DISCLAIMER: I own none of these characters, or the main plotline. It all belongs to J. K. Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Brothers, and a bunch of other people. I am doing this for fun, and no profit is being made.
Chapter 2
The Truth
On Sunday, I woke early, to take a walk before breakfast. I had only gotten to the end of our street when I saw the most peculiar looking woman. She seemed to have come out of nowhere. She looked to be about middle-aged, with brownish-gray hair in a tight bun at the top of her neck, and a slightly lined face. The severe, business-like expression on her face told me that she was not someone to be crossed. It was what she was wearing that made her strange, though. An ankle-length black cloak with robes, and a black hat, pointed, like a witch. Everything from her hat to her boots was black, except for the hideous carpetbag that she carried in her left hand, which was a violent scarlet, decorated in gold.
Okay, this could not be a coincidence. She must have something to do with that letter! I turned to walk behind her, to see where she was going. I knew it was impossible, yet…
She stopped. Obviously sensing someone following her, she turned around quickly. But not quick enough. I darted off the path and crouched behind a convenient bush. I didn't know why I was hiding, but something told me that I shouldn't have seen her. I squinted through the leaves at her. I gasped, as she looked straight at me, narrowing her eyes knowingly. She stared directly at me for almost a minute. I tried not to breathe, but it made my eyes water. I was caught. Then, to my surprise and relief, she turned and kept walking, as if nothing had happened.
I continued to watch her as she crossed the street. She was heading for my house! I jumped up and started sprinting toward her. If she did have something to do with the witch school, I wanted to speak with her before my parents. Only people who were around me all the time, like my best friend, Emily, would not be alarmed by my actions. Most people classified me as the "shy, quiet, lives in books, etc." type, but it was not true. Okay, maybe I did read a lot, and I was quiet, but only because I found no need to waste my breath on mindless ramblings that wouldn't matter tomorrow, but I, Lily Evans, was anything but shy. Many people confuse shy with quiet. They think that I don't say much to strangers, so I must be afraid. Not true. When it comes to important matters, I do what needs to be done. I do whatever I can to get my way, and I'm not afraid of anything, especially people.
I stopped at her side, and walked with her to the other side. "Are you from Hog Warts?" I asked straight out.
"You must be Lily Evans."
"I am."
"I work at Hogwarts, yes."
"What do you want?"
"I've come to speak with your parents," she answered quickly.
"About what?"
"About you, attending Hogwarts." Her voice became considerably quieter when she spoke the name of the school.
"Why can't you talk to me?"
"Your parents need to know where you're going."
"So you've already decided, without their consent?" I responded quickly, not missing a beat.
We had reached my house. She had obviously decided to disregard my last question. The woman rang the doorbell, and my mother opened the door immediately. She started with the usual friendly smile, but it quickly faded as she took in the appearance of the woman. Her new expression was that of confusion. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth fell slightly open. Turning to me, she gave a slight smile, but an unsure one. "Lily?…."
I then realized that it must have seemed as if I was with this woman. "I-"
"Hello, Mrs. Evans. My name is Minerva McGonagall. I've come to speak to you about your daughter's…" She glanced around. "-schooling."
My mother seemed then to remember about the letter. As comprehension dawned, she looked to be at a loss for words.
"Excuse me, but may I come in?"
"Oh…I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Yes, please, have a seat." She stepped back, opening the door a little wider, and gestured toward the sofa and chairs, still confused.
I sat on the sofa with my mum, while Minerva McGonagall chose a straight-backed chair across from us. "As I stated before, my name is Minerva McGonagall. I am Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your daughter has been accepted to Hogwarts, and I was unhappy to hear that you instructed her to "throw out" the letter.
"I…How-" My mother was fumbling for words, wondering how in the world this woman could know that, but then turned to me, once again, for an explanation. "Lily, did you tell her that? Did you apply for a school of witchcraft?!"
"No! Of course, not! You know me, Mum. I would never do a thing like that!"
At that moment, my father, a large man with silvery-blond hair, entered the room. "What's going on here?"
"Honey, this woman is from that - school…that one I told you about."
He eyed Minerva McGonagall suspiciously. "What kind of nonsense is this?"
"I need to speak with you about Lily. She has been accepted to Hogwarts School."
He sat down next to me. "Lily, go to your room."
"But-" I sighed. "yes, Sir," I responded reluctantly.
I headed upstairs, completely confused. The last forty-eight hours had been so strange. Entering my bedroom, I saw that Petunia was not there. She must have gone out with her friends, or the boy of the week. I grabbed the book I had been reading the night before, Stolen by Francis Georgie, but I couldn't concentrate. I was reading, but not comprehending, so I decided there was no point. I was left alone with my thoughts for about 40 minutes, at first occasionally hearing a bit of shouting, or sometimes a loud noise, but eventually just soft conversation. I would catch a word or two here and there, but nothing that really made sense. Finally Mum and Dad were calling me down.
I ran quickly, wanting to know what conclusion had come of the seemingly endless conversation. "…So?" I asked, reaching the first story, and was happy to see that all three adults were wearing looks of satisfaction. They had come to some sort of agreement.
Mum suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace. "Have I ever told you that you're a very special little girl?"
"Errrr…yeah, I guess so," I replied, though my words were muffled. I tried unsuccessfully to wriggle out of my mother's grasp, though she did loosen up a little, and I could turn around.
Dad was smiling, yet he still looked a little unsure of the whole situation. He gently patted me on the back. "We're proud of you, Darling. And your…abilities."
"Uh…"
The woman spoke this time. "You are a witch, Lily. You are going to attend a boarding school where you will be trained in witchcraft. Your first day of school will be September First. I am Professor McGonagall. I will be instructing you in transfiguration."
I looked at them, stunned, overwhelmed, trying to sort it through in my brain, trying to grasp the concept. Was this some sort of a joke? Part of me was scared, part of me was unimaginably happy, and part of me still didn't understand. It had all come so quickly. I noticed they were all staring at me, expectantly, waiting for a response. They wanted me to say something, but I was quite speechless.
I had so many questions.
"Trans-a-whats-a?"
That was all that came out
