Disclaimer: The characters I have created are Lily Potter (Harry's
daughter), Heather, Shawna, Matilda, and Thomas. (Most) other characters
are JK Rowling's, as is the setting and general idea of Voldemort being
evil. The plot is mine as well.
"Did she say Lily Potter?" hissed several voices in the Great Hall. "Not the daughter of Harry Potter?" The quiet whispers grew to a crescendo, and more than one person was eyeing Lily with wariness or even anger.
It was because of Lily's father that many of the people at Hogwarts had friends or family murdered brutally. Harry Potter, the only one capable of killing the Dark Lord, had failed, and was murdered himself. The Dark Lord had been on the loose for the past twelve years, killing any and all in his path. Muggles had at last been alerted to the presence of wizards and witches living in their world, and they, too, lived in constant fear of Voldemort. Half the wizard world - and even some of the Muggle world - had joined forces with Voldemort. Hogwarts had even been overtaken at one point, but had been recaptured and restored beautifully by none other than Hermione Granger, the currant Headmistress of Hogwarts. It was now the only wizard school in Europe that had not been overtaken by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and therefore had a variety of languages, accents, and cultures. Albus Dumbledore had passed away a year before Lily's first year of natural causes. Hogwarts was considered a safe haven now, although there were rumored to be a few spies within the castle walls, and many wizards rushed to work or at least live there. Hermione had grown to be just as powerful and respected as Dumbledore, and was, to the teachers' great sorrow, not as odd as the aged and eclectic wizard had been. In a nutshell, it was just like the time period before Harry was born. Nobody trusted anybody else.
It was because of this that Lily Potter trudged up to the Sorting Hat, eyes brimming with tears. With the exception of Professor Granger, she was probably the only one in the room with the least amount of respect for her father, although she never knew him. She had been born in a small and grimy cottage in secret five months after Harry had been killed, named for her grandmother, and her own, unknown mother had died shortly after childbirth. Hardly anyone knew of her existence, and she had been taken in by the Weasleys. Ron had ended up marrying a girl he met in Paris while working for his brothers' joke shop, and had almost fainted when he found out Harry had a daughter. He, of course, had to take her in out of respect for his dead best friend. Lily developed into an intelligent yet rebellious girl, with her father's messy black hair, which reached her waist.
The Sorting Hat felt heavy on her head and slipped down in front of her eyes, resting on the tips of her bright red ears.
"Hmm, so little Potter Junior has come to Hogwarts at last," said the Sorting Hat's small voice in her head. "I remember when your father came here. In fact he wore me more than once, most unusual." Lily's stomach tightened when she realized she was wearing the hat her father had once worn. She had precious few items that had belonged to her father; her most prized possession was his invisibility cloak, which, she was told, had also belonged to her grandfather. Whenever she wore it she felt as if she had disappeared from the sphere of shame she felt she lived in, being the daughter of the failed Harry Potter.
"Thinking again about Harry, are you?" said the hat again. Lily had forgotten where she was for a moment in her self-pity. "I know you want to be in his house. Certainly have the brains for Ravenclaw, but I know in your heart of hearts you want to be in. Gryffindor!" It had shouted the last word, so she removed it from her head and set it back down on the stool, then walked quickly to an available seat at the end of the Gryffindor table where a few first years sat. She slid into her seat, blushing and grimacing. Only a few people had clapped for her, and it looked as though they were the teachers. The only first year who smiled at her was a petite girl who looked as if she had no idea who Harry Potter was, nor what he had failed to do.
Lily often relived her first days at Hogwarts in the form of nightmares. Although she was now in her fifth year and had proven herself to the rest of the Hogwarts students, she could not forget the hatred she had had to live with for a while. The petite girl had become her only friend until people looked past the shame of her father and saw who Lily, as an individual, was.
She woke up with a start, hearing the Sorting Hat's voice ringing in her ears. It was still dark in the room, as it usually was when she woke up after her nightmares. She sighed and rolled over, forcing herself to close her eyes and think about something normal, like Thomas. She grinned and pictured his handsome face in her head. He hardly knew her, but she knew him. She studied his habits and activities, interrogating other people, slowly getting to know him from a safe distance. It was like an obsession, but she couldn't help it. She fell asleep imagining Thomas holding her hand and smiling genuinely at her.
"Did she say Lily Potter?" hissed several voices in the Great Hall. "Not the daughter of Harry Potter?" The quiet whispers grew to a crescendo, and more than one person was eyeing Lily with wariness or even anger.
It was because of Lily's father that many of the people at Hogwarts had friends or family murdered brutally. Harry Potter, the only one capable of killing the Dark Lord, had failed, and was murdered himself. The Dark Lord had been on the loose for the past twelve years, killing any and all in his path. Muggles had at last been alerted to the presence of wizards and witches living in their world, and they, too, lived in constant fear of Voldemort. Half the wizard world - and even some of the Muggle world - had joined forces with Voldemort. Hogwarts had even been overtaken at one point, but had been recaptured and restored beautifully by none other than Hermione Granger, the currant Headmistress of Hogwarts. It was now the only wizard school in Europe that had not been overtaken by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and therefore had a variety of languages, accents, and cultures. Albus Dumbledore had passed away a year before Lily's first year of natural causes. Hogwarts was considered a safe haven now, although there were rumored to be a few spies within the castle walls, and many wizards rushed to work or at least live there. Hermione had grown to be just as powerful and respected as Dumbledore, and was, to the teachers' great sorrow, not as odd as the aged and eclectic wizard had been. In a nutshell, it was just like the time period before Harry was born. Nobody trusted anybody else.
It was because of this that Lily Potter trudged up to the Sorting Hat, eyes brimming with tears. With the exception of Professor Granger, she was probably the only one in the room with the least amount of respect for her father, although she never knew him. She had been born in a small and grimy cottage in secret five months after Harry had been killed, named for her grandmother, and her own, unknown mother had died shortly after childbirth. Hardly anyone knew of her existence, and she had been taken in by the Weasleys. Ron had ended up marrying a girl he met in Paris while working for his brothers' joke shop, and had almost fainted when he found out Harry had a daughter. He, of course, had to take her in out of respect for his dead best friend. Lily developed into an intelligent yet rebellious girl, with her father's messy black hair, which reached her waist.
The Sorting Hat felt heavy on her head and slipped down in front of her eyes, resting on the tips of her bright red ears.
"Hmm, so little Potter Junior has come to Hogwarts at last," said the Sorting Hat's small voice in her head. "I remember when your father came here. In fact he wore me more than once, most unusual." Lily's stomach tightened when she realized she was wearing the hat her father had once worn. She had precious few items that had belonged to her father; her most prized possession was his invisibility cloak, which, she was told, had also belonged to her grandfather. Whenever she wore it she felt as if she had disappeared from the sphere of shame she felt she lived in, being the daughter of the failed Harry Potter.
"Thinking again about Harry, are you?" said the hat again. Lily had forgotten where she was for a moment in her self-pity. "I know you want to be in his house. Certainly have the brains for Ravenclaw, but I know in your heart of hearts you want to be in. Gryffindor!" It had shouted the last word, so she removed it from her head and set it back down on the stool, then walked quickly to an available seat at the end of the Gryffindor table where a few first years sat. She slid into her seat, blushing and grimacing. Only a few people had clapped for her, and it looked as though they were the teachers. The only first year who smiled at her was a petite girl who looked as if she had no idea who Harry Potter was, nor what he had failed to do.
Lily often relived her first days at Hogwarts in the form of nightmares. Although she was now in her fifth year and had proven herself to the rest of the Hogwarts students, she could not forget the hatred she had had to live with for a while. The petite girl had become her only friend until people looked past the shame of her father and saw who Lily, as an individual, was.
She woke up with a start, hearing the Sorting Hat's voice ringing in her ears. It was still dark in the room, as it usually was when she woke up after her nightmares. She sighed and rolled over, forcing herself to close her eyes and think about something normal, like Thomas. She grinned and pictured his handsome face in her head. He hardly knew her, but she knew him. She studied his habits and activities, interrogating other people, slowly getting to know him from a safe distance. It was like an obsession, but she couldn't help it. She fell asleep imagining Thomas holding her hand and smiling genuinely at her.