The Diary of Lily

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise is not mine.

AUGUST

Dear Diary, Hi. My name is Lily Evans. I'm your average ten-year-old, but with a difference. I have 'problems'. That's what the doctors say anyhow. I just let them think that I'm mentally subnormal. Because no one understands. Not even the psychiatrist.

Yes. I see a shrink. Never worked though.

I suppose you want to know exactly why I'm considered abnormal? The truth is, I have powers. Special powers. Yesterday I broke my favourite necklace, a diamond lily. I suppose it was my fault, but who hasn't balanced necklaces on their nose at some stage? Well the chain snapped and as soon as I picked it up off the ground it was whole again. I suppose I could pass that off as a trick of the light, but it wasn't the only time I think I used magic. Last week I read the Cub leader's mind. Yes, I do Cubs. And it's NOT just for boys! Well anyway, I found out that the leader has a major crush on one of the Scout leaders. This was so funny that I'm dying to share it with someone, but I can't. They'll ask how I know.

I think I'm a witch. Maybe I'm just a freak, but I'm SOMETHING out of the ordinary. And as soon as I figure out how, I'm going to make it so you, diary, have a mind of your own, and can conceal my entries and give me advice. How would you like that?

Anyway, I have a few other things you might like to know about me before I go. I have a home, but at night I go out. I live like a kid on the streets. It's not that hard for me at least, I can defend myself with magic and I always know I have food at home. I also have a gang.

James, Sirius and Remus are just like me: kids with a difference. Except Remus is extra different. He's a werewolf. That's how we know that magic exists. None of us know how he got to be a werewolf; he doesn't like to talk about it.

But I bet you're dying to know how we all met.

Well, I always wanted an escape from my life. A chance to go out and practice magic without freaking anyone. The perfect place was this park near my house. No one goes there after midnight, I found out. Sure, you could hear the crazy teenagers in their crazy cars, but they never came into the park. So every light night, when the moon was big enough to see by, I went out. Remus was there, and we became friends. The park wasn't big enough for both of us though, so we found another place. James and Sirius used had found it too, and we all became friends with the same problems.

[Lily looked up from her diary and smiled. She remembered sneaking out. ]

~Flashback~

Lily pushed her curtains aside gently and peered out onto the street. All was deserted. She smiled, then opened her window, letting the cool night air brush her face. As she stared up at the moon, a niggling thought caused her to frown.

Nobody would know if she went outside tonight.

But she couldn't, who knows what dangers there were on the streets! No, they were deserted. Please! Her mind begged. Lily looked around cautiously, and slowly began to climb out her window. She crept along the garden path, keeping to the shadows. Within seconds she was on the street, then in a few minutes she had reached the park.

Lily sighed, she was not used to being outside at night. Making her way to the swing, she sat down and began to talk to the moon about her troubles.

"No one understands. They'd kill me if they knew I wasn't in bed, and they'd ask why. But they wouldn't be able to comprehend it. Just like they can't even stop to ask, to consider the possibility that magic exists and I am a-" "Witch, the word you're looking for?" A friendly voice asked, but Lily jumped a mile. "Um, freak was what I was going to say." Lily commented to the air, trying to sound humorous and brave. A figure, about her size, came out of a bush. "Ok. Well, do you have magic? And who are you?" The stranger asked. "What is this, twenty questions?" Lily asked angrily, then her tone softened as she replied, "I think I have magic. My name's Lily. I'm ten." "Ok then Lily. I'm Remus. I'm ten too!" The boy grinned, and then came to sit next to her. For the next hour or so, they exchanged details and spells, but they could hear the drunken teenagers heading towards them to practice motor ballet with the playground. "Let's go, before they see us!" Remus cried, and he and Lily took off. "I know a cave!" Lily called, and dragged Remus to the shelter of the cave.

They stumbled in blindly, not even checking to see that the cave was deserted. "Phew, that was close!" Remus grinned, then flopped on the ground and began to laugh. Lily soon copied. Suddenly a voice rang out. "Who are you and what are you doing in OUR cave?" Lily and Remus stopped laughing abruptly. "We're Lily and Remus, and we were running away from some crazy teenagers." Lily said bravely. "We're not trying to hurt you or anything, we're sorry to intrude." Remus supplied. Two boys peered around a fold in the rock. "It's ok, they're only our age." One commented to his friend. They came around the rock. "You gave us a fright." One of the boys accused. "Sorry" Remus and Lily chorused. One of the boys smiled. "I'm Sirius and this is James. What were you doing in the park anyhow?" So the four children sat down and began to recite their life stories. Within minutes, they found they had a lot in common, and spent the rest of the night exchanging spells.

~End Flashback~

[Lily wiped a tear from her eye. How could she ever forget that moment, one of the most important in her life? Beaming, she turned back to the diary.]

So by day, we pretend not to know each other, but by night, we are the best of friends. We also figured out how to help Remus with his lycanthropy. We all have to become an animal, according to those mythological books any normal person has read. Because it says Remus is only dangerous to humans. So that's something else we're working on.

But it's my birthday this month, so with all the preparations to introduce the gang to my family (finally!), I'm going to be far too busy. Thank God I'm not having one of those awful class parties. It wouldn't work anyway. I have no friends at school because I'm such a freak. I think they're just scared of my powers.

Anyway, I must leave.

Love,

Lily.