Summer - pre-Hogwarts
Lyra was a witch. At least, that was what the kind, but somewhat scary looking lady had come and told Lyra and her parents. Shock was, she thought, the understatement of the century. The lady, Professor McGonagall, Lyra felt she needed to start referring to her in this way, had told them all about how they actually lived in a world of magic, a world in which, apparently, Lyra belonged. It was truly staggering for her to think this, and she had, and still was in all honesty, completely sure that this had to be either some sort of mistake or some sort of joke. Professor McGonagall seemed to be expecting her and her family to think this, promptly turning the sugar dish into an orange in front of their very eyes before turning it back again. She had then given them this whole list of instructions but, most surprising of all, was the idea that the Potter family who lived not four doors down, were apparently, a magical family. Lyra had seen James Potter numerous times, always jealous that apparently, he got to be home-schooled. Lyra had remembered pleading with her parents to home school her, hating going to school, not feeling like she fit in. And it was with this thought that made her think maybe, just maybe, this wasn't all some sort of weird prank. Or a dream. Maybe those times when Lyra had been at school, upset and frustrated at being left out yet again and had turned the toilet roll she was holding into her hands into a flower hadn't been a trick of her eyes. Maybe when she was running away from the boys in her year who seemed to want to play dodge ball and just in fact, throw some of the hardest balls at her, she hadn't run faster than she thought capable to the literal other side of the school. Maybe it was…magic.
And so, her she was, being dragged by her parents down to the Potters who, apparently, had invited them over, prepared to speak to them about this new school Lyra would be going to. She was incredibly nervous; she hadn't really had any friends and so she was sure James Potter would probably turn out to be like all the others. Plus, he was a boy. She didn't have the best track record with boys being anything other than horrendously mean to her. Lyra lingered behind her parents as the Potters opened the door, familiar to her own parents but essential strangers to her.
"Lyra my love?" it was her mum, gently pulling her forward to meet the Potters. Mrs Potter was smiling widely at her, looking ever so pretty in a blue floral dress.
"Hello Lyra. I'm Carol, it's lovely to meet you" Mrs Potter greeted her, sounding sincere. Lyra smiled, ducking her eyes as she really was incredibly nervous.
"It's nice to meet you too Mrs Potter" she murmured, remembering to be polite.
"Oh, you can just call me Carol. And this is Matt" she nudged Mr Potter who also smiled widely, giving her a little wave, which made her smile grow.
"I'd really rather you didn't call me Mr Potter, ever so formal" he wrinkled his nose in a way which brought a laugh from her as she nodded, feeling a little more at ease.
"Well come on in, we have a lovely lunch laid out in the garden and we're ready to answer all your questions about Hogwarts. And James has been dying to meet you" Mrs Potter, Carol, ushered them all in, her dad behind her chivvying her a little as she stared around at the house; it was absolutely massive. The Potters might live on the same road as them, but their house was significantly bigger. Her dad steered her through, evidently feeling that Lyra was lingering too much as she did her best not to gape as they followed the Potters through the huge, glistening clean kitchen and out through a set of double doors, leading out to a patio and a huge garden. It was here that they found James Potter, having appeared from a clump of bushes, dirt smeared on his face as his dad called him.
"Oh James, I told you to leave the gnomes alone" it was the first mention of anything out of the ordinary, Lyra looking to her parents who she could tell were trying to remain cool about the whole thing.
"Mum they were being rude!" he protested, wiping his hands on his trousers, eyes darting over her family and then onto her. "Hey! You must be Lyra" he moved towards her, smiling as he offered her his hand. It was very dirty but she felt her dad nudge her once more and so she shook it, seeing him beam at her. "It's great to meet you. Hey, do you wanna go see the gnomes with me?" he asked but Carol tutted.
"James they're here for food. You can take Lyra around the garden afterwards" James scowled at her, looking disappointed but Lyra's heart leap at the idea that she would be able to go see actual gnomes. Because apparently, they were a real thing.
Over lunch, Lyra listened with huge eyes as Mr and Mrs Potter told them all about the magical world, about Hogwarts, James chipping in when he could. She could feel the wonder, the curiosity, the excitement build in her at the sounds of all these wonderful things, her heart leaping when the Potters told them they would take them shopping with them for school supplies. After they had eaten, James had taken to protesting about taking Lyra into the garden and, eventually, both his parents conceded, reassuring Lyra's parents that she would be perfectly safe. They looked hesitant but Lyra was sure they could see her excitement and so they let her, James punching the air as he motioned Lyra with him.
"So, is it true that you didn't know you were a witch?" James asked with all the curiosity only an eleven year old could possess as he led her to the bushes she'd seen him originally come from. Lyra nodded, shy still in the company only of James but he seemed completely unperturbed by this. "Wow. It's so cool I can't imagine not being around it! But you can come hang out here whenever you want and I'll show you all the magic stuff. Hey" he stopped, face suddenly lit up. "You won't know about Quidditch, will you?" he asked, looking at her expectantly. Lyra didn't even know what that word was, having never heard of it as she shook her head. "Oh wow! Well, I'll teach you all about it so that you can be a pro when we go to school" he told her. Lyra just nodded along, not really sure what was going on as she led the way through the bushes, not taking care to not smack her in the face with branches so that her hair was quickly littered with leaves. "Shhh look" James stopped, crouching and pulling on her dress to crouch with him. Having no choice she ducked down, following the direction he was pointing in, and she felt herself startle at the sight of the little potato looking creatures pottering around.
"Wow" she breathed, edging closer which only drew their attention as they started uttering the rudest phrases before running off laughing. James roared with laughter, making Lyra smile before he launched after them, the gnomes all giggling as he chased them.
"Come on Lyra!" he motioned her over and together, the pair of them ran around, trying to catch the gnomes who looked like they were having just as much fun as the two children.
That summer, Lyra Thompson became best friends with James Potter. Their parents encouraged their friendship and so it was that every day of the summer, either Lyra was at James's, or he was at hers. Most likely they were at the Potters as they had the garden and James was busy teaching her about Quidditch and Hogwarts.
"You have to be in Gryffindor Lyra" James threw the quaffle at her, letting her get used to its size and shape. Privately, Lyra wasn't sure about the whole flying around on broomsticks and trying to do that plus catch a ball at the same time, but James was so enthused by it she let him have it.
"Why?" she asked, throwing it back to him. It was a terrible throw, but James persevered, catching it with his fingertips before launching it in the air and catching it with an ease that she admired.
"Because it's the best house!" he exclaimed, before throwing it back to her, Lyra fumbling it and dropping it. She quickly scooped it up, James patiently waiting as she threw it back to him.
"Why is it?" she asked, James huffing at this.
"Because it's the house where all the cool people go! You don't want to be in Hufflepuff, that's lame, and the Ravenclaws are all geeks and the Slytherins" he actually shuddered at being Slytherin.
"But I like the colour green" this made James laugh loudly, Lyra feeling herself smile at the sound of it. She liked hearing James laugh.
"Lyra red is so much better" James told her, shaking his head as he threw the quaffle back to her.
"But what if I'm not in Gryffindor?" she asked, genuinely very nervous at the idea that she would be in a different house to James which would mean she would be completely on her own. James looked at her, puzzled, as though he hadn't thought anything else.
"Why wouldn't you be in Gryffindor?" he asked her, making her huff now. She liked James, really, she did, but sometimes he couldn't see anything that wasn't what he wanted.
"I'm not brave or daring, or anything like that" she remembered what he had told her, and James considered this, head tilted to the side.
"Yeah you are. You chased the gnomes with me on the first day we met" he reminded her, but she shrugged.
"But what if I'm not in Gryffindor?" she pushed, quieter this time, the fear very real. James just shrugged.
"We'll still be friends. Besides you live down the road from me. How could we not be?" he asked, and Lyra truly believed that it could be that simple.
Lyra didn't think she had ever seen something so magnificent. But then again, she had thought that about the train, about the boat ride over here, her first glimpse of the castle. Everything was just so…amazing. And cool.
"There's the Gryffindor table" James whispered to her, nudging her as they made their way down the hallway, Lyra feeling her nerves returning full throttle at the sight of so many people staring. "And next to it is the Ravenclaw one, and then the one on the other side is Hufflepuff" Lyra noticed how he left out the Slytherin table and, truth be told, she was too scared to even look in that direction. When they came to a stop, she saw the sorting hat that Mr and Mrs Potter had told them about, heard Professor McGonagall give them their instructions and then…the sorting began. When it came to the P's she could feel James's excitement mounting the closer it got to his name.
"Good luck James" she whispered, keeping her fingers crossed for him. He gave her a beaming smile as he pretty much ran up to the hat, waiting for the Professor to lower it. It was a mere few seconds before it boomed out 'GRYFFINDOR' and Lyra smiled widely, clapping for him. He gave her a big thumbs up before heading over to the table, and now her nerves returned full force that she was alone. It felt like a long wait until they got to her and then, Professor McGonagall was saying her name. Stumbling a little, she made her way up the stairs, knowing she was bright red at the stares she was getting as she sat on the stool.
Hmm, an interesting mind indeed. I know exactly where to put you she heard it in her ear, as though somebody was whispering and then a moment later 'RAVENCLAW' her heart sank, she wasn't in Gryffindor. Her eyes went immediately to the Gryffindor table where, despite looking disappointed, James was clapping for her and that, that reassured her like nothing else. He was smiling widely at her, giving her a thumbs up and that gave her the courage she needed to get up and head for the table who were all on their feet, clapping loudly. She quickly found a seat next to a girl who had been sorted before her, seeing her smile widely.
"Hey! Lyra, right? I'm Rosie" the girl with blonde curly hair, big blue eyes, introduced herself, Lyra smiling shyly.
"Hi Rosie" she said, but there was no time for anything else as the sorting continued and she did her best to shake the feeling of sadness that she'd been taken away from her best friend already.
A/N: Thanks all for reading! I know this is NOT the story I should have been working on (The Etoileige series- give it a try if you haven't!) but I needed a break and this story came tumbling out of seemingly nowhere! Apparently I do love a Marauders fic! Thanks again for reading: favourite and follow for updates which will be: first 6 chapters every day from this point and then twice weekly following :)