(Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize and I am gaining no
profit from this, so there)
The Flower Chronicles: Chapter 1: The Night of Completion and Change
Lily Marie Evans had always had everything that most girls could ever want, but she had always felt something was missing. From the outside she looked complete but on the inside she never really felt complete until one night.
"Lily Marie Evans! How many times do I have to tell you to put down that book and go to bed!" Lily's father, Richard Evans scolded her from upstairs, while she sat cuddled up in her favorite chair by the fireplace in the family room.
"Just one more minute, Daddy." Lily told her father while she tried finished up the last few chapters in her book.
Then Lily's mother, Kathleen, chimed in, "Now, Miss, you heard your father, put down your book right now. You remember what happened last time when you---" Lily's mother continued to tell her story but Lily paid her no heed as an owl tapping on the window behind her chair had captured her full attention.
She slowly extended her hand out towards window. She unlocked the window then gripped the bottom of the window, pulling it up so that the large owl flew into her home, perching itself onto her shoulder. She just stroked the owl for a few minutes, oblivious to everything, including something she hadn't seen tied onto its leg before.
It was an envelope, attached by a gold ribbon. After noticing the object the owl was carrying, she untied the ribbon and pulled the letter off. She read the front of the envelope. In emerald green ink, was written:
Miss L. Evans Upstairs Bedroom to the Left of the Stairs 7 Wimble Street Bristol
(A/N: I don't live in England or even Europe so I have no idea of any real streets or anything so I made that up, and I remember hearing something about Bristol in the Sorcerer's Stone, so yeah.)
Lily was confused. Someone was writing to her. Let alone they knew exactly what room in the house she slept in. And there was no stamp. Usually she only got mail from say, her grandparents and aunts and uncles on her birthday or MAYBE some of her friends sent her a postcard when they went on vacation to America or someplace. But THIS was different, THIS was strange, THIS was scaring her.
She flipped over the envelope and fingered the seal. There was a eagle, snake, lion, and badger surrounding a letter "H". She was slightly nervous but nonetheless, something inside of her was pulling at her to open that letter.
Slipping her fingernail underneath the flap of the envelope, she broke the seal. She pulled out a piece of parchment colored with a hint of yellow. Unfolding the paper, she kept her eyes tightly shut. When she had the message open all of the way she slowly opened her eyes as if she were afraid of looking into a bright light and going blind.
Once her eyes were open enough to at least decipher the professional note, she read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Evans, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
Lily was shocked. This couldn't be true---although it did explain a lot---no, no this must be a joke---it just couldn't be true. She wanted to scream out in not only shock and surprise, but also fear. She had to admit that she was at least the slightest bit frightened.
She tried to free her mind from this until morning but it seemed impossible. She tried to read a bit more, no such luck. An hour ago she would have done anything just to be able to read a few more pages, but now---now she couldn't think straight, let alone focus her vision. Her next attempted solution was to think about it, maybe if she thought about it enough there would be no reason to think about it anymore. Well that amazingly didn't work either, at some points every time she thought about something she led onto another and another thing to think about it and her thinking never seemed to stop. Other times, she only thought about how absurd she was acting. She finally came to the conclusion (or so she thought, more like a hypothesis, if you ask me) that this was all a dream. She figured that everything would be back to normal when she woke up and to wake up she had to go to sleep in her 'dream'.
She placed the golden ribbon inside of her book and tried to let the owl out but he just wouldn't leave. Lily had a suspicion that it had something to do with her not replying to her letter. So she just decided to keep him until she could reply, inside her bedroom. She would let him perch on her curtain rod. After gathering up everything, such as her book, a pen, her journal, the letter, the owl and anything else she had to bring up to her bedroom, she headed upstairs. Arms full, owl perching on her shoulder, Lily tiptoed up the stairs. She just had to forget about that squeaky stair. 1:30 in the morning she just had to forget about the squeaky stair. Without realizing it, until after it happened, that is, she stepped onto the squeaky stair she had learned so well to not touch. During secret midnight trips downstairs it was forbidden to even touch that stair with your toe, unless you want to be caught that is, and Lily certainly never liked being caught. Although there was no doubt about it this time, she was going to get caught.
The second she touched that stair she knew. Before that second she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even consider getting in trouble for staying up late and 'making up magic nonsense'. All she could think about was how there must be a mistake; but what if there wasn't? Now THAT would be amazing. But after the fact, she realized that she should have been thinking about where she was going. There was no use trying to hide. She waited. She waited for the burst of outrage that she just KNEW should be coming any moment now. She waited. "Ah, there it is," she thought, just as the dreaded, awaited, but dreaded, voice of her father traveled its way down the hall and down the stairs to the place where Lily was sitting.
"Lily, dearest, don't you think you should get to bed soon? Alright then, get in there soon. I will see you in the morning sweetheart." At first Lily thought she had gone deaf. Where was the anger? Where was the outrage? Where was the "Lily! You're grounded!" Then she thought more closely. Of course. Her father never liked to yell when he was extremely mad. He always seemed to be afraid that if he started he would never stop, and that it just wasn't the way to raise a family. Lily was somewhat worried when he didn't yell, like there was something wrong with him, mentally or something. At the same time Lily was highly relieved, she didn't want to be deaf in both ears by the age of 13, which if he yelled whenever he was mad at something, she probably would be. No, one ear, her sister Petunia would be deaf in both.
Lily figured that the best thing was to go upstairs and sleep. She needed to sleep on this whole 'witch' thing anyway. Is it really what she wanted? No, of course not. She had friends here, family here. A future here. What kind of future did she have in a world of magic? Or maybe it is what she wants, Lily just didn't know. She walked into her room, didn't even turn on the lights, just threw the letter on her nightstand, and plopped into bed.
The Flower Chronicles: Chapter 1: The Night of Completion and Change
Lily Marie Evans had always had everything that most girls could ever want, but she had always felt something was missing. From the outside she looked complete but on the inside she never really felt complete until one night.
"Lily Marie Evans! How many times do I have to tell you to put down that book and go to bed!" Lily's father, Richard Evans scolded her from upstairs, while she sat cuddled up in her favorite chair by the fireplace in the family room.
"Just one more minute, Daddy." Lily told her father while she tried finished up the last few chapters in her book.
Then Lily's mother, Kathleen, chimed in, "Now, Miss, you heard your father, put down your book right now. You remember what happened last time when you---" Lily's mother continued to tell her story but Lily paid her no heed as an owl tapping on the window behind her chair had captured her full attention.
She slowly extended her hand out towards window. She unlocked the window then gripped the bottom of the window, pulling it up so that the large owl flew into her home, perching itself onto her shoulder. She just stroked the owl for a few minutes, oblivious to everything, including something she hadn't seen tied onto its leg before.
It was an envelope, attached by a gold ribbon. After noticing the object the owl was carrying, she untied the ribbon and pulled the letter off. She read the front of the envelope. In emerald green ink, was written:
Miss L. Evans Upstairs Bedroom to the Left of the Stairs 7 Wimble Street Bristol
(A/N: I don't live in England or even Europe so I have no idea of any real streets or anything so I made that up, and I remember hearing something about Bristol in the Sorcerer's Stone, so yeah.)
Lily was confused. Someone was writing to her. Let alone they knew exactly what room in the house she slept in. And there was no stamp. Usually she only got mail from say, her grandparents and aunts and uncles on her birthday or MAYBE some of her friends sent her a postcard when they went on vacation to America or someplace. But THIS was different, THIS was strange, THIS was scaring her.
She flipped over the envelope and fingered the seal. There was a eagle, snake, lion, and badger surrounding a letter "H". She was slightly nervous but nonetheless, something inside of her was pulling at her to open that letter.
Slipping her fingernail underneath the flap of the envelope, she broke the seal. She pulled out a piece of parchment colored with a hint of yellow. Unfolding the paper, she kept her eyes tightly shut. When she had the message open all of the way she slowly opened her eyes as if she were afraid of looking into a bright light and going blind.
Once her eyes were open enough to at least decipher the professional note, she read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Evans, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress
Lily was shocked. This couldn't be true---although it did explain a lot---no, no this must be a joke---it just couldn't be true. She wanted to scream out in not only shock and surprise, but also fear. She had to admit that she was at least the slightest bit frightened.
She tried to free her mind from this until morning but it seemed impossible. She tried to read a bit more, no such luck. An hour ago she would have done anything just to be able to read a few more pages, but now---now she couldn't think straight, let alone focus her vision. Her next attempted solution was to think about it, maybe if she thought about it enough there would be no reason to think about it anymore. Well that amazingly didn't work either, at some points every time she thought about something she led onto another and another thing to think about it and her thinking never seemed to stop. Other times, she only thought about how absurd she was acting. She finally came to the conclusion (or so she thought, more like a hypothesis, if you ask me) that this was all a dream. She figured that everything would be back to normal when she woke up and to wake up she had to go to sleep in her 'dream'.
She placed the golden ribbon inside of her book and tried to let the owl out but he just wouldn't leave. Lily had a suspicion that it had something to do with her not replying to her letter. So she just decided to keep him until she could reply, inside her bedroom. She would let him perch on her curtain rod. After gathering up everything, such as her book, a pen, her journal, the letter, the owl and anything else she had to bring up to her bedroom, she headed upstairs. Arms full, owl perching on her shoulder, Lily tiptoed up the stairs. She just had to forget about that squeaky stair. 1:30 in the morning she just had to forget about the squeaky stair. Without realizing it, until after it happened, that is, she stepped onto the squeaky stair she had learned so well to not touch. During secret midnight trips downstairs it was forbidden to even touch that stair with your toe, unless you want to be caught that is, and Lily certainly never liked being caught. Although there was no doubt about it this time, she was going to get caught.
The second she touched that stair she knew. Before that second she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even consider getting in trouble for staying up late and 'making up magic nonsense'. All she could think about was how there must be a mistake; but what if there wasn't? Now THAT would be amazing. But after the fact, she realized that she should have been thinking about where she was going. There was no use trying to hide. She waited. She waited for the burst of outrage that she just KNEW should be coming any moment now. She waited. "Ah, there it is," she thought, just as the dreaded, awaited, but dreaded, voice of her father traveled its way down the hall and down the stairs to the place where Lily was sitting.
"Lily, dearest, don't you think you should get to bed soon? Alright then, get in there soon. I will see you in the morning sweetheart." At first Lily thought she had gone deaf. Where was the anger? Where was the outrage? Where was the "Lily! You're grounded!" Then she thought more closely. Of course. Her father never liked to yell when he was extremely mad. He always seemed to be afraid that if he started he would never stop, and that it just wasn't the way to raise a family. Lily was somewhat worried when he didn't yell, like there was something wrong with him, mentally or something. At the same time Lily was highly relieved, she didn't want to be deaf in both ears by the age of 13, which if he yelled whenever he was mad at something, she probably would be. No, one ear, her sister Petunia would be deaf in both.
Lily figured that the best thing was to go upstairs and sleep. She needed to sleep on this whole 'witch' thing anyway. Is it really what she wanted? No, of course not. She had friends here, family here. A future here. What kind of future did she have in a world of magic? Or maybe it is what she wants, Lily just didn't know. She walked into her room, didn't even turn on the lights, just threw the letter on her nightstand, and plopped into bed.