A Time of Firsts
Dear Miss. Evans,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For your convenience, we have enclosed a list of all the books and supplies you will need for the coming school year.
Please be at Kings Cross Station, Platform no. 9 ¾ no later than nine AM on September 1st. If you have any further questions, do feel free to contact me by owl.
Yours Sincerely,
Everard Proudfoot
Headmaster
"So, Lily..." My father said, placing the letter down on the table and picking up the envelope to examine it. "A witch. Who even knew things like that existed?"
I already knew what the envelope read- Lily Evans, 14 Laurel Oak Lane, London, England. By this point, I could even recite the contents of the letter, word for word. My parents had been surprised when it arrived- I usually never get any mail, spare for the occasional postcard from a friend on holiday.
"A witch! It's just unbelievable. I'd never heard of anyone on my side of the family being involved in any sort of magic." My mother said, coming out of the kitchen after having finished washing the dinner dishes. "What about you, Sam?"
I sat patiently on the couch, my hands folded, with my green eyes locked on my father. I was trying to judge his expression, trying to figure out what his reaction would be.
"Nope... I've never heard of..." He picked the letter back up, quickly squinting at the header. "...Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Are you sure this isn't just some fancy hoax?"
"No, Daddy! How could it be?" I said, scrambling from my seat to sit on the armrest of his chair. "Look at this fancy stationary! I can't even imagine how it could be forged."
He simply grunted, running his fingers along the wax seal before reading the letter over once more.
"Well, I'm proud of you, Lily." My mother said, coming over to give me a hug. "It's a great accomplishment. I know you're going to make this family proud."
I grinned, happy that at least she was going to support me. I had never really thought that anything like this was going to happen; it was all so unexpected. A few of my friends were going away to fancy prep schools next year and I had desperately wished to follow them. And now my chance had finally come.
"Maybe I'll send a letter to this Proudfoot fellow." My father finally said, a smile breaking out over his face. "Just to make sure my Lily is going to the best wizarding school around so she can be the best witch this family has ever seen."
I let out a squeal of joy and ran over to hug him.
"Does that mean I can go? Does it?" I asked, trying to contain my excitement. "Please please please?"
Petunia, my sister, had been watching our little black and white tv in the kitchen, but came out when she heard my yelling.
"Go where?" She asked, her eyes wide. "Mum, where's Lily going?"
"She's going away to a boarding school." My mother said, being rather vague about the whole issue.
"But not just any boarding school!" I shrieked, planting a kiss on my father's cheek. "A magic school, where I'll learn to turn rats into teacups and make magical potions and heal people and..."
"... but you're really going away?" Petunia said, suddenly seeming very small. "I thought you were going to live here for a while still."
"I don't know, Petty." I replied, picking up the letter off the table to show her. "This is just such a wonderful opportunity..."
"You've leaving me, Lils!" She shrieked. "Mum, will I get to go away to school to?"
My sister was notorious for having a slightly short temper, as well as a need for everything to be fair. While I loved her dearly, I couldn't stand it when she threw little fits when the slightest thing didn't go her way. She was only a year younger than me, but often acted much younger.
"Maybe, darling." My mother replied, her voice calm. "You'll have to wait until you're eleven like Lily, then perhaps a letter will come for you as well."
I felt a little tinge of pride stirring in my mind. For once, I was going to be able to go somewhere that my little sister wouldn't be able to follow.
"But... I want to go now!" She yelled, her lower lip trembling. Fortunately, my mother sensed the impending explosion and herded her into the kitchen with the bribe of watching her favorite drama on the telly. I was left alone with my father, suddenly starting to think about what a huge change in my life this would be.
"Dad?" I said, crawling into his lap like I was a little girl again. My head leaned back against his chest and I sighed, closing my eyes. "Will things be okay?"
"Yes." He said, running his hands over my hair. "Just always remember that your mother and I are really proud of you. The first witch in the Evans family."
"What about Petunia?" I couldn't stand to see her so upset. She was my sister, after all, and even though we had our disagreements I did truly want her to be happy.
"She just needs some time to get used to it. You have the whole summer still, that's plenty of time to talk to her about it." He murmured. "And I need that time as well, to realize that my little Lilykins is leaving me."
"Aw, daddy..." I said, sitting up and grinning. "I'm not your Lilykins anymore. I'm eleven. That's almost a teenager. It's grown up."
"You may not be my Lilykins, but you'll always be my daughter." He said, tapping me on the nose with his reading glasses. "And don't forget it."
----
Summer passed quickly. Petunia calmed down and realized that there were advantages to me being gone, such as extra sweets at dinnertime. I got all the school supplies on the list during a shopping trip in Diagon Alley, which just made me even more excited to get to school.
I hardly slept at all the night before I was due to leave, instead staring at my two large trunks and backpack that lay waiting by my bedroom door. After an hour of lying awake, I finally crept out of bed and knelt down on the cold wooden floor, easing open the lid on the first trunk.
Inside lay six brand new sets of wizarding robes, perfectly sized and freshly washed. My wand lay on top of them- it was made of willow, and around ten inches long. A beautiful wand, the man who had sold it to me said. Good for charms work. I think this one will take you very far, little lady.
Once I was sure that everything was still there, I finally got back into bed and quickly fell into a nervous sleep.
The next morning was a warm one for London in September- nearly seventy five degrees and sunny. I had gotten so used to the rainy summer days that I was surprised to see the sun again, and even more surprised at how hot it was. I had wanted to wear my regular clothes to the station, but my mother had advised that I should wear the robes just to blend in easier with my fellow classmates.
The drive to the station was a silent one. Mum tried not to show her tears, blaming her watery eyes on allergies. Petunia was also quiet and pouty, all of her previous acceptance of my departure gone when finally faced with the actual event. My father was the only mildly cheerful one, turning on the radio in the car to try and break the awkward silence.
"9 ¾... 9 ¾..." I said out loud to myself as we walked along Platform 9. Kings Cross was crowded with tourists and commuters, and I couldn't see anyone else carrying half as much stuff as I was. Or any other kids in robes.
"Here's platform 9..." I said, pointing to the sign to my right. "And there's Platform 10. But where's 9 ¾?"
"I always thought that was a funny number for a platform." My mother said, discarding another tissue in a nearby trashcan. "This all just must be some sick joke."
"Now, now..." My father said, wrapping his arm around her. "Let's not get discouraged so quickly."
Groaning, I plopped down on the little trolley that contained my trunks and just tried to think. 9 ¾ is between 9 and 10, logically speaking. But there was nothing between the two platforms but a brick wall. Then again... since when was anything about magic logical?
"Excuse me." A boy with a mop of straight brown hair suddenly stopped in front of my trolley, giving me a rather curious look. "Are you going to Hogwarts too?"
"Yes! Yes, I am!" I said. I jumped up off the trolley, almost wanting to hug him but then deciding against it. He looked so pale and frail that I was afraid he'd fall to pieces if I even touched him. "Sorry, but I'm a little bit excited. It's just that I can't find the platform, and I don't know what to do."
"Ah..." He replied, smiling. "Muggleborn."
"What's that mean?" I asked, not entirely sure what he was talking about.
"It means you don't have parents that are wizards. You'll see. My mum's a muggle but my dad's a wizard, so I kind of know how you feel." I suddenly noticed that he wasn't dressed in his school robes, just a pair of ratty blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I began to feel a little out of place.
"Should I be wearing these?" I mumbled, pointing towards my robes. He just laughed.
"Yes, if you want to be stared at." He said, still chuckling. "Most people get changed into their robes on the train. It makes it a lot easier to get through the platform and around all these muggles if you aren't dressed so funny."
"Speaking of the train..." I said, noticing that it was nearly eight-thirty. "Where do we go to find it?"
It was then that my parents and Petunia chose to interrupt.
"Who's this?" My mother asked, pointing at the boy. I shrugged.
"Remus Lupin." He said, extending a hand politely. "Pleased to meet you."
"He's going to show me where the platform is." I hastily added, not wanting him to get distracted. The last thing I wanted to do was miss the train, especially after going through so much trouble.
"It's through the wall." He replied, grabbing on to the handles of his own trolley. "Here, c'mon, I'll show you."
After hurried goodbyes with my parents and Petunia (most of the real hugging and crying had been finished at the house), I followed Remus as he pushed his trolley over towards Platform 9.
"You just run really really fast towards the wall, and then you melt right into it and come out the other side." He explained, as though it was something he did every day. "You just can't stop. Keep running. If it helps, don't look up."
Grinning, he quickly took off running towards the wall as a demonstration. Closer, closer... I held my breath, waiting for the impact that I would surely hear. Even after receiving the letter, even after going to Diagon Alley... there was still some part of me that wasn't entirely sure that magic existed, and that he was only going to crash into the wall and be seriously hurt.
But in the blink of an eye, he disappeared. I got very nervous, thinking that I had just gotten distracted and missed him turning around the corner to trick me.
When he didn't reappear, I figured that it couldn't hurt to try. It was 8:45, fifteen minutes before the train was due to leave, and I couldn't leave the station in defeat if I didn't at least try to follow Remus.
So I started running. Slowly at first, then faster and faster, my eyes locked on the ground as my sneakers beat on the pavement. I held my breath as I got closer, waiting for the loud smack and the crowd that would surely come to laugh at a girl that tried to run into a brick wall.
It never came. Instead, I felt a smooth whoosh of air and a loud cacophony of noises. Voices, crying, and the distinct sound of a train whistle cutting above all of it. When I finally dared to open my eyes, my mouth fell open in surprise.
A bright red train... hundreds of people milling about... crying mothers... trunks everywhere... I'd never seen such a sight in my entire life.
"If you're just going to stand there staring all day, you'll miss the train." Remus had reappeared, his trunks gone. He grabbed ahold of my trolley and then grabbed my sleeve as well.
"Th-thanks..." I stammered, trying to soak in every sight, every sound. I overheard a prissy woman dressed in green say something like '... they're just letting any old riff raff into the school these days... can you believe...?' but Remus shot her a rather nasty look and she had the tact to shut her mouth.
My trunks were carried onto the train carefully by Remus, one by one, and placed in an overhead compartment next to his own. Once that was taken care of, we both sat down across from each other and passed some of the time before the train began to move in awkward silence.
"Do you know anyone else going to Hogwarts?" I asked, wondering if I was the only one who felt so left out. He shook his head.
"No. Getting the letter was a bit of a surprise.. ah... considering certain circumstances." He said, his face flushing crimson. I realized that this was probably something he didn't want to talk about, and I felt a little silly for asking. It was probably something personal.
I spent the rest of the ride with my eyes glued out the window, watching the British countryside fly by. Remus was reading one of his spellbooks, mouthing some words and waving his finger around in the air. He offered to buy me some sweets off the trolley when it came by, but that was the only conversation we had.
Upon arriving, we were herded off the train and into magical rowboats. I was fascinated by the way they propelled themselves across the water with no effort from anyone in sight- now that was true magic. Remus simply seemed a little bored, or perhaps just tired, for his eyes started drooping and he clung on to the side of the boat to keep from falling overboard.
A rather cross looking woman then forced everyone to stand in the hall, saying that we were going to be sorted soon. I had done a little bit of reading on the wizarding world, so I did know what that was.
"Do you think we'll be in the same house?" I asked, nudging Remus awake. After getting off the boat, he had promptly collapsed against a pillar as though he'd been through a horribly taxing day.
"I don't know." He replied, opening his eyes sleepily. "Depends on what that bloody hat says."
I shrugged, and decided that I should just let him rest. After all, without him, I'd probably still be standing in Kings Cross, trying to figure out how to get to the platform.
Most of the other first years were happily chatting away. My heart fell a little as I realized a lot of them knew each other, possibly from other wizarding events. I once again felt very left out- so, in attempt to feel like I belonged, I picked out a pair of boys and watched as they played around with a little flying golden ball.
They were laughing and roughhousing, fighting over that dumb little thing like it really was made of gold. I laughed a little as the taller one tackled the one with the glasses gleefully, prying open his fingers to free the ball once again. It was a fast little thing, but the boys were quick, and it never managed to get away from them.
"Who are they?" I asked, forgetting my promise to let Remus sleep.
"James Potter and Sirius Black." He replied, not seeming at all bothered by my constant questioning. "They both come from wealthy families. Old wizarding blood. Pranksters, the both of them."
I nodded and then returned my attention to the boys, surprised to find that they were looking back at me. My green eyes got wide as they whispered back and forth, the golden ball quickly forgotten. After a few more seconds of whispering and shoving, the one with the curly black hair started walking towards me.
I was expecting him to introduce himself politely, or maybe offer to show me around the grounds. If he came from a family of wizards, then he was probably both mannerly and knowledgeable about the castle.
I was not expecting him to get down on one knee.
"Oh, red-haired beauty!" He exclaimed, his voice full of dramatic passion. "Will you not give me the dignity of knowing your name, so I might know the name of the lady I will one day marry?"
His friend was dying of laughter. A small crowd had grown around us, full of whispering and snickering. I blushed, first feeling scared and put on the spot, and then red hot anger quickly invaded. 'Pranksters, the both of them,' Remus had said. And messing around with me was just another one of those stupid pranks.
"You're dumb." I hissed. "I'm not going to tell you my name. And I'm definitely not going to marry you. Never. Not if you were the last stupid, arrogant, boy on this entire planet."
"Pleaseeeee?" He begged, lowering his lip into a pout. "Pretty please?"
A couple of kids in the crowd were now also laughing, and my eyes quickly flooded with tears as I realized that they were laughing at me.
I was a fool.
Just some dumb girl.
Just some dumb... muggle girl.
"Won't you just leave me alone?" I said, changing my tactic from angry to pleading.
"Not until you tell me your name." He said in a false sing-song voice. "Juuuuust... your nameeee... my daaaaarling..."
His loud singing just prompted more laughter, but also drew the attention of the teacher that had brought us into the hall.
"James Potter!" She yelled, coming over and yanking him to his feet. "I will not have you ruining this sorting with your pranks. And if you can't stand over here alone and behave yourself, you'll have to stand with me."
And, just like that, she dragged him away by his collar. I took a few shaky breaths and then wiped the tears away on the sleeve of my robe, determined not to let anyone see me cry. Remus had woken up with all the commotion and came over to wrap an arm around my shoulder.
"Don't let him get to you. He does stupid stuff like that to every girl here, they've all had to go through it. He's one of those guys that thinks he can catch the eye of any pretty girl he wants."
I pressed my lips together and then smiled, reassured by what he had said.
"It isn't bothering me." I replied, even though it was a lie. "Plus, we probably won't even be in the same house, and then I won't see him very much."
---
"Lily Evans!" The Charms professor read. I watched as the pretty redhead went and sat up on the stool, the hat carefully placed upon her head. She closed her eyes and smiled, but I didn't see- I was scrambling through my robes for a scrap of parchment and a quill.
"Gryffindor!" The hat called out. Finally, I was able to hastily scribble her name down on the back of a gum wrapper, using a piece of chalk I'd stolen from a classroom.
And- just my luck- she was in Gryffindor. A wide grin spread over my face and I motioned to Sirius, who was already sitting at the Gryffindor table. He flashed me the thumbs up sign and then leaned back in his chair haughtily, waggling his eyebrows at some first year Hufflepuffs that were at the next table.
It wasn't long before I was sitting on that stool, with the hat on my head.
"James Potter..." The hat said in a strange little voice that echoed inside my head. "You're a pureblood, and very smart... and here, we have a little bit of kindness. You'd do well in any house, you know, but I think I'm going to put you in..."
"Gryffindor!" I jumped out of the stool just as soon as the hat was taken off my head and ran to the Gryffindor table. Sirius high-fived me before I sat down next to him, only a few chairs down from the Evans girl. I could tell she was trying not to look at me, but finally she gave in and flashed me a quick glance. I winked at her and she instantly turned back around.
"Poor girl..." Sirius said, completely ignoring the rest of the sorting ceremony. "She really doesn't know what she's gotten into."
"No... she certainly doesn't."