A/N – This is my second fan-fic, so please be nice and R&R
Disclaimer:
Methinks as thou art scrolling,
It will be obvious to thee,
That 'Harry Potter' etc. belongs to J.K Rowling,
And most definitely not to me.
Chapter 1 – Dreams, spells and opportunitiesShe was having that dream again. Deep in slumber, Lily Evans was flying, on what looked like a giant eagle, through the sky. The eagle swooped high up into the clouds, and the dirty city of London that Lily knew so well was now no more than a speck on the landscape. The eagle was flying low on the blanket of clouds and Lily put out her hand and touched it. The clouds melted under her fingertips. Lily and the eagle flew down through the cloudblanket and were suddenly flying behind ... huh? A Ford Anglia? ... Flying? Lily shook her head and was relieved to see that it had disappeared through the clouds.
She looked down and saw a long scarlet snake slithering across the landscape. The eagle seemed to be following the snake, turning when it turned and speeding up when it started to go faster. Then, almost instantly, the snake was gone and they were gliding over thick forest. By this time, the sun was beginning to set, casting beautiful sparkling lights of gold, pink, yellow, red silver and orange over the surface of the lake that they were now flying over. Lily waved at her reflection in the water, but instead of waving back at her, it poked out its tongue. Lily laughed back at it. And then she saw it. The castle that felt very special to her. Lily felt like she was returning home, to a place where she really belonged...
"Lily!" Screeched her sister Petunia, "Get up now!"
"I'm coming." Muttered Lily crossly. She enjoyed having that dream.
Lily got up, pulled on her moss green velveteen dressing gown and crossed off another day on the calendar by her desk that was counting down to her birthday.
"Morning, little one!" Said her father cheerily as she walked down the stairs into the dining room. Lily glared at him. He knew that she hated him calling her that. Her father chuckled and rolled his eyes. Lily rolled her eyes back at him.
"Morning sweetheart!" Chirped her mother. "Now, I was thinking, why don't we go to London this weekend to get your school supplies for this year!"
"Ok!" Said Lily, pretending to be exited. Inwardly she groaned. Lily wasn't looking forward to going to highschool, as she would be going to Pritchard Girl's Grammar School, (the sister school of Smeltings), where Petunia was currently a student. Petunia was three years older than she was. Lily shuddered, remembering what it was like to be at the same Primary school as Petunia.
Lily sat down next to her mother at the dining table, where a plate of breakfast and a cup of tea were already sitting in front of her, waiting to be consumed. "I had that dream again last night," She told her mother.
"The one where you're swimming, deep underwater, in a lake with ugly Merpeople and a giant squid?"
"No. The one when I'm flying on the back of an eagle, over a forest and a lake to a huge castle."
"Oh yes, I remember that one," Said her father, sitting down at the table next to Petunia, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, smirking at Lily, "You had that dream last week, didn't you."
"Yes," replied Lily with a mouthful of toast and lime marmalade. ("Don't speak with your mouth full Lily." Snapped her mother automatically.) She swallowed. "But this time it had a flying car in it. A Ford Anglia, actually."
"Cars. Can't. fFly." Spat Petunia from across the table.
"I know. It was only a dream." Said Lily, rolling her eyes.
Petunia gave her a look of utter loathing and went to get a glass of orange juice from the kitchen.
"You better watch out when you go to Pritchard's, Lily. If you tell anyone about these stupid dreams of yours, they're going to discover what I've known all along. That you're a total FRE-,"
"EEK!" Petunia screamed as an owl soared through the window. She dropped her glass of orange juice onto the hardwood floor, which shattered and created a large orange stain on the beige rug. Petunia bolted from the room. Petunia HATED birds.
Lily smirked at her retreating back. Serves her right for calling me a freak. She thought. She'd get in trouble for ruining the rug, (which her parents were now gazing sadly at), too.
Lily stared at the orange stain that had formed on the rug, and suddenly, it vanished. Lily was so surprised that she hadn't even noticed that the owl had dropped a letter onto the table in front of her.
"Has it gone?" Whispered Petunia as she reemerged.
"Yes Pet." Said Mrs. Evans, "Would you go and get the dustpan and brush to clean up the mess please?"
Lily looked at the glass now. The pieces had begun to spin in a circle, not unlike a miniature cyclone. The glass was now slowly piecing itself back together. By the time Petunia came back into the dining room to clean it up, there was only one piece missing from the glass. The last piece settled into place and Petunia looked strait at Lily, her eyes narrowed.
"You did this, didn't you!" She screamed. Petunia hesitantly bent down to pick up the glass, and examined it closely. She then set it down on the table. All eyes were fixed on Lily.
"So ... maybe I'm a little different than the rest of you..." She said cautiously, looking up at her family.
"There isn't even a crack!" Said Mr. Evans in wonderment as he too, studied the glass.
Then Lily noticed the letter in front of her.
Miss L. EvansThe Dining Room
12 Beauregarde Avenue
Little Whinging
Surrey
How bizarre, she thought. Lily tore open the envelope and extracted the letter. 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' it said, at the top of the thick parchment. Her father had noticed her eyes widen as she read this, and promptly got up from the table and walked over to read the letter over Lily's shoulder.
"Dear Miss Evans," He read aloud. "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."
Lily's heart swelled. She was different from her family and all the kids at school.
"I'm a witch!" She whispered breathlessly to herself. And now she had an opportunity to go to a different highschool than Petunia and become an actual witch. Lily didn't even bother to look at Petunia, as she knew that her sister's face would be distorted with an expression of complete and utter loathing and disgust.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans were looking both proud and apprehensive at the idea of their daughter going to a school that taught magic.
"So..." Said Lily slowly, "Can I go? ... Please?"
"Lily," her father said, pausing. "We would be happy for you to go to this Hogwarts School, as we can see that you really want to," Mrs. Evans nodded in agreement.
"But we know practically nothing about this place. We need more information before we can make any proper decisions."
Lily nodded sadly, but then another owl soured through the window. Petunia shrieked and her chair toppled backwards with a loud thud. The owl dropped a large package on the table, in front of Lily's parents. This time, instead of flying away, out the window again, it perched on top of one of the empty dining chairs, as though waiting for something. Lily could hear Petunia whimpering under the table. Her mother opened the package, to find a letter and a parcel wrapped in brown paper.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Evans,
As you and your daughter are not of magical decent, you were most likely unaware of the actual existence of the magical community and establishments such as Hogwarts. Enclosed in this package is a complementary copy of 'Hogwarts – A History' which should provide you will all the necessary information regarding the school.
Lily unwrapped the parcel to find the large, heavy book.
As for your daughter's school supplies, they can be purchased in London, in Diagon Alley. To get to Diagon Alley, locate the Leaky Cauldron in the main street of London. The bartender will show you to the courtyard at the back. There you will find a dustbin. Remove the lid of the dustbin and clearly say your daughter's full name into it. A guide will apparate into the courtyard and open the entrance to the Alley and also show you where to exchange your currency. Please send your reply by owl, (he will wait until you attach some form of reply to his leg), either accepting or declining your daughter's enrolment at Hogwarts. We hope to see your daughter on the Hogwarts Express on the 1st of September.
Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster
P.S. Due to magical security, should you decline your daughter's acceptance into Hogwarts, Ministry Officials will immediately modify the memories of you and your family so that you have no recollection of ever discovering the existence of the Wizarding World.
"Come and talk to me about this in the living room Daffyd." Said Mrs. Evans.
Mr. Evans picked up both of the letters and the book and followed his wife out of the dining room.
Petunia got out from under the table and screeched when she saw that the owl was still perched on the chair.
"Get out! Shoo!" She screamed. The owl just stared at her nonchalantly, without blinking.
Lily laughed at her sister and stroked the owl gently on the head. It cooed softly and lowered its eyelids.
Lily had never felt happier. She had always felt very different from anyone she knew, and now she had the opportunity to go to a boarding school for people like her. Witches and wizards! Lily had never wanted anything more than she now wanted to go to Hogwarts.
Petunia was still glaring at her from across the room.
"I always knew you were a freak." She spat. Lily just rolled her eyes.
"Weird stuff always happens when you're around. If anything bad happens, its always your fault!"
"What?" Shouted Lily furiously. "What about the time you and your cronies were shoving me around in the playground? It wasn't my fault you all ended up in the industrial bins covered in mouldy catfood! That was your fault!"
"No it wasn't!" Petunia replied shrilly. "It was you! And what about when Angel died? You were angry with her because she scratched you, so you killed her!"
Truth be told, Lily was never particularly fond of Petunia's cat. Lily subconsciously ran a finger over the small scar under her left ear. Lily would never wish death on anything. She wasn't that kind of person.
"Petunia! A car hit her! I didn't do anything. It was an accident!"
Petunia would have spat out a poisonous reply, but Violet and Daffyd came back into the dining room. Lily, Petunia and the owl looked up at them expectantly.
"We've decided that we will allow you to go to this school."
"Yes!" Shouted Lily. Petunia scowled. "Can we please go tomorrow to get my stuff for school?" Lily was very intrigued by the thought of shopping for magical school supplies in London.
"But Lily! It's your birthday tomorrow. Do you really want to spend your birthday shopping for school supplies?"
"I can't think of anything that would make me more happy on my birthday."