Chapter 2 ~ Friend and Foe
It was August 31st, the day before the Hogwarts term started, and Lily and her family were attempting to enter Diagon Alley...
"Frank! (that's Lily's dad) The letter says to picture this area as a clock and to first tap the brick where the 7 would be! That's this one!" Chloe said, annoyed.
"No dear! That brick is some where between the eight and nine! It's this one!" Lily's father pointed to a different brick.
"No it's not! That's the 7!" Chloe tapped the brick and mumbled, 'Now which one next??'. Frank slapped his forehead and moaned a 'can-you-believe-her' moan. Lily, being by far the most logical and visual person in the family, violently tore the piece of parchment from her mother's grasp. "Let me do it!" She was getting very frustrated, expecially since Petunia was just standing there grumbling about how much of a 'loser' school this must be. Lily thought that Petunia was thinking this because Petunia never really had a liking to people with a brain. This complex pattern of bricks required some thinking skills WAY too far out of her reach. "You REALLY need to take some art classes." She said to her parents. "To enhance the '2-dimentional' part of your brain. All you have to do is visualize a clock and look at the picture they've given us! Sheesh!" Lily tapped a series of 6 bricks with her fingernails which were not that beautiful from playing volleyball the whole summer. To all of their amazment, including Petunia's, the brick wall began to shift and created an arch for them to walk through. "WOW!" "OOH!" "Aaah!" "COOL!" "Let's just GO!" Were the sounds that dispersed into the air from the Evans' mouths as they saw Diagon Alley for the first time. That last remark came from Petunia who wanted to get home as fast as she could to give herself the fifthtieth pedicure of the day. Lily personally thought that she had WAY too much time on her hands, but those disagreeable thoughts instantly vanished as she took a permanant picture of the crooked street covered with many different, exotic looking people and the endless file of magical shops. Lily was speechless..."WOW!!"...was all that she could say, so she did...repeatedly.
Lily reluctantly quit stuttering her 'wow's when Petunia "nudged" her in the side. In Lily's point of view, it was better described as an "aggressive, vehement blow in the ribs". "OUCH!!" She reacted loudly, and then silently so only Petunia could hear, "Better watch your step Petunia! Do that again and you'll look worse as a flying idiot than James did!" Petunia immediately got the picture. She couldn't underestimate these weirdo's, not matter how dense they looked.
"Ok! First stop...Ollivanders Wand Shop!" Frank announced. Astonishment took aver Lily's father as soon as the entered the shop. "I could REALLY get used to the wizarding world! Look at this place!" He announced as a very old man 'POP'ed into the room. "Hello and Good Morning! First years are we? Hold out your wand arm miss," he motioned towards Petunia.
"Umm...I'm the only one that's a witch. My sister isn't." Lily spoke up, holding in her laughter from seeing Petunia's shocked face at Mr. Ollivander, thinking that she was a (quote:) "freak" like her.
After about 20 minutes when Mr. Ollivander had just about emptied every box of wands in the whole entire shop, Lily had found her match after a brilliant light gleamed around her and sparks flew from her wand. (Lily happened to notice that most of these sparks protruded from her hand, not the wand, but this observance was overlooked by everyone else.) "Well Miss Evans...I think this wand has finally found its owner! I never thought I'd sell this one. It was the first that I ever made...a very strange wand indeed...It created itself more than I created it."
"What do you mean sir?" She asked curiously.
"I'm saying that this wand practically has a mind of its own. I had set the pieces I was going to make it from on the table to begin 'magicing' it together, but everytime I tried to put the hippogriff hair in it, the piece of wood zapped me! I continually tried to put it together, but it continued to shock me. I decided to give it up for the night, and as I was walking away from the table, a boa constrictor came slithering from out of nowhere! I of course jumped away from it, but it didn't advance towards me...instead...it continued to glide up the side of the table and then it did the inconcievable...it laid itself right in the middle of the wand and became instantly petrified! But this isn't the strangest part...I stayed very still and in a few seconds, the wood enclosed itself around the snake and a gold and scarlet glow flooded the room. I have pondered over and over why and how this happened, but I haven't come up with a reasonable solution. All I can say is that you were destined for this wand and it created itself just for you. Mark my words, this wand has a mind of its own."
For most people, this type of news would have freaked them out or at least make them gasp, but then again, Lily was more different from everyone than it seemed. She wasn't included in the group labeled "most people" or "ordinary witches" She was in that group labeled "Other". Instead, her eyes got wide with anticipation. She had never been more fascinated with a story than she was now. Her eyes got as big as saucers and she just gleamed at her wand like it was more dear to her than anything else in the world. "AWESOME!" was all that she could say this time. Frank had to drag her out of there by her shirt while calling back "Thank you Mr. Ollivander, for the invigorating tale!"
"Anytime Mr. Evans! Anytime! Just don't forget what I said!" Lily then snapped out of her trance remembering that that was the 2nd time someone had said "Don't forget what I said" to her. "Very strange..." she thought.
The rest of the trip in Diagon Alley went along pretty normally. She bought her books, robes, candy, gag items, ect. Her father, mother, and Petunia were at the ice cream parlor letting Petunia load up on the 'quadruple strawberry peanut fudge' kind while Lily was on her way into the book store once more to buy a book for some light reading. She was almost to the shop when a figure that she instantly (yet, unfortunately) recognized loomed into her view. He was staring straight at her.
"Oh no...." She thought disgustedly. "Not HIM!!"
"Well if it isn't Frilly Evans! I never expected to see you here! I can't believe Hogwarts would accept someone as dense as you Evans!" He sneered at her.
"Get a life Glenn! Speaking of stupidity, you must be here with your sister getting HER supplies because you are as dense as they come, but even if you did get into Hogwarts, your father must have bribed the headmaster just to consider accepting you, seeing how much of a slime-ball disgrace you are to the human race!" Lily had known Glenn Darkmoon from the non-magical world and it seemed like the Darkmoon's lived to cause the Evans' grief. It didn't matter what job Lily's parents were hired for, the Darkmoon's always found a way to get them fired. This was the reason for the Evans not being to wealthiest people in the world and Lily despised them for it. Glenn had called her 'frilly' because of her being such a tomboy. She decided long ago that she'd kiss James Potter if ever that act would somehow put the Darkmoon's into exile or at least make them move far away.
"Would you like to say that again to my face??" Glenn advanced toward her threateningly.
"Of course I'll say it again! You stupidity must effect your hearing!" Her fury was rising. "You are an inconsiderate, ugly jerk that has disgraced every human being that ever has and ever will walk the face of this earth just by coming into existance!!!!"
Glenn held an expression of complete outrage and glared at her murderously. He continued to walk towards her while she stumbled backwards, and he raised his arm to the sky to slap her. Just as he was about to strike, someone walked in between them and caught Glenn's blow in his strong grip. Lily immediately recognized the untidy black hair and sturdy build. "If EVER I see you lay your hands on Lily or any girl for that matter, you will be SO sorry! I won't let a disgusting git like you vandalize ANYONE! Especially my friend!!" He shook his fist threateningly.
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?" Glenn was obviously stupid enough to think that James was bluffing.
"I'll just introduce my fist to your face!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"What makes you so..." James was conveniently interrupted by a cheerful man who happened to be walking by and humming. "Mr. Potter! Miss. Evans! Mr. Darkmoon! Why hello! Fancy seeing you 3 here! I assume that you're here buying your supplies."
"Uhh...umm..." James stuttered in a loserly fashion as he shot Lily a glance that clearly said 'help-me-out-here!!'
"Hello headmaster! Yes! As a matter of fact we are!" Her grin turned evil as she looked at James, wanting to make him mad. "I was just introducing Glenn to James. Their personalities are so closely related, I thought that they could be friends."
"Oh!" He smiled. "Of course! I'll see you tomorrow! Good day!" He turned around and strolled down the streets, humming once again.
Lily turned to James. "Good going smart one!"
"Oh! You did a great job yourself! Now Dumbledore thinks that retard and I like eachother! Where'd you get an idea that stupid?? I'm nothing like that jerk!"
Lily spun to see Glenn running in the other direction and laughed. "Yeah right Potter! You owe me!"
"Excuse me!?! Your face would be a tad bit on the red side if I hadn't rescued you! The chicken's running away because of me!"
"Despite what you think, Superman, I can take care of myself! By the way.....it WAS me that just saved your butt! You would have made a fool of yourself in front of
Dunbledore!"
"I would have thought of something to say!"
"Sure..." She said in disbelief. "When muggles learn to levitate."
"I WOULD have!"
"No you.....wait.....you told Glenn that I was your friend.....didn't you?"
"Well yeah, you are aren't you?"
"Not on your life Potter!"
"Why? I just saved YOUR life Lily!"
"I'm sorry...but you more like saved me from a broken nose...if that much!"
"I guess I'm going to have to be your personal bodyguard now..." James began to flex his muscles, giving himself WAY to much credit in her opinion.
"With those arms???? I don't think so!" She started to laugh. "But you have to admit....it was pretty funny seeing that inbacle run for his life!" They both immediately burst into
hysterics. After about 5 minutes of uncontrolable laughter, they found themselves in front of Zonko's.
James grinned at her mischeviously. "It's payback time Lily and I have just unleashed a positively evil idea! Tomorrow...Glenn is gonna get it!" And he towed her into the joke shop.
Lily and James spent over 2 hours in Zonko's buying The World's Greatest Inventions as James called them and in Flourish and Blotts, searching for a spell of 2 to put their plan in action. They had perfected James' idea into a well-thought-out, brilliant, problem-solving, humiliating prank. He couldn't wait to tell his best friends, Sirius and Remus, what was in store for Glenn Darkmoon.
After dragging James out of Zonko's for the 3rd time, Lily spotted her parents and Petunia with a short, beefy boy named Vernon Dursley. Petunia, being the older, stupider sister that she was, was falling all over this boy, flirting unendlessly. "This guy sure looks like a real winner..." Lily muttered to James, out of everyone else's earshot. "I hear ya there...." He agreed.
"Hi Mum! Hi Dad!" She waved enthusiastically. "Oh thanks! You bought my supplies! James and I were in Zonko's for a long time, seeing as he is a human magnet to the dungbombs!" Everyone except Petunia and Vernon started laughing.
"Well I see you 2 are bonding nicely!" Mrs. Evans said rather cheerily.
"Yes...we're quite good friends now!" James smiled and rolled her eyes thinking - 'what a bozo'
"And we also got you plain balck ink, emerald green since it's your signature color, and a pretty sparkly sapphire blue." Mrs. Evans added.
"Ok! Thanks mum!"
Mr. Evans finally got into the conversation. "James, I saw your father in Quality Quidditch Supplies looking at a Sonic 1200 and he explained the rules of the game to me. Very fascinating game, quidditch. Sounds sort of brutal as well. Do you like this game, James?"
At the mention of 'Sonic 1200', Quidditch, and his name in the same sentence, James' eyes grew to the size of golf balls. "Me? Like Quidditch?!? Quidditch is my middle name!" He exclaimed proudly.
"Hmm....James Quidditch Potter...your father must REALLY be a quidditch freak," Lily thought outloud.
"Yeah, he is."
"Well, we have about an hour!" Lily's dad looked at his large gold watch. "You 2 can go walk around for a while. Just meet us near Gringotts. James, I already told your dad that we'd take you home. He had to go back to work for a couple of hours."
"Ok! Thanks Mr. Evans!"
Lily and James turned around and when they were a ways away, Lily asked him, "James, you told my dad that we were great friends...Does your brain not work hard enough to remember that less that 5 hours ago, we couldn't stand eachother!?!?"
"Aww...you hurt me! Down here..." He pointed to his heart while Lily was thinking: 'What an idiot!...trying to convince me that he's sentimental.' "To tell you the truth Lily, it's amazing that you can resist a guy like me!" He said, partially sarcastic, showing off his body again. Lily baffled him. She was the only girl that he knew that didn't fall over him like he was a god.
Lily burst into hysterics again. "JAMES! You little devil!" They continued to laugh as James led her, once more, towards Zonko's.
About 45 min later, Lily and James met the rest of the Evans' at the front door of Gringotts with James holding 4 GIANT bags of Zonko's products and 2 bags from the candy shop. Lily had 3 more Zonko's bags, 1 bag of what she called 'light reading material' but consisted of 800 pg. books from Flourish and Blotts, and the cage of a black and white owl that she named, Viggo. Her parents had given her some extra money to buy herself a going-away present.
They had a 20 min. drive home, so Lily and James sat in the back seat and talked. They discussed just about everything from the magical world, the muggle world, Lily's best friends (Kristy and Ashley), James' best friends (Sirius and Remus), what Hogwarts is like from what James had heard at least, ect., but the most long lasting topic was their scheme tomorrow and how much of a prankster each of them were. They both decided that James won that contest by a long shot. He had Lily in the largest laughing fit so far that day by telling her the most humiliating, ridiculous, hilarious pranks that him, Sirius, and Remus have done. They were both dissolving in laughter as Petunia continued to tell them to shut up, but Mr. and Mrs. Evans just ignored her and smiled at Lily and James. They were getting along so well.