The Evans' Residence
Somewhere in London
July 19, 1972
"Lils! Becca is here!" Rose Evans called from the kitchen. 10-year-old Lily Evans ran down the stairs from her room, into the kitchen, where her best friend, Becca Alcott was waiting for her. The two girls had become best friends when Becca moved next door to the Evans' and they discovered their birthdays were on the same day.
"Mum, we're going over to the play park. Petunia told me to tell you she is going over to Vernon's place." Lily told her mother.
"Okay girls. Have fun." Rose answered.
"Hey Becca! I can't wait for tomorrow, can you?" Lily asked the second they were out of the house. The next day was the two girls' 11th birthday.
"No I can't. But, Lils…there is something I need to tell you." Becca answered. Her bright blue-grey eyes shone with some emotion Lily had never seen in her best friend's eyes. "I probably won't be going to school with you next year."
"Why not?"
"Mum and Dad say I may get accepted into their old school." Becca answered. "We're not 100 percent sure yet, though."
"Oh…" Lily said. She couldn't think of anything else to say. "Will you still live next door?"
"No…the school is a boarding school. It's not in London." Becca said.
"Oh…well then, we'll have to make the most out of this summer won't we?"
Becca sighed. She was glad her best friend was taking the news as well as she was, but she was upset she couldn't tell Lily the real reason she would be leaving their public school.
The two girls played all day at the play park, stopping only for lunch, then returned. Becca's new school wasn't mentioned for the rest of the afternoon.
When it got dark, Lily and Becca started home. When they reached their houses, Lily looked at Becca and said, "I'm really going to miss you when you leave."
"We don't know if I'm going to get in, Lils," Becca replied.
"You will. Any Headmaster would have to be mental not to accept you."
"Well…he is kind of insane." Becca muttered. Lily laughed at her best friend's comment. She gave Becca a hug, told her good-bye and walked into her house.
"Mum? I'm home," Lily called as she walked into the house. She spotted her mother, father, and sister in the living room, and walked towards them
"Oh, Lils. Good…I'm glad you're home." Rose said. "What were you and Becca talking about before you came in?"
"Becca's parents say she may get accepted into their old boarding school. Becca was just warning me. She will probably get the acceptance letter any day now." Lily's emerald green eyes shone with unshed tears as she told her mother, father, and sister about her friend's plans for the next year. She tried to be strong in front of Becca; she didn't want the girl to feel bad for getting accepted into her parents school.
"Oh…I'm sorry, honey."
"Me too, Water Lily. But you need to get to bed. We have a big day tomorrow!" Lily's dad said, calling her by her childhood nickname. He favourite flower had always been the water lily, so her dad always called her 'Water Lily'.
Petunia just gave her sister a miffed look, and went back to watching the television program.
"Okay Daddy. Goodnight. Goodnight Mum. Goodnight 'Tunii." Lily ran up to her room, got ready for bed, and fell fast asleep.
When Lily awoke the next morning, she ran downstairs first thing. "Morning Mum, Daddy! Isn't it a brilliant morning?" Her mother and father laughed, gave her hugs, and told her happy birthday. Petunia walked in and, as always on Lily's birthday, asked if they could keep the noise down, she was getting a headache. The family sat down for breakfast. Lily had a letter sitting by her plate.
"That came for you this morning, Lils." Rose told her. Lily grabbed the letter and looked at it. It looked strange to her. The envelope was thick and heavy, and made of yellow parchment. Her address was written on the front in ink the colour of her eyes.
She opened the letter. There were two pieces of parchment in the envelope. She pulled out the first one and read:
Dear Miss Evans,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment. Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. As you are Muggleborn, a teacher, staff member, or another witch or wizard you know, will accompany you to Diagon Alley.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress.
Lily pulled out the second piece of parchment which read:
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide of similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please not that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Lily?" Rose asked her youngest daughter. Lily had been staring at the letter she had gotten that morning in shock since she had opened it.
"Er….I guess Becca isn't the only one going to a boarding school this year. B-but…I don't remember applying for a boarding school." Lily said, handing her mother the letter.
"Oh my!" Rose said as she read it. "Well…this is exciting." She handed the letter to her husband. After he read it, he looked at Lily and said, "A witch. A real witch. Water Lily, I'm so proud of you!"
"What? A witch? What has gotten into you people?" Petunia asked. She grabbed the letter off her father's plate. As she read it she got pale. She set it down and looked at her sister, her eyes filled with contempt. "Stay away from me, you freak." She got up and stalked out of the kitchen. Lily turned to her father, her emerald eyes filling with unshed tears.
"Don't worry about it Water Lily. We'll talk to her. Right now we need to figure out who is coming to take you to -" he consulted the letter. "Diagon Alley"
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Lily ran to answer it, not knowing what to expect.
What she didn't expect was her best friend and her best friend's mother standing at the door, Becca waving a letter like the one Lily had gotten that morning.
"It came, Lils! My letter. I got in!" Becca cried. Lily smiled at her best friend. "But…where's yours?" She peered around Lily, trying to glimpse the letter.
"Erm…why don't you guys come in?" Lily said, stepping aside so the two family friends could enter the house. The trio walked back into the kitchen. Becca spotted Lily's letter on the table. She turned to her mother and said, "See? I told you it was Lily!"
Lily's parents looked at each other. They asked Brooke and Becca Alcott if they'd like to sit. After everyone was comfortable at the kitchen table, Lily looked into Becca's blue-grey eyes and said, "Explain?"
"Okay, you know how I told you I was going to be going to a boarding school next year?" At Lily's nod, she continued. "Well, that school is Hogwarts. I couldn't tell you because I thought you were a regular Muggle, not a witch. We aren't supposed to tell Muggles, except for our families, so I couldn't tell you. But this morning, when my letter came, Mum got a letter to. It said that we were to take a Muggleborn witch with us to Diagon Alley today. It said the witches name was L. Evans. I knew it had to be you!"
Lily sat for a minute trying to comprehend what she was being told. Her best friend was a witch. They were both going to a school named Hogwarts. They weren't supposed to tell Muggles…
"Erm…what's a Muggle?" Lily asked.
"A Muggle is a non-magical person," Brooke explained.
"Where is Diagon Alley?" Blaise Evans asked.
"Its in London. You get there trough a little pub in downtown London. Only witches and wizards can find the pub though. Its called the Leaky Cauldron," Brooke said.
"What does it mean by 'We await you owl…'" Rose asked, gesturing toward the letter.
"It means, Mum needs to send an owl to Professor Dumbledore." Becca said. At the Evans' confused looks, Brooke said, "Professor Dumbledore is the Headmaster of Hogwarts. And I've already sent Becca and Lily's owl to him."
"Professor Dumbledore…he's the mental one?" Lily asked Becca. Rose and Blaise gasped at Lily words but Brooke smiled while Becca giggled.
"Yeah…he's the mental one," Becca said.
"What have you been telling Lily, Becc?" Brooke asked, amused.
"Well, last night, Lily said any Headmaster would be mental to not accept me. And I told her, 'Well, he is kind of insane'" Becca told her mother with an innocent look on her face.
Brooke shook her head, a disapproving look on her pretty features. Then she turned to Rose and Blaise. "If you two don't mind, I'll take the girls to Diagon Alley to get their supplies."
"No, it's fine. We usually take Becca from you on her birthday anyway. I think its your turn." Rose said.
"Have fun you two. And Water Lily, you'd better behave!" Blaise said.
"Of course I will Daddy. When do Becc and I ever act up?" Lily asked with an angelic look. The only thing that ruined the look, was the mischievousness in her eyes. Blaise just rolled his dark grey eyes in answer.
"Come on girls. We can take a portkey to the Leaky Cauldron." Brooke told them. She held out an old newspaper. Becca grabbed it, so Lily felt she should do the same.
She turned to Becca and said, "What's a port--whoa!" She felt a tugging behind her naval and suddenly she was flying through the air. Her parents and their kitchen disappeared from her sight. And suddenly, she was on the ground, Becca laying beside her. Brooke had landed on her feet.
"I hate travelling by portkey." Becca said dusting herself off.
"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, Lily," Brooke said, gesturing to an old dark building. Lily was sure the only people who could see it were her, Becca, and Brooke. They walked toward the pub, Lily in between Becca and Brooke.
The walked in. Brooke said hi to a few people on their way through. When they reached the outside, all Lily saw was a brick wall. They were in an alleyway. Brooke took out her wand and tapped a few bricks in, what seemed to be, a random fashion. Then, the wall began to twist and turn to form an archway.
Lily stepped through the archway, and gasped.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley." Brooke and Becca said together.
oOo
A/N - I know, I shouldn't have started another story. I am working on the second chapter of Lily and the Marauders Read Sorcerer's Stone. And this is going to correspond with that story…somehow. Along with another story I'm working on. My mind works in strange ways. I'm sorry. But, if anyone noticed Lily's father's name, I have a reason for doing that! Also, the first chapter might sound a little spacey and slow, but it'll get better! Anyway, as always, read and review!
Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter. Trust me; if I did, Blaise would've been mentioned way before HBP, Ginny would stop moving from guy to guy; she'd be with Blaise and no one else. And Lily, James, and Sirius would still be alive. Alas, all the wonderfulness belongs to the brilliant J. K. Rowling, who should write more Blaise!