Note: I don't own 'Harry Potter' just my own characters. It will get 'darker' later on but I will warn you when. Enjoy!

The doorbell rang and a young girl with dark, almost blood red, hair ran over to answer it. She stared up at the older woman on the other side. Her gray hair was pulled back into a tight bun and was wearing a lovely green coat. She adjusted her glasses and looked down at the girl.

"Are you Lily Westbrook?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Is your mother here? There's something that I would like to talk to you two about."

Lily let the woman in and called for her mum. A woman with strawberry blonde hair came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel.

"Mrs. Westbrook, I am Minerva McGonagall and I would like to discuss Lily coming to my school this year."

"It's just Ms. Westbrook. I'm not married."

Lily glared over at her mother and sat down. Her mother invited McGonagall into the front room and offered her tea. The witch couldn't take her eyes off the woman since she resembled a former student so much. When the tea was ready and they were all seated comfortably, McGonagall started in on what she wanted to say.

"I am the deputy headmistress at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lily's name has been down on our list of students since the day she was born. When a witch or wizard turns eleven, they are offered a spot at Hogwarts. Normally we send letters out with our owls but it is our understanding that you are not magical so that might seem strange."

"This conversation is seeming strange. Are you saying that my daughter can do magic?"

"Certainly there have been times where things occur that normally wouldn't have happened," McGonagall said.

"Yes but it never occurred to me to think Lily's a witch. So you want me to send her to a school that will do what exactly?"

"At Hogwarts, we teach witches and wizards about their magic. We help them to use it effectively and wisely. School starts in September and runs until mid June. If Lily should attend, she will live at the school in one of our numerous dormitories. I can assure you that Hogwarts is one of the best schools in world."

"How can Lily be a witch though? As far as I know, no one in my family could do what she can," Lily's mother asked.

"Is there any chance that her father is a wizard?" McGonagall asked.

Lily turned and watched her mother. She has been asking about her father since she could speak and she still doesn't know a single thing about him. Her mother looked at her and then at McGonagall.

"Lily, please go to your room and get ready for your party."

Lily was beyond mad. She stood up and glared at her mother. She contorted her face into a look that her mother knew too well.

"I've been asking about my father for years and you have yet to tell me anything. She comes in here and after five minutes, you're going to tell her about him. Like this is bloody fair!" Lily said, looking over at the old woman.

McGonagall was taken back when she saw the scowl on the young girl's face but didn't react outward.

"Lily Katherine Westbrook! Go to your room and stay there. I will come and get you before your friends arrive."

She ran up the stairs to her room and slammed the door. She turned on her stereo and cranked the music. Lily did that whenever she was mad because it covered up her screaming. Even though she is 11, Lily has a nasty temper. Her friends refer to her as a devil in disguise because while she can look like an angel, she's far from it underneath.

Since it was her birthday, her mother had rented a pool for her and her friends; most were away on holidays, being the middle of summer so there were only a handful coming. After speaking with McGonagall, her mother came up to her room to talk to her before her friends got there.

"Lily, I don't want you to tell your friends about you being a witch. You can tell them that you are starting at a boarding school this year but that's it. Got it?"

"Yes, mum. Are you ever going to tell me about Dad?"

"It's not a good time right now. Maybe when you are a bit older."

Her party was a blast. The girls loved swimming in the pool and the numerous water fights that happened. Lily had pushed the thought of her father and school out of her head completely.

It was only when a gray owl smacked into the front room window about a month later that Lily remembered. She let the owl in and took the envelope from its beak.

To Ms. Westbrook and Lily,

Minerva contacted me to see if I would be willingly to take you to Diagon Alley to purchase the necessary things for Lily's first year at Hogwarts and I am thrilled to do it. My last son is starting there this year as well so he will need his things too. My husband, Arthur, has arranged to attach your fireplace to the Floo Network so that's how we'll go to Diagon Alley. I'll apparate over first and show you how.

I'm looking forward to meeting you tomorrow at noon. If this will not work, please send a reply with Errol.

Molly Weasley

"Mum, what's the Floo Network?" Lily asked.

"I don't know, honey. We'll see tomorrow."

Lily wrote Mrs. Weasley back saying that tomorrow was fine for them and the owl flew off.

Lily and her mother were waiting in the front room for this Molly Weasley. Lily was in jeans shorts and a tank top while her mother went with dark slacks and a lovely blue V-neck top. They heard a 'pop' and looked over. A short plump woman with flaming red hair had appeared in their hallway.

"Hello. I'm Molly Weasley. You must be Lily."

"That was cool. How did you do that?"

"That, my dear, was apparating. You won't be doing that until you're much older."

"Mrs. Weasley, it's a pleasure. I'm Arianna Westbrook. Thank you for taking us shopping."

"It's nothing. We should be going. Do you have your list? My boys are already at Diagon Alley waiting for us."

Mrs. Weasley explained how the Floo Network worked and they went through. On the other side, there was a group of people with the same flaming red hair waiting for them.

"Ah, good. You're here. This is Lily and Ms. Westbrook. These are my children: Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny. Ron's in the same year as you."

Lily waved and they headed out into Diagon Alley. Ginny was excitedly talking to Lily about the difference shops and whatnot. Mrs. Weasley took her mother to Gringotts Bank to exchange some Muggle money into wizard money. Lily had given her mother all the birthday money she received from her friends to exchange as well. She wanted to get something fabulous but her only hobbies were cooking and reading so she was keeping her eyes out for something.

"So are you guys at Hogwarts too?"

"Yeah. Our older brothers, Bill and Charlie, have already graduated. Ginny still has to wait one more year before she can go. The Burrow will be empty for once," George said.

"The Burrow?"

"Our home."

Arianna and Mrs. Weasley came back and they went around Diagon Alley getting everything they needed. The fun part was going to Ollivanders and getting her wand. She ended up with the third wand (9 inches of holly with a dragon heart string as its core) that Mr. Ollivander had her try. Arianna invited them all to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. The kids were fast to agree but Mrs. Weasley didn't want to be a bother.

"It's no bother. Besides, after a hard day of shopping, ice cream is the only way to go."

Lily saw something that she wanted to buy with the rest of her birthday money. She had spent some of it on books that weren't part of her school list and the boys had laughed at her but she liked them.

"Mum, I'll meet you there. I still have to get my animal and I think I just spotted it."

"OK. Don't be long. If you're not there in 10 minutes, I'll send a rescue party."

"Very funny, Mum."

Lily was heading to Magical Menagerie when a boy bumped into her.

"Oi! Watch where you're bloody going."

The boy, with very blond-almost white-hair, glared at her and she glared back. She was a bit taller than him. The boy, Draco Malfoy, didn't know who this girl thought she was to get away saying what she had to him.

"Maybe you should be the one watching where you go," he retorted with such distain in his voice. "You stupid mudblood."

"I don't know what you just called me but if my mum wasn't waiting for me, I'd take you down a notch, you stupid little git."

Lily went to the animal store and bought the little black kitten in the window. She loved the idea of fairytale witches typically owning black cats so naturally she wanted one now that she's a witch. The kitten stared up at her with its black eyes and started to purr.

"I almost sent out the boys to find you," her mother said, when she entered the ice cream parlor.

"Ran into a pompous little…"

"Lily!" her mother said.

"Was he cute?" Ginny asked.

"If you like them with an aristocratic holier than thou attitude. He called me something which I don't think was good."

"Whatever it was, you know not to repeat it, right?" her mother asked.

Lily nodded and ate her ice cream. Mrs. Weasley looked over at the little girl as she spoke and had an idea of whom she had run into and the word she was referring to. After they were all finished, Mrs. Weasley helped Lily and Arianna take everything home while her family went to the Burrow.

"So the train leaves at 11 o'clock on September 1 from Platform 9 ¾."

"Which platform?" Lily asked, petting her new kitten.

"9 ¾. You just run at the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. If you want, we'll be there hopefully by 10:30. The twins usually make us late though. Unfortunately, you can't pass through the barrier, Arianna. Muggles can't get through. Just wait if you like and I'll show you."

"Thank you for everything, Molly. We'll see you at King's Cross," Arianna said.

Mrs. Weasley left and Lily took everything upstairs to her room. Part of her was excited to be going to Hogwarts but part of her was worried. Would she do well? Will she make friends? Was she behind in the magic that she was supposed to know? That was her biggest worry so she took one of her schoolbooks and started to read. Her kitten laid on her stomach as she read.