A/N: Yes, I'm back! And I've started this new story so that I can get my mind off my other ones. This one is a bit more elaborative, and I've taken to the habit of updating with longer chapters. Hooray!
Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings
Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling however much I want to be. So therefore her characters do not belong to me.
"Lily! Congratulations on your graduation!" cried Patricia Evans, eagerly snapping photos of her daughter.
"Mum!" laughed Lily, "It's not that big of a deal, really!"
"You just finished primary school," pointed out Mrs. Evans, "That's a big deal to me!"
"That's my girl!" exclaimed Thomas Evans, "Congratulations dear!"
"Way to go Lily! Now you'll be joining me at the big bad secondary school," smirked Petunia.
Which just made Lily grin wider. The day was June 10, the last day of primary school, and the start of her summer break before she was to join Petunia in secondary school. Boy, life changed fast.
Lily walked out of her school building for the last time, looking back on it with feelings of nostalgia. She had always enjoyed school, but then, it was hard not to when you were the top in your class.
She bid adieu to her friends and walked back with her parents and sister Petunia to the car, where she spent the ride home reminiscing about the many days of her life she had spent in that school.
Lily was a beautiful girl, but it wasn't her looks that made her so. Yes, she had fiery red hair and the most clear and gorgeous emerald green eyes, but that was probably it in the looks department. No, she was beautiful in a different sense, one that was mystifying all in itself. Perhaps it was her graceful demeanor, or maybe it was her innocent smile that reminded everyone of an angel.
Lily was a confident girl, and quickly learned that hard work would lead to success. She was smart, but that still didn't stop her from working as hard as she could. It wasn't that she minded; it was her credo to enjoy what she did.
As Lily lay in her bed that night of her graduation, she felt overcome with a mixture of strange emotions. She thought about her friends and her teachers and her future. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, eagerly anticipating her future.
She was walking down the hallways of her new secondary school. Teachers were greeting her and congratulating her on her exemplary scores on a recent test. Classmates were cheering as she was elected class president. She held her diploma, knowing she had graduated with top honors.
TAP TAP TAP
Lily sat up with a start. She groaned. Was it really only a dream?
TAP TAP
Glancing around the room, she tried to locate the sounds.
"Oh, there's an owl at the window…" she thought sleepily. She rubbed her eyes. "Wait, why is there an owl at my window?"
She jumped out of bed and wrenched open the window, allowing the owl to flutter in and onto her desk. It hooted comfortably, as if it had just finished a long journey. Lily examined the little owl, and it was then that she noticed it was sitting on something. A letter.
"James! Get down here!" yelled Mr. Potter, "It's already ten in the morning!"
"Aww Dad! Just one more hour!"
"We need to get shopping today James, no time for sleeping late."
"Fine, coming…"
James trudged down the stairs next to his bedroom, still half asleep.
"Would you like some pancakes James?" asked Mrs. Potter.
"Yes please!" said James immediately, jumping down the last few steps and running into the kitchen.
"Well that certainly got you awake," laughed Mrs. Potter.
James grinned innocently, "You know I love your pancakes."
Mrs. Potter handed over a plate, which James immediately devoured, followed by a tall glass of milk.
Mr. Potter chuckled, "You need to make pancakes more often," he told his wife.
"So, we're going shopping today?" asked James.
"Yes, we need to get some new robes for you."
James sighed. "As long as you don't force me into those yellow ones again."
"That's the spirit!" grinned Mr. Potter, "Now go change, we'll be leaving soon."
James spent the rest of the day in Diagon Alley, being nearly strangled by the measuring tape at Madam Malkin's, eating ice cream, and tagging along with his parents to buy all of his school supplies. When night had fallen, his parents finally declared it time to go home. Exhausted after a long day, James didn't argue. So, after washing up, he flounced on his bed and fell asleep, thinking of his future school.
"Mum, Dad, wake up!" screamed Lily.
"Ugh… Lily dear, what's the matter?" groaned Mrs. Evans.
"An owl was at my window last night and it brought me a letter!"
"A letter?"
"Yes Mum, a letter. Here," Lily unfolded the sheet of parchment and gave it to her mum to read.
"Goodness Lily, what does this mean?"
"Mean what?" Mr. Evans woke up too.
"Read this," said Mrs. Evans, handing him the letter.
Mr. Evans scanned through the letter, an expression of curiosity on his face. "What is this supposed to mean?"
"I don't know!" exclaimed Lily, "That's why I'm asking you!"
CRACK!
"What was that?" asked Lily fearfully.
The doorbell rang and Lily's parents got out of bed and went to answer the door.
Lily carefully followed them, still a bit scared.
"Ah hello, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Evans. I'm Professor Dumbledore from Hogwarts."
"Oh, you sent that letter to her?" asked Mrs. Evans, "Erm… Not to be rude, but where is Hogwarts? I've never even heard of it before."
"Yes, that's because it is located in a remote location. You see, Hogwarts is a school for witches and wizards. And your daughter here, Lily, is a witch."
"Our daughter?" asked Mr. Evans, exchanging a look with his wife, "is a witch?"
"Yes, her name was recorded in our magical registry, so it would appear so."
"But, but, that's unbelievable! Our daughter can't do magic!"
"Ah, but have you ever noticed anything strange happen to her? Things that you couldn't explain?"
"Erm… No, I don't believe…. Oh! Remember Thomas? That time when her teacup started levitating…"
Lily poked her head out from behind her parents.
"There was that one time when that baseball crashed through the window," she added, "I didn't even throw it towards there, I swear!"
"Yes, that is what I'm talking about. Strange instances that seem to have no possible way of happening."
"So our daughter… Is a witch?"
"Yes, and I'm to take her to go shopping for her school supplies."
"So I take it there's no choice whether she's going or not?"
"Well, that's up to Lily to decide."
"I want to go," Lily spoke up, "I want to be able to do magic!"
Dumbledore chuckled, "Of course you do, but it will take plenty of hard work!"
"I don't mind hard work; I do it all the time in school," replied Lily proudly.
"Then we'll take you gladly," exclaimed Dumbledore before turning to Mr. and Mrs. Evans, "Would you like to accompany your daughter to shop?"
"I'll go with you," said Mrs. Evans, "Thomas, you need to stay home and take care of Petunia."
"Alright. Be careful," replied Mr. Evans grudgingly, not wanting to let his wife and daughter wander around a strange place with a strange man.
"And off we go," said Dumbledore, smiling pleasantly.
Lily stood for a moment, taking in his appearance. He looked quite odd; he was wearing what appeared to be purple robes, and his beard was silver and very long. He looked very old and wise and wore half moon-shaped spectacles. But despite his rather strange appearance, Lily liked him. He was really nice.
Exploring Diagon Alley was more fun than Lily had ever had in her entire life. Every step there was something new and exciting to look at, something she had never seen before. There were witches conversing in corners, wizards perusing through books, and even goblins running the bank! It was almost too good to be true.
She got her own robes, her own spell books, her own cauldron, her own wand. Though the wand crafter scared her a bit, it was worth it. A wand, a magical wand, all of her own, which she would learn wonders with.
Back at her house that evening, Petunia was all in a fuss, having finally been told why Lily had been gone the whole day.
"How come I never got one of those letters? I want to go too!"
"We don't know Petunia… We're still a bit amazed by this ourselves."
"Well I want to go!" yelled Petunia, even though she knew she sounded childish, "It's not fair! How come she gets new robes and a wand?"
"Petunia dear, you always get the new clothes and toys, don't you think Lily deserves something new as well?"
"Fine, take her side. See if I care!" She stomped upstairs, muttering bitterly under her breath.
"Mum, I don't want Petunia to be mad at me…" said Lily, rather shocked.
"Don't worry dear, she'll be ok after a while," reassured Mrs. Evans, getting up to comfort Petunia.
"I sure hope so…"
A/N: And so you get a nice glimpse of everyone's life before Hogwarts. Bit of a boring chapter with nothing really interesting, but I promise, it will get better. Please review:)