Lunch was a silent meal. Lily said nothing, thinking she may begin talking about the letter. Petunia was in her usual bad mood, for reasons nobody, including Petunia herself, knew. Mrs. Evans tried making conversation, but gave when she realized she might as well have been talking to the geraniums sitting on the window sill above the sink.
After they were finished, Mrs. Evans announced that Mrs. Potter was coming over for tea, and that Petunia should go over to her friend Anastasia's house for the afternoon. Immediately, Petunia rebelled. "What about Lily?" she demanded. "why doesn't she have to leave?"
"Lily is going to stay here and keep James company," Mrs. Evans patiently explained.
"FINE!" Petunia shouted and stormed up the stairs to her room. Mrs. Evans exchanged a glance with her youngest daughter, clearly not too worried, since Petunia did this at least twice a day. She had always been close with her father and after he died in a car accident, she had changed dramatically, for the worse.
"Come on Lily," Mrs. Evans said. "Lets do these dishes and get ready for Mrs. Potter."
*****
At three o'clock, Mrs. Potter rang the doorbell to the Evans' house. Lily answered and led her into the sitting room. She looked excited as she sat down on a comfy chair. The door opened and Mrs. Evans came in with a tray of tea and scones. She shut the door behind her and poured the tea. When the three of them were served, Mrs. Potter broke the silence.
"Well Lily, congratulations. I didn't know you had magic in you."
Lily's mother gasped. "You mean its real? The letter? Lily is actually a witch?"
I Suppose she is, if Hogwarts sent her a letter. If you let her go, I'll make sure James looks after her. Not that she'll need it. The wizarding world is a lot safer than the muggle world."
"Muggle world?" What on earth is a muggle?" Mrs. Evans sounded dumbfounded. Lily sat forward in her chair to make sure she heard every word Mrs. Potter said about the letter.
"A muggle is someone non-magical. You and Petunia are muggles. We live in the muggle world. Lily will go to Hogwarts to learn how to live like a wizard in the wizarding world."
"But how will she get there? I can't take off work to drive Lily to a school of magic." Mrs. Evans was starting to look doubtful. Lily felt disappointment start to settle in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't going to get to go.
Mrs. Potter sounded like she was ready for that question. You can take meet us at the train station on your lunch break. We can drive Lily to the station, and you will be there to see her off."
When Lily's mother said nothing, Mrs. Potter turned to Lily and smiled. "Lily, honey, do you have any questions?"
Lily thought for a moment and then asked, "Where would I stay if I went to Hogwarts?"
Mrs. Potter replied, "There are dormitories, separated of course, where the students sleep. There are usually four or five in a dormitory."
"Where would I buy my wand and stuff?" That was what was really bothering Lily. She had been to London a lot, but had never seen a store that sold wands.
"You can come to London with James and I. We'll show you around. It's rather difficult to explain. Your mum can come too. That way she will know how to do it too." She looked at Lily's mother, who looked overwhelmed at the thought of a different world her daughter was to be a part of.
"That would probably be best," Mrs. Evans Agreed. "I'm not sure I believe this enough to do it alone."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Mrs. Potter replied, sipping her tea. "Can you get Monday morning off so we can go into London?"
"I think I can take Monday off," Mrs. Evans paused, looking at the letter. "What does this mean? 'We await your owl'?"
Mrs. Potter took another sip of tea before she explained how wizards and witches used owls to send letters to each other instead of the muggle post.
When she was finished explaining, Lily asked worriedly, "Where will I go to send an owl to tell Hogwarts that I'm coming?"
Mrs. Potter assured her that she would send an owl to Professor Dumbledore to inform him that she and James were coming, and that she was explaining everything about the wizarding world to the Evans family.
As Mrs. Potter was talking, Mrs. Evans was looking at a picture on the end table. It was of Lily, Petunia and their father, taken just months before he had died. Petunia looked so happy, laughing with her father and sister. She never smiled anymore, Mrs. Evans thought sadly. How on earth will she take the news that her sister is a witch and is leaving in a month. Life was so much easier when her husband was alive, especially when dealing with Petunia. Mrs. Evans felt she could never connect with Petunia the way her husband had. Mrs. Evans Suddenly snapped out of her train of thought and started talking with her best friend.
While her mother and Mrs. Potter chitchatted for a while, her thoughts were all jumbled up in her head. I am a witch. I get to go to a brand new school with my best friend. I don't have to listen to Petunia anymore. She can't boss me around when I'm not here. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
As she was talking to Odelia, Irene Evans glanced at her daughter. She looked so excited. Irene had not seen Lily show this much emotion since her father had died. Lily had always kept to herself, never letting anyone get to close. Apart from James, Lily didn't have too many close friends. Maybe this school is exactly what she needed, both to help her move on about her father's tragic death, and to help her learn to let her emotions show a little bit. Mrs. Evans just hoped she wasn't helping her youngest daughter make the biggest mistake of her life.
After they were finished, Mrs. Evans announced that Mrs. Potter was coming over for tea, and that Petunia should go over to her friend Anastasia's house for the afternoon. Immediately, Petunia rebelled. "What about Lily?" she demanded. "why doesn't she have to leave?"
"Lily is going to stay here and keep James company," Mrs. Evans patiently explained.
"FINE!" Petunia shouted and stormed up the stairs to her room. Mrs. Evans exchanged a glance with her youngest daughter, clearly not too worried, since Petunia did this at least twice a day. She had always been close with her father and after he died in a car accident, she had changed dramatically, for the worse.
"Come on Lily," Mrs. Evans said. "Lets do these dishes and get ready for Mrs. Potter."
*****
At three o'clock, Mrs. Potter rang the doorbell to the Evans' house. Lily answered and led her into the sitting room. She looked excited as she sat down on a comfy chair. The door opened and Mrs. Evans came in with a tray of tea and scones. She shut the door behind her and poured the tea. When the three of them were served, Mrs. Potter broke the silence.
"Well Lily, congratulations. I didn't know you had magic in you."
Lily's mother gasped. "You mean its real? The letter? Lily is actually a witch?"
I Suppose she is, if Hogwarts sent her a letter. If you let her go, I'll make sure James looks after her. Not that she'll need it. The wizarding world is a lot safer than the muggle world."
"Muggle world?" What on earth is a muggle?" Mrs. Evans sounded dumbfounded. Lily sat forward in her chair to make sure she heard every word Mrs. Potter said about the letter.
"A muggle is someone non-magical. You and Petunia are muggles. We live in the muggle world. Lily will go to Hogwarts to learn how to live like a wizard in the wizarding world."
"But how will she get there? I can't take off work to drive Lily to a school of magic." Mrs. Evans was starting to look doubtful. Lily felt disappointment start to settle in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't going to get to go.
Mrs. Potter sounded like she was ready for that question. You can take meet us at the train station on your lunch break. We can drive Lily to the station, and you will be there to see her off."
When Lily's mother said nothing, Mrs. Potter turned to Lily and smiled. "Lily, honey, do you have any questions?"
Lily thought for a moment and then asked, "Where would I stay if I went to Hogwarts?"
Mrs. Potter replied, "There are dormitories, separated of course, where the students sleep. There are usually four or five in a dormitory."
"Where would I buy my wand and stuff?" That was what was really bothering Lily. She had been to London a lot, but had never seen a store that sold wands.
"You can come to London with James and I. We'll show you around. It's rather difficult to explain. Your mum can come too. That way she will know how to do it too." She looked at Lily's mother, who looked overwhelmed at the thought of a different world her daughter was to be a part of.
"That would probably be best," Mrs. Evans Agreed. "I'm not sure I believe this enough to do it alone."
"I couldn't agree with you more," Mrs. Potter replied, sipping her tea. "Can you get Monday morning off so we can go into London?"
"I think I can take Monday off," Mrs. Evans paused, looking at the letter. "What does this mean? 'We await your owl'?"
Mrs. Potter took another sip of tea before she explained how wizards and witches used owls to send letters to each other instead of the muggle post.
When she was finished explaining, Lily asked worriedly, "Where will I go to send an owl to tell Hogwarts that I'm coming?"
Mrs. Potter assured her that she would send an owl to Professor Dumbledore to inform him that she and James were coming, and that she was explaining everything about the wizarding world to the Evans family.
As Mrs. Potter was talking, Mrs. Evans was looking at a picture on the end table. It was of Lily, Petunia and their father, taken just months before he had died. Petunia looked so happy, laughing with her father and sister. She never smiled anymore, Mrs. Evans thought sadly. How on earth will she take the news that her sister is a witch and is leaving in a month. Life was so much easier when her husband was alive, especially when dealing with Petunia. Mrs. Evans felt she could never connect with Petunia the way her husband had. Mrs. Evans Suddenly snapped out of her train of thought and started talking with her best friend.
While her mother and Mrs. Potter chitchatted for a while, her thoughts were all jumbled up in her head. I am a witch. I get to go to a brand new school with my best friend. I don't have to listen to Petunia anymore. She can't boss me around when I'm not here. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
As she was talking to Odelia, Irene Evans glanced at her daughter. She looked so excited. Irene had not seen Lily show this much emotion since her father had died. Lily had always kept to herself, never letting anyone get to close. Apart from James, Lily didn't have too many close friends. Maybe this school is exactly what she needed, both to help her move on about her father's tragic death, and to help her learn to let her emotions show a little bit. Mrs. Evans just hoped she wasn't helping her youngest daughter make the biggest mistake of her life.