the look on Harry, Ron and Ginny's face when they realized she'd be playing against them. Especially Harry, since they'd be personally versing each other as Seekers.
Perhaps things were looking up, after all.