AN- Hello readers! (if I have any) This is my first ever fan fiction so i would really appreciate all the criticism i can get and also ways to improve my writing. A special thank you to "HPislife16" for offering their help to me. (I don't own Harry Potter)

Lily Evans couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear. She was finally on her way to King Cross Station from where she would board the Hogwarts Express.

As soon as their car halted in front of the station, Lily hopped out and ran to get a trolley for her school trunk. When she returned to her car, her father had already unloaded her school trunk from the boot and onto the pavement. Lily was so excited that she didn't even notice the disgusted looks her older sister, Petunia was giving her. She scanned the platform for her only friend from the wizarding world.

"Lily!" said a familiar voice behind her. She turned around her and saw Severus Snape pushing a trolley while walking towards her accompanied by a woman who had the same sallow face and pale skin he did.

Lily was unable to contain her joy. Severus just smiled at her.

Her family had joined her by now; her father was pushing her trolley and her mother was walking while Petunia clinged onto her arm.

"Where's your ticket, dear?" her mother asked. "Don't want to be late, do we?" Lily pulled out her ticket, after looking at it she looked up bewildered, "Platform nine and three quarters? But there's no such thing."

"Watch," was all Sev said before breaking into a run while pushing his trolley, heading towards barriers nine and ten. Lily gasped, expecting him to crash but he passed right through, his mother following suit. Lily was taken aback; she had never seen anyone pass through a solid wall before. She gave her parents a reassuring look and headed for the barrier herself. She braced for impact, squeezing her eyes shut, but it never came.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing on a busy platform but it didn't look anything like the one she had just left behind. She saw people of all ages dressed in long robes either saying their goodbyes to each other or greeting each other enthusiastically. On the tracks, stood a magnificent scarlet steam engine bearing the name 'Hogwarts Express'. Several children were hanging out of its windows, waving at their families.

She turned around and saw that her family was already on the platform, but they looked very shocked. Lily spotted Sev a little distance away. She gave her father a warm hug, who kissed her on her forehead. Her mother was close to tears.

"I'm going to miss you," she sobbed. "Promise me you'll be good, and stay out of trouble."

"Mum, I never get into trouble," Lily replied cheekily.

She went over to hug Petunia but her sister moved out of the way. She made to turn but lily caught hold of her arm.

"Let me go," hissed Petunia, trying to wrentch her arm free but Lily kept a firm gripon it.

"Let me go you freak!" shreiked Petunia.

"Tuney..." Lily sputtered, tears filling her eyes. Petunia secceeded in tugging her arm away. Lily had no idea why Petunia was acting this way. "I'm not a freak... that's a horrible thing to say."

"That's where you're going," said Petunia with relish,"A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy... weirdos, that's what you two are. It's good you're being separated from normal people. It's for our safety."

Lily glanced towards her parents, who were now looking around the platform with an air of whole hearted enjoyment, drinking in the scene. Then she looked back at her sister, and her voice was low and fierce. "You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the Headmaster and begged him to take you."

Petunia turned scarlet. "Begged? I didn't beg!"

"I saw his reply. It was very kind"

"You shouldn't have read-" whispered Petunia. "That was my private- how could you-?"

Lily gave herself away by half glancing towards where Severus stood.

Petunia gasped. "That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!"

"No- not sneaking-" now Lily was on the defensive. "Severus saw the envelope and couldn't believe a muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all! He says there must be wizards working under cover in the postal service who take care of-"

"Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!" said Petunia, now as pale as she had been flushed.

"FREAK!" she spat at her sister, and she flounced off to where her parents stood.

Lily stood there, tears rolling down her cheeks. She wiped them away hastily and gave her parents one last hug before she boarded the train.