Chapter One

Diagon Alley

Little Lily Potter could hardly contain her excitement. This year she would be joining her brothers, Albus and James, at Hogwarts. Today, they were going to buy their school things in Diagon Alley. She had woken up before everyone else and was patiently waiting for them to wake up. She heard someone on the stairs; it was her mother, Ginny.

"Morning, Mum," Lily said brightly.

"Morning, dear," Ginny said sleepily.

"When are we going?" Lily asked.

"When your brothers and father get up and we have breakfast," Ginny said.

"Can I go wake them?"

"No," Ginny said sternly, then she saw her daughter's pleading look and relented, "Alright, if they're not up at nine, you can go wake them." Unfortunately for Lily, Albus and James came down at eight thirty, but at five to nine there was still no sign of Harry. Lily looked at her mother who nodded. Lily ran upstairs, and wrenched her father's bedroom door open.

"DAD!" she yelled. "Mum says it's time to wake up!" Harry jumped at the sound of Lily's loud voice.

"Lily!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What time is it?"

"Nine, but Mum says if we're to meet Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione in time, we have to leave by ten," Lily said. Harry got out of bed, and he and Lily went downstairs.

"Lil, I'll be surprised if you didn't wake half of Godric's Hollow," James said grinning. Lily blushed, and sat down. They ate a hurried breakfast, and all went upstairs to get changed.

"Mum, how're we getting there? Floo Network or the car?" Lily asked Ginny.

"Floo," answered Ginny. "James! Albus! Are you ready?"

"Nearly!" came the reply.

"Where are we meeting them?" Lily asked Harry.

"At the Leaky Cauldron," he told her. James and Albus came down.

"Good. Harry, you'll go first, and then you, Lily, followed by Albus, next you, James, and finally, me," explained Ginny. They nodded. Harry grabbed a handful of Floo powder, threw it into the fire, the flames turned emerald green.

He stepped into the fire, "The Leaky Cauldron!" Lily grabbed a handful of the powder, and imitated her father. Her home vanished from sight, when she opened her eyes she was at the Leaky Cauldron. No sooner than she was out, Albus appeared, followed by James. Finally Ginny came spinning into view.

"Oh, good. They just got here," Ginny said, pointing at the door. Sure enough, Ron and Hermione Weasley walked in followed by their children, Hugo and Rose.

"Hello," Hermione said.

"Hey," came the response from the Potter children.

"Hi," Harry said. "How'd you get here?"

"Drove. You?" Ron asked.

"Floo powder. Lily's really excited," Harry said conversationally.

"She reminds me of Ginny," Ron said, "Jealous because her brothers get to go while she's stuck at home."

"Are you ready?" Hermione asked them. They nodded. They went into the inn's tiny backyard. Ginny took out her wand and tapped the appropriate brick. The wall made an archway, and they stepped into Diagon Alley. It was again bustling. Nobody would ever guess that twenty-one years ago, that this street was empty, and there were lots of Dark shops.

"Well, I guess first stop is Gringotts," Harry said. The two families walked towards the crooked snowy-white building, and entered. A goblin, Griphook, took them down to their vaults.

"Mum, can Rose and I go get our school stuff by ourselves?" Albus asked. Rose asked her parents the same thing.

"Yes," said Ginny, handing Albus some money.

"Can I go with my friends?" James asked, spotting his friends.

"Here you go," said Ginny.

"Wait a minute," Harry said before the boys and Rose, could go anywhere. "We'll meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy everyone books, alright?" They murmured in agreement. Ginny took some money and handed the rest to Harry; Hermione did the same, except handed the rest to Ron. She and Ginny went shopping.

"Guess that leaves me and you, mate," Ron said.

"Hey! What about us?" Hugo asked, indicating him and Lily.

"OK and you two."

They headed to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. They entered the shop.

"Hogwarts?" Madam Malkin asked, before anybody could speak.

Lily nodded. Madam Malkin led them to the back of the shop to get fitted.

"What house do you think you'll be in at Hogwarts, Hugo?" Lily asked her cousin.

"Gryffindor, I think. All the Weasleys have been in Gryffindor, and my mum was one. You?" Hugo said.

"Same. But it doesn't always run in the family, does it? Look at the Blacks, Sirius ended up in Gryffindor, while the rest of his family was in Slytherin," Lily said.

Hugo was about to reply but Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear." to Lily. Lily stepped off the stool. Harry paid for her robes, and they waited outside for Ron and Hugo.

"Where next?" asked Ron.

"The Apothecary," Harry said. They headed up to the Apothecary. Soon all they had left was their books, wands, and a pet. They headed to Ollivanders. When they entered the shop, Mr. Ollivander came out to greet them.

"Good day, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Potter, and young Mr. Weasley," Mr. Ollivander greeted.

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander," Lily said politely.

"Seems like yesterday your father was buying his wand, with Hagrid, of course," Mr. Ollivander said. "Who would like to go first?"

"I do," Lily said eagerly. Mr. Ollivander started to pull wands off of shelves.

"Here try this, Oak and dragon heartstring. Ten inches," Mr. Ollivander said, handing her the wand. She gave it a wave, but Mr. Ollivander took out of her hand almost at once. "No, no, try this– maple and unicorn hair, seven inches." Lily took it and had just barely waved it when Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of her hand. "No, try this one here, hawthorn and phoenix feather eight and a half inches. Try it out."

Lily tried and tried. The pile just kept getting bigger and bigger.

"Just like your father, eh? But we'll find you a wand, not to worry, not to worry. Hmm… try this one– mahogany and phoenix feather, ten and a half inches." Lily gave it a flick, and red and gold sparks sprung from it. Lily smiled.

"Very good, Lily," Harry said, grinning at his daughter.

"Thanks," Lily said.

"Alright, it's your turn, son," Ron said to Hugo. Mr. Ollivander flicked his wand at the pile of wands, and the wands went pack to their appropriate spots.

"Let me see, ah, try this, cherry and dragon heartstring, nine and three quarter inches," Mr. Ollivander said, handing it to Hugo. Hugo raised it to wave, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand. "No, here try this– beechwood and unicorn hair, ten inches." Hugo had just barely waved it, when Mr. Ollivander took it back. "No, no, here try this one, ash and phoenix feather, eleven inches." Mr. Ollivander quickly grabbed it back. "Not this one," Mr. Ollivander said, handing him another wand. "Try this one here, ebony and unicorn hair, ten and a quarter inches." Sparks flew from the wand. They paid for the wands. Lily was practically dragging Harry to Eeylops Owl Emporium.

"Hurry up, Dad. We have to meet Mum in twenty minutes!" Lily said, before heading to Eeylops by herself.

"Lily, wait!" But it was too late, Lily was already there. Lily looked around the shop once, before deciding on a gorgeous snowy owl. The door to Eeylops opened.

"Over here," she called. Harry came up to her, while Ron and Hugo looked around.

"You're sure you want that one?" Harry asked her. Lily nodded. "Okay," he said, lifting the snowy owl's cage off its hook. They walked to the counter to pay for her. "Ron," Harry called, "we'll wait for you outside." Ten minutes later, Ron and Hugo emerged from the shop, with Hugo carrying a caged barn owl. When they had reached Flourish and Blotts, Albus and James had already bought their books.

"Look, Mum," Lily said, showing Ginny her wand. "Mahogany and phoenix feather, ten and a half inches."

"Very nice, Lily," said Ginny, turning to Harry. "You're ten minutes late. Lily couldn't decide what owl?"

"No, she decided what owl she wanted quickly. She was like me, when it came to buying the wand. Very high pile before she found a match," Harry explained. Ginny nodded.

"Albus, James, stay out here with Hugo's and Lily's owls, while we go inside and buy Lily, Hugo, and Rose's schoolbooks," Ginny said. Lily and Hugo set their owls down by Albus and James feet and went into Flourish and Blotts. Hermione looked around with Rose to find her books. Ginny, Harry, and Ron went to get Hugo and Lily's books. Lily looked around to find a book for light reading. She already had Quidditch Through the Ages. She picked up a book she heard about a lot from Hermione, Hogwarts, a History. Ginny came up behind her.

"What's that you got, Lily?" Ginny asked her. Lily showed her. "Why don't you just take it out of the library at Hogwarts?" Lily nodded and put the book back.

"Ready?" Harry asked. They nodded and left Flourish and Blotts.

"Finally. Can we go home now?" James asked, handing Lily her owl.

"Yes, James," Harry said, heading towards the Leaky Cauldron. When they reached it, they bade the Weasleys good-bye, and went home.


Author Note: Does anybody think Fred would come back as a ghost? Let me know... PLEASE review!!!!!!!!!!!!