Lily Evans: The girl who died
On the next page there was a photo of a girl with green eyes and red hair. She sat leaning against a tree with a book on her lap. Every now and then she would look up at the camera and smile.
- - -
It was summer and the seventh years were busy studying for their approaching NEWTS. A group of three girls sat huddled under a tree next to the lake. Lily Evans was pouring over her charms textbook, and making notes on a long roll of parchment. Alice Prewett lay on her front trying to study her potions book. Every now and then her gaze drifted to the sparkling ring on her finger. After a few hours of revising, Mary Macdonald had abandoned her astronomy chart and was fiddling with the camera she held on her lap.
'Smile Lily,' she said and snapped a photo as Lily glanced up.
Lily laughed. 'Come on Mary, taking photos wont pass you your exams,' she teased.
Mary pouted and Alice giggled.
'And thinking about a certain Mr Longbottom wont pass you yours!' Lily said to Alice, who blushed and promptly hid behind her book.
Frank Longbottom in question had proposed to Alice last summer. He was a year older than the girls and was currently training to be an Auror. They were going to be married soon after Alice graduated from Hogwarts.
'Come on Lils,' Mary implored, looking up at Lily with her big brown eyes. 'Let's go and have some fun.'
'I'm sure you know that textbook off by heart by now anyway,' added Alice.
Lily sighed, and to her friends' surprise put down her book. 'Oh, alright I guess it'll be time for dinner soon anyway.'
The three girls shoved their various books and sheets of parchment into a bag, on which Lily had placed the undetectable extension and Featherweight charms. Then Alice slung it over her shoulders and they ran back up towards the school, laughing and joking as they went.
- - -
Everyone had heard of Harry Potter, the chosen one, the boy who lived. But sometimes they forgot (and not everyone knew) the real reason for his survival. Love. A mother's love so great that she cherished her son more than life itself and was willing to give her own life for his. She was a remarkable witch, a caring friend, a loving wife and mother. She was Lily Evans: the girl who died.
- - -
Lily gazed at the smiling girl. Her grandmother and the woman she was named after. Her parents had told her, James and Albus the stories of the people they were named after, as well their part in the war against Voldermort. But Lily wished she could have known her.
With a sad smile she turned the page…