Evans and Potter
Chapter 2
The morning after the arrival of the letter and the visit of Seymour Brennan, there was a ring at the doorbell. Everyone in the Evans household knew who it was. Mr Evans opened the door to Seymour Brennan smiling at their doorstep. "Good morning, Mr Evans. How do you do?"
"Fine," muttered Mr Evans.
"Are you ready to go? I have a car waiting for us outside." The Evans family filed out of the house most of them looking like they had been hit on the head. Mrs Evans and Petunia had decided to stay at home and gave Mr Evans and Lily a hug goodbye.
Lily and Mr Evans got in the car with Brennan and as the door closed the car trundled off. "If you don't mind," Lily asked, "But where is Diagon Alley?"
Brennan smiled, "Good question, thank you for the wonderful manners. Diagon Alley is in London so that is where we are going."
The car drove into London and stopped outside a tavern. "I don't see why you have taken us to a pub, Mr Brennan." Mr Evans asked.
"You'll see…" Brennan stated cryptically and led them out of the car. Together Brennan and the Evans entered the tavern.
The pub was full of men and women in robes like Brennan's except theirs were shabbier and not as formal. "The Leaky Cauldron is usually avoided by the mainstream Londoners because of its reputation for attracting odd folk." Brennan said with a wink. He walked to the back of the pub and through the rear exit. The Evans followed into a courtyard with brick walls on three sides and the pub on the fourth. Brennan walked up to the wall on the left and seemingly tapped a random brick with his wand. Suddenly the wall shifted to the side and left a large hole in the wall. Lily gasped.
On the other side of the wall was a long cobbled road with shops on either side of the street and men, women and children in robes and cloaks were walking down the road. The street was bright and cheerful and all Lily could say was, "Wow."
Brennan grinned and said, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."
Mr Evans was shell-shocked and just looking around hopelessly. Brennan looked at the supply list he pulled from his robes and said, "I suppose we can head to Ollivanders and get you a wand. That'll be interesting."
They walked into a shop with a counter with an old man standing behind it. Behind him were rows and rows of shelves with boxes of wands.
"Welcome, looking for a wand for the young lady?" Mr Ollivander asked.
Lily nodded and approached the counter. Mr Ollivander spent several moments studying her then muttered, "I think I have the wand for you, young lady." He walked into one of the aisles of wands and began rummaging through the boxes.
He returned with a wand and handed it to Lily. "It's 10 ¾ inches long, made of willow with a unicorn hair core. I believe it is the wand for you."
Lily held the wand with both hands and rubbed her fingers along the smooth wood. It suddenly vibrated and emitted a bright light which lit the room. As it dimmed, Mr Ollivander looked very satisfied. "Yes, the wand has chosen you."
Lily looked at her new wand as Brennan paid for the wand with several coins from a bag he pulled out from his robe and Lily smiled broadly. As they left the store, Brennan showed her the bag, "This is your Hogwarts start-up fund. It should be enough to buy everything you need."
The spent several hours walking through Diagon Alley, purchasing everything on the supply list including her textbooks, robes for Hogwarts, even an owl which she named Samuel. Eventually, after acquainting herself with the stores in Diagon Alley, Lily, Brennan and Mr Evans left Diagon Alley and left for the Evans household.
As the car arrived at the Evans household, Mrs Evans and Petunia rushed out of the house towards the car. Lily and Mr Evans were given a thorough looking over by the two women to see if they had been harmed in any way.
Brennan pretended to ignore the suspicious looks he was given by Mrs Evans and Petunia and instead said to Lily, "I'll come back on September 1st at 9 o'clock exactly to take you to King's Cross Station so you can take the Hogwarts Express. I expect you to have your trunk to be ready with all of your equipment so we can leave immediately. Got it?"
"September 1st, 9 o'clock. Got it." Lily replied.
Brennan smiled, "Good," he looked over to the others, "You are welcome to join to give her your farewells."
"Too right we will," Mr Evans grunted, "Not leaving our daughter with a man who is practically a stranger."
Brennan pretended not to hear the last bit but nodded, "See you on the first of September." With that, Brennan left and stepped into the car which then drove off down the street. Two weeks to go.
Lily spent a lot of the two weeks at the park with Severus. They would talk about Hogwarts. With his mum a witch that went to Hogwarts, Severus knew a lot more about the school so a lot of the conversations would be Severus saying something about life at Hogwarts and Lily voicing her opinion.
A week before September 1st, Lily picked up the family mail and noticed an envelope with the distinctive red, Hogwarts wax seal. The letter was addressed to Petunia. Lily didn't know why she did it but she quickly opened it and read the contents.
Dear Petunia Evans,
I apologize to inform you that I can't allow you to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts is only open to children with the ability to use magic and not everyone has that ability. I am sorry to inform you that if you were to come to Hogwarts you wouldn't be able to do the coursework. You will have to find somewhere else to complete your schooling.
Yours sincerely
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Lily could only just stifle a laugh. What was with her today?
Petunia walked into the corridor and saw Lily holding the letter. "What are you doing?" she asked angrily, "That was addressed to me."
Lily felt her stomach twist in a knot, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."
Petunia snatched the letter from Lily and after quickly reading it, burst into tears. Instantly Lily gave Petunia a long hug as Petunia dropped to the ground, her face in her arms. "It's okay." Lily muttered soothingly.
"No it's not," Petunia cried, "It was stupid and now I feel stupid. And you…" Petunia looked over Lily, her eyes full of jealousy, "You're just a freak!" She shoved Lily away and ran off to her room. Lily sat there, motionless. Her sister, her own sister just called her a freak. Maybe that's how people see her now, how mummy and daddy see her. Lily burst into tears and ran out the door. She ran to the only person who wouldn't call her a freak.
Severus opened the door and when he saw Lily, tears rolling down her cheeks, he gave her a long hug. There on the doorstep, they sat there, until the crying stopped.
The first of September rolled up and the predictable ring of the doorbell rang through the house. Mr Evans opened the door to the smiling Seymour Brennan at exactly 9 o'clock. Lily walked up quickly to the front door and greeted Mr Brennan. A lot of moaning announced the arrival of Mrs Evans who was practically dragging Petunia along who was creating all the moaning, "I don't want to come!" Petunia was moaning.
"Oh yes you will come," Mrs Evans growled, "We are going to wave your sister off and you are not staying home alone."
"But I don't want to,"
"I don't care."
Brennan looked at Lily, "Do you have your trunk?"
"Yes sir," Lily beckoned to her trunk which was sitting to the side of the corridor. Mr Evans went to pick it up and Brennan interrupted him, "Allow me." With his wand, he levitated the trunk and it followed him towards the cars outside. Lily and the other Evans followed. Brennan placed the trunk in the boot and quickly stepped into the car.
The cars took the five of them to King's Cross Station. By the time they got there, the clock in the station was reading ten thirty. With the muggles around Mr Evans had to lift the trunk onto a trolley. Brennan led the family through the station and eventually led them to Platforms 9 and 10.
"Um sir," Lily began.
"How do we get to Platform 9 3/4?" Brennan finished, "This way." He beckoned towards the brick pillar that separated Platforms 9 and 10.
"Seriously?" Lily asked.
"Of course." Brennan replied. She eyed him suspiciously but he gave nothing away.
Lily lined up the trolley and after taking a deep breath ran at the pillar. She hit the pillar… and ran out the other side. She looked around and gasped. She couldn't help a wide grin sprouting on her face. There was another platform. A sign hanging from a rafter read 'Platform 9 3/4'. To the left on the track was a long red steam train with the writing 'Hogwarts Express' written along it in gold. Brennan and the Evans followed her a moment later.
"Blimey." Mr Evans muttered.
"It's true." Mrs Evans whispered to herself.
Even Petunia was caught short by the sight. Lily looked around the platform and soon caught sight of the mop of black hair. Severus Snape was talking to his mother who was rubbing some dirt off Severus' jacket. He looked around and spotted Lily. She waved and he smiled.
Someone took her shoulder and she turned. Mr Evans walked her towards Brennan who was saying, "I really have to dash. I'll hope I see you all again." Mrs Evans stated her thanks, keeping her hands firmly on Petunia's shoulders to keep her from running.
Mr Evans held his hand out and when Brennan shook it. Mr Evans had the faintest trace of a smile on his face, "Thank you." He said to which Brennan replied, "It's been my pleasure."
He finally looked down at Lily. She said, "Thanks for everything, sir."
"You are most certainly welcome. I hope you do well at Hogwarts." Lily smiled and with a wave of his wand her trunk vanished and he winked. She assumed he had sent it onto the train. And with that Seymour Brennan disappeared with a pop.
"Wicked," Lily muttered.
The train gave a loud hoot and Lily quickly gave her family warm hugs. Even Petunia was forced into a hug. She rushed off towards Severus who was saying goodbye to his mum and together, the two friends stepped onto the train.
The train was filled with children and as they walked through the corridor, they felt the train move. To the left they saw kids scrambling to their parents trying to say last minute goodbyes to their families. The train began to pick up speed and they soon left the station.
Lily and Severus were having trouble finding seats on the train and as they passed one particular compartment, the door open and a loud, arrogant voice sprang out, "Hey if you need a seat, we have space." The two looked into the cabin and there sat three boys sitting inside. The one who spoke had an arrogant air around himself with black hair, "I'm James Potter, you can sit with us if you like."
Lily responded, "Okay," and stepped inside but James said, "Not the greasy-haired Slytherin following you. He'll smell up the train."
Lily reared up angrily and left the compartment and sneered, "Then find a new groupie, Potter."
"What makes you think I want to be a Slytherin?" Severus muttered.
"The general pathetic-ness of you walk, look, attitude."
"Where are you heading, if you had the choice?" James' long haired companion asked.
"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart," He smirked at Severus, "Got a problem with that?"
Severus smiled, "No, if you prefer to be brawny than brainy."
"Then that makes you neither." Potter's long haired friend snarled.
"We'll see." Severus muttered and trudged off with Lily.
They eventually found a booth with two chairs and a table fixed to the floor. "Don't listen to those idiots." Lily said. Severus had spent the time since their encounter with James Potter in loathsome silence.
"Hey," Lily said, snapping her fingers in front of Severus' face, "Are you listening?"
Severus looked up suddenly as if waking from a trace and smiled. "Yeah, I'm listening."