Chapter Two: Bright Horizons
Lily's pretty green eyes darted this way and that, trying to see everything at once and commit it all to memory. She didn't want to forget even one second of her first time in Diagon Alley. Petunia had opted to go to a friend's house for the day rather than come along. Lily frowned. She and Petunia had always gotten along reasonably well, but Petunia wasn't taking the news as well as Lily had hoped she would.
"Told you it's amazing, didn't I?" Tami said from beside Lily.
Behind them, Mr. Lorens was talking animatedly to Lily's parents, explaining what the vendors were selling. "Broomsticks, oldest mode of magical transport...collapsible cauldrons, so glad those came out, having to lug around a three-gallon cauldron was a pain--
Lily's parents smiled at each other, then at Lily, and let him talk uninterrupted.
"Let's go to Gringott's first and exchange your muggle money, shall we, and then we can spend the rest of the day shopping." They began to weave their way through the crowds in the direction of the wizarding bank.
"It's run by goblins," Tami said.
"Goblins? What do they look like?"
"Real creepy. And the way they stare at you down their long noses...urgh," Tami replied. "But don't you ever dare say it in front of them. They're very proud, and if you insult them...Hey, we're here."
"What happens if you insult a goblin?"
"Well, let's just say they'll fight to defend their honor with no regrets about who gets killed in the crossfire," Tami said darkly.
The bank was cool, and quiet compared to the shouting of the vendors and the general noise of the crowd outside. Goblins are extremely creepy, Lily thought, but wisely didn't speak her thoughts out loud.
Lily and her parents waited in the lobby and exchanged their pounds for galleons while Mr. Lorens and Tami went to their underground vault. Now armed sufficiently with gold, they made their way out into the street again.
Their first stop was Ollivander's, to get them both wands. Then they went on to buy robes, school books, and supplies.
"Dad, can we go off on our own for a while? Please?" Tami asked, a hopeful look on her face.
"Well, I did want to take the Evanses for a butterbeer...so if they have no objection—
"Yes! Thanks, Dad," Tami said, when the Evanses shook their heads and smiled. Lily hugged her parents and the adults and children went their separate ways, dividing their many packages between them.
"Good. Now we'll have two hours all to ourselves."
For a while they just window-shopped, stopping at a street vendor to buy crushed ice that changed flavors every few minutes.
"Mmm. Mine's pineapple now. What's yours?" Lily asked.
"It's-ew, coconut. I hate coconut. How much longer till it changes?"
Lily laughed. "Let's swap. I don't mind coconut." Talking and giggling, they continued up the street.
"Oh, look!" Lily said, pointing to a colorful shop window. "It's a pet shop." One of the many things the two friends had in common was a strong love of animals.
"Now there's one place we've got to go," said Tami, and they walked together into the shop. The shop was, surprisingly, not smelly at all; and filled with a combination of weird sounds. Lily and Tami could hear humming, squeaking, meowing, growling, barking, and an occasional pop or bang.
There was a rustling sound, then a whirring of feathers, and a large green bird with a bright red beak landed on a wooden perch near the front counter.
"Where'd that come from?" Tami whispered to Lily, surprised.
The bird blinked. It ruffled its feathers, glared at Tami, and said in a deep voice, "My name is Xenobe. Feel free to look around; help will be with you in a moment. And I think you are the rudest of your kind I have ever met." With this statement, it turned its back on them and flew off into the back of the shop.
"What did I do?" Tami asked, turning to Lily.
"Search me. What did she say her name was? 'Any bee?'"
"It's okay," the same deep voice answered from behind them. They whirled around and came face-to-face with a tall, smiling wizard wearing a goatee. "Xenobe's mine. She's very temperamental, and I think she's the rudest of her kind I have ever met. And I didn't choose her name, either."
Tami and Lily grinned.
"Have a look around, and if there's anything you want, ring for me." He pointed to a delicate-looking silver bell on the counter.
They nodded, and began walking up and down the aisles. There were little cards next to each cage describing the animals and their magical properties. That's considerate, Lily thought.
They passed a cage of completely silent bright orange birds. "Fwoopers," the card read. "This African bird's song can drive the listener to insanity. A Silencing charm will need to be performed once a month."
As Tami and Lily stood there, first one and then another began to sing, till they were all singing. The song was achingly beautiful. All thought vanished from Lily's mind, her feet stopped hurting, her stomach stopped growling. All that mattered was the song, the song, only the song--and Lily felt she would die if the birds stopped singing...
"Silencio!" A voice shouted, and suddenly the birds were silent.
Lily shook her head, confused. She and Tami were both breathing hard, as if they had just run down the aisle instead of walked.
"Are you two okay?" came the deep voice of the shop owner.
Lily and Tami nodded. "Thank you, sir," Tami said.
"Yeah..." he answered. "Sorry about that."
He muttered under his breath and moved up the aisle. "Effing assistant forgot the charm again...I swear I'll kill him this time."
Lily quirked an eyebrow, and Tami smirked at his near usage of a four-letter word.
They reached the back of the shop and encountered an open glass rectangle with what looked like little puppies inside. "Happy Birthday." Lily read. "These Crup puppies are six weeks old today. They will be ready for sale in just one week." Upon closer inspection, they realized theat the brown-and-white puppies all had forked tails.
"Oohh, how sweet!" Lily said, putting a hand into the box. On her left, Tami did the same. The puppies stumbled toward them and began rubbing against their hands, licking their fingers.
"I'm definitely going to get one of these when I graduate Hogwarts," Tami said. "You can't get a license for these unless you can control them from being ferocious to Muggles. We don't have that power yet."
"We will soon," Lily replied, as they turned reluctantly from the Crup cage and began making their way back to the front of the shop.
"Yeah...we will." Tami said dreamily.
Suddenly, a furry, white creature with black spots hurtled down the aisle, its tail flicking Lily lightly on her leg as it passed. A few feet away, it raised its head, turned back, and trotted toward them, rubbing against Lily's bare legs.
"Look. She's wearing a collar...She belongs to somebody."
A boy with messy black hair that looked to be about their age strode down the aisle. "Tiger! There you are." He was carrying a bag in one hand and a leash in the other.
Tiger looked at him with her intelligent dark eyes, but didn't move from beside Lily.
"That stupid bird thought it would be funny to untie her leash," the boy said, making a face. A sudden whirring of wings, and "that stupid bird" was zooming down the aisle.
"What did you call me?"
Xenobe landed on his shoulder and dug in with her talons. "Hey-ouch! I just...I...get off!" The boy yelled as Xenobe began beating him around the head with her wings.
"Take that, and that, you horrible boy!"
Tami and Lily hung back, torn between amusement at a bird besting a boy, and concern for the boy's well being. Then, "Accio Xenobe!" A voice shouted from somewhere behind them, and the bird zoomed out of sight, shrieking and cursing.
"I hope you get eaten by a starving thestral!" The boy shouted after her. Tiger ran to him, jumping into his arms, and his anger disappeared. "Thanks for nothing," the boy said affectionately, scratching Tiger behind the ears.
Tiger purred, licking the boy on his cheek.
"I'm James Potter," he said, coming up to them and sticking out a hand.
"Lily Evans. Nice meeting you."
"Tami Lorens. Likewise. First year at Hogwarts?"
James nodded. "You?"
Nods all around.
"Tiger likes you," James said, addressing Lily. "That's a huge compliment. Kneazles aren't very trusting by nature."
Lily smiled. "Oh, is that what she is? She's pretty."
"Yeah," Tami said. "How old is she?"
"Three. I've had her since she was a kitten." James grinned proudly. "Well, anyway. Got to get going. Nice meeting you, er..."
"Lorens."
"And Evans."
"Nice meeting you too, Potter," Tami said.
Lily nodded.
James walked off, Tiger at his side, now with her leash attached securely to her collar.
"Wonder if he'll be in our house," Lily said. Tami had briefed her about the four Hogwarts houses and what they represented.
"We'll find out soon enough." They walked out into bright sunlight, squinting against the glare.
"Oh! They're here," a voice called. Lily's parents and Tami's father strolled over. "All done, girls?" Mr. Evans asked.
"Uh huh. We had a wonderful time. Thank you."
"Can we have lunch? I'm starving."
"Me, too."
Mr. Lorens smiled. "Well, now that you mention it, I know of this lovely little Italian restaurant—
"Sounds great. Let's go!"
"You should be proud of the fact that I'm normal! Lily's a witch! She's some kind of weird freak!" Petunia was screaming, her face red in anger. She had just lost control. "Anything Lily's ever done has been wonderful. When she put a frog under my pillow last month, that was funny! I'm sure if I'd ever have gotten such a letter, you'd have chucked me straight out!"
"Petunia! That's enough. You know that's not true. We already agreed on the fact that the frog escaped from the box Lily was keeping it in, and hid under your pillow. Lily did not put it there. Your mother and I love you both equally, whether you're witches or not." Mr. Evans put a placating hand on Petunia's shoulder and threw a desperate look at his wife.
"You're lying, and you and I both know it." Petunia shrugged off her father's hand and angrily stormed from the dinner table. "I hate you! I hate you all!"
Lily gasped and burst into tears. Sobbing, she ran up the stairs to her room.
"No, Lily. Wait!"
Two doors slammed, one after the other. Mr. Evans took a deep breath and released it slowly. "All right," he said, addressing his wife. "You go take care of Lily, and I'll do my best with Petunia."
They walked up the stairs together and parted at the landing. Mrs. Evans knocked at Lily's door and walked in. Lily was lying face down on the bed, sobbing into her pillow.
"Lily, darling." Mrs. Evans sat on the edge of the bed, gently rubbing Lily's back. "I'm sorry about the things Petunia said to you. She was just--er—surprised, that's all.
"She...she said I was...abnormal...a...a freak," Lily sobbed.
"That's not true, Lily. You're very special, and very lucky to be going to Hogwarts. Your father and I are both so proud of you."
Mr. Evans walked in, closing the door quietly behind him. "She wouldn't let me in," he mouthed. He joined his wife on the side of the bed. "Lily, we're both so happy that you've been accepted into Hogwarts. I don't know what we ever did to deserve a daughter this wonderful."
Lily sat up, her body still shuddering with dry sobs. "You...you don't think I'm-weird?"
"No, Lily. We love you no matter what. You're not weird. And even if you would be, we'd still love you, flower."
Lily hugged her father and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Thanks, Mum..Dad. I love you both."
"No more tears, dear. You're going to Hogwarts with Tami! You must be the luckiest girl in all of England."
"Don't worry about Petunia. She'll come around, you'll see." Her mother sounded hopeful, and her father smiled. But Lily felt, somewhere deep inside, that something had changed permanently between herself and Petunia. Something irreparable had been broken in their relationship, and things would never be the same again.
Her parents stood to leave the room, and Lily smiled. I have the most wonderful parents in the world.
And, a little voice in her mind added, the most horrible sister.
James lay stretched out on his Tutshill Tornados bedspread, eating pumpkin cookies. He gazed at a Quidditch poster that hung on the opposite wall. It showed Roderick Plumpton making his record-breaking capture of a snitch. The game had been over in three-and-a-half seconds. Tornados fans hadn't been sure whether they should be euphoric or disappointed. He grinned. That player had style.
Tiger noiselessly leaped onto the bed and lay next to James, throwing a paw over his chest. He stroked her back gently. There's still plenty of daylight left, he mused. Maybe I could—
"Mum!" He yelled. Tiger glared at him and flounced out the door, tail held high.
"I've told you not to yell, dear. If you want to tell me something, come here."
James stood and brushed cookie crumbs off his shirt. He took the stairs two at a time and jumped the last three. "Can I go riding, Mum? Please?"
"I don't know, James. You know I don't like you taking out the horses before they've been exercised."
James rolled his eyes. He'd been riding since he was eight, and his mother still didn't let him ride the horses unless they'd had 'the tickles taken out of them,' as his father put it.
"Middy was out today. You can ride him," Mr. Potter called from the next room.
"Thanks, Dad!" James ran outside. Inside the stables, he took an enchanted key from it's hook under a little bronze sign labeled "Midnight". He walked down the broad aisle and breathed in the smells of sawdust, hay, and horse.
He called to the horses as he passed them, stopping to stroke their noses and let them whiff at his fingers. "Hi, boy." This was Derry, a Granian, noted for their speed. "Hello, girl." Penny, one of their many Aethonans, her chestnut coat gleaming.
Reaching Middy's stall, James whistled softly. "Hey, Middy. How are you today?"
He stretched out a hand and petted the Aethonan's velvety nose. "Would you like to go out for a while, boy?"
The chestnut stallion whickered softly in reply. James unlocked the stall and carefully led Middy outside, replacing the key on its hook. He walked Middy to the pasture and swung himself up on his back. "Let's go, Middy. Take me for a ride."
Middy began trotting, then cantering. Raising his beautiful head, Middy neighed joyously. He was galloping now, running flat out across the field. James could feel the muscles on Middy's back tense, then he spread his wide, powerful wings and rose into the air.
James cheered. "That was magnificent, Middy!" Soaring through the air, his black hair whipped back from his face, James could see every mile of their expansive grounds.
"Would you like a plum, Middy? Let's go to the orchards." Middy banked to the left and began descending. They landed gently in a grove of plum trees, and James slid off Middy's back. He picked two ripe red plums and held one on his palm. Middy leaned forward and delicately ate the plum from James' hand, while James ate the other.
They stayed there for a while, James thinking about how much he loved flying and horses and summer plums and the sweet smell of grass where Middy's hooves had crushed it.
Too soon, it was time to head back, and they rose into the air once more. James stroked Middy's neck and recalled the way his parents' eyes lit up when they talked about Hogwarts. The setting sun threw its last few rays over them and Middy's chestnut coat shone copper and gold. James sighed contentedly and gazed at the purple and orange clouds on the horizon. Times were changing. In just two weeks, he'd be on the train to Hogwarts. He couldn't wait. "Hogwarts, here I come!" he shouted into the wind.
A/N: Did this chapter make you smile? Frown? Yawn? Let me know in a review!