Lily

It's been so long since I thought about anything other than school work and Prefect duties that I think I'm about to go insane. I can't wait for the Hogsmeade trip, but three weeks seems like such a long way away! It's not that I don't enjoy my Prefect duties, I really do, but there seems to be more and more stupid pranks happening and it's getting frustrating. And patrolling outside in this kind of weather is no fun at all.

Right, enough complaining. I think I'll sit by the fire with a book. No, strike that. No book. I've had enough of books. I'll just sit by the fire.

I don't know if anyone else has read the Prophet today, but it's ridiculous! How can they get away with printing such lies?! If any honest-to-goodness reporting went into that article, then I would be very surprised. It's a vile attempt to bring more disruption among all of us, and we can't let it work. We have to do something! I mean, come on, what they're claiming is nonsense, there is no possible way that could be true. To say that they, that we, are responsible for...ugh. It makes me so furious! How can they get away with printing that?!

I haven't been able to write in here as much this year, things have been so hectic. What with our classes getting harder, and the younger years being a little more worried and needed advice, myself and the other prefects have barely had a moment to ourselves. Even now, I'm in the library and I should be studying, but I've read the same paragraph three times and it's still not making sense, so I'm giving up, for the moment.

Oh. I've missed dinner. Drat.

Oh no! The prefect's meeti-

Gosh, it's been a busy first week! Settled into all of my classes, of course, and even though I know I need Transfiguration, and I got a good enough grade to get into the class for NEWTS, I still wish I could have dropped it. It hasn't gotten any simpler over the summer, regardless of the amount of reading I've done. And some people find it so simple!

Prefect duties have kept me busy too, which is unusual. Usually the first week sails past before we start hearing complaints or worries (other than from the first years, of course). But this year everything is so much more complicated outside of Hogwarts, that the students seem to want to talk more and have more things that they need advice on. I don't know that I feel entirely qualified to give them advice, but I can reassure them as best as I can and hope that will be enough for the moment.

[Protected from teachers]

Is anyone else going to Slughorn's first 'Slug Club' this term? He's brilliant, of course, but I hate going to those things. Tell me I'll at least have some decent company?

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[Protected from Snape]

I saw Severus yesterday. I went for a walk because Mum invited Vernon to stay for coffee after dinner and I couldn't stand to be around him for much longer, not after Mum's comment. He kept asking me things in a really loud voice, like he thought I was simple, and nodding condescendingly when I answered him. What a prat.

So I went for a walk, not too far, I know it's not safe, but I had my wand with me and it's no further than I've gone before. I walked down to the field and made my way to the river at the bottom and when I glanced up, he was standing on the opposite side of the field glaring at me. Just standing there in his black cloak, not seeming to care that he wasn't blending in at all, his wand in his hand. I just shook my head at him. He looked like he was trying to be menacing, but I've known him for far too long to be scared of him. I don't know what his problem is, but I'm not about to go after him or apologise for helping him. And I haven't forgotten what he called me. Not that I haven't heard it from other people, but this was different. This was cruel, he was supposed to be my friend. Ugh, what an idiot.

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Petunia just brought her boyfriend over for dinner and...well, we didn't get on, shall we say? Petunia warned me beforehand not to say anything about my 'freakiness' (her words, not mine), but then over dinner, Vernon (what a name) asks me what school I go to, and before I can reply Mum pipes up that I go to a special school. Now, Vernon is looking at me strangely, no doubt thinking that I am in some way mentally retarded, and Petunia is glaring at Mum and then at me and then back again. Dad is sitting there, an amused smile on his face while he waits for Mum to continue. She tries to back up, but ends up blurting out "Oh but it *is* special, our Lily is really a very special girl, she can do magic and she's learning all about it and she's one of the top in her year *and* she's a prefect".

Silence. I swear, I could hear the vein in Petunias neck about to burst, it was thumping so hard. Vernon, on the other hand, is a bit pale, and he's nodding absently, looking at Mum like she's lost it, then he pats Petunia's hand and says "Well, I think Petunia is also a very special girl".

Honestly, I have no idea were she got this chap, he's a complete idiot. He's such a snob, he obviously thinks he's gods answer to women and has this weird condescending smile and nod thing that he does. I don't know what Petunia sees in him, but I hope she dumps him soon. She's been even more unbearable lately.

If I had a Galleon for every time I wished I were seventeen this summer, I'd be rich. I mean, it's not like I want to go running around the country unsupervised, god knows that's not a good idea right now. But I'd like to be able to do something. Being stuck here, on my own, is not my idea of a good summer.

Then again, I have got a lot of reading done.

And Mum and Dad did take me down to Dover. Petunia wouldn't come, but honestly, we probably had a better time without her. I've been there loads of times, but it's still very nice, and it was great to get somewhere different, even for a few days.

September first cannot come soon enough.

BEYOND HERE LIE YE OLDE ENTRIES. YE HAVE BEEN WARNED. Keeping the rest for my own amusement, they do not count towards the current game.

Just a quick note before I get on the train. I'm in the car with Mum, on our way to Kings Cross, and even though I told them I could apparate, they had this romantic notion about seeing me off for my final year, so we're in the car, running early, which is unusual for Mum, but I'm not complaining. Dad is more inclined to leave early, but he is still in hospital. He wished me luck yesterday when I went to visit him and he gave me a letter to read when I get to school. He said I've to read it when I've settled into my duties as Head Girl. He's mysterious, but I do love him.

[Private to James]

Before we get on the train, before we get to school, before you even see anyone else, let me make this clear. You are NOT to give Severus detention just for the fun of it. Yes, he is a snivelling little brat, and no, I don't like him very much, but we are going to be fair and do this job as it is supposed to be done. Got it?

[/private]

I just got my letter from Hogwarts, telling me everything I need to get for my final year, and you'll never guess what was included. A letter. From Dumbledore. Telling me I'm going to be head girl. Me! Head girl! Can you believe it? I wonder who Head Boy will be, the letter never said. Seriously though, Head Girl! What a privilege! I can't believe I actually got it!

Oh Merlin, how am I going to manage all my study, along with the responsibilities of being Head Girl?!

[Private to James]

Hey James? What if it wasn't an accident?

[/private]

I just got a letter from Mum, Dad's been in a car accident. He's in hospital, fractured a few bones and ruptured a disc in his back. It's times like this that I wish I was training to be a healer. I have no idea how to help him. Mum won't even let me come home, not with the exams so close. She says I won't do any good just by being there and that her and my dad want me to keep studying. Make them proud, she says. She said she could always call Petunia if she needs something, since she'll be on her own in the house for a while now, with Petunia at college and Dad in the hospital. I hope she'll be alright. Maybe I'll send her something, give her something to take to Dad in the hospital, something to cheer them both up. If I can find something, or find the time to make something, in amongst all this study.

Thank goodness these exams are almost over. I never thought I'd say it, but I'm almost sick of looking at books. I'm sorry, Remus, I hope you can still be my friend...!

I think I'm working in the shop this summer with dad, which will be nice. The Ministry have let them come home, I think there might be protections on the house and they still don't remember what happened but it'll be alright, I think. We might be going on holiday over the holidays, though I doubt Petunia will come with us. Mum said something about James coming too, which would be nice, if he wants to.

I think I'm just ready to be done, though I'll miss this place when I get home. It's not been the same back there, not since Gordy died last year.

It's a little disconcerting to wake up and not remember how you got to the place that you now find yourself. Apparently I've been out for three days, but I don't remember anything. Madam Pomfrey says that's lucky, since there were things happening that no one wants to remember, but it's a little strange.

My body doesn't quite feel like my own yet either. Every so often, my legs twitch without me doing anything, like I have an itch that I can't reach, and my vision sometimes gets spotty. Madam Pomfrey said it's an after effect of the curse, she did tell me the name, but I don't remember right now. Apparently that's an after effect too, a little short term memory loss. And just before exams too. Great.

But, saying that, I guess I was lucky, since I'm still here and one piece, kind of. I wish I could have been more help though.

[Protected from James and Sirius]

Ugh. He makes me so damn angry. For goodness sake, he's acting like three year old. So I used the journals instead of talking to Sirius. I didn't realise he was so bloody sensitive. Since when did Sirius Black start taking everything so seriously? And why did I become some sort of scapegoat when I didn't even mean anything by it? It's not like I was broadcasting to the school that Sirius was some kind of tart. Talk about blowing things out of proportion. Well, if he thinks I am about to apologise first, he had another thing coming. He'll be waiting a while. Ugh!

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Have you ever noticed that when you want time to speed up (in Professor Binn's class, for instance), it has an awful habit of doing just the opposite? And also, have you noticed that the reverse is true...when you want time to sloooow right down, it laughs in your face as it speeds up? How on earth did we get to March already? I'd be quite happy if time decided that this was a good spot and just stopped here for a while.

I finally finished transfiguration essay, just in time. Mostly thanks to James, if I'm honest, but I didn't cheat and I didn't let him write it for me, much as he might have wanted to, it's not my fault it took me a while. After all that, all I needed was someone to explain it to me, slowly. Whether I remember it all or not is another story completely.

All the confetti hearts that were thrown about over valentines day have finally gone. I kept finding them everywhere, I'd lift my desk and they'd be there, I'd pull out the bench in the Great Hall they'd be there. Call me a party pooper if you will, but they were driving me insane. Can you believe that on Valentines day, some little flying cherub thing tried to sing to me? Apparently some second year with a crush had paid it to serenade me in the hallways. James almost had a conniption, glaring at the cherub thing like he could kill it stone dead with his eyes. Though, I must say, the thing was weird and ugly, like an old man with a nappy on. I thought cherubs were supposed to be cute and baby-like? It was bizarre, but we didn't let it ruin our day. Had a nice walk and a picnic, with food from the lunch table stashed away in a basket.

We saw a lot of girls crying throughout the day, and a lot of stressed out guys running around. I don't understand what it is about that holiday that makes people go completely insane.

Sirius Black. Rumour has it that you have a collection of certain items of underwear belonging to about half the female population of the school. Care to put my mind at rest and tell me it's all just silly nonsense, that you would never do anything of the kind? Or would that be too much to ask?

Is it just me, or are the Professors piling more work on us than normal? I think Madam Pince is getting annoyed at the amount of people in the library, hogging her favourite books. I've been camped there every night this week and even I'm getting tired of it. I think someone needs to organise something fun.

[Private to Ted]

I got an owl from the Ministry, about my parents going back into hiding, and they mentioned they owl I sent before Christmas. The one about your family. They suggested them going into hiding together, and requested that I reply as soon as possible, but obviously this has to be your choice. Where are you just now? I can show you the letter and let you decide.

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