Breaking the Rules
"Why don't you beg it? Or go back and soak some of that slimy hair of yours to coax it. Maybe it'll do you the honor of rising half an inch."
A few Slytherin first-years nearby glanced over and snickered. Snape's fingertips turned white as he clenched them, his eyes fixed on the broom lying motionless on the ground.
Another mocking whistle sounded, followed by a loud taunt, with no regard for the fact that Madam Hooch was still supervising nearby:
"If you ask me, you'll be stuck on the ground for the rest of your life. The joy of flying isn't for our Mr. Snivellus."
"That's right. Poor Snivellus can't even make a broom obey him. If he ever gets into the air, he'll probably fall straight into the Black Lake and feed the Giant Squid."
Snape whipped around and glared at the two of them, humiliated anger churning in his eyes. But before he could retort, Madam Hooch's shrill whistle sounded, and she sternly put a stop to their mockery.
Lily gripped her broom tightly too. She wanted to swing it into James Potter's face, but she held back. In public, among Slytherins and Gryffindors, she had to make it clear she was on Gryffindor's side. Going to Snape in private was better than speaking up openly.
"Hey, mate, later let's put whatever we find on him on the roof and see if he can get it himself." James and Sirius were coming up with nasty ideas. "Didn't he say he could fly? Then why not put it higher? How about on top of the tower?"
"Sounds good to me. He said he could do it himself."
During the low-altitude practice that followed, James and Sirius were up to who knew what again. Pretending their brooms were out of control, they flew straight at Snape. "Severus!" Lily hadn't expected Potter and Black to be so brazen. Madam Hooch thought the brooms really had gone out of control and hurried forward to grab James. In the confusion, James and Sirius took Snape's wand.
Lily could bear it no longer. A wand was the most important thing a wizard had. Those two bastards!
She seized her broom and went straight into the air. "Miss Evans!" Madam Hooch shouted behind her.
As soon as Lily was airborne, she sped toward James and Sirius. From her office, Professor McGonagall saw three Gryffindors flying over the castle. She remembered that Gryffindor and Slytherin had a flying class that afternoon. Had something happened?
She hurried to the window. "Potter, give me Severus's wand." Lily flew angrily in front of James, who had already reached the top of the castle and was preparing to hide the wand with Sirius. "Oh, Lily, you know some people need to be taught a lesson, so they know what's right and what's wrong."
Sirius backed James up. "That's right. We're helping him mend his ways."
Mend his fucking ways? "I said, give me the wand!"
James turned his head and flung the wand away with a flick of his arm. Lily's heart tightened as she watched it fall. She had to catch it. That was Severus's first wand!
She immediately leaned far forward, lowered her broom and plunged vertically after the falling wand at full speed. The wind howled past her ears, and every student below screamed.
"Lily!" Marlene and Dorcas feared for her.
Lily stretched her entire arm forward with all her might and, when the wand was just a foot from the ground, caught it in her hand. At the same time, she leveled her broom just in time and steadied herself. After swaying gently twice, she landed smoothly. "Severus, your wand."
She pressed the wand straight back into Snape's hand. "You nearly broke your neck just now. Don't do that for me," Snape said quietly. Madam Hooch hurried over to check whether Lily was hurt, and Professor McGonagall walked over. James and Sirius thought they had done nothing much wrong and still stood up straight. Professor McGonagall gave them a stern look. "Miss Evans, come with me."
Lily was terribly nervous. She had been a little rash, but she hadn't been wrong in principle, so Professor McGonagall probably wouldn't punish her too severely. She remembered this happening to Harry in the original story too. She would be fine. Phew. Lily, don't be nervous. You'll be fine.
Professor McGonagall led Lily to the door of a classroom. "Sorry to trouble you, Professor Flitwick. May I borrow Chalmers for a moment?"
Maureen Chalmers, the sturdily built fifth-year Quidditch captain, came out of the classroom looking baffled and curiously studied Lily, who stood behind the professor.
"Miss Evans, this is Maureen Chalmers. Chalmers—I've found you a Seeker."
Chalmers went from confusion to delight in an instant and asked incredulously, "Do you really mean it, Professor?"
McGonagall spoke with certainty, describing Lily's performance on the lawn in detail to Chalmers.
"Absolutely. This child is a natural talent. I've never seen anyone so good. Lily, this was your first time on a broom, wasn't it?"
Lily nodded blankly. Why did this all seem so familiar?
"She dived fifty feet and caught a wand that was about to hit the ground with her bare hand, without so much as a scratch."
Maureen Chalmers walked around Lily once and saw at a glance that she was light and agile, perfectly suited to being a Seeker.
"Good heavens, Professor, then we should get her the best broom. The Nimbus 1400 just came out this year. It would be perfect for her."
McGonagall said she would ask Dumbledore to make an exception to the Hogwarts rule that first-years could not join the Quidditch team, because Gryffindor had suffered a crushing defeat to Slytherin last year, and the team was in urgent need of a strong Seeker.
Lily was bewildered. Had she become a Seeker just like that? This was frighteningly familiar. She was actually following Harry's first-year path!
Lily walked back to the Great Hall. As soon as she approached the Gryffindor table, she heard James and Sirius laughing and talking without a care. The two had just fooled Madam Hooch with their story about losing control of their brooms and escaped without any punishment. They were now gleefully discussing their afternoon prank on Snape.
Mary frowned, unable to agree with their attitude. "How can you still be joking about it? Because of you, Professor McGonagall called Lily away alone. Nobody knows whether she'll be severely punished."
Sirius replied with a carefree grin, "If you ask me, she wouldn't have been dragged into it if she hadn't protected that Snivellus. This can teach her a lesson too. She should stop taking the side of those gloomy Slytherins, so they don't drag her down with them."
Deep down, James was actually a little worried that Lily would be punished, but on second thought, he felt Sirius had a point.
Just then, Lily reached the table and sat down. Mary and Marlene immediately gathered around her, and Petunia came over at once too. She had already heard all about what happened in the greenhouse that afternoon. She had no liking for any of them, whether Snape or James and Sirius, and regarded them all as the culprits responsible for Lily being called away for a talk.