The first time that I ever saw him: I thought wow…what an arrogant, annoying, four eyed, dweeb. I remember that day as crystal clear as any other, I was shy, nervous and totally didn't fit in, but it was all worth it because it was the first time that I set eyes on that castle, which was to be my home for the next year, and for many years to come. I stared up in awe as we, the first years, sailed across the silky smooth lake in boats, built for four. The others in my boat were gazing in admiration and I knew then that everyone was thinking the same thing: oh my god. As we approached to the other side of the lake, silence bestowed upon the group as we entered, what seemed to be a dungeon, low ceilings, cold stone walls and flickering, blue torches in brackets, which shone a ghostly light on to the faces of my peers. Everyone looked sick, or it may have just been the light, I didn't know, but I knew that every bone in my body was shaking as we stood there awaiting our fates.
Standing in the dungeon seemed to last for a lifetime, but then not very long at all. But before any of us knew it, a strict looking woman, with her hair scraped back into a sharp knot on her head, wearing a large hat appeared as if from nowhere. She beckoned us forward and led us through a small rounded door, which I supposed she entered from. We were led into a magnificent hall, and were greeted with hundreds of hungry looking eyes, all staring from four long wooden tables. We were stood on a platform, higher up than the rest of the people, behind us was another long wooden table, but there were only 50 or so chairs, each occupied by a formidable looking person. In the centre was the oldest man that I had ever seen, he must have been a hundred, he had sweeping long, white hair, half moon spectacles and a nose that looked as though it was broken. To his right, there was an empty seat, where the lady that shown us in sat down. In front of this table, was a stool and an old, dirty hat. Everyone in the great hall was staring at it as if it was to impart some words of wisdom, when without warning; it took a deep breath and burst into song.
Welcome back dear students
Hello to the new ones too I am the sorting hat dear friends
It's my job to sort you
The four houses of this school
United though they stand
Need to be replenished
That is my job at hand
Will you be in Hufflepuff?
Were go those with big hearts
Or do you go to Ravenclaw
Where belong those of the arts
Slytherin dear chums
Belong those of pure blood
Or is it Gryffindor
Those who would save one in a flood
Each different house
Brings a specialty to the school
So new comers, try me on
I shall tell you where you belong.
With that end note, the hat was silent and a great applause echoed around the hall, everyone was wearing entertained faces and clapping. I was beginning to wonder what kind of sick joke this was, I stared round into the faces of the people standing around me, they seemed to be thinking the same thing. The woman that shown us into the hall was on her feet again, and was holding a long list, from which she read from the top "ANDERSON, TONY" a pale, nervous, looking boy, walked up to the woman, she motioned for him to sit on the chair and she placed the hat on his head. The hat was on his head for a tense while, but before long it shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" and a smattering applause echoed around the hall. Slowly but surely, the crowd dwindled as people were sorted, once the magical hat had called out the name of the house, the student belonged, they sat at the corresponding table, Josie Elder was just sorted into Slytherin house when the lady called EVANS, LILY, I jumped in surprise at the sound of my name, but walked up to the chair and placed the hat on my head. The hat covered my eyes so I could only see the faded inside of the brim, but I could hear a mumbling in my ear, "Hmmmm, hard to choose, where to go? Hm, I see talent, lots of talent, Ravenclaw? Possibly, no, no, no I know, there is a thirst there, a thirst to prove yourself to the world, yes, my decision…GRYFFENDOR!" I jumped up, ripped the hat off my head, beaming and ran to my applauding table, where I was greeted with several handshakes and back pats.
After that was over I was beginning to feel hungry, something that I hadn't realised before, but I had to wait for the rest of my year to be sorted. I waited impatiently as "McDONALD, WESLEY" was sorted into Ravenclaw, a few more people were sorted, that is when his name was called. "POTTER, JAMES", a pale looking, boy with a long, nose, jet black hair and glasses, approached the hat with a swagger, he plonked himself onto the chair whilst the hat consulted his mind. Before I even had a chance to blink, the boy was on his way to my table as the hat had shouted "Gryffindor". He ran over shouting with the crowd, and sat in between a mousy looking boy that looked like a rat and a long haired boy who had a wolfish smile. I just couldn't take my eyes off him as he sat across the table from me, he noticed me after a while and winked, I shoved my hair down, blushing from head to toe, arrogant dickweed I thought.
The girl that was sat next to me, also a first year, started talking to me and introduced herself as Alice Watts, she was a pretty girl, with watery eyes and a short brown bob, she seemed friendly enough. Then the old man in the middle of the great table rose and the whole hall fell silent. "Welcome, everyone, to another year at Hogwarts, another year in which to fill your heads with knowledge, but right now lets fill our stomachs with food!" and then the 1000s of gold plates that littered the tables filled with food and everyone began to dig in. During the feast, the girl, Alice, talked to me some more, she was from a long line of wizarding family and she was really excited about getting to learn some real magic and just not what her mum and dad had let her do. That made me feel bad, I didn't even know that I was magic until a few months ago when a boy, Sev, told me, I looked at him sadly from across the hall, he was looking straight at me, a small disappointed look in his eye, he really wanted me to be in Slytherin with him. Right then, he looked angry and I looked around and the boy, James Potter was making faces at him and being mean, he didn't even know who he was!
"It's Lily Evans, right?" he said to me I replied that that was correct and then he looked at me with a curious smile and asked how I knew Sev, I told him that we lived near each other, he snorted and turned to talk to his friend with the long black hair. For some unknown reason, I felt strangely angry, but at the same time, was blushing uncontrollably.

So, that was the first time that I ever saw James Potter and I have to say that it was one of the greatest days of my life, that, finding out that I was a witch, the day that I had my son, Harry, my wedding and of course the day that James and I got together, oh I would never forget that day, not for my whole existance.

I was sat in the library with Alice Watts, Julie Angilo and Pheobie Harris, when he came round the corner. I noticed that for once he was without his three best mates, and he was looking as though he was on his best behaviour. He came around the corner, looking embarrassed, his hair was sticking up in all directions, his glasses slipping slowly down his long nose, but his vivid brown eyes were sparkling as he set his eyes upon my own, green, ones. He came straight up to me and my friends and asked to talk to me in private. Of course I accepted, everyone knew that James was the coolest guy in school, and they also knew that he only had eyes for me, however, only my very close friends knew that I also, really, really, liked him.
We walked down the rows of books, he stared at me, I could feel his eyes on the side of my head, but I couldn't summon the courage to look into those brilliant brown ones. He took a sharp turn and sat down at a small table, with two chairs, I took the other one. He looked at me very intently, my heart started to pick up as I looked at his perfect face, and I knew that I was blushing like a freak on blushing tablets. I looked up and said "What would you like to talk to me about then James?" He looked at me for a fraction of a second more and then said "Lily, I know that you know that I really, I mean really like you. Ever since that first time that I saw you on the train, I didn't know it then, but now I realise why I kept stealing sneaky glances at you…" I looked up at him, blushing again, he was looking down at me a perfect sparkle in his eyes, but his eyes were full of longing. "Lily, what I am trying to say is that…" he broke off there and looked awkward, I couldn't help but think that it was funny, James Potter looking awkward! "is that…I really, really like you and would like for you to, er, I would like for you to, er, come to, hogsmeade with me this weekend" he finished somewhat lamely, and flashed me a brilliant smile with his pearl white teeth. I couldn't believe it, it was finally happening, the moment that I had been dreaming of. He had finally plucked up the courage to ask me out properly. I felt as though I couldn't breathe, I looked into that waiting smile, my eyes filled with an indescribable joy and I simply answered "yes". He then flashed me the biggest smile that I would have ever thought possible and that almost broke my heart. Both of us sat there for what must have been an eternity, just looking into each others eyes, grinning like two grinning things. But then it was over so fast, he got up, still looking at me, the corners of his eyes smiling, swooped down and brushed his mouth against the side of my cheek. In a flutter of my heart he was gone and I was sat alone in the library, smiling in disbelief. I must have been sat there quite a while, because I could hear my friends calling from the shelves, they must have been looking for me. I got up, smoothed out my skirt and flounced around the corner into the awaiting faces of my three closest friends. "Well?" they all said in unison, which was actually quite cool. I couldn't summon the will to say anything, so instead I just smiled and nodded and they all squealed with delight.

That memory still resounds in my head, the day that James finally asked me out like a man. There is just one other memory that I will never forget, but it isn't a joyous occasion as was all the others, this is the story of my death.

James and I were in the front room in our small cottage style house in Godrics Hollow, I was watching in amusement as James was puffing different coloured rings of smoke out of the end of his wand to entertain Harry. Our gorgeous baby boy was every bit as gorgeous as his father. They both had heads of jet black hair that stuck in every direction, both had long noses, but Harry did not have his fathers beautiful brown eyes, he had my own green ones and the contrast with his hair was striking. I knew that as we watched him grow into a young man he would be one for the ladies. I also knew that we would be the proudest parents in the world. I watched both of their faces with a pride that I couldn't explain. We sat like that for ages, Harry laughing himself silly at the smoke and James and I having fits at his reactions. Then there was a hollow knock on our door, James and I snapped to meet each others eyes, we weren't expecting any visitors, I was terrified and ran to pick Harry up and cradle him against my chest, James looked suspicious, he got up from his seat, leaving his wand on the sofa and went to answer the door. The happiness that had been radiating from the room just seconds before had turned into panic. I knew something was wrong as soon as the sliver of light from the street entered our house. Panic rose inside of me and I knew who it was. James did too, he didn't have time to defend himself, his wand was on the sofa, instead he shouted, "LILY, ITS HIM, HE'S FOUND US, TAKE HARRY AND RUN" I felt as though I couldn't breathe my chest had constricted and my legs were unable to move. Then the beautiful baby boy in my arms started to stir and I knew that I had to move for him. I ran upstairs as I saw the echo of deadly green light and I heard my husbands body crumple unnaturally to the floor. Agony ripped through me, the monster had just done something that he would regret for the rest of his life. If Harry wasn't with me, I would have turned round there and killed the beast myself, but my baby needed me. I ran into his room, to get some supplies, but I knew that I didn't have a chance. The monster was coming for my baby. I heard him creep silently into the room and swirled round, tears pouring down my cheeks, I couldn't loose Harry tonight, not as well as James, I pleaded for the man to take me instead of Harry, he tried to spare me, but I wouldn't budge, that's when I saw the wood slice through the air. The last thing that I remember of my life is a flash of poison green light and a baby's cry. That cry will haunt me for all eternity, but my love for my son will have protected him. Lord Voldemort, he does not know love and does not know that it is the most powerful magic of all. He killed the love of my life in that room and that sent murderous blood through my veins that night, I gave that blood to my son Harry and I hope that he is the one to finish the monster that killed is family. I hope that my child will have a family and children without the threat of the monster that had killed mine. I hope that one day the world will live without the fear that Lord Voldemort will return. But most of all, I hope that my child survives the fight for his life.