Chapter Four:
A New Friend
Lily and her Mother traveled to Diagon Alley the next morning after eagerly sending the owl Harry back to Hogwarts with an acceptance letter. They were lost until they saw a woman and her son doing something peculiar to a brick wall. Then she heard someone utter an enchantment, and the bricks separated to reveal a tiny passage into a dirty looking street. Lily urged her mother to follow them, and as soon as they slid through the opening in the wall they saw a sign that hung by one chain that read "Welcome to Diagon Alley." Mrs. Evans stared about herself in disgust, but Lily was fascinated.
The other woman saw the look upon Mrs. Evans' face and laughed. " Don't worry, it only looks dirty here to ward off muggles."
"Muggles?" Lily's mother looked confused.
"Non magic folk, it told me that in the letter," Lily whispered to her mother, embarrassed that she appeared to be so ignorant.
"Oh I see, thank you Lily."
"I'm sorry, you must be a muggle. I apologize for puzzling you." the woman seemed quite at ease with someone that was not of the magical race.
"Oh that's quite all right. This is my daughter Lily." Mrs. Evans introduced her daughter to the others.
The witch returned their cordiality.
"Oh, well I am Abigail Potter, and this is my son James. This will be his first year at Hogwarts."
James nodded beaming. "It's a pleasure Lily. Lily's mother."
" Oh do call me Sarah," she giggled like a young school girl.
"Of course Mrs. Sarah."
Lily glared at her mother. "Mum, this is humiliating." She hissed. James heard her and chuckled.
Lily blushed scarlet. Then James took her hand.
"C'mon Lily, let's go to the shops while our mums get some money from Gringotts." Before she could argue he had dragged her halfway down the street.
"W, wait. I um. What is Gringotts?"
James smiled and laughed Lily liked his lopsided grin, it made her melt inside. "It's the wizarding bank, run by goblins."
Lily looked terrified. James who noticed everything, and was very sensitive to others' feelings, draped an arm over her shoulder in order to comfort her. "Don't worry they won't harm you, unless you try to steal from them."
"Oh, thanks." She was shy around this boy and pulled away slowly, she didn't mean to be rude, but the pressure of his arm around her shoulder made her feel uncomfortable. Lily having no brothers, or especially close friends of the other sex, didn't know how to act with boys.
"Oh sorry was I hurting you?" asked James, concerned.
"No, no. I uh." Looking for a way to distract him, so she could escape making a response, Lily pointed at the first shop sign she saw. "Ooh look, a menagerie!!!"
"James grinned. "I love animals, especially cats, but cats are lazy, owl's are better for wizards."
Lily was shocked when he spoke of owls. "Oh are owls your postal service?" she interrupted him.
"Yes. Sorry, I keep forgetting that you don't know about any of this. Don't worry, you'll fit in. Lot's of kids are from muggle families."
Lily frowned at him. "That word, I don't like that word." she seemed offended by the derogatory way in which witches and wizards referred to those who had no drops of magical blood in their bodies.
"Oh I am sorry. Well anyway you should look for an owl in there. Oh wait, here comes your mum, she has a bag of money for you." James gently tugged her wrist.
"Lily darling here is some money." Lily thanked her mother, and opened the bag. it was filled with gold, silver, and bronze coins.
"Wait mum!" Lily called out to the woman as she went to greet James' mother. "How much are these worth?" she asked holding up a random coin.
Lily's mother looked flustered and muttered. "Oh dear, I never thought of that."
James turned. "Don't worry ma'am, I'll tell her." And Lily waved goodbye as James escorted her into the pet shop.
This outgoing boy overwhelmed her, but Lily was sure that she had found a new friend, and was pleased that she would not be completely solitary when she arrived at Hogwarts.
.
.
Lily and her Mother traveled to Diagon Alley the next morning after eagerly sending the owl Harry back to Hogwarts with an acceptance letter. They were lost until they saw a woman and her son doing something peculiar to a brick wall. Then she heard someone utter an enchantment, and the bricks separated to reveal a tiny passage into a dirty looking street. Lily urged her mother to follow them, and as soon as they slid through the opening in the wall they saw a sign that hung by one chain that read "Welcome to Diagon Alley." Mrs. Evans stared about herself in disgust, but Lily was fascinated.
The other woman saw the look upon Mrs. Evans' face and laughed. " Don't worry, it only looks dirty here to ward off muggles."
"Muggles?" Lily's mother looked confused.
"Non magic folk, it told me that in the letter," Lily whispered to her mother, embarrassed that she appeared to be so ignorant.
"Oh I see, thank you Lily."
"I'm sorry, you must be a muggle. I apologize for puzzling you." the woman seemed quite at ease with someone that was not of the magical race.
"Oh that's quite all right. This is my daughter Lily." Mrs. Evans introduced her daughter to the others.
The witch returned their cordiality.
"Oh, well I am Abigail Potter, and this is my son James. This will be his first year at Hogwarts."
James nodded beaming. "It's a pleasure Lily. Lily's mother."
" Oh do call me Sarah," she giggled like a young school girl.
"Of course Mrs. Sarah."
Lily glared at her mother. "Mum, this is humiliating." She hissed. James heard her and chuckled.
Lily blushed scarlet. Then James took her hand.
"C'mon Lily, let's go to the shops while our mums get some money from Gringotts." Before she could argue he had dragged her halfway down the street.
"W, wait. I um. What is Gringotts?"
James smiled and laughed Lily liked his lopsided grin, it made her melt inside. "It's the wizarding bank, run by goblins."
Lily looked terrified. James who noticed everything, and was very sensitive to others' feelings, draped an arm over her shoulder in order to comfort her. "Don't worry they won't harm you, unless you try to steal from them."
"Oh, thanks." She was shy around this boy and pulled away slowly, she didn't mean to be rude, but the pressure of his arm around her shoulder made her feel uncomfortable. Lily having no brothers, or especially close friends of the other sex, didn't know how to act with boys.
"Oh sorry was I hurting you?" asked James, concerned.
"No, no. I uh." Looking for a way to distract him, so she could escape making a response, Lily pointed at the first shop sign she saw. "Ooh look, a menagerie!!!"
"James grinned. "I love animals, especially cats, but cats are lazy, owl's are better for wizards."
Lily was shocked when he spoke of owls. "Oh are owls your postal service?" she interrupted him.
"Yes. Sorry, I keep forgetting that you don't know about any of this. Don't worry, you'll fit in. Lot's of kids are from muggle families."
Lily frowned at him. "That word, I don't like that word." she seemed offended by the derogatory way in which witches and wizards referred to those who had no drops of magical blood in their bodies.
"Oh I am sorry. Well anyway you should look for an owl in there. Oh wait, here comes your mum, she has a bag of money for you." James gently tugged her wrist.
"Lily darling here is some money." Lily thanked her mother, and opened the bag. it was filled with gold, silver, and bronze coins.
"Wait mum!" Lily called out to the woman as she went to greet James' mother. "How much are these worth?" she asked holding up a random coin.
Lily's mother looked flustered and muttered. "Oh dear, I never thought of that."
James turned. "Don't worry ma'am, I'll tell her." And Lily waved goodbye as James escorted her into the pet shop.
This outgoing boy overwhelmed her, but Lily was sure that she had found a new friend, and was pleased that she would not be completely solitary when she arrived at Hogwarts.
.
.