Lily's dad Emmet Evans hefted his youngest daughter's trunk onto a trolley and started wheeling it towards the platform. Lily and her mother were trailing him. Petunia hadn't been able to come owing to an important "meeting" that she couldn't get out of. Lily knew that it was a bunch of lies and fumed inside. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind.
'Nothing is going to spoil this day for me. I'm a witch and I'm going to Hogwarts. Lily had spent the past two weeks before school started again reading all her new school text books and writing to her old school friends. She looked around her and saw the swarming crowd. Her father turned back to her a confused expression on his face.
"I know there's a Diagon Alley. I went there myself but I'm having doubts about there being a Platform 9 and 3/4."
"Dad if the letter said it would be here then I'm sure it is." Lily looked past her father and glanced at the signs. One read, Platform 9, the other Platform 10. She looked at the people passing by and heard a loud hoot. Turning around quickly she managed to jump out of the way before almost being run over with a trolley. Lily looked and saw that the trolley had a trunk like her own and an owl in a cage packed on it. She looked at the driver of the trolley, a middle-aged woman with black hair down to her chin and piercingly bright hazel eyes. Lily smiled to her as the lady pushed the trolley around her.
"Excuse me?" Lily spoke up before she could stop herself. The lady turned around and smiled at her.
"Yes?"
"Um. Do you know anything about Hogwarts?"
"Hogwarts? Are you new my dear?" At Lily's nod of agreement the lady went on, "So is my boy James. I think he's already gone through the barrier. He's such a naughty boy, leaving me to push this trolley by myself. Anyway it's quite simple all you do is run straight through the barrier between the two platforms. I'm afraid muggles can't do it."
"Muggles?"
"Non- magic people."
"Oh. Then I guess I'd better say good bye then." Lily turned to her father and hugged him tightly.
"Bye Lily-Flower. You take care of yourself and write to us with that new owl of yours." Lily nodded and turned to her mother. With tears in both their eyes Lily and her mother Darla hugged each other tightly.
"I love you Lily."
"I love you mum. I'm going to miss you heaps. But I'll write lots."
"You better. I'm sorry Petunia couldn't come. But you know…"
"Yeah mum I do know and I don't care. She doesn't like me for what I am and I don't like her because she's her."
"Lily." Darla said in a reproving tone.
"Sorry. Well I'd better go. See you for Christmas holidays. I love you both."
Darla and Emmet stood on the pathway and waved at their daughter until she disappeared through the barrier. Emmet hugged his wife and then led her to their car.
"Hey mum I found a carriage. Hi who are you?" James asked politely running towards his mother and a pretty girl around his own age with flowing red hair. The girl looked up at James and smiled patiently.
"Hello. I'm Lily Evans. I'm a first-year."
"Me too. Well come on mum. I found a compartment. Let's go. Bye Lily."
"James." Mrs Potter gave him a look.
"Oops sorry. Do you want to sit with me Lily?"
"If that's alright with you."
"Yeah I don't mind."
"Cool thanks." James followed Lily and Mrs Potter to a carriage halfway along the train. Lily climbed in and looked around.
"There's a carriage at the back of the train for the luggage and everything. If we leave it in here for awhile we can take it in later." James said knowingly. He had already checked out the entire train while he was waiting for his mum to come through the barrier with his things.
"Okay." Lily tried to heave her trunk onto the train from the platform. James stepped forward and helped her lift it high enough to slide it inside the compartment.
"Thanks." Her face was flushed and he noticed that her eyes were an emerald coloured green that glittered brightly.
"You're welcome." Together they got James' trunk into the compartment and jumped off to say goodbye to Mrs Potter.
"Bye mum."
"Bye James. Stay out of trouble. I love you."
"Yeah mum I know. See you at Christmas."
"Thanks for your help Mrs Potter."
"That's alright. It was nice to meet you Lily dear."
"Yes you too. Bye."
Lily and James sat down in the carriage and waved out the window as the train pulled out of the station. Soon they were moving moderately fast. The two had already taken their luggage to the carriage at the back and were now sitting in the compartment staring at each other.
"So what area of England are you from?" James asked trying to start a conversation to break the uncomfortable silence that pervaded the air.
"A small town near London. How about you?"
"We live in a large wizarding community near London."
"Cool."
The door to the carriage slid open and James and Lily both looked up. A tall boy stood there; his hair; black as night that curled down to beneath his ears, but in a manly way, and eyes warm chocolaty brown. He smiled at them both.
"Hi my name's Sirius Black. Would you mind if I sat with you guys? My cousin and her friends are being idiots."
"Sure." Lily and James both said together. Sirius sat next to James; who sat in the window seat.
'These two look alright. A little shy but otherwise alright.' He thought to himself when he looked through the glass window into the tiny compartment. He slid open the door and stepped inside. After introducing himself he was greeted warmly and soon he was sitting with James Potter and Lily Evans. First years like himself.
"So what are you two looking forward to the most?" Sirius asked hoping that he could get a conversation started.
"Well I like the look of Charms and of Potions." Lily said quietly.
"And I like Transfiguration and Quidditch matches."
"Do you like Quidditch?" Sirius asked.
"Definitely."
"Me too. Who's your favourite team?" Sirius asked. 'Finally a topic we all like.' He thought to himself.
"The Wilmington Willows."
"Yeah they're alright. I like the Ingleside Flyers."
"How bout you Lily?"
"I don't know what Quidditch is. My parents are muggles. So…"
"Oh well that's alright." Sirius turned back to the Quidditch conversation with James and Lily returned to staring out the window at the passing countryside.
'How rude are they?' Lily thought to herself sneaking a look at James Potter and Sirius Black who had been involved in their conversation for half an hour and who hadn't talked to Lily at all during that time. Lily looked up when the door slid open again. In the doorway stood a tall girl with slightly wavy brown hair and almost black eyes.
"Hi." She said brightly to Lily.
"Hey." Lily answered equally bright and cheerful. 'Finally someone who is interested in something other then Quidditch.'
"Could I sit in here? My brother's annoying the hell outta me." The girl whispered something under her breath that Lily couldn't hear.
"Sure. Have a seat." Lily motioned to the empty seat next to her.
"You have no idea how grateful I am. I'm Henriette Lewis by the way. I'm a first year."
"I'm Lily Evans. I'm a first year too. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too. So do you know anything about Quidditch?"
"Not you too." Lily groaned despite herself.
"I'll take that as a no. That's good because I don't either. But I do know how to play exploding snap if you'd like a game?"
"Exploding Snap?" asked Lily uncertainly.
"It's easy and slightly harmless. It's fun."
So for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts Lily and Henriette played Exploding Snap and became close friends.