Past: 1971 Chapter II: Birthday Bedlam

Lily (for that was who the woman was) instinctively ducked out of the way, when she heard pattering footsteps, come running towards the kitchen.

There was no need for her to duck – she was merely a ghost of the future re-visiting the past. No one would be able to see her, maybe they might be able to sense her, but that was doubtful.

The door was flung open and a small girl ran in. She squealed with delight when she saw the presents and cake.

The girl ran out again and cried happily, "Mum! Dad! Petunia! Come see!"

Lily smiled to herself as she stood in the corner; watching and listening. It was an Evans tradition. Their Mother and Father always set up the presents and cake then crept quietly back to bed. When the birthday girl came down, she saw the presents and they appeared to have come by… well… magic!

When eleven-year-old Lily came back in, her parents and Petunia accompanied her.

They all gathered around the table to watch Lily blow out the candles. When she did so, they all cheered and then went to open the presents.

Lily glided away from the corner and stood beside them all. She felt a pang in her heart, as she watched her mother. It was hard for Lily to see her mother so healthy; so vibrant. In the future, her mother would discover that she had a fatal illness.

She clenched her eyes shut as she remembered what the doctor had said: 'It is not a case of whether she will live or die anymore; it is a case of how long she will live for…'

A loud shriek brought Lily's attention back to the present opening.

The birthday girl had just opened Petunia's present and had given a yell of happiness when she saw what was inside.

It was a book. The name of it was Famous British Witches and Wizards.

Lily opened it and started to read the index out loud:

"Oh! Look, Mum! It says loads of strange names!

Crouch, Bartholomew,

Deepti, Muse

Dumbledore, Albus,

Hah! This one is funny!

Felangi, Regina!

Heehee! Felangi!"

While the four Evans laughed loudly, Lily laughed silently with them.

"Thanks, Big Sis!" laughed Lily.

Petunia smiled back saying, "You're welcome, Little Sis!"

Petunia may not have been a pretty girl - to be honest, she was quite ugly – but whenever she was near her younger sister, she smiled. That would light up her entire face, and momentarily, she would become as pretty as Lily.

"To tell you the truth," said Petunia, in a superior voice. "Surely by now, you must have realised that witches and wizards, AND magic can't be rea-!" Petunia gasped as something banged hard against the window. The window was opened cautiously, and then the two sisters and their mother fell to the ground as a large grey barn owl flew in.

Even Lily flinched and she had known that it was going to happen.

The owl dropped a letter onto the cake; the owl flew back out the open window.

Slowly, very slowly, Mr Evans edged his way across to the window. He slammed it shut, and then turned his attentions to the letter. He picked it up gingerly, staring at it as if it was going to explode at any moment.

When he saw the name, he stared at it in disbelief. He rubbed his eyes then checked the name again.

He gave the letter to Lily, saying in a surprised voice, "It's for you…?"

Lily looked at the letter curiously. On it, written in a spidery hand was:

Miss L. Evans,

The Kitchen,

6 Privet Drive,

Little Whinging,

Surrey

Cautiously, Lily opened the envelope. When she pealed the flap open, she saw that inside there was two thick sheets of a strange paper that Lily had never seen the like of before.

On the first page, there were details that Lily could not quite comprehend. It seemed that it was implying that Lily was a … witch?

As Lily's eyes travelled further down the page, her excitement grew. Lily was slowly becoming convinced that she was a witch. She saw a name that made her hands tremble and she started to scream angrily at Petunia.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! HOW COULD YOU?"

Without waiting for an answer, she flung the letter and envelope at Petunia. Lily then ran, sobbing from the room.

Mrs. Evans picked up the letter and glanced at it. She frowned disapprovingly at Petunia, and then walked out after Lily.

Mr. Evans walked over to Petunia and put his arm around her. He asked her gently, "what was all that about?"

Petunia looked up at him; tears dripping from her wide eyes, slipping down her face; leaving wet stains on her pale face. "I don't know… I don't know…" she said bewilderedly.

Together they walked slowly out of the room.

Beside the table, Lily remembered the same letter that she had received all those years ago. It was etched forever in her mind, never to be forgotten.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Evans,

This may come as a shock to you, but you are a witch. As of that, you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

You have never realised that you are a witch as you are born to Muggle (non-magical) parents.

We will send our Keeper of Keys and Gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, to collect you at a quarter past three this afternoon. He will bring you to Diagon Alley to buy your school things.

Yours sincerely,

Regina Felangi

Deputy Headmistress

Lily knew that seeing the name 'Regina Felangi' had convinced her younger self (and Lily knew for she was visiting her past) that all this was a cruel and evil ruse, thought up by Petunia. And until three fifteen that afternoon, Lily would think that.

It was going to be a long day, full of bitter tears and bad tension.

RATATATAT! RATATATAT!

The doorknocker banged loudly and quickly. Lily smiled to herself. It was three fifteen.

She glided softly out of the kitchen and watched her family come down the stairs, Lily and Petunia, looking pointedly away from each other, tearstains on their cheeks.

Mr. Evans opened the door, then jumped back in shock and surprise at the size of the huge person in front of him

"'Ello there! I'm Rubeus Hagrid," said the man in a deep, kindly voice. "I'm 'ere for a –," he stopped to check a large roll of paper that he took from his pocket, "A Miss Lily Evans."

"What on earth do you want with my daughter?" asked Mr. Evans curtly. Hagrid looked at him in surprise.

"Sure, I've come to take her to 'Ogwarts!" laughed Hagrid. "That's where she ought to go to school. Lily's a witch!"

Just then an anguished shriek made everyone's attention turn to the stairs where Lily and Petunia were standing.

Lily was glaring angrily at Petunia and had just pinched her arm hardly. "How far are you going to take this joke? You've now hired some dumb actor to try and trick me!

"Lily! I didn't! I'm not like that!" cried Petunia, staring at her sister's fiery eyes, wondering how she could possibly think that.

Hagrid smiled gently at Lily. He was holding a pink umbrella, which he glanced down at before saying, "just don't tell anyone!" He lifted the umbrella, and then tapped the coat rack beside him with it, while muttering something inaudible beneath his breath.

Instantly, the rack shrunk and became a feathery body, while the two coats became wings. Fluttering in the hall was a brightly coloured parakeet that was chirruping musically.

Hagrid tapped his umbrella once again and the bird became a coat rack once more.

He looked at Lily and said, "Soon, you'll be able to do that."

"Really?"

"Yes. But first you will need a wand and your school supplies… They're in the letter you are holding, Mrs. Evans," said Hagrid politely. "We'll need to get all them in Diagon Alley."

"D- What alley?" asked Petunia, talking for the first time since the scream. She was looking at Hagrid in a mixture of excitement, fear, apprehension and wonder.

"Diagon Alley," answered Hagrid. "So, Lily, if you're ready? We can go!"

Lily looked up at her mother and father before saying, "Mum, Dad, I'll see you later."

She walked down the stairs and slipped her small hand inside Hagrid's large one. Together they walked out the door, the big man and the little girl.

The future Lily, started to follow them, but stopped as she seen and heard something that she didn't notice when she was the young girl.

Her mother and father were looking out the door, gazing after Lily and Hagrid. She heard her mother whisper, "Lily. A witch. I'm so proud…"

Petunia was still standing on the stairs and heard them. She frowned and murmured to herself, "I'm not a witch. They're not proud of me…"

Lily looked at her sister and felt pity. She felt a strange pull and glided after her younger self and Hagrid.

Two weeks later, Lily Evans walked onto King's Cross-Station, followed by her mother and father. Her sister ha refused to come, saying that she had to go to her friend's house. Lily, the ghost from the future, followed them, silently and swiftly.

She had spent the last two weeks with her younger self and her family. She had enjoyed every moment of it; to her it was lovely to see herself so young and innocent; playing happily with Petunia.

The young Lily was gazing down at her ticket. "Platform Nine and Three Quarters," she mouthed silently. "Mum, how do I get to my platform?"

"I don't know sweetie, I really don't know."

The clock ticked quickly towards eleven o' clock.

"Mum! Dad! I'll miss my train!"

Silently, Lily walked through her younger self towards the wall separating Platform's Nine and Ten.

"I go this way! I know it! Mum, Dad, bye. I love you," said Lily, hugging her parents. She grabbed her trolley and ran towards the wall. "Lily! Don't! You'll hurt yourself!" cried her mother. "Lily? Where have you gone?"

Lily had vanished into the wall.

Lily had emerged onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. In front of her was the sparkling scarlet Hogwarts Express. She walked towards it; her eyes set firmly on it- she didn't notice the running and walking students on the platform.

A running boy then pushed her to the ground. Lily got up and walked after him, determined to give him a piece of her mind. Like a shadow, her older self followed her.

Lily pushed her way through the crowd until she caught up with the boy. He formed a group of about five boys who were grouped around something on the ground. Lily had a glimpse of the thing they were grouped around: it was a small girl. They were bullying her.

Lily felt an angry monster growing inside her chest; of all the things in the world bullying was the worst. She barged through the boys until she reached the girl. Helping her up she said angrily to the surrounding group, "How dare you bully her? You are all mean and horrible people!"

"So?" said a smooth voice that made Lily's heart beat faster. "We're Slytherins" "And-" retorted Lily. "Am I supposed to care? Show yourself!"

She glanced around herself, trying to guess who had spoken. A tall boy with pale blonde hair stepped forward.

Watching from the side, Lily knew how her younger self was feeling now. She had experienced it herself. She would feel a strange and strong pull, commanding her to move towards the boy.

In the circle, Lily stepped forward, closer to the strange boy. "Who are you?" she asked, annoyed that her voice had a strange quiver in it.

"Me?" the boy answered, "I am Lucius Malfoy."

Lily ran down the station, rushing towards an open door on the train. She had run as fast as she could, hoping to get away from the boy. She found a door and jumped into it, searching for an empty compartment. When she found one, she just shoved her luggage into the rack.

Her older self had followed her. She was just in the compartment when a girl walked up to the door and shyly looking in, unwittingly putting her head through Lily's chest.

"Is anyone sitting there?" she asked, motioning towards the seat opposite Lily.

"No. Help yourself…"

"Thank you," said the girl quietly. She sat down and looked at Lily wistfully. After a few moments she spoke. "I wish I was like you. I mean… you are so brave. You saved my life."

Lily looked at her, and then shook her head. "I didn't plan to. One of the boys knocked me to the ground; I went after him, not to help you."

"You still saved me though."

After a few moments, Lily spoke once more. "I'm Lily. You are…?"

"Deliga."