Chapter 1: Lily Evans

I can still remember the day my sister was born. I must have been three or so at the time but I still remember it vividly. It was early in the morning. Dad drove mom and I to the hospital and I remember sitting in a waiting room. After she was born, my dad told me I could go see her if I wanted to. I was so excited to have a younger and when I went into the room and saw my mom sitting there in the hospital bed, her red hair draped over her shoulders like a waterfall of fire, she looked up at me and smiled.

"Petunia, would you like to see your sister?" She asked me in her singsong voice that she always used. I nodded shyly and gripped my father's leg. My mother smiled and pointed to a small container where several nurses worked on cleaning my sister. I rushed over and my father lifted me up so I could see my sister as the nurse cleaned her. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She had a little bit of hair and it was the same flame red as my mother's. When she opened her eyes I remember smiling. She had the same grass green eyes as my father.

"Daddy, she stole your eyes." I remember saying. The nurse laughed and my sister began to cry.

"Your sister is scared. Would you like to hold her hand to make her feel better?" The nurse asked me. I nodded excitedly, reached forward.and stuck my first finger into my sister's hand. She formed a fist around it.

"Shhhh. I'm your big sister." I said to her. At first she didn't do anything but cry but soon she quieted down.

"Her names Lily. What do you think about that?" My father whispered in my ear.

"I like it." I said. My father smiled and pulled a chair over for me to stand on while he went to join my mom.

"Lily." I said breathing the name and you know what? I think she smiled at me. I really do.

Lily was always very quiet. Every where we went people would comment on her fire red hair and beautiful emerald eyes. At first I didn't mind. She was just a little girl. Of course she was adorable. When my friends came over they wanted to see Lily and play with her. I didn't blame them. She was cute and young, even I wanted to play with her.

Lily didn't become a problem until I was in my 4th year of primary school.

I had this huge crush on this boy named Mark Breit. He was tall and had brown hair. He had a pair of the bluest eyes I had ever seen. I was completely in love with him and had been for the past 2 years. I use to talk to my mom about him all the time.

My school always had a fair every year around April. Rumor had it that Mark might have liked me and was hoping I would be at the fair too. So I of course begged my mother relentlessly to go. I was allowed to go under one circumstance, I had to bring Lily. Not really a big deal because I liked Lily. The fair was great and I dragged Lily all around and looked for Mark desperately.

"I'm tired." Lily had said to me while tugging on my shirt. I didn't want to stop looking for Mark so I brought her to a small bench and told her to stay put until I got back. I must have walked around for at least half an hour…or at least that is what it felt like. When I didn't find him I headed back to Lily. As I neared her I saw that she was talking to Mark. I of course froze. What could she be saying to him? I could only imagine. Lily was still very young and dread filled my heart when I realized that she wouldn't understand my liking Mark being a secret.

Mark looked up and saw me. He then looked down, turned around and left. I rushed over to Lily.

"I talked to your Mark friend." She said with her innocent, childish smile.

"What did you say?" I asked gripping her by the shoulders rather hard. She let out a small whimper of pain but I didn't say anything.

"I just told him what you always tell mom." She managed back.

I was stunned.

I let go of Lily and stumbled backwards. I could feel heat rising into my cheeks as two of my classmates walked by, pointed and snickered at me. The two joined a group of their friends and began whispering excitedly. Mark was with them and would blush at certain intervals when the group would crack up laughing.

My blood boiled and I shot daggers at Lily. She looked so frail and innocent standing there with her big green eyes. Her innocent appearance only made me angrier.

"I. Hate. You!" I said through gritted teeth. She looked taken aback and her eyes widened.

"I hate you!" I repeated much louder. Lily began to cry and people started to stare. I didn't care. Lily had just taken the love of my life away from me for the first time.

The next week school didn't go over to well. When I walked into class people would whisper and laugh. Mark wouldn't even look at me and all the boys called me awful names. Names I won't even try to remember. Even 1 year later I was still furious at Lily.

My hate for Lily didn't become real until I was 12 and she was 9.

Lily and I always came home at the same time. We walked to and from school and one day both my parents were at home. They sat at the kitchen table and called me over when I walked in the door. Lily went to her room.

"Your mother and I have something to tell you." My father said.

"When your mother was pregnant with Lily…she got a cut on her insides. That cut has become infected." He said grasping mine and my mother's hand.

"I'm sick Petunia." My mother said with tears welling in her eyes.

"Please don't tell Lily yet. Not yet." My father pleaded. I didn't know what to say. What could I say? I understood what my mother was trying to get across when she said 'I'm sick Petunia.'

My mother was dying…and it was all Lily's fault.

My parents didn't tell Lily for another month or two. Every month my mother got paler and paler. She went to the doctor a lot more and life was crazy. I hated Lily and always let her know it. I called her names, pushed, hit, yelled and even took her things. Lily was ruining my life. People would tell me how beautiful Lily was and that only made me hate her more. She always got perfect grades through school and her teachers loved her to death.

One morning, after Lily had recently turned 11, we were gathered around the kitchen table eating before my mother went to the doctor. She was getting sicker and sicker and I it killed me to watch her dying before my eyes.

"What's that?" My father asked looking up from his plate. I turned and looked at the window behind me. A large tawny owl sat on our windowsill and clicked its foot against the glass. Held in its mouth was a thick envelope. Lily of course rushed over and hurriedly opened the window. The owl dropped the letter at her feet and flew off. Lily bent down to pick up the letter and opened it with curious looks from my parents. I acted like I cared more about my breakfast than Lily's letter. Lily read through the letter and gave a squeal of excitement.

How was I supposed to know that letter was going to change my life forever?