Chapter 5 - Letters, Letters
Lily had read, and re-read and re-read the letter may times. Her mother and father also read the letter several times, but Lily was currently in her room clutching her letter, and trying to understand why she was a witch. If she was a witch she would have turned her sister into a toad by now, and magic-ed herself some delicious toffee cheese cake instead of going hungry when they went camping... in fact, she would have been able to magic herself some cake right now. Lovely fudge cake, smothered in rich, luxurious chocolate, topped with thick cream and chocolate flakes and toffee... Lily realised she was drooling on her letter.
"Dear Miss Lily Evans" It began. How did they know who she was? Maybe they looked up the telephone directory to find her name and address, but how did they know where she slept?! Unless they were watching her, because, well, the telephone directory didn't say that her bedroom was the second on the left after the bathroom, in fact she wasn't in the telephone directory, the whole family was under her dad's name.
She sighed. She liked being open minded about things, and she didn't see why this magical world could not exist, on the other hand, people seemed to get by ok without any magic, so what is the need? Petunia went crazy. She called Lily a freak and told her she knew that there was something wrong with her and that she hoped Lily would be turned into a rabbit at her stupid new school and never turned back. Of course she said none of this in front of her parents and merely left the table quietly.
Lily didn't have to leave the table, but her parents were busy discussing what was happening, they told her not to go if she wanted to hear, but she told them she understood everything and quietly went to her room. Humming noiselessly to herself she wondered what it meant, "we await your owl"?
***
Across the road, Lily's friend Sirius had also received a letter. Of course in his family it was not such a big deal, because they were all pure blood wizards, but Sirius was secretly relieved. If he had been a Squib, then his family would have disowned him. He didn't have an issue with Squibs, and Muggle-borns and Half bloods, but his parents appeared to have something against these people.
He had voiced his opinion on how people should be equal and how he didn't care, but it had earned him a stern telling off and a beating from his father so he kept himself to himself. Sirius hated the family tree in his dining room, it was all pure blood wizards, and any people who married Muggles or Muggle-borns or someone who was not approved of by the family, was disowned. Sirius had a feeling he may be disowned too, if he didn't appreciate the family more.
However Sirius sat in his room, clutching a letter exactly the same as Lily's and thinking what a wonderful life was ahead for him. 7 years of living away from home, 7 years without his brother sneering at him all the time.... he felt a knot form in his stomach. What if he was put in Slytherin like the rest of the family? He didn't want to be in stinky Slytherin! He sighed. Well at the end of the day he could ask to be moved. He had heard that the Headmaster was a crazy guy, so maybe he wouldn't notice if Sirius just moved.
His parents HATED the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore with a vengeance; he liked Muggles too much in their opinion. Sirius really did not care. For some strange reason he wanted to visit the girl who lived on his street, Lily, but he was too scared, and anyway, what would he say? "Alright love? I'm a wizard?" He went instead to the park where he had met her.
***
Lily went back to the kitchen to find her parents both looking rather confused. There was an Owl on the kitchen table, but it wouldn't let either of them come close to it, although it obviously had a letter attached to its legs. Lily walked over to the table and the Owl, noticing Lily, looked at her closely as if examining her, and then flew over to land on the girls shoulder. Lily panicked a bit, looking somewhat confused and shaken, but realised that to handle any situation she really needed to clam down. Carefully, Lily removed the letter from the Owl's foot, but it did not fly off. The letter was again written on parchment, and in green ink. It was from the same person as the previous one, which had arrived by postman, Minerva McGonagall. The letter stated clearly where Lily needed to go and buy her school things and how everything in the place, Diagon Alley worked. Lily, although very taken aback was intrigued.
"We could go," she began slowly, "and see what it is like. And see if it's real even and then, well we can see what happens can't we?"
Her parents both smiled at her. They knew this meant that Lily would almost definitely end up going to this School, Hogwarts, and although a bit anxious, they were really happy for her. They knew she had a lot going for her, and they were completely sure that she would fulfil her potential, no matter if it were in the magic world.
"So," her dad asked, "Why is the owl still here?"
"I... eerrrrr don't know... Oh! The want us to reply and say whether I am going or not! Tie the letter to the Owl's foot and send it... strange!"
***
Sirius sat on the magical swing, gently coaxing it to slow down to a halt, as he sat silently swinging his legs. It was still to light to send his friend James an owl. He wanted to tell him he was going to Diagon Alley tomorrow, so that maybe they could meet up. His parents wouldn't approve, but Sirius didn't care.
When it was dusk he began to walk back slowly to his house. Without intending to he looked over to Lily's house. He did a double take. He swore he just saw an Owl fly out of the front window. And sure enough a second late an owl dropping fell on his head.
Sirius was in a very bad mood when he got home.
***
Lily once again was thinking about Hogwarts. She wished that she had been sent a school prospectus or something so that she knew what it was like, but she had nothing but her vivid imagination to go by. The classes looked fascinating: Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, were there Bad wizards too?
Lily fell asleep with such thoughts swimming in her mind, and that night dreamed of Unicorns and Dragons, Cauldrons and Magic Wands, Broomsticks and Flying Carpets.
It was a very good dream.
Lily had read, and re-read and re-read the letter may times. Her mother and father also read the letter several times, but Lily was currently in her room clutching her letter, and trying to understand why she was a witch. If she was a witch she would have turned her sister into a toad by now, and magic-ed herself some delicious toffee cheese cake instead of going hungry when they went camping... in fact, she would have been able to magic herself some cake right now. Lovely fudge cake, smothered in rich, luxurious chocolate, topped with thick cream and chocolate flakes and toffee... Lily realised she was drooling on her letter.
"Dear Miss Lily Evans" It began. How did they know who she was? Maybe they looked up the telephone directory to find her name and address, but how did they know where she slept?! Unless they were watching her, because, well, the telephone directory didn't say that her bedroom was the second on the left after the bathroom, in fact she wasn't in the telephone directory, the whole family was under her dad's name.
She sighed. She liked being open minded about things, and she didn't see why this magical world could not exist, on the other hand, people seemed to get by ok without any magic, so what is the need? Petunia went crazy. She called Lily a freak and told her she knew that there was something wrong with her and that she hoped Lily would be turned into a rabbit at her stupid new school and never turned back. Of course she said none of this in front of her parents and merely left the table quietly.
Lily didn't have to leave the table, but her parents were busy discussing what was happening, they told her not to go if she wanted to hear, but she told them she understood everything and quietly went to her room. Humming noiselessly to herself she wondered what it meant, "we await your owl"?
***
Across the road, Lily's friend Sirius had also received a letter. Of course in his family it was not such a big deal, because they were all pure blood wizards, but Sirius was secretly relieved. If he had been a Squib, then his family would have disowned him. He didn't have an issue with Squibs, and Muggle-borns and Half bloods, but his parents appeared to have something against these people.
He had voiced his opinion on how people should be equal and how he didn't care, but it had earned him a stern telling off and a beating from his father so he kept himself to himself. Sirius hated the family tree in his dining room, it was all pure blood wizards, and any people who married Muggles or Muggle-borns or someone who was not approved of by the family, was disowned. Sirius had a feeling he may be disowned too, if he didn't appreciate the family more.
However Sirius sat in his room, clutching a letter exactly the same as Lily's and thinking what a wonderful life was ahead for him. 7 years of living away from home, 7 years without his brother sneering at him all the time.... he felt a knot form in his stomach. What if he was put in Slytherin like the rest of the family? He didn't want to be in stinky Slytherin! He sighed. Well at the end of the day he could ask to be moved. He had heard that the Headmaster was a crazy guy, so maybe he wouldn't notice if Sirius just moved.
His parents HATED the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore with a vengeance; he liked Muggles too much in their opinion. Sirius really did not care. For some strange reason he wanted to visit the girl who lived on his street, Lily, but he was too scared, and anyway, what would he say? "Alright love? I'm a wizard?" He went instead to the park where he had met her.
***
Lily went back to the kitchen to find her parents both looking rather confused. There was an Owl on the kitchen table, but it wouldn't let either of them come close to it, although it obviously had a letter attached to its legs. Lily walked over to the table and the Owl, noticing Lily, looked at her closely as if examining her, and then flew over to land on the girls shoulder. Lily panicked a bit, looking somewhat confused and shaken, but realised that to handle any situation she really needed to clam down. Carefully, Lily removed the letter from the Owl's foot, but it did not fly off. The letter was again written on parchment, and in green ink. It was from the same person as the previous one, which had arrived by postman, Minerva McGonagall. The letter stated clearly where Lily needed to go and buy her school things and how everything in the place, Diagon Alley worked. Lily, although very taken aback was intrigued.
"We could go," she began slowly, "and see what it is like. And see if it's real even and then, well we can see what happens can't we?"
Her parents both smiled at her. They knew this meant that Lily would almost definitely end up going to this School, Hogwarts, and although a bit anxious, they were really happy for her. They knew she had a lot going for her, and they were completely sure that she would fulfil her potential, no matter if it were in the magic world.
"So," her dad asked, "Why is the owl still here?"
"I... eerrrrr don't know... Oh! The want us to reply and say whether I am going or not! Tie the letter to the Owl's foot and send it... strange!"
***
Sirius sat on the magical swing, gently coaxing it to slow down to a halt, as he sat silently swinging his legs. It was still to light to send his friend James an owl. He wanted to tell him he was going to Diagon Alley tomorrow, so that maybe they could meet up. His parents wouldn't approve, but Sirius didn't care.
When it was dusk he began to walk back slowly to his house. Without intending to he looked over to Lily's house. He did a double take. He swore he just saw an Owl fly out of the front window. And sure enough a second late an owl dropping fell on his head.
Sirius was in a very bad mood when he got home.
***
Lily once again was thinking about Hogwarts. She wished that she had been sent a school prospectus or something so that she knew what it was like, but she had nothing but her vivid imagination to go by. The classes looked fascinating: Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, were there Bad wizards too?
Lily fell asleep with such thoughts swimming in her mind, and that night dreamed of Unicorns and Dragons, Cauldrons and Magic Wands, Broomsticks and Flying Carpets.
It was a very good dream.