Chapter Seven
SAYING GOODBYE
The last part of August was, of course, too slow and boring for Lily than she could bare. She spent her time reading her school books and trying her first spells (she nearly destroyed a lamp trying to lift it), and she was delighted with her first successes.
The thing she liked the most was her wand. She took it with herself everywhere, trying to lift this teapot, or change color to that curtain, or just watching her "Ten inches and a quarter, whistling, willow-made" wand, as Mr. Ollivander said. What the old man had told them in Diagon Alley had worried her parents a bit at the beginning, but once back home it all looked much less serious. After all, how could that strange man had made that wand a thousand years ago?
Lily had been daydreaming a little about that misterious boy with the brother-wand, James Potter, but then she was taken by her experiments and no one spoke about that fact anymore.
Peter and Margaret were amazed by the things their little girl was learning, but were also sad thinking they wouldn't see her for mounths (of course, she hadn't realized that yet). Lily's package was ready from the very day they came back from Diagon Alley, waiting in her room behind the door.
Petunia was still angry with her family, and Lily's progresses in magic made it just worst. "She's a teenager," said Margaret, but they knew it was untruth. Petunia had always suffered from having a little sister. She felt as if Lily had taken her parents' affection away, and all this speaking of how much Lily was special was too much to bare. She spent her days in her room, studying or listening to music, rather than speaking to anyone.
Grandma had come at lunch another time, but Petunia had behaved so badly that both Peter and his mother had thought it was better to avoid any visits, so Lily went to Grandma twice before the end of August, to show her what she had learned.
* * *
Too suddenly and too late, as all important events, the first of September arrived one morning. Or, more precisely, it arrived one night, at two o'clock when they woke up. Lily was very excited and she got herself ready much quicker than the others.
Petunia was still in her room. She did not want to go to London, nor she wanted to say goodbye to her sister, no matter how much her parents shouted at her door. At the end, both Peter and Margaret gave up and had breakfast.
"Petty?" asked Lily softly in front of her sister's door. No answer came.
"Please, Petty, would you come out?"
"Go away!"
"Come on, Petty, please!" Lily was close to tears. "It doesn't matter if you don't come to London, but at least say goodbye. We won't see each other till Christmas!"
The door stood silent. Lily started to sigh and quickly tears were running down her cheecks.
"Petty, you're just a stupid, selfish dumb!" she hit the door, hurting her hand.
"I HATE YOU!!!" shout running to her room.
Some minutes later Margaret reached her, crying on her bed.
"Don't worry darling. Petunia's having a difficult moment. It will pass by," she said softly, scratching her daughter's back.
"I don't wanna go, mummy. I don't wanna leave you. All of you," cried Lily. Margaret hugged her tightly.
"It's what you've always dreamed about, dear. Don't fear, it will be alright."
The woman took Lily's head in her hands, drying her tears and looking her in the eye. "You were born to be a witch. Everything will be alright. We'll keep in touch. We bought that owl exactly for this reason. And Petunia will miss you from the very moment you'll walk out of the door, so don't worry"
"Oh, mum!" Lily hugged her mother again.
"We gotta go!" shouted Peter from downstairs. Lily left Margaret and took the suitcase. Then, she turned to her mother, smiling.
"That's the spirit!" said Margaret, and she also smiled.
Peter had had the car prepared, so they easly took on the last things. Lily hugged Margaret again, kissed her and finally went on the car. Margaret hadn't been able to take a day off from work, so she couldn't accompany them to London.
The car kept going. They were already far away when Lily saw her sister running behind them.
"Stop the car!" Lily opened the door while the car was still going and ran towards Petunia.
Her sister hugged her so tightly that she could barely breathe.
"Watch out, there. And write every day," said Petunia crying and kissing her sister.
"I will," answered Lily.
Some minutes passed before Lily went back to the car. Peter was smiling. The car started going again, directed to the station.
SAYING GOODBYE
The last part of August was, of course, too slow and boring for Lily than she could bare. She spent her time reading her school books and trying her first spells (she nearly destroyed a lamp trying to lift it), and she was delighted with her first successes.
The thing she liked the most was her wand. She took it with herself everywhere, trying to lift this teapot, or change color to that curtain, or just watching her "Ten inches and a quarter, whistling, willow-made" wand, as Mr. Ollivander said. What the old man had told them in Diagon Alley had worried her parents a bit at the beginning, but once back home it all looked much less serious. After all, how could that strange man had made that wand a thousand years ago?
Lily had been daydreaming a little about that misterious boy with the brother-wand, James Potter, but then she was taken by her experiments and no one spoke about that fact anymore.
Peter and Margaret were amazed by the things their little girl was learning, but were also sad thinking they wouldn't see her for mounths (of course, she hadn't realized that yet). Lily's package was ready from the very day they came back from Diagon Alley, waiting in her room behind the door.
Petunia was still angry with her family, and Lily's progresses in magic made it just worst. "She's a teenager," said Margaret, but they knew it was untruth. Petunia had always suffered from having a little sister. She felt as if Lily had taken her parents' affection away, and all this speaking of how much Lily was special was too much to bare. She spent her days in her room, studying or listening to music, rather than speaking to anyone.
Grandma had come at lunch another time, but Petunia had behaved so badly that both Peter and his mother had thought it was better to avoid any visits, so Lily went to Grandma twice before the end of August, to show her what she had learned.
* * *
Too suddenly and too late, as all important events, the first of September arrived one morning. Or, more precisely, it arrived one night, at two o'clock when they woke up. Lily was very excited and she got herself ready much quicker than the others.
Petunia was still in her room. She did not want to go to London, nor she wanted to say goodbye to her sister, no matter how much her parents shouted at her door. At the end, both Peter and Margaret gave up and had breakfast.
"Petty?" asked Lily softly in front of her sister's door. No answer came.
"Please, Petty, would you come out?"
"Go away!"
"Come on, Petty, please!" Lily was close to tears. "It doesn't matter if you don't come to London, but at least say goodbye. We won't see each other till Christmas!"
The door stood silent. Lily started to sigh and quickly tears were running down her cheecks.
"Petty, you're just a stupid, selfish dumb!" she hit the door, hurting her hand.
"I HATE YOU!!!" shout running to her room.
Some minutes later Margaret reached her, crying on her bed.
"Don't worry darling. Petunia's having a difficult moment. It will pass by," she said softly, scratching her daughter's back.
"I don't wanna go, mummy. I don't wanna leave you. All of you," cried Lily. Margaret hugged her tightly.
"It's what you've always dreamed about, dear. Don't fear, it will be alright."
The woman took Lily's head in her hands, drying her tears and looking her in the eye. "You were born to be a witch. Everything will be alright. We'll keep in touch. We bought that owl exactly for this reason. And Petunia will miss you from the very moment you'll walk out of the door, so don't worry"
"Oh, mum!" Lily hugged her mother again.
"We gotta go!" shouted Peter from downstairs. Lily left Margaret and took the suitcase. Then, she turned to her mother, smiling.
"That's the spirit!" said Margaret, and she also smiled.
Peter had had the car prepared, so they easly took on the last things. Lily hugged Margaret again, kissed her and finally went on the car. Margaret hadn't been able to take a day off from work, so she couldn't accompany them to London.
The car kept going. They were already far away when Lily saw her sister running behind them.
"Stop the car!" Lily opened the door while the car was still going and ran towards Petunia.
Her sister hugged her so tightly that she could barely breathe.
"Watch out, there. And write every day," said Petunia crying and kissing her sister.
"I will," answered Lily.
Some minutes passed before Lily went back to the car. Peter was smiling. The car started going again, directed to the station.