Hugo
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After lunch came flying lessons with Slytherin, and Lily was thrilled. Of course, she'd been flying since she could walk, what with her parents being who they were. But that was with a toy broom, as first-years were not permitted to use a broomstick. Her mother had informed her that the real thing was in fact, very different.

Lily practiced Quidditch with James back home, and in result she had grown to have very good balance and hand-eye coordination. Her older brother had been informed of his captaincy of the Gryffindor team by owl that summer.  However, Albus had never shown much liking towards Quidditch, preferring to keep both feet safely on the ground.

The Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years marched together out onto the Hogwarts grounds, to where fifty-or-so broomsticks lay on the ground in rows. Professor McGonagall stood next to the stone walls of the castle, observing the class. The instructor, Madam Hooch, had a striking appearance, with her whitish spiky hair. Her brilliant yellow eyes reminded Lily of those of a hawk. Each student stood next to a broom as instructed, and waited.

"Everyone hold your right hand out over your broomstick and say 'Up!'"
The rows of young witches and wizards simultaneously commanded "Up!" Lily was almost startled at the speed the broom rose off the ground and into her waiting hand. The wood was smooth and fit perfectly in her small fingers. It felt right. She looked around. Miles Finnigan's looked as if it was fighting him, rising very slowly off the ground. When he quickly grew frustrated, it dropped dead on the grass. Alice Longbottom's broom hadn't moved an inch. Hugo's was flipping over repeatedly on the ground, collecting dirt. Stella's had obeyed on her second try.

Soon enough, every student had learned that patience and confidence was key, and had their brooms in hand. Madam Hooch continued the lesson, showing how to mount a broom correctly, and then walked up and down the rows correcting people's grips.

"Now, once I blow the whistle, kick off the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise off the ground just a little, and stay put until I say. On the whistle...one...two...three."

Everyone did as told. Lily wanted to fly higher, she felt the urge to zoom as fast as she could across the lake, to feel the wind whistle in her ears, to feel the rush--but far too soon, she obediently came to a half in midair. Alice Longbottom, however, appeared to be rising significantly higher than 'just a little'.

"Come back here, young lady...lean forward!"  Madam Hooch shouted in the air. Alice's face drained of color, and she was frozen in place. Lily panicked.

"Alice, lean forward! It'll be alright!" She tried to influence Alice. Other kids caught on, and started to shout encouragements to her. After about thirty seconds, Alice was nothing but a speck in the sky. As far as anyone could tell, she had remained still as a statue. Madam Hooch, after much consideration, decided to mount her own broom and go on a rescue mission.

"Stay put all of you, or face immediate expulsion." She said wearily, before streaking up into the sky after Alice.

Nobody was quite sure what to say. Everyone remained about a meter in the air, some bobbing up and down slightly in impatience. Lily tipped her head back and watched the two specks move, contrasting with the deep periwinkle sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she witnessed the most peculiar thing.

Something was falling quickly from the sky. It was small and red—and most importantly, heading straight for Hugo Weasley's unsuspecting head. Lily had no time to puzzle about why an apple was soaring toward a herd of unexperienced wizards and witches. Her reflexes kicked in before she could think it over, and she leaned in. As quickly as a lightning bolt strikes the ground, the apple was in her reach. She snatched it out of thin air when it was just an inch away from touching Hugo's fiery red hair.
"Hugo," she asked breathily, "Did you manage to make any enemies in only one day?" Hugo just stared wide-eyed at Lily, as did the other students. Lily stared at the top of the castle, trying to sort out where the apple could have come from. She could've sworn she'd seen a hand hanging out of one of the higher windows.

"POTTER!"

McGonagall marched onto the grounds, her robes of burgundy whirling around her. Lily's heart sank. She had disobeyed Hooch's orders. She would be expelled. Lily felt her dreams being shattered and crashing down all around her. For years she had been longing to get here, and would now be sent home within a day and a half.
Waves of guilt slashed around in her stomach. If she had just let that apple fall, she wouldn't be in this situation. Hugo would probably have been injured, but he would have been sent straight to the hospital wing and good as new by morning. By the time the situation had played out in Lily's head, McGonagall had reached her and taken her by the arm.

"No! She can't be expelled! It's not fair!" shouted a clear, silvery voice. Everyone, including McGonagall, stopped in their tracks and turned to see who had spoken. It seemed it could have come from the only person who was not searching around for the source. Everyone's eyes seemed to point out one person. Lily's mouth twitched in a slight smile.

McGonagall was simply astounded that the quietest girl in Gryffindor had spoken up when no one else would. But McGonagall recovered quickly. "Miss Vince...would you please join us?" Annie emerged with a grim expression and silently walked until she was next to Lily, who grabbed Annie's hand and squeezed it in thanks. This time, it was Stella who started the shouts of protest that followed them into the doors of the castle.

The few people the three witches passed on their way to McGonagall's office gave Lily and Annie sympathetic looks. They kept up with McGonagall's brisk strides, filled with dread, until they got to the headmistress's office, where a stone gargoyle stood guard.

"Dragon pox." McGonagall said simply, and the gargoyle stepped aside for them to enter. McGonagall strode to her desk and sat down in a chair.

"Sit." She told the girls, and they promptly obeyed. Close-up, Lily could clearly see the lines of stress and old age on the headmistress's face. She swallowed, disappointed in herself for getting herself in a situation like this so soon. She remembered her father telling her to stay out of trouble, only twenty-four hours in the past.

"Miss Vince," McGonagall began. Annie's knuckles were white from squeezing the arms of her chair too tightly. "What you did was very brave, and a true Gryffindor act. Thank you for standing up for your classmate. I award your house five points for your bravery, but you must remember not get yourself into trouble for it, in the future. You are dismissed." Annie exhaled loudly, and fled from the room.

"Lily." The elderly professor sighed. Lily stared at her shoes. "A few minutes ago, you proved to me how alike you are to your father." She gave a breathy little laugh. Lily's head snapped up in surprise. "You disobeyed a clear order from your professor, which could have resulted in injury. Fortunately, it did not. And you are also fortunate that you have acted under a circumstance that protects you from expulsion, by the rules of this school."  A slight smirk appeared on McGonagall's face, as Lily smiled a contagious smile.

"Due to the fact that you only acted only to protect the safety of another student, I must excuse your disregard for the rules, but I have to warn you that the next time you may not be so lucky-" In the middle of her sentence, there was a hard knock at the door of the office.

McGonagall opened it with non-verbal magic, and a flushed James Potter stuck his head into the room. "Yes, James?" McGonagall sighed. James saw Lily, and winked. Lily grinned back.

"I wanted to discuss the filling of the Seeker position..." James said vaguely, looking pointedly at Lily. McGonagall seemed to know exactly what James was getting at. "Yes. I believe we've found the perfect fit. She's a natural." She said, glancing at Lily over her shoulder. Lily practically jumped out of her seat. "Me? The Seeker?" She asked, bewildered. James nodded. "But that's impossible! I'm only a first year! I—I'm not even allowed a broom!" Lily exclaimed. McGonagall spoke calmly, as if it was old news. "I will make an exception, and you will be provided with a sufficient broom."

It was beyond unbelievable. Lily had managed to go from mentally preparing herself to be expelled, to becoming the new Gryffindor Seeker. Lily struggled for words. "Thank you—thank you!" She said, looking from James to McGonagall. The headmistress smiled affectionately at the two Potter children, and then shooed them out, clucking. "Get out, back to class, both of you."

James and Lily left without another word, both with stupid grins on their faces.
They didn't speak for a short while, but then Lily's curiosity got the better of her. "Was it you? Who...threw the apple?" She said, looking up at her older brother. James laughed. "Of course it was me. I was also who tipped her off to watch your lesson. I guess you could say that...I'm a genius and you don't know what you would do without me?" He suggested cheekily. Lily rolled her eyes. "Thanks, genius."

At dinner that night, Hugo and Stella could hardly contain themselves. "That's bloody brilliant!" Stella shouted when Lily told them her news. "You must be the only first year player since your dad!" Hugo said, awestruck. "My first practice is next Wednesday." Lily said, finishing her slice of apple pie.  "But you haven't got a broom." Stella said, raising an eyebrow. "Professor McGonagall is finding me one." Lily waved it off. Hugo shook his head in amazement.
         
That night, Lily wrote to her parents to tell them what had happened.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hogwarts is everything I hoped it to be, and more. The food is better than anyone else's—except Grandma's. Me and Hugo have made a few friends already. Alice is in my dorm, and Miles is in Hugo's. You can tell their parents that we all get along nicely. Professor Slughorn is a bit annoying, but I do like Professor McGonagall. Today was our first flying lesson, and I can't even believe what I'm about to tell you. 

First of all, I saw an apple fall from the sky headed right for Hugo's head. Madam Hooch was in the air, trying to get Alice down. I caught the apple just in time. (James threw it from a window, I learned.)

McGonagall saw me and I thought I was going to be expelled for sure, but then she let me off the hook because I only broke the rules in order to protect Hugo. Then James came in and McGonagall told him she'd found his team a Seeker, which was me. Isn't that wonderful? I'm going to be a Seeker just like you, Dad!

I hope you aren't lonely at home. No, you are probably enjoying the quiet. I miss you, but I'm doing fine. I love you both. Write to me as often as you can!

P.S. I haven't used my stone yet, but I will as soon as I can find a safe place to do so. Do you have any ideas?

Love, your favorite daughter, Lily

She licked the seal of the envelope, and went off to the owlery to use one of the school owls. As soon as she entered the large room full of birds, one curious owl flew down to meet Lily. She gave her letter to the owl, and stroked its head. The owl flew out the window, off to find the Potter residence.

"Hello, Lily." The voice came from behind Lily, startling her. She turned around and saw a rather lanky boy with white-blonde hair giving a handsome tawny owl a letter.

"Hi, Scor!" She smiled. Lily had gotten to know Scorpius pretty well, considering how close he and her brother Albus had gotten over the past few years.

"How was your first day back?" She asked gently. She was aware that Scorpius had not always had the best experiences with school.

"Better," he sighed. "This year we get to take Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid. Pretty interesting. How was your first day?"
         
"Wonderful," she swooned. Scorpius chuckled. They left the owlery together. Lily knew it wasn't very polite, but she just had to ask him about something.

"So you and Rose, huh?" Lily elbowed Scorpius in the ribs. Her favorite cousin's older sister, Rose, and Scorpius had been teased relentlessly for liking each other, and now there was gossip of them making it official yesterday. Scorpius turned red in the face.

"No. Just rumors." Lily felt a little disappointed. Unlike Hugo, she liked the thought of he and Rose together.
          
"Oh, well. I'll see you around, Scorpius." Lily said as the path to their dorms split in two directions.

"See you." He waved. When she got back to the portrait hole, she found James and Fred already there, climbing out. "Where were you?" James asked sternly. "I was gone for ten minutes, James, give me a break!" Lily complained. Fred laughed, and said, "He was just messing with you, Lil. Loosen up." He ruffled her hair. "Time for bed, little one." Said James. Lily's insides burned with anger. If there was one thing she hated about being the smallest Potter, it was being treated like a baby.
          
It was then that she realized James had kept at least one hand behind his back at all times throughout their conversation. It now seemed obvious to Lily that the boys were hiding something. "What have you got behind your back?" Lily suspected. They got defensive. "Nothing." Fred said, a little too quickly. They made to get away, but Lily was quick. She pulled the object from James's hands once his back was to her. She started to examine it. "Lily! Not here!" The boys grabbed her by the arms and pulled her into a closet.
         
They squished inside together. Lily was still holding the mysterious object. It was like an iridescent scarf, as light as air. "Lily, you mustn't tell anyone what you're about to see." Fred whispered. Lily nodded eagerly. James and Fred shared nervous glances, and then James took the scarf-looking-thing, and threw it over himself.
         
Lily's eldest brother had seemed to suddenly vanish out of thin air. Lily held her breath so as not to scream. James's head reappeared. "Good, huh?" Asked Fred with a cocky smile.

"Brilliant!" Cried Lily. "Is it the cloak?" She whispered. Fred nodded vigorously. "The very same." Lily was now aware that her family held possession--or at least knew the location--of every deathly hallow in existence. The elder wand, she knew rested in Dumbledore's tomb. The stone was hanging around her neck, under her robes. And now the invisibility cloak rested in her brother's hands. It was almost impossible, for her to own one of the most powerful and envied objects in the world. Impossible! But that sort of thing came naturally to Lily.
         
There's just no getting around it when you're a Potter.
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