Chapter One
King's Cross Station was busiest this time of year. Crisp september air brought men and women in black suits who bustled here and there, clutching newspapers in one hand and briefcases in another. Children pulled at their mother's hands, whining about this or that. Vendors shouted about new products, new candies, new snacks to bring in passing customers who passed uncaring.
Bobbing amongst the crowds was a scared 11-year-old girl named Lily Evans. Her vivid red hair made her easily noticeable and green eyes, intriguing. She followed obediently as her parents searched for platform 9 3/4. Ahead, her father could be seen pushing Lily's cart, filled with trunks. Her mother was consulting her map of the train station, cursing whomever created the map because they obviously forgot a platform, the prat.
Lily took in the sights and sounds of King's Cross. Reveling in the excitement of the new day, while her sister sulked behind her. Lily knew of her sister's jealousy and ignored it so as to not ignite it and further agitate Petunia.
They reached Platform 9 and stopped. Lily's father scratched his head and asked a nearby official for help. The man scoffed at the name of Platform 9 3/4 rolled his eyes, brushing of Mr. Evans' plea for assistance.
Mrs. Evans had woken Lily up early that morning to finish packing. Lily rubbed at her eyes sleepily and leant up against the platform... only to fall through. Lily stood up, righting herself and was greeted by a very different sight.
"This isn't King's Cross..." She mumbled, eyes darting side to side. A little boy sped past her on a toy broom with his mother chasing after him, clutching at her extravagant robes to avoid tripping. Witches and warlocks of different ages chatted loudly, owls hooted and the Hogwarts Express whistled.
Standing a few feet away was Lily's friend Severus and his sour-looking mother. They caught sight of one another and brightened at the other's presence. Lily began to raise a hand to wave him over when a breathless Mr. Evans fell after Lily through the portal. He mumbled his thanks to God that she was alright, while Mrs. Evans followed with Petunia in one hand and pushing Lily's cart with the other. Lily smiled brightly at the wonderful chaos that was taking place. Petunia sneered and began to walk back towards the platform entrance.
"I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen-" She caught her hand and held tight to it, even though Petunia tried to pull it away. "Maybe once I'm there- no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"
"I don't - want - to - go!" said Petunia, and she dragged her hand back out of her sister's grasp. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a - a -"
Her pale eyes roved over the platform, over the cats mewling in their owners' arms, over the owls fluttering and hooting at each other in cages, over the students, some already in their long, black robes, loading trunks on to the scarlet steam engine or else getting one another with glad cries after a summer apart.
"- you think I want to be a - a freak?"
Lily's eyes filled with tears as Petunia succeeded in tugging her hand away.
"I'm not a freak," said Lily. "That's a horrible thing to say."
"That's where you're going," said Petunia with relish. "A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy... weirdos,, that's what you two are. It's good you're being separated from normal people. It's for our safety."
Lily glanced towards her parents, who were looking around the platform with an air of wholehearted enjoyment, drinking in the scene. Then she looked back at her sister, and her voice was low and fierce.
"You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the Headmaster and begged him to take you."
Petunia turned scarlet.
"Beg? I didn't beg!"
"I saw his reply. It was very kind."
"You shouldn't have read - " whispered Petunia. "That was my private - how could you -?"
Lily gave herself away by half-glancing towards where Snape stood, nearby. Petunia gasped.
"That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!"
"No - not sneaking - " Now Lily was on the defensive. "Severus saw the envelope and he couldn't believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all! He says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of - "
"Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!" said Petunia, now as pale as she had been flushed. "Freak!" she spat at her sister, and she flounced off to where her parents stood.
The last whistle for the train sounded, signaling for everyone to start saying their goodbyes. Lily received tearful kisses from her mum, gruff hugs from her father and stiff words of parting from her sister. Her trunk was carefully loaded onto the train, and in one whirlwind motion, Lily was on the train waving to her parents goodbye.
Lily watched as her parents and sister soon became unidentified faces in the crowd and sighed heavily, wishing her sister could magically become a witch as well so they could take this next adventure together.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. UK paperback edition. Great Britian: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2007. 537-538. Print.