"Lily!" a distant voice called.
The girl turned around in her bed, not knowing if someone had actually called her or if it was just part of her dream.
"Lily, stand up! »
She now knew it was reality, no one would ever ask her to wake up in the middle of a dream. She blinked several times and saw her mother's face leaning over her.
"Hmm? She grumbled
"You didn't set your alarm clock? Her mother asked. "It's nine o'clock, we're leaving in an hour."
Nine? NINE O'CLOCK?
Lily jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom hoping it would be free. Luckily, it was. She closed the lock behind her and walked to the sink to spray her face with cold water to finish waking her up. When she straightened up, she saw her red hair in the mirror: how was she going to be able to tame it in such a short time? During the summer, Lily had decided to cut her bangs and she regretted it bitterly now. Indeed, since that day, it had become impossible for her to spend less than a quarter of an hour taming her rebellious locks if she wanted to be presentable. However, she decided that she would think about this problem later and entered the shower.
When she came out, she opened her almost empty wardrobe - she had had the good idea to prepare her trunk the day before to save time - and took out a navy blue dress that her mother had given her. Once dressed, she sat down in front of her dressing table and began applying mascara to her eyelashes.
"Lily!" Her father called down the stairs. "Breakfast! »
Lily looked at her alarm clock: 9:37 am.
Merlin!
"I'm coming! »
She grabbed her jacket on the back of her chair and went downstairs.
"Here she is at last," said her sister Petunia when the redhead entered the kitchen and sat down in her usual place. "Showing off, even on the last day," she muttered.
"Hello to you too Tuney," Lily replied with a smile, ignoring her sister's remark.
But even though her sister's tone seemed to get over the girl, Lily felt a twinge of sadness. Before all this happened, Lily and Petunia Evans were more than sisters, they were the best friends in the world, they were inseparable. But that had changed, and the life-changing event had consisted of a letter and a daisy.
1 July 1971:
"Tuney! Lily called in a cheerful voice, "Tuney, come and see!"
Her sister appeared at the top of the stairs.
"What is it Lily? Why do you scream like this?" The eldest asked, watching her sister jumping up and down in the entrance.
"I received a letter! I've never received one before," replied the youngest, brandishing the letter.
Petunia went down the stairs to join her sister and took the letter. She returned it to find out the who the sender was but nothing was indicated. Only a red wax stamp sealed the envelope.
"Come with me, we're going to go see the parents," Petunia said, taking her sister by the hand.
When the two sisters showed the strange envelope to their parents, Lily - who couldn't wait any longer - decided to open it and read the letter aloud.
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,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"Hogwarts? Petunia asked. "What is this? A school of magic ? Is this a joke?»
"Petunia, my dear, will you please leave us with your sister for a moment? Mr. Evans asked in a soft voice, but it was tainted with anxiety.
"W-W-What? " Stuttered Petunia incredulous.
"Honey... "Her mother began.
But she didn't finish her sentence. Petunia had already turned around and the front door slammed behind her as she ran out of the house.
After her parents congratulated her and told her that one of her mother's aunt had been to the school herself, Lily went out to find her sister. Moments later, she saw the wavy blonde hair of her eldest who was sitting on a bench in the garden.
"Tuney?" the redhead girl asked in a small voice.
"What do you want? »
"Why are you angry? »
"Why? You ask me why? Well let's see, maybe because you, Lily, are going to go to a school far from here while I have no choice and I have to go to this stupid neighborhood school all because Mom and Dad could not pay the registration fees at the St. Elizabeth Institute. But you, you can go wherever you want! »
"But Tuney, I should have gone to the same school as you," her sister defended herself "But I'm going to have to go to this school because I'm... Different. »
"Different?! »
"Do you remember at Christmas when we got ourselves locked in the closet next to the bathroom? »
Petunia nodded.
"Yes, you started crying like a baby because it was dark," she said bitterly.
"And the door opened like... As if by magic," Lily concluded. "All these strange things, they are finally explained... »
"What strange things?" Petunia asked as he stood up.
Lily lowered herself and picked a daisy at her sister's feet. She placed it in the palm of her hand, and slowly the flower began to float in the air a few inches from her hand before falling back. Petunia's eyes widened.
"You are a monster! Lily the monster!" the eldest cried.
"But Tuney..." Lily begged with tears in her eyes.
But Petunia had turned her heels and was running away. Lily stood still for a moment before she felt a tear rolling down her cheek. She had never seen her sister like this. Never before had she looked at her with such hatred. She felt her stomach twist and her throat tightened, why did she have the strange feeling that nothing would ever be the same again?
« Hey, Black! »
Sirius and Regulus Black both turned around when they heard their names. A young man with hair so messy that one would have thought he had just weathered a storm on his broom was waving his hands in their direction. A big smile stretched Sirius' lips when he saw the person who had called him.
"James, man! »
James tried to make his way through the crowd that gathered on the platform nine-three-quarter of King's Cross station. It was not easy since most of the girls present stood in his way to greet him.
"Well, I'll leave you with Potter then," Regulus mocked, rolling his eyes. "See you."
« Bye Reg! »
And Regulus walked away into the crowd. James was now just a few steps away from Sirius and he latter crossed the distance that still separated them and took his friend in his arms.
"Man, you can't imagine how I've missed you," he said.
"That much?" James laughed. "Careful Black, I could think that you are in love with me."
"Me? In love with you? While all those pretty girls are just waiting for the handsome Sirius Black? Pff..." Sirius replied in a falsely arrogant tone.
"Stop dreaming Black," James replied in the same tone. "All those pretty girls, as you say, are just waiting for the handsome and famous new Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, which is... Well… Me! »
"Here we go again," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "I am well aware that you've been promoted to Captain man, you've told me about a dozen times in each of your letters this summer."
"You never get tired of good things," James retorted in a falsely offended tone before displaying an angelic smile on his face. "But see the bright side of things, now that all the girls at Hogwarts are at my feet, I can leave you one or two."
"Sorry mate but I'm not interested in your leftovers," Laughed Sirius, lifting his chin pretentiously.
James Potter ran a hand through his messy hair, rolling his eyes.
"Come on, we have to hurry if we don't want our compartment taken by some first years who know nothing about the order of things," says James.
He began to walk towards the train and Sirius followed him, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.
When they arrived in front of what they liked to call "Their" compartment, the two boys were relieved to see it was empty and they each sat on a bench, extending their legs to put their feet on the opposite bench.
"Well," James began. "How was your summer? »
"Oh, you know, other than the four walls of my room I didn't see much," Sirius replied, shrugging.
"You must have made progress in anatomy since every inch of wall in the room is covered with half-naked girls pictures... James replied, laughing.
Sirius laughed.
"You should see my dear mother's face every time she comes in," he said, putting his hands behind his head. « The colors of Gryffindor were already making her nauseous, imagine now! Pictures of Muggle girls in bikinis! »
James rolled his eyes.
"You're a genius," he congratulated his friend. "Seriously, I admire you."
"I know, I know," Black replied, falsely modest. "But what do you want, when you're born in a completely crazy family, you have to find a way not to become crazy yourself. And I found: girls in bikinis. »
« James! »
James turned his head towards the door of the compartment and saw a young man slip inside. His round face was red, and he was short of breath.
"Pete!" James exclaimed.
"I didn't… see… you on the p-platform," Peter Pettigrew stuttered as he sat next to James to catch his breath. "S-Son I ran here to secure our compartment."
"We see that man," Sirius scoffed. "Stop talking and catch your breath or you'll die."
"Your vacation went well Peter?" James asked, trying not to laugh.
"Very well," replied the young man, who had now caught his breath. "Where's Remus? »
"At the prefect's meeting I guess," Sirius replied. "Damn it, what an idea to have promoted the most serious of us prefect! I'm sure they thought it would calm us down."
" Well after a year we can say that they failed if that was the goal, Marauder one day, Marauder always," James said solemnly.
The other two laughed.
"I always thought it would be you James," Peter says, elbowing his friend.
"Me? James asked. "Pete, come on, I had more detentions than any other Hogwarts student. Dumbledore may be old, but he's not senile yet. »
"What about me?" Sirius was indignant. "What am I? Let me remind you that everything you did, I did it with you! »
"Don't be jealous Padfoot," Potter scoffed.
Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Me, jealous, never."
The three boys burst out laughing and continued joking for most of the journey.
"That's it, you can now go back to your compartments," concluded Amelia Bones, the Head Girl.
"And don't forget, the fifth-grade prefects take the first years to the dormitories after dinner," added Kingsley Shacklebolt, her counterpart.
Lily stood up stretching. The first meeting of the year was so long. She walked towards the door of the Prefects' compartment in order to join her friends whom she had not yet had the opportunity to see.
"Hi Lily," greeted Remus Lupin, the other sixth-grade prefect, holding the door for her.
Remus was what could be called a gentleman. He had always been kind to Lily and, even though he was part of the Marauders gang, he wasn't unbearable like James Potter and Sirius Black could be. Sometimes Remus and Lily stayed several hours studying in the Common Room of Gryffindor and so they had become friends, even if Remus always seemed a little distant. He rarely talked about himself, and when Lily tried to find out more about his life, he always changed the subject quickly. But despite this, she sincerely liked Remus.
"Hi Remus," Lily replied, smiling at him. "Your summer went well? »
The young man looked tired. It might have been odd for someone who was coming back from a two-month vacation, but Remus Lupin still looked tired and kind of sick. So even though Lily noticed, she didn't pay attention to it.
"Oh, yes, you know I read some Muggle books that you recommended to me," Lupin replied as they walked side by side.
"Really? Did you like it? »
"Yes, especially the one with the orphan: I read it twice," he said.
"'Oliver Twist'? I was sure you'd like that one." Lily confessed, laughing.
"What about your summer? »
Lily shrugged.
"Pretty good," she replied. "Apart from my sister who can't stand being in the same house as me... »
Lily's smile faded and Remus put an arm around her shoulders.
"Don't worry Lily, it's just that she doesn't understand you but one day she will come back to you."
Lily looked up at Remus and smiled faintly at him. Remus always had the words to comfort her when it came to Petunia and her dislike for her youngest.
"Thank you, Remus."
" Anytime," he said with a big smile.
He stopped in front of a compartment and opened the door. When the three occupants saw him, they widened their eyes and stopped their conversation. This surprised Remus at first, but he realized that his arm was still surrounded around Lily Evans' shoulders, and he removed it quickly.
"Well, Evans, summer made you flirty? Sirius Black laughed.
"Calm Sirius," Remus intervened. "Lily and I are just friends."
"Friends, really? Sirius Black asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.
"Yes, you know, that's when two people appreciate each other without snogging each other."
"What?! So that means you don't dream of snogging me every time you look at me Remus? Really you hurt me..." Sirius said with a chuckle.
Lily looked at him amused and Remus rolled his eyes sighing. His friend couldn't stay serious for more than five minutes.
"This idiot has his own definition of what friendship is, he will never understand. We waste our time trying to explain it to him," he says, shrugging.
With that, Lily returned his smile and turned her heels, getting ready to leave when something hit her back. She turned around, surprised, and met the amused gaze of James Potter.
"Come on Evans don't be embarrassed, here, take a Chocolate frog," he said with an angelic smile.
"It's too kind," Lily replied in an ironic tone as she turned around, leaving the candy on the floor. "And you felt compelled to throw it in my face? »
"Don't get your knickers in a twist," Sirius said, sinking into his bench.
"Evans you really disappoints me, here I thought that you were a smart girl but you don't know the difference between your back and your face apparently," James said in a snarky tone.
Lily rolled her eyes. James Potter had definitely not changed during the summer. He was always an insolent idiot who seemed to live only to annoy her. Indeed, it was the boy's favorite pastime since their first year at Hogwarts.
James raised his eyebrows and burst out laughing.
"Oh, come on Evans, don't take it like that," he laughs. "I wanted to be nice."
He ran a hand through his hair, annoying Lily even more.
" Well, you failed Potter," she says, throwing the chocolate back at him. "I'll buy my own box."
She was about to leave, but James stood up and grabbed her by the arm. She turned around suddenly.
"What?! »
"Come on," James insisted with a wry smile. "The cart has already passed and I know you love Chocolate frogs so much that there are rarely any left once the cart has passed in front of your compartment."
Lily's eyes widened. Who did he think he was? But, blushing once again, the pretty redhead decided not to say anything and tried to free herself from James' grip.
"Excuse me, but it would be nice of you to let me go," Lily said.
She pulled her arm again, but he tightened his grip.
"Come on, Evans, don't get upset..." He insisted with a charming smile. "I apologize for throwing you a Chocolate frog."
"You're really a bad liar James Potter," she replied, raising her eyebrows.
"Seriously, I'm sorry," he repeated with a sad puppy look, "To prove it to you I'll ask you to go out with me. So, what do you think Evans? Go out with me?"
Lily couldn't believe her eyes nor her ears. James Potter was a moron of the first order. He had spent his time bullying her from day one, and now he insulted her by openly making fun of her in front of his friends. Sure, James Potter was what could be called a very handsome guy. Maybe one of the most handsome of his year, but that didn't compensate for his out of place, immature, and silly behavior. Lily wasn't like most of the girls at Hogwarts who lived only to speak to James Potter or to Sirius Black. On the contrary, the less she did, the better off she was. But today, he would not get away with ignorance. No, not this time.
"Potter, your ego is so big that it's starting to impact your cognitive abilities. The world doesn't revolve around you!" She retorted.
"You didn't answer my question Evans"
"Argh!" she growled. "Open your eyes Potter! No, I won't go out with you!"
"Come on Evans? Since Snivellus is no longer following you everywhere you must feel pretty alone, right? »
Bam!
James let go of her arm, shocked, and rubbed his cheek, his eyes wide as the other three Marauders in the compartment held back a cry of surprise and froze.
"Really Evans?" Sirius asked in a mocking tone.
"You," she warned, pointing at him. "Shut it."
With that, she left, and this time James did not try to stop her, too shaken by the slap he had just received.
"What a twat!" Lily swore aloud as she walked up the corridor to find her friends.
Lily still felt her hand burning. She had never been violent. Even though Potter had always exasperated her, it had never occurred to her to hit him. Now, not only did Lily feel humiliated by the young man's remark about Severus, but she also felt guilty for slapping someone, even if that someone was James Potter.
"Who could have annoyed you to the point of making you talk to yourself? »
Lily jumped up and turned around.
"Marlene! You scared me! »
Marlene McKinnon laughed and hugged her friend.
"We were wondering where you had gone! The cart has already passed but don't worry, since I'm the best friend in the whole world, I bought some chocolate frogs for you," she informed her by pulling her by the arm to take her to her compartment. "So, are you going to tell me who's the twat you were talking about or will I have to guess? »
"James Potter, who else?" Lily sighed
Her answer did not surprise Marlene who was used to the incessant war going on between Lily and James.
"And what did Potter do this time to deserve an insult before we even arrive at Hogwarts?" She replied, laughing.
Lily then told her what had happened in detail.
"What? You SLAPPED him?" Marlene exclaimed as she entered the compartment.
Alice Fortescue and Dorcas Meadowes who were chatting while waiting for their friends both stopped and looked at Lily with round eyes.
"Lily hit someone?" Alice asked, shocked.
"Whoever it is, please tell me that he has a broken nose!" Dorcas said at the same time
"Potter! Our Lily slapped Potter in the face!" said Marlene, "And the best part is that his whole little gang was there to witness this historic act! »
"I don't believe it," Dorcas said, "And I missed it! Bugger »
"Why did you slap him Lily?" Alice inquired
Alice had always been the calmest of the four, the total opposite of Dorcas who was quick to lose her temper. Lily couldn't help but think that their reaction really showed how different her two friends were from each other. She then told the two girls the events that had led to her hitting James Potter.
—
