Chapter 1

In Britain, Surrey to be exact, lived a family consisting of the parents and two daughters. Rose and Harold Evans enjoyed a quiet peaceful life with their darlings, Lily and Petunia. In there mind they could have no prettier offspring and not a more wonderful life. Harold was a man of great stature in the community as a physician and Rose was a stay at home mom with a part time job at a flower shop. The girls both attended a public school, Petunia being a year older would move on to a new school as she had graduated just a few weeks before and the new year would be starting soon.

Neither of the two ever got into trouble; however Lily often did get notices home for "unusual behavior" although it wasn't so much her behavior as far as they could tell simply the things that happened around her.

For example, once at a school party as a boy laughed at Lily's piece of cake which he said was smaller than his and matched her brain, Lily's piece seemed to grow swelling up like a water balloon until it just burst. Spattering the boy in chocolate, the teacher ran over quickly and then lectured the boy for teasing her (probably his form of flirting she mused), until turning to Lily and telling her it was absolutely unacceptable for her to shove her cake in the boys face.

Then another time she had gone horse back riding down a canyon when the horse slipped and though her off trying to get back up. She had fallen, thinking it her end until she suddenly found herself ten yards away in a large oak tree, her instructor arrived in time to see her climbing down, quite confuse with her horse on the other side. She was then told of for fooling around in such a dangerous place and spent the remaining time of her lesson trying to get back to the other side which seriously annoyed her instructor who kept yelling,

"If you can get over there you can get back"

Her parents had laughed joyfully as she related what had happened, but her sister did not. Petunia did not like any attention from others that was caused by anything strange or unusual. She preferred the attention she got for wearing a new dress to school. And so it was that we can understand Petunia's shock when she saw an owl sitting on the roof of the family car as she went to get the mail. Shooing it away she proceeded to the mail box where she opened up the slot.

There were quite a few letters and so she flipped through them on her way back to the house. Just as she walked into the kitchen where the Family was sitting down for tea her eyes widened. Her mother questioned,

"Oh Petunia, What is it dear?"

Petunia didn't answer she just turned to stare suspiciously at her younger sister.

"How do they know where you live?"

Her sister looked startled and then smiled. "Well I don't know who you mean by they, but generally people can find where you live thanks to a brilliant invention called a telephone book." She continued, "You see every house gets one and"-- she was cut short, "No, No that's not what I meant… just look"

She narrowed her eyes and thrust the letter before her sister's nose. Lily eyes widened in shock there on the envelope, sealed with a wax stamp she read the words "Lily Evans, Number 2 forest drive, Littlest room, Surrey"

Her mother gasped and ran over to examine the letter while her father simply sat looking curios and thoughtful. "Who is this from? What is Hogwarts? Do you know these people? Are they spying on us?" She ran to the window glancing around expecting to see a large van or men in uniforms with a telescope. Harold Evans then, always being the one to stay calm, a trait only Lily had inherited, addressed first his wife and then his youngest daughter.

"Rose, don't be silly if they were spying on us they wouldn't send us a letter alerting us about it now would they? Now Lily, why don't you just open it?"

Lily nodded and carefully ripped open the letter pulling out a couple pieces of yellowish paper. She took the first one and read

"Dear Ms. Evans, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts, School of witchcraft and wizardry"

She would have gone on reading had Petunia not snorted.

"What Petunia?"

"Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Well, this is obviously a prank. Probably from that boy at school you dumped cake on, I heard he always calls you a witch" It was true, but then Lily somehow knew this wasn't a prank and continued, "The school year will start Sept. 1st. Please send your answer back before then the owl would appreciate it sooner rather than later. Enclosed are a list of you're your school supplies which can be found in Diagon Alley. Since you are muggle-born we have also included instructions on how to get there." Her mother said blankly "Witch, Wizard, Muggle, owl, reply, school" then shook herself and inquired "What are we going to do?"

Her father said, "Well he have the directions we can go find this Er, Leaky Cauldron" he paused to consult the directions "and see if it turns into anything, if it does well then I guess you're the first witch in the family, always knew you were special."

Petunia was horrified, "What! A witch! Are you actually glad about this, I just thought she was strange, I never imagined she was a..a… Freak!"

Rose Evans turned stern " now petunia you have no right to call your sister names. If this makes you uncomfortable you can stay here."

Petunia looked as if she had swallowed a lemon, "Fine!" she yelled. "I don't enjoy wild goose chases anyway and I've been to London in that area plenty of times, but never seen a place called the Leaky cauldron. I would have noticed too because that in its self is a very strange name." Then she turned her heal and marched up to her room, angrily muttering to herself.

Lily's heart sank. As much as she wanted to believe in magic her sister was right. Though Lily never accompanied her sister to her shopping trips to London, she knew something like "the Leaky Cauldron" would defiantly catch her nosy, observant sister's eye. However, her dad did not seem fazed. "we should send your reply now, even if it is a joke then no harm will be done, but if it isn't we … well it's better to be safe than sorry any way"

Then her mother spoke up " Yes that's what we'll do, then we should go right away to see before our curiosity becomes overwhelming." She ran to the window once more to look for something, yet this time she found it. She had noticed the owl now sitting on her small apple tree. She ran out and always a very brave woman, she just held out her hand and allowed him to step on, so she could bring him in. There she sat him in the counter and quickly pulled out a piece of stationary and an envelope from her desk.

She bent over and scrawled, "Yes, Lily Evans of Forest drive will attend your school." Quickly stuffing it in the envelope and sticking a stamp on it just in case she attached it to the owl's leg. Upon realizing he had his reply the owl took off. Then Lily and her parents began to get ready for the trip, no one speaking as if they were trying to hold on to a dream.