On the thirteenth of May, 1981, in a little village called Godric's Hollow, a baby girl was born. She had big blue eyes of her father and little auburn curls like her mother. Her name: Iris Lily Potter.
"Where is she?" The night was a warm spring evening but the atmosphere between the two people was cold. One of them was the young father, the other an old man
"She's upstairs, sleeping, Albus. She's barely a day old." This was her father, James Potter. He had always been a headstrong boy and now he wanted to protect his family.
"But there is something special about her. I need to know." The old man adjusted his half-moon spectacles.
"Not today."
"Please, James. She could change the course of this entire world."
"But not tonight! She is my daughter and you will let her sleep!"
A young woman with dark auburn hair walked in, with a small boy hanging off her arm.
"Lily, tell him. He can't take her away, not yet." James turned to his wife to gain her vote.
"Lily..."
"No, Albus. She is my baby girl." Her voice was coarse and harsh on the surface, but anyone who knew her well enough could tell the strain of two young children was taking its toll on the old Evans girl. "You will not take her away from me. Not yet. Not today. I don't care how special you think she is. You will leave her be, and you will leave this house for tonight. Goodbye."
Albus sighed. It was obvious he wasn't going to win this battle tonight.
"Goodbye, Lily and you too, James," he bent down and ruffled the little boy's jet black hair, "and goodbye, Harry."
As Albus Dumbledore left Godric's Hollow, he could sense that time was running out, fast. He needed to see that girl. He had a feeling that somehow, she would be even more powerful than if that prophecy, the one that foresaw the end, referred to her brother. It was a terrifying thought, and it needed to be controlled.
Her laugh rang through the house like shining bells. The crisp September evening blew a leaf into the room. Her little arms reached up to try and touch it. And the leaf came. Almost as though magnetised to the tiny baby, the leaf blew off course and into her cradle, and fell next to the gathering pile of similar objects: feathers, seedpods and flower petals.
"What does it mean, Albus?"
"It means, Lily, she has an affinity with the Earth. How strong that is, we don't know. Yet it still seems like she has more to offer..."
"What do you mean?" James was there, standing protectively over his family. Being cooped up in the house had made him tetchy and his temper was running short.
"She's not using all of the power within her, almost as if..."
"What," he demanded.
"An Elemental."
"Impossible, they don't exist, Albus." Remus Lupin, friend of the Potters and godfather of Iris, spoke from the shadows. He did not approve of being associated with the little girl. He knew that if she came at the end of his more lethal side, it would damage her forever. But James had insisted.
"Oh but they do, Remus. And I'm afraid that little Iris is showing all of the signs that she is one."
"But how can you be sure, Albus?" Lily picked up the little girl and held her in her arms. The baby gurgled and began to play with her mother's long, auburn hair.
"Each Headmaster, when put into office, is briefed by the Lords of the elementals. It comes in a dream, and they tell you the four tests to determine one. Your daughter will have to undergo these tests."
"When?" James spoke calm and quiet.
"As soon as possible."
"Take care of her, Albus."
"Lily, when have I never?"
"Just bring her home."
"These tests, what if you're wrong?"
"James..."
"She's my baby girl, if anything was to happen to her..."
"Nothing is going to happen. At the slightest hint that she will be harmed, I promise to remove her from the test."
James handed over the bundle, little Iris, just 6 months old. "Make sure you do," he said, pecking his little girl on the cheek.
As Dumbledore walked off down the path, carrying the little girl, Lily found James' hand. She brought it to her lips and kissed it.
"She's going to be ok, I can feel it."She closed the door behind them, and turned the calendar over.
The date showed the 31st October, 1981.