A small girl of age twelve was eagerly peaking through the mail slot, stalking the door. She jerked back as she heard the footsteps she was waiting for and bounced excitedly. As the mailman pushed the mail through the mail slot she pounced on it like a hungry panther. She searched the mail expectantly and she felt elated as she noticed her name on one of the cards. Addressed to Lilianna Snape, sent from Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry.
"Da! Da!" she cried, holding the letter high above her head as she ran to look for her father. He was sitting in the living room, reading the Daily Prophet. He slowly and neatly folded the magical newspaper back to its original form and set it aside. This left room for Lily to hop onto his lap and hand him the letter.
He opened the letter slowly, already knowing what was inside but he had found it was better to humor her then to not. "Dear Ms. Snape," he began. "Hogwarts is pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts a school of Witch Craft and Wizardry." She looked at him with glee in her eyes, expecting to be praised by him. He simply placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair slightly. "Congratulations." This small a gesture filled the girl with so much happiness. At this point she understood her father was not one to show much emotion.
"Thanks Da! Can I go?" she looked at him with big pleading eyes. Her father may work at Hogwarts, but he had been against her going last year when she was accepted. She was of age, but he told her she was still too young for school. She didn't quite understand what that meant.
He seemed to wonder about something for an extended minute, then nodded slowly. "Alright. You may go this year…" he dryly accepted. She let out another cheerful sound and bounced on his knee. He picked the Daily Prophet back up. "However the second your grades fall behind or you get a detention I'll have you pulled straight back out." He added sharply before opening the paper.
"Of course Da! I won't let you down!" Lily promised and smiled widely at him. She saw his lip twitch as he tried to hide his face behind the newspaper and she giggled. That was his version of a smile.
She slid off his lap and looked at the letter again for what she would need. She read it silently to herself and her lips moved for some of the words. "Hey Da, where do we get all of this stuff?" she looked back to him and he once again placed the newspaper aside.
"Diagon Alley." He simply commented. She thought about it, never having heard of it before.
"Will I be getting my first wand? And cauldron?" she hopped a bit at the thought. He nodded slowly.
"Of course, you would need to such items for a school of magic. And definitely will need a cauldron for my Potions class." He reminded her. She bounced, unable to contain herself.
"Da! You're gonna teach me? Oh how exciting!" she twirled in circles thinking about it.
"Don't expect special treatment Lilianna. You will act as you do in any other classroom. I will not stand for foolishness." He warned.
"Of course not Da." She nodded and stilled herself, still smiling. She was practically vibrating. "When are we going to 'Diagon Alley' Da?"
"As soon as I'm done with this. So run along and get ready." He shooed her with one hand and then picked up once again the Daily Prophet. Lily obediently ran to her room to get dressed and ready for the new adventure.
…
"Da! Da! There's the cauldrons!" Lily tugged on his sleeve and pointed. He was walking next to her, carrying what they had already bought.
"I'll take care of the cauldron. You go and get your wand." He pointed to a shop called Ollivander's Wand Shop. She nodded and skipped over to the place and almost ran into a boy as she merrily made her way inside. She jumped backwards in surprise.
"I'm sorry!" she apologized and bowed her head politely. He looked about her age or younger with dark hair and green eyes. He smiled and shook his head. "No it's fine. Just be careful." He advised. She looked at the wand shop then back to him.
"Are you here to get a wand to?" she grinned and rocked on her heels, hands behind her back.
"According to… my guide I guess I am." He paused, not sure how to put it. She nodded, not getting what he was saying but considered it was best not to pry.
"So you must be in my class! Are you going to Hogwarts?" she interpreted and walked up to the front desk.
"Yeah." He laughed a little. It looked like he was frazzled about something. She again decided it was none of her business and held out her hand.
"My name is Lilianna by the way." She introduced herself and waited for him to take her hand.
"My names Harry. Harry Potter." He replied. Her eyes widened and she let go of his hand in shock. The two stared at each other in bewilderment for a moment of awkward silence.
"No way!" she exclaimed. He blinked a few times in confusion. "You're the boy who lived!" he let out a long sigh as if he was finally putting the puzzle together.
"So it's true then? Everyone knows about me?" he questioned nervously.
"Yeah! You're famous!" she gazed at him in awe. She looked for his scar, trying not to be too obvious about it. His bangs mostly hid it but she could just make out the ends of the lightning bolt. He looked away sheepishly as she continued to stare and she blinked. "Sorry that was rather rude of me wasn't it?" she laughed shyly. "I just… I didn't expect to run into the most famous young wizard to live."
"I didn't even know I was this popular." He laughed and he looked over the counter for someone. "Hello?" he called. Lily looked with him. A man then pushed his way down on a ladder and looked at them. He looked at Harry and smiled.
"I wondered when I would be seeing you here Mr. Potter." He dismounted from the ladder. His fingers began to tap the little boxes lining the shelves. "Seems only yesterday that your mother and father were here buying their first wands." He continued as he searched. He gave an 'Aha' look as he grabbed a box in the shelf.
Lily watched closely as the wand maker came over and took out a wand from the box. "Here we are." He told him, handing it over. Harry looked at him a blank expression as he was handed the wand. You got to flick it. Lily told him in her mind, wishing once again that she was telepathic.
"Well give it a wave." Ollivander finally instructed and Harry started a bit, not expecting it. He hesitated a moment then flicked his wrist. Boxes burst from the shelves and Lily suppressed a surprised yelp at the sudden movement. Harry jumped back, also startled then placed the wand down quickly but carefully. "Apparently not." The wand maker didn't look as disgruntled as Lily expected after such a disastrous event.
Ollivander looked up and gave a one moment gesture with his finger and climbed back onto his ladder. He plucked out another box and walked back to the desk, taking out the new wand. "Perhaps… this?" he handed this different wand to Harry. Harry didn't hesitate so much this time as he flicked his wrist. Glass burst and liquid exploded from the now shattered container. Lily couldn't hold back her small cry this time and covered her ears at the noise.
"Nope, no, definitely not." The wand maker's voice sounded more strained this time as if that almost gave him a minor heart attack. Lily was wide eyed and looked at Harry. He gave her an apologetic look and looked back to Ollivander. "No matter." The man was saying, walking back and pulling out another box. The man paused. "I wonder…" he whispered to himself, Lily barely able to hear him.
Lily walked up beside Harry so she could see this time. Harry was trying to peer over the desk to see what he had now. Lily cocked her head to the side a bit with curiosity. Ollivander walked around the desk this time and handed it to Harry. As soon as Harry's hand wrapped around the wand, the atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. She took a small step back, looking as the light seemed to brighten.
"Whoa…" she whispered, looking at the new bond that had been made between wand and wizard.
"Curious... very curious..." Ollivander seemed to be murmuring to himself as he looked at the wand. Both Lily and Harry gave him questioning looks.
"Sorry… but what's curious?" Harry inquired.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather resides in your wand gave another feather... just one other. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar." He explained and pointed to Harry's forehead to point out the odd little scar. Lily listened intently, and looked between Harry and the wand maker. She somewhat understood what Ollivander was getting at, but Harry popped the million dollar question anyhow.
"And who owned that wand?" the words were uttered and Lily's brows furrowed to show her concern at what she thought the answer was.
"We do not speak his name! The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why. But I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. Terrible! Yes. But great." Ollivander answered and Lily shuddered. Voldemort… she thought with dismay and looked back at Harry.
He met her gaze, eyes filled with puzzlement. She shrugged, unable to tell him more. She opened her mouth to suggest he talk to her father since he seemed to know everything but she was interrupted by a knock on the window. Lily's eyes widened into huge black orbs as she saw a gigantic hairy man standing outside. She started and clutched her chest in fright, gasping loudly. Harry laughed despite her embarrassed look and looked to the man outside giving her the impression they knew each other.
"Harry! Happy Birthday!" the man was holding a snowy owl, that made cute cooing sounds as it perched in its cage.
"Oh its your birthday?" Lily put together and looked at Harry. Harry nodded and smiled. "Yeah… I'm eleven today." She spontaneously hugged him since she didn't have a present for him.
"Happy birthday then Harry!" she giggled and let go before she freaked him out too badly. He looked a bit dumbfounded for a couple seconds then blinked and smiled.
"Thanks." He nodded. Lily's attention was side tracked as she saw her dad slinking around outside waiting for her.
"I'll see you on the train then right Harry?" she turned her head back to him and he nodded once more.
"Yeah I guess." He waved, understanding that meant they were to say their good byes now.
"Until then! Good bye!" Lily waved back and grinned widely. He left the wand store and she went back up to the front desk to call Ollivander back. "Excuse me mister." She began politely, putting her hands on the edge of the desk to peek over at him. "I am also here for a wand."
"Ah, you are Professor Snape's daughter aren't you?" he guessed, also having seen the gloomy man outside. She nodded and kept looking at him expectantly. He went to the back and pulled out a wand. He returned to hand it to her. Unlike Harry, hers had been relatively easier to figure out because the wand automatically connected to her. She stared at the wand and it seemed to be talking to her, to be welcoming her.
"Wow…" she whispered in amazement, never knowing that a wand could make her feel friendship. He smiled and laughed a little at her reaction.
"As I thought, you are your father's daughter. That wand is much like the one that your dad bought from me so long ago." He informed her and she ecstatically looked up at him.
"That just means I'm one step closer to being like Da! Thank you!" she resisted the urge to hug the old man and handed him her wand money instead. He pat her head and she giggled then skipped out of the store.
"That took a while." Snape pointed out with a bit of a scolding tone. Her expression turned to apologetic.
"Sorry there was someone in front of me Da. I made a new friend!" she bounced on her heels and he raised an eyebrow at her.
"A new friend?" he inquired almost boredly as he continued to walk with her.
"Yeah! You'll never guess who it is!" she went on matter of fact like.
"Who is it? What is this person's name?" he kept playing along with her as he looked at the list again.
"His name is Harry Potter!" Snape dropped the list and stopped in his tracks, face barely changing in expression. Lily cocked her head at him, seeing the surprise in his eyes.
"Lily… are you sure he was Harry Potter?" he looked at her and she picked up the list for him.
"Yeah. He had the scar and everything." She insisted. Did he not believe her?
"I see… well I would encourage you to be careful around that boy." Snape continued once again to walk and Lily had to somewhat jog to keep up with him.
"Why? What's wrong Da?" she was very confused. Shouldn't he be happy or at least indifferent to her having a new friend? Was it that astonishing to her dad that she had met 'The Boy Who Lived?' That must be it, her dad was just star struck. She silently giggled behind her hand at the thought.
"Nothing Lily. Let's finish our shopping. Oh I also got you something a little extra." He moved on then stopped to put down the bags. He revealed a cage that Lily had not seen before. Inside was a little calico kitten with big green eyes. Lily gasped and squealed happily.
"You mean it Da? I can have her?" she put her hands on the cage, face pressed up against the bars. The kitten licked her nose, purring and Lily laughed.
"Yes. I believe you have earned her. I also think she will help teach you responsibility. You alone are to take care of her, I will not help in any way." He explained and she gave an understanding sound, not taking her eyes off the kitten.
"I'm going to name her Dawn." She decided out loud and took the cage from him. His lip twitched and she felt warm and fuzzy inside. "Thank you Da!" she hugged him and he paused a few seconds before slowly hugging her back. "Wow Da you're warm!" she commented, kind of astonished.
"It's called body heat Lily." He murmured and pulled away. She knew it was body heat, but he was usually so cold she hadn't expected it. She watched him walk towards another shop then followed him, carrying her new kitten and her wand was safely tucked within her pocket. Just a few more things then she was on her way to Hogwarts.
"You know Da… the wand maker said that my wand is a lot like yours when you first got it." She reiterated what she had heard in Ollivanders. "It made me really happy to know that."
"And why is that?" he walked into the store, her trailing behind him.
"Because I want to be just like you!" she proudly stated. He sighed and looked at her.
"And why would you want to be like me?" he asked as if it was unnatural. Like she had just old him something ludicrous and unbelievable.
"Because there's nobody else like you. Because you're the greatest person in the world! Because I love you!" she listed off her fingers and grinned back up at him. His eyes widened just a hint and they were silent a couple moments.
"Lilianna… don't ever say that again…" he finally broke the silence and turned his back to her. She frowned.
"Say what?" her voice was softer now, realizing she had said something wrong to him.
"Don't ever say you want to be like me again." He demanded now, now telling instead of suggesting. Why not..? She thought to herself. Why can't I be like Da?
She didn't ask and she kept her mouth shut for the rest of the trip. Her spirits had been wounded and she stared at her feet as she walked with him silently. She couldn't fathom the why of the situation. Why doesn't he want me to be like him?
However he had given her an order. He had told her never to say it again, so she pushed it to the back of her mind. The words though still nagged at her brain.
Don't ever say you want to be like me again. And you know what? She never did.
To Be Continued…