The lightning streaked across the sky as the biting wind made the skeletal figures of trees dance and sway ominously in the pitch black of the night. Rain pounded the windows of the brightly lit cottage on Godrics Hollow, as a tall young man with black messy hair kissed a small baby on his forehead and laid him down for the night in his crib. He reached up and began to spin the mobile, which hung above the crib. Distorted shadows of stars and moons played across the ceiling.
The tiny baby in the bed drifted to sleep as a young woman entered the room. Red, curly hair cascaded down her back as she turned to face the man with astonishingly green eyes. "Something's not right tonight I have a strange feeling that something's going to go wrong" the young man whispered to her. The woman stayed silent and grabbed the mans hand and lead him out of the room the light clicked off as another flash of lightning tore up the night sky. Then all was black.
The young baby awoke to a loud crash which had nothing to do with the raging storm outside a strong deep voice shouted throughout the house, which the child recognised as his fathers, "take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off". There was a cackle of high pitched laughter which made the small tiny hairs stand up on the back of the babies neck. The same voice then roared harshly "Avada Kedavra". Screams filled the house as footsteps pounded down the corridor and the door bust open.
The beautiful woman entered the room her low rasping cries punctured the silence of the room. Suddenly a tall hooded shape filled the doorway a snakelike face opened its mouth and the cackle of laughter erupted from it. "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" the young woman screamed, tears running down her face. The cackle filled the room again and the harsh voice spoke "stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now.." The woman gasped and flung herself across the room "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead" the cloaked figure raised a thin strip of wood and roared "Avada Kedavra". A flash of green light erupted from the wood and hit the woman in the chest she slumped to the floor, dead.
The baby began to cry, he did not understand what was going on all he knew was that the noise was too loud and his mother and father were not coming to see what was the matter. The tall menacing figure stepped over the woman on the floor and advanced towards the child he again raised the strip of wood and the words "Avada Kedavra" escaped his mouth again the green light streamed out of the wood, it hit the baby in the forehead, but rebounded making him cry even louder. An explosion rocked the house and a bright green light filled the babies vision as the ceiling began to cave in towards him.
The young girl awoke with a start, she was sure that she had just had the most strangest dream and yet she couldn't remember a thing about it. Sunlight poured through the curtains above her window and the sound of birds filled the room. She could smell faintly bacon cooking downstairs. She stretched and rubbed her eyes and climbed out of bed. It was already half way through the summer holidays and today she was due to go shopping with her mum to get her new uniform for school. This year she had turned eleven and would be starting secondary school in September. Her older sister Petunia was already there and she was greatly looking forward to it. She was near enough a teenager and she couldn't wait to make new friends along with her old ones, which would be attending Sandington High. The uniform was less than something to be desired but her and Kate her oldest friend decided they would make it work.
Again she stretched and stepped lightly across her room small particles danced in the air, the sunlight bouncing off them and creating a glittery effect. She glanced in the mirror at herself her small pink vest and shorts pyjamas were rumpled and her hair, a gorgeous natural red curled gracefully past her shoulders, which even with waking managed to look perfect. She pulled open her door and stepped onto the landing she could distinctly hear the sizzling of the bacon as she skipped lightly down the stairs. She entered the kitchen and the blond mop of hair, which belonged to her father caught her eye. He was sat at the kitchen table reading his morning newspaper before he was due for work. He turned at the sound of footsteps and his handsome face broke into a smile "morning red" he called chirpily. She beamed and leaped across to him and pulled him into a hug "morning dad, where's mum and Petunia?" she asked. "Petunia is still in bed naturally and your mother is just out in the garden hanging the washing out to dry". She giggled and pulled a chair out from the table and promptly sat down.
A woman in her thirties entered the kitchen, she too had long red curly hair and her eyes were a bright sparkling blue. "Good morning Lily" she cried "did you have a nice sleep?" Lily beamed at her mum and replied "I did thanks. Are we still going shopping today as Kate has her uniform and we want to compare what it looks like on each other." Her mother sighed and rolled her eyes, she believed her daughter was growing too old too fast, when she was this age she was still interested in dolls but not Lily she already had the mind of a teenage girl and she was into fashion and looking good. "Of course we are dear but I must get back before three as I have a report to be finished for next weeks edition" she said. Lily's mother was a writer for the magazine Vogue and it was because of this that Lily was more into clothes and fashion than many girls her age.
Her mum then tended to the bacon cooking on the grill and pulled bread towards her and began buttering the individual pieces. She then pulled the bacon off the grill and placed it onto the bread and poured liberal amounts of brown sauce onto them. A plate clunked in front of Lily and she snapped out of a daydream. Lily's dad placed his newspaper down, stood up kissed his wife on the cheek and said "I'll see you both tonight" he then shouted towards the stairs "bye Petunia". His green eyes, Lily's eyes, turned towards them sparkling "have a good time today" and he was gone.
After Lily had finished her sandwiches she pounded upstairs and jumped into the bathroom. Brushing her teeth she began daydreaming again. When she went to school maybe she would meet her ideal man, dark hair dark eyes and cute. He wouldn't be like all the boys she knew at her age; he would be charming and pleasant, mature. Lily wondered if she was too young to be thinking about boys like this, a pounding on the door jerked her to her senses. "Lily Evans open this door now. I need to jump into the shower before Pete comes round". Lily sighed "okay Petunia I'll be right with you". Pete was Petunia's current boyfriend he was likeable enough, better than that Vernon that was constantly stalking Petunia. Late one night Petunia had told Lily about the perils of growing up and she had then told her all about Pete and how wonderful he was and then the subject of Vernon came up. He was a year older and had been perusing Petunia for months. She was not at all interested and in Petunia's own words he was annoying, boring and far too serious.
Lily unlocked the door and allowed Petunia to sweep past her while at the same time ushering her out of the door. The door shut in Lily's face. Downstairs her mums voice called up "Lily the post has just come can you get it please my hands are a bit full". When Lily reached the front door there was a small collection of letters scattered across the brown doormat. She picked them up and flicked through them;
Mr M J Evans, Mrs Hope Evans, and some junk mail. Finally at the bottom of the pile was a thick yellowing envelope made of thick paper. Bright green ink shone on it stating
Miss Lily Evans
92 Boardman Drive
Peally
Sussex
She gasped, she had never received a letter through the post before. Her and Kate had often played pretend postman and wrote each other letters and posted it under each others doors, but this was an actual real letter. Wondering what it was she glided into the kitchen and placed the post down onto the table. Still walking in a daze she found herself back in her bedroom. She turned the letter over as she sat down on her lilac bed. There was a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'. Lily frowned as she slit open the letter and pulled out a folded piece of paper, which was written on the same heavy yellow parchment as the envelope. She unfolded the letter and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Miss Evans,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva Mcgonagall
Deputy Headmistress
