Return to Hogwarts
September 1st, 1975. (Monday)
The morning was slow, compared to the last years. Lily didn’t wake up at the crack of dawn, eager to go back to school. She instead chooses to have a little lie in, daydreaming about their quite eventful holidays. She couldn’t believe that her sisters were both witches. Actually, no. That, she could believe. But she didn’t understand Dumbledore’s motives in hiding that. She knew, thanks to the little vision she got the other day when she accidentally touched him, that he was responsible for her sisters’ lack of Hogwarts letters. But why would he do that? Were they the only ones? Were there other muggleborns, or squib-borns maybe, who didn’t have had a letter? Who didn’t have an inkling that they were magicals, and not alone? And did he act alone, or were they a larger conspiration? Maybe a pureblood one, to keep the magic for themselves? Or a ministry one?
She scowled at that thought. She went with Petunia and Sirius to ask for a Floo connection in the ministry. She saw the disdain the workers had for her just because they were not pureblood. She knew, if they had used the name Sayre instead of Evans, it would have been much quicker and sweeter. But Tuney insisted that they kept a low profile for now. Fortunately, having Sirius with them hastened the process. But it was a headache all the same. How many people did have to suffer such attitudes against them?
She sighed. It wasn’t quite 10 am yet. But she needed to get up, take a shower and breakfast.
She didn’t want to go back. Not after this summer. Even the fact that she was chosen as Gryffindor female prefect was not enough to tame the bitter feeling that not everything was right. Nothing would be… Not yet at least. Because she was determined to making things right. She knew Sirius was the same, and the weight of his pureblood voice would be a great help.
But first, shower. Then, breakfast. Then, she would bid goodbye to her family and take the Floo to the Platform 9 ¾.
A smile started to spread on her lips when she thought about what she planned to do, once she was at the castle. She would see if her Head of House was in on Dumbledore’s scheme, or if she was merely a sycophant.
With a little spring in her steps, Lily exited the bathroom. Her still damp hair was put in a bun. And, for the first time in five years, she was already in uniform. She didn’t have to worry about crossing the bustling train station, this year. She would take advantage of it.
A little while later, Lily patted the hair of her younger sister before stepping back.
“Don’t worry, V. I will be back before you know it! Take care, sweetling.”
She waved to her parents and sisters and took a bit of Floo powder.
“Platform 9 ¾, Kings Cross!”
The fire burned green, and she was whisked away when she stepped in. A couple of seconds later, she emerged from one of the many fireplaces in the station. Her head raised high, she started to walk toward the train, her trunk floating behind her. She ignored the disbelieving stare of many purebloods she knew and chose her compartment carefully. A little while later, Sirius joined her, laughing like a loon.
“Oh, the look on my mother face when she saw you arriving from the fireplace! If looks could kill, you would be dead twice over!”
“I’m glad to be entertaining, Sirius, really. But could you stop rolling on my knees while you laugh?”
“Ah, sorry Lils,” he said trying to get his breathing under control. “It was just so funny! Especially once I pointed out that you were one of Marius granddaughter! I never saw her so red!”
Rolling her eyes, Lily shook her head. And smiled to the young man still at the door.
“Hello there. I’m Lily Evans. You must be Regulus? I don’t think our paths have already crossed?”
“Regulus Black, younger brother to that lump, yes,” said the newcomer, smiling slightly “Might I say how happy am I to discover some other family thought long-lost? The effect it had on our grandfather was simply extraordinary. Our Lord Black was a little bit of a recluse, before, letting everyone doing what they wanted. Your existence rekindled his flame, his interest in the family. So, thank you, miss Evans.”
“You’re very welcome, Mr Black. But call me Lily. We are family after all!”
“Regulus, then.”
“Oh, come one Reggie, stop being so formal!”
“Shut it, Sirius!”
Lily offered a seat to Regulus, trying to stop them from bickering, but he declined, having his friends waiting elsewhere.
A little bit later, James Potter came, dragging with him Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. It was a signal of a sort, because Lily and Remus then went to the prefects compartment, for a prefect meeting.
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September 1st, 1975. (Monday)
The Hufflepuff Head Girl, Joanna Abbott, and the Ravenclaw Head Boy, Nathan Wood, were already here.
The six prefects for Slytherin were also there. Andrew Parkinson and Julianna Avery were the two fifth-year prefects. Charles Rosier and Carmen De Fuentes were the two sixth-year prefects. Paracelsus Rowle and Holly Rookwood were the two seventh-year prefects.
Jane Lavigne and Joshua Hunter were the two fifth-year prefects from Ravenclaw. There was also Rajesh Patil and Désirée Turpin, for the sixth-year Ravenclaw prefects, and Marylin Mason for the seventh-year prefect of Ravenclaw.
A little after their arrival, the entire Hufflepuff contingent came. Archibald Smith and Emily David for the fifth-year. Lionel Dubois and Amaranth Després for the sixth-year, and Desmond Bones for the seventh-year.
Finally, the rest of the Gryffindor prefects arrived, chatting loudly between them. Angelus Fawley and Lana Prescott were the sixth-year prefects, while Bastian Crowley and Cheryl Bluesky were the seventh-year prefects.
“Alright, now that we are all here, we can start!” Said Nathan Wood loudly after letting a “bang” come out of his wand, silencing the chatting prefects. “For those of you unaware, I’m Nathan Wood, Head Boy this year, and I’m from Ravenclaw. My colleague, here, is Joanna Abbott, and the Head Girl.”
There were some nods to greet the two seventh-year students, then Wood started again.
“Welcome to our new prefect this year. This meeting is to set some patrols for the train, and to explain your duties year-round. So…”
They talked about doing this by year and House and set to have a patrol every half-hour. Lily and Remus would take a round at 13h00. They then talked about getting the first-year to the common room and explain things to them. Lily asked if there was a written base for these explanations, and the three other Houses happily handed their examples.
“But, why? It’s not like it’s all that complicated,” objected Lana Prescott, the Gryffindor sixth-year female prefect.
“It’s not, but I certainly resent the lack of structure we have in Gryffindor. Why, as a first-year, all I had was “Your dorm are here, good night”. Not even a “ask us anything if you have any problems”. I would like to make the first year feel welcome and guided. What about study group? We have none, officially, in Gryffindor.”
“The kids can study amongst themselves, we do not have to tell them,” scoffed Prescott.
“I really can’t fathom why you were chosen for prefect, Prescott,” drawled Julianna Avery. “Maybe it’s because none in your year can have enough braincell together to get a decent human being?”
“Shut it, you snake! I didn’t ask for your slimy input,” replied Prescott, sneering.
“Calm down, you two,” intervened Wood. “We are prefects, we are needed to set a good example. No fighting! Now, Evans. You want to put some study groups in place for Gryffindor, right? All the other Houses have some, in one way or another. For example, in Ravenclaw, the three top students in each year and subjects offer their help to their classmates or the younger year. We also have a mentor system where a first-year student is paired with a fourth-year student at the end of the first week.”
“In Hufflepuff, every night after dinner is “study time” where everyone who needs helps for their homework can ask others. It’s not mandatory but everyone is always coming,” helpfully commented the Head Girl, Abbott.
“In Slytherin, we have a similar system from Ravenclaw. But instead of being voluntary to attend, everyone who slipped under an Acceptable is needed to come or our Head of House have to contact the parents,” piped up Avery. “The mentor system is also used. But it is a sixth-year paired to a first-year.”
Lily hummed thoughtfully; after taking some notes on a notebook she had in her uniform pocket.
“The mentor system will have to wait until we talk to the older years, but I think the study groups can be implemented at the end of the week, don’t you, Remus?”
“Yes. I know that Sirius can help tutoring in Defence and Astronomy, while James can do Transfiguration. Peter could help for Care, and I am quite knowledgeable in History. You can do Charms, you’re always the first in class. And Potions maybe? We can ask around for the rest of the subjects.”
“Do as you want, you will not have any help from us,” scowled Prescott. “Right, guys?”
“You’re just lazy, Prescott. This is a good idea, Evans. I will be happy to help. I can do Herbology for the study groups,” answered Cheryl Bluesky. “And I know Bastian is a dab hand in Runes.”
“I am, and I can help, yes,” nodded the seventh-year Gryffindor prefect. We can strategize after the prefect meeting, as we do not do rounds for a moment.”
“You’re right, thanks. Sorry Wood, Abbott, if I derailed the meeting here. It’s just something that bugged me since the first year.”
“It’s alright Evans. You will have a copy of our start-of-year speeches before we adjourn,” smile Abbott.
They then started talking about the night-patrols in the castle, working a schedule, and Wood revealed this year password for the Prefect bathroom. Each prefect then received an envelope with the first password for their common room, and the meeting came at an end. As promised, Abbott had a copy of each House speeches. When they exited the compartment, only the Gryffindor stayed.
Well, except for Prescott who hightailed out of it. The remaining Gryffindor prefects rolled their eyes and started to work on the speech and the study groups.
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September 1st, 1975. (Monday)
The feast was, as always, delicious. Lily helped the new first years, answering their questions, reassuring them, and guiding them to the common room. Then, as she has discussed with Remus on the train, they took turn to explain some of Hogwarts rules. They also explained about curfew, about homework, about helping each other and asking for help if needed. This year, they also introduced the study groups they came with on the prefect meeting. They added that, if anyone was interested in sharing their knowledges in any subjects, they were welcome to add their names on a list. The prefects would check that list every night and investigate their claims. If they were right, they would be asked to choose a time period to share their knowledges and help others.
Finally, Lily showed the first-year girls their dorms and added that she would take the time to escort them to breakfast in the morning.
Now, back in the common room, Lily waited for Remus to come back. Sirius was waiting with them. They talked about informing their Head of House about the changes this year, and Sirius said that he would come with them to give McGonagall the dates for when the Lord of House Black needed him home. Angelus Fawley and Bastian Crowley were also waiting with Cheryl Bluesky. Only Lana Prescott was chatting with her friends on their way to the dorms.
“Finally, Rem! I thought you were lost on your way. Not a good example for the first-year that, yeah?”
“Oh, stuff it, Sirius. Some of them had questions, that’s all.”
“Now that we are all here, maybe we can hurry up? I would love to unpack tonight,” interrupted Bluesky, smiling slightly.
They knocked on the Portrait of the Fat Lady to get out and get down to the sixth floor where Minerva McGonagall office was.
“Hello again, professor,” smiled Lily when their Head of House opened her door. “We would like to keep you apprised of some changed in the prefect routine.”
“Very well. May I ask where is miss Prescott, and why Mr Black is here, if this is prefect related?”
“Oh, I’m just here to inform you that, as the new Heir Black, I would be required to go home on certain days. I have the dates here, with me.”
“And Prescott felt that our prefect routine was perfect before, so she didn’t want to involve herself in this,” smiled Bastian Crowley.
Minerva McGonagall let them in and took place behind her desk.
“Very well. Mr Black, if you would be so kind as to give me the dates of your absences? I will ask the Headmaster about his permission.”
“Aah, I think you misunderstood me, professor. I’m not here to ask, I’m here to inform you of the days I will not be here. As you know, this is a Family Matter, and it can’t be hindered by anything. So I will be home from before breakfast on the 22nd of September, and I will be back the 24th after dinner. Then the 30th of October before breakfast, until the 1st of November after dinner. For the winter break, I will go home the 20th of December and come back with the rest of the students in January. Then, I will depart home the 31st of January before breakfast and come back the 2nd of February after dinner. Next time will be the 20th of March before breakfast, and I will be back the 22nd of March after dinner. Then, it will be the 30th of April before breakfast, and I return on the 2nd of May after dinner. And, finally, I will depart for summer break the 20th of June before breakfast.”
He let McGonagall note down the dates, frowning, while he kept an amiable smile.
“I bid you a good night, professor, and I will take my leave,” he theatrically bowed before leaving.
“Well, then. What about your prefect routine?” Abruptly asked the Transfiguration mistress once the door was closed behind Sirus.
“We felt that adding some study groups will be beneficial for the students, so we will be drawing a schedule for them once the week is ending,” started Cheryl Bluesky. “Actually, when I said we, I mean Evans, here. But we are in accord. Her idea is good, and it is already implemented in the other Houses.”
“Additionally, we would like to put a “mentor” system in place. Maybe not this year, but next year? We have the input from the two other House where it is implemented, so it would just be a matter of asking older students to be the mentor for a new first year. But we need your approval before implementing it.”
“I was unaware that the other Houses had study groups and mentor system,” mused the professor, surprised. “It is a good idea. Will it be run entirely by the prefects?”
“The beginning, yes. But as the year progressed, I think it will become some sort of routine. The fifth and seventh-year will be able to concentrate on their exams while the sixth-years will be available, and we will just supervise from time to time to try to avoid unpleasant surprises. As for the mentor system, once the mentor and mentee are chosen, we thought it would be beneficial to let them work out how their relationship will work,” explained Remus.
“I see,” she said, musing.
“We would also like to take the week to help the first years to their classrooms. It can be disorientating, here, what with the moving staircases and intermittent doorway. We have worked a schedule so that not all of us will be late to all our classes. Only one prefect per period. So we would like a copy of the first-year schedule tomorrow, in addition to our own, and the permission to be late to whichever class we had when it’s our turn to escort them and show them the different shortcuts.”
The Deputy Headmistress nodded thoughtfully, thinking. The five prefects were all stoic while she thought about their ideas. Not one of them was fidgeting. So they were serious about it.
“And miss Prescott felt that it would be unwise to implement these changes?”
“Aah, yes, that’s it.”
“Very well. You have my approval. You can tell miss Prescott to come see me tomorrow, before breakfast.”
“Thank you, professor,” they chorused.
“And can I trouble you a little longer professor? I have some personal matters to discuss with you,” added Lily while the rest bid them goodnight and went back to the Common Room.
“Very well. Take a sit, miss Evans.”
Lily waited until the door was closed before she started.
“I will need to be home during the same dates as Sirius. You see, during the summer, I discovered that I was not muggleborn. My parents are not muggles, they are squibs. They were unaware of their magicals ancestors, of course.”
“Miss Evans?”
“Ah yeah, actually, it’s miss Sayre. But I will wait until this summer before officially change my name. And my sisters are witches too! Petunia is the Head of our House, as she is of age. And I’m her heir until she has kids.”
The Transfiguration mistress was silent, frowning.
“How did you discover that? Maybe the person who told you that was misinformed. After all, we did not have your sisters on the registry.”
“Ah, but do you think the goblins could be wrong about it? Because it is with their magic test that we discovered it. You see, I knew that Ivy was magical. But she didn’t receive a letter. So we went to investigate. And the only way I knew to know for certain, it was this test. Of course, it was not used much lastly, but it is still accurate. And I had enough pounds to convert in galleons in case I was wrong, to cover the cost. It’s expensive, but knowing for sure was worth it. And it turned out our maternal grandfather was a squib too, and he wasn’t obliviated! Anyway, I will go home on the same days as Sirius, for pretty much the same reasons.”
“You do know, miss Evans, that Hogwarts doesn’t celebrate the Old Ways for a reason? Yes, I know what these dates are. I’m not blind. Every year, we have students from the staunchest traditionalist family who go home on those dates. As Mr Black said, the Headmaster can’t say no. But he certainly will try to stop you, as you are a known muggleborn. “
“He can try, don’t worry about me, professor.”
“Very well. I will note your name on the roster of those who go home for “Family matters”. I just hope that you know what you are doing. Doing rituals in general is not exactly dark magic, but there is some… It can destroy your mind and your magics, miss Evans. That’s why Hogwarts doesn’t celebrate theses Holy Days anymore.”
“I think you don’t know everything, professor. But that’s okay. Nobody can know anything. Just to satisfy my curiosity… When did the rituals were ban in Hogwarts?”
“I think it was during 1940 or just before. I was not yet a student in Hogwarts.”
“Thank you, professor. Have a good night.”
“You too, miss Evans. And take care.”
“I will, thanks.”
She exited the office and got back to the tower, thinking all the way until she was in bed. She would have some things to discuss with her sisters.
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