CH 3 A New Friendship
The night wasn't the easiest for Lyra as she woke up at least five times that night as the words that she heard in her head just before she ended up in 1976 out of all the possible years she could have been sent back to.
After her sixth attempt at sleep, she just decided to lay there with her eyes close to get some rest that way, left to her own thoughts trying to figure out what the words that she last heard meant, that soon came to an end as she heard the doors open so she snapped up which startled the four that were planning on waking her up the marauder way.
That included a bucket of water of course.
"What are you four doing in here?" Lyra asked confused what the reason for their sudden entrance was just as she spotted a bucket of water floating behind them as she shook her head a simple way of waking someone up but yet something she was so used to when she lived with the twins.
"Really? try something more creative."Lyra laughed as she shook her head waving her wand causing the bucket of water to drench the four of them before they were pushed out of the room and the door close in their faces.
"My hair!"Sirius whined as he realised what had happened Lyra just smiled and got up ready to start off her day, even if she had no idea what she was going to do while living here she didn't expect to be welcomed here so easily after all.
"You had it coming, the lot of you!"Lyra yelled back with a laugh she cast a spell to refresh her clothes since she doesn't have anything on her except her wand and the clothes she had on when she was attacked by Dumbledore.
After brushing her hair to avoid any knotting and a little concert to herself as she got ready she finally made her way out only to bump into someone's chest only to look up seeing Remus Lupin, she didn't remember him being that tall but the truth be told she didn't spend as much time with the Professor in her own time so her memory was fuzzy.
"Were you four standing in front of my room the whole time?"Lyra asked feeling awkward they heard her concert just there, the four nodded with grins as Lyra sighed but shrugged.
"Enjoyed the performance of your lifetime?"She asked as she stepped aside on her way to find the library as she learned the majority if not all wizarding families had some sort of library that held the books handed down by their ancestors.
Just as she made it down the hallway she realised she was being followed so she turned around making the four nearly fall over they were that close behind her.
"Can I help you four?"She asked not sure what they wanted from her since there wasn't a reason that came to mind that would give the four of them a valid reason to suddenly follow her around she was just some girl that landed in James' garden.
"Well-" James began
"Uhm."Sirius followed with the same style of confusion as Peter and Remus glanced up at one another shaking their heads at the two.
"What these two are trying to say is that we would like to offer you our friendship," Remus said nonchalantly as Lyra looked between the lot of them in confusion and the simple one word that was really the question of Lyra's whole existence.
"Why?"She asked looking between trying to find the bit where they will break and burst out laughing and this was all a joke but there was none of that in any of their expressions not that she could see anyway.
"Well you seem cool and mum seems to like you so why not you'd be staying here for a while anyway and you're most likely attending Hogwarts with us once break is over."James shrugged with a grin his head tilted ever so slightly his glasses kind of crooked but yet it just added to his personality in an 'I dont care' way.
"I mean, sure?"Lyra told them with a bit of a forced smile, the voices in the back of her head screamed it was too early what are you doing but yet it was too late, she agreed.
"Great!"Sirius cheered with a laugh and the massive smile, one she had never truly seen in her time, the things war does to you, changed everyone the friend group that was so legendary amongst professors, especially McGonagall she would mention them sometimes would scold the twins and then mention the marauders or scold Harry and mention James.
"So Ms Lyra where are we headed."Sirius and James asked wrapping their arms around her ready to lead her wherever she wanted, it felt odd but she wouldn't complain after all what was the point of complaining anyway.
"The library, please." Lyra smiled as the two nodded and soon enough she was walking with them down corridors taking turns until they were in front of an oak door that looked like every other door in this place but it was wider and taller, the door nearly reached the ceiling.
"I present to you, the Potter library."James grinned opening the door which revealed rows of bookcases each grand and tall filled with books leaving no space for one to be put there, Lyra was in awe at the amount of knowledge in the one room.
As her thoughts spiralled she couldnt help but wonder what happened to this place if Harry knew about it at all Manors are usually extremely safe covered in ancient spells keeping everyone inside safe from intruders yet they settled for a cottage in Godric's Hollow. Was that another one of Dumbledore's plans to get rid of the obstacles?
"How do you find the one book you're looking for wouldn't that take you forever?" Lyra asked confused with the mechanics of the library as the boys all laughed as if she were joking but soon realised she was being fully serious so Remus explained.
"You simply hold out your hand and think of a specific book or you can point at a table as sometimes there could be more than one if you think of a specific topic."He explained it and demonstrated both scenarios showing how simple it was as Lyra nodded keeping that in mind as she thought of books on ancient magic pointing to an empty table with a few chairs as they started to pile up as she sat down and took one of them flicking through it seeing if it may have answers to how she ended up here.
"Soo what are you looking for we might be able to help, "Peter asked as he sat down the others soon followed as James and Sirius both leaned on the table as Lyra looked at them and shook her head.
"Cant tell yous it's more of a personal matter."She told them with a light smile before going back to her quest on how to figure this all out even though as she saw books constantly coming she knew this would take weeks to get through and she didn't have these weeks.
Some had contents pages which were helpful but when a book didn't have what she needed she figured out how to send them back with magic so it was just a constant process of books floating over, being looked at and floating back to their original spot, it was just around five hours later the four lads bored out of their mind trying to figure out what she was looking for but it was all too confusing in itself.
"Alright, none of the books I've looked at have it."She sighed rubbing her face to wake herself up from the tiring journey of looking at books the majority of the day as James whined that he sat there all day for nothing only to receive a pointed look.
"I didn't ask you to join me but you followed, your loss."She shrugged while the other three boys didn't complain Peter looked at cookery and baking spells along with various magical creatures, Remus was doing his own research while Sirius was reading poetry something the man had grown to really enjoy.
"Maybe Hogwarts will have something you're looking for Remus offered as she nodded it could potentially have it but yet she wasn't sure it would even exist in this time it was something so unexplainable that she doubted it would make the sense for it to exist with real answers.
Just as Hogwarts was mentioned a bird flew into the library as they were about to leave Lyra held her arm out for the owl to land on so it didn't go any further it held out its leg with had a letter tied to it, she carefully untied the letter from it's petting her as James told the owl that there's a bird feeder in the garden if she wanted to eat before departing.
Lyra looked down at the letter realising it was a Hogwarts letter which she smiled opening it carefully taking out the letter which said on the first page;
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster:
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., CHF. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms Sterling
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. You will join the students the day they return after midterm on 7th November, We await your owl by no later than the day after you receive this letter.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSEBOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Well, it looks like you will be joining us at Hogwarts!"James cheered as Lyra nodded with a smile as Sirius followed with a,
"Hope you join us in Gryffindor the best house there is of course."
"What's wrong with any other house, Slytherin for example?"She asked as she never understood the age-old rivalry of the houses that were just so toxic yet nothing was ever done about it, it was encouraged even by families.
"They're sick bastards bunch of evil the whole lot of them."He scoffed folding his arms, his opinion not to be changed his family is Slytherin through and through and look at the whole lot of them.
"Not everyone besides you cannot blame the whole house on a select few people that's just biased doesn't make you any better than the others."Lyra shrugged as she left the conversation there as she went to find some parchment and ink to write a response before she would go ask if it would be okay for her to go and get her stuff in Diagon Alley, she wondered if her bank account transferred to this time.
As she left them she found Euphemia who smiled at her,
"I see you got your parchment I assume you need parchment and ink."She smiled at her as Lyra looked at her with the how did you know the expression.
"Oh, just motherly intuition dear now dear here is your ink and parchment," Euphemia said with a smile as she waved her hand and ink, a quill and parchment appeared which she handed to the dark-haired girl.
"Thank you, "Lyra smiled as Euphemia nodded towards her before she walked on leaving the girl to her own devices.
"Oh, Euphemia one more thing!"Lyra called out stopping the woman once again who turned around nodded for her to go on.
"May I go to Diagon Alley and get the needed supplies."She asked as the dark-haired woman nodded with a smile.
"Of course, dear just be home by around eight dinner should be ready by then."
"Of course thank you!"Lyra smiled before leaving to go back to her room and write the response before she would venture out to Diagon Alley, maybe there will be answers in a library or a bookstore.
After a good fifteen minutes of formally structuring an answer worthy of a pureblood, she was happy to send it off, after all, she was raised by the Malfoy contrary to popular belief they aren't cruel just very old fashioned.
Once the letter was sent out she found a fireplace and used the floo to travel to the destination of Diagon Alley, a place she's hasn't been in, for quite a while now she was intrigued at how it looked back in the 70s.