Chapter 11: Aftermath
Monday October 20th, 1979
Lily opened her eyes. It's way too early. I'm dead tired. When she sat up in bed her heart jumped a mile. She wasn't expecting Sarah to be sitting at the foot of her bed watching her. "Sarah! What are you doing!?"
"Morning to you too sleepyhead. I was just about to wake you up," Sarah replied.
"How did you get in? We changed the password," Lily said.
"I have my ways, love. Now get dressed," Sarah said smiling.
"Oh yea…" Lily said, realizing what Sarah meant. Doing as she was told, Lily got dressed, although she wished she could crawl back into bed. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Lily didn't even get to apply any make-up before Sarah was dragging her out of her room.
"You look fine. Besides, you haven't forgotten last night, have you?" Sarah said before Lily could protest. "I can't wait."
Lily managed to free her arm from Sarah's grasp as Lane and Cassidy caught up with them.
"Something happened to the Slytherins," Lane said as they made their way to the Great Hall.
"What happened?" Lily asked, curious as to how much Lane knew.
"I'm not sure exactly," Lane admitted.
"No one knows for sure," Cassidy said. "I guess we'll find out what happened later."
"What class do we have with them?" Sarah asked.
"Transfiguration. Everyone except Jinelle and Vance," Lane replied, "second period."
"I don't think I can wait that long," Sarah said.
"I'm sure someone has to know," Lily said as they entered the Great Hall.
"Yeah. This is Hogwarts after all," Sarah said, sitting down next to Sirius as the Gryffindor table.
"Lia said that they had a row this morning. Bella and presumably Jinelle, because Bella was yelling and Jinelle went to the Hospital Wing this morning." Lily and Sarah exchanged looks.
"What happened to Jinelle?" James asked.
"I think Lia said she was burned a bit and was cut up from when Bella threw something at her," Lane told them.
"What was the row about?" Lily asked.
"Something about a note," Cassidy shrugged.
Lily bit her lip. Jinelle went to the Hospital Wing.
"I don't see any of the 7th years," Sarah said as she scanned the Slytherin table for them.
"Damn," Sirius said dejectedly.
"It's ok," Sarah told him as she patted his arm comfortingly.
"Do you guys know what happened?" Kirsten asked, appearing behind Lily with Julia at her side.
"Not really," Sarah answered.
"No one knows!" Kirsten said. She turned on her heels and returned to her place at the table.
"Everybody's talking about it," Julia said, "but no one knows what happened."
"Typical," Cassidy commented.
"Yeah," Julia agreed. "I gotta go. I'll see you guys later."
"We gotta go too, or we're going to be late," Lily said standing up from the table.
"I don't feel like going to DA-DA," Sarah complained.
"Me neither," Lane agreed as they made their way out of the Great Hall.
"Lane!" a voice called from behind them. Lane turned around to find Pierre trying to catch up to her.
"You guys can go ahead," Lane said as she stopped to wait for Pierre.
Sarah's smile slipped a bit form her face.
"Sarah," Lily whispered warningly.
Sarah mentally scolded herself and opened her mind to Lily's, curious as to what she thought.
Sarah promised she wouldn't fall for him. Always falling in and out of love…
I am not! Sarah thought angrily projecting her thoughts to the redhead beside her.
Lily stopped walking and touched Sarah's arm. "Sarah?" she asked suspiciously.
Now what? Sarah thought as she turned around to face Lily.
Lily's eyes were huge. Oh my god! SARAH!
What? Sarah thought irritably at Lily's crazy mood.
Sarah, I can hear you! It's like your voice, but different. Almost as if I'm reading what you say! So this is what it's like to be you! Sarah! I can tell what you're thinking!
Sarah's face lit up with excitement and squealed.
"Lily this is awesome!" she said as she gave Lily a hug.
"I know!" Lily said happily.
"What's going on?" James asked suspiciously.
"Um..nothing," Lily replied.
"Sure," Sirius said sarcastically.
Lily and Sarah experimented with their newfound gift. They figured out they could talk to each other with their minds. Lily could only "talk" to Sarah if Sarah established the connection first. They found it easy to distinguished what the other was trying to "say" and not read the other's private thoughts. All this was found out on the way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. The two worked quickly when they really wanted something.
Sirius and James were very relived when they reached the classroom because they couldn't, for the life of them, figure out what Lily and Sarah were laughing about. Or if they were laughing at them. Which would be even worse, for James and Sirius appeared to be on the receiving end of it.
Sarah pulled the door open and they all went inside. Sarah and Lily took their seats and James and Sirius sat behind them at another table. Lane quietly slipped into her seat next to Celia, the only Hufflepuff in the class before Professor Brahman entered from the side room.
Professor Brahman stood at the front of the room and cleared his throat, trying to gain the attention of his class. One of the largest he taught. "Today we will be studying Granchers, a highly dangerous, venomous, treacherous animal. They usually on-" he stopped when the heavy oak door in the back of the classroom creaked as it opened. Everyone head turned to the doorway to see who dared enter Professor Brahman's classroom late.
Every head that was turned gasped in surprise, disgust, and shock. And slowly but surely, everyone tried to suppress the laughter that threatened to ring throughout the classroom. The Slytherins glared at the rest of their peers, daring each and everyone of them to laugh. Their new wardrobe and the alters in their appearances was a hit, to say the least. Bella quickly sat down at one table and pulled Ember into the seat next to her. Rodolphus, who usually sat with Bella, quickly recovered from this silent blow and sat down at a table with Zane. Snape and Jinelle were forced to take a walk of shame to the very first table in the front of the classroom in the middle of the three rows. All eyes were on them as they made their way to the last empty table in the room. When the pair sat down, the hushed whispers began.
Professor Brahman tried to regain the attention of his class, but it was futile. Sighing, he wrote a few questions on the board and instructed his class to answer them with their textbooks. The textbooks opened, but no one read. There was more interesting things going on right that moment. He sat down at his desk and got out papers that needed to be graded. He knew it was going to be a long day.
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The talk at breakfast was just a slight shower of a precursor that was followed by a downpour of gossip that took over the minds of the students at Hogwarts by lunch. Everyone was talking about it. And when the Slytherins didn't show up for lunch, it only worsened.
"Are you going to eat that?" Sirius asked Sarah of her half uneaten sandwich.
"There's a whole plate of 'em right in front of you," Sarah pointed out.
"Yea…So can I have yours?" he repeated.
Sarah rolled her eyes and resumed her conversation with Lily. "Did you see them in DA? Bella was furious with Rodo!" Sirius tried to grab her sandwich and she slapped his hand away.
"Ow!" Sirius cried out.
"I know! She wasn't happy with him at all," Lily agreed.
"I don't blame her! I would be too if someone framed my boyfriend and best friend!" Sarah exclaimed.
"Uh, Sarah? It was your idea," Lily said.
"I know. I just didn't think it would work so well!" Sarah said happily. "I must be a genius."
Sirius snorted while trying to contain his laughter.
"Sarah!" Lia called out as she made her way to the Gryffindor table.
"Yea?" Sarah asked while she slapped Sirius' hand again when he tried to steal her sandwich.
"You won't believe it!"
"What?" Sarah asked.
"Some of these fourth years are trying to sneak into the Slytherin common room to see them!" Lia told them.
"That's stupid," Lily said. "They'll be cooked and eaten for dinner if they don't keep their noses out of there. The Slytherins weren't too happy all morning. I don't think they'll be too pleased when the fourth years try to get in."
Lia frowned a bit and nodded. "I'll see you later," she said to Sarah and left.
"Aw, Lily. I think you burst her bubble!" Sarah teased.
"Yea, she was probably planning on going with," James added.
Lily just rolled her eyes.
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"Come here my Fantastic Eight! Well, minus Peter. 'Cause he's not here. Which is really too bad. Where is he anyways? I haven't seen him awhile…well outside class and all…" Sarah said as she skipped through the portrait entrance and into the Heads' common room where James, Lily, Sirius, Lane, Cassidy, and Remus were all lounging around talking.
"What is it Sarah?" Lily asked her, interrupting Sarah's train of thought.
"What? Oh. The Slytherins. Their tiny little brains have come to the conclusion that the Marauders had something to do with their…uh...alteration," Sarah told them. "And supposedly they have something really nasty up their nasty, grimy, pink sleeves for you guys. They don't know that Lily and I were there. Obviously."
"Great," Lily said sarcastically.
"But Jinelle's out of the Hospital Wing," Sarah informed them.
"Like we care…" Sirius said as he got up. "I think I'm going to go find Kristen…"
"Uh, hello! Did you not just hear Sarah? You're not going by yourself are you? They'll be looking for you," Lane told him.
"They don't scare me," Sirius said defiantly.
"It doesn't matter if they scare your or not. They can still hurt you," Lane argued.
"I'll come with you," Sarah said.
"No," Sirius said, getting a bit angry. "I can take care of myself. You don't have to go. And don't you dare follow me." He stepped through the hole and was gone.
"Fine then. He gets what he deserves," Lane said.
Sarah nodded and Lily patted her arm.
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They think I can't take care of myself. I don't need Sarah to watch over me. Why can't she stay out of my business? If she doesn't want me then she shouldn't prevent me from snogging someone else. I don't even like Sarah. James and Remus are hallucinating. I wonder where Kristen is…Sirius thought as he roamed the halls looking for something or someone.
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Lily quietly slipped from the room without anyone noticing. Thankfully, her door didn't creak when she opened it. She made her way to the loose floorboard with the hole in it. It had been in the back of her mind all of last night and today, nagging her to read more. She lifted the floorboard up and pulled out the diary. She sat cross-legged on the floor with the diary on her lap. Lily wanted to know more, but she was trespassing. It wasn't her diary. But it was left here. Anyone could have read it. There was a small knot of guilt in her stomach. Lily opened the diary to the next entry.
September of 1957
Professor Artis was quite angry today, for no apparent reason. He gave Brianna a detention! She was quite furious. She was up here debating whether she should serve her detention. I told her just to go. She was driving me quite mad. And she keeps pestering me about Charles. I think she secretly likes Harold, but does not want to go out with him so she bugs me to. I am not sure. She is a bit of a mystery sometimes. But she always tells me everything. And if she did like Harold, she would definitely of have told me. Right? Brina is not one to keep secrets.
Crison is looking for me to do rounds. I like talking to him.
Gabella, hiding it under the mattress is not going to work. I am far too clever for that. Give me a bit of a challenge! Harold is perfect for Gabella, but she just does not see it. And I certainly do not like him. I adore Nicholas. He smiled at me today in Transfiguration. I think he fancies me. And I never keep secrets from you, Gabella. You know that. Charles is so boring. And Professor Artis is evil. I think Gabella secretly likes Harold. Keeping secrets from me and then accusing me of doing it. Naughty, naughty.
Lily smiled to herself. Brianna seems a bit like Sarah. Annoying, but you can't help but loving her. Who were these people? Were they actually real people? Students at Hogwarts? And if so, why won't Gabriella go out with Harold if he liked her? Brianna really must've liked Nicholas. That sounds like Sarah. Gabriella had good taste in friends.
The door to her room opened, and Lily hid the diary behind her back.
"Lilei? What are you doing?" Sarah asked her.
"Uh, nothing," Lily lied.
"Lilei, this is me you're talking to. Why are you sitting on the floor?" Sarah questioned her.
"Um, I was just looking to see if I got a splinter in my foot. But, uh, I didn't!" Lily tired to lie.
"Ok, then. Come on down," Sarah said as she closed the door, not believing Lily for a second.
Lily sighed in relief and put the diary back. Thank goodness she had put the floorboard back when she first got it out or Sarah wouldn't of have put it down. And Lily just didn't feel like sharing this little secret of hers just yet.
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As Sirius rounded the corner, he heard voices coming from the other end of the hallway. Ugh. People. I hope it's not a bunch of girls. I really don't feel like dealing with them all now. But I do hope it's Kristen and Julia. He grinned at the prospect of having a snogging buddy for the night and quickened his pace. Light was still pouring in from the end of the hallway via the stained glass window at the end the group was coming from. Sirius couldn't make out their faces or any distinguishing features, for they were in the shadows. He quickened his pace to see who it was. Only when he could, he wasn't so happy.
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"I'm going to go find Lia or Celia. And see what happened with those fourth years," Sarah laughed.
"Hopefully there still is some fourth years left," James joked. They all laughed.
"I'm going back to the dorm, I still have homework to do," Lane said.
"Me too," Cassidy said.
"And me," Remus added after Cassidy elbowed him in the side. They all chuckled at this while Cassidy blushed. The four stood up and said their good-byes.
"I'll be back," Sarah told them, "don't worry."
"I won't," Lily said.
Sarah, Lane, Cassidy, and Remus made their way out of the common room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hello Sirius."
Sirius grunted in return.
"That isn't any way to greet you favorite-est cousin, now is it?" Bella asked.
Sirius didn't bother to reply.
"You need to learn some manners," Bella told him, raising her wand.
"Expelliamus!" Sirius yelled.
"Protego! Stupefy!" Bella shouted, immediately, Sirius froze.
"Incarcerous," Snape added, binding Sirius' legs and wrists together.
"Now what?" Ember asked timidly.
"This would be so much more fun if he was awake. Ennervate," Bella said. Sirius unfroze and tried to escape from the ropes that he found around his wrists and ankles.
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"Ah! Don't ever let Sirius know that I told you that!" Remus said. "He'll kill me if he knew that I told you guys!"
"We won't say anything," Sarah assured him, winking at Lane.
"Never," Lane agreed.
"I'm dead," Remus said, hanging his head.
"It'll be fine. We won't say anything," Cassidy told him while she sent Sarah and Lane glared and squeezed his hand in assurance.
Sarah made a gagging face behind Cassidy's back and Lane giggled.
"Knock if off Sarah," Cassidy said, not even bothering to look at her.
"Sorry Mum. I'll be good," Sarah told her with a fake smile.
Cassidy and Remus walked faster than Sarah and Lane did, leaving the two trailing behind them. "They look cute together," Lane said.
"Yeah. They do. I'm happy for her," Sarah said.
"You are?"
"Yea. Why wouldn't I be?" Sarah asked.
Lane shrugged. "No reason. I'm glad that you're glad for her."
"Nice," Sarah said. When the hallway divided into two ways Sarah turned to the one on the right.
"Aren't you coming this way?" Lane asked. "It's shorter."
"I think I'll go this way."
"Why?"
"I don't know," Sarah shrugged.
"Whatever," Lane said. "Later."
"Ok, bye," Sarah said.
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"Sectumsempra," Severus cast, his wand pointing at Sirius.
Sirius felt the blood trickle down his face and from another place on his arm. Suddenly there was a searing pain, as if he was being cut by a knife. He cried out in pain.
"No one can hear you," Bella said with her nose in the air. "Do it again, Severus," she ordered.
"Sectumsempra! Sectumsempra!" Severus said again.
Sirius could feel the wounds opening up. He tried to sit up, but the pain was unbearable. The pain was intensifying. He could feel himself losing consciousness from all of the pain searing through his body. He faintly hear Bella say Stupefy and the footsteps leaving him alone in a deserted corridor.
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I wonder what Lily and James do together when the Fantastic Eight isn't there…They do have it all to themselves…Ah. Probably not the same thing I would use it for. Sarah grinned. Fantastic Eight. We need a new name. Something with an 'e'. Eager. Energized. Exciting. Easy. Haha. Only a few of us are actually easy…No! Ebullient! Yes! Fantabulous! We're the Ebullient Eight. Thank goodness for Mish and those crazy books that she has to read. And the dictionary she has. I wonder if dad sent her my letter. I hope he remembered. Maybe I'll owl him and find out. Sarah thought as she walked down the hall. She noticed something in the middle of the corridor ahead of her. It cast a long dark shadow towards her. What is it? Out of curiosity, instead of turning left into the next hallway, she continued straight. What is it? Oh god. It's a person! She rushed to the figure on the floor. Sarah sucked in her breath and held it. Sirius was lying unconscious at her feet.
A/N: Well. That's about 7 pages, and at size 12pt and not my normal 14, so that's good. Well, it's be over a month since I updated. Yup, so that's a reason to review, even if it's just to yell at me for not updating sooner. And Gabriella and Brianna is in here! I know I'm not the greatest writer, I'm pretty bad actually, but the plot is ok. And the drama is fabulous. You can thank my G-ma for that, 'cause she got me THE FIRST SEASON OF One Tree Hill!!!! Yea, OTH rocks. And so does the drama that's coming.
If I get 6 reviews ('cause of the New Year, '06) I'll update before…oh the 15th. Ok? More reviews equals faster writing time and update time.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!