Lyra was, scarily enough, starting to consider known-half blood Remus Lupin... a friend. She wasn't sure how it happened, but the two had spent quite a bit of time together since the start of fifth year, patrolling together once a week, sitting together in Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions, although she told everyone their teachers made them, and they tried to keep their conversations quiet so nobody could hear them just being friendly.
Though, she felt a bit sorry for him. He was always complaining about how dumb his friends were. They were always complaining about never getting anywhere with their Animagus campaign, and they were getting quite impatient and deflated, worried they wouldn't ever be able to do it.
The only issue was that it wasn't only annoying Remus that they were complaining, it was annoying Lyra to hear Remus complain about them complainign. And Sirius had mentioned it himself once or twice. She just wanted them to become Animagi already so they would shut up.
Which brought her to Transfiguration, where she sat next to Lily Evans from Gryffindor, due to Professor McGonagall's assigned seating. The two barely knew each other, but they respected that they were both prefects, and Lily respected that Lyra had never made a snide comment about her being muggleborn.
The class ended and the students were dismissed, but Lyra stayed in her seat, contemplating how to ask McGonagall the questions she had to ask without seeming suspicious. The last thing she wanted was to be thrown in Azkaban for conspiring to become an illegal Animagus when all she wanted was to make a gang of Gryffindors shut up.
"Yes, Miss Black?" McGonagall asked as she noticed the young fifth-year sitting in her chair, deep in thought. As always, the professor had a raised eyebrow, looking like she didn't have time for any foolishness.
Lyra jumped in her seat once she realized the professor had spoken to her, being occupied with her own thoughts. "I had a question, but it's not about Vanishing spells."
McGonagall looked mildly curious. "Alright, ask away, Miss Black."
"I know we learned about Animagi during third year, but I heard some rumors that there is going to be a portion on Animagi on the O.W.L.s, and I thought that maybe if I were able to do a detailed explanation on the progress it would really help my marks and help me achieve an Outstanding."
"I believe you are quite capable of achieving an Outstanding on your own without expert knowledge," McGonagall smiled slightly, as if she knew she wasn't asking for educational purposes.
Lyra blushed a bit at the compliment, as McGonagall was never the teacher to compliment her students too much. "I'm a bit scared because I was reading about Inanimatus Conjuration, and I didn't understand it and I usually understand it much quicker, so I was hoping Animagi would help me gain some extra credit."
"Alright, I suspect you've been doing some studying on your own before coming to consult me?" the professor asked, adjusting her small glasses so they were straight on her nose.
"Yes, I believe I know the basics," Lyra nodded, knowing the boys were just missing one piece of the puzzle. "The spell, how to use it, the potion ingredients. I'm just wondering how to personalize it to the drinker."
McGonagall pursed her lips as she studied her young student. "And this is purely for educational purposes? You're not interested in becoming an Animagus yourself, Miss Black? I think you would be a suitable one."
Lyra laughed to herself, a bit awkwardly. "No, no, I don't think I have the patience."
"Professor Dumbledore tutored me in becoming one during my time at Hogwarts. He saw potential in me I didn't see myself, I believe I can see the same in you." The professor softly smiled.
"Perhaps one day, if I knew all the theory behind it," Lyra hinted at being impatient. It was time for lunch, and she was staying behind to chat to her professor instead of stuffing her face like (gracefully, of course).
"Alright then," McGonagall sighed. "I'm not really supposed to tell anybody this, unless they are considering becoming legal, registered Animagi or through special circumstances. But I believe you can be trusted."
"I won't let you down, professor," the young Black girl promised, although she knew she was betraying her by planning to share the information as quickly as possible.
"Good. I believe you know one has to hold a mandrake leaf in their mouth for a month, only to spit it into a phial within range of the moon's rays?" she asked, receiving a nod in response. "One must then add a silver teaspoon of dew that has not been touched by sunlight or human feet for seven days the chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth."
Lyra knew this already. "But there is one more ingredient, right, professor?"
"Yes, yes," said McGonagall. "But the last ingredient is that as one adds those two, the drinker must add a strand of their own hair to the potion before putting it in a dark, quiet place until the next thunderstorm, where the drinker will, well, drink it."
The blonde girl bit her lip, deep in thought as she thought about the revelation. "That makes sense, it's how the drinker's essence will be mixed with the potion."
"Exactly," McGonagall smiled, her eyes glistening in pride. "And if I may speak informally, I believe you have a great gift in Transfiguration. Out of all the students in this school, you are the one I believe would be most suitable as my successor the day I am... unable to fulfill my duties."
"Unable to fulfill your duties?" Lyra repeated, confused. "What do you mean by that?"
The professor looked surprised at her innocence, knowing the environment the young girl had been raised in. "You must know there is a war raging outside the safe walls of Hogwarts."
Lyra looked away, knowing that better than most people in her year. McGonagall saw her reaction and felt sorry for her student, who, like many others in her situation was forced to grow up too fast. She wanted to protect all of her students, but those like Lyra were always a little too far out of reach.
"You never know when the end comes for a war, or for those who participate in it," McGonagall tried to keep her face blank, but a hint of sadness was still visible. "We must always be prepared. Miss Black, I hope you can see how talented you are, and how you can easily use it for good."
Lyra had never seen one of her teachers look quite so vulnerable in front of her, and she never imagined Professor McGonagall as an emotional woman. There must have been something that triggered it. "Are you alright, professor?"
The older woman quickly snapped out of it and put on an emotionless mask. "Yes, of course, Miss Black. Now, if you will give me a moment, I have a book I could lend you on Animagi. I must have it back by Christmas, I believe that will give you more than enough time to take sufficient notes."
"Yes, thank you, professor," Lyra smiled, still confused as to what just happened. McGonagall walked towards her office behind the classroom, leaving the Black girl alone. She walked to her teacher's desk as she saw an article from the Daily Prophet lying openly.
Lyra grabbed the newspaper and saw a few marks from what had to be teardrops. She wondered what could have caused her always stern and controlled teacher to tear up. Then she saw the headline.
Death Eaters Claimed New Victims. Her hazel eyes scanned the names of the deceased until she found the obvious explanation. Robert McGonagall Jr. was one of them, and his death had opened Professor McGonagall's eyes to the horror of the war, and how it could affect every single one of them.
▹ ▹ ▹
Once classes were over, Lyra decided to head to the library, expecting Remus to be there. If she was lucky, a few of the other boys would be there too, but as long as one of them was there she'd get to spread her message.
She held onto the book lent to her by Professor McGonagall tightly as she hurried towards the library, not wanting to miss Remus. He told her he would be working on a potions essay there, and she didn't know when he would finish it.
When she finally entered the library, she saw the sour expression on Madam Pince's face that could only mean one thing. All four of the boys were in the library, and they were far too close to being thrown out.
"Those boys are always causing a ruckus," said Madam Pince, turning to Lyra, looking for a bit of understanding.She answered with a small smile and a promise that she would talk to them as she heard the unmistakable sound of Sirius's booming laugh.
She followed the noise until she found a table far in the corner of the library, away from most students. It made it even more impressive that they had been so loud, making sure everybody could hear them.
Lyra walked up to them and slammed the book on the table, making them jump and look at her confused. She smirked. "Hi there, lads. Is anybody here ready to become Animagi in the near future?"
"What do you mean?" Peter asked and grabbed the book and tried to skim it, actually understanding Transfiguration better than most subjects, which didn't really say much.
"I had a converation with Professor McGonagall earlier today. She told me the secret ingredient. You have to add your hair when you spit the mandrake leaves and all those other things in," Lyra grinned as she explained.
Sirius grinned back, standing up and pulling her tightly into his arms. He squeezed her so she could barely breathe but she laughed, trying to keep it down for Madam Pince's sake. "Lyra, you're so incredible!"
But, of course, there was always the one person to bring the mood down. For Lyra, that person often was James Potter, always looking for a way to antagonize her. "What do you mean you talked to McGonagall? Did you tell her what we were doing?"
"Yes, Potter, because I am a complete idiot," the blonde answered sarcastically, looking at him like he was an idiot.
James messed up his hair and sent her a mocking look. "Could have fooled me."
Lyra glared at him and was about to argue back when Remus spoke up, obviously not in the mood for his friends to argue. "Lyra, don't take everything James says to heart. James, Lyra just helped us. You could be a little grateful."
"Why should I be grateful for her finding information literally anyone of us could have found?" James asked, still bitter as he watched his friends being in awe of Lyra Black, out of all people's, findings.
"Then why didn't you?" she asked, tilting her head in challenge. He kept glaring at her, knowing that she had won that argument. The other boys just tried to ignore their never ending rivalry.
"You know what?" James shoved his chair back, annoyed. He glared right into Lyra's eyes as she pretended not to be bothered. "Screw this, screw you. I'm going to go practice Quidditch and actually do something productive with my time?"
She scoffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder dramatically. "You call Quidditch doing something productive? It's literally the most useless, unnecessary sport ever invented."
Sirius, Remus and Peter all tried to signal for her to stop. Sirius and Remus both knew she wasn't a big fan of Quidditch, but they hadn't mentioned it to James because they didn't want him to dislike her even more than he already did.
Slowly, James turned back to look at her. His eyes were crazed in passion, and definitely not in a good way. For a boy who's whole life was Quidditch, insulting it was not the best idea. "What in the bloody hell did you just say?"
"Only the truth," Lyra smiled bitterly, opening her arms in challenge against the boy. "Quidditch is the dumbest sport I've ever heard of. All people do is try to throw things at each other and through a hoop, which barely matters because whoever gets the Snitch usually wins."
"I knew you were a bit slow but I never expected you to be quite so stupid," the boy spat, him glasses getting crooked on his nose because of the pure passion he said it with. "There have been plenty of matches where the team who caught the snitch didn't win."
"Then why haven't I heard of any of them, huh, Potter?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in question.
"Because you're stupid, that's why," he retorted, louder than he had to. Some people were turning from the closest tables, which were still pretty far away. They were whispering among themselves.
"Good one," Lyra complimented sarcastically, giving him a mock round of applause. "How many brain cells did you have to sacrifice to come up with that one? Or did you just ask your lads, because we all know you're nothing without them."
James's eyes widened at the insult. He wasn't sure just how she knew his insecurities. It wasn't easy being just one of four brilliant people, not standing out. Quidditch was his sport, and her insulting both it and him was unacceptable. "Now, listen here-"
"Alright, let's calm down here," Remus attempted to diffuse the situation. But Lyra was acting stubborn and James was pissed off beyond belief. He put his hand on James's arm to bring him back to reality.
The Potter boy grabbed Remus's hand harshly and pushed it off him. He pointed his finger at Lyra, adjusting his glasses with his other hand as they kept falling askew. "I can't let her get away with saying what she's saying!"
"What are you going to do? Hex me?" the blonde scoffed, as if she was challenging him. "Sorry, I'm not gonna stand for that. If you even try, I will get you back ten times worse."
Sirius wasn't sure if he was more worried or annoyed at his friend and cousin's argument, but the last thing he needed was for two of his favorite people to hate each other more than they already did. "Neither of you are going to hex each other over a fight over Quidditch!"
"It's about more than Quidditch!" James exclaimed, turning to look at his dark-haired best friend incredulously. He knew that him and Lyra were related, but he didn't think he'd take her side over his in an argument.
Even Peter decided to intervene at that point. "James, please."
Lyra was close to laughing at the rage on James's face, and the fact that he had a vein in his neck that was growing larger by the moment. "Yeah, it's about the fact that you're oversensitive and reacting horribly just by me giving my opinion on a really stupid sport!"
"Stop calling it that!" he screamed, gaining attention from the whole library. Once he saw the fact that everybody was staring at them, he turned back to Lyra. "This is your fault."
Madam Pince stalked towards the group as Lyra was about to respond. Madam Pince was never particularly happy, but she had never seemed as furious as she was at that moment. "You five! Out! Now!"
"Madam Pince-" Lyra attempted to politely apologize, but she was quickly cut off.
"Now!"
The five hurried out of the library, all their books clutched tightly in their arms as they tried to avoid the burning glare of the Hogwarts librarian, who probably would have killed them if it wouldn't mean time in Azkaban for her.
"I hope you lot think twice before making so much noise in the library! It is a place for studying, not petty teenage squabbles!" the librarian turned to look at James and Lyra in particular. "I don't care what relationship issues the two of you are going through as long as it disturbs me and the other students. Now think about what you've done."
"That's not-" James tried to correct her, wanting to say they would never be a couple
"Gross!" Lyra shivered in disgust at the idea of her and James Potter as a couple.
Sadly, Madam Pince walked away because she basically didn't care. The personal lives of her students meant less than nothing to her, and she wasn't going to waste her prescious time listening to two students try to convince her they could never be a couple.
Angry, Lyra turned to James, her anger finally matching his. "I can't believe you got us thrown out of the library! I get that it's no big deal for you, you probably get thrown out all the time. But I'm a prefect!"
"Nobody cares!" he yelled back, his face getting red in anger. "Also, it's your fault for Merlin's sake! I'm not the one who started trash-talking the most important thing in your life, that was all you."
Lyra rolled her eyes, crossing her arm over her chest. "If Quidditch is the most important thing in your life then you really needed a bit of trash-talk, I think."
"Shut up!" he snapped.
"Make me!"
"How about you just learn to not meddle in other people's business?" James asked mockingly, as if this was a brand new idea he was extremely proud of. Remus was beginning to suspect James was having a bit of fun fighting with Lyra.
"Merlin, just leave me alone, Potter!" Lyra groaned in annoyance. Throughout their years at Hogwarts, he always seemed to have a way to anger her, annoy her or make her miserable just for the hell of it. She was getting sick of it.
"Me leave you alone? That's rich," James scoffed, ignoring the annoyance on Sirius's, Remus's and Peter's faces. "You're the one who always seems to seek us out, like you just did a few minutes ago."
She shook her head, finding him unbelievable. She wondered if he treated everyone who tried to help him and his friends like this. "I'm trying to help you and you treat me like this."
"As if you want to help us," he rolled his eyes. "You're a pureblood supremacist who's going to be muggleborn murdering Death Eater with the whole lot of your family and your house, don't even try to pretend otherwise."
"James," Remus scolded him softly as Sirius pursed his lips, looking away. Neither of them could believe that James could ever be so cruel to somebody they cared about, but they were proven wrong.
"You know it's true!"
Lyra's eyes were widened in hurt. She wasn't sure why his words hit her so much, it wasn't because of who said it. She couldn't care less about what James Potter thought about her, even if she tried.
But the words he said struck her to the core. Because she was far from blind to what was going on in the outside world, and she was definitely not blind to the fact that Bellatrix and her husband were part of the ones causing the chaos. She wouldn't be surprised if she tried to recruit Lyra.
However, she had tried hard not to think about it. She tried to be good most days, and to be nice. But maybe it would never make up for the destiny that seemed be ready for her. But until then, she wouldn't stand for anybody reminding her and saying those things to her face. Especially not James Potter.
With fast reflexes, Lyra raised her wand from her pocket and pointed it to James. He couldn't even lift his before she cast the Jelly-Legs Jinx on him, hoping he would think twice before insulting her again. "Locomotor Wibbly!"
It only took a second for James to fall to the floor, his legs like jelly. Lyra could hear Remus and Sirius scolding her, calling out her name for her to stop. But she didn't care, she just wanted James Potter to shut up.
"Langlock!" she cast another jinx. James tried to yell, or speak in general. But it was a bit difficult to understand him while his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. But it was safe to say the words he was trying to say weren't quite nice.
Sirius knew the two could argue, but they had never reached the point where they would raise their wands to one another, and he didn't think the first one to draw would be Lyra. "Lyra, stop it!"
Lyra glanced at him and saw his pleading expression. She turned back to James and glared. "Next time, think before you speak. Not everyone's as merciful as I am."
They didn't see Lyra until class the next day, when she refused to look at any of them. Which was alright, because none of them were too keen on speaking to her after the display of anger she had showed. But it was only temporary. Lyra didn't stay away from those boys for long.